This section of the Accessibility & Disability web site presents links to resources that provide copies of text books, trade books, journals, operation manuals, scientific articles, children's books, and other publications in forms that are accessible to people with disabilities. Some of the formats include Braille, large type, recorded books, digital books, and tactile graphics.
AccessText Network "is an Association of American Publishers initiated digital portal which provides collegiate Disability Services Providers with direct, streamlined access to member publishers, like never before."
Access Technology Resource Center (ATRC)
ATRC's purpose is "to provide equal access to education via technology. The ATRC produces accessible alternatively formatted textbooks for colleges and high schools across the USA on a fee-for-service basis."
American Printing House for the Blind
APH was founded in 1858 and offers "braille, large type, recorded, computer disk, and tactile graphic publications."
Bookshare.org is sponsored by the nonprofit company Benetech, founded in 1989. "This online community enables book scans to be shared, thereby leveraging the collections of thousands of individuals who regularly scan books, eliminating significant duplication of effort. Bookshare.org takes advantage of a special exemption in the U.S. copyright law that permits the reproduction of publications into specialized formats for the disabled."
Books-To-Burn is a text- to-speech file for making books on CD on an Apple computer. "Books2burn translates text files into a series of audio files (Apple AIFF format) which can then be converted to mp3's or other formats using programs like LAME, iTunes, or other tools available around the net. The program is released under the GNU GPL. Feel free to copy and modify the program."
"We produce a wide variety of titles assigned to us by the National Library Service. These include bestsellers and award winners in both the fiction and non-fiction categories, as well as a large selection of classics and children’s books.... Each year we produce popular magazines that are assigned to us by the National Library Services. Also, many independent magazines turn to us to produce their magazines in braille."
The National Braille Association "maintains a depository of textbooks and career and general interest materials, as well as a collection of music, which is continuously updated and augmented by NBA transcribing assignment services."
The National Braille Press, a nonprofit braille printing and publishing house, was established in 1927.
National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC)
NIMAC is "a federally-funded, national electronic file repository that makes National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) files available for the production of core print instructional materials in specialized formats. Created under IDEA 2004, the NIMAC receives source files in NIMAS format from textbook publishers, and makes these files available for download to Authorized Users in the United States and its territories through an online database. Once downloaded, files can be used to create a variety of specialized formats, such as braille, audio, or digital text, on behalf of qualifying blind, visually-impaired or print-disabled students in elementary or secondary school."
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
This is a free service provided by the United States Library of Congress. NLS translates books, magazines, and other printed matter into braille and also records spoken versions.
Their web site states: ""Download over 33,000 free ebooks to read on your PC, iPad, Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android or other mobile or cell phone. We carry high quality books: Our free books were previously published by bona fide publishers and digitized with the help of thousands of volunteers. No fee or registration is required... Over 100,000 free ebooks are available through our Partners, Affiliates and Resources. Our ebooks are free in the United States because their copyright has expired."
This company "specializes in Large Print Books. We know that one size does not fit all so we allow you to choose from up to 7 different text sizes. Click here to find the format that best suits you. We also sell books in Braille and DAISY for people with visual impairment..."
Recording For the Blind & Dyslexic
RFBD, founded in 1938, provides recorded books--including textbooks--in specialized formats. They also offer a custom recording service.
Seedlings: Braille Books for Children
Founded in 1984, Seedlings is "a 501(c)3 non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to increasing the opportunity for literacy by providing high quality, low cost braille books for children.... As a non-profit organization, Seedlings sells its books for considerably less than it costs to make them."