Web Radio Resources for the Blind
Sites Help Visually Impaired Broadcast, Connect, and Manage Content
Oct 16, 2009
Radio has always been a vital form of recreation for blind and visually impaired persons, whether they are listening to music or Old Time Radio broadcasts, or catching up on current events.
The growth of the Internet has created technologies that afford the blind community unprecedented levels of interactivity with the auditory medium, both as fans and participants.
There are a growing number of web radio stations and online communities designed specifically for the blind, along with tools to organize favorite stations and accessible software to stream and share original content. The following article offers a brief roundup of such resources.
Web Radio for Blind Listeners
Serotek has launched an online radio station, SAMNet Radio, for blind and low-vision listeners that airs popular music of the last 40 years, the latest technology news, live and interactive voice chats, and a SAMNet community portal. Michael Lauf, the former creator, host, and producer of HandiTalk, the first interactive Internet radio program to discuss the needs of the blind and visually impaired, manages the station, whose slogan is “Your Station, Your Community.”
VIPConduit is an online chat community made up of visually impaired individuals, their friends and families. The group strives to build bridges with the many other cyber-communities like it to make the Internet experience better for everyone.
The Global Voice is a web radio station that is operated independently by blind and sighted individuals and which offers the blind community a voice to help blind and sighted people see eye-to-eye. The station provides a variety of music, comedy, news, and talk shows and includes programming in a variety of languages.
The Radio Bug Internet station broadcasts content (including interviews with disabled persons and service providers), to bring vital information to those with disabilities. The station has a dozen DJ's who play a wide variety of music genres and its website lists disability resources in three categories: services (physical goods), general support (including national and international organizations), and disability-specific organizations.
Web Radio Content Tools
Station Playlist Studio is broadcast automation software that plays all media files with manual or intelligent cross fading and supports live streams and inputs from soundcard and satellite feeds. The package includes an Internet stream encoder, voice track/song ramp overlapping, microphone button with music fade, and many Live Assist features such as cart slots for instant jingles.
Sttation Playlist is accessible for blind and visually impaired users, as most functions can be executed using the keyboard. In addition, Brian Hartgen has written scripts for the popular screen reader, JAWS that add further efficiences, including braille support, a countdown timer, and lists providing the JAWS and application keystrokes.
RadioTime provides content tools to help listeners quickly and easily find their favorite radio stations and personalities using their PC and other devices such as cell phones. Registration is free: listeners can customize settings for faster access. RadioTime’s numerous broadcast partnerships ensure complete and accurate station listings. Their guide powers Sonos, Logitech, Squeezebox, Cisco Home Audio, and Windows Media Center.
Iheard hosts a comprehensive, searchable database of online radio stations with a directory listing categorized by genre, country, and language. The site captures and stores station data and connects listeners to the stations, playing streams off the original site. Supporting formats include: Windows Media Player, iTunes, Winamp, and RealPlayer. Iheard also includes simulcasts offered by traditional radio stations.
Far from diminishing radio’s reach, the Internet has infused the medium with new levels of vitality and interactivity, providing an empowering, unifying resource for blind and visually impaired persons.
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