Canada's 24/7 audio newsstand for blind, vision­impaired
and print­restricted citizens takes home major awards at prestigious international
competition

The quote in the headline is just one of dozens of favorable comments VoicePrint, a national broadcast service available on cable TV, on satellite and online, has received from its listeners across Canada.

Here are three others:

• "I have low vision, which makes it difficult to read extensively. But on VoicePrint they read complete articles and I can keep up to date. I listen to it almost every evening for a couple of hours and on Saturday morning. With it, I feel that I am keeping up with the world. Without it, I am an island."
  
  
• "As a visually handicapped person who lives in an isolated area, I have come to really appreciate VoicePrint. You have no idea how much I enjoy hearing the eclectic variety of articles."
  
  
• "I lost my eyesight six years ago and then somebody turned me on to VoicePrint. I have found that it helped me come out of my shell. VoicePrint makes me feel part of the world again."

As these heartfelt quotes indicate VoicePrint is of great value to its prime audience: the 5 million Canadians who can't independently access printed materials such as current newspapers and magazines due to, for example, blindness or other vision restrictions, learning or physical disability, low literacy skills or just getting older. VoicePrint serves its audience by delivering daily full­text audio recordings of articles from more than 600 national, regional and national publications.

VoicePrint is just one of many "reading services" set up across North America and throughout the world to make printed media accessible and to give their audiences the published news and information they need to help them make the basic decisions of everyday life - and to help them fulfill their rights and responsibilities as citizens.

Every year, members of the International Association of Audio Information Services (IAAIS) come together to meet, exchange ideas and to honour the best programming of the year. The IAAIS is an association of independently operated, volunteer­driven services that use audio technology to turn print into speech, bringing the words alive. Its 100+ member services work worldwide "to deliver the joy and benefit of reading, increasing a listener's capacity to lead a full and productive life."

At this year's awards ceremony, at Raleigh, North Carolina, in late April, prizes in 18 categories were handed out: VoicePrint was given four top honours and two Honourable Mentions. Since 2002, VoicePrint has won 15 IAAIS programming awards.

"We're just delighted with the recognition of our work in Breaking The Information Barrier so Canada's 5 million vision­and print­restricted citizens can keep up to date on current news and information as read by our more than 800 volunteers," says Arlene Patterson, Director, VoicePrint Operations."

This year VoicePrint won top honours in these categories: Newspapers, Information and Magazines. Both Honourable Mentions, which are awarded to programs that come just one scoring point shy of the top prize, came in the Thematic category.

VOICEPRINT'S GOLD

• In Newspapers: the program Fredericton Local News, which broadcasts audio versions of local news and information from the Fredericton Daily Gleaner to people who live in the Fredericton, New Brunswick, area.
  
  
• Also in Newspapers: the program Oakville Local News, featuring news from the Oakville Beaver, read and produced by volunteer reader Vanessa Taylor and part of VoicePrint's ongoing drive to deliver community information in an accessible audio format to all Canadians.
  
  
• In Information: the program Grocery Specials for GTA, which presents in a most dynamic manner the most basic of information: food specials. Most of us take for granted the availability of newspaper flyers advertising grocery specials. But many are unable to benefit from such invaluable advertising vehicles because they are blind or vision­impaired or print restricted for any number of physiological, psychological or neurological reasons.
  
  
• In Magazines: the program This Week In Maclean's, which is comprised of articles from the weekly edition of Canada's top news magazine. Read by Galit Solomon, a Toronto reporter for CTV News, the articles provide our audience with a fresh, in­depth perspective on events happening in the community, across the country and around the world.

VOICEPRINT'S HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• 60 Seconds With A VP Listener, a unique outreach communications vehicle. When VoicePrint has had contests, the winning contestants are called and asked why they listen to VoicePrint. In many cases, the listener gives a very meaningful response, indicating the importance of making the written word accessible. This program has a general audience interest intended to also expand the public's awareness of VoicePrint.
  
  
• White Cane Week Promos and CNIB Technical Aids Exhibit Promos. As a non­profit organization, VoicePrint attempts to establish links with like­minded organizations. In the case of White Cane Week in February 2007, VoicePrint allied with the Canadian Council of the Blind to promote the week's themes of accessibility and achievement for people who are blind and vision­impaired. We also wanted to add some fun to White Cane Week coverage by producing "ear­catching" promos simulating monster truck rallies and professional wrestling. In the case of the CNIB Technical Aids Exhibit, which highlights the latest advances in accessible technology for people who are blind or vision impaired, we provided promos (some with an irreverent twist) to promote the conference. VoicePrint had also teamed up with the CNIB to cross­promote this event.

"IAAIS member services take their awards program seriously," says Heather Lusignan, IAAIS President. "Three different people judge each entry with the final score being the average of the three.

Adds Georgina Blanas, NBRS Director, Marketing and Fund Development: "It's always delightful when VoicePrint brings home the gold."

IAAIS submissions are judged on: packaging (format/continuity, smooth introduction and conclusion); presentation (program concept, voice quality, professionalism and pace), and technical (recording quality, fidelity and levels).

MORE BACKGROUND ON VOICEPRINT

• VoicePrint is a division of The National Broadcast Reading Service Inc. (NBRS), a registered charity with a mission to Make Media Accessible.
  
  
• VoicePrint was established in 1989.
  
  
• VoicePrint can be accessed on the Secondary Audio Program of CBC Newsworld; Star Choice (ch 825), ExpressVu (ch 49 & 967) and Look TV (ch 400); Rogers Digital (ch 196), Eastlink Digital (ch 394) and Aliant Digital (ch 998); and at www.voiceprintcanada.com.
  
  
• VoicePrint is broadcast into more than 8 million homes.
  
  
• VoicePrint has offices across the country, in such centres as Ottawa, Sudbury, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Lethbridge, Fredericton and Halifax.
  
  
• VoicePrint has launched 100 Local Broadcast Centres, a network of Internet­based sites that deliver audio versions of printed community news and even grocery specials.
  
  
• NBRS also operates AudioVision Canada, a pioneer in providing video description of movies and TV programs to the 15 million North Americans with vision impairments. Last summer, NBRS was granted a broadcast license for a new English­language specialty digital TV service called The Accessible Channel, which is expected to launch this fall and will air popular TV shows and movies in both described and closed­captioned versions. NBRS is delighted that Ontario's new Lieutenant Governor, His Honour David C. Onley, has become our first Honourary Patron.

TWO FINAL TRIBUTES FROM VOICEPRINT LISTENERS

• VoicePrint is a valuable service, a light in a dark world. It helps to keep blind people alert and aware and encourages them to be functioning members of society."
  
  
• "There aren't any newspapers on audio tape or Braille. This is why VoicePrint is so important. It opens our minds."

For more information:

Georgina Blanas Director, NBRS Marketing and Fund Development

1090 Don Mills Road, Suite 303 Toronto, Ontario M3C 3R6
Phone: (416) 422­4222 extension 258
Facsimile: (416) 422­1633
Toll­free: 1­800­567­6755
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