That's worth a try. Very good!

agnes, here in the the UK we have many 'readings' from book adaptations on BBC radio and I usual listen while bed-making, ironing etc.
My late Mother, who for the last few years of her life gradually lost her sight, relied on tapes provided by a charity helping blind people. A huge selection of un-cut books was available, all read by professional actors. She chose tapes from a long list, which were sent promptly through the post (and prompt and Royal Mail are not words that usually go together). NO charge was ever made. Do you have something similar in the US/Canada/Aus?

Veer, I know there is a radio personality here in T.O. that volunteers his time to record audiobooks for the blind so I believe there is a free of charge service for those that require it.

As some may recall, I received a lot of assistance when I inquired for advice on audiobooks on RP a while back. I did try but it did not work for me...at least while traveling back and forth to work on the transit system, my mind kept wandering because my eyes did. Now I think I'll try again while ironing or doing other housework - thanks for the idea agnesd!

Our library carries a lot of books on tape. I don't know of any specific service for the blind, but they may have it.

The local public radio station used to have quite a lot of special programming for the blind. I know two people who spent an hour each Sunday morning reading the Sunday newspapers, including store and grocery ads, for the blind. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts that service has been drastically reduced.

My mother and her sisters all had macular degeneration in their later years. One aunt really enjoyed books on tape free from the public library, but my mother always fell asleep and couldn't find her place to replay them.

I keep a couple of audiobooks (which I bought cheaply from library sales) on hand for when I get a problem with reading. Watery eyes from a cold, for example. I do find that my concentration wavers and I have to go back but this happens with a book too!
The advantage with audiobooks is that one can hear correct pronunciation of foreign names. It was helpful to me to listen to recordings of "The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency".

In the US the Society for the blind does provide tape players and taped books to anyone that is legally blind at no charge. And yes, like elsewhere, they are very professional tapings. The list of books you can get is pages and pages long. It really is a wonderful service.

Carol Burnett has a memoir out -- that's something I'd love to listen to her read. Memoirs are not quite my thing, but I'd much rather hear the subjects themselves rather than my mind's version of their voice.

In the U.S.A. there's a very good organization -- Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic. I have done work for them. They have educational tapes as well as novels. They even have them in foreign languages: like Harry Potter books in French.

I've been doing 99.9% of my reading through the National Library Service Talking Books and Braille program since 1982. It's provided through the US Library of Congress, free to qualified patrons. You need to be legally blind or physically handicapped in some way that makes it very difficult for you to read printed material.

It's a great program. It does make it hard to take part in book discussions online because one can't always request a title and expect to get it soon enough. I've waited over 10 years for some of my book requests.

But there is a very large selection of titles available, and the narrators are excellent. The standards for their readers are very high.

Just now they're switching over to a digital format, and this should mean that the players won't be so heavy and clunky to carry around.

I am totally hooked on audiobooks and always have one going along with a paper book, too!
I belong to the website and get one book a month for a reasonable price. I anxiously await their sales and can get their downloads for $4.95 and $9.95 each. It is a different dimension, listening to a book. Narrators can enrich a story.
I never sit and listen, I'd fall asleep. I listen while driving, washing the dishes, cooking, gardening, walking, etc, etc. My player clips to my collar and I don't even need headphones when DH is not around. He listens to most of my picks, too. Incredible fun!