talking info center funding letter

February 11, 2015 The Honorable Stanley C. Rosenberg President of the Senate Massachusetts State House Room 332 Boston, MA 02133 Dear Senate President Rosenberg, We write to urge you to support continued funding for the Radio Reading Service (RRS) offered through our Massachusetts Talking Information Center (TIC). We are specifically concerned that the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind is proposing to redirect existing federal funding from the TIC to other services, thereby reducing funding at a rate of $180,000 per year over the next three years. This proposal would eliminate 75% of TICs funding, severely reducing the RRS for the many residents who rely on it to inform their lives. Additionally, a portion of the programming being eliminated by the Commission for the Blind provides workforce development training to complement existing on-air programming with employment opportunities for listeners. The Talking Information Centers nationally recognized and award-winning RRS provides listenersoften blind, disabled, and elderly individuals24/7 access to readings of news and other media content through radio and online broadcasts. TIC produces and distributes the RRS through collaboration with five affiliates in Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester, Lowell, and Mashpee, state universities and colleges, several hospitals, 16 radio stations, and the support of over 600 volunteers. The TIC serves thousands of residents through a large statewide network of nonprofit organizations and local partners. The current Commissioner for the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind believes that the RRS should be defunded because listeners can use new technology to access information. However, even with technological advancements offering new listening options, the RRS is relied upon by many residents, especially elderly experiencing age-related macular degenerationthe leading cause of blindness in the United States. Research shows our elderly and disabled residents are the least likely to use advanced technologies in the home, often because of computer illiteracy and lack of access. The TIC user friendly broadcasts fill the information access gap. In the midst of the great recession, Massachusetts began funding the Talking Information Center through the federal Rehabilitation Services Administration Vocational Rehabilitation Program.