To convince users of recorded books, in any of the available formats, that the technology is not effortless and requires extensive training and practice to become an effective teaching-learning tool. There are, of course, different levels of literacy seen as standard in different situations and for different populations, but they all, at first glance, presume direct, independent, visual access to printed matter. There are many persons for whom written text is not directly accessible. Most obviously, those who are visually impaired are totally or partially excluded from printed matter. Other persons, with physical disabilities, are unable to maintain focus on or follow lines of print.
Physical disabilities can make holding a book or turning pages impossible.
Learning disabilities can interfere to a greater or lesser degree with access to printed matter. As a result these persons are unable to read in a typical manner. Literacy begins, usually, in the young child when he recognizes that written symbols carry information and he begins to accumulate a word recognition bank of favorite commercial products and fast food establishments. The next stage comes with the knowledge that certain letters and letter combinations can be interpreted phonetically and read as familiar words. This is an exciting time for children who joyfully report that they can read.