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- EIN 54-1076238
- (804) 266-2477
- PO Box 15546 395 Azalea Avenue Richmond VA 23227 USA
- www.virginiavoice.org
- VaVoice
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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Arts & Culture, Radio
Mission: Virginia Voice was founded in 1978 as an independent non-profit organization with the stated mission of making available to blind, severely visually handicapped and physically handicapped persons the reading of current printed information and other speciallized information that is otherwise inaccessible to them. Virginia Voice serves as “eyes for those who cannot see and hands for those who cannot turn pages.”
The overarching goal of Virginia Voice is to connect print-disabled individuals with the broader community through access to current information. One of the greatest obstacles encountered by those with print disabilities is the experience of being isolated from their community and the world around them. The inability to access printed information and the deprivation of independent mobility result in a significant disconnection with the community and the loss of self-sufficiency, dignity, and a sense of safety and security. With the aging of the "baby boomer" generation, there will be an increasingly rapid growth in the number of individuals whose ability to read will be affected by vision impairment and other disabillities.
There are many resources for books on tape and for Braille printed materials. Virginia Voice is distinctive in bringing current publications to those who cannot read a daily newspaper, a popular magazine, or publications of special interest to the visually and physically impaired. All of our programs and activities are designed with our mission firmly in mind. Maintaining our full schedule of programming, retaining and recruiting hundreds of volunteer readers, reaching out to community organizations that serve our target population, and pursuing the latest technology for more effective service delivery and more accessible resource materials - all these efforts serve our defining purpose of connecting print-disabled individuals with the broader community.
Target demographics: connect print-disabled individuals with the broader community through access to current information. We serve as eyes for those who cannot see and hands for those who cannot turn pages.
Direct beneficiaries per year: approximately 2,700 print-disabled individuals in Central Virginia and Hampton Roads. Approximately 85% are blind or vision impaired, and 15% are unable to read due to other disabilities. Clients range in age from ten to 105 years of age, with 65% over the age of 65.
Geographic areas served: Central Virginia & beyond
Programs: 24-hour, organized broadcast of readings from a wide selection of current published material – newspapers, magazines, and books, as well as newsletters, flyers and other informational publications by organizations that provide various services from which our listeners may benefit. During the course of a week, we broadcast readings from more than 130 publications ranging from Style Weekly to Time and Entertainment Weekly to Smithsonian. Increasingly, we are supplementing the reading of print publications with readings of news and information from various reputable internet sources.