I maintain "Talking
Book" machines for the Royal National Institute for the
Blind (RNIB) as a volunteer. These machines are
quite simple tape players and their maintenance is well within my
long-outdated electronics and engineering training.
As might be expected, copyright matters loom large when providing
what is really a special purpose library network. All material is
distributed free by the British Post Office under a charitable
agreement.
I keep a simple database of my "customers" and the
problems that I have encountered with their players. This is a
rather tenuous link with my Psion
activities!
The RNIB has shown muted interest in my attempts to program my
palmtop to be a large-print talking calculator, note-taker and so
forth. (Speaking alarm clocks are ten-a-penny.)
The RNIB also have a programme of supporting special PCs for
sight-impaired people and they are working on a new generation of
digital machines. They are always looking for extra volunteers.
The RNIB has guidelines on web page design for the visually
impaired.