American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Special Issue on Technology WHAT'S HAPPENING
For blind and low-vision readers, finding accessible books can often feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Braille books are expensive to produce, bulky to store, and hard to come by. But what if there were a way to share them that was easy, safe, and free?
That’s exactly what the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults (AAF), in partnership with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), set out to achieve with Share Braille, a free online exchange platform that connects Braille readers across the country.
Imagine a national library where the shelves stretch between thousands of homes. With Share Braille, users can list Braille books they no longer need and offer them to others. There are no postage costs or hidden fees, just the joy of giving and receiving. Because it’s run by the American Action Fund and the NFB, Share Braille is designed by and for blind users, with accessibility built in from the ground up.
The parent of a blind child who uses the Share Braille program wrote, “Share Braille gives our Braille books new life. Not only can we donate and pass on the books we no longer use because our son is growing up, but we can exchange them for Braille books that are on his reading level. It allows our child to have a wide range of books that are both accessible to him as a blind student and accessible to us financially.”
Signing up for Share Braille is simple. Users browse the growing catalog of available books and request any titles they’d like to receive. Once a request is made, the owner ships the book directly to the new reader for free. The variety is impressive: children’s books, classics, cookbooks, textbooks, mysteries, and more. The user-driven listings ensure that the inventory is ever-changing and evolving.
Share Braille is more than a book exchange; it’s a community. “It feels like a little Braille book club spread across the country,” one user commented. “I’ve received novels I’ve been wanting to read for years. And I love being able to pass along books that meant something to me.”
Share Braille is proof that innovation doesn’t always require high-tech solutions. Thanks to supporters and community members like you, every blind reader has the opportunity to access Braille books for themselves. To learn more about Share Braille and how you can contribute to this program, visit https://sharebraille.org/.
Your support helps keep our resources free for blind children and adults. You can contribute to the Action Fund in three easy ways.
Often the simplest and most significant way to make a charitable contribution is to plan a legacy gift. Creating a lasting impact is easier than you might think. Choose an option that works best for your circumstances.
You can plan to give all or part of a bank account, insurance proceeds, investment assets, real estate, or a retirement account. You can even give a required minimum distribution from your IRA directly to charity and avoid taxes on the distribution. After taking care of your loved ones, you could bequeath a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your estate to an organization whose mission is important to you.
The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults Legacy Society recognizes and honors the generosity of friends of the Action Fund who have chosen to leave a legacy through a will or other planned giving option.
If you wish to give part or all of an account, simply fill out a POD (payable on death) or TOD (transfer on death) form. For pensions and insurance assets, simply designate a charity as a beneficiary. If you would like to leave a legacy to the Action Fund in your will, simply include the following language:
I give, devise, and bequeath unto the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, 1800 Johnson Street, Suite 100, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, a Maryland nonprofit corporation, the sum of $______________ (or) _________ “percent of my net estate” or “the following stocks and bonds”: ____________________, to be used for its worthy purposes on behalf of blind persons.
If you have questions or would like more information, please reach out to Patti Chang at 410-659-9315 or [email protected]. If you have included the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults in your will or have made some other provision for a future gift, please contact Patti so we can recognize you as a member of our Legacy Society.
Legacy gifts carry the values and ideals that have been important to you throughout your lifetime and provide for generations of blind children and adults. Please consider the American Action Fund in your future plans.