In Wichita, Kansas, the Concordia Room at Holy Cross Lutheran Church hums with purpose every Wednesday morning. Inside, a dedicated group of volunteers diligently transcribe Bibles into Braille, providing an invaluable service to visually impaired individuals.
Susan Rathgeber, spokesperson for Lutheran Braille Workers, highlighted the significance of their efforts: “If they have to buy a bible on the commercial market, it would be $1200 to $1500. We provide it free of charge.”
Rathgeber, who has been involved in this mission for over four decades, emphasized the continuity of their work: “I’ve been with it for about 45 years and our center has been open for 53 years at Holy Cross Lutheran Church.”
The initiative aims to empower blind individuals to engage with their faith independently, moving beyond auditory experiences to tactile exploration of religious texts. Rathgeber shared touching anecdotes from her interactions with beneficiaries: “It means a lot because I’ve been to conventions with the blind and I’ve talked to people who are blind and this is the first time a lot of them have been able to read the word of the Father instead of just listening to it.”
The operation, supported by 27 committed volunteers, produces approximately 30 Braille books per session, focusing on specific sections of the Bible. This results in an impressive monthly output of about 125 books. Rathgeber underscored that all financial contributions to the Lutheran Braille Workers are allocated strictly to book production and distribution.
Over the years, the Lutheran Braille Workers Center has dispatched more than 70,000 volumes of Biblical Braille materials globally, funded entirely through donations and grants.
The initiative not only enriches the spiritual lives of visually impaired individuals but also embodies a testament to community-driven compassion and inclusivity.