By: Staff Reports Newsline Gets Grant For Audio Program
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is expanding its
Newsline service to provide hundreds of local daily newspapers to
blind persons in the United States.
Newsline, a toll-free phone service, allows blind people to
"read" newspapers using a touch-tone telephone. The service
synthesizes speech to deliver an audio version of newspaper text.
NFB, based in Baltimore, received a $4 million grant from the
federal Institute of Museum and Library Services to develop the
technology necessary to expand Newsline services nationwide.
Newsline currently offers approximately 50 national and local
newspapers to blind people living in 73 local dialing areas in
the U.S. and Toronto, Canada.
Newswire requires that newspapers provide digital text of
articles to NFB's Newsline headquarters, using the Internet,
modem-to-modem transfer, or satellite communications. Text will
be translated directly into synthesized speech and made readily
available to Newsline users.
The new system will provide online registration for users, making
it possible for library personnel to easily register prospective
Newsline users. All calls placed by Newsline users will now be
received at Newsline's offices in Baltimore.
Copyright 2001, Editor & Publisher.
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