A Good Place to Start
Finding the right information can be half the battle. We’ve gathered a few trusted places to help you get started, whether you’re looking for community, accessible reading, technology help, information about changes in sight or hearing, or simply trying to figure out what might be useful next.
You do not have to know exactly what you need before you begin.
Getting Started & Community
If you are not quite sure what you are looking for yet, start here. These organizations offer information, practical support, learning, community, and connections to additional services.
APH ConnectCenter
A broad starting point for information about vision changes, independent living, families, education, employment, transition, technology, and finding services and support.
Hadley
Free practical learning, social connection, and support for adults adjusting to vision changes, including daily living, technology, reading, braille, and other topics.
American Council of the Blind
A national consumer organization offering community, advocacy, information, special-interest groups, state affiliates, events, publications, and other resources.
Accessible Reading, Books, and Braille
Looking for audiobooks, braille, accessible digital books, or reading options that work with assistive technology? These are good places to begin.
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
The National Library Service, or NLS, provides eligible readers with braille and talking books, magazines, playback equipment, and access to BARD through a nationwide network of cooperating libraries.
Bookshare
An accessible online library for people with qualifying print disabilities. Books are available in accessible digital formats that work with screen readers, braille displays, text-to-speech, and other reading tools.
Future Aids / The Braille Superstore
A source for braille books, games, toys, daily-living products, talking products, and other items designed for blind and low-vision users.
Accessibility for Technology & Everyday Tasks
Technology can open doors, provided you can get the blasted thing to cooperate.
These resources can help with built-in accessibility features, screen reading, and getting visual information when you need another set of eyes.
Apple Accessibility: VoiceOver, Zoom, and Magnifier
Apple includes accessibility features for people with vision changes across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and other devices. VoiceOver is Apple’s built-in screen reader, while Zoom and Magnifier provide visual magnification tools.
NVDA
NVDA, or NonVisual Desktop Access, is a free and open-source screen reader for Windows.
Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes provides visual assistance through sighted volunteers and AI-powered image descriptions. It can help with labels, appliances, clothing, documents, technology, and many other everyday tasks.
Sight and Hearing Change Resources
Vision and hearing changes often come with an astonishing amount of terminology, paperwork, equipment, and people telling you what you “should” need.
These resources can help with communication technology, adaptive equipment, information, and advocacy for people navigating combined sight and hearing changes.
iCanConnect
A national program that provides communication technology and training to eligible people with significant combined vision and hearing loss.
Diglo
A source for products designed for people with hearing changes, including alerting devices, amplified and communication products, phones, accessories, and other adaptive equipment.
Jael Espinal-McCoskey — Sight and Hearing Loss Support
Jael is a wealth of information for people navigating combined sight and hearing changes. She can also help with advocacy, whether you are advocating for yourself or working through advocacy involving family.
Looking for Something Else?
This is only a starting point. Our complete Member Resource Library includes a much larger collection of resources for technology, magnification, transportation, employment, veterans, diabetes, independent living, finding local services, and more.
Not sure where to begin? Reach out to us. Tell us what you’re trying to find, and we’ll point you in the right direction when we can.