Cassettes linger long after expected demise

One of my big themes is how social applications of technology lag behind business applications by years (if not decades!). One recent example was the article in USA Today, Cassettes linger long after expected demise. One of the main remaining uses of cassettes is: accessible books for the blind. It's hard to switch technologies once you have invested in them, especially in a field where the payback times are long or potentially forever.

We're hoping to help make digital content the standard for people with disabilities, so that they can get their accessible books over the network for PCs, cell phones, MP3 players and the like. It will lower costs and improve access. We need to kill off the cassette player!

Comments

Shella said…
As a disability rights activist, I've long struggled with how to make technology more accessible for people with disabilities. Sometimes it feels impossible, and only the most high functioning people with disabilities actually use communications technology.

Before you kill off the cassette, do what you can to make technology and digital content accessible and affordable. That way low income people with disabilities can actually afford a cell phone, MP3, internet access, oh.. and a computer too.
6:57 PM
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