History of the Santa Barbara Unit

Following their arrival in Santa Barbara from the Los Angeles area in1970, John and Mary Lee (photo, right) started a tireless campaign to establish a local unit of Recording for the Blind (as it was then called). Mary had been a 10 year volunteer at the Los Angeles Unit, and a member of the Los Angeles Unit Board.

In May 1974 John and Mary, together with a small group of concerned and dedicated Santa Barbara citizens, were granted a charter for the establishment of a unit of Recording for the Blind Inc. Through the generosity and interest of individuals and foundations, funds were raised to purchase recording equipment, establish a studio, hire a studio director and develop a corps of volunteers.

By 1995, it had become evident to Recording for the Blind that many students with learning disabilities, as well as those with vision loss, could benefit from using audio books to help in reading and were turning to the central audio book library for support.

In recognition of this new segment of the consumer population, Recording for the Blind became Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D), and launched a nationwide educational outreach initiative to reach out to students with learning disabilities and teachers who worked with this group of students.

Until 1998, all books were recorded on magnetic tape, using a two person team of reader and monitor. The Santa Barbara Unit, along with other units around the country, began the conversion to RFB&D's AudioPlus, RFB&D's newest recording technology, and has installed digital recording workstations in all of its booths. Digital technology allows readers to work without a monitor, thus increasing efficiency and better utilizing volunteer time.

Today, the Santa Barbara Unit employs seven staff members and works with more than 300 volunteers, many of whom have been volunteering with RFB&D for over 20 years, and many of whom donate several hours weekly to the organization. The unit is self-supporting, and relies on donations from private individuals, foundations and local businesses. The Santa Barbara Unit Board consists of individuals who represent the business, educational and consumer communities in the Santa Barbara, California area.