Audio cassettes may seem obsolete but are still a useful tool for the blind.
For many blind individuals who do not wish to or are unable to read a Braille book due to physical limitations, audio books are available through many locations, including the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, an arm of the Library of Congress. Though recent advances have been made to move toward digital players, the most widely-used format consists of large four-track cassette decks to play the audio books.
Tabletop Cassette Players
Tabletop cassette players for the blind are available on loan from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped as long as the library's services are routinely used. Otherwise, they are available for purchase through the institute and other various outlets. Older models created for the Library's loan program were intentionally built sturdy to stand up to mail delivery. They may no longer be the most efficient way to playback audio, but they are simple to operate and many people are accustomed to using them. The tabletop cassette decks support rechargeable batteries, eliminating the need for an electrical chord that a visually impaired person could trip on.
Portable Cassette Players
Cassette players for the blind come in portable versions. Newer models, such as the Handi-Cassette II, by American Printing House for the Blind, feature high-tech functions such as the ability to adjust the rate of speech on a cassette without changing the pitch, and are capable of playing both standard two-track and four-track audio cassettes. Rugged carrying cases are also available for the portable players, offering not only protection for the device but a side compartment for carrying additional audio books, headphones and electrical adapters.
Digital Audiobook Players
Digital audiobooks have become more affordable in recent years, and moves toward the format are being made. As of 2009, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has begun replacing the old cassette players and books-on-tape with digital talking books and players to accommodate them. MP3s, Windows Media Audio and other mainstream formats are now becoming more accessible to the visually handicapped, and many hand-held players are now available for purchase.
Tags: audio books, Blind Physically, Blind Physically Handicapped, Library Service, Library Service Blind