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 book downloads for the blind.
For the first time, visually impaired people could go online and download audiobooks of their choice. 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.
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 you access unabridged audiobooks. 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.
Audio books for the blind also provide an opportunity for entertainment. Now, blind and visually impaired people can simply hear a story for pleasure, and the choices are diverse. Thousands of books - all different forms of fiction and nonfiction, contemporary or classic, popular, and more obscure - are available for the enjoyment of blind people.
Audio books are a great example of how technology can benefit and enhance people's lives, especially those with disabilities.
No comments:
Post a Comment