Voiceprint Brings World to People Who Can't Read
Published: Jun 20, 2007VoicePrint, a new Canadian Internet service for those who are unable to read print, officially opened yesterday. Volunteers such as broadcaster Shirley Harasym read news and entertainment items for those who cannot.
Broadcaster Shirley Harasym volunteers to read news and other information for VoicePrint, a service for people who are visually impaired or who cannot read. “If you were passionate about news or sports, or just wished to keep informed about local happenings, what would your life be like if you couldn’t read your local newspaper for the latest updates,” said Harasym.
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In Canada, 3.2 million people are deprived of that normal pastime most of us take for granted. They are print restricted because of blindness, whether from birth or from diseases such as diabetes, from paralysis resulting from accidents, or they lack literacy skills.
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That is why Harasym, an EasyRock 105.3 radio announcer, volunteers for VoicePrint. The non-profit service brings the written word to clients’ ears through the magic of the Internet. She reads news and articles, from local papers including Northern Life, at the VoicePrint studio.
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VoicePrint partners with hundreds of volunteers in 15 centers to read articles from more than 100 daily and community magazines and newspapers.
They reach eight million Canadian homes through licensed program distributions such as cable companies, direct-to-home satellite audio channels and at www.voiceprint.ca Â
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Source: Northern Life (Canada)
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