Braille Bible: How to Get One Free
You can get a braille Bible free of charge. Lutheran Braille Workers sends braille Bibles and other Christian materials free to readers who are blind or visually impaired anywhere in the world, in English, Spanish and other languages. Catholic, Jewish and other faith organizations offer scripture in braille too, many of them free. The one thing to be ready for is the size: a complete braille Bible in English from Lutheran Braille Workers is 37 volumes.
Below: where to request one, what editions exist, why it is so large, and how to read the Bible in braille without paper. Sources were checked on October 7, 2026.
Key points
- Lutheran Braille Workers provides braille Bibles free of charge to blind and visually impaired readers worldwide. In English: the ESV in Unified English Braille and the NIV in grade 2, 37 volumes.
- In Spanish, the same organization has the complete Bible in 44 volumes, or the New Testament in 11.
- The Library of Congress (NLS) keeps a list of organizations that offer the Bible and other sacred writings in braille, from Catholic to Jewish to Jehovah's Witness sources.
- A braille Bible is huge because braille cells cannot be shrunk and are embossed on heavy paper; it is usually in contracted (grade 2) braille to save space.
- Electronic braille Bibles can be read on a refreshable braille display.
Where to get a free braille Bible
Lutheran Braille Workers
Lutheran Braille Workers (LBW) says its braille books and subscriptions are free "to readers who are Blind or Visually Impaired throughout the world". It produces:
- the English Standard Version in Unified English Braille (UEB);
- the New International Version in grade 2 braille, in 37 volumes, embossed on 10 × 12 inch braille paper;
- the complete Bible in Spanish braille, 44 volumes, or the Old Testament (33) or New Testament (11) alone;
- the New Testament in French;
- devotionals, Bible studies and other Christian materials.
You request them with an order form on its website (LBW braille materials), and brailled order forms are available on request.
Other sources
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled publishes a reference list, Bibles and Other Sacred Writings in Special Media, with organizations of many faiths. Among them:
| Organization | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Christian Record Services (Seventh-day Adventist) | The Bible in braille and on NLS digital cartridge, Bible study guides and devotional material in braille |
| Xavier Society for the Blind (Roman Catholic) | Free Catholic religious and inspirational materials in audio and braille, including the New American Bible |
| JBI International (Jewish) | Lends the Five Books of Moses, The Prophets, The Writings, Haggadot and prayer books in braille and audio, in English, Hebrew, Russian and Yiddish |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | The New World Translation in electronic and hard-copy braille, in English, Spanish and Italian |
The NLS list also covers Bahá'í, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim materials. If your tradition is not in this table, check the full list.
Why a braille Bible is so big
Braille cells are much larger than printed letters and cannot be made smaller without becoming unreadable by touch, and braille is embossed on thick paper. So a book that fits in one printed volume fills a shelf: 37 volumes for LBW's English NIV. The Bible Society in Spain describes its Spanish braille Bible as 32 volumes weighing 36 kilograms and taking 1.4 meters of shelf space.
English braille Bibles are usually in contracted (grade 2) braille, which saves space by writing common words and letter groups in fewer cells; see braille contractions.
A bit of history
The first braille edition of the King James Version was finished in 1924 by J. Robert Atkinson, a blind man who founded the Universal Braille Press in Los Angeles in 1919, later the Braille Institute of America (Wikipedia).
Reading the Bible in braille without paper
A refreshable braille display connected to a phone or computer shows any digital text in braille, a Bible app included, without the shelf of volumes. Some organizations, like Jehovah's Witnesses in the NLS list, also offer electronic braille files. How displays work and what they cost: refreshable braille displays. For other books in braille, see braille books.
Frequently asked questions
How can I get a free braille Bible?
Request one from Lutheran Braille Workers, which sends braille Bibles free of charge to blind and visually impaired readers worldwide, in English, Spanish and other languages. The NLS list of sacred writings in special media names other sources.
How many volumes is a braille Bible?
It depends on the edition and the code. Lutheran Braille Workers' NIV in grade 2 braille is 37 volumes; its complete Spanish braille Bible is 44.
Is there a Catholic braille Bible?
Yes. The Xavier Society for the Blind provides free Catholic materials in braille and audio, including the New American Bible.
Can I read the Bible in braille on a phone?
With a refreshable braille display connected to the phone, yes: it shows the text of a Bible app in braille. Some organizations also offer electronic braille Bible files.