(LOS ANGELES, CA) / GLOBE NEWSWIRE -- The Braille Institute Library is excited to announce a special event featuring Andrew Leland, acclaimed author and Pulitzer Prize finalist. This free event will take place on Thursday, January 16, 2025 at 2:00pm (EST) and will be livestreamed, as well as held in person at the Los Angeles Braille Institute Library in Los Angeles.

Leland’s memoir, The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, chronicles his two-decade journey with retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive eye disease that gradually causes vision loss. Currently legally blind with about 6% of typical visual capacity, Leland shares his experiences navigating identity, relationships, and societal perceptions as his vision diminished. His memoir was named a best book of the year by The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Atlantic and others.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Andrew Leland for an intimate conversation on vision loss,” said Lisa Lepore, Director of the Braille Institute Library. “He will be joined by John Nuanes—a Braille Institute student, volunteer instructor, and board member—who draws on his experience with retinitis pigmentosa. Grounded in Leland’s excellent book, their discussion will examine blindness—exploring adaptation, agency, and the power of stories to reshape our world.”

The event is free of charge and expected to draw a large audience. The public is invited to attend, and registration is required to receive the livestream link. Click here to register for the event.

The award-winning Braille Institute Library, provides services to individuals living in Southern California who have a visual or physical impairment, or who have a reading or learning disability that prevents them from being able to read printed material in a normal manner. The library delivers more than one million books which can be downloaded or mailed out. The library is also equipped with computers, free Wi-Fi, CCTV magnification stations, and a children’s reading room. With support from generous donors, volunteers, and staff, all library’s services are free of charge to more than 8,000 patrons annually. Braille Institute Library is the Southern California Regional Library of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.