Radio for Visually Impaired People
Mr. Johnson was in his 90s and had lost his vision many years ago. His great joy in life now was listening to the radio.
When I first came to see him, he had many different types of radios in his room. There were several radio alarm clocks and complicated boom boxes with too many buttons and functions he didn’t need. There was a transistor radio that required expensive batteries and somebody to run to the store to buy them.
All of these devices had crashed to the floor more than once during Mr. Johnson’s attempts to use them. None of them worked.
In long-term care, objects such as radios, telephones, and remote controls are always falling off tray tables and nightstands. I’ve often wished for rubber devices, preferably with a boomerang function that brings them back to the user immediately.
Seeking a replacement for Mr. Johnson, I found a simple, rugged radio that’s perfect for people who are visually impaired and need a fall-proof device. It’s a bit heavy at 6 pounds 9.8 ounces, so take that into consideration, but it’s impact-resistant, water-resistant, has five easy-touch AM/FM preset buttons, no extraneous functions, and has a power cord so no batteries are needed.
Mr. Johnson bought his through Amazon with my help (“Where is this store exactly?” “It’s on the computer, Mr. Johnson.” “But where is it?” “It’s hard to explain. But your radio will get here very quickly.”)
The radio doesn’t have a boomerang function, but at least if it falls, Mr. Johnson can pick it up by its handle and use it again.
