50+ Lifestyles

The Radio that Reads

Are you, or someone you know, visually impaired or otherwise handicapped, making it difficult to read the newspaper and stay connected to the news of the community? That doesn’t need to happen! Contact APRIS, the Augustana Public Radio Information Service, without delay!

What is APRIS? APRIS is a community service of Augustana Public Radio WVIK (90.3FM). It serves those with visual or physical impairments, who live within 45 miles of the Quad-Cities. Using a special radio receiver, APRIS provides these people free service of news read aloud from local and regional newspapers. Papers included are: The Quad-City Times, Dispatch/Argus, Chicago Tribune, Muscatine Journal, and Clinton Herald. In addition, the weekly publications of Orion and Geneseo, Morrison and Prophetstown; Erie and Aledo are read on a weekly basis.

Almost 200 volunteers are involved in the reading of these newspapers to provide the service to those in the Quad-Cities area, who have signed up for this remarkable benefit.

From local news to news of neighbors, obituaries to grocery ads, religious news to sports, one can stay connected to the community through this outstanding local radio reading service.

The receivers are loaned, free of charge, to the visually or physically impaired individuals, their families or caregivers. There is a daily schedule of the news readings, which air Monday through Friday. Please see the schedule published in this magazine (below).

To seek more information about this free program, please go to www.wvik.org or call (309) 794-7560 to request a receiver or gain more information.

Would you like to be that voice on the radio as a volunteer? APRIS could not operate without the many volunteers, who read the news routinely. This may be just the volunteer situation you were hoping to find. Wait no longer. Call (309) 794-7560 or email apris@wvik.org to ask how you can help today!