[lbo-talk] Services for the blind?

[Chuck Grimes]

Does any one know of any service that produces tapes/cds of important
left books/articles for those who have problems seeing? Steve

-----

Start here:

http://www.loc.gov/nls/index.html

It's the Library of Congress central link (nls, national library
service for the blind and physically handicapped). Most large city
public libraries supply similar services (regional subsribers to this
national service), i.e. talking books on tape and audio cd's. Go to
the public library ask about talking books or recordings for the
blind. If your parents are in a city and near enough, it makes a great
`orientation' project to get them off the couch and out of the house,
onto paratransit, over to the library. Some libraries have audio
media stations so you can `read' at the library.

The subject matter and specific publications are up to the client. If
something isn't already recorded, then you can request it. Results
vary.

Recordings for the Blind:

http://www.rfbd.org/

Commercial rental, Talking Books:

http://www.talkingbooks.com/

Amercian Printing House for the Blind:

http://www.aph.org/

Audio books on-line:

http://www.audiobooksonline.com/

The other way to do something similar is get your computer rigged up
for speech software and screen readers (these are technically
different applications). There are all kinds of software and hardware
kits to retro-fit the standard computer to use for the blind or low
vision. Try here for an intro:

http://www.utoronto.ca/atrc/reference/tech/textspeech.html

CG