Seedlings Braille Books for Children

What Seedlings Braille Books for Children does

Seedlings Braille Books for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1984 by Debra Bonde and headquartered in Livonia, Michigan. The organization's singular function is producing and distributing high-quality, low-cost and free braille books for children with vision loss, addressing the structural scarcity and high cost of children's braille literature in the United States and abroad. Core products are organized into six format categories—Print-Braille-and-Picture Books (contracted and uncontracted UEB), Print-and-Braille Books (contracted and uncontracted UEB), Little Big Books in Contracted UEB, Braille-Only Books in Contracted UEB, legacy EBAE Braille Books, and Braille Gifts/Learning Aids—alongside a gift card product. The underlying technology is a specialized braille transcription and production workflow using dedicated braille printing equipment and certified transcribers working in Unified English Braille (UEB), with a proprietary clear plastic strip overlay method that adds braille to existing print books without damaging them.

Operationally, Seedlings has produced over 815,000 braille books since 1984 and ships to all 50 US states and 85+ foreign countries. Books are priced at approximately $10 or less per title on average, with 70% of 2024 output (over 33,600 books) distributed free of charge through five programs: the Book Angel Program (children ages 0-21, US/Canada), the Teachers of the Visually Impaired Program (TVIP), Braille for Beginners (Early Intervention Programs), Assist-A-Reader (children in seven Midwestern states), and the Rose Project (encyclopedia articles for grades 1-12). The organization employs 14-18 staff members and is supported by a 17-member volunteer Board of Directors, with revenue sourced from individual donations, corporate/foundation grants, corporate giving programs (Kroger, Thrivent, Amazon, Charles Schwab, CFC), event fundraising, and direct-to-consumer book and gift card sales via an e-commerce site, phone, mail, and purchase orders from schools and libraries.

Name

Seedlings Braille Books for Children

Legal name

Seedlings Braille Books for Children

Website

https://seedlings.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Seedlings Braille Books for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces and distributes affordable braille books for children with vision loss, selling 1,100+ titles at approximately $10 or less and giving 70% of output away free through five programs serving families, teachers, and early intervention programs across all 50 US states and 85+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accessible Braille Books & Literacy Services

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Books Printing (323117)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

Accessible & Alternative Format Materials (Braille, Large Print, Audio, Tactile Graphics) (EDAGAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Literacy & Reading Intervention Programs (EDAGAAAD), Reading & Literacy Intervention Materials for Learning Disabilities (Dyslexia, Decoding, Comprehension) (EDAGAMAH), Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) & Format Conversion (Braille, Large Print, DAISY) (EDAKAIAH)

Keywords

• Braille book publishing
• Accessible children's literature
• Braille literacy programs
• Nonprofit braille production
• Free braille books

Headquarters

HQ city

Livonia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Braille Book Sales: Sale of braille books, print-braille books, and learning aids at subsidized prices (average $10 or less per title)
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting braille literacy
3. Corporate/Foundation Grants: Grants and funding from foundations and corporations to support free programs and book production
4. Event Fundraising: Revenue from events such as online auctions and pickleball tournaments
5. Gift Card Sales: E-gift cards and physical gift cards sold in denominations from $5 to $1,000

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Seedlings Braille Books for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces, transcribes, and distributes affordable and free braille books for children with vision loss. Its catalog of 1,100+ titles spans board books for infants, easy-readers, chapter books, and classics, offered in Print-Braille-and-Picture, Print-and-Braille, Little Big Books, and Braille-Only formats using Unified English Braille (UEB). Beyond book sales, the organization operates five free distribution programs (Book Angel Program, Teachers of the Visually Impaired Program, Braille for Beginners, Assist-A-Reader, and Rose Project) that have placed 125,000+ free books since 2002.

Product overview

Seedlings Braille Books for Children is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of braille book products and free programs for children with vision loss. The core products include Print-Braille-and-Picture Books (both Uncontracted and Contracted UEB formats), Print-and-Braille Books (Uncontracted and Contracted UEB), Little Big Books in Contracted UEB, Braille Books in Contracted UEB, and Braille Books in Contracted EBAE (legacy code). These are supplemented by Braille Gifts and Learning Aids, Gift Cards, and Seedlings Merch. Additionally, the organization runs five free programs: Book Angel Program (providing 5 free books annually to children ages birth-21), Teachers of the Visually Impaired Program (5 free books for certified TVIs), Braille for Beginners (for Early Intervention Programs), Assist-A-Reader (10 free books for children in select Midwestern states), and the Rose Project (free encyclopedia articles for students grades 1-12). The organization has produced over 815,000 braille books since 1984 and sells most titles at approximately $10 or less.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Print-Braille-and-Picture Books in Uncontracted UEB Pre-school picture books with uncontracted braille added as an overlay on clear plastic strips, designed for infants to age 5. Each book allows blind and sighted readers to share the same physical book.
• Print-Braille-and-Picture Books in Contracted UEB Pre-school picture books with contracted braille added as an overlay on clear plastic strips, suitable for toddlers and preschoolers ages 0-5 who are progressing to contracted braille.
• Print-and-Braille Books in Uncontracted UEB Easy-reader books with uncontracted braille and print words matched line for line, designed for beginning readers ages 4-9.
• Print-and-Braille Books in Contracted UEB Easy-reader books with contracted braille and print words matched line for line to assist beginning readers in the learning process, ages 4-9.
• Little Big Books in Contracted UEB Braille books printed single-sided on 8½ x 11 braille paper, providing an emergent reader a steppingstone between Print & Braille and Big Braille Only books in a smaller package. Approx. Age Range: 6-10.
• Braille Books in Contracted UEB Braille-only books (no print or pictures) intended for independent readers ages 6 and up, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
• Braille Books in Contracted EBAE (Legacy Code) Braille-only books in the legacy English Braille American Edition (EBAE) code for independent readers who prefer the legacy format.
• Braille Gifts and Learning Aids Braille jewelry, t-shirts, sweatshirts, flashcards, playing cards, alphabet blocks and other learning aids for children and adults.
• Gift Cards E-Gift Cards and Physical Gift Cards available in denominations ranging from $5.00 through $1,000.00.
• Seedlings Merchandise Branded merchandise including apparel and accessories featuring Seedlings branding.
• Book Angel Program (BAP) Free program providing 5 braille books per calendar year to children with vision loss ages birth-21 in the U.S. and Canada. Has provided nearly 125,000 free braille books since 2002.
• Teachers of the Visually Impaired Program (TVIP) Program providing 5 free braille books per calendar year to certified teachers with a visual impairment endorsement in the U.S. Has sent over 31,000 books to teachers since 2019.
• Braille for Beginners (B4B) Program placing print-braille-and-picture books into Early Intervention Programs across the U.S. for toddlers and preschoolers ages birth-5 with vision loss.
• Assist-A-Reader Program providing 10 free braille books per calendar year to children with vision loss ages birth-21 in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Each reader is paired with a donor.
• Rose Project Program providing World Book Encyclopedia articles in braille for free to students with vision loss in grades 1-12.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced and distributed over 815,000 braille books since 1984
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment employees can donate to Seedlings (CFC# 11825) through payroll deductions as part of America's Best Charities.
• Livonia Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Inclusive Story Time events at Seedlings office, showcasing print and braille books with sensory activities for children.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Federation of the Blind (NFB): Advocacy and service organization for the blind that publishes materials, awards the Bolotin Prize (received by Seedlings), and connects blind readers to resources. Adjacent rather than directly competitive.

Direct peers

• Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Nonprofit providing distance education and resources to people with vision loss, including braille literacy programs. Comparable mission around braille literacy and adult/child education for the visually impaired.
• Clovernook Center for the Blind: Nonprint production facility producing braille and large-print materials. Directly comparable to Seedlings in braille transcription and production services, with overlapping institutional customers.
• National Braille Press: Nonprofit braille publisher producing books for children and adults, including tactile and print-braille formats. Directly comparable to Seedlings in mission, customer base (blind/visually impaired readers), and product format (braille books).

Broad incumbents

• Perkins School for the Blind: Historic nonprofit serving blind children and educators, with a publishing arm and accessible educational materials. Comparable to Seedlings in serving children with vision loss and producing accessible learning content.
• Braille Institute of America: Nonprofit serving people with vision loss through library services, braille production, and education programs. Comparable in braille publishing mission and free-program distribution model, though more regionally focused on Southern California.
• American Printing House for the Blind (APH): Long-established nonprofit producing educational materials, braille, large print, and tactile graphics for the visually impaired. Overlaps with Seedlings on children's braille books but operates at a much larger scale with broader product portfolio.

Emerging players

• Future Aids, the Braille Superstore: Commercial retailer of braille products, gifts, and learning aids. Comparable product lines (braille gifts, learning aids) but for-profit and broader scope across all ages rather than children-focused.
• Learning Ally: Nonprofit providing audiobooks for students with reading disabilities including visual impairment. Comparable target audience (students who cannot read standard print) but uses audio rather than braille, making it a partial substitute rather than direct competitor.
• Bookshare (Benetech): Online accessible library offering ebooks in braille, audio, and large print for people with print disabilities. Comparable in serving the same population but competes via digital distribution rather than physical books.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SeedlingsBraille
• Facebookfacebook.com/SeedlingsBrlBks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seedlings-braille-books-for-children
• Instagraminstagram.com/seedlingsbraillebooks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Seedlings Braille Books for Children