Standing on The Shoulders of Giants – All Formats – A Fascinating Past and a Bright Future

Blog by Paul Hopkins: Transcription, Sales & Advocacy Officer – All Formats

It is fair to say that we’ve had a number of tumultuous events and truly stand out moments here at All Formats. We have been producing accessible information for 30 years and a couple of us, including yours truly have been here since the start of the All Formats journey.

Join me with my time machine for a few paragraphs as I take a look back, before returning to the present day and dusting off the All Formats crystal ball for a gaze in to what the future might hold. Oh, and along the way, a couple images featuring me in front of an oversized pre-millennium desktop computer, sporting a slightly dodgy Disney themed tie!

Back to The Past: we find ourselves in 1996! The year which saw the birth of Dolly the Sheep, The first cloned mammal. The Spice Girls’ debut single “Wannabe” became a UK and global hit. The 26th Olympic Games were held in Atlanta, Georgia, marking the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympic Games. BBC1 airs The Simpsons for the first time with “There’s No Disgrace Like Home“. And in a quiet suburb in Birmingham, a new social enterprise was born.

Standing on The Shoulders of Giants: Isaac Newton was right when he uttered those immortal words which for complete accuracy were actually…”If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants”.

In 1996, Birmingham Royal Institute for the Blind and Queen Alexandra College, now Queen Alexandra Charity, had already been established in various forms for 150 years and had an outstanding track record in providing education which lead to employment opportunities for blind and partially sighted people.

We should take a moment to recognise at this point, language use was quite different both 150 years ago and in 1996. However, it is well worth establishing that premise to allow us to have a quick delve in to archive documents to get a sense of where we have come from:

• The object of the charity was ‘to instruct the blind in reading the Holy Scriptures: and at the same time, in some useful trade or calling by which they may be able to provide for their future livelihood’.
• Suitable scholars were taught to tune pianos and a number of competent tuners were available for outside orders.
• In 1899 a system of Braille shorthand was evolved by a group of five people under Mr. Henry Stainsby, the then General Superintendent. He, with the assistance of Mr. Alfred Wayne, designed a Braille shorthand typewriter. It was the first shorthand machine ever invented for the blind on which a speed of one hundred and twenty to one hundred and sixty words per minute could be attained.
• During the world wars, A number of enterprising blind workers found places for themselves in open industry and with the assistance of the Ministry of Labour and local employers of blind people, both men and women were placed in munitions factories. Here they worked side by side with sighted workers with excellent results.
• By 1943 no fewer than 157 blind people had found employment in sighted industries, proving that they were capable of much useful work which they had not previously had an opportunity to carry out.
• In the 1960s, Opportunities for blind people in employment were now increasing with the availability of professional jobs like physiotherapy, teaching and the law
• In the mid-1980s, Queen Alexandra College moved into the mainstream of Further Education with the introduction of City and Guilds Vocational Preparation courses, and subsequently pioneered the new Certificate of Pre-Vocational Education. This course gave students increased choice in vocational options and a much more thorough preparation for further training.

As with other Social Enterprises run by Queen Alexandra Charity in the past, All Formats, then simply called Business Centre, was originally set up to provide students with internal work placements as a stepping stone to external ones. Additionally, National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) required real life evidence that elements and units had been achieved in a real work setting.

…And Then There Was All Formats: For the purposes of this Blog, I’ve had a few conversations with my longest standing colleague, fondly known by the team as Mr C or Mr Carter. who’s been with All Formats for as long as I have and who originally worked with me to propel All Formats towards the thriving enterprise it is today.

The Business Centre as mentioned, was primarily involved in fulfilling mailshots for a special needs education charity who communicated with its membership through regular magazines and newsletters. We recall there being a very old Braille embosser in the corner of the room we were then based in which didn’t look as though it got much use. It still worked so we wondered if we should approach some local companies to see if we could offer our services. Mr C was perfectly capable of producing large print and I, a life-long Braille reader with an interest in audio production and editing. We started with Restaurant menus; in-room hotel information; Newsletters and so on. The response was really good so we grew more confident and started approaching Birmingham City Council where we produced information for their housing department. Then larger work with both a major building society and a mobile phone company., In the case of the phone company, developing a tailored phone package with an optimally accessible phone and a favourable tariff. We also ran a dedicated enquiry line where Vision Impaired customers could enquire about the package and get help with accessing their mobile.

We realised the Business Centre name didn’t really reflect what we were now doing so, it was a case of putting our heads together, to come up with a name which did., What started with an idea and a trial run, finally became All Formats.

Over the years, our relationships with finance, insurance, utilities, printing houses and many more have developed, as has our security and data management and adherence to industry standard protocols such as Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance.

In February 2023 and as a result of a significant investment from Queen Alexandra Charity, All Formats moved in to its own building. Still on the protected Queen Alexandra College site and developed to meet the unique needs of an accessible format print company, the building includes a purpose-built server room, and many security enhancements and additions.

In 2025, All Formats achieved another major milestone. Simon Oakley (Associate Director – All Formats) said: “2025 has been an incredibly busy and successful year for All Formats, with turnover exceeding £1 million for the first time in its history and with a net contribution made to the charity of over £700k. Simon continued: “All Formats success is down to the hard work and dedication of the entire team, who have worked tirelessly over the years to help make All Formats one of the UK’s leading accessible format transcription companies”.

Back to The Future: My own role has developed in to one of Advocacy, where I establish and develop connections between All Formats clients and the blind and partially sighted community to which I am proud to belong. This strand of our work has led to wide ranging and continuously developing connections with: Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre; West Midlands Combined Authority; Thomas Pocklington Trust and their Sight Loss Councils; Avanti and Cross-Country Trains through their respective access and inclusion panels.

Queen Alexandra Charity has recently appointed Jagdeep Soor, its first Director of QAC Enterprises (QAC-E). He said: “Queen Alexandra Charity-Enterprises (QAC-E) is built on remarkable foundations. For over 150 years, the mission that underpins Queen Alexandra Charity has been clear; education that leads to dignity and independence. Today, through Social Enterprises such as All Formats, Sight Village, Facilities Hire and Canes we continue that legacy, blending commercial strength with social purpose to generate real impact for our students and service users.

As the new Managing Director of QAC-E, my focus is simple. To grow with purpose, values, commitment and aspiration. We will scale our enterprises, invest in innovation, strengthen strategic partnerships; resulting in even more futures positively transformed, ensuring the income and social value we generate delivers greater equitable and accessible opportunity.

If you’re serious about equity, access, inclusion and measurable social impact, let’s work together. Collaborate, partner and help us build Social Enterprises that don’t just succeed, but change lives”.

In Conclusion: What started as a team of two has increased to a current staff of 14 and still growing. All Formats is a significant provider of accessible information in our sector with well over 100 years of combined staff experience.

You will note there being very few specific details in this article as to exactly what work we undertake for our clients and who they are, other than those stated. This of course is deliberate. I’m often asked in conversations with people I meet, whether I produce information for them. I know this is a complement to our team as the ask always comes with a hope you do or wish you would smile from the questioner. My response has and will always be…I have many secrets!

And what about those giants from 150 years ago? They were investing in the same messages and actions we are still gathered around today. In short, striving towards consistent and improving education; employment outcomes; and life opportunities. along with pragmatic and practical need to ensure blind and partially sighted people and people with disabilities are being treated equitably in every area of society.

I’m Interested in following in the footsteps of giants by making My Products and Services More Accessible…What Should I Do Next? Access and inclusion are essential for creating fair, equitable, and vibrant communities where everyone can thrive. Ultimately, coproduction is the bedrock of finding agreement and creating systemic and lasting change for the benefit of everyone in society. At All Formats, the journey starts with a conversation. Talk to us today via the contact details listed below to find out how we can help you connect and communicate with a significant minority community of which we are proud to belong.

Archive sources: History – BRIB and Blog – Transcription Services | All Formats