Radio Reading Service for the Blind / Print Impaired

PROGRAMMING | OPERATIONS AND ELIGIBILITY | FUNDING | DONATIONS

WGCU*WMKO RADIO READING SERVICE
The WGCU*WMKO Radio Reading Service brings printed materials to the blind, physically impaired and print handicapped twenty-four hours a day.

PROGRAMMING
The WGCU*WMKO Radio Reading Service has over 90 dedicated volunteers who produce hundreds of hours of programming each month.  Newspapers are the most popular readings for our listeners. The WGCU*WMKO Radio Reading Service broadcasts readings of the Fort Myers News-Press, the Naples Daily News and many independent local newspapers. National publications include the Christian Science Monitor, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and the New York Times. Magazines, books and informational articles constitute the balance of the programming.

Shopping ads from grocery, drug, and department stores are particularly important to our listeners and help them plan their shopping for the week. Additionally, newsletters and updates from local and national blind organizations are read on a regular basis.

OPERATIONS AND ELIGIBILITY
The WGCU*WMKO Radio Reading Service's broadcast signal cannot be received by an ordinary radio. Qualified listeners must be provided with special crystal tuned receivers.  Requirements for obtaining a receiver are similar to those for the Talking Book Program. The listener must apply for the service, stating his or her disability, along with a statement of certification by a physician or social worker. Visually impaired persons constitute the largest portion of our listening audience. However, those with physical disabilities which make reading printed materials difficult or impossible are also eligible. These disabilities include spinal cord injuries, limited use of hands or arms, learning disabilities, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy.

An annual donation of $40.00 is requested, but no qualified person is denied the service because of inability to donate.

FUNDING
Sources of revenue for the WGCU*WMKO Radio Reading Service are provided by friends and listeners. Among those organizations that have assisted with the purchase of receivers in the past are: the Florida Lions Foundation for the Blind, Inc., the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, the Gannett Foundation, local Kiwanis, Lions, Optimists and Rotary Clubs and many other local service and church organizations. The WGCU*WMKO Radio Reading Service is also the recipient of an operational grant from the Florida Department of Education.

DONATIONS
If you would like to make a donation to WGCU*WMKO Radio Reading Service, please make your check payable to WGCU*WMKO Radio Reading Service and mail to:

WGCU*WMKO Radio Reading Service
10501 FGCU Boulevard, South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

If you have any questions, would like to be a volunteer reader or need a "listener application," contact Glenn Sabatka, WGCU*WMKO Radio Reading Service manager, at 239-590-2530.