Braille Materials
Foreign language courses often use textbooks, workbooks or online materials in their lessons to teach reading and writing, to follow dialogues in class and to support speaking and listening skills. Students with and without disabilities need equal access to written materials that support learning the language. If a student is a braille user, then the following information will help in understanding how best to access braille in the foreign language being taught.
Amount and Availability of Foreign Language Braille Materials
Many students who are blind or visually impaired utilize national libraries, often though their disability offices and memberships, to obtain braille textbooks for school. They also can turn to these places for books written in the foreign language. Many countries worldwide have similar braille publication collections that loan out books, and U.S. students can still access the U.S. libraries in the United States if studying the language overseas.
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) lists non-English braille materials produced and offered by NLS, by NLS cooperating libraries, and by other organizations, foreign and domestic on its website. The specific instructions for accessing this catalog are on the NLS foreign language web page.
Also, on this page the NLS has links to other places to search for foreign language materials and links to available resources listed by language. Titles have limited quantities, and a reserve process is used when loan requests are greater than the number of copies available to circulate. Many report that, “Availability is restricted to those meeting the eligibility requirements of the holding agency.”
Hindi and Russian foreign language books in uncontracted braille are the most available due to stronger library collection in India and Russia or Eurasia. Many books listed are not foreign language textbooks (as is in sync with the entire NLS collection). The NLS is better for advanced language courses focusing on literature. The Arabic language has the Qur’an in braille, and only a couple of texts are available in Japanese and Chinese. No Korean, Persian/Farsi and Turkish braille materials appear currently in the NLS catalog.
American Printing House for the Blind
Other braille printing houses in the United States may also have books available in foreign languages. One can check whether a braille book has already been done by someone else, through the Louis database from the American Printing House for the Blind. A quick search using the keyword “Arabic language” for example turns up many textbooks meant for learning the Arabic language. Chinese is currently limited to large print and sound recordings, but the Louis database has many braille language textbooks in Japanese and Russian. The remaining critical need languages are not currently available.
If a book does not exist already, then one can use the Accessible Media Producers Database, which allows one to select from a few people or companies who can produce accessible formats in variety of languages (including braille for Arabic, Japanese and Russian).
American Printing House for the Blind
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
800-223-1839
info@aph.org
International Federation of Library Associations, Section of Libraries for the Blind
The International Federation of Library Associations, Section of Libraries for the Blind, online directory has full descriptions of what is available at braille libraries located outside the United States. Japan lists 20 libraries for blind people that loan braille publications. The China Braille Publishing House in Beijing has 11,000 braille titles, Russian State Library for the Blind 32,575 titles, Milli Kutuphane National Library in Turkey has 5,000 titles, and Korean Braille Library 5,275 titles – all which loan, exchange or give for free to people who are blind or visually impaired, and are exchanged between libraries or institutions registered in the directory. Additional collections are also available at other libraries in each country. Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Iran have very few Persian/Farsi or Arabic books in braille through their schools for the blind and do not lend them out. The emphasis in those countries seems to be more on their audio book collections.
Other Options
The NLS Overseas Outlook newsletter lists other sources for electronic files in a variety of formats, ranging from plain text to digital audio and digital braille. Most can be downloaded and read offline, and electronic braille materials can also be embossed. Web sites vary with regard to accessibility. Each entry lists the telephone numbers, and web site and e-mail addresses for further information.
