If you think about it, books are a gold mine of information. There’s a wealth of knowledge in the world, and much of it is in books. I’ll bet you can think of a long list of things you wouldn’t know if it weren’t for books. But for people with blindness and very low vision, books are often not an option. Until the early 19th Century when the braille system was invented, they were completely out of reach for those with blindness. After the invention of the braille system, people with blindness could read and write, which was a breakthrough. But creating and editing braille writing is time-consuming and not always accessible.
Then, almost fifty years ago, Ray Kurzweil invented a reading machine that would allow those with blindness to hear books and other stories. It was a breakthrough, since before then, those with blindness had to rely on books written in braille. Since comparatively few books were translated into braille, there was still a great deal that was unavailable to those with blindness. Today’s Kurzweil machines are about the same size as a PDA like a Blackberry and are capable of scanning all kinds of documents in several different formats. Today’s digital technology allows the Kurzweil and other similar devices to do much more than just scan and read back. Those with blindness and low vision can engage with novels, learn from textbooks, and manage things like legal documents, bills, and even personal letters. Assistive technology like the Kurzweil reader is also used in schools to allow access to the curriculum for those who have blindness or whose vision is compromised. Kurzweil licenses are not cheap, though, so not everyone has access to them.
That said, the Kurzweil isn’t the only technology that makes books and other printed material available for those with blindness. Books on Tape started at about the same time the Kurzweil was released (BoT has since been acquired by Random House). It began as a set of books on 8-track and cassette tapes that users could listen to, just as one would listen to music. Since that time, as technology has advanced, it’s moved to digital recordings. Books on Tape still provides recordings of many thousands of books, often at very reasonable prices.
Publishers have learned that it’s not just people with blindness and low vision who like to listen to books. Many people enjoy experiencing books this way. It’s easy to see why, too. You can take an audiobook with you as you drive, take a flight or train ride, work out, go on errands, or do the housework. Some people even prefer audio books, since they can really immerse the reader in a story. After all, our first stories were oral history stories that were shared by storytellers. And some stories are tailor-made for the audio format, just as some are tailor-made for the stage. The popularity of audio books means that many publishers offer readers that format for books they want.
Libraries have made audio books available, too. Some offer books on CD, and others offer downloadable audio files. The advantage of this is that more readers can enjoy a story without necessarily waiting until someone else is finished reading that brand new book.
Authors have learned, too, that it’s a good idea to make their books available in audio format. For a few very well-known best-selling authors, the publishing company arranges for the story to be recorded and made available in audio format. Other authors make their own arrangements, or work with a publisher to choose how their books will be recorded. There are even some authors who do their own narrating. For authors who are not best-selling authors, and who don’t have a large traditional publisher, there’s a cost involved in audio recording. But plenty of people feel that’s more than made up for by appealing to a wider audience.
Books don’t have to be experienced in only the traditional way – through reading. The world of audio books has made it possible for those with blindness and low vision to enjoy the best novels, the most informative non-fiction, and more. And modern digital technology allows those readers to access books and other information even if they live remotely. The world of books is becoming bigger and more inclusive as it becomes easier to make books available in a variety of formats. Speaking as both a writer and an avid reader, I think that’s a very good thing.
*NOTE: The title of this post is a line from the Beatles’ Girl.
Crime Writer Margot Kinberg 
Your post connected with Sharon and myself. With Sharon almost completely blind she has not been able to read for some time. She has attempted using reading apps on her IPhone but finds them challenging to get at the right distance and angle. Last fall she purchased a Lyriq machine which is much easier for her to use. She has a pair of Envision glasses which can read to her what the glasses see but they are not the best for reading books. For listening to books she can get books from the CNIB. She used to get CDs. Now she gets downloads onto her Victor Reader Trek or her Envoy reader. Both devices can hold multiple books. Technology helps but every day is a challenge.
LikeLike
Thank you, Bill, for sharing yours and Sharon’s story. It is challenging to find workable ways to read or listen to books when one’s vision is gone or very limited. As you say , there’s technology out there, and that is a good thing (I wasn’t familiar with the Lyriq machine – it sounds promising). But technology is often limited, and sometimes takes a lot of time to evolve as we improve our capabilities. I am glad that Sharon has some options for enjoying stories, and I hope they keep improving.
LikeLike
A very thoughtful post, Margot. I sometimes wonder what I would do if I could no longer see to read. It scares me but thankfully, as your excellent post points out, there are answers these days. I would probably go to Kindle Audible.
LikeLike
Thanks, Cath; I’m glad you thought the post worked. It is a good thing that there are options in today’s world for those who can’t easily read. They’re hardly perfect (see Bill’s comment), but they’re there. And hopefully they’ll keep improving as we develop more and better technology.
LikeLike
I wish people would use science and technology to create such wonderfully useful things rather than weapons of destruction.
LikeLike
That’s a very well-taken point, Neeru. I wish that, too.
LikeLike
Yes, this is a wonderful thing!
LikeLike
I think so, too, Becky!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The advances in audiobooks in recent years must be a wonderful thing for those who can’t read. As a casual listener, I find it an entirely different experience from reading, with some genres of books working much better than others. The classics are great, perhaps because authors knew that their books would be read aloud and had that consciously or unconsciously in mind as they wrote. I find vintage crime novels work particularly well in audio too, though I’m not sure why. But contemporary crime isn’t for me in that format for a variety of reasons. Multiple time periods or multiple narrators can be quite hard when you can’t easily refer back to a chapter heading, and the constant foul language or graphic sex or violence seems even more intrusive when it’s spoken – I find my eye can skim more easily than my ear! And the current trend for styling books as emails, social media posts or podcasts doesn’t translate so well to audio as plain storytelling, I feel. But when you get a perfect partnership of narrator and book, it’s a wonderfully immersive experience.
LikeLike
I think the recent advances in technology are fantastic, too, FictionFan, and must really be a truly great thing for people who can’t read. You describe it really well, too – an immersive experience. When the story is a good match for the format, yes, I think it can be truly immersive. But you make a well-taken point that it doesn’t always work well. For people who prefer to skim over explicit scenes or gore, etc.. it’s hard to do that when it’s an audio book. But I see your point about mintage crime. I wonder if it’s that those stories were told in a different way? I know many of those stories were either adapted for or adapted from radio plays and sometimes the stage, too. Those authors, as you say, knew that their work would be read aloud. That probably did make a difference. That’s interesting about epistolary stories, too; that can work well enough when one’s reading, but not as well aloud. Hmm….lots of ‘food for thought,’ for which thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a wonderful thing that audiobooks exist – I don’t often engage with them, but I think it’s great that they are out there!
LikeLike
I do, too, KBR! They make for a terrific alternative for those who can’t or who choose not to read paper or Kindle books.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A very interesting article Margot as I have glaucoma and I’m due to have an operation to remove cataracts which should improve my sight. I was thinking of buying a larger kindle and changing the font size to make reading easier but audio books hadn’t occurred to me!
LikeLike
Thank you, Terry, for your insights. It’s a strong reminder that easy-to-read fonts and audio books aren’t just helpful for people with blindness. Anyone can benefit from being more easily able to read or listen to a story. I hope your operation is successful!
LikeLike
Fascinating, Margot. I loved learning more about advancements for the visually impaired. How cool would it be to have our books translated into brail?
LikeLike
Thanks, Sue! I’m really glad you enjoyed the post. And you know, I would love it if our books could be translated into braille. Maybe at some point they will!
LikeLiked by 1 person