73: Assistive Technology for the Blind with Simon Isakov

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Simon is an assistive technology instructor at the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library, a branch of the NY Public Library system. The library is now the national library service for the blind and print disabled, rather than national library service for the blind and physically handicapped. This makes it more clear that people with print reading disabilities such as dyslexia are eligible!

NLS often partners with commercial audiobook publishers to get audiobooks for library patrons. Since they operate under a copyright law exemption that allows them to provide copies and specialize formats without limitation, this means that library patrons don’t have to wait for audiobooks to become available and don’t have to return them within a certain timeline. NLS also records audiobooks in cases where a commercial audiobook is unavailable. 

 Many of the expanded program offerings that the library provides, including the online workshops, are made possible by volunteers, so that the more people who join us, the more the library can achieve!