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NBRS wins prestigious "Access Award" from American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) |
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For its 20 years of Making Media Accessible, The National Broadcast Reading Service Inc. (NBRS)
wins Prestigious “Access Award” from American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
Toronto, ON, February 24, 2009 - The National Broadcast Reading Service Inc. (NBRS) is one of four winners of American Foundation of the Blind’s (AFB) respected “Access Awards.” On Thursday, March 5, 2009, NBRS will receive its award in Washington, D.C. for its pioneering work in Making Media Accessible for more than 5 million vision- and print-restricted Canadians.
AFB “Access Awards” are presented annually and honour individuals, corporations and organizations that eliminate or substantially reduce “inequities faced by people who are blind or visually impaired.”
The award to NBRS was granted for the registered boutique media charity’s “work to provide print and video media in an accessible format for people who are blind or visually impaired.”
Board Chair of NBRS, John Capobianco states, “This award is an honour, coming from one of the world’s leading accessibility organizations that works tirelessly to enhance people's lives by their commitment to breaking down barriers and providing greater accessibility for independent living – all values NBRS supports.
And it is particularly timely – that we can announce this honour when NBRS’s newest venture, The Accessible Channel also known as TACtv, is now available on Bell TV, Cogeco, Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw and Star Choice, as part of a basic digital package,” continues Capobianco.
Jim Sanders, President and CEO of the Canadian National Institute of the Blind (CNIB), nominated NBRS for the award. In his nomination letter to AFB, Mr. Sanders stated:
“What NBRS has accomplished since it began, in 1989, is nothing short of remarkable. It quickly developed into an exceptional and innovative charitable organization - based in Canada - that has improved the lives of people who are blind or vision impaired by enhancing access to information, education, entertainment and employment, including making mainstream products and services accessible.
I believe that NBRS is a global pioneer that has had a major impact in Canada and the U.S., and provides a model for replication throughout the world.”
After learning his nomination letter was successful, Mr. Sanders stated: “NBRS has progressed light years beyond the expectations of even the most creative dreamers… I wish to congratulate the extraordinary volunteer and staff team at NBRS.”
Adding to the chorus of tributes is Fran Cutler, who has served on the Boards of both CNIB and NBRS, who said: “This award is a tribute to leadership and hard work. Countless thousands of Canadians are forever in NBRS’ debt. I count myself fortunate to have worked with NBRS in this enduring service.”
NBRS plays a leading role in promoting access, inclusion and greater participation by people living with a disability in their community, in society generally and in enjoying a better quality of life. It does this through the creation and operation of three media services that truly are global leaders:
- VOICEPRINT, established in 1990, is the world's largest audio-reading service in terms of number of homes accessed, and is available on cable TV, on satellite and online. VoicePrint is Canada’s 24/7 audio newsstand, and thanks to the efforts of 800+ Volunteers, it delivers daily full-text audio versions of articles from over 600 leading Canadian newspapers and magazines. www.voiceprintcanada.com.
- AUDIOVISION CANADA (AVC), established in 1995, is a pioneer in described programming, with a unique inclusive process that works for people who are vision-impaired and their sighted friends, family and companions. AudioVision is a leading provider of video description services and products. www.audiovisioncanada.com.
- THE ACCESSIBLE CHANNEL (TACtv), currently broadcasts "described" and "closed-captioned" TV shows and entertainment. TACtv is now available on Bell TV, Cogeco, Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw and Star Choice. To find out more about TACtv and to access the channel guide and programming line-up, please visit www.tactv.ca.
The other 2009 AFB Access Awards recipients are:
- Apple, Inc. for making significant accessibility improvements to the latest versions of the iPod Nano and the iTunes software, and for installing the VoiceOver screen reading software into all Apple computers.
- Diagnostic Devices, Inc. for its PRODIGY® Voice, the only blood glucose monitoring system available on the U.S. market with the necessary speech output capabilities to accommodate people with vision loss.
- Mike May and The Sendero Group for pioneering accessible location information and navigation technologies with tools like Sendero GPS, and its new cell phone-based GPS system.
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national nonprofit organization that expands possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB's priorities include broadening access to technology, elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss, and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources.
For more information about NBRS, please contact:
Georgina Blanas
NBRS-TACtv
Director, Marketing & Fund Development
(416) 422-4222 ext. 258
1-800-567-6755 ext. 258
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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