You could be right, but for technical books at least, with equations in them, I think RFB&D will be needed for some time to come.
Evan----- Original Message ----- From: "maithe007" <maithe007@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2007 11:23 AMSubject: [bookshare-discuss] Re: OT: FW: Office that recorded books for blind to close its doors
This was similar to RFBD, right? I think the same is going to happen to RFBD. Personally, I prefer to scan my own books and study on my own. These services were very good and much appreciated.Maithe----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Roderick" <richard@xxxxxxxxx>To: <bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2007 9:30 AMSubject: [bookshare-discuss] OT: FW: Office that recorded books for blind to close its doorsBefore there ws Bookshare, back in the 70s, I used this organization torecord books. They were very responsive. They only hneeded one copy of thebook,and they were quick. -----Original Message-----From: blindnews-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:blindnews-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of BlindNews Mailing List Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2007 8:05 AM To: BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Office that recorded books for blind to close its doors Chicago Daily Southtown, USA Sunday, September 30, 2007 Office that recorded books for blind to close its doors By Courtney Greve, Staff writer Long before Vivette Ravel Rifkin read her last book into a tape recorder this June, she knew technology was making her 43-year-old organization obsolete. The founder of Educational Tape Recording for the Blind recognized thatcomputerized scanners with synthesized speech eventually would replace thehuman voice tapes created by the nonprofit in Chicago's Mount Greenwood community. Less than two months after Rifkin's death at the age of 96, the service announced it will close shop by year's end."Mother absolutely felt it was time," said Dovie Horvitz, Rifkin's daughter and an organization board member. "She was a realist. She wasn't someone whohad to hang onto something for her own ego. She felt the funds they still had could be put to a better use."To continue the mission, albeit in a different way, ETRB has established anendowment in Rifkin's name at Illinois State University.Starting with a $20,000 donation, the endowment will be used for an annual scholarship given to an aspiring teacher specializing in the low vision andblindness program, said ISU development director Mira Mihajlovich.The scholarship will be for $500 to $1,000 and will begin fall semester ofnext year, Mihajlovich said.Longtime volunteer Phoebe McCarthy-Gunty said Rifkin would be pleased withthe outcome. "It's sad, but we knew it was coming," she said. "It was a wonderfulorganization. We helped thousands of students in all states and even a fewliving on military bases around the world."McCarthy-Gunty got involved after she retired because her husband lost hissight in his 50s."I was dedicated to helping blind people because I knew what they were goingthrough," said the 91-year-old Mount Greenwood resident.Rifkin similarly was inspired to make a difference because of her daughter,Jerelyn Grundland, known as Jill, who is legally blind. The organization that eventually taped some 18,000 texts for students started with Rifkin recording books for her daughter from her Beverly bedroom, Hovitz said.The idea snowballed as Grundland's peers started seeking Rifkin's services,Hovitz said.In 1964, Milton Rifkin gave his wife $500 so she could open an office, which had three Southwest Side locations before landing at 10641 S. Pulaski Road.At its peak, ETRB had nearly 1,000 registered students."(Rifkin's) philosophy was read it and do it quickly so the students couldlearn," Hovitz said.Students paid an annual stipend, which grew from $10 to $150 throughout theyears, to receive recorded texts for all of their courses for an academic year. Nobody was turned away because of inability to pay, McCarthy-Gunty said.The organization never sought federal funding or grant money; it thrived onthe backs of its dedicated volunteers, Hovitz said. "Starting June through Christmastime, we worked around the clock," McCarthy-Gunty said. While volunteers still number in the dozens, the requests for recordings have dwindled, Hovitz said.Organization leaders had planned to finish out their lease, which is up nextsummer, but reconsidered their options after Rifkin's death Aug. 10. Courtney Greve can be reached at (708) 633-5983 or cgreve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/579957,092907byeblind.article BlindNews Mailing List Subscribe: BlindNews-Request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" as subjectUnsubscribe: BlindNews-Request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" as subjectModerator: BlindNews-Moderators@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Archive: http://GeoffAndWen.com/blind RSS: http://GeoffAndWen.com/BlindNewsRSS.asp More information about RSS feeds will be published shortly. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.35/1039 - Release Date: 9/29/20079:46 PM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.35/1039 - Release Date: 9/29/20079:46 PM To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank Email to bookshare-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxPut the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the Subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank Email to bookshare-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the Subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.
To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank Email to bookshare-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the Subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.
