Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Recommendations for Audiobook-Reading Devices for my Blind Grandfather? (self.Blind)
submitted 7y ago by NorthKoreanDictator_
Is anyone familiar with a simple-to-use device that could be used to easily play audiobooks, for someone who is both blind and not technology savvy?
My grandfather, who is about 90 years old, has recently become blind. He is having difficulty finding things to fill his time with, and was considering trying out audiobooks.
I offered to help him, however I am unsure what devices would best be suited as an audiobook player for someone who is both blind and not even remotely technology savvy. He does not own a smart phone or anything like that, although if there is a relatively cheap one that would help I would be willing to buy that, but it would have to be very easy for him to learn to use.
My grandfather, who is about 90 years old, has recently become blind. He is having difficulty finding things to fill his time with, and was considering trying out audiobooks.
I offered to help him, however I am unsure what devices would best be suited as an audiobook player for someone who is both blind and not even remotely technology savvy. He does not own a smart phone or anything like that, although if there is a relatively cheap one that would help I would be willing to buy that, but it would have to be very easy for him to learn to use.
Dyshonest 4 points
Hi there!
I'm currently out of town and as such don't have access to the information I have but i was able to find a page with an image of what I'm talking about. I'll include a link at the end of this. I'm not sure where you live but in most (hopefully all) states in the US there are resources for exactly what you are asking about. Where I live I believe it's called the library for the blind and visually impaired but if you contact your local agency for the blind they should point you in the right direction.
This library not only offers a wide range of audiobooks but also an audiobook player called the Digital Talking Book Machine (DTBM) with large easy to distinguish physical buttons. I've never used it myself, but I am told that even people who are not tech-savy can use them as they behave much like an old tape cassette player only using large jump drive-type cartridges to play the audiobooks.
My apologies if I'm unclear, it's late and I'm tired. :)
http://www.idbonline.org/audio-book-players
I'm currently out of town and as such don't have access to the information I have but i was able to find a page with an image of what I'm talking about. I'll include a link at the end of this. I'm not sure where you live but in most (hopefully all) states in the US there are resources for exactly what you are asking about. Where I live I believe it's called the library for the blind and visually impaired but if you contact your local agency for the blind they should point you in the right direction.
This library not only offers a wide range of audiobooks but also an audiobook player called the Digital Talking Book Machine (DTBM) with large easy to distinguish physical buttons. I've never used it myself, but I am told that even people who are not tech-savy can use them as they behave much like an old tape cassette player only using large jump drive-type cartridges to play the audiobooks.
My apologies if I'm unclear, it's late and I'm tired. :)
http://www.idbonline.org/audio-book-players
csloth 2 points
If you're in the US, check out the National Library Service at http://www.loc.gov/nls/.
NorthKoreanDictator_ [OP] 2 points
I'm from Australia. Do you think there will be something similar here?
xg7b3 1 points
My mother uses a DAISY device: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAISY_Digital_Talking_Book
I think it's not much more complicated then say a cassette player and it offers some handy navigation functionalities.
I think it's not much more complicated then say a cassette player and it offers some handy navigation functionalities.
NorthKoreanDictator_ [OP] 1 points
Thank you!
How do you select particular audiobooks from it, do you know?
And additionally, how do you download/obtain the audiobooks initially?
...and how much do you think it would cost, around about?
How do you select particular audiobooks from it, do you know?
And additionally, how do you download/obtain the audiobooks initially?
...and how much do you think it would cost, around about?
xg7b3 1 points
The devices are not cheap, I guess due to them being niche products. In Germany, I think health insurance pays for it - no idea if that's applicable where you live. This device looks similar to what my mother uses and costs 367 US$: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TM3T90?keywords=daisy%20audio%20player&qid=1444947481
She gets her new material via mail from a library for blind people. I just googled a little bit, and this for example seems to be something similar in the US: http://www.loc.gov/nls/index.html
A good starting place for more information is here: http://www.daisy.org/
She gets her new material via mail from a library for blind people. I just googled a little bit, and this for example seems to be something similar in the US: http://www.loc.gov/nls/index.html
A good starting place for more information is here: http://www.daisy.org/
NorthKoreanDictator_ [OP] 2 points
Thank you! I am from Australia, but hopefully there will be a similar equivalent here as well?
xg7b3 1 points
http://www.visionaustralia.org/living-with-low-vision/library/books-and-resources/talking-books
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