Listening to More Audio
Periodicals & Books
Great news! Now more than ever, there are many free resources available for individuals with visual and print disabilities to listen to audio versions of periodicals and books! In addition, if you read Braille, digital versions of books in Braille are available. This page introduces some of those resources. Find more through your Public Library.
Major resources include those provided free for people with vision and print disabilities, as well as paid sources. We have listed and sorted the most prominent ones here.
Audio Books & Periodicals
Free for Vision & Print Disabled 
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- NLS Talking Books – National Library Service is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical, perceptual, or reading disability that prevents them from using regular print materials. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS circulates books and magazines in braille or audio formats, that are instantly downloadable to a personal device or delivered by mail free of charge. https://www.loc.gov/nls/
Online audiobooks and Braille display books from NLS’s BARD – Download your audiobooks or Braille display books to your smart phone, tablet or computer. Take them with you and enjoy. Learn more about BARD; yes , it’s free theought NLS and the Library of Congress.- Your local library- Yes, most US local libraries have online access to scores of audiobooks. To be eligible, all you need is a library card!
- These links will help you locate public and state libraries:
- A central page for these searches is here: https://www.usa.gov/
libraries - A link for searching state libraries here: https://publiclibraries.com/
state/ - A site for finding public libraries here: https://www.careeronestop.org/LocalHelp/CommunityServices/find-libraries.aspx
- A central page for these searches is here: https://www.usa.gov/
- These links will help you locate public and state libraries:
- Librivox – If a publication is old enough, it may be in the public domain, (no longer under copyright restrictions). Therefore, check this huge collection of volunteer-read books, poems, and plays. Visit Librivox for audiobooks that are free, noncommerical and ad-free.
Low Cost for Vision & Print Disabled
- Bookshare – Free for students, small fee for others who qualify. Bookshare makes reading easier. People with dyslexia, blindness, cerebral palsy, and other reading barriers can customize their experience to suit their learning style and find virtually any book they need for school, work, or the joy of reading. https://www.bookshare.org/cms/
- Learning Ally-Learning Ally is a leading nonprofit education solutions organization that transforms the lives of early and struggling learners through proven solutions from Pre-K through high school, to help students reach their potential. https://learningally.org
Paid Subscriptions
- SmashWords– Find thousands of free books authored by independent authors. Many others are low-cost. When you retrieve a book from Smashwords, you have the freedom to access it on all your devices. Smashwords link.
- Audible– Purchase individual books or buy a subscription. Audible is linked with Amazon and discounted for Amazon Prime customers. Audible link.
- Apple Books – Very large inventory of audiobooks. Apple Books link.
Learn more about resources for audiobooks and braille display books for individuals who are fission or print disabled, be sure to contact your local library. They want to help!