If you want to talk about technology creating a feel good humanitarian story, then look no further than audio books for the blind.
We live in a world where information travels through the form of computer screens, newspapers and textbooks. Blind people have long struggled with many of the things that most people take for granted, including the ability to simply open a book, magazine, or newspaper and read the contents.
Today’s biggest technological advancements - computers and internet access - provide an opportunity to view even more information, but in a format that is difficult for those with visual impairments. Braille, of course, is one method that blind people can enjoy written language and learn. However, this tactile form of reading is expensive, making it unhelpful for many who are blind.
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.
With the mass production of audio books for the blind, and others, visually impaired people for the first time are able to really go online right now and download dozens of different audio books for themselves. With this, they have the ability to learn for free or cheaply in a way that has not been available to them before.
In this case, technology has provided an enormous benefit for people around the world: blind people can now obtain an education that they would not have even five years ago.
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.
Audio books for the blind have been a great boon for education. Core subjects of reading, mathematics, writing, and science are available in audio form, giving every student and every lover of knowledge access to education.
Audio books for the blind can also be obtained simply for the pleasure of reading a story. There are thousands of books available in audio formats that can be easily accessed for enjoyment by visually impaired people, and this includes popular and contemporary authors, fiction books of all genres, and non-fiction works as well.
With all the technological advancements being made, it is easy to forget the people that are an integral part of the equation. Audio books for the blind are an example of technology at its best and most helpful.