How to Receive Services from RFB&D and
the Regional Unit of the Virginias and Carolinas
What Kind of Books Does RFB&D Offer?
RFB&D
maintains an extensive and continually growing collection of AudioPlus®
digitally recorded books on CD. collection contains a broad selection of audio
textbooks in all subject areas, from literature and mathematics to history
and sciences, at levels ranging from kindergarten to post-graduate and professional
studies.
RFB&D recently switched over to an all-digital service, offering AudioPlus digitally-recorded textbooks exclusively. Digital audio offers many benefits, including enhanced navigation, superior audio quality, and convenience. RFB&D members may borrow our books for one year.
Tools for Success
RFB&D offers, for nonprofit sale, a selection of portable and desktop digital players and software for students, teachers and professionals to also use in the classroom, office or at home. Headsets and adapters are available. View our product catalog for more information.
Our Membership
RFB&D now circulates more than half a million audiobooks to over 185,000
individuals who have visual impairments, learning disabilities or other physical
disabilities. Our members include students from kindergarten to graduate school
and adults who no longer attend school but use our audiobooks to pursue professional
or personal interests. In addition, nearly 9,000 schools and colleges are
RFB&D LTL® Institutional Members.
People with Learning Disabilities
More than 70 percent of the people who use RFB&D's audio textbooks have dyslexia or other reading-based learning disabilities. RFB&D's audio textbooks are an effective accommodation for many students with learning disabilities that affect reading. Students report that listening to the audio textbook while following along with the print version, or listening to it by itself, greatly improves their comprehension, enabling them to keep up with their peers.
People with Visual Impairments
Approximately 20 percent of members who use RFB&D's services are blind or visually impaired. RFB&D's audio textbooks are an invaluable tool for people who cannot see standard print well or at all. In addition to hearing text being read, RFB&D members will hear maps, charts, tables, graphs and pictures described by RFB&D's specially trained volunteer readers.
People with Other Physical Disabilities
For RFB&D's purposes, the term 'documented print disability' includes not only learning disabilities and visual impairments but also other physical disabilities that affect reading. Mobility limitations that affect an individual's ability to read (such as turning pages or holding a book comfortably) are included under the heading 'other physical disabilities.'
Joining RFB&D is Easy
Anyone with a documented disability—including a visual impairment, learning disability or other physical disability which makes reading standard print difficult or impossible—is eligible to use RFB&D's recorded textbooks. In order to access our library, you need to become a member. We offer two types of membership programs: RFB&D's Learning Through Listening Individual Membership and RFB&D's Learning Through Listening Institutional Membership. Learn more about becoming a member.
Member Benefits:
RFB&D's Learning Through Listening (LTL) Institutional Membership Program
RFB&D's LTL Institutional Membership Program allows schools and agencies that serve students with print disabilities to borrow recorded texts that match their annual curricula. The program offers three membership levels, allowing schools to customize their audiobook library to best meet their students' needs.
Download the RFB&D Learning Through Listening Institutional Membership Application
Individual
Membership
Students may wish to join as individual members regardless of whether their school is an institutional member or not. Benefits of individual membership include increased independence and the opportunity to order taped books for personal reading. Adult professionals also find benefit from individual memberships, not only for personal reading, but for work-related subjects as well.
There are two types of individual memberships: Student Individual Memberships, which are paid for by an educational institution on behalf of a student and Personal Individual Memberships, which are paid for directly by the individual.
Download the Individual Application
Member Services
Reference Librarian Service
RFB&D's reference librarian services provides our members with the type of assistance they would receive in an academic or public library. Our librarians can search RFB&D's audio textbook collection to find out which titles are available in specific subject areas.
Custom Recording Service
RFB&D's Custom Recording Service is a fee-based service that helps businesses, government agencies and other organizations convert their printed materials into accessible formats for their employees, investors and consumers. Proceeds from this service help fund the recording and distribution of our audio textbooks to our members.
RFB&D's Online Catalog
RFB&D's online catalog of books contains information on all the recorded titles in our collection, and is continually being updated. Chances are, if a book is in your school's curriculum, it's in our recorded library, or may even be in the process of being recorded. See for yourself by visiting our online catalog.
Recording Requests
If you require a book that we do not have in our library, we may be able to record it for you. Please check with our Production Director Mary Ann Coffey at mcoffey@rfbdruvc.org.