Boğaziçi University’s Assistive Technology and Education Laboratory for Individuals with Visual Disabilities (GETEM) continues to provide visually impaired individuals with access to information through its extensive archive of volunteer-recorded audiobooks.
The center, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, hosts one of the world’s richest audiobook collections, with more than 58,000 accessible works and nearly 10,000 members.
GETEM Director Professor Macid Ayhan Melekoğlu said the laboratory converts printed books into audio format to support not only visually impaired users but also individuals with reading difficulties.
“We currently have 58,000 accessible works and nearly 10,000 members. Once you become a member, you can access all content free of charge,” Melekoğlu said, adding that both individual and institutional volunteers contribute to the platform.
He noted that volunteer readers can record books not only in GETEM studios but also from their homes or other suitable environments.
Levent Açlan, head of e-librarianship and cataloging at GETEM, explained that the process begins with trial recordings from volunteers, followed by book assignments and quality checks.
“We expect our volunteers to complete the work within three months. Once submitted, recordings are reviewed for consistency and quality before being uploaded to our website,” Açlan said.
Açlan added that users can also request specific books, including details such as author, translator and even preferred volunteer narrator.
Şeyma Sevim, a psychological counselor at GETEM, described the center as transformative in her own experience with vision loss, calling it a “home” that supports independent living and access to knowledge.
She said GETEM’s work focuses on two main areas: Expanding its digital library and advancing accessibility efforts across institutions.
“These include both physical and digital accessibility projects carried out within the university and in cooperation with other organizations,” Sevim said, adding that GETEM is widely recognized as a leading authority in the field.
Sevim said the center aims to expand its collection, currently nearing 60,000 works, and integrate artificial intelligence to enhance usability, such as enabling users to jump directly to specific pages in audiobooks.
GETEM also organizes inclusive film screenings with audio descriptions, allowing visually impaired, hearing impaired and sighted audiences to watch films together.
