About Ordering Textbooks from APH

Most APH Books Are Made When You Order Them

Most of our textbook enlargements and braille transcriptions are produced "on demand." In the case of enlarged print textbooks, we receive publisher permissions and we prepare the masters for production ahead of time through our Early Start Program. APH then produces the title upon demand--YOUR demand!

Grade Level of Textbooks Offered by APH

APH accessible titles consist of textbooks through the 12th grade.

Media of Textbooks Offered by APH

APH Large Print Textbooks:
Large Print Textbooks with a Standard-Size Textbook Binding

The APH Large Print Process uses proprietary software to create large print textbooks at a standard textbook size! Inclusive classroom students appreciate carrying textbooks that look just like those of their peers. APH Large Print Textbooks are:

The same size as regular print textbooks.
Full-color.
Have a minimum 18-point font size.

You can identify APH Large Print Textbooks by their catalog number prefix: A-L.

Traditional Enlarged Print Textbooks

We continue to offer our traditional APH Enlarged Print Textbooks. These books are bound in a larger-size binding that is bigger than a regular print textbook binding.

All enlarged print books are in full-color (if the original book is in color).
The type size of books enlarged by this process is dependent on the type size of the regular print books from which our reproductions are made. See "Type Sizes" below.
Catalog number prefixes for Enlarged Print Books are:
- Full-color text: L-C
- Black and white text only: 4-, F-, L-, or J-

Type Sizes of Enlarged Print Textbooks

The type size of books enlarged by our traditional enlargement process is dependent on the type size of the regular print books from which our reproductions are made. The following chart provides descriptions of enlarged type based on an image area of 8 1/2 x 11 inches. The font shown is Arial (similar to Helvetica). Click here to see a PDF file with examples of the point sizes involved.

10 point type will enlarge to 14 point
12 point type will enlarge to between 16 and 17 point
14 point type will enlarge to between 18 and 19 point

Note: Because of wide variations in type font design, characters with the same point size may not have the same physical size when typefaces are compared. For example:

The letter "o" in 18 point Arial measures 0.14 of an inch in height
The letter "o" in 18 point Times measures 0.125 of an inch in height

This difference in physical size may be even larger than in the above example, depending on the two typefaces being compared. Click here to see a PDF file comparing examples of the point sizes of Times and Helvetica fonts.

Braille Books

These are the high-quality braille books offered by APH for many years.

Many APH braille books now have a unique fold-back spiral binding that allows the book to lie flat. Books with the foldback binding have a catalog prefix of A-B.
Catalog number prefixes for braille books: 2-, 5-, 6-, A-B, Q-, T-, or V-

Note: Braille books with a prefix of "2-" are not available for purchase with Federal Quota funds.

Contracted Braille

APH braille textbooks are embossed in English Contracted Braille unless otherwise indicated.

Prices

Prices are subject to change without notice.

Returns Policy - Please Note that Custom-Made Books Are Not Returnable

Please note that books with the following APH catalog number prefixes are not returnable for any reason other than defects:

Large print books (catalog number prefixes 4-, A-L, F-, L-, L-C, or J-)
ATIC Braille Books (catalog number prefix A-B)
APH-DOTS Braille Books (catalog number prefix Q-)
Thermoform Braille Books (catalog number prefix T-)

All other APH books are returnable, subject to the APH Returns Policy.

Note on Credit Card Orders

For credit card orders, APH now requires the 3 digit security code, usually located on the back of your card. APH accepts Discover®, MasterCard®, and Visa®.

About the Accessible Textbooks Department

The strategic vision of the Accessible Textbooks Department, a textbook division of APH, is to effectively respond to the textbook needs of blind and visually impaired students by delivering custom-produced accessible textbooks in a variety of media in a timely manner.

In addition to "hard copy" textbooks, this commitment provides textbooks through on-demand braille transcription or large print, as well as in electronic media that can be downloaded from a file repository on our website.

American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
1839 Frankfort Avenue
P.O. Box 6085
Louisville, KY 40206-0085
Phone: 502-895-2405
Toll Free: 800-223-1839
Fax: 502-899-2274