Have you heard of CC radio's AM radios? I'd love to get one in the future, this radio is on my "wish list", the CC Radio 2 :
"The Premium Radio Designed for Long-Range AM Reception and Emergencies!
The CCRadio-2 has a little better AM Reception than the previous models and the addition of the 2-Meter Ham Band. The boost in AM performance comes from our patented Twin-Coil Ferrite® AM Antenna, and other improvements. Thanks to audio that's optimized for voice clarity AM stations continue to sound just right. After you select a station, the CCRadio-2 evaluates the signal for several seconds and then locks in for the highest signal possible. " (from CCRadio's site, quoted)
I've heard great things about the CC radio plus, but unfortunately I haven't tested one so can't give a real honest opinion. Here is their list of reviews, some good some bad!
http://www.ccrane.com/radios/am-fm-radios/ccradio-2.aspx#prodReviews
What I like about CC radio's website, I myself am sight impaired (not totally blind) and like the fact they have a link to Blind Reading services, where you can listen online to blind radio. Nice touch, I've bookmarked the radio services website.
http://www.ccrane.com/blind/reading-service.aspx
I know what you mean about finding a good radio that's easy to use especially for those with some sort of handicap. I like the way radios USED to work- switch on the power, tune a knob. I HATE buttons that are flush with the equipment, or radios that are so complicated you have to read the manual to perform simple functions. Alarms, 300 different "memories" and 5 different "memory pages" seem overkill to me.
Anyway, good luck to you and I hope you get as much a kick out of the radio reading services online stations as I do. Some station links aren't good anymore but some are. the first radio station on that link is to an Australian service and I enjoy it very much as they read the news as it's printed, along with some books reading during certain hours.