About Home Readers and the Services that we Provide

Picture of Bill and Kathy

We established Home Readers in 1996, as a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing catalogs, audio cookbooks, and books on tape for the blind and visually impaired. We are the only organization in the mid-west that provides free catalogs to the blind and visually impaired community. Our Home Readers name was derived from our Home Readers network, a network of paid audio transcribers who provide detailed descriptions, as they transcribe catalogs and cookbooks to digital audio formats from their homes.

The People Behind Home Readers

Our founder Kathy Eble (which is pronounced EBB-Lee, with an accent on the first syllable), is a member of the blind community. In 1996 she realized the need for a shopping service that catered to the blind and visually impaired; in response to that need, she opened Home Readers and began distributing catalogs, audio cookbooks, and books on tape for the blind and visually impaired. Throughout the growth of Home Readers, Kathy has insisted on maintaining a personal relationship with her customers, by personally taking phone calls and answering questions. She makes it a point to keep in touch with the blind and visually impaired community. She has had tremendous support from her husband, Bill, who also plays a vital role in the Home Readers operation. Cricket, Kathy’s guide / companion dog, is always at Kathy's side, playing an important role and winning the hearts of those who meet her.

Our Free Catalogs, Audio Cookbooks, and our Books on Tape for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Our catalogs, which can be requested on the orders page, allow blind and visually impaired individuals to shop independently for items, by listening to detailed product descriptions. Our cookbooks and books on tape for the blind and visually impaired, offer a great way to relax and pass the time. Upon request, we will provide a free list of our catalogs, audio cookbooks, and books on tape for the blind and visually impaired as a 4-track cassette, MP3, or DAISY Book. Please be aware that only our catalogs are available online at this time.

For Publishers and other Businesses

If you are a publisher or other business that wishes to either produce or distribute content that is accessible to the blind and visually impaired, you may be interested in our braille division. Home Readers Braille Express, our braille division, has multiple braillers that are capable of producing 16,000 pages of interpoint braille per day, 240 cassettes per hour, 200 MP3s per hour, 200 DAISY Talking Books per hour, and an unlimited number of downloads. Please be aware that we only accept larger requests, that consist of 10 pages or more. Our goal is to produce quality products for the blind and visually impaired community, while keeping costs at a reasonable level. If you are interested in having catalogs, books, manuals, textbooks, or other materials transcribed digitally, let us know!

We would like to thank you for taking the time to learn more about us. We hope that you have enjoyed learning about Home Readers and that you will consider ordering our catalogs, audio cookbooks, and books on tape for the blind and visually impaired.