Long before text to speech was available, the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service brought the news to those who are blind or visually impaired over the radio with the help of dedicated volunteers who read directly from printed sources.
For more than 35 years, people throughout the regions of Western Pennsylvania, Western New York, and Southern Ontario (Canada) have read newspapers, books, magazines, and other printed materials for people who are blind or cannot read for any reason.
Services such as this were considered to be a novelty back in the days of 1987. Most who needed assistance relied on tapes or large print specialty pieces. Niagara Frontier was making an impact, “one page at a time,” as their website stated.
As a reader, it is easy to take for granted the words on the page and what the information leads to down the road. Perhaps the information persuades the reader to vote for someone, buy something, or learn about something new. For those who cannot read the page, this information is missing, and so too are the next steps after — the vote, the purchase, the knowledge.
It is likely that someone you know is blind or has significant vision loss. A person does not have to have a reported disability to have difficulty reading print material.
According to the National Federation of the Blind, Pennsylvania reported 298,500 individuals and New York reported 418,500 individuals to have a visual disability in 2016 (the most recent year data is available). These numbers indicate the number of non-institutionalized, male or female, all ages, all races, regardless of ethnicity, with all education levels in the United States reported.
In July 2020, the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service launched NFRRS 2.0 — a new Podcasts & Streaming Initiative that brought the radio station’s live feed and program archives to the Internet. This move removed the limitation requiring listeners to use a special radio receiver and enabled any listener with an internet connection the ability to access live and recorded content when, where and however they want through their computer browser, smart phone, smart speaker or other device.
Niagara has come a long way in 35 years. They even expanded their coverage area in November of 2022 to include Rochester and Gennesee, both in New York, with access to their local and national publications via podcasts.
Listeners are not charged for services, the radios are loaned out at no cost to the user, and nobody is required to pay any fees. Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service relies solely on the generosity of donors, foundations, and corporate sponsorships. Currently, they are supported by WNY Independent Living, Lions Club International, Buffalo/Toronto Public Media (PBS/NPR), and Wegmans.
Volunteers also support the organization. Per the website, “Volunteers are perhaps the Radio Reading Service’s strongest asset. More than 120 active volunteers regularly lend their voices to words so that our listeners can get the same benefits from reading as everyone else.” Not all volunteers are readers. They are always looking for help in other areas as well. Contact them for more information.
To become a volunteer reader, the organization looks for volunteers who are compassionate and caring to spend a couple hours a week recording from their homes or any quiet space of their choosing. The recordings will then be made available online or over the air through a special receiver and listened to by anyone who cannot read. Readers of the Olean Times Herald, The Villager, Ellicottville Now, Salamanca Press, Jamestown Post Journal, The Bradford Era, or Enchanted Mountain are currently sought.
In a recent press release, the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service said, “Many listeners feel that this is an integral part of their day. It is the only way they can hear their local news, advertisements, or even obituaries. They also enjoy listening to a favorite book or magazine. The volunteers love reading aloud for them and imagine they are reading to a loved one sitting next to them. Our listeners begin to recognize the different voices and feel as if they know their readers.”
If interested, visit https://nfradioreading.org/ or call (716) 821-5555.
If interested in making a tax-deductible donation, visit https://nfradioreading.org/support/ or to become a sponsor, email Michael Benzin at mike@nfgradioreading.org or contact him by phone at (716) 821-5555, x2.
