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News from the Boston Unit
BOSTON
UNIT OF RECORDING FOR THE BLIND & DYSLEXIC® NAMED
NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR BY THE CAMBRIDGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
June 22, 2005 (Cambridge, MA) - The Cambridge
Chamber of Commerce (CCC) has named the Boston Unit of Recording
for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®) its Nonprofit of
the Year. RFB&D, a national organization with a local recording
studio at 58 Charles Street, is the nation's educational library
of recorded textbooks for students with visual impairment, dyslexia
or other physical disabilities that make reading standard textbooks
difficult or impossible.
The honor is part of the CCC's Excellence
in Business Awards and singles out a Cambridge-area nonprofit
that "demonstrates superior performance, quality and consistency
in the pursuit of its mission and evokes community spirit and
participation." The award was presented to RFB&D during
the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce's gala awards dinner held at
the Charles Hotel on May 24.
"We are excited to be recognized with
this prestigious award," said Christina Raimo, Executive
Director of RFB&D's Boston Unit (pictured center). "It
is especially gratifying because we are celebrating both the 20th
anniversary of the unit and our Cambridge location and the fact
that RFB&D's 20,000th digitally-recorded title was produced
by our Boston volunteers this year. The Chamber's recognition
is a great tribute to our staff, our wonderful corps of local
volunteers and the greater Cambridge community that supports the
work and mission of RFB&D."
RFB&D's Boston Unit employs 12 staff
members and works with nearly 250 volunteers. The unit budget
is approximately $1.68 million ($1 million cash, $680,000 in-kind)
and is largely supported by donations from private individuals,
foundations and local businesses. The Boston Unit board consists
of 14 individuals who represent the business, educational and
consumer communities in the Greater Boston area.
RFB&D serves more than 137,000 students
from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond, including
7,645 students in Massachusetts, with its one-of-a-kind collection
of more than 104,000 educational titles on CD or four-track cassette.
RFB&D's AudioPlus® digitally recorded textbooks on CD
provide unprecedented navigation, ease of use and proven effectiveness
as a learning tool for students with print disabilities. Students
rely on RFB&D's unique accommodation to access the printed
page and to achieve educational success. All of RFB&D's accessible
titles are recorded by volunteers working in 29 RFB&D recording
studios nationwide, including Boston.
The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce is a 1,400-member
nonprofit organization representing all sectors of the Cambridge
economy. Its diverse membership and deep expertise in government
affairs, business development, professional development and business
philanthropy attract employers of all sizes.
For information on volunteering or making a donation
to the Boston Unit, call 617-571-1111.
[EDITORS NOTE: PHOTOS OR HIGH-RESOLUTION DIGITAL
IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST]
additional media inquiries:
RFB&D News Desk 1-800-803-7201
media e-mail inquiries
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