Audio & Braille Literacy Enhancement (ABLE)

Providing alternative ways for people with print disabilities to read. ABLE (Audio & Braille Literacy Enhancement) believes that print should be accessible to everyone, including people who are blind, visually-impaired or print disabled. Working with trained volunteers, transcribe print materials into braille, audio, and tactile formats to enhance literacy, dignity, productivity and independence. Audio Services ABLE produces a variety of materials in digital formats using either volunteer audio narrators or text to synthesized speech technology. Our volunteer narrators read in the ABLE Sound Center while staff members monitor and engineer all recording sessions. Our production guidelines are modeled on United States Library of Congress standards to ensure superior quality. Braille Services Braille materials are transcribed by professionally trained staff and volunteers who are certified braillists through the Library of Congress. Our braille staff members are also certified in Unified English Braille (UEB), a new braille code that has been adopted to create uniformity in braille production worldwide. We follow Library of Congress standards to ensure superior quality. Tactile Services Our team of staff and volunteer tactile artists creates tactile diagrams that bring the visual world to the fingertips of blind children and adults. Tactiles are raised line drawings that are especially critical to understanding concepts taught in STEM classes (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), such as mathematical graphs or chemical formulas. Our tactiles are examined by blind adults and children to ensure that they are useful representations. Thanks to the dedication of an amazing group of dedicated volunteers and staff, a wide range of materials is made available to children and adults in Wisconsin and throughout the United States. SD