[UACCESS-L] National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped going digital in future

["Gregg Vanderheiden" <gv@trace.wisc.edu>]

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress (NLS) will be converting its current analog audio system to a flash-memory digital format in the future.  A consortium including Battelle, HumanWare (formerly VisuAide), the National Federation of the Blind, and the Trace Center will be designing and developing the new digital talking book reader for the NLS.

 

The completed system will include a digital talking-book playback machine and a flash-memory cartridge that stores the audiobook. The items will be lightweight, portable, and durable enough to survive years of heavy use. 

 

"The digital talking-book system will be designed with the blind and physically handicapped user in mind," says Michael Moodie, NLS deputy director. "Unlike audio players aimed at the general consumer, ours will use tactile features, color differences, and large-print labels to inform users with various kinds of visual impairments about its functions."

 

For more information:  http://www.loc.gov/nls/newsletters/flash/index.html.