Changing Perceptions on Sight Loss in Style
Today is World Book Day, so in the spirit of the day I thought I’d answer a common question I get asked by sighted people…
Living with sight loss, whenever I mention my love for books one question always seems to crop up into the conversation.
“How do visually impaired people read books?”
I would also like to add that people with visual impairments don’t always necessarily need to use visual aids to read books, many can in fact real print normally without. I can read print, although due to my Nystagmus (an eye condition that causes involuntary eye movements) I cannot focus which makes reading print difficult. So, I use a variety of different visual aids and apps to help make reading more easier and accessible.
There are a variety of different magnifying aids available both electronic and manual. I have always used a basic magnifying glass to read small amounts of print and I also used a handled electronic magnifying glass which has a number of different features like zoom, colour contrast and an option to pause the screen on what you are magnifying. I don’t use this option all the time as I find it more time consuming, but I do use it when I’m only reading a small amount of text.
Personally, I think that an audiobook makes the experience of reading a book and hearing a story a lot more immersive. It’s rather like watching a play or a film. In the busy world we live in it can be so difficult to find the time to sit down and read a book. Audiobooks are a lot more easy and accessible to listen to whenever you want, even if you are in the middle of a rather humdrum task like doing the ironing or on the commute to work. There are a number of websites that offer audiobooks for you to download like Audible, Google Play and iTunes. However one service that has been hugely significant to me is the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Talking Book Library.
You can also use online borrowing services like Calibre Audio Library which has over 12,000 books to stream using their free borrowing service which you can access online.
Another option for anyone who wants to stream audiobooks is the RealSam Smart Speaker. This is a voice controlled software which runs on Google Home devices and soon Alexa devices also. This is a subscription which allows you to stream audiobooks from a number of libraries without downloading them. You can also access information, weather updates, news and podcasts too using this service. This service has been tailored for people with sight loss and it works by allowing you to find and listen to titles just by using your voice.
RealSam allows you to stream books from a number of libraries including Calibre, Librovox and Torch Trust. This service is constantly being updated so this list will expand as more libraries merge with the service.
You can say things like “find boos with title Great Expectations” or “find books by Martina Cole”. You can also add books to your bookshelf to listen to as and when you like.
It’s a really useful service and the voice controls make it really convenient and easy to search for and listen to titles.
New customers can pay a one of payment of £19.90 or £9.95 for existing customers. This will last until December 31st 2021. From 1st January 2022 a subscription costs £9.95 for new customers and £3.95 for existing customers.
For more information visit www.inyourpocket.net
Thank you so much for reading!
Fashioneyesta xx
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