Thousands of blind and partially sighted children will be celebrating on July 16 as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince makes British publishing history with a simultaneous release in large print and braille versions.

JK Rowling said she is "delighted to be part of a publishing initiative that gives blind and partially sighted children and adults the same reading opportunities as sighted book lovers".

Blind readers have often had to wait months or even years before braille versions of popular books become available.

"More than 95% of books are never published in a format that blind or partially sighted people can read," said John Godber, head of products and publications at the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB). "This is partly due to technology and most publishers not realising that blind and partially sighted people want to read books just the same as everybody else."

Eighteen-point large print versions will be available from libraries and bookshops. The RNIB's braille edition can be ordered via the RNIB website.