Audio Scripture moves to reaching the blind in India.

By March 2, 2006

India (MNN)–Change has come to a ministry because of a disability.

Talking Bibles International’s Paul Hoekstra says there are an estimated 300,000 blind people in Karnataka State alone. Last year, they got requests from over 1100 families where blindness made it difficult for them to have free access to the Bible.

He says by placing the Talking Bible in the region, they can insure that the people have access to Scripture in more than Braille.

It means there’s an opportunity to reach those that haven’t been reached before. “That represents quite a large population of people who have traditionally not had access to God’s Word. Now, through a very simple means of listening, they can obtain a Talking Bible and listen in their own language. We’ve placed them in Telegu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam.”

Bible Societies are subsidizing the distribution under ‘special audiences.’ Hoekstra adds that by working through partnerships, they can exponentially increase the coverage. “Agencies like the Bible Society and Campus Crusade have networks of distribution that we obviously are not nearly as well equipped. They’re able then, to reach many of the local areas and regions that we can’t, so these partnerships really facilitate the distribution of God’s Word.”

Hoekstra explains that with the Talking Bible, blind families can use it together for their study at a lower cost than distributing the Braille text. It also allows them to engage with the Scriptures in a faster manner.

If you’d like to help, contact Talking Bibles through their information listed below.

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