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Online Resources

There are many online resources for blind or vision impaired on the web. Club VIBES believes that teaching someone to learn the skill of using the computer and its browser to access the internet to search opens up a whole world of new information on many subjects for the blind and visually impaired. This is one more way that Club VIBES is increasing the independent living skills of our young members.

Here are a few of our favorites, but check back for more online websites to be shared.

Page Contents

Web Sites

Bookshare

“Bookshare is an online library of digital books for people with print disabilities. It operates under an exception to US copyright law, which allows copyrighted digital books to be made available to people with qualifying disabilities. In addition, many publishers and authors have volunteered to provide Bookshare with access to their works. By requiring individuals to register as Members and provide a Proof of Disability, Bookshare ensures that only qualified individuals use the service.

Bookshare Members download books, textbooks and newspapers in a compressed, encrypted file. They then read the material using adaptive technology, typically software that reads the book aloud (text-to-speech) and/or displays the text of the book on a computer screen, or Braille access devices, such as refreshable Braille displays.” Available free to all students from kindergarten through high school and other eligible older borrowers.

Has an IOS Apple App called Read2Go available in the Apple App store.

Learning Ally

“Founded in 1948 as Recording for the Blind, Learning Ally serves more than 300,000 K-12, college and graduate students, veterans and lifelong learners – all of whom cannot read standard print due to blindness, visual impairment, dyslexia, or other learning disabilities. Learning Ally’s collection of more than 70,000 digitally recorded textbooks and literature titles – downloadable and accessible on mainstream as well as specialized assistive technology devices – is the largest of its kind in the world. More than 6,000 volunteers across theU.S.help to record and process the educational materials . . ..” Borrowers must meet eligibility requirements and pay a registration fee. Telephone: 800-221-4792.

Look for the free Learning Ally app in the Apple App store.

National Association of Blind Teachers

Perhaps the best single source of free books and other printed materials which may be read using a computer with text-to-speech software. Each link is described to better enable to find exactly what you are looking for. The site includes pages on Online Children’s Literature , Electronic Books and Bibliographies and Electronic Journals and Newspapers.

In-Sightful Resources

An excellent list, with brief descriptions, of many of the most useful sites and periodicals for the blind and visually impaired.

Blind Access Tools and Services

“This website is created by visually impaired people for visually impaired people.” Whether you are just confronting vision loss or have dealt with it for some time, this site offers information on books, adaptive technology, web sites for shopping, tips related to vision loss, and more.”

Medical Information

Eye Disorders: Merck Manual

Based on The Merck Manual, but written in everyday language by 300 outstanding contributors, the site explains eye disorders, who is likely to get them, their symptoms, how they’re diagnosed, how they might be prevented, and how they can be treated.

Mayo Clinic

More than 3,300 physicians, scientists and researchers from Mayo Clinic share their expertise to empower you to manage your health on this site. You will find links to diseases, symptoms, medical tests and procedures, and drugs. Browseable and searchable.

MedilinePlus: Medical Information from the National Library of Medicine

Featuring 800 topics on conditions, diseases and wellness. There are extensive sections on drugs and supplements, a medical encyclopedia, a medical dictionary with spellings and definitions, current health news and announcements, and a service for finding local resources for health related issues.

Johns Hopkins Medicine

You can search an extensive list of articles on an exceptionally large number of medical conditions. These range from information that is understandable by the layman to highly technical writings. Hopkins has one, if not the best, of the ophthalmology departments in the country.

Family Doctor

Intended to be a general site for medical information, there is, nonetheless, a great deal of material here relating to eye conditions and eye diseases. There is a dictionary of medical terms, and you can search by symptoms. Both simple and advanced searches are offered. Text may be enlarged.

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