AFB Talking Book Exhibit

The AFB Talking Book Exhibit explores how access to books and information reshaped the lives of people who are blind and the nation’s responsibility to provide it. At the center of this story is the Talking Book, a groundbreaking innovation that emerged in the early 20th century as the American Foundation for the Blind helped lead a growing movement for education, literacy, and equal access.

The exhibit opens with Why Talking Books? because the need came first. In the aftermath of World War I, thousands of blinded veterans returned home to a country where few could read braille and accessible books were scarce. Talking Books expanded access to literature and ideas on an unprecedented scale, prompting new partnerships, federal legislation, and rapid advances in recording technology.

Through photographs, archival documents, audio recordings, and personal accounts, the exhibit traces the people, debates, and innovations that shaped Talking Books. From early advocacy and policy milestones to evolving technologies and celebrated narrators, these materials reveal how a single idea helped transform access to information for generations.