Today, I have read about a project in Germany which enables the blind to enjoy newspapers and current news. They started in 1972 and have risen to a nationwide society.
Their concept is as simple as intriguing: Volunteers choose and read newspaper articles which are recorded and then sent out to their clients on CD or can be downloaded as MP3s. They record various collections: regional news, nationwide news, political or health-related collections. They are released weekly or monthly and currently reach 5,000 people in Germany.
Of course, their collections can't be offered for free; they have expenses for equipment, CDs and such. However, they are offered at a reasonable, rather low price.
The idea came about when the founder's wife (who is blind) read newspaper articles to him back in 1972. He thought, If we recorded her, others could enjoy the article as well. One of his friends suggested that the church's youth organisation could help with recording, so they set to work. Since their humble beginnings, they have come a long way. They changed their medium over time to stay up to date with current developments and have slowly increased the amount of collections to reach out to listeners throughout Germany.
I am awed by this project. They have been providing blind people with a medium which allows them to stay up to date for four decades, without having to depend on their spouses, children or friends to read to them. I think this is a great example of how language can connect people in an attempt to make other lives a little bit better.
Language ... the bridge of communication, the magic creator of worlds, the brush and paint of authors. Language is magic. It gives us power. It is something you just have to love.
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