Press Release
THE LAVELLE FUND PROMOTES ACCESS TO
MATH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
Talking Library Grant enhances collection
of accessible textbooks for students who are blind or visually
impaired
September 17, 2004 (New York, NY) —The Lavelle Fund for the Blind has awarded a $320,000, two-year grant to Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D®.) The grant is being used to create 300 digitally recorded math, science and technology textbooks. These accessible books on CD will be added to RFB&D's master collection of talking textbooks in accessible formats for students with disabilities that make reading difficult or impossible.
The Lavelle collection of talking books at RFB&D will, for the first time, provide blind and visually impaired students with convenient digital access to such widely used scientific and technical books as Organic Chemistry, Physical Geology and JAVA.
"Access to math, science and technology textbooks in CD-ROM
format will help students who are visually impaired succeed in
subject areas where repeated analysis of detail is particularly
essential," said Andrew Fisher, the Lavelle Fund's executive
director. "We are delighted to be supporting RFB&D's
state-of-the-art work in expanding such access."
The Lavelle Fund is a charitable foundation that supports programs
promoting the spiritual, moral, intellectual, and physical development
of blind and low-vision people of all ages, together with programs
that help people avoid vision loss. RFB&D, a national a nonprofit
organization, serves 127,000 students of all ages with a one-of-a-kind
library of 100,000 recorded textbooks and other educational materials
in every subject area and grade level. All of RFB&D's accessible
titles are recorded by volunteers working in 28 RFB&D recording
studios nationwide.
Lavelle's sponsorship furthers ongoing efforts at RFB&D to meet the present and future needs of people who are blind or visually impaired and who depend on RFB&D's unique library to study, learn, and pursue professional goals. RFB&D's technological conversion from analog tape to a digital format has formed an increasingly crucial component of improving the accessibility of recorded educational materials. The transition enables RFB&D to deliver its service faster, more efficiently and with higher quality.
RFB&D's digitally recorded textbooks on CD-ROM provide greater access to information than any other technology to date. With the ability to search for text by page, chapter or subject heading, students can navigate through complicated texts, mathematic equations, and bar charts, which are particularly important in math, science and technology. One single CD-ROM holds 45 hours of text, the equivalent of ten cassettes.
"We are excited about helping students who are blind or visually impaired meet their potential through our partnership with the Lavelle Fund for the Blind," said Richard O. Scribner, RFB&D's president and CEO who adds that the grant helps further eliminate obstacles posed by the printed page for high school, college and graduate students pursuing math, science and technology studies. "The Lavelle collection of talking books will be instrumental to the continued success of many students. We believe we will increase significantly their level of confidence and individual success in the academic world."
EDITORS NOTE: High-resolution photos of RFB&D members are
available by calling 1-800-803-7201.
additional media inquiries:
RFB&D News Desk 1-800-803-7201, press 6
media e-mail inquiries
