Brian Curry
When Andrea Pasquale, the director of Sun Sounds of Arizona, came to speak at the monthly meeting of the Sun Lakes Breakfast Lions Club, it would be fair to say that none of the members knew of her program which is a radio reading and information service for people who cannot read.
“Lions Clubs internationally were charged by no less than Helen Keller to become ‘Knights of the blind, in the crusade against darkness,’ so we were very happy to hear about Sun Sounds,” said SLBLC President Brian Curry.
Founded in 1979, Sun Sounds offers free programs for the blind or visually impaired 24/7 serving 49,000 listeners with over 10,000 hours of programs produced every year from the daily newspaper to the weekly supermarket ads. Served by 400 volunteers who read over 200 publications, it opens the world to those without sight or struggling with sight issues due to a variety of medical issues.
Those who are Sun Sound listeners can use special radios at no charge to listen to programs that they want while those in assisted living facilities and hospital receive broadcasts on bedside televisions. Other ways it can be accessed are on their website which features their live feed where you can also download individual shows on demand. They also have a phone app for smartphone users.
SLBLC members were impressed with Ms. Pasquale’s presentation and made a donation on the spot in honor of one of their members who has vision problems due to the after-effects of a stroke and promised to get the word out about the great work Sun Sounds of Arizona does.
Want to learn more about them and the free programs they offer? Look for them on the net at www.sunsounds.org, on Facebook at Sun Sounds of Arizona or call them at their nearest office in Tempe at 480-774-8300.