The Postal Service recently celebrated a program that allows blind and disabled people to send and receive free reading materials.
This program ensures that customers who cannot read standard print because of sight issues or physical disabilities can send and receive reading materials and equipment.
The Postal Service delivers braille books, electronic audio cartridges and other materials through the Free Matter for the Blind or Physically Handicapped program, with the costs covered by Congress.
The Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, as well as other libraries, noncommercial organizations and individuals participate in the program, providing the free reading materials and equipment.
As part of the Postal Service’s 250th anniversary celebrations, the program was highlighted during an event at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, last month.
USPS Chief Customer and Marketing Officer Steve Monteith told attendees that the Postal Service, Library of Congress and National Library Service began working on the automation of packages sent to subscribers about three years ago — building on the organizations’ 90-year relationship.
“Newly designed barcoded labels, improved mail processing equipment, and USPS employees have helped move free matter for the blind seamlessly through the network,” said Monteith.
“This technology has made the delivery of NLS materials so much faster and more efficient,” said James Broughton, the National Library Service’s director, who called the Postal Service a “link between the seen and the unseen.”
In fiscal year 2025, the National Library Service sent more than 20 million large-print books, braille books, and eBraille books on cartridges and magazines on cartridges through the U.S. Mail, up from 13.2 million in 2024.
Articles mailed by the National Library Service now display a “Free Matter” logo, which is an image of blind person with a white cane. It can help postal workers more easily recognize that the contents are free matter.
Broughton also acknowledged the significant communication lifeline USPS employees provide to the library’s patrons, the majority of whom are age 65 and older.
“We know that social isolation and loneliness are significant issues for older adults even more for people with disabilities,” he said.
The Free Matter program began after President Theodore Roosevelt signed legislation in 1904 authorizing free mailing for braille books and other embossed reading material sent to or from blind people and institutions that serve them.
Information about the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled can be found on the Library of Congress website.
Email us your feedback. Your comments could be included in our “Mail” column.
