If the thing stopping you reading as much as you want, or as much as you used to, isn't lack of free time or reduced library opening times but accessibility, we've got 10 solutions to get you back on the reading train.
You probably know that our Library has its roots in the First World War when thousands of soldiers lost their sight on the battlefields. The first adapted shellac records were sent out on 7 November 1935, and the Library has only grown from there. It now has more than 60,000 items in its collection and it's completely free. You can borrow braille books and Talking Books in the way that suits you best, whether that's hardcopy braille or e-braille, on DAISY CD, USB stick, audio download, or streaming via an Alexa device.
To join the Library, simply complete the registration form (or ask our Helpline to do it for you) and start requesting books.
2. Large print at your local library
Your local library should have large print books you can borrow, and will be able to request titles from other libraries for you if the one you want isn't in their collection.
They may also be able to lend you eBooks which can be read on a tablet or eBook reader at larger font sizes, and with high contrast colour settings (for example, white on black).
If you're considering buying a tablet or eBook reader, it's worth considering the flexibility of a tablet that isn't locked to a particular retailer against the simplicity of an eBook reader that only does one thing. Owners of older eBook readers may find they can no longer download new titles if the company removes support, for example.
3. Free eBooks
Project Gutenberg is an eBook library containing more than 75,000 free epub and Kindle titles, admittedly with a focus on older US works which are out of copyright. But if you want to find out why everyone is talking about Moby Dick, join in with a Dracula readalong, or have been inspired by Christopher Nolan to tackle Homer's Odyssey, this is the place to be!
Open Library also allows you to read eBooks for free, including Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Dan Brown and Rick Riordan.
BookBub is an eBook retailer that also has a selection of free eBooks you can download – you will have to sign up for a free account before you can explore their site, however.
4. RNIB Newsagent
If free time is an additional barrier to reading, or if you simply prefer reading newspapers and magazines, our Newsagent team has your back!
They compile and edit digest magazines in braille on a wide selection of topics – music, health, computing, accessible technology, puzzles, personal finance, short stories and consumer issues – as well as for children, teenage girls, and women.
You can also subscribe to mainstream newspapers and magazines in etext or audio (please note, that the newspaper audio titles are a selected weekly digest of articles).
Contact our Helpline (helpline@rnib.org.uk or 0303 123 9999) to find out more about available titles, to request a free sample, or to set up a subscription.
5. Reading guides
Reading guides (also called typoscopes) make it easier to focus on a line of text, by reducing the amount of text visible to the reader and reducing glare.
Our pack of Reading and Stationery Guides includes a mixed pack of four black plastic typoscopes for reading different types of material: large print books, smaller books and paperbacks, newspaper and magazine columns, and large print columns.
6. Downloadable audio books
As well as borrowing audiobooks as downloads from RNIB Library, you can also borrow from Calibre (membership is £3 per month or £30 per year for over 25s – free for under 25s, schools and UK veterans). Calibre has more than 23,000 titles available for loan.
Your local library should also be able to lend you audiobooks via download.
You can buy downloadable audiobooks from Libro.fm, Audible, Audiobooks.co.uk, as well as from specialist publishers, such as Big Finish (for fans of Doctor Who, Gerry Anderson, Sherlock Holmes, and Sapphire & Steel).
If you have a Kindle you can often switch between the audiobook and eBook version of a title as your eyes or ears tire with Whispersync for Voice. However, these downloads are securely locked, so you will not be able to read them outside of the Kindle/Audible environment.
7. Accessible books for sale
Many of the braille titles in the RNIB library are also available to buy. Simply contact our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk for assistance in finding and purchasing the title you want.
We also sell a selection of DAISY books on CD, including set texts for English Literature, books for children, fiction and non-fiction titles.
For large print, you can buy from Ulverscroft – the publishers of the first large print books in 1964 – through The Reading House (which also sells audiobooks on CD or as a download), or Amazon.
You can get a more personalised service from CustomEyes – where you can order large print books for children and young adults (up to 25) and specify font type, font size, font strength, line spacing, paper colour, and binding (for example, glue or spiral bound).
8. Braille and print shared reading books
Our braille and print books make it easier to read together. We adapt the original print books and add braille on clear, interleaved sheets which allow the original printed text and images to be seen underneath and the book to be enjoyed by everyone.
Choose a title by the UK's bestselling children's author Julia Donaldson – Zog, Tiddler, The Scarecrows' Wedding, for example – or a story written for children with sight loss, such as Bertie the Very Blind Bat, or Nicky and Candy's Street.
Most titles are available in uncontracted and contracted braille.
9. USB and DAISY players
If you are resident in the UK, living with sight loss, and receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independent (PIP), Attendance Allowance (AA), Adult Disability Payment (ADP), or any means-tested benefit, you may be eligible for a free device from British Wireless for the Blind Fund (BWBF). (Children under 18 may be eligible if a parent or guardian receives one of these benefits.)
Alternatively, you can buy a device to play Talking Books and other audio on. The RNIB Accord is a dual speaker device with USB port for Talking Books on USB and Bluetooth connectivity so you can connect a smartphone or tablet to play music, podcasts and audiobooks from an app.
If you prefer DAISY CDs, you can buy DAISY players from HumanWare that will play these, as well as standard CDs.
Browse our range of USB and DAISY players.
10. Hi-tech solutions
Depending on your requirements, you may prefer a portable magnifier that can be used for a wide range of tasks (reading menus, checking departure boards, spot-checking prices) or a desktop magnifier that can be set up for longer periods of reading. Features to look out for include high contrast colour options (for example, yellow on black), speech (which allows text to be read to you), and easy-to-use controls (such as tactile buttons or touchscreens). If you can visit one of our Products and Advice Centres, it's worth making an appointment to try the device that you are interested in. (Please make sure you list the devices when you make the appointment so that arrangements can be made to have them available when you visit.)
These devices scan printed text and read the information to you, or in some cases, plug in to a large screen to magnify the text. Some devices can also read handwritten text.
You can choose from lightweight devices that can be handheld or attached to prescription glasses, or desktop devices which can be left in situ, or moved around your home as required.
