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Sources of Braille Reading Materials

# NLS Reference Circulars

## Sources of Braille Reading Materials

2007

### Introduction

This reference circular lists sources of books and magazines in contracted  and uncontracted braille, jumbo braille, print/braille, and braille in an electronic  form. These materials may be borrowed, purchased, rented, or obtained free  on request. Most of the sources are in the United States, but selected sources  in the United Kingdom are also included.

This circular was compiled from literature    submitted by agencies and organizations in response to queries made by the    Reference Section. Many of the responses indicated that materials are available    on audiocassette and in large print and braille. This circular, however,  is limited to braille sources, which include membership publications if they  are available to individuals, libraries, or other groups that are not members  of the organization. Prices are subject to change and should be verified with  each source before ordering.

Resources to help locate braille books are the    *Louis Database of Accessible Materials**and    APH File Repository* at www.aph.org/louis.htm    and the *International Union Catalog* of the National Library Service for the    Blind and Physically Handicapped at  http://nlscatalog.loc.gov.

Contents

- General Sources
- Religious Sources
- Specialized Sources    - Jumbo Braille
  - Print/Braille 
- Selected Sources of Electronic Braille Texts
- Braille Presses and Selected Transcription       Services    - Braille on Request
  - Braille Producers 
- Selected Bibliography (2005–2006) and Internet Resources
- Resources for Further Information

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### General Sources

**American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults**800 Johnson Street, Suite 100Baltimore, MD 21230(410) 659-9315 actionfund@actionfund.orgwww.actionfund.org

Publishes *Hot-Line to Deaf-Blind*, a free weekly braille news    magazine for individuals who are deaf and blind. Maintains the Kenneth Jernigan    Library for Blind Children, a free lending library of Twin Vision (print-braille)    and braille books for children through the high school level. Provides a    free braille book every month from a popular children’s reading series    to children who are blind and wish to keep and collect books like their sighted  peers.

**American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB)**8630 Fenton Street, Suite 121Silver Spring, MD 20910-3803(301) 495-4403(301) 495-4402 TT(301) 495-4404 faxAADB-Info@aadb.orgwww.aadb.org

Publishes the quarterly *Deaf-Blind American* (DBA), free to members, that has  information on AADB activities and articles of interest to individuals who  are deaf-blind, their families, and service providers who work with them. Provides  the free *AADB E-news* during the months that DBA is not published. One does  not need to be an AADB member to receive the electronic newsletter.

**American Council of the Blind**1155 15th Street NW, Suite 1004Washington, DC 20005(202) 467-5081800-424-8666  (202) 467-5085 fax  info@acb.org  www.acb.org

Publishes the *Braille Forum*, ten issues per year, that has articles on legislation,  employment, assistive technology, and new services for individuals who are  blind or visually impaired and presents activities of the American Council  of the Blind. Free to individuals in the United States; $25 for schools, libraries,  organizations, and foreign subscriptions. Publishes special-interest affiliate  publications that include *BRL Memorandum*, quarterly, from the Braille Revival  League, $15 per year; and *The Blind Teacher*, quarterly, from the National Association  of Blind Teachers, $25 for teachers, $20 for retired teachers and associate  members, and $10 for students. 

**American Foundation for the Blind**AFB National Literacy Center100 Peachtree Street, Suite 620Atlanta, GA 30303(404) 525-2303(404) 659-6957 faxliteracy@afb.netwww.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=6&TopicID=19

Issues *Dots for Braille Literacy* three times per year that has information  about braille instructional techniques and strategies; new braille products;  and resources for teachers, parents, family members, and anyone interested  in braille literacy. Free. 

**American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.**1839 Frankfort AvenueP.O. Box 6085Louisville, KY 40206-0085 (502) 895-2405 800-223-1839 (502) 899-2274 fax  info@aph.orgwww.aph.org

Sells elementary and high school textbooks; children’s books in braille  and print/braille; braille codes and teaching manuals; dictionaries; cookbooks;  and books on business, computer science, foreign language, and language arts.  Publishes from September to May the magazines *Current  Events*, *Current Science*,  *Know Your World EXTRA!*, and *My Weekly Reader*. Publishes the monthly *Reader’s  Digest*. Maintains the *Louis Database of Accessible  Materials for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired*, which lists the location information for tens  of thousands of titles in accessible media (braille, large print, audiocassette,  and computer disk) from more than 170 agencies throughout the United States.

**Associated Services for the Blind and Visually ImpairedASB Bookstore: Braille and Audio Resource Center**919 Walnut StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19107(215) 627-0600, ext. 3214(215) 922-0692 fax dfgodzieba@asb.org www.asb.org/main/index.htm

Sells fiction and nonfiction for children and adults, including cookbooks,  diabetes information, mystery, and romance. Publishes *ASB  Visions* newsletter,  three or four issues per year.

**Blindskills, Inc.**P.O. Box 5181Salem, OR 97304-0181(503) 581-4224800-860-4224(503) 581-0178 fax info@blindskills.comwww.blindskills.com

Publishes *Dialogue*: *A World of Ideas for Visually Impaired    People of All Ages*,  a quarterly general-interest magazine for people who are visually impaired;  $42 per year. Sells *Connie’s Kitchen*: *A  Compilation of Recipes and Tips*  from *Dialogue*; $20.

**Bookshare.org**The Benetech Initiative480 California Avenue, Suite 201Palo Alto, CA 94306-1609  braillebooks@bookshare.orgwww.bookshare.org/web/AboutBrailleBooks.html

Embosses books from its collection, in partnership with the Braille Institute,  into braille. Does not require membership in Bookshare.org, but the requester  must reside in the United States and must pay an additional $10 per book if  a nonmember. Cost of service is based on the number of braille pages, the embossing  option selected, and membership status.

**Braille Institute****Universal Media Services**741 North Vermont AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90029(323) 906-3104 or (323) 663-1111, ext. 1508(323) 663-2332 fax ums@brailleinstitute.orgwww.universalmediaservices.org

Sells fiction and nonfiction for children and adults; textbooks and standardized  tests; atlas maps; and *Braille Mirror*, a bimonthly newsmagazine. Publishes  two books in braille, free of charge, to individuals with visual impairment:  *Expectations*, an annual anthology of stories and poems for children ages seven  through twelve, and *Tournament of Roses Parade Tribute  Book*. Catalog available  in braille and print formats.

**Braille International, Inc.**William A. Thomas Braille Bookstore3290 Southeast Slater StreetStuart, FL 34997(772) 286-8366888-336-3142(772) 286-8909 fax info@brailleintl.orgwww.brailleintl.org

Sells fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. Catalog available in  braille, large print, and online. 

**Braille Jymico Inc.**4545, 1ère Avenue Charlesbourg, Quebec Canada G1H 2S8(418) 624-2105877-272-4553(418) 624-0994 fax

or 

70 West Madison StreetThree First National PlazaSuite 1400Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 214-2380 (312) 214-3110 fax info@braillejymico.comwww.braillejymico.com

Produces scientific (Nemeth code) braille documents and musical texts in braille.  Titles include works in chemistry, physics, literature, and English and French  language texts. Costs vary.

**California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped, Inc. (CTEVH)**741 North Vermont AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90029-3594(323) 666-2211www.ctevh.org

Offers members the free *CTEVH Journal*, a quarterly, that presents  news for transcribers and educators, new developments in their fields, and  articles by specialists in the areas of transcribing and the education of students  with visual impairments.

**Copper Dots**Marjorie Arnott4233 East La Costa DriveSungroves, AZ 85249(480) 345-8773marnott@extremezone.comwww.cs.cmu.edu/~rowan/marjorie-crafts.html

Sells knitting, crochet, and recipe books.

**Foundation Fighting Blindness**11435 Cronhill DriveOwings Mills, MD 21117-2220(410) 568-0150(410) 363-7139 TT800-683-5555800-683-5551 TTinfo@blindness.orgwww.blindness.org/

Issues *Fighting Blindness News* three times per year. Provides information  on prevention, treatments, and cures for people with retinitis pigmentosa,  macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and other retinal degenerative diseases.  Free; requests donations.

**Future Aids, Braille Superstore**2190 Dolphin CrescentAbbotsford, BCCanada V2T 3T1 (604) 852-6341 800-987-1231 (250) 483-1590 fax 800-985-1231 faxinfo@braillebookstore.comwww.braillebookstore.com

Sells books for children, youth, and adults, including chapter books and the  Holy Bible in various versions in uncontracted and contracted braille.

**Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc.**P.O. Box 151200 San Rafael, CA 94915-1200 (415) 499-4000800-295-4050www.guidedogs.com

Offers the quarterly *Guide Dog News* in braille for graduates of the  program. Contains articles about the school and the use of dog guides and columns  from the school’s veterinarians and trainers. Free.

**Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults (HKNC)**141 Middle Neck RoadSands Point, NY 11050(516) 944-8900 voice and TT(516) 944-7302 faxhkncinfo@hknc.orgwww.hknc.org

Serves as a national rehabilitation program for youth and adults who are deaf-blind.  Publishes *Nat-Cent News* three times per year. The publication includes  articles on legislation, services, devices, human-interest stories, and issues  related to deaf-blindness. Free for individuals who are deaf-blind and to libraries;  $10 per year for others. Offers brochures, including *Guidelines for Interacting  with People Who Are Deaf-Blind*, *HKNC Programs and Services*, and *HKNC  Giving Newsletter*. Free.

**Helping Hands for the Blind**20734 C Devonshire StreetChatsworth, CA 91311(818) 341-8217 voice and fax877-422-0300boacosta@pacbell.netwww.helpinghands4theblind.com/cookbookstore.html

Sells cookbooks. $25 for a one-volume book and $30 for a two-volume book.

**Horizons for the Blind**Two North Williams StreetCrystal Lake, IL 60014 (815) 444-8800 (815) 444-8830 fax mail@horizons-blind.orgwww.horizons-blind.org

Sells *Seeing It Our Way*, a monthly magazine that features crafts,  recipes, garden tips, and poems, $30 per year; *Craft Potpourri*, $11.95  per book; *Kitchen Potpourri*, $9.95 per book; *Mini-Cookbook  Collection*,  15 books, $6 per book, $75 per set.

**Imperium Proviso Publishing**814 East Platte AvenueColorado Springs, CO 80903(719) 473-2765info@imperiumproviso.comimperiumproviso.com

Sells the *Seeing Eye Dog* by Charles Rice, *Independence for the    Blind* by Joshua and Belinda Goldsmith, children’s books, cookbooks,    fiction, and war stories. Inquire for information regarding production and    cost.

**The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts**Accessibility Program2700 F Street NWWashington, DC 20056-0001(202) 416-8727(202)416-8728 TT(202) 416-8802 faxaccess@kennedy-center.orgwww.kennedy-center.org/accessibility/other.html

Publishes the quarterly *Opening Stages*, with articles, interviews,  and opinion pieces for people with disabilities pursuing careers in the arts.  Free. 

**Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind**80 Eighth Avenue, Room 1304New York, NY 10011(212) 242-0263(212) 633-1601 faxblind@verizon.netwww.zieglermag.org

Distributes a monthly magazine that reprints general-interest articles selected  from a broad range of periodicals. Each issue also has a short story, a poem,  and a pen pals column. Free to individuals who are legally blind.

**Merrick-Washington Magazine for the Blind**c/o Brown Enterprises Inc. P.O. Box 11447 Durham, NC 27703(919) 680-2288

Publishes a free semiannual magazine with national and local news from an  African American perspective.

**The National Academies Press**500 Fifth Street NWLockbox 285Washington, DC 20055(202) 334-3313888-624-8373(202) 334-2451 faxwww.nap.edu

Publishes *Touch the Sun* and *Touch the Universe: A NASA Braille    Book of Astronomy.* $35 each; 10 percent discount when ordered online.

**National Braille Association, Inc. (NBA)**Braille Materials Production CenterThree Townline CircleRochester, NY 14623-2513 (585) 427-8260 (585) 427-0263 fax nbaoffice@nationalbraille.orgwww.nationalbraille.org

Acts as a depository of braille textbooks; general-interest and career materials;  music and books on music theory; and technical, scientific, and mathematical  tables. Sells the *Braille Enthusiast’s Dictionary* in braille.  Offers the *NBA Bulletin* in braille to members of NBA who are visually  impaired. Catalogs in braille and print formats in the following subject areas:  *General Interest, Textbooks, Music, and Technical Tables  I and II*, $5 each.

**National Braille Press, Inc.**88 St. Stephen StreetBoston, MA 02115 (617) 266-6160 800-548-7323 (617) 437-0456 fax orders@nbp.orgwww.nbp.org

Sells books for adults on subjects such as computers and technology, self-help,  cookbooks, and word puzzles; children’s fiction; *Syndicated Columnists  Weekly*; *Our Special*, a bimonthly women’s magazine; and  the biography *Louis Braille: A Touch of Genius*. Catalog available  in braille, print, and online. Also listed in the print/braille section.

**National Family Association for Deaf-Blind**141 Middle Neck RoadSands Point, NY 11050800-255-0411(516) 883-9060 faxNFADB@aol.comwww.nfadb.org

Offers members the *free News from Advocates for Deaf-Blind* three  times per year for and by parents and families with individuals who are deaf-blind.

**National Federation of the Blind**1800 Johnson StreetBaltimore, MD 21230 (410) 659-9314 (410) 685-5653 fax nfb@nfb.orgwww.nfb.org

Publishes the *Braille Monitor*, a monthly publication that reports  on current legislative issues, legal cases, and social concerns affecting individuals  who are blind; news of assistive technology; and features on blind persons.  $25 per year or free upon request. Issues*Slate & Style*, a quarterly  magazine of the Writer’s Division that produces poetry, short stories,  letters, articles, and resources of interest to writers who are blind. $10  per year. Also offers back issues of *Braille Monitor*, books on braille  literacy and instruction, and Kernel books that contain inspirational stories  by individuals who are blind. 

**National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped**Library of Congress1291 Taylor Street, NWWashington, DC 20542(202) 707-5100(202) 707-0744 TT(202) 707-0712 faxnls@loc.govwww.loc.gov/nls

Administers a national free library program of braille and recorded books  and magazines for adults and children unable to read or use standard printed  materials as a result of a temporary or permanent visual or physical handicap.  Offers fiction and nonfiction, including bestsellers, biographies, and scriptures;  literature in foreign languages; music; and some reference publications. Free  loan to eligible individuals who are residents of the United States or American  citizens living abroad.

**Perkins School for the Blind**Perkins Online Store175 North Beacon StreetWatertown, MA 02472(617) 924-3434877-473-7546 (877-4-PERKIN)(617) 926-2027 faxsupport.perkins.org/index.asp

Sells the Perkins Panda, which contains a tactile stuffed toy panda ($24.95),  two story books in braille and large print and one story book in print/braille  and large print ($12.95 each), activity guides ($7.95 each), audiocassettes  ($4.95 each), and a tote bag ($4.95). $94.95 per kit.

**Royal National Institute of the Blind**Export DepartmentP.O. Box 173Peterborough PE2 6WSEngland+44 (0) 1733 37 54 00+44 (0) 1733 23 85 41 faxexports@rnib.org.ukwww.rnib.org.uk

Offers more than forty braille magazines by subscription, including *Access    IT, Braille at Bedtime, Braille Chess Magazine, Compute IT, Conundrum, Money    Matters, Music Magazine, Rhetoric, Shaping Up, Short Stories, Theological    Times*, and *You and Your Child*. 

**Scottish Braille Press**Craigmillar ParkEdinburgh EH16 5NBScotland0131 662 4445info.sbp@royalblind.orgwww.royalblind.org/sbp

Sells adult and children’s fiction, cookbooks, books on knitting and  crocheting, poetry, and hymn books. Also offers four magazines: *Braille  Sporting Record* ,a weekly on current sporting events, £10.50 per  year; *Home Help*, a weekly on beauty, fashion, knitting patterns, and  recipes, £10.50 per year; *Madam*, a monthly on beauty, fashion,  knitting patterns, and recipes, £13 per year; and *Spectrum*,  a monthly on health, fitness, and diet, £8.50 per year.

**Seedlings Braille Books for Children**P.O. Box 51924Livonia, MI 48151-5924 (734) 427-8552 telephone and fax 800-777-8552 info@seedlings.orgwww.seedlings.org/

Sells children’s books in uncontracted and contracted braille, print/braille  picture books, and print-and-braille books. Catalog available in print and  braille. Offers World Book Encyclopedia articles free of charge to students  who are blind in grades one through twelve.

**The Seeing Eye, Inc.**P.O. Box 375Morristown, NJ 07960(973) 539-4425(973) 539-0922 faxinfo@seeingeye.orgwww.seeingeye.org

Issues the free quarterly *Seeing Eye Guide* that features people who use the  Seeing Eye program, a dog-guide training school, and the free quarterly *The  Navigator* for graduates of the program. 

**Teaching Research Institute**Western Oregon University345 North Monmouth AvenueMonmouth, OR 97361800-438-9376800-854-7013 TT(503) 838-8150 faxdbp@wou.eduwww.tr.wou.edu/tr/dbp

Issues *Deaf-Blind Perspectives* two times per year to provide information  to individuals who are deaf-blind, family members, service providers, and professionals.  Free.

**United States Access Board**F Street NW, Suite 1000Washington, DC 20004-1111(202) 272-0080800-872-2253(202) 272-0082 TT800-993-2822 TT(202) 272-0081 faxinfo@access-board.govwww.access-board.gov

Publishes *Access Currents*, a free bimonthly newsletter that reports  on the agency and its activities, and publications on accessibility issues,  including facilities guidelines and standards, telecommunications, standards  for electronic technology, recreation guidelines, and transportation vehicles.  Single copies are free; additional copies cost.

**Volunteer Braille Services**1710 Douglas DriveGolden Valley, MN 55422 (763) 544-2880 vbsmn@vbsmn.orgwww.vbsmn.org/library.php

Maintains *Very Bumpy Stories*, a print/braille and braille library forvisually impaired children and young adults. The online catalog lists 683 boundbraille volumes. Use of the library is open to all individuals and to schooldistricts within the state of Minnesota; inquire about membership fees.

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### Religious Sources

**American Baptist Churches U.S.A.**  Judson Press  P.O. Box 851  Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851  (610) 768-2000  800-458-3766 (800-ABC-3USA)  (610) 768-2107 fax  judson.press@abc-usa.org  www.judsonpress.com

Publishes the quarterly *The Secret Place*, which includes devotions for daily  worship. $16 per year. 

**Assemblies of God (AG)****AG Center for the Blind**  1445 North Boonville Avenue   Springfield, MO 65802  (417) 831-1964  (417) 862-5120 fax  blind@ag.orgwww.blind.ag.org

Provides a free lending library of Christian literature and discipleship    materials for adults through the Whitney Library for the Blind. Children    receive services through the Adriene Resource Center for Blind Children    and Youth. Offers free quarterly magazines: *Adult Student    Guide, Middle Student Guide, and Preteen Student Guide*. 

**Bibles for the Blind and Visually Handicapped International**  3228 East Rosehill Avenue  Terre Haute, IN 47805-1297  (812) 466-4899  (812) 466-0529 fax  info@biblesfortheblind.orgwww.biblesfortheblind.org

Offers the Bible and evangelical tracts. Free to those with financial need;at cost for others.

**Braille Bible Foundation**  P.O. Box 948307  Maitland, FL 32794-8307  (407) 834-3628  800-766-9080  (407) 834-9953 fax  Offers the Old and New Testaments in the King James version and a concordance.  Free to individuals who are visually impaired.

**Braille Bibles International**  P.O. Box 378  Liberty, MO 64069-0378  800-522-4253 (800-52-BIBLE)  877-822-4253 fax  info@BrailleBibles.org  www.braillebibles.org

Provides the *Beginner's Bible* in print/braille and three Bibles in contracted  braille: *Children's Bible in 365 Stories*, King James version, and New  King James version. Free to individuals who are visually impaired.

**Braille Circulating Library**  2700 Stuart Avenue  Richmond, VA 23220  804) 359-3743  braille@aol.com

Provides a circulating library of religious materials including Bible studies  and commentaries, devotional reading, fiction, music, prophecy, and sermons.  Catalog available in print. Free loan for eight weeks, requests voluntary    offerings.

**Bridge Christian Education for the Blind**  4200 South Freeway Drive, Suite 702   Fort Worth, TX 76115  (817) 920-0444  (817) 920-0777 fax  rdyer@bcebonline.org  www.bcebonline.org

Offers a free lending library of Christian materials.

**Christian Record Services, Inc.**  4444 South 52nd Street  Lincoln, NE 68516-1302  (402) 488-0981  (402) 488-1902 TT  (402) 488-7582 fax  editor@christianrecord.org  www.christianrecord.org

Publishes two free quarterly magazines: *Children's Friend    and Christian Record* and a free monthly magazine, The Student. Maintains a lending library  for children and adults that includes such topics as Bible stories, biographies,  devotion, and inspiration. Free loan for thirty days. Offers Bible study correspondence  courses and an online library catalog.

**Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints**  Salt Lake Distribution Center  1999 West 1700 South  Salt Lake City, UT 84104-4233  (801) 240-5274  800-537-5950  (801) 240-3685 fax  ldscatalog@ldschurch.org  www.ldscatalog.com

Publishes church literature, including the *Book of Mormon*, *Church  Handbook of Instructions, Doctrine and Covenants*, and study guides.

**Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)****ELCA Braille and Tape Ministry**  Box 1209  Minneapolis, MN 55440  (612) 330-3502  800-426-0115, ext. 502  www.elca.org/disability/brailleandtape  Offers the Bible study portion of *Lutheran Woman Today*. Provides, upon request,  braille materials needed by individuals who are blind or visually impaired  to participate in their ELCA congregation, such as Sunday school materials,  within the limits of current staff and volunteer availability. Free loan.

**Forward Movement Publications**  300 West Fourth Street  Cincinnati, OH 45202-2666  (513) 721-6659  800-543-1813  (513) 721-0729 fax  orders@forwarddaybyday.com  www.forwardmovement.org

Publishes *Forward Day by Day*, a quarterly with daily devotions, that is free  upon request to any person who is blind, and the Book of Common Prayer: $100  for 13 volumes or $10 per volume; cost may be subsidized.

**Gospel Light Foundation for the Blind**  3760 Village Main Street  Loganville, GA 30052  (678) 475-7879  ministries@gflb.org  www.glfb.org

Offers free Bible correspondence courses and sends braille Bible lessons    to students anywhere in the world who complete and return their lesson    reports.

**Guideposts Associates, Inc.**  39 Seminary Hill Road  Carmel, NY 10512  800-932-2145  (845) 228-2115 fax  AtYourService@guideposts.org  www.guideposts.org

Provides the current issue of *Guideposts*, a monthly magazine, in  electronic braille at www.guidepostsmag.com and in press braille from Clovernook  Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (www.clovernook.org) for $36 per  year. Offers *Positive Thinking Every Day of the Year and Daily    Guideposts* in electronic  braille at www.bookshare.org.

**International Christian Braille Mission, Inc.**  5210 MacCorkle Avenue Southwest  South Charleston, WV 25309-1010  (304) 768-8876  icbmwv@wv-cis.net  www.icbminc.org

Offers three free magazines: *Daily Devotions for the    Deaf*, quarterly, for    individuals who are deaf-blind; *The Dotted Line*, sporadic, the newsletter    of the International Christian Braille Mission; and *We    Would See Jesus*,    a monthly. Embosses the *New Testament English Version    for the Deaf* in contracted    and uncontracted braille, volume by volume, as funds and paper supply permit.    Maintains a free lending library of materials, with a large selection in    the Restoration Movement, for adults and children.

**JBI International Library Services**  110 East 30th Street  New York, NY 10016  (212) 889-2525  800-433-1531  (212) 689-3692 fax  library@jbilibrary.org  www.jbilibrary.org/index.html

Lends liturgical and life-cycle materials such as Bibles, prayer books, and  Hebrew language texts. Publishes *Braille Review*, a free monthly magazine, that  compiles articles from periodicals of Jewish interest. Maintains a digital  library of braille materials in Hebrew and English at www.hebrewvisions.org  that includes *Babaganewz*, a monthly children's magazine; Hebrew texts,  such as the five books of Moses and Rashi commentary; and Hebrew braille basics.  Produces on-demand educational materials of Jewish interest, such as textbooks  for students of all ages.

**Jewish Heritage for the Blind**  1655 East 24th Street  Brooklyn, NY 11229  (718) 338-0500  800-995-1888  (718) 338-0653 fax  877-230-2205 fax  jhb.ny@verizon.net  jewishheritage@gmail.com  www.jhbinternational.org

Offers publications on Jewish laws, customs, and holidays for children and  adults and a children's storybook series. Free; requests donations.

**Lubavitch Shluchim Conferences on the Moshiach Campaign Committee for the  Blind**  c/o Enlightenment for the Blind, Inc.  602 North Orange Drive  Los Angeles, CA 90036  (323) 934-7095  (323) 934-7092 fax  info@.torah4blind.org  www.torah4blind.org

Publishes *Living with Moshiach*, a weekly digest on the Torah, and other publications  on Lubavitch philosophy. Free to individuals who are blind and visually impaired;  $18 per year to others.

**Lutheran Blind Mission**  7550 Watson Road  St. Louis, MO 63119  (314) 918-0415  888-215-2455  (314) 963-0738 fax  blind.mission@blindmission.org  gwww.blindmission.org

Lends books through the Lutheran Library for the Blind on subjects such as  Bible study, biography, children's books, Christian life, devotion, and  fiction. Provides free magazines that include *Blind Mission  Society*newsletter,  quarterly; *Christian Life*, monthly, for young adults; *Lutheran  Digest*, quarterly;  *Lutheran Messenger for the Blind*, monthly; *Lutheran  Witness*, monthly; *My  Devotions*,  monthly, for ages 8–12; *Portals of Prayer*, quarterly; *Strength  for the Day*, monthly; and *Teen Time*, monthly for eight months. Catalog available online.

**Lutheran Braille Evangelism Association**  1740 Eugene Street  White Bear Lake, MN 55110-3312  (651) 426-0469  lbea@qwest.netwww.users.qwest.net/~lbea

Provides the *Tract Messenger*, a monthly inspirational magazine; *King    James*  version of the Bible; *The Word of Life* (selected Scripture); *Children's  Bible*; *The Evangel Hymn Book* with words only; and *Small  Catechism and Prayers*.Requests donation.

**Lutheran Braille Workers, Inc.**  13471 California Street  P.O. Box 5000  Yucaipa, CA 92399  (909) 795-8977  800-925-6092  (909) 795-8970 fax  lbw@lbwinc.org  www.lbwinc.org

Provides books of the Bible in the *New International* version in partially  contracted and contracted braille and the *International Children's Bible*,  *New Century* version in uncontracted braille. Offers Christian books for adults  and children and correspondence courses on Fundamentals of the Christian Faith,  Life of Christ, and Life of Paul. Free.

**The Upper Room**  1908 Grand Avenue  P.O. Box 340004  Nashville, TN 37203-0004  800-972-0433 for braille subscriptions  www.upperroom.org

Publishes the *Upper Room*, a free bimonthly of Christian devotions.

**Xavier Society for the Blind**  154 East 23rd Street  New York, NY 10010  (212) 473-7800

Provides free spiritual and inspirational materials and a lending library    on topics in such areas as the Bible, biography, Christian living, liturgy,    sacraments, personal growth, and prayer.

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### Specialized Sources

#### Jumbo Braille

**Braille Institute****Universal Media Services**  741 North Vermont Avenue  Los Angeles, CA 90029  (323) 906-3104 or   (323) 663-1111, ext. 1508  (323) 663-2332 fax  ums@brailleinstitute.orgwww.universalmediaservices.org

Sells jumbo braille books.

**National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped**Library of Congress  1291 Taylor Street, NW  Washington, DC 20542  (202) 707-5100  (202) 707-0744 TT  (202) 707-0712 fax  nls@loc.gov  www.loc.gov/nls

Houses titles (from a centralized location) and distributes them through    a cooperating network of regional and subregional libraries. Free loan    to eligible readers.

**Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library**  175 North Beacon Street  Watertown, MA 02472  (617) 972-7240  800-852-3133 (in Massachusetts)  (617) 972-7363 fax  library@perkins.orgwww.perkinslibrary.org

Lends books from the Harold Luther Memorial Jumbo Braille Library collection  at Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library. Free loan to eligible readers.

#### Print/Braille

**American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults**  1800 Johnson Street, Suite 180  Baltimore, MD 21230  (410) 659-9314, ext. 361  brailleaction@nfb.orgwww.actionfund.org

Lends Twin-Vision and braille books to children through the high school levelthrough the Kenneth Jernigan Library for Blind Children. Free.

**American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.**  1839 Frankfort Avenue  P.O. Box 6085  Louisville, KY 40206-0085  (502) 895-2405  800-223-1839  (502) 899-2274 fax  info@aph.org www.aph.org

Sells children's books in print/braille.

**BrailleInk.**  1100 West 45th Street  Austin, TX 78756  (512) 206-9252   800-324-2919  (512) 206-9142 fax  info@brailleink.org  www.brailleink.org

Sells two children's books in both print and braille: *Guess    How Much I Love You* by Sam McBratney (in uncontracted braille) and *The    Dot* by Peter  H.Reynolds (in contracted braille). $19.95 each.

**The Braille Resource and Literacy Center**  1094 South 350 West  Orem, UT 84058  (801) 224-3334  (801) 224-0089 fax   contact@brlcenter.org  www.brlcenter.org

Sells children's storybooks in print with uncontracted braille and in  print with contracted braille. $6 each.

**Christian Record Services, Inc.**  4444 South 52nd Street  Lincoln, NE 68516-1302  (402) 488-0981  (402) 488-1902 TT  (402) 488-7582 fax  info@christianrecord.org  www.christianrecord.org

Offers three Full-Vision character-building books for children that can be  borrowed for one month.

**Exceptional Teaching, Inc.**  5673 West Las Positas Boulevard  Suite 207  Pleasanton, CA 94588  (800) 549-6999  (925) 598-0086 fax  info@exceptionalteaching.comstore.exceptionalteaching.net/

Sells *The Doll on the Top Shelf*, a print/braille book about a girl who is    blind who chooses a doll for Christmas based on how it feels rather than    how it looks. Describes each illustration within the braille text. $21.95.

**Future Aids, Braille Superstore**  2190 Dolphin Crescent  Abbotsford, BC  Canada V2T 3T1  (604) 852-6341   800-987-1231  (250) 483-1590 fax  800-985-1231 fax  info@braillebookstore.com  www.braillebookstore.com

Sells print/braille books for children ages one to ten. $13.95 each.

**National Braille Press, Inc.**  88 St. Stephen Street  Boston, MA 02115  (617) 266-6160  888-965-8965  (617) 437-0456 fax  orders@nbp.orgwww.nbp.org

Offers a Children's Braille Book Club that features a new print/braille  book every month; each book may be purchased individually or on an annual book  club subscription. Sells print/braille board books for babies. Promotes braille  literacy through the national Read Books! program in conjunction with Seedlings  Braille Books. The program distributes, at no charge, a braille book bag to  families with blind and visually impaired children, ages birth to seven. Each  bag contains a print/braille book, a braille primer for sighted parents *Just  Enough to Know Better*, and the parents' guide *Because  Books Matter*.

**National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped**  Library of Congress1291 Taylor Street, NW  Washington, DC 20542  (202) 707-5100  (202) 707-0744 TT  (202) 707-0712 fax  nls@loc.gov  www.loc.gov/nls 

Offers more than nine hundred print/braille titles for children in preschool  through eighth grade. Lends titles through a cooperating network of regional  and subregional libraries. Free loan to eligible readers.

**Perkins School for the Blind**  Perkins Online Store  175 North Beacon Street  Watertown, MA 02472  (617) 924-3434  877-473-7546 (877-4-PERKIN)  (617) 926-2027 fax  support.perkins.org/index.asp

Sells the Perkins Panda, which contains a tactile stuffed toy panda ($24.95),  two storybooks in braille and large print, and one storybook in print/braille  and large print ($12.95 each), activity guides ($7.95 each), audiocassettes($4.95  each), and a tote bag ($4.95). $94.95 per kit.

**Seedlings Braille Books for Children**  P.O. Box 51924  Livonia, MI 48151-5924  (734) 427-8552 telephone and fax  800-777-8552  info@seedlings.orgwww.seedlings.org

  Sells board books and print/braille picture books with braille and English  text and with braille, English, and Spanish text. Sells print/braille books  for children ages four to nine. Promotes reading by distributing, with National  Braille Press, a free braille book bag to families with blind and visually  impaired children, ages birth to seven, across the country. Catalog available  in  print and online.

**Seeing Hands**  P.O. Box 46374  Minneapolis, MN 55446  (763) 404-2675  info@seeinghands.org  www.seeinghands.org

  Sells print/braille books at various prices and lends print/braille books    free to any individual who is visually impaired. Specializes in books for    children ages four to twelve.

**Volunteer Braille Services**  1710 Douglas Drive  Golden Valley, MN 55422  (763) 544-2880  vbsbrl@aol.com  www.vbsmn.org/library.php

 Maintains Very Bumpy Stories, a print/braille and braille library for visually    impaired children and young adults. The online catalog lists 643 print/braille    books. Membership to the library is open to all individuals and to school  districts within the state of Minnesota.

**Whidbey Island Braillists**  Beatrice Morgan  700 Scenic Heights Road  Oak Harbor, WA 98277360-675-3459

  Lends print/braille books for one month to individuals and schools.

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### Selected Sources for Electronic Braille    Text 

**Braille Book Files**www.iowa-braille.k12.ia.us/library.html#braille

Provided by the Iowa Braille School    Library and Instructional Materials Center. Has electronic braille files  of children's books that are ready to print on a braille embosser. They are  formatted for standard braille paper, 11 x 11-1/2 inches, forty characters  per line. Each file can be embossed without the use of a translation program.

**Braille Book Files**jimallan@tsbvi.eduwww.tsbvi.edu/braille/braillebooks.htm

 Offers electronic braille files of children's books for all grade levels  that are submitted by teachers and transcribers. The site is maintained by  the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Access is password-protected  and open to individuals who have a visual or other print disability and to  members of a nonprofit organization or governmental agency that provides specializedservices to such individuals. Books are in MegaDots, Duxbury, and ASCII format.

**International Electronic Braille Book Library**  (410) 659-9314  mgosse@prodigy.netwww.braille.org/braille_books

 Contains more than one thousand titles of electronic braille books, including    classics and publications of the National Federation of the Blind. Files,      which are in contracted braille ASCII format, may be read online or downloaded      for viewing offline or embossing.

**PortaBook**National Braille Press  888-965-8965  orders@nbp.org  www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/portabook.html

 Sells book files in contracted braille that are available on CD or to be      downloaded. PortaBooks are designed primarily to be read on a portable      braille reading device, but they can also be embossed with a braille embosser  or accessed with a computer and braille display or braille-aware notetaker.      All current titles, and most older ones, are available in PortaBook format,      except those with tactile graphics.

**Web-Braille**  800-424-8567nls@loc.govwww.loc.gov/nls/braille

  Provides electronic files of press-braille books and magazines produced by  the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS),  braille music scores, and titles transcribed locally for cooperating network  libraries. Access is password-protected and open to NLS patrons (residents  of the United States or American citizens living abroad who have a visual    or other print handicap) and eligible institutions such as schools for    the blind. Files, which are in contracted braille ASCII format, may be    read online or downloaded for viewing offline or embossing.

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### Braille Presses and Selected Transcription Services

#### Braille on Request

  The following organizations will produce materials on request and can  handle small to medium size jobs. Costs for these services will vary and are  negotiable.

**Back-in Braille, Inc.**  2375 East Tropicana Avenue, #351  Las Vegas, NV 89119  (702) 353-2768  ed@backinbraille.com or kim@backinbraille.com  www.backinbraille.com

**Braille, Inc.**  65-B Town Hall Square  Falmouth, MA 02540  (508) 540-0800braillinc@capecod.net

**Braille Plus, Inc.**  2659 Commercial Street SE  Suite 264  Salem, OR 97302  (503) 391-5335  866-264-2345  (503) 391-9359  service@brailleplus.net  www.brailleplus.net

**Bumpy Pages**  (972) 414-5678  info@bumpypages.com  www.bumpypages.com

**Cleveland Sight Center**  1909 East 101st Street  Cleveland, OH 44106  (216) 791-8118  bhines@clevelandsightcenter.org or lbrewer@clevelandsightcenter.org  www.clevelandsightcenter.org

**Lighthouse International**  Print Access Center  111 East 59th Street  New York, NY 10022-1202  (212) 821-9689  braille@lighthouse.org  www.lighthouse.org/education-services/print-access-center/

**Massachusetts Association for the Blind (MAB)**  MAB Community Services, Braille Program  200 Ivy Street  Brookline, MA 02446  (617) 926-4232  800-852-3029 Massachusetts only  rpierson@mabcommunity.org  www.mabcommunity.org/MAB_Recording_Braille

**Metrolina Association for the Blind**  704 Louise Avenue  Charlotte, NC 28204  (704) 372-3870  (704) 372-3872 fax  rscheffel@mabnc.org  www.mabnc.org

**Michigan Braille Transcribing Fund**  3500 North Elm Street  Jackson, MI 49201  (517) 780-5096  (517) 688-3189 fax  tyler.colton@mi-braille.org  francelia.wonders@mi-braille.org  www.mi-braille.com

**Minnesota State Services for the Blind**  Communication Center: Braille  2200 University Avenue, #240  St. Paul, MN 55114-1840  (651) 642-0500  marcher@ssb.state.mn.us  www.mnssb.org/allages/commcenter/braille.html

**National Braille Association, Inc.**  Three Townline Circle  Rochester, NY 14623-2513  (585) 427-8260  (585) 427-0263 fax  nbaoffice@nationalbraille.org  www.nationalbraille.org

**Quik-Scrybe, Inc.**  1723 Sumac Street  Longmont, CO 80501  (303) 485-6895  quikscrybe@comcast.net  www.quikscrybe.com

**Volunteer Braille Services**  1710 Douglas Drive  Golden Valley, MN 55422  (763) 544-2880  vbsbrl@aol.comwww.vbsmn.org/transcription.html

**Volunteer Services for the Visually Handicapped, Inc.**  Central Library Building  803 West Wells Street  Milwaukee, WI 53233-1436  (414) 286-3039  414) 286-5450 fax  info@vsvh.org  www.vsvh.org

#### Braille Producers

The braille presses listed below transcribe printed materials into braille  for organizations and businesses. They are volume producers of braille and  do not accommodate individual requests for transcriptions.

**American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.**  1839 Frankfort Avenue  Louisville, KY 40206-0085  (502) 895-2405800-223-1839  (502) 899-2274 fax  mnord@aph.org  www.aph.org

**Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired**  919 Walnut Street  Philadelphia, PA 19107  (215) 627-0600  (215) 922-0692 fax  dfgodzieba@asb.org  www.asb.org

**Braille Institute**  Universal Media Services  741 North Vermont Avenue  Los Angeles, CA 90029  (323) 906-3104 or(323) 663-1111, ext. 1508  (323) 663-2332 fax  ums@brailleinstitute.org  www.universalmediaservices.org

**Braille International, Inc.**  3290 Southeast Slater Street  Stuart, FL 34997  (772) 286-8366  888-336-3142  (772) 286-8909 fax  linda@brailleintl.org  www.brailleintl.org

**Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired**  7000 Hamilton Avenue  Cincinnati, OH 45231-5297  (513) 522-3860  (513) 728-3950 fax  cvb@clovernook.org  www.clovernook.org

**gh, LLC**  1305 Cumberland Avenue  West Lafayette, IN 47906  (765) 775-3776  866-693-3687 (866-MY-3-DOTS)  (765) 775-2501 fax  ghinfo@ghbraille.com  www.ghbraille.com

**National Braille Press, Inc.**  88 St. Stephen Street  Boston, MA 02115  (617) 266-6160  800-548-7323  (617) 437-0456 fax  srambo@nbp.org  www.nbp.org

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### Selected Bibliography (2005–2006) and Internet Resources

American Foundation for the Blind. Braille. Retrieved July 5,  2006.www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=6 with links to activities to promote  early literacy, braille resources for parents, resources for teachers of braille,and DOTS for braille literacy, a free newsletter. 

American Foundation for the Blind. Braille bug site. Retrieved July 5, 2006.www.afb.org/braillebug.

American Foundation for the Blind. National Literacy Center. Retrieved July5,  2006. www.afb.org/section.asp?SectionID=50.

Braille: into the next millennium. Washington: National Library  Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped and Friends of Libraries for  Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals in North America, 2000.600p. Free.

Braille on the Internet. Retrieved July 5, 2006. www.nyise.org/braille.htm.

Castellano, Carol. Because books matter: reading braille books  with young blind children. Boston: National Braille Press, 2000. Also available  in Spanish. Single copy free.

Clunies-Ross, Louise. Windows of perception: a review of the literature concerning  uncontracted and contracted literary braille. British journal of visual impairment,  v. 23, May 2005: 67û74.

Dots for families: ongoing literacy for families of children with visual impairments.  Retrieved July 5, 2005.www.ed.arizona.edu/VILiteracy/default.htm.Mellor, C.  Michael. Louis Braille: a touch of genius. Boston: National Braille Press,  2006. Available in braille, print, and Portabook formats.$25–$50, depending  on format.

National Federation of the Blind. Literature about  braille.  Retrieved July 7, 2006. www.nfb.org/nfb/Braille_lit_list.asp?SnID=2.

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### Resources for Further Information

**American  Printing House for the Blind, Inc.**  P.O. Box 6085  Louisville, KY 40206-0085  (502) 895-2405  800-223-1839  (502) 899-2274 fax  info@aph.orgwww.aph.org

 Maintains the *Louis Database of Accessible Materials    for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired*, which lists location    information for more than180,000 titles in special format, including braille.

**Braille Revival League**  c/o American Council of the Blind  1155 15th Street NW, Suite 1004  Washington, DC 20005  (202) 467-5081  800-424-8666  (202) 467-5085 fax  info@acb.orgwww.acb.org

 Serves as an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. Fosters the      use, production, and instruction of braille. Encourages people who are      blind to read and write in braille and advocates for mandatory braille      instruction in educational facilities for individuals who are blind. Publishes      the newsletter *BRL Memorandum*.

**International Braille Research Center  National Federation of the Blind**  1800 Johnson Street  Baltimore, MD 21230  (410) 659-9314, ext. 367  (410) 685-5653 faxnfb@nfb.orgwww.nfb.org

  Encourages and promotes the teaching and use of braille, conducts research  studies to determine the best methods for teaching braille, maintains a resource  library of scholarly papers related to braille, and recognizes distinguished  teachers of braille for their outstanding service to students who are blind.

**National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB)**  Nadine Jacobson, President  5805 Kellogg Avenue   Edina, MN 55424-1819  (952) 927-7694  nadine.jacobson@visi.com  www.nfbcal.org/napub/napub.htm

  Serves as a division of the National Federation of the Blind. Promotes the  use of braille and its production and instruction. Encourages the reading    and writing of braille and advocates for mandatory braille instruction    in educational facilities for individuals who are blind. Cosponsors with    the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children the Braille Readers    Are Leaders contest.

**National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped**  Library of Congress1291 Taylor Street, NW  Reference Section  Washington, DC 20542  (202) 707-5100  (202) 707-0744 TT  (202) 707-0712 fax  nls@loc.govwww.loc.gov/nls

  Provides free reference circulars and directories, including: 

*Braille Literacy: Resources for Instruction,  Writing Equipment, and Supplies*www.loc.gov/nls/reference/circulars/brailleliteracy.html

  Library Resources for the Blind and Physically Handicapped: A Directory  with Budget, Staff, and Collections Information and FY Statistics on Readership  and Circulation www.loc.gov/nls/reference/directories/resources.html

  Magazines in Special Media, lists magazines available from NLS and by direct  subscription from other sources in various formats, including braille and  digital braille  www.loc.gov/nls/reference/directories/magazines.html

  Sources of Custom-Produced Books, a directory of groups and organizations  in the United States that produce materials in special formats  www.loc.gov/nls/reference/directories/sources.html

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Revised byRuth Nussbaum and Carol StraussReference Section2007

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Posted on  2010-08-25