RFB&D is a non-profit organization aimed to assist people (mostly
kindergarten to graduate school stuents) with a documented disability
(either dyslexia, visual impairment, learning disability, etc.) that
keeps them from reading printed text effectively. RFB&D helps these
students with their homework by narrating textbooks and needed books
that they need for school. Some students send in to us their syllabi
so we know when their textbooks and other required books are needed.
(Sometimes we get books with an early due date that we have to cram in
narrating sessions to meet deadlines.) And if a book is not in our
catalog (also available online at www.rfbd.org) then a member may
request a title.

Since we read many books of nonfiction, we look for volunteers who
have vast knowledge. In the Washington, DC unit, their is a new
volunteer who has a Ph.D. in mathematics. We look for people who can
speak and read foreign languages and who are very knowledgeable in
vast areas. On average, volunteers are asked to come in to the
recording studio at least once a week for at least one hour to record
these books.

Besides narrating books, volunteers can also "bookmark" books. That is
when a pencil is used to mark designated symbols in books to guide the
narrator through the book. If there is a book that has a graph in a
box, the bookmarker's pencil path guides the reader through the graph,
when to read the graph, when to return to text, when to announce the
next page, etc.

All books that are read, the reader announces the page number and this
indicates that a new track is made on the CD.
Directors help the reader, unless the reader prefers self-directing.
The directors help the readers spot errors, press the mouse to
digitally mark the next page, and to help the reader understand and
assist in the reading of the book. (If a reader is self-directing,
then they will have to be extra careful with their errors.)


Depending on how big the book is, a reader will usually only read a
certain chunk(s). Then when the next volunteer recording session
begins, a new reader will pick up where the last reader left off,
indicated on the reading log for that book.


RFB&D began in the 1940s when Anne T. Macdonald began as Recording for
the Blind in the attic of the New York Public Library. She believed in
helping the returning soldiers from WW2to get their education under
the G.I. Act. Most of these soldiers were blinded in action and lost
their vision. Later in the 1950's the company began spreading its name
and business. And the company changed its name to Recording for the
Blind and Dyslexic to serve people with documented print disabilities,
learning disabilites, physical disabilites, and another documented
disability that keeps students from reading text effectively.
"Education is a right, not a privilege," was Ane T. Macdonald's
convction. (Mine too.) Many people to today who suffer from Dyslexia
do not know about this great organization that they can benefit.

Recently, my unit had their volunteer appreciation party, for all
volunteers who have served at least 300 hours. One of our
spokespersons was Dale Booth, an American University graduate who is
on the campus's police force. When he had to go through police
training, RFB&D read his training books for him, and he aced all of
his tests because the recorded textbooks he had from RFB&D helped him
study. He also did a research for his thesis paper on how recorded
text can help those with certain learning disabilities/difficulties.
Those who were not dyslexic had a test read to them, and those who
were dyslexic had the test read to them. The results came in clear:
Those who did not have dyslexia and had the test read to them flunked,
and those who had dyslexia with the test being read to them, scores
went up.

From reading success stories of members, I have come to understand
what Anne T. Macdonald meant when she said that "Education is a right
not a privilege." RFB&D is an organization everyone ought to volunteer
for. I feel deeply honored to be volunteering for RFB&D. I will do my
best to help RFB&D and Ms. Macdonald carry on.

On behalf of the Volunteers of RFB&D I invite you volunteer. Visit
www.rfbd.org for more information.