Introduction
As a child growing up with no sight, my world was all about learning Braille and reading books that the school library stocked. In the 1960s and 1970s, there was no Audible, Kindle or access to local libraries to borrow titles. Any books that the school library didn’t stock were bought by my parents and read to me. We also had story-time sessions at school which I really enjoyed. My favourite authors were Enid Blyton and Arthur Ransome. Nowadays, Blyton is frowned upon for her somewhat sexist and racial undertones. Nevertheless, I loved her Malory Towers and St. Clare’s books, the Famous Five, Secret Seven, and other stories that I couldn’t get enough of. I also enjoyed a few Classics such as Pride And Prejudice, Black Beauty, Jane Eyre and Little Women.
Today, I love listening to audio books when I get time, some of my favourite authors being Peter James, Peter Robinson, Mark Billingham, Helen Fields, Simon Beckett, Stephen Leather, Quintin Jardine, Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers … and so it goes on. You can probably recognise that these are all authors in the genre of crime and thrillers. I do like reading factual books as well, particularly true crime. Authors such as Carol Ann Lee do their research very well.
But if you love reading, or need to do so for study purposes, there is now a huge range of titles you can access if you are blind or visually impaired. So let’s take a deep dive into what services are available.
RNIB Reading Services
RNIB has a collection of over 40,000 Braille and DAISY titles to choose from which you can download free of charge from
All you need to do if you are registered blind or print impaired is create an account using an email address and password. Once done, you can log into the above portal and start searching for books in your chosen genre. Books are then downloaded in a zip folder to your computer where you extract the files and use a reading application to listen to them, or copy them to a bespoke device.
Dolphin EasyReader
Many people now prefer to download RNIB Talking Books to their Smartphone or tablet using an app such as Dolphin EasyReader. If you want to read books in this way, which lets you access them on the go through your Smartphone or tablet, Find out more about the Dolphin EasyReader app here
EasyReader also gives you free access to over 40 libraries and book collections around the world. It enables you to enjoy books and read the way you prefer, on a wide range of devices.
Download on the Apple App Store
If you don’t own a Smart device, and prefer to have your books sent from RNIB through the post, you can choose to receive them in hard copy Braille, on CD in DAISY format, or USB memory stick. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 for further information, or email them at
RNIB Bookshare
For those who are in education or studying, RNIB Bookshare is a free service that allows you to download a huge variety of books. You need to be signed up by your school, college or university, and be given a username and password. Titles are available in Braille, DAISY, Word and audio formats, and if you are looking for a particular textbook that isn’t on the portal, you can request it to be made available. Check out the newly revamped RNIB Bookshare website here:
Bookshare International
UK residents can access Bookshare International in the United States for a yearly fee, and tap into thousands of books in the same above formats. You will need to prove your sight status when signing up for an account. For further information, visit
Amazon Smart Speakers
Amazon Smart speakers such as the Echo Dot, Echo, Echo Show or Kindle Fire allow you to listen to books, among other things, using the Alexa digital service. In a partnership with RNIB, an Amazon skill lets you listen to RNIB Talking Books on your Smart speaker using your voice to ask Alexa to play a book, pause a book, or select another title from your bookshelf. In addition, you can listen to both Audible and Kindle books using your Amazon Smart speaker.
Audible
Audible is owned by Amazon, and has a huge range of books and podcasts you can purchase and download, either individually or as part of a subscription plan. Many of the books available from RNIB are donated by publishers who use Audible, so if you are looking for a particular title, and you have an RNIB Reading Services account, check whether the book you want is on the Reading Services platform before you decide to purchase it from Audible. Subscription plans from Audible can range from one title per month, through to 24 credits per year. Most books, unless they are very long, use one credit of a plan if you sign up for one. For more information, visit
Kindle
Amazon’s other book portal is Kindle. You can access Kindle books on a dedicated Kindle device which does contain accessibility features, through an app, or on a Windows PC or Mac. There are some Kindle subscription plans such as Kindle Unlimited. Kindle books tend to be cheaper than hard copy books or full price on Audible, but there are literally millions of titles to choose from. For further information, visit the
Apple
If you own an iPhone, iPad or Mac, you can tap into Apple’s own Books store to purchase the thousands of titles it holds. It works in a similar way to Kindle, but books can be more expensive and don’t come as part of a subscription plan.
Calibre Audio
Another excellent lending library for people who are blind or visually impaired, or who cannot see to read print for other reasons, is
Calibre says: ‘Calibre Audio is a national charity providing an audio book service for everyone who has a disability that makes reading print difficult. Our vision is an inclusive society where everyone with a reading disability can enjoy accessible books.’
You can download titles to your computer, Smartphone or tablet on both iOS and Android, or through a device containing the Synapptic software that has been specifically designed for people with sight loss to use their equipment more easily. Or you can avail of the postal service where USB memory sticks can be sent so you can play titles on a suitable player.
Local Library Services
Remember that your local library has a range of audio and eBooks. You can access them by signing up at
Or you can also use
ClearVision Project
ClearVision Project is a lending library for blind or visually impaired children and their families. You can sign up free of charge, and ask them to send books suitable for the age of your child. Books with Braille versions of the text are inserted between the print pages on clear sheets of plastic so that a blind or visually impaired parent or grandparent can share the book with a sighted child, or sighted family members can share books with a blind or sight impaired child. For further information or to join, visit
Toniebox
It would be very remis of me not to mention Toniebox, a wonderful audio device for children. Toniebox comes in a variety of colours and is a cube-shaped padded audio box with a magnetic area on top. You simply place a character on the box which is secured by its magnet. Now your children can sit back and listen to wonderfully narrated stories from the excellent quality Toniebox. The box is easy to use, simply recharge its internal battery and raise or lower the volume with Tonie’s ears. Characters generally cost £14.99, and the catalogue is growing all the time. You can purchase accessories such as carry cases for your Toniebox and characters, or use matching headphones. Toniebox has become so popular for car journeys, bedtime reading, and its simple interface. You can even upload your own stories to the Toniebox portal if you create an account so children can listen to your own voice on their Toniebox.
For more information, go to
Useful Websites
If you want to find out about an author or particular title, visit
Another useful website for book recommendations and ideas for what to read next is
Project Gutenberg is a free service where you can download books that are now out of print in several formats, and is the world’s oldest digital library. Take a look here:
Conclusion
This piece has discussed the many services you can choose from to read books if you are blind or visually impaired. It is not an exhaustive list by any means, but these avenues are updating and expanding all the time so there is bound to be at least one service you can tap into and enjoy using. If you use something not listed here, please feel free to share it with me so that I can add it to the plethora of services already mentioned. One thing is for certain: the methods of accessing books are only going to expand that will hopefully give us more choice and lots of enjoyment.