Publications and Literature

Assistive Media (Expanding the World of Reading)

Web site - Assistive Media (Expanding the World of Reading)

Description - The mission of Assistive Media is to heighten the educational, cultural, and quality-of-living standard for people with disabilities and help achieve independence and become better integrated within the mainstream of society and community life in general. Assistive Media accomplishes this by providing free-of-charge, copyright-approved, high caliber audio literary works to the world-wide disability community via the Internet effectively, inexpensively, and efficiently.

Blind Reader's Page, The

Web site - Blind Reader's Page, The

Description - This site is a guide to sources of information in alternative formats (braille, recorded cassettes, large print, e-texts, web audio) accessible by people with print disabilities--those with visual and physical handicaps as well as dyslexia. It is also a guide to information about blindness, visual handicaps and other physical handicaps, with a special collection of Wisconsin resources. There are about 2,300 individual links, all evaluated, annotated and organized by subject.

Braille Bookstore, The

Web site - Braille Bookstore, The

Description - Are you searching for that Braille book your child's always wanted to get his hands on? Perhaps you'd like to build up your very own library with the best Braille titles around. Or maybe you're one of those avid bookworms who likes to relax for a little while by the fire with a nice, long book? Well, you've all come to the right place - The Braille Bookstore!

Braille Forum, The

Web site - Braille Forum, The

Description - The Braille Forum is the monthly magazine of the American Council of the Blind. In addition to the versions here on the web site, The Braille Forum is available in braille, audio cassette, large print, and by email. It contains information of interest both to ACB members and the general public.

Braille Monitor, The

Web site - Braille Monitor, The

Description - The Braille Monitor is the leading publication of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). It is produced monthly and is available in large print, in Braille, on cassette tape, or in email formats. The Braille Monitor is read by the blind, their friends and families, teachers, employers, rehabilitation workers, legislators, vendors of products for the blind, and anyone interested in learning more about blindness. The Braille Monitor covers the events and activities of the National Federation of the Blind and addresses the many issues and concerns of the blind. It offers a positive philosophy about blindness to both blind readers and the public at large, serves as a vehicle for advocacy and protection of civil rights, addresses social concerns affecting the blind, discusses issues relating to employment, education, legislation, and rehabilitation, provides news of technology and aids and appliances used by the blind, and features many of the leading blind persons in the country.

Choice Magazine Listening

Web site - Choice Magazine Listening

Description - Choice Magazine Listening is a free audio anthology for a special audience of blind, visually impaired, physically disabled, or dyslexic subscribers. CML was created in 1962 by the non-profit Lucerna Fund to offer the best of contemporary magazine writing, completely without charge, to adults unable to read standard print. CML selects and records memorable writing from approximately 100 leading magazines. Every other month, this unique, free service offers its subscribers eight hours of outstanding unabridged articles, fiction and poetry read by professional voices and recorded on four-track cassette tapes. The required four-track player is provided free of charge by the Library of Congress through its Talking Book program, which is available to those who are unable to read because of visual or physical handicap. If you don't have a four-track player, we can help you obtain one.

Future Reflections

Web site - Future Reflections

Description - Future Reflections is a magazine for parents and teachers of blind children. It is published quarterly by the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, a Division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). Future Reflections is available in print and on cassette tape and a special introductory book issue is available free from the NFB. Future Reflections covers the issues surrounding blind children as they grow from birth through college. Each issue provides resources and information for parents and teachers as well as a positive philosophy about blindness. Articles from teaching blind infants to discover and explore their surroundings to campus issues such as access to Braille and recorded textbooks offer answers to many of the common questions asked by parents and provide solutions to common problems.

International Asociation of Audio Information Services

Web site - International Asociation of Audio Information Services

Description - Represents radio and information services, dial-in newspapers, and Internet broadcasters that deliver audio broadcasts of daily newspapers and other printed materials to individuals with a visual or physical disability. IAAIS is an association of independently operated, volunteer-driven services that use audio technology to turn print into speech, bringing the words alive. IAAIS encourages the establishment and preservation of audio information/radio reading services as a cost-effective means of providing people with date-sensitive information and programming developed to enrich the lives of consumers.

Jewish Braille Institute International

Web site - Jewish Braille Institute International

Description - JBI is an Affiliated Library of the Library of Congress (JBI receives no government funding). The JBI Talking Books circulating library contains audio books in the following languages: English, Russian, Yiddish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Romanian and Polish. JBI is now creating an audio collection in Spanish. The Talking Books library in English has 13,000 titles. JBI offers a library of Large Print books. The JBI Braille library collection contains more than 8,500 titles. There are millions of Americans over the age of 60 who are dealing with the traumatic effect of age-related vision disease. Many other seniors cannot read standard print because they are physically unable to hold a book. The JBI Library with the generous support of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation has embarked upon a major outreach project in the greater New York area (including Nassau and Suffolk counties) and in South Florida, which is home to the highest concentration of elderly Americans in the United States.

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB)

Web site - Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB)

Description - JVIB is the premiere international, interdisciplinary journal of record on blindness and visual impairment that publishes scholarship and information and serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas, airing of controversies, and discussion of issues. JVIB is a monthly publication that includes research articles, as well as shorter pieces of interest to practitioners and extensive news coverage about the field of visual impairment.

Large Print Reviews

Web site - Large Print Reviews

Description - Reviews of large print and audio books and other items of interest to individuals with low vision. Plus, articles on eye health, travel tips, travel articles, and destination reports.

Online Resources for Blind and Partially Sighted Readers of Science Fiction and Fantasy

Web site - Online Resources for Blind and Partially Sighted Readers of Science Fiction and Fantasy

Description - The first section of this site is for blind and partially sighted readers who are beginning to look for technology that will allow them to read on the Internet and on their computers. The remaining sections link to sites that may be of interest to fantasy and science fiction readers who are blind or partially sighted (low vision or visually impaired). In all cases, the sites I link to often link to many other sites. I have been selective in the sites I list, focussing on the ones that would be most helpful to readers who are on a tight budget and are looking for free or inexpensive resources.

Project Gutenberg

Web site - Project Gutenberg

Description - Project Gutenberg is the first and largest single collection of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. There are 17,000 free books in the Project Gutenberg Online Book Catalog. Project Gutenberg is the oldest producer of free ebooks on the Internet. Our collection was produced by hundreds of volunteers.

Learning Ally

Web site - Learning Ally

Description - RFB&D is now Learning Ally! While certainly continuing to record books for blind, dyslexic, and many other kinds of users, well be providing even more services and resources in the future  always putting our users first within the assistive technology community. We invite our growing community of parents, volunteers, donors and friends to become a "Learning Ally" with us by supporting individuals for whom reading and access are barriers to learning.

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DISCLAIMER: Links on the Florida Division of Blind Services (DBS) website that are directed toward websites outside the DBS, provide additional information that may be useful or interesting and are being provided consistent with the intended purpose of the DBS website. DBS cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by non-DBS websites. Further, providing links to a non-DBS website does not constitute an endorsement by DBS, the Florida Department of Education or any of its employees, of the sponsors of the non-DBS website or of the information or products presented on the non-DBS website.