The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), Library of Congress, administers a free national library program that provides braille and recorded materials to people who cannot see regular print or handle print materials. Established by an Act of Congress in 1931 to serve blind adults, the program was expanded in 1952 to include children, in 1962 to provide music materials, in 1966 to include individuals with other physical disabilities that prevent reading regular print, and in 2016 to permit NLS to provide refreshable braille displays. The NLS program is funded annually by Congress, and books and materials are mailed as “Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped” through a separate appropriation to the United States Postal Service. Cooperating network libraries are funded through a combination of state, local, and/or federal sources.
The NLS Catalog contains more than 281,000 book records, of which more than 74,000 are braille books and braille music scores and 207,000 are talking books.
Any resident of the United States or American citizen living abroad who is unable to read or use regular print materials as a result of temporary or permanent visual or physical limitations may apply for service.
Milestone 212 Ace Book Reader: If you are seeking a compact audio and DAISY player, then the Milestone 212 Ace is probably the perfect device for you! It fits in the palm of your hand and has 6 simple tactile buttons for ease of use. It can read aloud National Library Service (NLS), Audible.com, and DAISY downloaded books. It can also retain and play MP3, WAV, WMA and iTunes AAC audio files. You can also use this Milestone 212 Ace for recording quick notes to self or lectures that you attend.
New Victor Reader Stream: The New Generation Victor Reader Stream is smaller and smarter than its predecessor with new wireless capabilities that will open up the world to the blind and visually impaired. With the new Stream you can receive content from books and newspapers to podcasts and radio. It features a louder speaker, superior text to speech and improved recording. The high contrast tactile keypad and popular Victor Reader bookshelf navigation makes this the easiest to use hand-held player on the market. This new model has been designed to be user friendly, compact and lightweight.
Plextalk Pocket Portable Daisy/MP3 Player: This convenient book reader and recorder does not only allow you to playback digital talking books or textbooks, but also to record lectures at school. With a quick key press when recording, you can insert headers and save precious time. Besides offering the ability to read digital talking books, the PLEXTALK Pocket, now has a wireless LAN capability, which enables you to download or stream Web Radio and Podcasts even when you are away from your computer. With Web Radio and Podcasts at your fingertips, you can listen to your favorite news programs and music channels wherever, whenever you want.