Press Release
RFB&D Hosts National Record-A-Thon as part of National Volunteer Week
Nonprofit's Nationwide Effort to Expand Library of Digitally Recorded Textbooks for Students with Visual Impairments or Learning Disabilities
PRINCETON, NJ (April 2, 2003) - Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D®), the nation's leading producer of accessible textbooks, announced its eighth annual National Record-A-Thon will kick off during National Volunteer Week, April 27 and run through May 2, 2003.
Celebrity and guest readers including Ed Asner, Betty White, Jasmine Guy, Betsy Palmer, and a host of athletes, authors and local, state and national officials will join RFB&D's family of more than 5,200 volunteers in recording booths across the country to record a projected goal of 225 textbooks and other educational materials for the 117,000 students of all ages who rely on RFB&D's unique library to achieve educational and professional goals. The event is also expected to raise $200,000 for RFB&D.
RFB&D, headquartered in Princeton, NJ, maintains a collection of 93,000 titles on cassette and CD in every subject area and grade level for students who cannot read standard print effectively because of a disability such as a visual impairment, a learning disability or another physical disability. The collection includes titles in virtually every field of study for students in kindergarten to graduate school and beyond. RFB&D's books are recorded by volunteers who are selected to read on the basis of their expertise in various subject areas. Unlike commercially available audiobooks, RFB&D textbooks include detailed descriptions of any photographs, maps, charts, diagrams or illustration that appear as part of the content.
"Record-A-Thon is a major event for RFB&D because it not only helps to increase our library of recorded textbooks, but it is a significant awareness builder for our organization," said Richard O. Scribner, RFB&D's president and CEO. "The celebrities and newsmakers who join our regular volunteer readers for this week of intensive recording bring welcomed attention to our local recording studios. That attention goes a long way to promote our nonprofit service to families and educators who can benefit from the services RFB&D provides."
The Record-A-Thon will help increase its core collection of RFB&D's AudioPlus™ digitally recorded books, which offer significant advantages for portability and navigation that are not available in the traditional analog cassette format.
"We announced the availability of RFB&D's AudioPlus collection of digitally recorded texts in September 2002, and to date, we fulfilled 7,000 orders for titles in this new format," said Scribner. "Our members are wildly enthusiastic about this revolution in accessible recording technology and we are concentrating our resources on enhancing the core collection of titles on CD."
For more information about local Record-A-Thon activities and how you can support this event with your time or a contribution, please go to the Nationwide Locations pull-down menu select the location nearest you.
additional media inquiries:
RFB&D News Desk 1-800-803-7201, press 6
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