Maryland State Library for the Blind wants to help more in need
The Maryland State Library for the Blind is doing a great things for those who are visually impaired but they want to do more.
Matthew Nixon is one of 115,000 people, according to the latest census, who is blind or has low vision in the state. He works at the Maryland State Library for the Blind, but has been utilizing their services since he was a child when he was diagnosed with Leber's Congenital Amaurosis.
"When I was a kid, I had much better vision. I could play video games, rode a bicycle and over time, I've lost that vision and moved from what would be called a low vision to complete blindness," Nixon said.
But a 55,000-square-foot library in Maryland offers people, like Nixon, help.
The library has audio readers with books on cartridges. There is a wealth of braille material available.
Classes for children and adults to learn braille or other technology. They also work with Maryland college students by recording their classwork to audio, and people don't even have to go to the library to get the help.
In the mail room, staff pack up materials and mail them to patrons at no charge.
"There are many people that don't know we exist, or don't know that they can use our services. They think that, 'I'm just done. I can't see and I can't read,' but that is not true," library direction Leslie Bowman said.
The library's braille collection is the nation's largest braille collection outside of the National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Washington, D.C.
The services are possible due to a $2.5 million in general state funding that was reinstated in 2015.
Currently, just over 8,000 patrons receive services, but library officials want to reach more and open new doors that only books can provide -- access to entertainment, information and opportunities.