If you want to talk about technology creating a feel good humanitarian story, then look no further than audio books for the blind.
From textbooks and newspapers to magazines and best-sellers, our society is extremely visual. Added to that is the overwhelming use of computers and the internet, which are primarily visual mediums. What is taken for granted by most of us - even simply flipping through a magazine - is a struggle for those who are blind or visually impaired.
Additionally, using a computer and the internet to obtain information is much more difficult for visually impaired people. While it’s true that Braille is one method for visually impaired people to enjoy the written word and gain knowledge, conventional feel-reading can be expensive and, therefore, not very helpful to many blind people.
With one seemingly simple advancement, doors to gaining information, being entertained, and staying current with the news were thrown open: enter audio books for the blind.
For the first time, visually impaired people could go online and download their choice of books. The mass production of audio books for the blind, the opportunity came to learn in a way that had never been available before. In addition, the audio books were inexpensive or even free, making them accessible to most blind people.
It is clear that audio books for the blind have really helped many people obtain an education that they would not have had ten or in some cases even five years ago, and it is yet another example of how the technological world we live in has created huge advantages for people everywhere.
Art, music, drama, history, geography, economics, current events, fiction, biographies, poetry - no genre, subject, or style is off limits when it comes to audio books. Visually impaired people have access to the world of knowledge that was previously housed in books, newspapers, or magazines.
Great advances that have been made in blind education through audio books in the core areas of reading, writing, mathematics and science, and as a result, blind people are able to easily access educational audio books.
There is more to audio books than education. They can be accessed solely for the pleasure of hearing a story. Thousands of titles are available in audio formats, including popular and contemporary authors, classics, fiction, non-fiction, and much more.
Technology has come a long way in helping impaired or disabled individuals, and audio books for the blind are a perfect example of how modern technological advances can do good in the world.