Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic would not exist without
the work of trained and skilled volunteers. Last year, more than 250
volunteers at the Charlottesville Studio donated 14,000 hours of time
to produce more than 5,200 hours of recorded texts.
The Charlottesville Studio is one
of 29 RFB&D studios in the United States. We produce recordings of
educational materials such as history, politics, law, and literature
as well as scientific and technical materials in biology, mathematics,
chemistry, medicine, physics, and other specialized areas. We record
for students (per member requests) from kindergarten through graduate
school and beyond (RFB&D's CV Starr Learning Through Listening
Library, which contains all of RFB&D's master recordings, is located
in Princeton, New Jersey).
Each volunteer is asked to work
at least one 1.5-hour session per week. In addition to recording textbooks,
there are many other opportunities to volunteer. Recording sessions
are scheduled as follows:
Monday - Friday
9:00 am, 10:30 am, 1:00 pm, 2:30 pm
Monday - Wednesday
4:00 pm & 6:00 pm
Saturday
9:00 am & 10:30 am
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Volunteer Spotlight
Longtime member Karen Gerrald, who is blind, holds
a PhD in literature from Harvard and a law degree from Duke. An accomplished
musician and singer, she is an attorney for the U.S. Navy in Norfolk,
an instructor for the Hadley School for the Blind, and a consultant,
writer, proofreader, actress, scholar, and poet.
"Why does an eminent musicologist devote hours to the laborious
reading of a biography on Richard Wagner? Why does a 91 year old volunteer
come to New York four afternoons a week for grueling two-hour sessions
of monitoring?" asked Gerrald. "There can be only one explanation:
they believe that a person who has a visually impairment, dyslexia
or another print-disability nevertheless can understand the recorded
information and do something with it."
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In addition to reading textbooks aloud
for recording, volunteers help prepare the books for recording, check and
edit recorded material for quality control, and help in many other ways.
The reader sits in a soundproof booth
and reads while the "director" sits outside, facing the reader.
Wearing the headset, the director follows along with a copy of the book(s).
He or she is trained on the computer to ensure proper sound quality. The
director proofreads the information being recorded, corrects mispronunciations
and errors in phrasing, and makes certain that the reading directions are
carefully followed. The director edits the recording of the textbooks and
controls the quality of the product.
Your appointment to direct is carefully
scheduled to make the best use of our studio equipment. The RFB&D members
depend on you to help complete a book on schedule.
It takes several hours of training to
become familiar with RFB&D's recording process. We offer instruction, support,
and encouragement, and, in turn, we expect accuracy, professionalism, and
a long-term commitment. While most volunteers have had at least two years
of college experience, your current level of skill is what is most important.
After you have developed skills, you
may choose to audition as a reader in your area of expertise. Some volunteers
function as both readers and directors. Both roles are exacting and demanding
because we expect to provide students with recorded material of the highest
possible quality.
Steps to find out if volunteering is right for
you:
- Schedule an appointment to observe the studio in operation. You will
be given a pair of headphones and sit with a team as they record. After
the session, you may wish to have a brief tour of the studio. We will
gladly answer any questions.
- If you decide that you'd like to join us, we will schedule your first
training. At that time we will begin to teach you the RFB&D processes.
- Once you have completed your training, you will direct an actual recording.
An experienced director will sit with you to provide any additional advice
and assistance you may need.
- After you have experience with RFB&D and are comfortable with the equipment
and the responsibilities, you may wish to take a reading audition in order
to become a reader.
For more information or to set up an appointment
to observe a session please contact:
Marcia Rosen-House, Regional Volunteer Coordinator
434-326-4956
e-mail: mrosen-house@rfbd.org
Learn more about getting
started as a volunteer at RFB&D's Regional Unit of the Virginias
and Carolinas.
