FutureWire - futurism and emerging technology

Friday, September 29, 2006

"Speaking Books" Promote Health in South Africa

Long a favorite of children learning how to read, "talking books" are being used to help disseminate important health information to populations of varying reading skills.

In South Africa, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group has developed a series of such books through Books of Hope. These short books are produced in multiple languages and address such topics as HIV, malaria, diabetes and suicide prevention, and are being distributed to that country's rural and disadvantaged communities. By pushing buttons, the reader can listen to the content as well as read it.

Source: Springwise