Digital technology opens world of books to those with visual imparity

One look at the list of books on Jenny Schlup’s iPad tells you that being unable to consume books is not an option for the New Plymouth woman. But for four years that’s what happened, as an eye disease called age-related macular degeneration slowly denied her the ability to read type in print.

Now, she has access to online audio books and devours them at a rate that would make any book-worm proud.

The four-year gap came after several years of gradual deterioration in her eyesight, to the point where she couldn’t drive, read, or recognise people’s faces.