Mission and Vision
Sun Sounds of Arizona provides audio access to information to people in the Southwest who cannot read print because they have a disability.
Vision Statement
Sun Sounds of Arizona will make creative use of technology and talent to ensure that every disabled person has the opportunity to access the current and local information necessary to a self-directed, productive life. As a result, the inability to read print will no longer be considered a disabling condition. Sun Sounds of Arizona will continue to be a leader in the field of information access services and a willing partner to organizations with like goals. Sun Sounds of Arizona is innovative, committed to quality and to customer satisfaction.
Founded in 1979 as an outreach project of Rio Salado College, Sun Sounds was designed to provide the print disabled community of Arizona access to a variety of written materials. Through efforts to help facilitate maximum personal independence for those who are unable to read printed information, Sun Sounds has grown into a state wide network that offers closed circuit radio broadcasts of daily newspapers, current books, magazines, and special feature programs. This unique blend of live and recorded programming is transmitted to as many as 50,000 listeners throughout Arizona via FM sub carrier signals and cable systems.
Broadcasts are heard in nursing homes, hospitals, senior centers and in private homes. Sun Sounds of Arizona is a network of four radio stations located in Tempe, Tucson, Flagstaff and Yuma serving North, South and Central Arizona.
Sun Sounds programming is received on special closed circuit radios that are loaned free of charge to eligible persons. Potential listeners are required to complete an application for service, which must be signed by a physician, social worker, librarian or other professional, certifying that the applicant is print disabled and thus eligible for Sun Sounds service. Recently, Sun Sounds has expanded its services to include live audio streaming through the Internet at http://sunsounds.org and a state-of-the-art telephone and web reading service called Sun Dial that can be accessed in the Phoenix metropolitan area and Tucson.
