ABSTRACT
Library service for blind and physically handicapped individuals is an ever-expanding phenomenon thanks to both the innovative spirit of the community and the advances of technology. This entry presents the history of special-format reading materials in the United States, specifically the development of braille and audiobooks (analog and digital). It discusses the 1931 establishment and subsequent growth of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. The importance of the network of cooperating agencies at the state and local levels and of the volunteers who support the program is also summarized.
