Plan B Forum

I'm thinking of getting me dear old mum an e-reader for Xmas, as she used to love to read , but her failing sight makes this less easy for her now.

Can anyone recommend, or give me some clues as to which would be the best e-reader for the blind old bat?

I would suggest the Kindle because:

1.) You can make the text as big as you need to, reformat line spacing, word spacing etc
2.) It's not backlit so reduces eyestrain
3.) Is the only one I have any real experience of

How about books on tape - oh that's so yesterday.... but you know what I mean

Tape!?!?!? What's wrong with good old wax cylinders?

They can be a tad fragile.

[ Mam mode ] No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. [ / Mam mode ]

MajGenl.Meade wrote:How about books on tape - oh that's so yesterday.... but you know what I mean

My mother, who has been blind since the early 70s, has used books on tape for a long time. They also used to provide records which turned at very low rpms, 8 and 16rpm, for a lot periodicals and books. The braille foundation has a lot of resources.



yrs,
rubato

Did't you just say you came from folks who did not
read?

With books on tape you don't have to read...

TPFKA@W wrote:Did't you just say you came from folks who did not
read?

Certainly did, and like me my mam only got into reading at an older age. She only started reading in her 60's when someone loaned her a book on Vera Lynn.

Gob wrote:

TPFKA@W wrote:Did't you just say you came from folks who did not
read?

Certainly did, and like me my mam only got into reading at an older age. She only started reading in her 60's when someone loaned her a book on Vera Lynn.

Better late than never I suppose.

Maybe it would be better to get her a large lighted magnifying glass and a stack of books rather than bamboozeling her with technology? I have lighted readers from Foster Grant that are wonderful.

Can you point me in the direction of these please?

Gob wrote:Can you point me in the direction of these please?

I am posting on a phone right now. I can google that for you when I get home. I understand oz is
a backwards country that has no image search engines where one might simply enter in "Foster Grant lighted reading glasses" or some such. A hand up that's what I say.

Hey !!

Thanks though, I fear the old dear's eyes are beyond the help of them.

Have you looked into getting her large-print books? I suspect most libraries have them.

Are her eyes going bad all around, or is she just getting very farsighted? If the latter...maybe a set of reading glasses that have approximately the power of the Hubble Telescope?

Gob wrote:Hey !!

Thanks though, I fear the old dear's eyes are beyond the help of them.

FWIW here they are, ugly as fuck all but I love them

:

Nothing for it but you'll have to read to her for an hour before bed time. Think of the bonding.....

I think the Kindle gives her the most flexibility. My uncle, who has macular degeneration and loves to read, really enjoys his and the ability to change font size. Also convenient (for aging hands) is the ability to easily hold a book of any size.

The "old" style (not the Fire) has no backlight so it reads more like a real book. Be sure to get her a book light so she can read at night without turning the light on!

TPFKA@W wrote:"... I have lighted readers from Foster Grant that are wonderful.

Thanks for the tip. I'm going to get a pair for close work, like installing capillary columns.

yrs,
rubato