Talking Information Center (TIC), a non-profit reading service based in Marshfield, MA, which broadcasts 24 hours a day to visually impaired and otherwise print disabled listeners, is launching their Annual Appeal to raise funds to support programming and is participating in the #GivingTuesday movement.
With thousands of blind/visually impaired, senior and veteran listeners statewide, TIC provides informational, entertaining broadcasts that just aren’t available elsewhere. Operating with the help of more than 600 volunteers statewide, TIC broadcasts newspapers, magazines, books, special consumer information, medical and stock market updates, jobs, sports, supermarket specials, voting guides, community newspapers, and more.
Turning Print Into Sound
Every year, TIC must cover the cost of print subscriptions, which are the heart of TIC programming as they provide the content that volunteers read. TIC subscribes to more than 60 newspapers and magazines, from The Boston Globe and The Washington Post to Diabetes Self Management, Consumer Reports, Reader’s Digest and others.
In order to continue providing quality print-based programming to listeners, TIC is fundraising to defray subscription costs. For example, a $25 donation could sponsor a full year of Time Magazine and a $150 donation could sponsor six months of The Wall Street Journal.
Supporting a Good Cause on #GivingTuesday
TIC is a registered nonprofit organization with 38 years of success and sustainability. TIC asks those in the community to consider making a donation to help cover the cost of print subscriptions and support programming on #GivingTuesday, November 29, 2016, which is the global day dedicated to giving.
Donations may be made online at www.ticnetwork.org. Donations may also be made by check or money order (made out to “Talking Information Center”) and mailed to Talking Information Center, PO Box 519, Marshfield, MA 02050.
A Growing Demand
Approximately 10,000 people turn 65 every day in the U.S. and in Massachusetts, 34 percent of people with disabilities are 65 and older. Others who experience vision problems are living with AIDS, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, paralysis and other physical ailments that make it difficult to hold a publication or turn its pages.
“Two out of three aging Americans confront vision loss. Baby boomers are the fastest growing segment of our audience,” explained Jim Bunnell, TIC’s Executive Director. “Without the community’s generous support, TIC listeners would not be able to access the news and information they have come to rely on and which greatly enriches the quality of their lives.”
The Hub of the Massachusetts Reading Network
TIC is a proud member of the International Association of Audible Information Services (IAAIS), and is the hub of the Massachusetts Reading Network, broadcasting to all of Massachusetts as well as southern New Hampshire and Connecticut. TIC operates with the help of more than 600 volunteers statewide, broadcasting newspapers, magazines, books, special consumer information, medical and stock market updates, jobs, sports, supermarket specials, voting guides, community newspapers, and television programs. TIC also offers cultural programming such as old-time radio drama, theater, and poetry. Two of TIC’s newest shows include Veterans Voice Radio and Veterans Voice Story Hour, which are specifically geared toward military veterans and their families.
TIC programming may be accessed several ways: via live audio stream at http://www.ticnetwork.org; by utilizing a specially tuned radio receiver; through AudioNow by calling 712-832-7025 from a home or cell phone; or by smartphone app. Listeners with smartphones may download the free TIC app by typing “Talking Information Center” in Apple or in the Google Play store for Android devices.
In 1977, Ed Perry, the founder of radio station WATD-FM in Marshfield, MA, donated his Subsidiary Carrier Authorization signal for use as the first radio reading service in New England. Operating similarly to other broadcast networks, TIC has affiliates throughout the state of Massachusetts that provide inserts of local news and information that is of interest to listeners in their area. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind oversee TIC, which is located at 130 Enterprise Drive, Marshfield, MA 02050. For more information visit www.ticnetwork.org or call (781) 834-4400.
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