The Des Plaines Lions Club has donated a $5,000 reading machine to the Des Plaines Public Library which can read printed matter aloud for the blind and visually impaired, library officials said Tuesday night.
The machine, made by Xerox, is called The Reading Edge and is a step up from the books on tape or large print volumes customarily relied on by those who are visually impaired.
A book or magazine is placed on top of the device. It takes a picture of the page, and the machine’s voice then reads the document aloud while an individual listens through headphones.
Besides English, the machine can read printed matter aloud in French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish or Swedish.
The machine will be available in the computer room of the library, which was donated by the Friends of the Des Plaines Public Library.
