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TIC Speaker’s Bureau Spreads the Word - Massachusetts
Publish Date : 11/29/2004 4:08:00 PM   Source : Culture and Community News

Do you have an older friend or relative whose sight is failing? Blindness affects more than one million Americans age 40 and older, primarily as the result of age-related eye diseases, a number that is projected to double as the baby-boomer generation ages. Despite these statistics many remain unaware of the dynamic lifeline that the Talking Information Center offers visually-impaired and print-handicapped listeners.

To remedy this situation, TIC volunteers Al Taylor and Pat Smudin recently took to the airwaves to spread the word to seniors about the many benefits of TIC broadcasts. Appearing on a live broadcast of “Gerontology Update” on the Boston Neighborhood Network, sponsored by the Gerontology Institute at UMASS Boston, Al and Pat eagerly fielded host Kay Maguire’s queries.

The mission of the Talking Information Center (TIC) was clearly outlined: to provide visually-impaired and print-handicapped people access to the printed word and to provide audience-specific information in the form of timely broadcast programming.

TIC, a non-profit reading service based in Marshfield, MA, broadcasts newspapers, magazines, books, and special consumer information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, and Connecticut through its seven network affiliates.

To arrange for a speaker from TIC to speak with your group or organization about TIC services, please call 800-696-9505, or 781-834-4400 or email e-mail protected from spam bots.

TIC Volunteers
3 full time employees keep non-profit TIC on the air 24/7 augmented by the efforts of 500 dedicated volunteer readers throughout the state. The TIC volunteers who appeared on “Gerontology Update” are both regular readers for the TIC network.

Pat Smudin of Bridgewater, MA takes time out of her busy schedule to host the Good Taste show weekly on TIC, featuring new product reviews along with restaurant reviews. Pat is a graduate of the Brockton School of Nursing and is an active member of the Lions Club in Bridgewater, receiving the Melvin Jones fellowship for her civic involvement. The mother of an Army major stationed in Iraq, Pat is an avid spokesperson for the TIC network.

Al Taylor of Hanover, MA is retired from his post at MIT and is enjoying every minute of his retirement. In addition to his affiliation with TIC where he is often pressed into service as the resident photographer, Al is a member of the Board of Directors of LETS (Life Enrichment Through Studies), a Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) for adult learners sponsored by the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

About TIC
In 1977, Ed Perry, the founder of radio station WATD-FM in Marshfield, MA, donated his Subsidiary Carrier Authorization signal for use as the first radio reading service in New England. TIC began broadcasting in 1978 for four hours daily, Monday through Friday.

Currently, over 20,000 listeners in Massachusetts rely on the Talking Information Center (TIC), which broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to visually-impaired and print-handicapped listeners including those suffering from AIDS, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, stroke, paralysis or other physical illness that makes holding a publication or turning pages impossible. TIC provides listeners with special receivers that are small radios tuned only to the Talking Information Center.

The Talking Information Center (TIC), located in Marshfield, MA, is a non-profit reading service that broadcasts newspapers, magazines, books, and special consumer information covering specific subject areas such as obituaries, medical updates, jobs, stock market updates, sports, supermarket specials, voting guides, community newspapers, and television programs. In addition, TIC broadcasts book readings every evening as well as cultural programming including old-time radio drama, theater, and poetry.

TIC is the hub of the Massachusetts Reading Network, broadcasting to all of Massachusetts as well as southern New Hampshire and Connecticut. Operating similarly to other broadcast networks, TIC has affiliates throughout the state of Massachusetts that provide inserts of local news and information that is of interest to listeners in their area. TIC has also added a website, featuring a live audio stream, selected archived programs, and links to other service organizations, including all TIC affiliate stations.

TIC affiliates include: Audible Local Ledger (ALL), Mashpee, MA; Audio Journal, Worcester, MA; Berkshire Talking Chronicle (BTC), Dalton, MA; Connecticut Radio Information System (CRIS), Windsor, CT; Lowell Association For The Blind (LAB), Lowell, MA; MetroWest Radio Reading Service, Framingham, MA; and Radio Reading Service Goodwill, Springfield, MA.

The Talking Information Center is located at 130 Enterprise Drive, in Marshfield, MA 02050. For more information about TIC please visit www.ticnetwork.com, email e-mail protected from spam bots, or call 800-696-9505, or 781-834-4400.