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, press 6
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