Supporting Print Accessibility Through Audio Technology
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Dear IAAIS Members and Friends,
Whether you made it to Cincinnati for the International Association of Audio Information Services' Annual Conference or not, we want you, as an Audio Information Professional to be abreast of the new trends, technologies and methods of service that your fellow professionals are learning here during the 2009 Conference. As a result, we are providing information from the conference electronically- right to your computer!
Today through Saturday, you'll receive updates of what over 60 of your fellow professionals are doing and learning throughout each day of the conference. In addition, the audio from all of the sessions will be available on the IAAIS Program Share very soon.
While none of this is a substitute for attending the conference and the idea sharing that goes on during the conference, we hope that this will provide you with some of the information that you need to run a successful audio information service.
If you like what you hear and read, be sure to mark your calendars and budgets now for Dallas in 2010, June 3-6!
Looking to the future with vision and hope,
Kim Walsh
IAAIS President |
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| Early Bird Sessions |
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Program Share Meeting Packs the Room
Art Hadley from the Kansas Audio Reader lead the discussion with a full room in one of the Early Bird sessions on Thursday morning. The group discussed the new platform of the IAAIS Program Share, one of the vital benefits of membership. Over 30 services are already participating in the NEW Program Share and many, many more are expected to join in the coming months. If you would like more information about the Program Share and what it can do to enhance your station's offerings go to the new Program Share website at www.iaais.org/programshare. From there, you can peruse the offerings already available and access the information that you need to get your station signed up to not only download other station offerings, but also upload your own programs to share with the rest of the world!
Art will repeat this well received session on Saturday at 1:30.
New Members Receive Crash Course
Lori Kessinger, IAAIS Administrative Assistant, and Mike Duke from Radio Reading Service of Mississippi gave new members of the IAAIS a schooling everything they need to know to get the most out of the IAAIS Membership. From IAAIS Good Practice Guidelines to brief look into the Program Share, the attendees of this Early Bird Session learned all they need to know to be on the forefront of the audio information services profession. |
| Keynote Address |
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Twain Entertains
It's not everyday you get a chance to meet with a historical legend and even less often you get to talk with a dead author and humorist. Conference attendees got to do just that with Thursday's keynote speaker.
Mark Twain provided his insight and humor to a standing room only crowd. He talked about his days spent in Cincinnati and Ohio and gave numerous anecdotes about his life.
One piece of takeaway advice? He told the crowd, "When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it's always twenty years behind the times."
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| Business Meeting |
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President's Report
President Kim Walsh of Detroit Radio Information Service provided the attendees with details of one of the busiest years for IAAIS yet. From working with many other groups on the 21st Century Accessibility Act, releasing a new digital format newsletter, releasing the StAR report, and launching the new platform of the Program Share, no committee stayed without work for long. Kim announced that most recently, the IAAIS signed on with the American Foundation for the Blind's Health Reform Letter to ensure that all visual aids and assistive technologies are covered with an overhaul of the national healthcare system.
Nominating Committee
Nominating Chairperson, John Fullerton from Radio Talking Book Service in Omaha, announced the results of the recent IAAIS elections. Elected to Member Director positions for three-year terms are Steve Cumming, Station Manager, North Texas Radio for the Blind, Dallas, TX; Carol Ann Dennhardt, Director, Tri-States Audio Information Services, Macomb, IL; and Paul Migliorelli, Chief Production Engineer, Audio Information Networks of Colorado, Boulder, CO.
Dave Binkley, Program Director, WCRS in Akron and Brad Martin, Director, Alabama Print Information Center both completed two three year terms as Member Directors.
Several other committees including Awards, Communications, Finance, Program Share, Technology, Conference, and Membership also gave brief reports. Full, written reports will be made available via the IAAIS Listserv in the coming weeks. |
| Business Meeting |
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Brainstorming a Stronger Industry Prior to the conference, several members suggested that the most important thing that could happen at the conference was to learn what they could do to strengthen their own station in these uncertain times. To that end, the normal business meeting was cut short to accommodate time for the group to brainstorm and share ideas about how to create a successful, relevant audio information service.
Steve Shaffer, Minds Eye Information Service Engineer and professional strategic planner, led the session. He started out by writing SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) on the flip chart, promptly crossing out Weakness and Threats. This session would be only talk of Strengths and Opportunities to move the industry forward.
Below are some of the innovative ideas discussed:
- Massachusetts developed accessible work training around their reading service teaching skills in not only radio, but also administrative tasks to trainees. Five people have gone through their program so far.
- Dallas runs a show called Eyes on Employment and invites Human Resources professionals on the program to discuss how to find a job and also to discuss current openings of interest to listeners. This has led to the employment of nine people since the program started.
- Raleigh is offering the reading of the ads through podcasting technology so that younger listeners can take the ads to the store and on the go with them.
- Detroit is working with the local newspapers to leverage their reading of the ads as a value added component to buying ad space in the newspapers.
- Minnesota is beginning to use DAISY (Digital Accessible Information SYstem) to mark books and other readings so that people can skip through downloaded programming easily.
- Kansas provides accessible brochures for other service providers and also reads Lions Clubs' information.
- Indiana is pursuing digital partnerships to spread their service through the unserved parts of the state.
- Minds Eye has been successfully working with commercial radio stations since their inception to provide their service on SCA and is now pursuing a relationship with a local commercial television station to use the digital white space for an even broader reach.
- Detroit produces PSA's for other services and organizations- for a fee and also has created another revenue stream by providing air time to like minded organizations to spread information. They also raise funds by charging rebroadcasters and institutional care facilities for the use of their service.
Dave Noble of Sun Sounds summed up the session well, he said. "We must embrace new opportunities to stay relevant."
The formal discussion will continue on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. |
| CABVI Tour |
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Conference Attendees Visit Many Services in One
You know that quote about Cincinnati Mark Twain mentioned earlier? Conference attendees are finding that its so not true.
The IAAIS got the chance to tour the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired Thursday evening. The organization not only houses Cincy's radio reading service, but also provides rehabilitation services and classes, low vision services, classes for blind children and families and also is a manufacturing facility that employs many area people with visual disabilities.
After the tour, the group was treated to several beverages unique to the area as well as the famous Skyline Chili and Graeter's ice cream. | |
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