We aim to support as many people as possible. Those eligible for membership include people with dyslexia, arthritis, stroke, multiple sclerosis, ME, glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, autism, Asperger's syndrome, ADD, ADHD, amputations, Down's Syndrome, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, head injuries, muscular dystrophy, cancer, emphysema, cerebral palsy, heart conditions, motor neurone disease, neurological conditions, paralysis, Parkinson's disease, paraplegia, quadriplegia, polio, spinal injuries, frailty, manual dexterity problems, anxiety, depression and long covid.
If your disability isn't listed, it may mean that we don't know about it yet. It doesn't necessarily mean you won't be eligible for membership. Please get in touch with us on 020 7407 9417 or email support@listening-books.org.uk if you are unsure if you qualify for membership.
You can join online, by telephone or by post.
We frequently help members in this position. Please email our Membership and Recruitment Administrator at info@listening-books.org.uk, or on 020 7407 9417, who will discuss the options with you.
Listening Books is a charity for people with print impairments. Please note if you do not have an illness or disability which makes reading difficult and/or you are not a resident in the UK, you are ineligible for membership. Unfortunately Listening Books incurs a fee for payments via PayPal. If you apply and are ineligible for membership, we will not be able to continue with your application. You can contact us for a refund of the unexpired period of your membership payment minus £5 to cover the fee paid to PayPal and a contribution to our administration charges. Please contact us if you are in any way unsure.
If you decide that Listening Books isn't for you, as long as you contact us within 2 weeks of joining you will be entitled to a full refund of the membership fee. Those who wish to cancel their membership after 2 weeks from the joining date but within four months of the membership period will receive a refund minus the expired period of their membership. Unfortunately we cannot offer refunds after 4 months.
If you decide that Listening Books isn't for you, as long as you were eligible for membership (as set out in our Terms and Conditions) and contact us within 2 weeks of joining, you will be entitled to a full refund of the membership fee. Those who wish to cancel their membership after 2 weeks from the joining date but within four months of the membership period will receive a refund minus the expired period of their membership. Unfortunately we cannot offer refunds after 4 months.
Yes of course, if you would like to manage the membership for your family member, please let us know. If you are joining online, make sure to include your details in the application.
Once a year when you renew your membership, you will automatically be given the option of changing your service option. However, if you would like to change it during the year, please contact us on 020 7407 9417 or via emial at info@listening-books.org.uk.
If you would like to set up a Direct Debit for your Listening Books membership, please contact our Bookkeeper Jenny at jlewis@listening-books.org.uk or on 020 7407 9417.
When choosing a password, please use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols (but not the '&' symbol).
If you use our online service, you can renew your membership in your online account. Click here or on the video below to view how to renew your membership online.
Alternatively, you can renew by post using this form. Just complete and return to Listening Books, 12 Lant Street, London, SE1 1QH. Please make cheques payable to LISTENING BOOKS.
If you would like to set up a direct debit, you can do so by post by completing this Direct Debit form.
Unfortunately, our service is only available for those in the UK.
MP3 CDs are similar to standard CDs, but what sets them apart is that they can hold a lot more information. For example, an audiobook that may be ten standard CDs long can fit onto one MP3 CD. MP3 CDs can be played on many CD players, DVD machines and computers. You can request a sample CD if you want to test the device you have before becoming a member.
MP3 CDs will play on most DVD players, computers and some CD players. We can send you a sample MP3 CD to see if your machine is compatible. If you are going to buy a new CD player, we have some suggestions here.
You can request the titles online through your account, or you can make requests by post or by telephone. Contact our membership team on 020 7407 9417 or at support@listening-books.org.uk.
When you receive your CDs, please don't throw the packaging away, as you will need the plastic wallet and envelope to return them to us. Once you have finished listening, place the walleted CD back into the envelope and follow the instructions for return. If you have accidentally thrown away your envelope, please contact the membership team at support@listening-books.org.uk, or return the CD/s in a padded envelope to: Listening Books, 12 Lant Street, London, SE1 1QH.
Yes you can. With our online membership, you can use OverDrive's Libby app to download and listen to titles on your device.
You can listen to our CDs on any computer with a CD drive.
If you have an online membership, you can stream titles through our website. Streaming works using Chrome on most devices, with the exception being the Kindle Fire and the Nook.
You can download to most portable devices using OverDrive's Libby app, a free app available through most app stores.
Every child in the school that accesses the audiobooks must fit our membership criteria.
If you are in anyway unsure, please contact our membership team at support@listening-books.org.uk.
Yes, we support the National Curriculum from Key Stage 2 to A-Level, providing set texts and study guides for English, as well as support for numerous other subjects. If there are any books that we do not currently have in the collection, please contact us at support@listening-books.org.uk or on 020 7407 9417 and we will do our best to get them.
Yes, we welcome suggestions from members of titles and authors they would like to see added to the collection. Contact our Publisher Relations Manager Amy at aflinders@listening-books.org.uk.
Please visit www.listening-books.org.uk/help-us-volunteer for more information about volunteering, or contact Claire at cbell@listening-books.org.uk.
If you are an actor and would like to volunteer to read our educational titles, please contact our audio producer at studios@listening-books.org.uk. Please include audio samples of your voice.
Please email production@listening-books.org.uk and our audio producer will be in touch to discuss your requirements.
Thank you very much for thinking of us, however we have to have permission from publishers to provide the books in our collection, and therefore cannot accept donations of books on tape or CD.
We have put together a list of players that are compatible with our CDs. You can view it by clicking here.
If you know of any players that we could add to this list, please contact our membership team at support@listening-books.org.uk.