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Mobility impairments will range in effect and severity. Some individuals experience difficulty with stamina or fine motor skills, and others may be unable to walk or completely paralyzed. Mobility impairment can come from conditions present at birth, injury, or illness. With the proper resources and attention, there is no reason those who are mobility challenged should not be able to lead lives that are similar or identical to anyone without a physical handicap.

Benefits of Audiobooks

The benefits of audiobooks are endless. Whether very young or very old, typical or differently-abled, for those experiencing mental, emotional, or physical challenges, audiobooks are proven to have beneficial effects on all types of people.

1. They improve listening skills and literacy. According to the Audio Publisher’s Association, audiobooks help readers improve vital skills such as fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, and allow readers with learning disabilities or ELL students to “demonstrate increased literacy skills and reading ability”

1. Audiobooks reduce negative thinking. We may not realize it, but listening to someone else tell us a story can disrupt negative thinking patterns, replacing our own negative thoughts with something else to focus on. This can be especially helpful to those with anxiety or depression. There are tons of ways audiobooks help us relax and feel better.

1. Audiobooks are easy on the eyes. Spending all day looking at screens has resulted in many Americans having blurred vision, eye strain, and nearsightedness. On top of that, the websites and apps we look at, typically social media and news sites, can cause feelings of depression. Give your eyes and mind a break and let the audiobook do the work for you. As an added benefit, listening instead of looking can help your brain relax and help you sleep better.

1. Audiobooks make life more enjoyable. Bibliotherapy, aka reading, can go a long way to making a person, a day, or an experience better. It can even help alleviate depression. Audiobooks stimulate all the same cognitive and emotional areas as reading, producing the same joy and entertainment. In addition, it can make menial tasks like cleaning, exercising, or commuting far more enjoyable and less stressful. Audiobooks combine the author’s words, the narrator’s voice, and the listener’s mind to create an immersive mental world, allowing readers to richly experience a story as well as an escape from daily worries and issues

As book lovers ourselves, we understand and appreciate the power of audiobooks. The ability to immerse yourself in a story, to live a thousand lives, should be available to anyone, regardless of physical handicap. Our hope is that by spreading the easy-to-use audio players to readers with poor eyesight, with degenerative disorders, with chronic fatigue, or any condition that makes it difficult for them to read traditional print or audio books, we will eliminate the obstacle that exists between these readers and timeless stories, whether  classic favorites or new adventures.

Resources (for the mobility challenged community)

Mobility impairments will range in effect and severity. Some individuals experience difficulty with stamina or fine motor skills, and others may be unable to walk or completely paralyzed. Mobility impairment can come from conditions present at birth, injury, or illness. With the proper resources and attention, there is no reason those who are mobility challenged should not be able to lead lives that are similar or identical to anyone without a physical handicap. Here are some helpful resources to anyone who is or cares for someone mobility challenged.

The Mobility Resource Guide (https://www.unitedaccess.com/mobility-resource-guide/)

Tips for Caregivers (https://nmeda.com/tips-for-caregivers/)

Educating Students with Mobility Impairments (https://www.disability.illinois.edu/instructor-information/disability-specific-instructional-strategies/mobility-impairments)

Keyboard Accessibility for Individuals with Motor Impairment (https://otswithapps.com/2015/11/08/keyboard-accessibility-for-individuals-with-motor-impairment-for-computers-and-mobile-devices/)

Contact Us

Live A Thousand Lives would not be possible without the interest and aid of people like you. All of us are incredibly grateful for the support you show for the mobile-impaired community in purchasing or donating to our cause. Together, we will build a world where the benefits of books are free and accessible to everyone, no matter their abilities.

For any questions, concerns, or other comments, please contact us at our email at [email protected].