NFB-NEWSLINE®

It’s more than news—access a world of content in this free audio and Braille service for blind and print-disabled people.
NFB-NEWSLINE® is a free audio news service for anyone who is blind, low-vision, deafblind, or otherwise print-disabled that offers access to more than 500 publications, emergency weather alerts, job listings, and more. 

“I always enjoy listening to magazines and newspapers on my Victor Reader Stream Trek. I’ve also enjoyed getting to learn how to access NFB-NEWSLINE on the Amazon Echo Dot. It’s important to be up-to-date with local and national news and because of NFB-NEWSLINE I know that I can access this anytime I want.” -- Rosetta from Georgia, Subscriber 

Access Accounts and Content 

NFB-NEWSLINE now offers two types of accounts. The traditional full access account or a new limited access account    

Content for NFB-NEWSLINE subscribers of the full access account: 

  • National newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal and USA Today 
  • Breaking news sources, including CNN, BBC, and ESPN Online 
  • International newspapers, including Financial Times and Vancouver Sun 
  • Magazines, including Time, Consumer Reports, Guideposts, and Smithsonian 
  • State newspapers 
  • Emergency weather alerts and seven-day forecasts localized to your zip code or GPS location 
  • The information that scrolls along the bottom of your television screen during emergency alerts 
  • More than 100,000 job listings from two national job sources  
  • TV listings localized to your zip code and provider 
  • Retail ads 
  • NFB's national channel, including the ebook Building the Lives We Want, the Braille Monitor, Future Reflections, and presidential releases 

NEW: NFB-NEWSLINE now offers a limited access account for children 

NFB-NEWSLINE is a valuable resource for blind children to access content for leisure or educational purposes. The NFB-NEWSLINE limited access account provides a restricted level of publications and content.  It is a structured set of materials and features recommended for children twelve years old and under. Currently, the limited access account type can only be accessed via the touch-tone phone access method. 

Content for Subscribers of the NFB-NEWSLINE Limited Access Account: 

  • National Federation of the Blind Channel 
  • Their state specific local channel 
  • State publications, including their state newspapers 
  • Animal Tales 
  • Girl’s Life 
  • Highlights 
  • J-14 
  • National Geographic for Kids 
  • Stone Soup 
  • Additional services: retail ads, TV listings, job listings 

With the start of the new limited access account, NFB-NEWSLINE now requires parents of subscribers under the age of 18 to complete the account setup process. The parent must select which type of account, either full or limited access (including the Kids Reading Corner), they want their child to have. Parents can change the type of their child’s account at any time. When their child turns 18 years old, the parent will need to contact NFB-NEWSLINE to have the child’s account switched to the full access account. 

Special Coverage COVID-19 Information 

Get up-to-date COVID-19 information to all eligible subscribers. COVID-19 updates are available in the Breaking News category of NFB-NEWSLINE. This information is being obtained by the system searching the forty-four publications in the Breaking News category for "coronavirus" and displaying the results.  

Access the COVID-19 updates using the telephone by pressing 5 from the main menu, then pressing 1 for the Breaking News category, followed by pressing 1 again which will bring you to the virus information. If you are using the NFB-NEWSLINE mobile app, look for the virus information under the All Publications section. The content can be accessed with Braille devices such as notetakers and refreshable Braille displays. 

How to Sign Up for NFB-NEWSLINE

Anyone who cannot read printed publications due to vision loss, dyslexia, or a physical disability is eligible to receive NFB-NEWSLINE. Please register by calling your state's Library for the Blind and Print-Disabled or the National Federation of the Blind at 866-504-7300 to request an application. You may also download and mail an application or complete our online application. After your registration is processed, you will receive a message containing your activation codes and instructions.

Ways to Access NFB-NEWSLINE

A man sits in a chair holding an iPad and listens to NFB-NEWSLINE with headphones.After you sign up for NFB-NEWSLINE, you will be able to access it in any of the following ways. If you are a current subscriber, you do not need to create a new account or obtain new codes to use additional methods. Your current codes will allow you to access NFB-NEWSLINE using any method you choose. If you’ve forgotten your codes, please call us for assistance.

iOS Mobile App 3.0 with KNFB Reader Basic

NFB-NEWSLINE Mobile includes these features and much more:

  • KNFB Reader Basic, a free version of KNFB Reader with the core functions necessary to quickly scan any printed text – just point, shoot, and read
  • The ability to share articles from publications in the breaking news category to social media channels
  • Multiple customization options to organize, save, and manage both NFB-NEWSLINE content and documents scanned with KNFB Reader Basic

NFB-NEWSLINE Mobile 3.0 is fully accessible with VoiceOver so that users can hear content read aloud or read it in Braille with a connected refreshable Braille display or notetaker, making the app ideal for blind and deafblind users.

Phone

  • Access NFB-NEWSLINE through your phone with the touch of a few buttons
  • Create your own favorites list, skip articles or sections, and repeat items you wish to re-read
  • Enable the continuous reading mode which allows you to start, stop, and skip articles
  • Alter the reading voice by changing the volume, speed, and pitch

For more information, please visit our NFB-NEWSLINE phone instructions page.

Amazon Alexa 

  • Access NFB-NEWSLINE hands-free on any Amazon Alexa product, including Echo and Echo Dot
  • Alter the reading voice by changing the volume, speed, and the voice itself 
  • Use dozens of voice commands to navigate to sections and articles that interest you

Learn more about the Amazon Alexa family of devices and enable the NFB-NEWSLINE Alexa skill today. For more information, please visit our Alexa instructions page or check out our training video on YouTube.

iOS Mobile App

  • Access NFB-NEWSLINE on your iPhone, iPod, or iPad
  • Global search function allows you to find articles on specific topics
  • Immediate access to breaking news stories

Download the free "NFB-NEWSLINE Mobile" app in the Apple App Store.

Website

  • Access NFB-NEWSLINE on a secure, text-only website that is screen-reader friendly
  • Easily navigate and search every available publication
  • Email a full publication, a section, or single article to your inbox

Visit nfbnewslineonline.org to access NFB-NEWSLINE online.

Email

  • NFB-NEWSLINE can email your news, customized job listings, and information directly to your inbox
  • Provide us with an email address, choose your favorites, and select frequency (once daily or updates throughout the day)

Please call us at 1-866-504-7300 to set up your NFB-NEWSLINE email service. 

Portable Players

  • Access NFB-NEWSLINE through many popular digital talking book players
  • Portable, plug and play, wireless download for Victor Reader Stream 2nd Generation
  • Easily navigate sections and articles with the use of DAISY-standard formatting

Visit nfbnewslineonline.org to learn more.

More Information

For more information, please call us at 866-504-7300 or 410-659-9314, extension 2317, or email us at [email protected].