Accessible Magazines From APH
“To people without sight The Reader's Digest is like a wonderful friend who fills their hands with the treasures of instructive talk and world-wide news. For a few days each month, I am surrounded not by the half life of the dark, but the full, surging life of the world.”
—Helen Keller.
APH is proud to offer accessible editions of Reader’s Digest®, Newsweek®, and Scholastic News® to eligible readers who are blind and visually impaired. Subscriptions to Reader’s Digest and Newsweek are free to eligible U.S. citizens, although donations are appreciated to help defray costs.
Ways to Subscribe
Annual cost for each magazine (paying is optional for eligible subscribers):
- $152 per person for Reader’s Digest Braille
- $51 per person for Newsweek Talking Magazine
- $17 per person for one year of Reader’s Digest Talking Magazine
U.S. readers have the option to pay the subscription charge, but are under no obligation to do so; contributions are always welcome — Donate Online Now. Non-U.S. citizens and gift-givers must pay the full subscription charge for one year. Contact the Magazine Department for further questions: 1-800-223-1839 or magazines@aph.org.
Available Magazines
Reader’s Digest®, Braille
- Available since 1928 with over 1,000 readers per month.
- Contains the full contents of articles, with advertising removed, in two volumes.
- Transcribed in English Contracted Braille.
Reader’s Digest® Talking Magazine, Cassette Tape
- Available since 1939 with over 10,000 readers per month.
- Contains the full articles with no advertising, on one 4-track, 15/16 inches per second cassette tape (requires a Talking Book-type tape player).
- The cassette becomes the property of the user and should not be returned to APH or your regional library.
Reader’s Digest®, Large Print
Available for purchase directly from Reader’s Digest at 1-800-807-2780 or www.rd.com. Note: APH does not publish this format.
Newsweek® Talking Magazine, Cassette Tape
- Available since 1959 with over 6,000 readers per month.
- Contains in-depth current affairs coverage with advertising removed, on one 4-track 15/16 inches per second cassette tape (requires a Talking Book-type tape player).
- The cassette becomes the property of the user and should not be returned to APH or your regional library.
- Note: No braille or large print editions of Newsweek are available.
Scholastic News® (formerly Weekly Reader), Large Print & Braille
APH offers several version of Scholastic News® in both braille and large print. These are mailed each week to hundreds of students across the U.S. We offer: 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, Senior (Grades 4, 5, 6), Junior Scholastic, and Science World.
For costs and subscription information, contact the Magazine Department at 1-800-223-1839 or magazines@aph.org. Note that we do not offer Scholastic News free of charge.
How to Obtain a Talking Book-Type Tape Player
A Talking Book-type cassette tape player is designed to play specially recorded tapes that are available only to eligible readers. These players are available on a free loan basis from the library in your state that serves visually impaired or physically handicapped readers.
How You Can Help
Reader's Digest® on cassette and in braille and Newsweek® on cassette are available free of charge to qualified visually impaired or blind readers. This service is made possible by generous donors. Donate now online.