Many people take being able to sit down and read the newspaper or a magazine for granted. However, what about those people who cannot see well enough to read the newspaper print or those who cannot see at all? WVTF Public Radio in Roanoke realizes there are people out there with print disabilities. That is why they began offering the Radio Reading Service.

The station broadcasts reading from both local and national newspapers as well as a variety of magazines over a "hidden" portion of their signal. This portion of the signal can only be picked up by a special FM-SCA receiver, which the station provides to qualified persons free of charge. Persons wishing to acquire the service need to complete a receiver application, which is available by request at the radio station. "We have roughly 2000 special radios in use so we would like to think all those radios are being used," said Ben Martin, director of the Radio Reading Service. Readings include articles from local papers such as The Roanoke Times, Danville Register & Bee, Lexington News-Gazette and such national papers as the New York Times and USA Today as well as a number of other local and national periodicals.

This particular Radio Reading Service was started in 1979. The first RRS (radio reading service) went on air in 1969 and is credited to C. Stanley Potter in St. Paul Minnesota, Martin said. The reading service provides a priceless service to the community and allows those who would otherwise have no access to local and national news other than television to have the same reading experiences as everyone else. Martha Davidson, 89, a resident of Westminster Canterbury in Lynchburg who lost her eyesight in 1995 praised the service. " The fact that you can listen to the radio and not have to look is great," said Davidson "They have a lot of interesting programs."

The station relies on volunteers to do the on- air reading. Anyone who wishes to volunteer should contact RRS Director, Ben Martin at (540) 857-8900.For more information on the Radio Reading Service contact WVTF public Radio at (540) 989-8900.