‘Print’ might be dead. But, don’t tell that to the postman. Despite email, texting, and online services, the printed document is still around and plentiful. The idea of reading print, if you can’t see, may seem impossible if you don’t know-how. I will be describing a few simple techniques that will enable the vision-impaired to not only read their mail, but to write checks, balance their checkbooks, and sign documents.

Why does print have to be so complicated to read?
Just to get a feel on the number of ways you can present printed information, look at your favorite word processor’s list of available fonts. There are hundreds. Combine this with varying the font color and size and include graphics, no wonder even the normally sighted have trouble sometimes making sense of it all. Now, given all that, no wonder it can be challenging for a vision-impaired person to read what comes in the mailbox every day.

What about technology that can read print?
It is amazing what modern technology can do. Especially, when it comes to reading print. Some smartphones run apps that when a photo is taken of a document, the app can read it out loud. The downside to this is that no app (at this time) is perfect in making out what is text, what is graphics, and what should be ignored. And, this software is still in the development phase when it comes to formatted print like phone bills and banking statements. The solution, for now, is to use the old standby – human assistance.

How to work with a human reader for reading your mail?
I have several blind friends who hire sighted assistance to help them with their mail. It is a business arrangement and it is handled professionally.

At a specific day and time, the reader and the blind person meet to go through the mail. The reader reads off what is on the outside of the envelopes and the blind person decides if it is important or junk mail.

In the case where the letter is important and requires action, the reader then opens the envelope and reads the contents. If it is a bill, the reader says what the amount is and the blind person writes out the check and signs it. The only job for the reader is to translate the print into the spoken word. It is not the duty of the reader to write checks or balance checkbooks.

If you are vision-impaired, or just hate going through that mail, hiring a reader makes sense. The reader can quickly decide the important mail from the junk mail. The reader can also make sense of phone bills and other creatively formatted documents for you.

Keeping track of your expenses is not just for the sighted. With a little planning, you too can complain about the amount of junk mail you receive and be proud of how quickly you dispose of it.

I am currently looking for speaking opportunities to fill my schedule for the latter half of the year. If you know someone that I should connect with, your boss, an event planner or someone who is looking for a public speaker for an upcoming event or conference, have them email me at mailto:John@JohnBaileySpeaker.com. You can also learn a whole lot more on my speaking page https://JohnBaileySpeaker.com.