Are you unable to read books because of vision problems, even if the problems are temporary? Do you have a reading disability? Do you know someone whose physical disability prevents holding a book or turning pages? If so, we welcome the opportunity to tell you about free library services for people with visual impairments and physical disabilities. With the cooperation of authors and publishers, books and magazines are recorded on cassette and produced in braille. The library also lends large print books and described videos. These materials are mailed in specially marked postage-free containers.
    Through a nationwide network of Regional Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, this program is available to eligible adults and children with visual impairments and physical disabilities. The Pittsburgh Regional Library serves the western half of Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia Regional Library serves the eastern half. In addition, the Philadelphia Regional Library serves the entire State of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware with braille. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania funds the two Regional Libraries through its State Library.
    Cassettes, plus the equipment needed to play them, and braille are provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress. Large print books and described videos are purchased by the Regional Libraries with donations. The U.S. Postal Service provides free mailing privileges.

HOW THE PROGRAM OPERATES
    Pennsylvania’s two Regional Libraries have over 75,000 recorded, large print, videocassette, and braille titles available for circulation. Many new titles are added each year. The collection is large enough to meet the general reading needs of most readers.
    When a completed application is received, the library mails catalogs of latest books. Patrons will also receive the bi-monthly publications Talking Book Topics and/or Braille Book Review that announce the most recent titles. The necessary playback machines are delivered or mailed to new readers.
    The library will tailor its service to meet your needs. We will send books upon request in monthly installments or as you need them. We take your requests by mail, phone, fax, email, OPAC, or in person. We can search books by title, subject, or author.
    Although 95% of the service is provided through the mail to readers at their residence, all are invited and encouraged to visit the Regional Libraries, which are open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the exception of State and Federal holidays. A professional staff of librarians and reader advisors are ready to serve you. After hours patrons may call the library toll free and leave a message.

MATERIALS AND SERVICES
Through traditional media such as recordings, large print, braille, and up-to-date computer technology, the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped makes every effort to make the printed word available to eligible readers.

    Books and magazines are available on many different subjects such as religion, sports, politics, computers, investing, and travel. The collection also includes best sellers, classics, biographies, mysteries, romances, adventure, historical fiction, humor, poetry, and more.

   CASSETTE BOOKS are recorded on four tracks at 15/16 ips. A special cassette machine is provided free of charge.

   BRAILLE BOOKS are available for adults and children. The children’s braille collection also includes books having both the printed word and braille on each page. Braille books and magazines are also available in electronic format through Web Braille.

   DESCRIBED VIDEOS are videos that carry an audio description of the action without disrupting dialog or other sounds. To play these, you must have your own VHS videocassette machine (VCR). Described videos are available to individual readers only.

    LARGE PRINT BOOKS are available for use by partially sighted or low vision patrons who have difficulty reading standard print. These books are printed in Larger Than Regular Type and are available to individual readers only. In addition to the Regional Libraries’ collections, many public libraries in the state have large print books. Large print titles are almost exclusively adult fiction and biography.

    MAGAZINE subscriptions are available on audiocassette and in braille. They include popular titles such as Reader’s Digest, U.S. News and World Report, National Geographic, Good Housekeeping, Money, etc. A few large print magazine subscriptions are available from the publisher at cost.

   ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY workstations are located in the library’s Talking Book Center. Readers will find computer technology similar to that in many public libraries, but which is completely accessible in large print, synthesized speech, and braille. Patrons may use these to access the Internet, for word processing, and convert the printed word to braille, large print, or audio format. In addition, CCTVs will enlarge printed material for easier reading.

ELIGIBILITY
    The Pennsylvania Regional Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped provide service to any eligible individual who meets at least one of the following eligibility requirements (including temporary disabilities) and to institutions including hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, retirement communities, schools, or other organizations that serve eligible individuals. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress, defines eligibility as follows:

     The following persons are eligible for service:
 BLINDNESS – persons whose visual acuity, as determined by competent authority, is 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting lenses, or whose widest diameter of visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees.

 VISUAL IMPAIRMENT – persons whose visual disability, with correction and regardless of optical measurement, is certified by competent authority as preventing the reading of standard printed material.

 PHYSICAL DISABILITY – persons certified by competent authority as unable to read or unable to use standard printed material as a result of physical limitation.

 READING DISABILITY – persons certified by competent authority* as having a reading disability resulting from organic dysfunction and of sufficient severity to prevent their reading printed material in a normal manner.

    Eligible readers must be residents of the United States or American citizens living abroad.

Certifying Authority
    Each application for service from the Regional Libraries must be certified by a competent authority. In cases of blindness, visual impairment, or physical limitations, "competent authority" is defined to include doctors of medicine; doctors of osteopathy; ophthalmologists; optometrists; registered nurses; therapists; and professional staff of hospitals, institutions, and public or private welfare agencies (e.g., social workers, case workers, counselors, rehabilitation teachers, and superintendents). In the absence of any of these, certification may be made by professional librarians or by any person whose competence under specific circumstances is acceptable to the Library of Congress. *In cases of reading disability, the competent authority is restricted to doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy. The application must bear the original signature of the certifying authority. The library cannot accept signatures that are photocopied, faxed, or rubber-stamped.

NOTES TO APPLICANT
Mail (do not fax) your application to the library. Once you are registered, the library will send additional information concerning services.

If you have any questions or need additional assistance in completing this application form, please contact the library at:

Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
919 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5289
(800) 222-1754 (toll free)
(215) 683-3213
Fax: (215) 683-3211
E-mail: flpblind@library.phila.gov
Home page: http://lbph.library.phila.gov