Perkins Library

04/27/2026

04/26/2026

A proposed bill would allow New Hampshire to take steps toward becoming a "technology first" state that prioritizes giving people with disabilities access to assistive tech. 🏛️ Read more: https://bit.ly/4cCzW9H

Some lawmakers and disability advocates are working to make New Hampshire the latest to adopt what’s called a “technology first” framework for state-administered services for people with disabilities.

04/25/2026

Short stories aren't just for readers who are short on time! Some authors' greatest work was crafted into stories and essays that could fit in the pages of a magazine. 📖 Check out this month's Recommended Reads: https://bit.ly/3QM3uZS

Short stories aren’t just for readers short on time—many great authors prove their talents with stories that fit in the pages of a magazine.

04/24/2026

We applaud the leadership behind the reintroduction of the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act ( ), including U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, and the support this critical bill has received from Perkins School for the Blind. 👏

The CVTA will ensure that remains a priority as communications and video technologies continue to advance. This is a meaningful step forward in building a more inclusive world!

Read the full release from Senator Markey's office here: https://bit.ly/4sNcsU9

04/23/2026

Meet Stuart, one of our talented volunteer audiobook narrators and reviewers at the Perkins Library recording studio! 🎙️ Find out what inspires Stuart to volunteer. ❤️

04/22/2026

Young readers can celebrate our beautiful Mother Earth with these books about the planet and how we all can make meaningful change for the better! 🌎

• Earth!: My First 4.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty
Available in audio and braille

• In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming Studio
Available in braille

• Sharks Forever by Mark Leiren-Young
Available in audio and braille

• This Book Is Not Garbage by Isabel Thomas
Available in audio and braille

• The 21 by Elizabeth Rusch, Author
Available in audio

• Youth to Power by Jamie Margolin
Available in audio and braille

04/21/2026

Join us this and National Library Workers Day in celebrating a few highlights from the past, present, and future of librarians here at Perkins School for the Blind and Perkins Library! 📚

Photo from 1968: Kenneth Albert Stuckey (1938-2020), originally from Norwood, England, started at Perkins as an assistant librarian in 1965. Known as Ken, he spent the next 38 years working mainly as a research librarian at Perkins, helping to curate our museum exhibits, overseeing our historical collections, and contributing to a wide range of publications. 📖 He also served as leader of the Perkins Boy Scout Troop!

Photo from 2026: Today, at Perkins Library, a team of passionate librarians is on-call to assist patrons with disabilities with their reading requests in digital audiobook, braille, and large print formats. In addition, these Perkins librarians host daily virtual book clubs, trivia, movie watch-alongs and discussions, and other fun activities! 💻

Photo of a future librarian: We are inspiring the youth of today to become the librarians of tomorrow! This young daughter of Perkins Library's Reference Librarian is already ready and eager to restock the shelves of our braille and large print collections! 🥰

04/20/2026

A new concept, designed for those with speech impairments, allows a small patch worn on the neck to translate muscle movements into audible speech and visible text via an mobile orb-like device. 💬 Read more: https://bit.ly/41qcIxj

For most people, saying something as simple as "good morning" to a stranger or asking for directions takes no effort at all. For the tens of millions worldwide who live with speech impairments or are completely mute, those same moments can be frustrating or simply inaccessible. The tools that exist....

04/19/2026

Through his non-profit, Bricks for the Blind, Matthew Shifrin creates accessible instructions for blind and low vision users to build LEGO sets independently. Read more: https://bit.ly/4bTHFzX

Matthew Shifrin loved building Lego sets as a child

04/18/2026

Check out this interview with Judy Heumann, conducted before her death in 2023, to learn more about her outstanding legacy as a disability rights leader. Read more: https://bit.ly/4v0MM93

Editor’s Note: Judy Heumann was one of the most influential disabled women of all time. AAPD’s Editorial Manager Naomi Hess wrote this profile of Judy for a journalism class in December 2021, prior to Judy’s untimely passing on March 4, 2023. Because this profile was written when Judy was aliv...

04/17/2026

Perkins Library will be close on Monday, April 20 in recognition of Patriots Day. Good luck to the Boston Marathon runners! 👟

04/16/2026

All people should feel that they can safely request disability support wherever they are, including in the workplace. Here are several ways business leaders can foster an inclusive environment free of judgment. Read more: https://bit.ly/4v0Mcbn