Blind students are bound to make up a very small part of the population most university lecturers will encounter during their careers. Research to date shows that good communication between staff and student improves the chances of a successful outcome for both parties. The research does show, however, that the exercise seems to be one of…

Introduction: The provision of specially formatted materials is a complex and increasingly difficult task, given the extensive and burgeoning range of texts and resources available for classroom use. The need to extend the provision of accessible formats to include digital resources (in addition to braille, audio, and large print) led to a study…

Brief excerpts from correspondence from blind persons and their families in Uruguay indicate increased self-esteem resulting from access to braille materials such as a braille newspaper. Braille literacy is seen to enhance the dialog between student and teacher, parent and child, or child and book. Knowledge of community events offered by the…

This testimony on the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress (NLS) provides information on: (1) NLS authority; (2) background; (3) functions and responsibilities; (4) Office of the Director; (5) director; (6) management; (7) budget; (8) division/section/office functions, including the Administrative…

This reference circular lists United States sources of braille books and magazines available for loan, purchase, rental, or free distribution. Each source entry contains the name, address, telephone and fax number, Internet address (if available), and a brief description of the source. The first two sections list general and religious sources of…

The National Library Service (NLS) is developing a digital talking book and Braille book system for use by the blind and physically handicapped community. The following elements drive the design of the program: NLS offers a free library service; NLS is consumer-driven; NLS pays no royalties to copyright holders; the program is accessible to a wide…

The role of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) in serving the aboriginal (indigenous) peoples of Canada, especially those in the Northwest Territories (NWT), is described, and the possibilities for future library delivery systems are discussed. The right of these peoples, and of all blind and visually impaired persons, to…

This final report presents an independent formative and summative evaluation of the National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS/BPH) braille and audio magazine program. In this program, 77 magazines are distributed directly to subscribers, with 43 magazines available on audio flexible discs and 34 magazines available in…

This collection of readings is intended to provide teachers of children who are blind or visually impaired with guidelines and strategies for teaching the reading and writing of braille. The eight chapters are: (1) "Braille as the Primary Literacy Medium: General Guidelines and Strategies" (Diane P. Wormsley); (2) "Fostering Emergent Literacy"…