Toronto, ON, August 18, 2008-The National Broadcast Reading Service Inc. (NBRS) has launched a new ambassador initiative. NBRS invites all to join today, become a member and share our vision in helping to make media accessible for all. In doing so, we ask that you please encourage friends, family, neighbours and others to acquaint themselves with NBRS in hope that they too will join.
NBRS, which was established in 1989, is a non-profit organization designed to help make media accessible for vision- and print restricted Canadians who deserve to have equal access to published news and information in a timely fashion. NBRS is comprised of three notable divisions: VoicePrint, AudioVision and its most recent addition, The Accessible Channel.
VoicePrint is an award winning service set to deliver a steady and timely flow of information that is essential to the decision-making needs of our audience. VoicePrint broadcasts readings of full-text articles 24/7 from more than 600 of Canada's top newspapers and magazines into 10 million homes. One NBRS supporter explained, "VoicePrint is one of those brilliant, but seamless responses Canadians so often develop to meet a societal need." A VoicePrint listener continued this notion when she stated, "VoicePrint is a valuable service, a light in a dark world. It helps to keep blind and vision-impaired persons alert and aware and encourages them to be functioning members of society."
AudioVision is a pioneer and Canada's pre-eminent supplier of "video description" products and services. It's a process that many people have said does for people with no or low vision what closed-captioning does for people who have no or low hearing - make film and other forms of entertainment more accessible. A viewer of AudioVision exclaimed, "Up to now, [movies have] just been voices in the dark. I could only wonder what was going on. Who walked out before the door was slammed? It was so frustrating not to know what was going on."
The Accessible Channel, which is scheduled to launch in the Fall, will broadcast, among other things, "described" and "closed-captioned" versions of popular, current TV shows and favorite movies.
NBRS serves and represents a consumer that receives minimal attention and one that truly values our services. By becoming a member and serving as an ambassador, you are not only benefiting those with low or no sight, those living with a physical or learning disability, or those with a desire to improve their literacy skills or learn English as a second language, but are also playing a vital role in helping NBRS continue to move forward.
Thank you for your support and playing a vital role in making media accessible.
For further information please contact:
Lauren Kerhoulas, Public Relations Coordinator
416-422-4222 ext. 225, lkerhoulas@nbrscanada.com
VoicePrint can be accessed on the Secondary Audio Program of CBC Newsworld; on Star Choice (ch 825), ExpressVu (ch 49 & 967), Look TV (ch 400); Rogers Digital (ch 196); Eastlink Digital (ch 394); and Aliant Digital (ch 998); and at www.voiceprintcanada.com.
AudioVisioin Canada www.audiovisioncanada.com
Toronto, ON, June 23, 2008-Executive Producer Paul Daniel of VoicePrint's weekly interview show, Contact, received the Peter Gzowski Award on behalf of the National Broadcast Reading Service (NBRS), at the Radio-Television News Directors Association's (RTNDA) National Award Presentation ceremony.
Each year RTNDA recognizes and awards those who have served with excellence which is precisely why Contact, which airs every Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern, was selected. Executive Producer of Contact, Paul Daniel stated, "This kind of award is a reflection on the hard work by many people who put Contact together every week and helped to make this program a success. This is truly a collective achievement."
The Contact edition which was honoured - The Bionic Eye - featured Dr. Gerald Chader of the Doheny Retina
Institute of the University of Southern California. During the interview Chader disclosed a scientific
breakthrough and discussed a procedure that could potentially restore eye sight.
VoicePrint is an internationally recognized audio information 24/7 news reading service that broadcasts full-text reading from newspapers and magazines for the more than five million Canadians who cannot independently access print media due to low literacy skills, blindness, vision restriction, physical or learning disability or simply because they are just getting older. Director of VoicePrint Operations, Arlene Patterson stated, "Receiving this award is a fine milestone for VoicePrint. This recognition by the RTNDA indicates VoicePrint's contribution is indeed filling a unique programming niche."
Created in 1962, RTNDA Canada is an organization which fosters and encourages open discussions and action within the broadcast news industry. Georgina Blanas, Director of Marketing and Fund Development furthered this notion when she stated, "VoicePrint's mandate is to reduce barriers to print media. Now entering its broadcast year, the organization has come so far and to have received such a prestigious award is a major accomplishment."
The Bionic Eye segment can be heard on the VoicePrint website.
For further information please contact:
Lauren Kerhoulas, Public Relations Co-Ordinator
416-422-4222 ext. 225, lkerhoulas@nbrscanada.com
1090 Don Mills Road
Suite 303
Toronto, ON M3C 3R6
416.422.4222
1.800.567.6755
Fax: 416.422.1633
info@nbrscanada.com
