Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Volunteers bring print to those unable to read themselves

The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair.

These are some of the publications central Illinoisans can hear through a service offered by WUIS-FM, the public radio station at the University of Illinois Springfield.

“We have about 20 volunteers who read local and national newspapers and magazines to those who have disabilities,” said Sinta Seiber-Lane, program director for WUIS-FM 91.9, a member station of National Public Radio.

Volunteers for the WUIS-WIPA Radio Information Service read publications to those who are print disabled — blind, visually impaired, learning disabled and physically disabled — 24 hours a day, seven days a week via sideband receivers and through the Internet.

“We recently started offering online services where users can access the service with a password,” Seiber-Lane said.

The service was featured in an February 8, 2012, article in The State Journal-Register.

Read the article online