( NAPSI )— Fifteen years after

“ I got back to all the things I was

losing her sight , crafter Joyce

doing before ,” says Kane , who

Kane can still enjoy a good yarn ,

lives in Stratford , Connecticut .

thanks to the free reading program

“ And I ’ ve learned some new

of the National Library Service for

things , too .” Five years ago she

the Blind and Physically

started Krafters Korner , which

Handicapped ( NLS ).

offers classes by conference call

Kane , 61 , has always loved

and e-mail to blind crafters .

crafting — sewing , knitting ,

Today , the NLS talking-book

quilting and more . When her

program helps Kane and others

children were young , she owned a yarn shop . Later , she was a regular at craft shows and sold her work to wholesalers .

keep up with new ideas and techniques .

NLS , part of the Library of

Congress , offers a free reading

A free reading program that serves blind and physically handicapped people offers dozens of books on the art and business of crafting .

But in 1998 , Kane underwent coronary bypass surgery and awoke completely blind . Her doctors were unaware that diabetes had damaged her optic blood vessels , which became starved for oxygen during the

program for U . S . residents and citizens living abroad who are blind , have low vision , or cannot hold a book because of a physical disability . NLS patrons may choose from tens of thousands of books and dozens of magazines in

business — of crafting , from Kari

Chapin ’ s “ The Handmade

Marketplace : How to Sell Your

Crafts Locally , Globally , and

Online ” to “ Disney ’ s FamilyFun

Crafts .”

operation .

audio and braille . NLS also loans

When she ’ s not crafting , Kane

With the help of a friend who recorded a pattern , though , Kane relearned how to knit . She would knit all day , unravel much of her work at night , and begin again the next day until she was

the portable playback equipment needed to read its audiobooks .

Computer-savvy patrons may access books online through the

NLS Braille and Audio Reading

Download ( BARD ) service .

enjoys mysteries and thrillers such as John Grisham ’ s “ The

Racketeer ” and Tom Clancy ’ s Jack

Ryan spy novels .

To learn more about the program , visit www . loc . gov / nls or call 1-

satisfied — and had created a

The NLS collection includes

888-NLS-READ .

sweater .

dozens of books on the art — and