Dedicated to Improving the Lives of Blind and Visually Impaired People

Recognizing Martin Luther King Day: Some Resources

Each year, on January 15, the anniversary of the birth of clergyman, activist, and civil rights visionary Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1929 is commemorated as a national holiday. Many resources are available about MLK, including some in Braille or audio for people with vision impairment. Here are a few:

Perkins School for the Blind provides a number of books in audio and Braille formats through the Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library. Their collection includes such titles as A knock at midnight: Inspiration from the great sermons of Reverent Martin Luther King, Jr., a talking book that can be downloaded; the historic I have a dream speech in Braille; and The trumpet of conscience, written by Martin Luther King, also a downloadable talking book.

For children:
Children ages 8 – 12 can read the book Martin Luther King, Jr.—Man of Peace in Contracted UEB (Unified English Braille), available for purchase for $9 from Seedlings Braille Books for Children.
YouTube features a number of books read aloud. Titles include A Picture Book of Martin Luther King,Jr., I am Martin Luther King, Jr., Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr., and Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. In some cases, the narrator is the author; in each, the narration is very expressive for audio users.