Using a slate and stylus is a portable way to write notes and more. We offer them for free to blind children and adults—great for school, work, and on the go!
The National Federation of the Blind will distribute a plastic, four-line, twenty-eight cell slate along with a saddle stylus to those that need them. That includes those that are blind and low vision who know Braille or want to learn Braille.
The slate and stylus have long been and continue to be valuable tools for writing Braille, which is vital to literacy for the blind. It is the only Braille-writing device that has the same portability, flexibility, and affordability as a pen and pencil. From labeling your canned goods to jotting down a phone number, the uses and advantages of the slate and stylus for the blind are as varied as those of a pen and pencil for the sighted.
Application Information
Please visit our free slate and stylus program online application to request your slate and stylus.
Or complete the free slate and stylus program application (accessible PDF) and mail it to:
Free Slate and Stylus Program
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
Eligibility
Any blind individual in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico can request a slate and stylus for their personal use. Requests can be made as often as once per year.
More Information
If you are not sure how to use a slate and stylus, please read the "Parents Guide to the Slate and Stylus" or "Writing with a Slate and Stylus is Easy," both of which were featured in our Future Reflections magazine. You can also purchase The Slate Book from the National Federation of the Blind Independence Market. For more information regarding our free slate and stylus program, please email us at [email protected].