As an author and Bible teacher who happens to be blind, studying God’s Word and researching the Scripture hasn’t always been easy. But, it has become much easier in the past few years due to so many audio and text-to-voice options now available.

So, I want to give you a short list of the Bible resources I use. There are many resources out there, but after trying quite a few, I narrowed down my favorites based on how easy they are to use.

First, Scripture you can hide in your pocket or purse:

Lutheran Braille Evangelism Association Hand-held talking Bible courier

A woman gave me this electronic portable audio bible many years ago after I spoke at her church. I had never seen one and I must say, it opened up my world! It is such a quick and easy way to navigate the Bible. Now, I will admit, it takes a bit to get used to the synthesized voice, but once you do, you forget you are hearing a computer and simply hear God’s beautiful Word.  It is the size of a deck of cards, super easy to navigate because it only has 12 buttons and it is really intuitive in its design. The way technology has sped forward, this little gadget may seem “old-school” but it is still my go-to for simplicity, reliability and predictability.

The GoBible

This little gadget is easy to navigate also and the voice is more pleasant! The Voyager style and Original style of the GoBible both have a voice menu built in to help folks with sight impairments find scriptures, bookmark them and also navigate special menus like stories, topical Scripture menus and your own bookmarks. This was the second audio Bible I got and it is smaller, lighter… and well, cheaper.

Secondly, a Bible you can hide on your desktop:

The Online Bible

I use the Online Bible on my computer. Many blind computer users use Jaws Software  to make their computers accessible.  I use Jaws and I find that the Online Bible plays nicely with Jaws! In other words, they are compatible. So, as I am writing, I can easily open my Online Bible to research and read Scripture to aid my study. Don’t let the name throw you, it is not dependent on being “online.”  You don’t need WiFi to use it — you simply download the software onto your computer and once you’ve got it on your desktop, you are good to go.

Lastly, 2 Bibles you can hide on your iPhone:

I tried to narrow to just one app, but, I like both of these for different reasons.

First, BibleStudyTools App

This is my very favorite app for studying Scripture. Not only do you have access to tons of versions of the Bible, but you also have commentaries, dictionaries, and encyclopedias at your fingertips — literally! It works very well with VoiceOver on my iPhone.

Secondly, Bible Gateway App

This app offers an easy way to research and read the Word too. But, I use this app most for their audio Bible.  You can absorb God’s Word by simply listening while you’re doing whatever you do — wash dishes, walk on the treadmill, or just sit and sip coffee! I also like it because they offer two readers; one is more dramatic than the other so the option gives you a choice depending on how you enjoy listening to Scripture. And, it’s really easy to navigate.

I tried to make this short, only mentioning what I have tried and tested but there are many apps out there.  But let me caution you — don’t assume that just because an app is in the App Store, that it will work well with VoiceOver on your iPhone. Not always!  So, always try the free version of any app first to see if it will play nice with VoiceOver!  And there are also other hand-held audio Bible devices available.  A resource to review and learn more is: www.AudioBiblesForTheBlind.org to discover what may be just right for you.

In the comments, please share any audio Bible resource you use.