Hello all! Long story short, I'm trying to find a radio for a blind woman in a nursing home. What I really need is a radio that is simple to use (she is 82) with large buttons. Braile isn't necessary because she doesn't know it. She hasn't been blind for very long, a stroke caused the loss of her sight, and she is bedridden. She used to be an avid reader and now has nothing to occupy her time. As always, any help is appreciated!
Need help finding a radio for the blind
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I would actually tell you to look for a Sony Dream Machine alarm clock. There are a bunch of models with huge displays and big buttons. We went through a similar exercise with my uncle recently who doesn't have the best fine-motor control.
Interestingly I was peeking at radio's like this for my daughter but hoping for an aux input too for her iPod.
http://www.amazon.com/SANGEAN-WR-11-Table-Top-Radio/dp/B001BGGD8A
http://www.amazon.com/SANGEAN-WR-11-Table-Top-Radio/dp/B001BGGD8A
For extremely short version- go to bottom of this post.
Something digital, with presets? That way she could scroll through the preset stations- you could set those up for her. All through the late 1990-s till now Sony made boomboxes that might serve very well for this- and they also had CD & cassette player. Some came with remote controls too. But even the volume control is push-button on them. I had one set up for my mother to use as a bedside radio & she never did really learn to use it. Might well be the same for the lady you know.
Or something old-school analog- dial tuning, on/off, volume, & that's about it? At age 82 she may well prefer this, and there are several good choices. Just to see if she likes it OK, you might try a Sony ICF-10 for about $15-$16 at Amazon, or a Sony ICF-38 for about $25.
The Sony ICF-10 runs on 2 D-cells only- but it'll run for a *LONG* time on alkalines- probably 200 hours+. It does *Not* have a handle, but does come with a thin carry strap. Whip antenna tilts but does not swivel. Simple knobs for volume & tuning both protrude from the front of the case. On/off & band-selector are combined into one 3-position slider switch, Off-AM-FM. Tunes AM up to about 1630 -1650 KHz. This model probably available Internet only.(it's really made for the middle east & Asia and has only recently been sold in the USA).
Sony ICF-38 runs on 4 AA cells(fresh alkalines about 100 hours- or maybe a lot longer, depending on volume & hrs/day) *Or* you can plug it into the wall- both cord & transformer are built-in, as is a fold-down carry handle. Whip antenna tilts and swivels- for a bedside radio this can be very important. Volume and tuning controls- wheels that protrude out of the RH side of the case. On/Off- a single dedicated switch that does nothing else, located on top of the case. Band selector switch- on the front of the case.Located between tuning & volume wheels, a high-low tone switch. Tunes the full USA AM band up to 1700 KHz. You might find the ICF-38 at Sears if you prefer to buy locally- otherwise Amazon's gonna be tough to beat.
Note- At 82 I doubt she uses headphones, but just in case, you need to know this: Both of the Sonys have a mono earphone jack- to use regular stero headphones & get sound to both ears you'll need a 1/8" mono-to-stereo adapter. Then you'll at least get to hear things in double-mono.
I own both of these, & my Mom used a Sony ICF-36(predecessor to the ICF-38, same except for now useless analog TV channel tuning) as her bathroom radio for the past 6 years or so, until her death last May. She really loved it, would crank up the classical music station while in the shower. Either of these is small enough to use with batteries as a laptop/move-it-around/chairside radio. For the lady in the nursing home, I'd really recommend the Sony ICF-38 for a good first try.
The much more expensive C Crane CC Radio EP model is substantially larger and heavier. I would not recommend one, at least until you know she has decent radio reception and can leave the radio permanently on a table or shelf.
Whatever you get, realize that radio reception may be very poor in the nursing home, & the radio may well need to be set in front of a window.
Short version- for a portable, start with a Sony ICF-38 AM/FM portable. I have experience with everything but the blindness & that's what I recommend.
Something digital, with presets? That way she could scroll through the preset stations- you could set those up for her. All through the late 1990-s till now Sony made boomboxes that might serve very well for this- and they also had CD & cassette player. Some came with remote controls too. But even the volume control is push-button on them. I had one set up for my mother to use as a bedside radio & she never did really learn to use it. Might well be the same for the lady you know.
Or something old-school analog- dial tuning, on/off, volume, & that's about it? At age 82 she may well prefer this, and there are several good choices. Just to see if she likes it OK, you might try a Sony ICF-10 for about $15-$16 at Amazon, or a Sony ICF-38 for about $25.
The Sony ICF-10 runs on 2 D-cells only- but it'll run for a *LONG* time on alkalines- probably 200 hours+. It does *Not* have a handle, but does come with a thin carry strap. Whip antenna tilts but does not swivel. Simple knobs for volume & tuning both protrude from the front of the case. On/off & band-selector are combined into one 3-position slider switch, Off-AM-FM. Tunes AM up to about 1630 -1650 KHz. This model probably available Internet only.(it's really made for the middle east & Asia and has only recently been sold in the USA).
Sony ICF-38 runs on 4 AA cells(fresh alkalines about 100 hours- or maybe a lot longer, depending on volume & hrs/day) *Or* you can plug it into the wall- both cord & transformer are built-in, as is a fold-down carry handle. Whip antenna tilts and swivels- for a bedside radio this can be very important. Volume and tuning controls- wheels that protrude out of the RH side of the case. On/Off- a single dedicated switch that does nothing else, located on top of the case. Band selector switch- on the front of the case.Located between tuning & volume wheels, a high-low tone switch. Tunes the full USA AM band up to 1700 KHz. You might find the ICF-38 at Sears if you prefer to buy locally- otherwise Amazon's gonna be tough to beat.
Note- At 82 I doubt she uses headphones, but just in case, you need to know this: Both of the Sonys have a mono earphone jack- to use regular stero headphones & get sound to both ears you'll need a 1/8" mono-to-stereo adapter. Then you'll at least get to hear things in double-mono.
I own both of these, & my Mom used a Sony ICF-36(predecessor to the ICF-38, same except for now useless analog TV channel tuning) as her bathroom radio for the past 6 years or so, until her death last May. She really loved it, would crank up the classical music station while in the shower. Either of these is small enough to use with batteries as a laptop/move-it-around/chairside radio. For the lady in the nursing home, I'd really recommend the Sony ICF-38 for a good first try.
The much more expensive C Crane CC Radio EP model is substantially larger and heavier. I would not recommend one, at least until you know she has decent radio reception and can leave the radio permanently on a table or shelf.
Whatever you get, realize that radio reception may be very poor in the nursing home, & the radio may well need to be set in front of a window.
Short version- for a portable, start with a Sony ICF-38 AM/FM portable. I have experience with everything but the blindness & that's what I recommend.
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My mother has gone through, and currently is, in exactly the same scenario described. My solution was to look for a kid's radio.
What I found her was this. . I was very hesitant to give it to her, at the risk of offending her dignity, but she absolutely loves it, and views it as her lifeline. As you will see from the link, it is no longer available, but there are several other items shown there that seem to be very similar.
By the way, you might also check out the local libraries, as well as state and local programs for books on "tape", although these days the media may be flash drive. Texas has an excellent free program where they send you a player and a catalogue. You get so many books at a time, and then return them for more. I understand the local library has downloadable books also, which we are currently exploring.
What I found her was this. . I was very hesitant to give it to her, at the risk of offending her dignity, but she absolutely loves it, and views it as her lifeline. As you will see from the link, it is no longer available, but there are several other items shown there that seem to be very similar.
By the way, you might also check out the local libraries, as well as state and local programs for books on "tape", although these days the media may be flash drive. Texas has an excellent free program where they send you a player and a catalogue. You get so many books at a time, and then return them for more. I understand the local library has downloadable books also, which we are currently exploring.
I hadn't thought of books on CD but that could be a life-changer, especially for someone who has been a lifelong reader. Our tiny local library has books on CD and still has a lot of books on cassette. Something CD/Cassette/AM/FM is probably the way to go & a kids model might be the best thing possible.
Not sure how easy it could be at her age, but iPhone can be configured to be used by visually impaired with a feature called VoiceOver. There are many apps for visually impaired, too:
http://www.eweek.com/mobile/slideshows/10-iphone-apps-designed-to-assist-the-visually-impaired/
You could load it up with audio books for her to listen to as well.
http://www.eweek.com/mobile/slideshows/10-iphone-apps-designed-to-assist-the-visually-impaired/
You could load it up with audio books for her to listen to as well.
Originally Posted By: UncleS2
For extremely short version- go to bottom of this post.
Something digital, with presets? That way she could scroll through the preset stations- you could set those up for her. All through the late 1990-s till now Sony made boomboxes that might serve very well for this- and they also had CD & cassette player. Some came with remote controls too. But even the volume control is push-button on them. I had one set up for my mother to use as a bedside radio & she never did really learn to use it. Might well be the same for the lady you know.
Or something old-school analog- dial tuning, on/off, volume, & that's about it? At age 82 she may well prefer this, and there are several good choices. Just to see if she likes it OK, you might try a Sony ICF-10 for about $15-$16 at Amazon, or a Sony ICF-38 for about $25.
The Sony ICF-10 runs on 2 D-cells only- but it'll run for a *LONG* time on alkalines- probably 200 hours+. It does *Not* have a handle, but does come with a thin carry strap. Whip antenna tilts but does not swivel. Simple knobs for volume & tuning both protrude from the front of the case. On/off & band-selector are combined into one 3-position slider switch, Off-AM-FM. Tunes AM up to about 1630 -1650 KHz. This model probably available Internet only.(it's really made for the middle east & Asia and has only recently been sold in the USA).
Sony ICF-38 runs on 4 AA cells(fresh alkalines about 100 hours- or maybe a lot longer, depending on volume & hrs/day) *Or* you can plug it into the wall- both cord & transformer are built-in, as is a fold-down carry handle. Whip antenna tilts and swivels- for a bedside radio this can be very important. Volume and tuning controls- wheels that protrude out of the RH side of the case. On/Off- a single dedicated switch that does nothing else, located on top of the case. Band selector switch- on the front of the case.Located between tuning & volume wheels, a high-low tone switch. Tunes the full USA AM band up to 1700 KHz. You might find the ICF-38 at Sears if you prefer to buy locally- otherwise Amazon's gonna be tough to beat.
Note- At 82 I doubt she uses headphones, but just in case, you need to know this: Both of the Sonys have a mono earphone jack- to use regular stero headphones & get sound to both ears you'll need a 1/8" mono-to-stereo adapter. Then you'll at least get to hear things in double-mono.
I own both of these, & my Mom used a Sony ICF-36(predecessor to the ICF-38, same except for now useless analog TV channel tuning) as her bathroom radio for the past 6 years or so, until her death last May. She really loved it, would crank up the classical music station while in the shower. Either of these is small enough to use with batteries as a laptop/move-it-around/chairside radio. For the lady in the nursing home, I'd really recommend the Sony ICF-38 for a good first try.
The much more expensive C Crane CC Radio EP model is substantially larger and heavier. I would not recommend one, at least until you know she has decent radio reception and can leave the radio permanently on a table or shelf.
Whatever you get, realize that radio reception may be very poor in the nursing home, & the radio may well need to be set in front of a window.
Short version- for a portable, start with a Sony ICF-38 AM/FM portable. I have experience with everything but the blindness & that's what I recommend.
+1 on the Sony ICF-38. I went through this with my Grandmother a couple years ago, anything with a digital tuner was difficult to operate, and the less knobs/buttons the better.
For extremely short version- go to bottom of this post.
Something digital, with presets? That way she could scroll through the preset stations- you could set those up for her. All through the late 1990-s till now Sony made boomboxes that might serve very well for this- and they also had CD & cassette player. Some came with remote controls too. But even the volume control is push-button on them. I had one set up for my mother to use as a bedside radio & she never did really learn to use it. Might well be the same for the lady you know.
Or something old-school analog- dial tuning, on/off, volume, & that's about it? At age 82 she may well prefer this, and there are several good choices. Just to see if she likes it OK, you might try a Sony ICF-10 for about $15-$16 at Amazon, or a Sony ICF-38 for about $25.
The Sony ICF-10 runs on 2 D-cells only- but it'll run for a *LONG* time on alkalines- probably 200 hours+. It does *Not* have a handle, but does come with a thin carry strap. Whip antenna tilts but does not swivel. Simple knobs for volume & tuning both protrude from the front of the case. On/off & band-selector are combined into one 3-position slider switch, Off-AM-FM. Tunes AM up to about 1630 -1650 KHz. This model probably available Internet only.(it's really made for the middle east & Asia and has only recently been sold in the USA).
Sony ICF-38 runs on 4 AA cells(fresh alkalines about 100 hours- or maybe a lot longer, depending on volume & hrs/day) *Or* you can plug it into the wall- both cord & transformer are built-in, as is a fold-down carry handle. Whip antenna tilts and swivels- for a bedside radio this can be very important. Volume and tuning controls- wheels that protrude out of the RH side of the case. On/Off- a single dedicated switch that does nothing else, located on top of the case. Band selector switch- on the front of the case.Located between tuning & volume wheels, a high-low tone switch. Tunes the full USA AM band up to 1700 KHz. You might find the ICF-38 at Sears if you prefer to buy locally- otherwise Amazon's gonna be tough to beat.
Note- At 82 I doubt she uses headphones, but just in case, you need to know this: Both of the Sonys have a mono earphone jack- to use regular stero headphones & get sound to both ears you'll need a 1/8" mono-to-stereo adapter. Then you'll at least get to hear things in double-mono.
I own both of these, & my Mom used a Sony ICF-36(predecessor to the ICF-38, same except for now useless analog TV channel tuning) as her bathroom radio for the past 6 years or so, until her death last May. She really loved it, would crank up the classical music station while in the shower. Either of these is small enough to use with batteries as a laptop/move-it-around/chairside radio. For the lady in the nursing home, I'd really recommend the Sony ICF-38 for a good first try.
The much more expensive C Crane CC Radio EP model is substantially larger and heavier. I would not recommend one, at least until you know she has decent radio reception and can leave the radio permanently on a table or shelf.
Whatever you get, realize that radio reception may be very poor in the nursing home, & the radio may well need to be set in front of a window.
Short version- for a portable, start with a Sony ICF-38 AM/FM portable. I have experience with everything but the blindness & that's what I recommend.
+1 on the Sony ICF-38. I went through this with my Grandmother a couple years ago, anything with a digital tuner was difficult to operate, and the less knobs/buttons the better.
Determine her band wants: AM,FM, Shortwave, Weather, TV, etc., maybe a scanner to listen into action.... then work out features (AC/Battery, desktop/portable, speaker/earbuds, layout etc.).
Review a few makes/models & boil it down. May start simplistic.
Review a few makes/models & boil it down. May start simplistic.
Thanks to all who responded, the Sony ICF-38 was a hit!
Glad to hear she likes it!
If battery will be the main power usage, consider the Eneloop AAs.
Originally Posted By: PW01
Thanks to all who responded, the Sony ICF-38 was a hit!
To someone whose world has been turned upside down, things like this are huge. Thanks for making the effort to help your friend!
Thanks to all who responded, the Sony ICF-38 was a hit!
To someone whose world has been turned upside down, things like this are huge. Thanks for making the effort to help your friend!
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