Today is the unveiling of the Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader. It's a truly amazing portable device that gives those that are blind an alternative to reading Braille.

It works by holding the Reader's camera over printed documents--whether it's pages of a novel, restaurant menus, directions, address labels, etc.--and snapping a picture. Then the Reader plays back the contents of the printed document through synthetic speech. It can store thousands of recorded pages or its contents can be transferred as files to a computer. It also features a headphone jack for privacy.

The Blind Reader was developed by Ray Kurzweil, National Inventors Hall of Famer and CEO of K-NFB Reading Technology.

Why was it invented? "Every year 75,000 more people will become blind or visually impaired in this country. As America's aging population soars over the next few decades, so too will the incidence of visual impairment and blindness. The Reader will help not only blind individuals, but older Americans who wish to stay independent and age with dignity."

Expect the Blind Reader to go on sale beginning July 1, 2006 for $3,495. You can purchase it via the National Federation of the Blind's toll-free number, or by visiting www.nfb.org.

It's things like this that show just how much technology can do for us. 

[via NFB Press Release]