Local volunteers create
an audio library for the blind

By Wafa R. Musitief
For the Times

On a typical Thursday afternoon, you can find William "Bill" Rooney and his wife Dorothy lunching with the rest of the gang of volunteer readers at the Radio Center of the Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASB).
The retired couple from Torresdale have been married for 53 years and have nine grown children.
Although Bill actually began volunteering back in 1979 while still working as a supervisor of a lab, today both he and his wife serve as volunteers, reading magazines and books at the center.
Faithfully every Thursday, they come along with their neighbor and good friend Vicki Niblick, who also is a volunteer reader.
"We were in a play-reading group, just friends, and they asked if I would like to join it. And that’s how this came about," Bill says.
The Rooneys and Niblick faithfully make their way to the ASB headquarters through rain or snow, traffic or no traffic. Their determination and loyalty comes from the purpose that they are serving.
"We don’t get much feedback, but I did have a woman who wrote me a letter to say that this reading service is the best thing that’s happened since sliced bread…It’s great doing something for people they can use, and can’t get any other way, " explains Bill.
Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired is the largest non-profit organization in the Delaware Valley serving blind and visually impaired individuals.
There are an estimated 57,000 blind people in Pennsylvania. ASB was established in 1983, after a merger took place between the Radio Information Center for the Blind, the Nevil Institute for Rehabilitation Services, and Volunteer Services for the Blind.
Since then, the organization has been committed to promoting independence and self-esteem in the blind and visually impaired by providing services such as rehabilitation, educational vocational testing, and specialized services such as life skills education, computer training, hands-on-gardening and support groups.
The ASB also has a lighthouse, a custom and production Braille division, a recorded periodicals division, and a radio information center for the Blind, which is where the Rooneys volunteer.
The center is a 24-hour radio reading service that is broadcast throughout the Delaware Valley. Publications such as newspapers, books and magazines are all read by the roughly 60 volunteers at the center, and transmitted through special receivers, which are provided by the ASB.
The recordings reach people in Southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and northern Delaware who not only may be blind or visually impaired, but who may suffer from dyslexia, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, or any other condition that may prevent them from reading print.
John Corgan has been with the ASB for 23 years, and today serves as the manager of the Radio Information center. Over the years he has overseen numerous volunteers, and says there are certain traits and qualities he looks for in his volunteers.
"You want a certain education level or specialty, someone who has that background," he says, "someone who has a nice speaking voice, and can read from a skill set."
The Rooneys say their clear performing voices and their love of performing helped them in deciding to volunteer at ASB.
"I always liked to perform, people always told me I have a decent voice, so I thought, why not use it?" says Bill.
Over the years the Rooneys have devoted hours of time to the ASB, and they have formed valuable relationships with the other volunteers and administrators at the ASB.
"We’re really good friends, this group is nice and friendly, everybody is just so nice here," Bill says.
And with friendship comes learning.
Although prior to becoming involved with the ASB, the Rooneys didn’t know anyone who was blind, Dorothy says they have gained so much insight through this experience.
"We’ve learned how wonderful blind people are, and the amazing things they can do — like fix cars, knitting, crocheting," she says. "You even learn while reading special publications about these topics every week."
The dedication that the Rooneys have to the ASB is so embedded, they plan on showing up every Thursday for years to come.
"We haven’t set out any deadlines, I think until our voices give out!" Dorothy laughs.
It’s devotion like this that keeps the ASB going.
Says Corgan: "We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers." ••
To find out how you can volunteer at the ASB, log on to www.asb.org