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Large Print, Audio & Braille Books
Audio, Large Print, and Braille Resources
Large Print, Talking Books, Braille, Radio, and TV Reading and music programs are offered by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. The reading service will allow you to listen to books and magazines from current novels to how to invest your money.
Materials — records, tapes and playback equipment, and braille books — come to you through the mail, all without cost. Catalogs containing new listings are also sent periodically.The first step in obtaining this excellent free service is to write or phone for an application form. In Northern California, except for Fresno and San Francisco, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is provided through the regional library.
Library Services
The National Library Service publishes a circular, Sports, Outdoor Recreation and Games for Visually and Physically Impaired Individuals, that describes adapted sports equipment and other useful information for people with impaired vision. NLS also publishes a series of free leisure booklets, including Birding and Fishing. These titles are available in print, on records, or in braille.
AccuBraille
141 Industrial St. Unit 1, San Francisco CA 94124,
Telephone: (415) 970-9229 Fax: (415) 970-9228
Website: http://www.garnettsignstudio.com
Email: marku@garnettsign.com
Manufactures braille decals and braille instruction plates or signs for elevators, ATMs, vending machines mail boxes, etc. for compliance with ADA. Also produces braille and large-print instruction booklets.
American Council of the Blind
1155 - 15th Street, N.W.,, Suite 1004, Washington DC 20005,
Telephone: (202) 467-5081 Fax: (202) 467-5085
Website: http://www.acb.org
Email: info@acb.org
Free / Low Income
Services include information, publications, scholarships, and legal advice. Free brochure. On-line computer information available at 1(202) 331-1058. Free monthly magazine, Braille Forum, in various formats.
American Foundation for the Blind - AFB West
44 Montgomery Street, San Francisco CA 94104,
Telephone: (415) 392-4845 Fax: (415) 392-0383
Website: http://www.afb.org
Email: sanfran@afb.net
Free / Low Income
In addition to information and referral, AFB provides technical assistance to agencies, schools and employers. Regional newsletter available. Phone or write to request catalog of publications and brochures relating to vision loss.
American Printing House for the Blind
P.O. Box 6085, Louisville KY 40206-0085,
Telephone: (800) 223-1839 Fax: (502) 899-2274
Website: http://www.aph.org
Email: info@aph.org
Sells braille, large type, and electronic books, braille music, braille and recorded magazines, synthetic speech computer products, talking book equipment, instructional and daily living aids, and a database of accessible books.
Associated Services for the Blind
Recorded Periodicals
919 Walnut Street, Philadelphia,
PA 19107, Philadelphia PA 19107,
Telephone: (215) 627-0600 Fax: (215) 922-0692
Website: http://www.asb.org
Free / Low Income
Cassette recordings of popular magazines which are not available through the National Library Service. Free
Association for Macular Diseases
210 East 64th Street, New York NY 10021,
Telephone: (212) 605-3719 Fax: (212) 605-3777
Website: http://www.macula.org
Email: macula@macula.org
Education for individuals and their families adjusting to changes in their lives brought about by macular degeneration Seminars, referrals, quarterly large-print newsletter and telephone hotline for members. $20.00 per year.
Audio Editions, Books on Cassette
(800) 231-4261
P.O. Box 6930, Auburn CA 95604,
Telephone: (530) 888-7801 Fax: (800) 882-1840
Website: http://www.audioeditions.com
Email: info@audioeditions.com
Over 10,000 audio books in stock covering all interests. Free catalog.
Blackstone Audiobooks
Department N, PO Box 969, Ashland OR 97520,
Telephone: (800) 729-2665 Fax: (451) 482-9294
Website: http://www.blackstoneaudio.com
Email: estone@blackstoneaudio.com
Over 25,00 Audio Books. Free catalog.
Blindskills, Inc.
P. O. Box 5181, Salem OR 97304-0181,
Telephone: (503) 581-4224 Fax: (503) 581-0178
Website: http://www.blindskills.com
Email: info@blindskills.com
Free / Low Income
Blindskills, Inc. is publisher of the bi-monthly magazine, DIALOGUE, A World of Ideas for Visually Impaired People of All Ages. DIALOGUE is available in five accessible formats: braille, large print, cassette, disk, and email. Blindskills, Inc. is publisher of the bi-monthly magazine, DIALOGUE, A World of Ideas for Visually Impaired People of All Ages. DIALOGUE is available in five accessible formats: braille, large print, cassette, disk, and email. DIALOGUE features include: Living with Low Vision, Transitions, Here's How, Education Makes A Difference, Careers, Technology, and What's New. The annual subscription rates are $28.00 for the legally blind; $40.00 for others.
Books Aloud, Inc.
Box 5731, San Jose CA 95150-5731,
Telephone: (408) 808-2613 Fax: (408) 808-2625
Website: http://www.booksaloud.org
Email: info@booksaloud.org
Lends recorded books free of charge. Verification of visual impairment, or disibility required. Also, now have a small growing Touch and Sound Program; call for more informaiton.
Books on Tape, Inc.
Random House
400 Hahn Rd., Westminster MD 21157,
Telephone: (800) 626-3333 Fax: (800) 659-2436
Website: http://www.booksontape.com
Sells audio books.
Braille Authority of North America (BANA)
CA
Website: http://www.brailleauthority.org
Email: brl_authority@cox.net
BANA is a consortium of groups of and serving blind persons that updates braille codes, formats or techniques, and assures literacy for tactile readers through standardization of braille. They have an excellent definition of braille on their web site, and have given us consent to quote it here: "Braille is a system of touch reading for the blind which employs embossed dots evenly arranged in quadrangular letter spaces or cells. In each cell, it is possible to place six dots, three high and two wide. By selecting one or several dots in >characteristic position or combination, 63 different characters can be formed. To aid in describing these characters by their dot or dots, the six dots of the cell >are numbered 1,2,3, downward on the left, and 4, 5, 6, downward on the right, thus: "The 63 possible characters have a systematic arrangement and are universally grouped in a table of seven lines, as follows:
Braille Bibles International
P.O. Box 378, Liberty MO 64069-0378,
Telephone: (800) 522-4253 Fax: (877) 882-4253
Website: http://www.braillebibles.org
Email: info@braillebibles.org
Free / Low Income
Free to braille readers. King James and New King James versons of the Bible. "The Children's Bible in 365 stories" for older children. The Beginner's Bible in print/Braille for preschoolers. Decision Magazine in Braille. Bible Promise Book, Concordance and Bible Dictionary ($100). For a small donation, have Large print and Audio Bibles.
Braille Publishers, Inc.
15 St. Andrews Road., #6, Valley Springs CA 95252,
Telephone: (209) 772-8850 Fax: (209) 772-8851
Website: http://www.braillepublishers.com
Email: rebbett@braillepublishers.com
Produces braille and large print materials and tactile graphics.Academic testing materials.
Braille Solutions
A Division of Goodwill Industries of the Redwood Empire, 651 Yolanda Avenue, Santa Rosa CA 95404,
Telephone: (707) 579-1115 Fax: (707) 523-0552
Website: http://www.braillesolutions.org
Email: ddavid@GIRE.ORG
Braille Solutions translates print to Braille and/or large print. We also offer binding services.
Braille Superstore
MarvelSoft Enterprises, INC
33222 Lynn Avenue, Abbotsford Canada BC V2S1C9,
Telephone: (800) 987-1231 Fax: (800) 985-1231
Website: http://www.braillebooks.com
Email: info@braillebooks.com
Free / Low Income
Braille books for children. Talking software, including typing tutors and screen readers. Talking products. Braille, tactile games, etc.
Braille Transcribers of Humbolt
Telephone: (707) 442-4048
California State Library
Braille and Talking Book Library, 900 "N" Street, Sacramento CA 95814,
Telephone: (916) 654-0640 Fax: (916) 654-1119
Website: http://www.library.ca.gov/html/pubser05.cfm
Email: btbl@library.ca.gov
For written correspondence: P. O. Box 942837, Sacramento, CA. For the Fresno and San Francisco regions, two subregional libraries listed below provide recorded materials on audio cassette or disc by mail, home visits, or walk-in service. Magnifiers and other assistive devices are available on premises.
Dolphin Computer Access LLC
231 Clarksville Rd., Suite 3, Princeton Junction NJ 08550,
Telephone: (609) 803-2171 Fax: (609) 799-0475
Website: http://www.yourdolphin.com
Email: info@dolphinusa.com
Sells and supports screen readers, screen magnifiers, OCR programs, translation systems, and speech synthesisers for PC's Products include Hal screen reader, Lunar screen magnifier, Supernova screen reader/magnifier, Cicero text reader, Cipher Braille translation system. Demo's available for downlaod at website.
G.H. Braille
1305 Cumberland Ave., West Lafayette IN 47906,
Telephone: (765) 775-3776 Fax: (765) 775-2501
Website: http://www.ghbraille.com
Email: info@ghbraille.com
GH is a provider of braille translation services, tactile graphics, and accessible HTML for the disabilities community. Digital talking book player, DTB content conversion, nimas conversion, consulting.
JBI International
110 East 30th Street, New York NY 10016,
Telephone: (800) 433-1531 Fax: (212)689-3692
Website: http://www.jbilibrary.org
Email: admin@jbilibrary.org
Loans free large print, braille, and talking books on topics relating to Judaism, in English, Russian, Romanian Yiddish, and Hungarian. Seven audio magazines plus quarterly concert, lecture, and poetry series available on cassette. Free catalog.
Library Reproduction Service
Telephone: (800) 255-5002 Fax: (310) 354-2601
Website: http://www.lrs-largeprint.com
Email: lrsprint@aol.com
Large print classics for all ages & children's literature. Also available are large print made-to-order reproductions of any and all materials. Free catalog.
Lutheran Library for the Blind
7550 Watson Road, St. Louis MO 63119,
Telephone: (314) 918-0415 Fax: (314) 963-0738
Email: blind.mission@blindmission.org
Free / Low Income
Free magazines in braille, in large print, or on audiocassette: the Christian Life, the Lutheran Digest, Lutheran Layman, Lutheran Messenger for the Blind, Lutheran Witness, Lutheran Woman's Quarterly, My Devotions.
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
The Library of Congress, 1291 Taylor Street, N.W., Washington DC 20542,
TTY/TDD: (202) 707-0744
Website: http://www.loc.gov/nls
Publishes reference circulars, bibliographies, fact sheets, etc. maintains a comprehensive, reference listing of Bibles and other sacredwritings in Special Media. In addition to the reading program, the Library of Congress has another program designed to teach you music, from harmony to learning how to play an instrument. Music manuscripts are also available in braille and large print. The music service is available only through the National Library Service in Washington, D.C, See website listed, and not through State regional or subregional libraries.
New York Times Large Type Weekly
P.O. Box 70, Northvale NJ 07647-,
Telephone: (800) 698-4637 Fax: (201) 750-5340
Email: 1-800@nytimes.com
Weekly domestic edition $78.00 per year, and $39.00 for six months, plus tax if applicable. Braille and recorded versions free from the subregional libraries Developed especially for people with low vision, The New York Times Large Print Weekly offers a select package of the week's news printed in 16-point type -about twice the size of the regular type size. With its updated, color-enhanced design, a mail subscription to The Large Print Weekly is a striking and clearly readable way to enjoy The Times. * For subscriptions in the U.S., mail delivery is available 2 days after publication in most areas. * For subscriptions outside the U.S., papers will arrive 1 - 12 weeks after publication depending on selected mailing options.
Newsline
Telephone: (800) 952-5666
Free / Low Income
Newspapers read. Free service.
Newsweek Talking Magazine
Readers Digest Braille and Talking Magazine
American Printing House for the Blind, P.O. Box 6085, Louisville KY 40206,
Telephone: (502) 899-2352 Fax: (502) 899-2353
Website: http://www.aph.org
Email: dev&magdpt@aph.org
Sells braille, large type, and electronic books, braille music, braille and recorded magazines, synthetic speech computer products, >talking book equipment, instructional and daily living aids, and a database of accessible books.
Radio Spirits
PO Box 3107, Wallingford CT 06492,
Telephone: (800) 723-4648
Website: http://www.radiospirits.com
Radio Spirits' library of old-time radio programs includes radio dramas, mysteries, detective stories, comedies, westerns, science fiction and adventure stories that originally aired from the 1930s to the 1960s - during what has been named "The Golden Age of Radio". Fee based.
Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation
Large-Type Publications, P.O. Box 241, Mount Morris IL 61054-9982,
Telephone: (800) 877-5293 Fax: (914) 244-7481
Website: http://www.rdpfs.org
Email: partnersforsight@rd.com
Large print reading material.
Sacramento Braille Transcribers, Inc.
2791 - 24th Street, Room 7, Sacramento CA 95818,
Telephone: (916) 455-9121 Fax: (916) 452-9140
Free / Low Income
Transcribes textbooks, literature, math, music, children's storybooks in both braille and tactile/braille editions, and, when time allows, transcribes for individuals, organizations, businesses, etc. All at no cost. The free braille book lending library is for preschool through high school. Phone or fax requests. Books available by mail. No charge for braille, charge for print at cost.
San Francisco Public Library
Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, 100 Larkin Street, Civic Center, San Francisco CA 94102,
Telephone: (415) 557-4253 Fax: (415) 357-4375
Website: http://sfpl.org
Email: lbphmgr@sfpl.org
Free / Low Income
Hours: 10 AM to 6 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays 1 PM to 6 PM Mondays and Thursdays Noon to 5 PM Fridays In addition to the free recorded material and other services listed above, the San Francisco library has computers with scanners and voice and large-print output, catalog-linked braille embossers, closed circuit TV, and magnifiers; circulates descriptive videos; publishes a quarterly newsletter and voter information tapes before each election; bi-monthly talking book topics and early compilations.
TIME Magazine Large Print Edition
Telephone: (800) 881-2137
Unabridged news, articles, and editorial analysis from the regular edition. One year rate is $1.49 per issue.
Ulverscroft Large Print (USA) Inc.
Telephone: (800) 955-9659
Website: http://www.ulverscroft.com
Email: sales@ulverscroftusa.com
Large-print and Audio, fiction and non-fiction. Free catalog.
Volunteers of Soledad Volunteers of Vacaville
P.O. Box 686, Soledad CA 93960,
Telephone: (707) 448-6841 x 2044
The Volunteers loan books on tape and record new material onto tapes as requested. Also repair braillers. Vacaville has a monthly subscription club which will send 1-4 audio tapes.
Volunteers of Vacaville
P. O. Box 670, Vacaville CA 95696,
Telephone: (707) 448-6841 x 2044
Free / Low Income
Transcription services, repair braille machines and tape players.