Many years ago when my sight changed, one of the biggest challenges I faced was not being able to see print. Until my vision loss, I had never even contemplated the idea of not being able to see to read. Learning how to listen instead of seeing was a huge adjustment and a major learning curve.
In the first weeks of the loss of my central vision, I relied heavily on family members to assist with the interpretation of printed materials. It was enough that I needed to concentrate on the practicalities without venturing further into leisure time reading. To a degree, I still struggle somewhat with print accessibility, but I have come a long way and technology has played a big part in my small successes.
Even as I type these words, I continue to be amazed by the advances in technology. I am using an audible screen reading program. As I type each word, I can hear the words as they appear on the screen. Unlike the old manual typewriter, my JAWS program enables me to review what I have typed and to make corrections as I go along. I can send emails and listen to the messages sent to me by other people. I can look up information on the Internet. I can also adjust the speed and voice from the computer to suit my own listening ability and preferences.
Leisure listening or reading has also come a long way. Back in the beginning, for me that was 1986, I listened to books on a cassette tape recorder. It was sometimes a slow process. The tapes would arrive in the mail in a bulky postage free package from the CNIB Library in Toronto. I know of other older friends who used to receive their reading material on 78 rpm player records. These days I am able to listen to a fairly wide variety of books and magazines using a small device called a Victor Stream Reader.
This brings me to what has prompted me to write this particular post. For the past couple of months, I have been part of a pilot project using an even smaller device – the Envoy Connect. With this device, I can make my own selection of books and download them directly from the library. I am definitely in the learning stages with this. So far, Lyle has needed to lead me through the downloading stages.
The one flaw I have found with this new device is that I haven’t been able to adjust the reading speed. Perhaps that particular function is there and I simply haven’t found it yet. With my Victor Stream Reader I am able to speed up the narration. Just like speed reading when you can see the print, it is possible to speed read when you listen. At the end of this month, I will participate in a survey where the pros and cons of this new device will be analyzed. I am excited to hear what other readers have discovered with the Envoy Connect.
Next month it will have been thirty-six years since I made my first foray into accessible printed materials. I still think of myself as a bit of an amateur in all this, but that doesn’t stop me from being grateful to those people and companies who have initiated advances in the field. If you would like to take a peek into some of the equipment that is currently on offer, I would recommend that you check out these two web sites:
Humanware: https://www.humanware.com/en-canada/home
Freedom Scientific:https://www.freedomscientific.com/
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