Supported by a private grant, the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic ® Learning Through Listening® Center will be established at the School of Education, Health and Human Performance’s’ Jeremy Warren Vann Teacher Education Center at the College of Charleston beginning fall 2010. Training will target future educators enrolled in programs at area colleges, teachers employed in local schools, college faculty and employees of agencies who deal with literacy issues. Through the use of audio technology such as MP3 players, computers, and CDs, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) provides access to books and educational materials to children and adults with learning, visual or physical disabilities.
RFB&D technology training will be offered to pre-service teachers at the College of Charleston, Charleston Southern University, The Citadel and Trident Technical College. Students will use this knowledge when they become teachers and will influence other educators at their schools. Training will also be offered to in-service educators at all levels in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester County school districts, as well as other community agencies involved in literacy issues. In addition, the Center will offer training to faculty at local colleges. Providing this knowledge to college faculty increases the probability that qualified postsecondary students will successfully access RFB&D materials through offices of disability services.
The grant provides funding for adjunct professors to allow course releases for faculty working with grant activities. Funding is also provided for a graduate assistant dedicated to the project and RFB&D technology, services and products. RFB&D will oversee the project and train project staff.
“Although many students with various types of learning disabilities can clearly benefit from using RFB&D’s audiobooks, many teachers are unaware of their value or think of them as a tool only for students with visual impairments,” says Dean Fran Welch, School of Education, Health, and Human Performance. “This project increases the likelihood that students who need and qualify for RFB&D’s services and products in the Charleston area will receive them.”
For more information or to inquire about training opportunities, contact Mike Skinner at 843.953.5613.
About Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic®
Founded in 1948, RFB&D serves more than 270,000 K-12, college and graduate students, as well as veterans and lifelong learners – all of whom cannot read standard print due to blindness, visual impairment, dyslexia, or other disability. RFB&D’s collection of more than 60,000 digitally recorded textbooks and literature titles – delivered through internet downloads, assistive technology devices, and CDs – is the largest of its kind in the world. More than 5,400 volunteers across the U.S. help to record and process the books, which students rely on to achieve educational success. RFB&D, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Education, state and local education programs, and the generous contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations. For more information, call 866.732.3585 or visit www.rfbd.org .
