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Since my husband was diagnosed as severe sight impaired -blind, we have
been exploring technology and devices that may help him. One of these we
were advised to look into is a talking clock.
This simple device is designed to audibly announce the time, and the date.
For the model we have you simply press the top once for the time and keep it
held down for the date to be announced as well.
It is of course very useful for anyone who has sight loss. However we have
found it is also useful for me when I quickly want to know the time and date
and through learning more about them I realised they can be very beneficial
for many other people as well.
In this article we will be using the terms severe sight impaired, blind,
low vision, partially sighted and sight loss as these are the current acceptable terms in my country for
people with sight loss. This may change over time and be different in
different countries. No offence is intended by any of these terms.
Empowering People With Sight Loss
For people who experience sight loss whether they are severe sight impaired
or have low vision, checking the time can be a significant challenge and not
being able to tell the time by yourself can be a real curb on
independence.
Prior to getting the talking clock my husband had to ask me the time
whenever he wanted to know. This immediately made him feel less independent
and for me it was not always convenient. For my husband it was a constant
reminder of his sight loss that he had to ask a sighted person whenever he
needed or wanted to know the time.
Traditional clocks rely on us being able to read the numbers or roman
numerals often at a distance. Some are very difficult to see if they have
patterns or pictures and different colours. People with any degree of sight
loss will have different needs and preferences.
My husband needs very clear bold black numbers on a white background with
zero distractions and it needs to be very large. The clock would also need to be free from sunlight or glare hitting it, yet
bright enough so he can make out the numbers. This is not always possible
and we quickly realised it would be difficult to site such a large clock and
give it the correct site to make it possible for him to read it.
The talking clock eliminates this barrier completely by providing a clear,
spoken announcement of the time with the press of a button or depending on
the clock also the date or even via scheduled verbal alerts.
A talking clock can really help towards independence, allowing people with
sight loss of varying degrees to manage their daily routines without
needing assistance from a sighted person.
You can choose a basic talking clock that can help you by simply telling
the time and knowing the correct date, or more advanced models. Either way
a talking clock gives a much higher level of independence.
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Some talking clocks do not have any readable indicators while others may
have a digital reading of date, time etc in large text. It all depends on
what you personally need and find useful.
The advanced models can do many tasks and have different features. I have
listed some features here to give you an idea of what can be
available.
-
Tell the time
-
Tell the date.
- Set alarms
-
Organise appointment and social dates
-
Birthday and special day reminders
-
Chime on the hour
-
Reminders to take medication
-
Different levels of brightness on the display
-
Customisable themes.
-
Customisable language
-
Lighting differentiates time zones during the day/night
-
Temperature readouts
-
Activated by voice controlled commands.
- Some with no visual display, others with large size and contrasting visual displays
 |
| Black and white contrast talking clock showing large button to activate |
Who Else Could Benefit From A Talking Clock?
Clearly a talking clock can assist people with a visual impairment. However
it does not stop there.
It got me thinking who else may benefit from a talking clock and I believe
it may help older people who might have difficulty reading clock faces from
a distance, perhaps even young children who need to know the time and have
not yet reliably learned to read a clock face or digital clocks.
They would be a useful aid for people who cannot learn to tell the time on
a clock, or for people who through various illnesses, learning difficulties,
disabilities, who have memory issues, or dementia find reading a standard
clock more challenging.
Additionally, talking clocks might benefit elderly people who may struggle
with small text on standard clocks, and the advanced models might assist
professionals who need to keep track of their schedule.
Talking clocks simplify timekeeping, and if technology is for anything
surely it should be to make our lives a little easier.
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Talking Clocks Are Convenient
Clearly talking clocks are a useful aid for a person with sight loss.
However as we have found they can also be really beneficial to those with
out sight loss. We now have several talking clocks around the house in
places we regularly walk past and I now find my self using the talking clock
much more than the sighted clock!
It is very unobtrusive, ours is a simple black and white device
certainly small enough to carry and light. It manages to both blend into the
decor and yet be noticeable enough so my husband knows where it is.
Other clocks may have different colours such as blue, red or yellow and be
smaller or larger. Many can be placed on a surface and some can be wall
mounted. It all depends on what the person prefers.
I especially use it for knowing the date especially if I don't have the
computer or TV on. I often don't have the right glasses on to see our wall
clocks and it is so convenient to punch the talking clock as I walk past and
get the time and date so easily.
You can buy talking clocks that are very simple and so easy to use with
just the time and date or you can get advanced ones with a multitude of
features and tasks.
It has become a normal way to tell the time in our house. We didn't plan it
this way but it does make my husband feel better that we just use his
talking clock as a normal device, rather than just his special device to
tell the time.
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Aspects Of Talking Clocks To Be Aware About.
While I think generally they are a huge benefit, there are a few things
to be aware of.
Talking clocks can be run on batteries or plugged into electricity points,
both have their good and bad points. We have the ones run on batteries and
felt these were more portable, so that they can be taken into different
rooms and taken with us on holiday. Clearly we need to make sure we always
have a stock of replacement batteries either single use or ideally
rechargeable.
If we had an electric model it could be plugged in around the house without
the need or worry to keep a stock of batteries handy. However, there
is always the risk that in the event of a power cut or power outage it of
course would not work. It is important if buying an electrical one to ensure
that the features and time automatically reset after a power cut or outage
is over.
The solution is probably to have one of each, some of the electric models
seem to carry more features, yet the battery ones are simpler, easy to use
and more portable.
By the very fact the talking clock is a fairly loud announcement of the
time, it is impossible to privately check the time! So for example if you
just wanted to check the time to see if guests ought to be leaving or a
meeting has gone on too long, it is really a public announcement. They are
not ideal in situations where discretion is required!
A talking clock can take a little time to get used to. At first my husband
did keep asking me the time and I reminded him to use the talking clock,
after a few days or weeks it is just a normal habit.
The fact it is an audible time check can be disturbing if there are others
in the house having quiet time or sleeping.
It may be more disruptive if there are several people in the house, who may
not want to know the time in this way and might find it
disturbing.
While it is loud enough, if the environment was noisy or lots of people
were talking or music playing it might be more difficult to clearly hear
it.
You need to choose the clock voice that works best for you. It all depends
on the model if you can customise the voice and some of the voices might not
suit you. Some voices are clearer and more calm than others. So it is worth
checking which voice the model uses and if you are able to customise
it.
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We both feel the positives far outweigh any negatives and now would not be
without it. We agreed at the outset of my husbands diagnosis of severe sight
impaired that we would do everything possible to maintain his personal
autonomy and independence. This little device of a talking clock has
certainly been very helpful in this respect.
Advancements in Talking Clock Technology
Our talking clocks are models that tell the time and date and can be used
to set an alarm. At the present we are happy with these features but there
are models that can do much more.
There are a range of talking clocks now from the basic time and date clock
to ones which integrate with smart devices and use Artificial
Intelligence.
Some have customised features or a choice of features and languages. As
mentioned previously there are talking clocks which also set date reminders,
medicine reminders and alarms.
Of course there are also talking watches which is on our wish list for
something else to help my husband.
Technology is advancing and if it can assist in keeping people more
independent for as long as possible that is a positive.
I think a talking clock would make a very thoughtful gift for anyone who is
finding it difficult to see or read a standard clock.
It might seem a small thing, many of us take for granted until we cannot do
it, but being able to tell the time and date by yourself is a huge
deal for self esteem and independence.
As the talking clock technology evolves I think it will become increasingly
useful and versatile, not only for people who are sight impaired, but for
many people.
Read More Product Reviews on ReviewThisProducts.com
Reviewing Benefits And Features Of Talking Clocks by Raintree Annie
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Why I Keep Reaching for It
