It has been on my heart to begin this blogging adventure on disabilities and the Bible. Before we jump into meaty topics…I wanted to chat about accessible formats of the Bible.
I am totally blind and profoundly deaf, so I still gravitate towards electronic copies of The Word of God so I can read them through my Braille displays. Kindle has some fantastic versions such as the chronological Bible, Biographical Bible and so many other study Bibles. All of the footnotes and other annotated information is fully accessible through Braille or speech.
When I am using speech I am mainly talking about voice over on my Apple device combined with the Kindle App. There are many other possibilities for blind users including Bookshare, National Library Service, IBooks, ITunes and many others I have not mentioned. Most of these resources also have large print versions as well.
Back to Braille for a second, my absolute favorite way of reading the Word is through hard copy Braille. Sitting outside on a sunny day or maybe sitting by a fireplace with the book in my lap. For me it is so comforting and thought provoking. As a pastor and a public speaker; I only rely on the hard copy of the Bible to deliver my message.
Some people may struggle to hold a Bible and these same apps combined with a smart device will open up hundreds of possibilities for reading God’s Word. There are several versions of the Bible available on CD to enjoy the Word narrated or dramatized. Head on over to Amazon and you will be amazed at all the various versions for all ages and in several languages.
There is also a fun, compact alternative which is a solar Bible. These fit in the palm of your hand and have stored the entire Bible. You can access various books, chapters and even verses through simple buttons located on the front. The voice used is of good quality and a super nice perk is you just have to place it on a window sill on a Sunny day for charging. They often come with a power adapter as well, but it is a great alternative if you will be traveling to other countries or camping.
I am interested to hear how you access the Bible. There are endless possibilities and I have just touched on a few. Please feel free to comment and share your favorite ways to access the Bible.