When intern Jasmine Seabron, who is blind, got to hear her own voice on an interview she had done with Mayor Kasim Reed, Jae Cosby couldn’t have been more proud. “She kept saying, ‘that’s me!’, and I was so happy for her. It made me sad that she couldn’t see me smiling at her achievement, but this is why this organization is so important,” shared a teary-eyed Cosby.
Cosby is the executive director for the Georgia Radio Reading Service, or GaRRS, that is the only statewide radio reading service for the blind and visually impaired. Currently, there are more than 400,000 diagnosed cases of blindness and visual impairment in Georgia. The 30-year-old nonprofit radio station also broadcasts to those who are dyslexic, paraplegic, or have other disabilities that prevent them from reading.
The radio programs are maintained solely by volunteers. Starting at 6 a.m., more than 30 volunteers come throughout the day to do live readings of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and work on shows that air on future dates and times. GaRRS broadcasts over 170 shows that are produced and reported by volunteers.
Esther Zells comes in early mornings to live-read the paper to about 16,000 subscribers. “Being immigrants, my parents struggled with English, but my father liked to be current on news events,” said Zells. “I used to read the paper to him, and then continued to give my time to reading services wherever I have lived. This is something so worthwhile because when you meet the listeners, you know this means a lot to them.”
Volunteer-produced shows such as “The GaRRS Traveler: Out & About“ provides walking tours in Georgia and beyond while agencies such as the Georgia Department of Labor hosts “Let’s Get to Work” broadcasting job announcements, blind services, and more. The shows air on specialized sub-channel radios that are configured to the frequency available to the subscriber’s home location in Georgia.
“Volunteers are the core to making GaRRS successful,” said Cosby. “We always want volunteer reporters, readers, producers, and even people for community outreach. We are not just providing a service, but we really want to improve our listeners’ quality of life.”
To volunteer with Georgia Radio Reading Service, visit www.garss.net
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