The biggest Braille and audio-book collection open to the public in Chennai is the Braille Section on the ground floor of the Anna Centenary Library in Kotturpuram. It holds about 1,500 printed Braille books, 145 e-books and 1,080 audio books, plus refreshable Braille readers and a Braille embosser, according to the library’s own page. It is open 8 am to 8 pm.
For more than that, two other sources matter: Sugamya Pustakalaya, the national online library for print-disabled readers, and the Braille press and talking-book unit run by the central government institute NIEPVD at Poonamallee. Here is how each works and how to sign up.
Anna Centenary Library, Kotturpuram
The Braille Section is run by the state’s Directorate of Public Libraries. Apart from the books, the section has:
- Refreshable Braille display readers, each able to store around 1,000 books in Tamil, English or other Indian languages, with Braille navigation keys.
- Software that converts Tamil and English text into Braille, and a double-sided embosser to print it.
- Computers with screen-reading software, voice control and text-to-speech conversion.
- Access to DAISY-format books, e-newspapers, open-access journals and DELNET digital resources.
A May 2024 DT Next report added detail. The library runs a recording studio where volunteers record books for conversion to audio, and has about 2 TB of audio study material. Most users are competitive-exam aspirants, and more than 100 registered students had gone on to government jobs. Volunteers help on Saturdays, newspapers are converted into Braille-ready text, and the building is wheelchair friendly. The report said facilities for visually impaired users were free and that an app with 100 exam books in DAISY, EPUB and audio formats was planned for registered users, who could sign up with their national disability ID. We could not confirm whether that app has launched.
How to register
The Braille Section page does not set out a separate procedure, so the general rules apply. New members register in person at the membership counter between 10 am and 5 pm, with a passport photo and a government photo ID showing your address. The fee schedule is:
| Category | First-time fee | Annual renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | ₹250 | ₹100 |
| Family (2 adults, 2 children) | ₹500 | ₹200 |
| Senior citizen | ₹100 | ₹50 |
| Student | ₹150 | ₹75 |
Payment is by UPI or QR code, and renewal can be done online. The fee page does not mention any concession for disabled readers, so ask at the counter and carry your disability ID or UDID card. Membership queries: 044-22201033. General enquiries: 044-22201011.
Sugamya Pustakalaya: the online library
Sugamya Pustakalaya is a national online library for people who cannot read standard print, including blind and low-vision readers and people with other print disabilities. It is run with the DAISY Forum of India. One university library guide, from IISER Pune, puts the collection at over 6,53,234 titles in accessible formats, drawn partly from international partners such as Bookshare.
You sign up as an end user on the Sugamya Pustakalaya website and choose a member organisation, such as a library, school or NGO, to vouch for you. Once that organisation confirms, you get an email or SMS and can download books to read with a screen reader, DAISY player or Braille display. Ask the Anna Centenary Library or your school whether they can act as your member organisation.
NIEPVD’s Chennai centre at Poonamallee
The National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD), based in Dehradun, has a regional centre at 522 Trunk Road, Poonamallee, Chennai 600 056. According to NIEPVD’s list of implementing units, the centre runs a regional Braille press, a large-print unit, a talking-book unit and an EPUB unit under a central project that produces free accessible textbooks for visually impaired students up to Class 12. The listed contact is the Braille press coordinator, on 044-26274478 or nivhchen@nic.in.
The page describes these as production units rather than a lending library. Schools and parents who need a textbook in Braille, large print or audio should contact the centre directly to ask what is available and how to request it.
Your local branch library
Tamil Nadu has 4,661 public libraries, including 32 district central libraries, under the Directorate of Public Libraries. The directorate’s overview does not list Braille sections at branch level, so call your branch before going. Most will be able to point you to Kotturpuram.
Quick answers
Where can I borrow Braille books in Chennai?
The Braille Section on the ground floor of the Anna Centenary Library, Kotturpuram, has about 1,500 Braille books and 1,080 audio books.
Is there a free online library for blind readers?
Yes. Sugamya Pustakalaya lets print-disabled readers download accessible books once a member organisation approves their registration.
Who prints Braille textbooks in Chennai?
NIEPVD’s regional Braille press at Poonamallee produces Braille, large-print and audio textbooks under a central scheme for students up to Class 12.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Braille Section (Anna Centenary Library, Directorate of Public Libraries)
- Membership Fee Details (Anna Centenary Library)
- Anna Library to introduce app to aid visually impaired (DT Next, May 2024)
- Support for Development of Accessible Learning Materials, implementing units (NIEPVD, Dehradun)
- About the Directorate (Tamil Nadu Public Libraries)
- Print-disabled readers: Sugamya Pustakalaya access (IISER Pune Library)
