Would you pay $900 for a Bible?

I received my first Bible when I was seven years old. It arrived book by book as each volume was produced in Braille. The first were the Gospel of Matthew and Acts of the Apostles, and I read them voraciously until the next ones arrived. When they did, I stood back and gazed admiringly at my bookshelf, four cubes housing the entirety of God’s Word in a format I could read all by myself.

In the 20 years since, the landscape of accessible materials for the blind has expanded, largely due to the growth of audiobooks. Yet it has contracted significantly too, as Braille has been pushed aside in favour of formats less bulky and more affordable. How can we ensure that every blind Christian has access to the materials they need in accessible formats?

Many organizations exist to meet this need; however, none of it is very fiscally accessible. The Holy Bible in Original Contracted Braille retails at the Braille Bookstore for $885, and you can pick up a copy of The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren for $97. Because of the production process these materials go through – and the associated cost of narrators, Braille embossers, scanning software and more – access becomes a privilege for those who can afford it.

Thankfully, there are ways to access Bibles and other Christian books for much less or free of charge. Lutheran Braille Workers is an organization close to my heart as they gave me my first Bible, but there are others, such as Braille Bibles International, the Canadian Bible Society and Bibles for the Blind and Visually Handicapped International, who hold to and live out the mission of making God’s Word accessible to the blind. For a wider selection of Christian literature, the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) and the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS) offer a large variety of downloadable books in electronic text and audio. And through a partnership with BookShare, CELA patrons can receive books in Braille.

Easy accommodations

There’s also an emotional price tag for accessing Christian materials in alternative formats. Despite the push for producing accessible materials, sometimes the book simply isn’t available, or it isn’t available in the format that best meets the person’s need (some might prefer Braille over audio, or vice versa, for example). This has a profound effect on the ability to participate in church ministries and events. It places the responsibility of accommodation onto the disabled believer. Asking for accessibility can be daunting, particularly in a new church. It also raises the question: will church leadership be receptive to the accommodations and stay committed to providing them over time?

Belonging to a church is about learning and growing deeper in relationship with Christ and communing with other believers. But the impact of a lack of accessibility to the materials that facilitate those relationships are too important to ignore. I’ve asked my church to provide the accommodations I need to participate as fully as possible: that the lyrics be sent ahead so I can follow along during worship, that any handouts or workbooks be emailed to me, and where they can’t, I turn to the organizations dedicated to this service – downloading an audio version of the book in the library (if available), for example.

It’s a privilege to worship in a church that prioritizes accessibility for all of its congregants. I only pray that more churches will be willing to learn, grow and value inclusivity of any blind believer in their family, and come alongside them in helping access the resources they need to participate in the body of Christ.