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AUDIO BOOKS vs PAPER BOOKS : You Should Hear What You Are MissingMay 19 '01 (Updated May 23 '01) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line is that audio books are a wonderful alternative to paper books. Persons with disabilities can continue enjoy their favorite authors despite physical limitations.
My Grandmother suffered a massive stroke last year that affected her left side. She has limited mobility to the entire left side of her body. Not only was her mobility affected but she has also developed problems with her eyesight and the onset of dementia. My once very active and sharp-minded Grandmother, was a mere shell of her former self. Prior to the stroke, my Grandmother would pour through several novels in a weeks time. Although she had her preferred authors, she would read anything and everything in her grasp. Her bookshelves practically busted at the sides with all the hardback and paperback novels stacked inside. In fact, she read so many books that at least once a month we made a trip to the used book shop to trade in the old reads for some more old reads. My Grandmother didn't stick to dime store romance novels although she truly loved books by Danielle Steele and some of the other romance novelists. She devoured the works of many authors, both old and new. My Grandmother enjoyed many of the best selling novelists including Toni Morrison and John Grisham but refused any books by Stephen King or Dean Koontz. Her thoughts on these two authors in particular, is that life is filled with enough scary things that she doesn't want to read about it too. Due to her failing eyesight, reading paper books even in large print was not only frustrating for her but next to impossible. Even with the aid of special prescription eyeglasses, the joy of reading had gone to wayside like so many other things she loved to do. Not only was her failing eyesight a trouble area but her ability to retain what she had read was also a point of frustration. The stroke had affected her ability to think and absorb information like she once had, taking the joy of reading. Each week when I visit her, she has several books stacked by her bed and will tell me about what she has read and I know it's just wishful thinking on her part. If I could only find the words to describe what a brilliant woman my Grandmother is and how the printed word has such a large part of her life. Books have been a source of comfort, relaxation, education, and fun for my Grandmother. No longer having the ability to read was equally as frustrating as not being able to walk on her own two feet. I am a firm believer that for every disability, there is an ability. Although my Grandmother wasn't able to read paper books, newspapers, or the backs of cereal boxes any longer, there was an alternative. My fear was that if her mind wasn't constantly being enriched with the written word, she would deteriorate even more rapidly. This is when the idea of audio books crossed my mind. My Grandmother was living with my aunt and uncle and adjusting to a new environment took some time. She had been used to her own apartment, her own schedule, and her own possessions surrounding her. She had always kept a strange schedule, often getting up in the middle of the night to drink a Coke and read some of the pages in her latest novel. Originally, I purchased my Grandmother a Sony cassette player with headset thinking she could listen to her favorite music without waking others when she couldn't sleep. I also had considered purchasing audio books to go along with it but the cost was much greater than the cost of print books. There was no way my budget would allow for $40.00 or more each week on audio tapes. When visiting my local library, I noticed the audio book section and was impressed at the number of books that were available. Many of the titles were still on the best seller list and could be checked out for free. I can order them through the online catalog from multiple locations or just stop in and grab what I am looking for. My Grandmother had never used audio books but was excited at the possibilities. We talked about some of her favorite authors and made a list of books she hadn't read or ones she would love to read over again. Armed with my list, I made a beeline for the library and was thrilled that I easily located the first two titles she had suggested. The audio books have been a real blessing. My Grandmother is still able to enjoy her favorite writers and keep up with their new works. She has the ability to easily start and stop the tape when she is feeling overly tired or just needs a short break. There is no frustration at all associated with using the audio books because she can use the 'good' side of her body to operate the cassette player and to switch the tape over when necessary. She can again delight in the words of John Grisham and Toni Morrison, along with several others. I have even introduced her to some of my favorite authors too, which has given us even more to talk about on visits. What I find interesting is that my Grandmother focuses now more on her mental abilities instead of her physical disabilities. With the wide availability of audio books, she can select from fiction to craft projects and more. In fact, just recently she requested me to locate some audio books for bird watching and container gardening. So not only have audio books kept her love for reading alive but they have also inspired her to take an interest in other activities she can easily enjoy. I strongly recommend audio books as an alternative to printed works for persons with limited abilities. Although they may suffer along with physical impairments, feeding their mind is what they really need to thrive. Now when I visit my Grandmother and she tells me about all the wonderful characters in a book or about the plot, I feel joy instead of sadness because I know she really is able to enjoy this part of her life again. If you are interested in learning more about renting audio books, visit your local library or ask them about online catalog availability. This review is a part of an Aging Write-Off hosted by ed_grover. Originally planned to celebrate Older Americans Month during May, it was opened up to everyone, anywhere, because of America’s reputation as a melting pot. We are celebrating the member diversity found on the Epinions.com site. Please join the following participants from Canada, the UK and the USA who are celebrating Aging with everything from humor to more serious subjects. Read on! AdaDavis, Angelabar, argonut, Aruzenchin, BeeCharmer, bleuchance, Bluehawq, Dave_Corbit, ed_grover, egab01, eplovejoy, fjbpab, frazzledspice, Free2Be, hadassahchana, jankp, jo.com, julliette, KateTPZ, kurt_messick, Lisa_J, LordBalfor, Macondo, MrsNormanMain, Nfp, Nobody_knows, Prepoia, pambo, phineaskc, prettyinpink, psychovant, scmrak, Stephen_Murray, Straight-up, tekki, wanbi_gleska, Wovengold. Angelabar has designed a special Web page for this write-off that will make accessing the participants much easier. It is located at: http://www.pronetisp.net/~anjuliz/older_american.html  |
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