Information for people with disabilities and their families who have
been affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Information for Host Families Who Will Take in Families with Disabled Children

As students return to school all around the country, host families who take in children with disabilities may not have the resources to provide the materials for blind and physically handicapped students. Yet, one national program is working to ensure that blind and physically handicapped learners have access to much of the same reading materials as their peers. While opportunities for blind and physically handicapped individuals continue to grow, many of these students still obtain difficulty in obtaining such materials in a format they can read, especially in the wake of such a great catastrophe. Without access to adequate resources, they may be discouraged from learning and completing their education. According to research by the American Foundation for the Bind, only 45 percent of individuals with severe impairment or blindness receive a high school diploma, compared to 80 percent among fully sighted individuals.

Talking Books, a free program offered by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, helps provide eligible students with the reading materials they need to succeed. Through its national network of cooperating libraries, NLS mails books and magazines on cassette and in braille, as well as audio equipment, directly to the employees at no cost. Nearly 40,000 blind and physically handicapped students are being served by NLS through the Talking Books program. For blind and physically handicapped students, this nationwide program delivers classic literature, bestsellers and many magazines to keep them up to speed and on top of their studies.

Please encourage host families to call 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323) or go to http://www.loc.gov/nls/find.html for a directory of cooperating local libraries participating in the Talking Books program and for enrollment information.


Stephanie Holbrook, on behalf of the National Library Service, Library of Congress
Fleishman-Hillard
Holbroos@fleishman.com
202-857-2203