Talking Book teaches reading

by Rhona Mahony. Today, September 8, is International Literacy Day. Cliff Schmidt would like to make every day literacy day for the one billion poorest people in the world who not only scrape by on less than $2 a day but who also, for the most part, do not know how to read. Not knowing how to read keeps poor people poor. His team of engineers has developed a handheld digital audio player and recorder. It will cost the user $5. So far, however, it costs Schmidt’s non-profit organization, Literacy Bridge, about $160 to make one. He needs to raise money to send 100 Talking Books to the Upper West Region of Ghana, to the villagers who will test them in November. Their experience and comments will help Schmidt refine the device. Big foundations are willing to consider supporting Literacy Bridge only after the field test in Ghana. After getting financing, Schmidt will be able to begin large-scale manufacturing, bring down his costs per unit, and sell millions of Talking Books in Africa, India, and beyond. A small donation to Literacy Bridge now might make a bigger difference than a donation to an established project.

The goal of the Talking Book is help adults and children learn to read when they have time, at their own pace. The student will read one of several books–written by Ghanaians for beginning readers–while listening to a recording of someone reading the book. The device can also play information about staying healthy, for example, how to prevent HIV infection and malaria. Schmidt met farmers in Ghana who said they would also be interested in recorded advice about how to improve their crop yields. Anyone can record material that will play on the Talking Book. That makes it a device for sharing knowledge–or music or jokes–rather than a propaganda tool.
I was able to see and handle a prototype Talking Book at the LinuxWorld convention in San Francisco on August 7. It was roughly five inches long by four inches wide. It was bright orange. The plastic case was thick and looked sturdy. I did, though, see play and a gap of about an eighth of an inch (a millimeter) between the battery compartment and the main case. I hope that liquids and dust don’t enter that gap and foul up connections inside. That is the sort of thing that the Ghanaians of Upper West Region will figure out.
To me, Schmidt’s creativity and perseverance are inspiring. Today’s Seattle Post-Intelligencer has a story about him and his project. Slashdot also ran an informative interview with him on August 14, 2008. What do you think?