It’s social justice that all (sighted and blind) kids who are excited to read should have access to these reading materials, particularly when it is a cultural phenomenon. No one wants to be left out.
This past week, 15 PMD volunteers confidentially collated, folded, married, checked, and stitched nearly 600 copies of volume 7 of 10 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and then helped box and label the two large boxes containing each braille book for shipping for the National Braille Press.
More than 850 PMD volunteers have assisted the National Braille Press since 1993. PMD volunteers have been helping make the braille Harry Potter books since the release of Goblet of Fire within a month of the print release in 2000. PMD volunteers also did the Order of the Phoenix in 2003, and the Half-Blood Prince in 2005-The latter was also released the same day as the print version, thanks to Scholastic allowing the Press access to the files in advance of the release date. Hopefully more publishers will give early access to the Press since it has demonstrated repeatedly that it can operate according to strict confidentiality standards.
On behalf of all 15 PMD volunteers bound by strict confidentiality agreements, I particularly thank the spouses, partners, friends, family, and employers who were patient when we volunteers uncharacteristically weren’t able to tell you exactly what we’d been doing this past week.
Elizabeth and David team up to collate pages of volume 7.
Melissa carefully folds sections of volume 7.
Pat and Martha marry sections and check page numbers.
Jan meticulously checks page numbers.
 Ellen stitches together volume 7.