The Honking Goose

Blind readers have more access to published books than ever. If a book is popular, there’s a good chance I can be reading it on my phone within minutes. And yet, I still prefer to get mine as cartridges delivered by mail.

There are so many choices for blind people when they want to read a book. They can get an eBook or audiobook from a regular public library using their library card and an app called Libby (you don’t even have to be blind, this is available to everyone). You can get books on Kindle (which supports screen reader software) or purchase an audiobook through Audible. Blind readers can get eBooks in special formats designed to be more compatible with screen readers from a company called Bookshare, although they tend to focus on more educational materials (but have a huge volume of for-fun content).

One of the best resources is NLS (National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress), which provides several services including mail order of books in braille format, access to audiobooks and digital braille text through an application that runs on your computer or smart device, and access to a local regional NLS library which you can visit in person or order materials to be delivered to you by mail. My favorite format is to order audiobooks on a digital book cartridge from my regional NLS library. You put it in a special player and listen to your books without needing to use an app controlled by touch screen and screen reader, just tactile buttons you can feel the shape to know what they do.

Blind readers can request a set of books to be mailed to them on a digital cartridge that goes into their audiobook player, read their books at their own pace, then return it by mail when they’re done. In addition to not requiring an internet connection or a smart device, the device does not have a screen. Instead it’s controlled by buttons with built-in audio narration through the menus, making it easy to use. The buttons are tactile and shaped, meaning you can learn the layout and what each button does without needing to know braille.

I like this because I can turn off my phone or place it in a drawer and not be distracted or annoyed by the burden of human interaction. Many psychologists recommend that you turn off your electronic devices and have some you-time for a short time every day. Reading is a great way to distract your mind and not worry about the world for a little while.

While I prefer using my standalone audiobook player, I also use the smart device applications as needed. If there’s a short single book I want to read, it often makes more sense to download it and listen with headphones than wait for a delivery. If there is a series I am considering reading, I might listen to an hour or two of the first book to determine if it’s something that will interest me. It would be wasteful to order an entire book series then return it without reading it. My friends told me that the smart device app for NLS can connect to an Amazon Alexa device and use its speaker, but I do not have one to try that out. It is another option for blind readers to consider.

Unfortunately, braille literacy is lower than it should be in the blind population, in part because it’s rarely taught to adults who become blind later in life, and while there are non-profit organizations who are trying to change this and provide literacy resources directly, the expectation is to just use audio (which can be a double whammy for people who are both blind and deaf). For those who can read braille, they can skip the audiobooks if they prefer, but audiobooks remain one form of accessible reading. Reading a paper book, using an eReader, braille, large text, or an audiobook are all valid forms of reading.

To close, smart devices play a huge role in the everyday lives of blind people, including their reading time. Standalone alternative devices, whether for reading or otherwise, empower blind people to disconnect when they need to.