Blind Reading Resources-Large Type
Where Large-Print Books Fit in Sight-Impaired Students' Literacy
Large-print materials have many effective uses that enable the visually impaired to build their world of reading. Unlike listening to audiobooks, encountering enlarged text and graphics provides a genuine reading experience, increases comprehension, and, like braille, transforms language into literacy.
Best Uses for Large Print
- Map topography and place names
- Math notations and labeling of geometric shapes
- Cell and organ diagrams
- Timelines, charts, and reference materials.
Limititations of Large Print
- Size: e.g. 1 math text can translate into oversized large-print books
- Clarity: enlargement can lessen image resolution
- Typography: high-contrast print can be tiring to read in long stretches.
Where to Find Large-Print Materials
The main sources for large-print materials include:
- Low-vision Education Publishers & Institutions
- Commercial Publishers
- Public and Low-vision Libraries
- On-demand Large-Print Production
- Do-it-yourself Text Enlargement
Low-vision Educational Publishers & Institutions
The main supplier of large-print textbooks for visually impaired elementary and high school students is the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky. Textbooks are usually purchased for students in a special education or vocational rehabilitation program, but can also be ordered directly from the APH website. The site also houses the Louis Database of Accessible Materials for People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired, which contains nearly 200,000 titles in specialized formats (braille, large print, recordings, and e-texts) produced by over 180 US agencies.
Commercial Publishers
Many commercial publishers such as Random House simultaneously publish large-print (usually 16-point type) editions of bestsellers and are beginning to add more nonfiction, including history and memoirs. Cengage Learning has acquired a number of large-print publishers, including Thorndike Press, which publishes fiction and nonfiction titles, including biographies. Specialty retailers such as the Large Print Book Shop in Englewood, Colorado offer over 2,000 titles in many genres, including classic literature and young adult fiction. Online booksellers usually include all available formats for each book.
Public and Low-Vision Libraries
As aging baby boomers drive demand for a wider range of large-type titles, an immediate source is the nearest public library.
The National Association for Visually Handicapped maintains a loan library of over 9,000 large-print books (including fiction, nonfiction, and reference works) accessible free by mail to anyone in the United States. Commercial publishers donate most of its volumes, which are designed on large-type standards developed by NAVH founder Dr. Lorraine Marchi. The organization also offers comprehensive information on independent living tools and technologies, including reading aids, and the latest advances in low-vision research.
On-demand Large-Print Production
Services such as InfoCon will reproduce any book in large type. As a 160-page novel would cost about $100 (more if rebound), mostly schools and institutions use these services. APH can enlarge books in up to 18-point type in standard textbook sizes (the page count is higher) and can reproduce color graphics. Turnaround time, pending copyright holder permission, is usually four to eight weeks. Unless otherwise directed, agencies will reproduce the entire book, so specifying unnecessary pages will reduce costs. Enlarging photos sometimes lessens resolution, but maps, charts, and diagrams are usually easier to read.
Do-it-yourself Text Enlargement
There are direct methods for enlarging texts, from magnifying glasses and closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) to increasing the font size on computer documents such as student-authored reports or an e-text downloaded from the Internet. Apple’s iMac computer enables readers to zoom in on any screen using the mouse; PC users can download free virtual magnifying glass utilities; enlargement software is available for all operating systems. In addition, classroom notes can be enlarged when photocopied, as can articles, chapters, and other assigned readings.
The New York Institute for Special Education website has a comprehensive listing of low-vision reading resources, including CCTV manufacturers, electronic reading technology, magnification aids, and print enhancing software.
When integrated into one's literacy, large type can provide the visually impaired with immediate solutions to many types of reading challenges.
