Feature Writer John Christie – Labeling Devices Make Life Easier for the Blind
Identifying objects by touch when both boxes and pills feel similar can be tough for any blind or visually impaired person. For instance, which pill bottle is the High Blood Pressure medicine and which are the heart pills. Which box are the Macaroni and Cheese dinner and which one is the chicken dinner?
How about documents? Which document is the letter from my dentist and which one goes to the IRS? Which shirt is the Boston Red Sox shirt and which shirt is the golf shirt? This is where the Penfriend and Touch Memo solve some of these labeling dilemmas.
PenFriend was introduced about two years ago by RNIB formerly the Royal National Institute in the United Kingdom. Although the PenFriend is shaped similar to a flashlight, it gets its name because it functions similar to an audio pen used by a person who can’t see.
The device might be best described as barcode scanner versus a digital recorder. To use it, you place the tip of the PenFriend to a label and record your message. Your message can be up to 600 words long. Then you put that particular label on the object in question. Your message will be played back when you touch the PenFriend to that label.
The Touch Memo which is similar to the PenFriend, appeared in the U.S. last year. It is roughly about six inches long and more flat than round. In addition, it is slightly lighter. The operation is the same as the PenFriend. Press the tip of the device to one of the supplied labels and make your recording. Then affix the label to the item of your choice. Later on, place the tip to the touch memo and you will hear the recording that you made played back to you.
As far as the packaging is concerned for both products, you get the device, a lanyard for hanging it around your neck, a USB cable for hooking it up to your computer, labels of varying shapes and sizes and a set of print instructions. The Touch Memo also provides instructions on CD. The PenFriend gets a little more creative as far as providing instructions in an accessible format. The PenFriend instructions are labels affixed to an insert in the box. The instructions include package contents, backing up your recordings or downloading material from the RNIB site.
Both these devices perform similarly and also have their differences. For instance, on both devices, the buttons can be identified by touch. On the PenFriend, the buttons include power, mode and record. Both devices have a volume control, which is a wheel on the Touch Memo. On the Touch Memo, the buttons are power, record and delete. Both devices have buttons not in common with each other. They include the mode button on the PenFriend and a hold switch on the Touch Memo.
To purchase the PenFriend, you can go to Aids or call them at (800) 537-2118. The cost of the PenFriend is $139.
To purchase the Touch Memo, go to VisionCue or their number is 888-318- 2582. The cost of the Touch Memo is $179.
Both these devices are great because you can label important documents as well as food and some types of clothing. It’s also great that the instructions are accessible to the blind and visually impaired. Hopefully more companies will follow their lead and have their instructions in an accessible format, too.
Source: http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw120902