During this interview, Holmes learned that their concern for the well being of blind people stemmed from similar causes. Mrs. Ziegler had a blind son, while Holmes had a blind brother. As he later recounted, "Mrs. Ziegler said that she had always wanted to do something for the blind and that if I would take charge of a magazine for the blind, as I already had some knowledge of printing and editorial work, she would finance it."

To start up such a magazine from scratch was an enormous undertaking. To begin with, no manufacturing plant existed that was capable of producing the enormous amount of embossed pages the new magazine would need. By summer of 1905, Holmes was ready to spend almost a year visiting printing plants in England, Scotland, France and Germany to find out what kinds of equipment could be adapted to the new magazine's requirements. Assured that the necessary equipment could be developed, he next had to find readers. On his return to New York, he sent letters to every school, agency and home for the blind inviting those who would like the type of magazine he and Mrs. Ziegler had in mind to apply for it. Some 1,500 people wrote. The proposed magazine received widespread publicity in newspapers, and readers were asked to send in the names of blind people who would be interested in receiving it.