Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

John Phillos, Administrative Librarian, Delaware Division of Libraries

For thousands of years, people have used the written word to transmit information. During most of this time, the great majority of people were illiterate and relied on oral traditions to pass on information. In the last few hundred years, the need to be able to read has increased to a point at which, today, it is hard to get along in society without it. We now understand that reading can also be pleasurable; it is a source not only of education, but also of relaxation, renewal, and comfort for a great number of people. Thus, when someone cannot read because of a physical limitation, they are denied not only information, but pleasure as well.

In 1931, Congress authorized the Library of Congress to initiate the service that would become the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). The NLS started out providing books recorded on vinyl records. Originally, these were only available to blind adults, but over the years the mission of the agency has expanded to include children and those individuals who cannot read due to other physical or reading disabilities. The books produced currently are available both in Braille and on cassette tapes, and soon will be produced in a purely digital format. NLS also produces music materials such as songbooks and musical scores in formats accessible to the visually impaired.

NLS uses a system of regional libraries to distribute its materials to qualified individuals throughout the nation and the world. Since 1971, the regional library in Dover has served our patrons in Delaware. The Delaware Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH) is housed at the Delaware Division of Libraries in the Edgehill Shopping Center on Route 13 in Dover. At LBPH we currently house several hundred tape players and over 60,000 books on tape ready for distribution (our patrons receive a catalog of several hundred new books that are available every other month). From here we send the playback equipment and tapes to people throughout Delaware and even to those Delawareans who are out of the state for short periods of time. All items are sent through the US Mail and are postage free to and from the recipient. There is no cost to the patron.

You may be thinking about someone you know who could benefit from this service, but you are not sure they qualify. The short answer is if a person cannot read a regularly printed book due to a visual or physical disability, including a reading disability such as dyslexia, that person is qualified. (The long answer would fill two more pages and we will be happy to provide details if you need them). Even if the impairment is temporary in nature, we will send books as long as the condition persists. To receive service a person has only to request an application, fill it out, and return it to the library. The application asks the patron to describe the type of services desired and the reason he or she is requesting service. The application is certified by an authorized person, who could be a doctor, nurse, social worker, rehabilitation specialist or librarian, and is sent back to LBPH. Once we have the application, one of our staff will contact the new patron to determine if there are any additional needs such as headphones, amplifier, or extension levers that allow easier manipulation of the controls. All materials, the tape player, the books on tape and the accessories are sent directly to the patron’s home through the US Mail.

Today, in addition to books, we get information through electronic sources. Here the Division of Libraries has provided space for an Accessible Technology Center. This area is currently equipped with several computers having software that makes the Internet accessible to people with visual impairments. In addition, we have installed two CCTV enlargers and a Galileo scanner that converts text to computer voice in one easy step. We are in the process of acquiring a Braille printer and computer so that, in the future, we can convert print to Braille and access Web-Braille through the Internet. This center is available to anyone who is qualified to use the LBPH services. In addition, we will allow individuals who work with or care for people with qualified disabilities to try out the equipment in order to determine if it might be useful for their clients/loved ones. We are hoping that knowledge about technology options will help caseworkers, rehabilitation specialists and others to be even more effective in serving their clients. Librarians also will be experimenting with this new technology and will be able to set up similar devices in libraries throughout the state.

If you or someone you know may be eligible for this service, you can get more information about books on tape or the Accessible Technology Center by writing, calling or emailing the LBPH. We will be happy to send you information or an application. We are also available to make presentations to service providers and user groups.

Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Delaware Division of Libraries
43 South Dupont Highway
Dover, DE 19901
302-739-4748
800-282-8676
debph@lib.de.us