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"To empower people with vision loss to realize their full potential, and to shape the community's vision of that potential.”
Our programs and services are designed to empower our clients to move beyond limitations.
Please Note
If you are interested in having a book transcribed in Braille, large print or recorded, please download an educational request form by clicking on the link below.
Upon completion, you may fax it to our Braille Coordinator at 216-791-1101.
If you are having difficulty viewing the request form, please click on the Adobe Acrobat Reader link below to download this software for free.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is necessary to view and print the educational request form.
More Information
Call 216-791-8118, ext. 7352 for more information.
BRAILLE SERVICES
Do You Read by Sight?
There are those who do not. Many people cannot see the pages of a book. These individuals read by touch, and much material of general interest is available in Braille or large print. Even material of limited interest, such as research for a math problem, is also available.
Cleveland Sight Center's Communication Services provides persons who are blind, visually impaired or are physically or perceptually handicapped with printed materials in a format they can use.
What is Braille?
Braille is a system for tactile reading and writing. It uses characters formed by the combination of six raised dots that are arranged in a Braille cell. One Braille cell consists of two columns of three dots each. These cells make up a letter or word. The left side of the cell is referred to as dots 1,2,3. The right side of the cell is referred to as dots 4,5,6.
In 1829, Louis Braille developed this language for people who are blind. Braille is read by using your fingers. Children are taught Braille when they start school and it may take two years. An adult may want to learn Braille because of vision loss, or to become a Braille transcriber. In this case it may take 6 months up to two years.
The Volunteer Braille Service's mission is to get high quality Braille and large print materials to all individuals. All the volunteers are certified through the Library of Congress. The Volunteer Braille Service is known for its work in Nemeth (math), foreign languages, science, history, literature and social studies. It takes about nine months to a year to complete a textbook. Other areas for request are menus, legal documents, materials for conferences, greeting cards, correspondence, manuals, medical records, maps, graphs and drawings. Anything that appears in print can be transcribed into Braille.
Fees and Shipping Information
Our fee schedule is $2.00 per Braille page and large print is $1.00 per page. Each volume is bound with two covers costing $2.50.
There is a variety of shipping options including UPS Ground, UPS 1st Day Over Night, UPS 2nd Day, Fed Ex, First Class and Free Matter for the Blind.
The American Printing House for the Blind has a national database. Registered on this database is every book completed in Braille, large print or audio recording, along with information on where the book can be purchased. When searching for a particular book, you will need the full title and the ISBN number. Having these two things will make your search faster and easier. Access the APH database. Contact American Printing House for the Blind via phone by calling 800-223-1839.
Ordering Information
To request a book to be transcribed in Braille, an Educational Request Form must be completed and faxed to our Braille Coordinator at 216-791-1101. You may also reach our Braille Coordinator at 216-791-8118, ext. 7352.
Download an Education Request Form (PDF)
Please Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view and print PDF documents.
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