Sun Sounds Makes Life Worth Reading

Sun Sounds Makes Life Worth Living
For Those Who Cannot See To Read

People who lose their ability to read the printed word go through an emotional upheaval, often feeling isolated from the world in general.
Imagine what it must be like to not be able to enjoy a good book, check the TV schedule, read the daily newspaper, enjoy a magazine or check out the grocery advertisements.
Sun Sounds, a volunteer-based audio access system that’s been serving Arizonans since 1979, keeps those who have lost their ability to read print material in the information loop by providing three 24-hour services that are easy to access.
They are:
Sun Sounds Radio: A collection of half-hour and hour-long audio programs that feature the reading of publications by volunteers. Publications include special interest periodicals and the Arizona Republic newspaper.
Sun Dial: A World Wide Web reading service that provides the listener with greater convenience and personal options via a touch-tone telephone. Users can search to find specific articles from national, regional and statewide newspapers at their convenience.
Sun Sounds Online: This webcast provides access to all 124 audio programs produced and broadcast by Sun Sounds Radio to any individual who has Internet access and a personal computer equipped with a sound card. Links are also provided to text-based newspapers on the Web.
“On any given day Sun Sounds serves 49,000 listeners, but that is only one in four of the people who are eligible for the service,” said David Noble, Sun Sounds’ director of development. “Sixty-five percent of Sun Sounds listeners are seniors.”
Noble said that, although the number of listeners is growing, there are many people who either don’t know about Sun Sounds or don’t believe they can qualify for the
community service.
Sun Sounds relies on more than 500 volunteers who read stories and articles for the service. An outreach project of Rio Salado Community College, Sun Sounds operates on a $1.6 million budget from donations, in-kind services, corporate sponsors, the Arizona State Legislature, gifts from individuals and from wills and estates. Listeners are not charged a fee for the use of service however they are encouraged to donate to the best of their ability. A program guide is available in Braille and in large print, as well as on cassette, diskette and via email and web page. Recording studios are located n Tempe, Tucson and Flagstaff.
A major fund raising event for Sun Sounds is coming up March 8-9 at the 20th Annual Great Arizona Beer Festival at Tempe Beach Park where more than 100 specialty and microbrewed beers will be available for tasting. Music, food, games and fun will be featured at the event. General admission tickets are $40 in advance and VIP tickets are $80 in advance. For more information, visit www.azbeer.com.
For more information, or to sign up to volunteer, call (480) 774-8300 or visit http://www.sunsounds.org/ on the Internet.