Reading Resources for the Blind and Visually Impaired

NY State Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL)

This free library service is for eligible residents of upstate New York who are unable to use standard print materials due to a visual, physical, or reading disability. Materials are mailed to and from their homes at no charge. Books can also be downloaded directly to a tablet or smartphone. The TBBL collection includes print braille books, and fiction and nonfiction audiobooks, with over 70 magazine subscriptions available as well.

Phone: 518-474-5935 or 800-342-3688
Email: tbbl@nysed.gov

National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS)

This free braille and talking book library service is for people registered with the New York State Talking Book and Braille Library. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS circulates books and magazines in braille or audio formats that are instantly downloadable to a personal device or delivered by mail free of charge. BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) is their free library service of downloadable braille and audio reading material.

Phone: 202-707-5100 or 800-424-8567
Email: nls@loc.gov

Music materials are available from the NLS, including braille and large print musical scores, recorded instructional materials, and recorded materials about music and musicians.

Phone: 800-424-8567 ext. 2
Email: nlsm@loc.gov

Bookshare

This eBook and audiobook library makes reading easier. People with barriers like dyslexia, blindness, and cerebral palsy can read in ways that work for them with a huge collection of titles in audio, audio + highlighted text, braille, and other formats. The service is free for all qualified U.S. students and schools, and less than $1 per week for all other members.

New York Public Library (NYPL) patrons can join for free, and everyone living in NY State qualifies for a NYPL card. Apply for a NYPL card here.

Contact NYPL staff at talkingbooks@nypl.org or call 212-206-5400 for more information and to obtain a promo code.

National Federation of the Blind’s NFB-NEWSLINE®

NFB-NEWSLINE® is a free audio news service for anyone who is blind, low-vision, deafblind, or otherwise print-disabled. It offers access to more than 500 publications, emergency weather alerts, job listings, and more.

Request an application by calling 866-504-7300, download and mail an application or complete an online application.

RISE

This is WMHT’s 24-hour radio information service for the blind and print-disabled in New York’s Capital Region and the Hudson Valley. Volunteers read articles from local and national newspapers, popular periodicals, and books.

Applicants for a receiver must complete and submit this application form.

Phone: 518-880-3400
Email: email@wmht.org

Learning Ally

This service offers popular audiobooks and titles aligned to educational learning standards. Items can be found by grade, lexile level, and subject. The cost for joining is $75 unless you are affiliated with an educational institution.

Phone: 800-221-4792
Email: CustomerCare@learningally.org

NY State Commission for the Blind (NYSCB)

NYSCB provides vocational rehabilitation and other direct services to legally blind New York State residents, including children, adults, and elderly persons. One of their primary objectives is to assist consumers in achieving economic self-sufficiency and full integration into society.

Phone: 914-993-5370
Email: Ana.Duraes@ocfs.ny.gov