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Service Eligibility Guidelines

Photograph. Inside, a seated woman wearing dark glasses reads a Braille book with shelves of Braille books behind her.
Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library serves over 19,000 patrons annually.
Receiving free services through Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library is easy. Individuals who meet one or more of the following eligibility guidelines can register with the Library to receive braille and talking book services.

Library services are available for Massachusetts residents who:

  • Are legally blind with vision of 20/200 or worse, or have a visual field no greater than 20 degrees
  • Have corrected vision, but cannot see well enough to read with comfort for extended periods of time
  • Have a physical condition that makes holding a book difficult
  • Have been certified by a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy as having a reading disability that has a physical basis which prevents one from reading standard print

If you live outside of Massachusetts, click to find the talking book library in your state.

Institutions including schools, libraries, nursing homes, hospitals, and organizations that provide services to people with visual or physical disabilities are also eligible to receive Library services.

To become a registered Library user, download the Application for Library Service or request an application by calling 617-972-7240 or 1-800-852-3133. Applications are also available by emailing a request to Library@Perkins.org.

All applications must be signed and certified by a professional such as a doctor, ophthalmologist, registered nurse, librarian, or social worker. The completed application and authorization form should be returned to:

Braille & Talking Book Library
Perkins School for the Blind
175 North Beacon Street
Watertown, MA 02472-2790