Reading!

Wish me luck with this one. I'm going to be getting a Kindle device in hopes that I can read books on it. I've tried various assistive devices over the years and haven't found a comfortable solution yet. Books on tape are read on devices that aren't designed for quadriplegics and require assistance to use. I do use a headpointer, but there is a fatigue issue with that after a number of hours using it for work. (I'm still trying to finish a book I started over a month ago this way which is very frustrating and inefficient.) Although I know there are electronic page turners, the price tag is very high.

I'll be doing a review of possible ways to use the Kindle for someone who has limited upper extremity movement. (This will be an unbiased review since I'm not receiving any compensation). I haven't seen reviews on the use of it as an assistive device and can imagine there will be a need to rig up a way to hold it and hit the buttons. Here are some things I'll be exploring:

One person online wrote that he was able to rig up a velcro strap on his in order to keep him from hitting the wrong keys and to make it easier to lift or carry. Another person wrote that he devised a stand to hold his hands-free. One person says he can use his elbows to turn pages since the bars on the side are long. Some reviewers point out various uses for the Kindle that may interest people with disabilities besides turning pages, including listening to audio books, taking notes on books, increasing size of text, a search function for vocabulary and Wikipedia, ability to carry approximately 200 books with you (reference books perhaps?), portable web access and wireless connectivity to order books, newspapers, magazines and blog content.

[visual description: The Kindle, a white ebook reader, is shown next to a copy of the NY Times paper. It's the size of a large paperback book, has a screen across the top 2/3 of it and a keyboard underneath. Along the sides are buttons which are used to turn e-pages.]