FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
Tempe, AZ, October 12, 2009
GOVERNOR BREWER PROCLAIMS OCTOBER 11-17 “SUN SOUNDS WEEK”
Sun Sounds of Arizona, a state-wide radio reading and information access service for anyone who cannot use printed material, is proud to celebrate “Sun Sounds of Arizona Week” October 11-17, 2009, as proclaimed by Governor Jan Brewer.
The Sun Sounds Week proclamation corresponds with the organization’s 30th Anniversary, and recognizes Sun Sounds for providing the access to local and national newspapers, magazines and books that people with disabilities need in order to live more independent and productive lives.
Sun Sounds, a public service of Rio Salado College, began broadcasting in 1979 from a 300-square foot office on Camelback Road. Now in state-of-the-art facilities in Tempe, with several full-time staff members and 500 volunteers state-wide, Sun Sounds is on the air 24/7 with local and national newspapers like the Arizona Republic 7 days a week, the Arizona Sun, the Arizona Star, Yuma Sun, Wall Street Journal and USAToday. In addition to newspapers, volunteers read grocery ads, retail store ads, health newsletters, job opportunities, fiction and non-fiction books, and selections from approximately 200 current magazines.
While some of the 49,000 people who listen to Sun Sounds are blind or have low vision due to macular degeneration, others find it difficult to hold printed material because of severe arthritis, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, or spinal cord injury. Sun Sounds of Arizona service is also available to people with dyslexia or cognitive disabilities that make understanding the printed word a challenge. Listeners hear Sun Sounds via a special radio, the Sun Dial telephone access system, or by streaming the live broadcast online at
sunsounds.org/listen. There is no charge for this service.
To apply for service, volunteer or donate, contact the nearest Sun Sounds of Arizona office. In Flagstaff, call 928-779-1775, in Tucson call 520-296-2400, in Yuma call 928-329-6715, and in the Phoenix area call 480-774-8300.
For additional information about this release, photos, or video, contact:
Heidi Capriotti
Marketing Coordinator, Sun Sounds of Arizona
2323 W. 14th St., Tempe, AZ 85281-6950
480-774-8300
heidi.capriotti@riomail.maricopa.edu
About Sun Sounds of Arizona
Sun Sounds of Arizona, established in 1979, is a radio reading and information access service for people who cannot read print due to a disability. A community outreach service of Rio Salado College’s Division of Public Service, Sun Sounds uses 500 volunteers across the state to provide information access free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using special radios, designated cable systems, telephone and the internet.
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