Public Libraries Provide Services for Blind and Disabled Patrons

If you or someone you know is blind, losing their vision, or unable to read print books due to physical disabilities, public libraries can help. The Alabama Public Library Service offers reading materials to the blind and physically disabled through the Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled. This regional library clearing house is in the basement of the APLS building in Montgomery. Each day, the staff mails out around 350 books or digital readers to thousands of patrons around the state.

Reading materials come in a variety of formats, including braille and different types of audiobooks. In 2013, an app called “BARD: Braille and Audio Reading Download” was released through the Library of Congress. BARD allows access to well over 100,000 books in various formats. The Regional Library circulates books and magazines in braille or audio formats that are instantly downloadable to a personal device or delivered by mail.

Who is eligible for services through the Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled?

1. An individual who is blind or has a visual impairment that makes them unable to comfortably read print books.
2. An individual who has a perceptual or reading disability.
3. An individual who has a physical disability that makes it hard to hold or manipulate a book or to focus or move the eyes as needed to read a print book. This might be due to a stroke or other physical problems.

We know that there are many patrons around the state who could benefit from these services. Contact Moon Lake Library for more information and an application to establish eligibility for these free services.