Library Earns State Award for Braille Services
The Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Print Disabled was recognized with the Braille and Talking Book Library Advisory and Outreach Center Award at the 2026 Excellence Awards.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Special Needs
The Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Print Disabled received the Braille and Talking Book Library Advisory and Outreach Center Award at the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons' 2026 Excellence Awards on October 23, 2026. The program, administered by the Ann Arbor District Library, loans books, magazines, and videos in alternative formats.
Why it matters
The service provides free access to accessible reading materials for people of all ages with temporary or permanent disabilities, including mailed talking book machines and materials. Recognition at the state level highlights the role of local library outreach in serving print-disabled residents across Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County.
The Braille and Audio Reading Download service provides registered patrons access to more than 100,000 books. Qualifying Washtenaw County residents and their household members are eligible for Ann Arbor District Library borrowing privileges, though the source does not report current enrollment figures.
The players
Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Print Disabled
A specialized library program administered by the Ann Arbor District Library that serves people with visual and print disabilities across Washtenaw County.
Ann Arbor District Library
The public library system that administers the Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Print Disabled program and extends borrowing privileges to qualifying residents.
The details
The program offers audiobooks, large print, braille books and magazines, and descriptive video, with talking book machines and materials mailed to patrons at no cost. Registered patrons access titles through the Braille and Audio Reading Download service offered by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.
Timeline
October 23, 2026: Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Print Disabled receives the award at the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons' 2026 Excellence Awards.
Access Network
The Washtenaw program distributes titles through the Braille and Audio Reading Download service run by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Its state award recognizes how local library outreach extends that federal network to individual patrons.
Residents with temporary or permanent disabilities can request talking book machines and materials mailed at no cost. Qualifying Washtenaw County residents and their household members may obtain Ann Arbor District Library borrowing privileges.
The takeaway
Free mailed talking books and electronic access through the Braille and Audio Reading Download service make print materials available to people who cannot read standard text. Families of residents with disabilities can check eligibility through their local library.
Further reading
For more on accessibility resources for families, see Special Needs coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mlive.
