Who needs audio?
Blind and partially sighted people who cannot access information through sight use their other senses to interact with the world. Audio is a key way for blind and partially sighted people to access information, by hearing information rather than seeing it.
Blind and partially sighted people use audio to "read", in the sense print readers would understand it, in terms of accessing documents, correspondence and leisure materials. Audio is also used to access information about the world, to aid independent living. For example, blind and partially sighted people may use products with audio feedback such as "talking" clocks, thermometers or weighing scales, or the "liquid level indicator" which beeps to indicate a cup is full.
How is audio presented?
There are many different ways to access audio information, from low-tech solutions (asking someone else to read your post to you) to high tech solutions (such as screen-reading software on a computer).
Different audio formats
There are a number of different formats of audio information, including cassette tapes, CDs, and electronic files .
Different people are likely to have different preferences about the way they access audio, perhaps depending on their experience, how comfortable they are with technology, and the equipment they have to play audio.
Types of speech
Most audio information is read aloud by another person, either face to face, or on a recording which can then be accessed by blind or partially sighted people. However, developments in technology have led to the use of synthetic speech, which is speech generated by a computer.