Our Resources
The library has the following resources available for people who are visually impaired:
- newly updated large print book collection
- audiobooks on CD
- access to 100,000 audiobooks and ebooks
Our friendly staff can help individuals with disabilities apply to get free recorded, large print, and braille materials from TLABM.
Tennessee Library for Accessible Books & Media (TLABM)
A free library program of over 150,000 recorded, large print, and braille materials available to residents of Tennessee who are not able to use standard print materials due to a visual or physical disability. The Tennessee Library for Accessible Books and Media (TLABM) partners with the National Library Service at the Library of Congress (NLS) to administer this free library service. Call us at (615) 741-3915 or (800) 342-3308 for more information.
To get started, apply to the Tennessee State Library. You can find the application and more information here: https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/labm
Tennessee R.E.A.D.S. by OverDrive
For those with reduced vision or a reading disability, our digital collection of eBooks and audiobooks provided by Tennessee R.E.A.D.S. can be a great option! With a catalog of over 100,000 digital items there’s something for every reader. Accessibility features like the OpenDyslexic font, high contrast text options, and the ability to increase text size make eBooks much more accessible than standard print. Support for screen readers such as NVDA and VoiceOver are also available, in addition to thousands of high-quality audiobooks.
Click here to get started: https://reads.overdrive.com/
Tennessee Library for Accessible Books and Media
This is a free library program offering over 150,000 recorded, large print, and braille materials, as well as Talking Book and braille reading devices, to residents of Tennessee who are not able to use standard print materials due to a visual or physical disability. The Tennessee Library for Accessible Books and Media (TLABM) partners with the National Library Service at the Library of Congress (NLS) to administer this free library service.
For those requiring further services and assistance, the state of Tennessee
provides individualized help through the Department of Human Services. See the listings below for more resources.
TN Dept of Human Services
www.tn.gov/humanservices/ds/blind-visually-impaired-services.html
Vocational Rehabilitation Regional Office
40 S. Main Street
10th floor, One Commerce Square
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 528-5284
Serving Shelby, Lauderdale, Tipton, and Fayette Counties. By appointment only due to ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Call for appointment.
Offers individualized services to the visually impaired, deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing, and others with disabilities. Services are dependent on need. For ages 16+; medical reports requested to verify eligibility, other evaluation reports may be required. Call for details.
Available services include:
- Guidance and counseling
- Diagnostic services
- Interpreting services
- Adaptive devices, corrective appliances, canes, signature guides, etc.
- Personal adjustment training
- Technology services
- Vocational training and employment counseling
- Referral to TN Library for the Blind (see above for more information)
- Information referral
Mid-South Access Center for Technology at University of Memphis College of Education
530 Patterson Street
Patterson Hall, Room 119
Memphis, TN 38152
Phone: (901) 678-1489
TTY: (901) 678-1318
Fax: (901) 678-3215
Email: [email protected]
Serving Shelby County only. Provides assistive technology referrals and training for individuals with disabilities in the Mid-South region.
Services may include:
- Professional evaluation to determine assistive technology needs
- Recommendations and referral for computer access devices, adaptive software and hardware, home and workplace modifications, environmental controls for lighting and phones, low vision aid evaluations, etc.
- Serves as liaison between adaptive equipment manufacturers and customers
- Provides technical assistance and troubleshooting
- Assists with set up and installation
- Provides instruction and training, including use of assistive technology to support vocational, academic, communication, and daily living skills
Tennessee Disability Pathfinder
Explore a directory of more than 3,500 agency resources across Tennessee, with interactive features to make finding resources, service providers, and community events easier for individuals with disabilities and their families.
Follow the step-by-step guide to find the right information and tailor your search to be as broad or as narrow as you’d like, using criteria such as:
- Stage of Life: Choose from Prenatal/Infancy, Early Childhood, School Age, Transition/Young Adult, Adulthood, or Aging;
- Topic of Interest: Twenty service categories to select, with a text box to type keywords;
- Diagnosis: Type of disability or health condition;
- Benefit/Payment Options: Forms of payment accepted by the agency provider, such as health insurance, government program, private pay, or no cost; and
- Service Areas: Select counties where services are provided