Audio Players/BiblesBraille is a remarkable communication medium, that has given, and will continue to give great independence to many blind persons. |
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| But this is a Braille Bible -- about the size of two mini-fridges. And not many can read it. Fewer than 10% of the US blind population reads Braille; in the UK, the figure is less than one percent. In developing nations the percentage of Braille readers is vanishingly small. Braille literacy can increase the number of readers. However, providing this training to the world's 36 million blind is a daunting task. |
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| This is a microSD card. About the size of your thumbnail, it can hold dozens to hundreds of hours of audio (storying, Scripture, worship music, discipleship materials) for a couple of dollars. |
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| Probably a minority of the world's blind (far fewer than the general population) have a cell phone with screen-reader navigation. And only some of them have sufficient access and income to charge it ("pay to charge" is common in remote areas) for extended listening sessions. For this group, we can often provide content with a card, if they have a microSD slot, or through a WiFi download. |
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| For the remainder of Bibleless blind persons, there are great audio players that combine long play, a good speaker, easy navigation of book/chapter/verse file structures, and even solar charging. However, they typically cost $20-30, making them an option limited to pastors, teachers, and targeted distribution. But what of all the others -- perhaps 20 million blind, not to mention far larger numbers of sighted oral learners? |
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| At $20/person, you do the math. |
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| You can buy a cheap audio player online -- with headphones, no card, no solar, limited navigation -- for a few dollars. Shouldn't there be a quality Gospel tool with those missing elements for a bit more? One that can be distributed like...seed. |
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| So, we have developed a device that can be distributed for about $10. It has a good speaker, durable case, four-level navigation (ideal for Bibles), and solar or microUSB charging. With carefully-selected, culturally-appropriate, language-specific content, these are being used for blind (and sighted) persons in many countries around the world. You can learn more at SeedPlayer.org. |
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