RADIO BROADCASTING FOR THE BLIND OR PRINT IMPAIRED IN L.A.
In the Los Angeles area alone, there are about 140,000 individuals who have visual impairments.
If you were blind, visually impaired, physically unable to turn a page, or a senior citizen with an age–related print disability, how would you stay informed?
Without timely news, opinions, events listings, consumer information, and community service reports from printed sources, it is nearly impossible for people who are print impaired to be fully participating citizens. This is why The Los Angeles Radio Reading Service was created.
LARRS meets this need for information by providing daily radio/internet broadcasts of newspapers, magazines, ads and books, enabling our listeners to be aware of local events, election information, back–page stories, grocery and department store ads, sports pages, and even Dear Abby and the comics.
The Los Angeles Radio Reading Service broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the sub–carrier frequency of 88.5 FM. Reception of the signal requires a special radio which may be obtained from LARRS.
To help meet the need of blind and visually impaired persons on a global scale, LARRS also provides a live audio programming stream on the world wide web which is available through this website.
LISTEN TO LARRS ANYWHERE ON YOUR iPHONE OR ANDROID PHONE
Do you have an iPhone? Or an Android phone? You can now listen to LARRS on your phone via the iBlinkRadio ap. By the way, Jolie is head of an iPhone Blind Users Group located in the San Fernando Valley. She'd love to hear from you and have you join the group. It's fun, exciting, and educational. Oh, and you'll meet new friends and learn new aps as well. Speaking of which....
Click here for the iPhone application iBlinkRadio
Click here for the Android Phone application iBlinkRadio
The iBlink Radio application from Serotek Corporation is the world’s first application for the visually impaired for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad! Radio stations, podcasts and reading services of special interest to blind and visually impaired persons; as well as their friends, family, caregivers and those wanting to know what life is like without eyesight.
In closing, we are here to help you. If you have any more questions or concerns just call Jolie Mason or send her an email. And thanks for your interest in the Los Angeles Radio Reading Service.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY’S eBRAILLE TEAM NEEDS YOUR HELP!
The eBraille Team at Boston University is involved in an exciting semester project. They are creating a business plan for a new assistive technology product that could change the world for Braille readers. The team is developing an e–reader with a refreshable 40–cell Braille display.
With a USB cord, the eBraille is able to download any text document (including but not limited to ebooks, pdfs, and word documents), and translate the text into Braille using software currently in development, and save the file on the lightweight portable device.
The eBraille Team cannot hope to properly develop this product without your valued opinions and we appreciate your responses. People who offer opinions and fill out their questionnaire will be registered to receive a free prototype eBraille unit should this device ever go to market to be tested. Please click on the links provided below to access either the Survey Monkey or Boston University questionnaires. You can also access the plain text version of the questionnaire as well by clicking on the bottom link.
Thank you in advance for your invaluable input and participation in this exciting project!
• CLICK HERE AND TAKE THE SURVEY MONKEY eBRAILLE SURVEY
• CLICK HERE AND TAKE THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY eBRAILLE SURVEY
• CLICK HERE AND READ THE PLAIN TEXT VERSION OF THE eBRAILLE SURVEY
LISTEN TO ACCESS UNLIMITED ON KPFK 90.7 FM PACIFICA PUBLIC RADIO
Tune in on Tuesdays from 2 – 3pm to KPFK’s award–winning Access Unlimited radio program. The show deals exclusively with issues concerning disability, those working in the field, those with disabilities, family, friends, or those who are interested in learning more about persons with disabilities. In short, all of us.
The program is hosted by USC Psychologist Henry Slucki, Shawn Casey O’ Brien, Founder of The Unique People’s Voting Project, and Jolie Mason, Founder and Executive Director of LARRS.
The Goal? Keeping people in touch with non–profits dealing with disabilities, promoting political events of concern for those with disabilities, and reviewing technology that can be used to overcome the obstacles of disability. Live in–studio guests are regularly featured and lively discissions are commonplace.
Pacifica was born in the late 1940’s out of the (now nearly forgotten) peace movement surrounding World War Two. Lewis Hill, a conscientious objector and Washington, D.C. newsman, was fired from his mainstream reporting job when he refused to misrepresent the facts.
This was a time when the idea of a listener–sponsored radio station was a new one which had never been implemented. Many people doubted the viability of a broadcast model which didn’t rely on some kind of corporate or government funding. But the idea was too compelling for Hill and others who agreed with him. Pacifica was born and in 1949 KPFA went on the air from Berkeley, California.
KPFK, in Los Angeles, was the second of what would eventually become five Pacifica Stations to go on the air. It was 1959 and Terry Drinkwater was the first General Manager. Blessed with an enormous transmitter in a prime location, KPFK is the most powerful of the Pacifica stations and indeed is the most powerful public radio station in the Western United States.
• CLICK HERE AND LISTEN TO ACCESS UNLIMITED ON KPFK PACIFICA RADIO
ARTS AND SERVICES FOR DISABLED, INC. PRESENTS ARTBEAT RADIO
ArtBeat Radio provides an arena in which ASD students can share their works and talents with the large audience offered by Access Unlimited and Los Angeles Radio Reading Service (LARRS). The collaboration between these two radio programs is made possible by our partnership with Jolie Mason, Director of the Los Angeles Radio Reading Service and radio host and co–producer on Access Unlimited. Both radio programs exist to serve and advocate for the disabled community.
ASD students will gain experience in the elements of radio: working with people, understanding the systems of a radio station, guest selection, interviewing techniques, serving as a radio host, music creation, poetry writing and reading, answering audience questions, and operating all of the associated radio equipment. At the culmination of the project in June 2010, our students will receive a stipend of $200 for their participation as radio interns.
ArtBeat Radio provides ASD students several off–site visits to LARRS and KPFK radio stations to learn how a radio station works and the job skills required to work in the radio field. In addition, our students will create an original radio show created around their interests and skills that will be aired on the radio shows “Access Unlimited” and “Listening for Greatness.”
ArtBeat Radio is the most innovative and challenging workforce opportunity available in Los Angeles for persons with developmental disabilities.
• FOR ADDITIONAL INFO CONTACT DR. REBECCA RIVERA: rebeccarivera@artsandservices.com
THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AUDIO INFORMATION SERVICES
IAAIS, the International Association of Audio Information Services, is a volunteer–driven membership organization of services that turn text into speech for people who cannot see, hold or comprehend the printed word and who may be unable to access information due to a disability or health condition. Since its formation in 1977, IAAIS (formerly the Association of Radio Reading Services) has assisted, represented and set standards of good practice for audio information services worldwide.
Over six million Americans over 65 have vision loss that prevents them from reading. But there are nine million people in the 45 to 64 age range with vision loss. As these “baby boomers” age, the numbers with vision loss will likely dramatically exceed those of the present generation of seniors.
IAAIS also works with the FCC to advocate for the print–impaired audience, and they’ve worked with Ibiquity and National Public Radio in the development of new digital technology that expands the capabilities of HD Radio to serve the needs of the blind.
• FOR ADDITIONAL INFO ABOUT THE IAAIS CLICK THRU HERE