Tuning in to home language reading needs

A NEW online sports radio station has joined Blind SA, the SA Braille Authority and Nal’ibali to ensure that blind and partially-sighted learners will be able to read aloud in their own languages.

This comes ahead of International Mother Language Day, to be celebrated on Thursday – and 1World Sports Radio will be doing so in a unique way.

This prompted the idea of creating a Beyond 20/20 Supporters Club. The name comes from the measure for perfect sight – 20/20 vision – with an added nod to the exciting short form of cricket, Twenty20, and 1World Sports Radio’s desire to be around for many years to come.

Throughout February, the supporters club is giving a substantial portion of its annual membership fee of R290 to Blind SA.

Last year was the first year in which an event of this kind took place, where more than 450 visually-impaired children participated in seven languages.

The goal this year is to have all 11 official languages represented.

Blind SA will transcribe the story Where Are You? by Ann Walton and the cartoonist Rico into braille in all 11 official languages, Nal’ibali will provide large-print copies for the partially sighted and 1World Sports Radio has embarked on a fund-raising drive in support of braille education.

1World Sports Radio’s chief executive and well-known weatherman, Simon Gear, said: “Reading with your fingers is hard and takes a lot of practise. Try feeling those strange dot patterns printed on the surface of various items, like your local ATM. It’s true that modern devices can read articles to you, but if you’re sight impaired and don’t know braille, you can’t read for yourself.

“We realised early on that broadcasting sport on radio is an essential service to people who are visually impaired.

“Within days of starting to broadcast, we received a number of tweets from blind listeners, thanking us for opening up the world of sport to them,” said Gear.

Blind SA chief executive Jace Nair said braille was one way to read the alphabet.

“That means that children learn to read and write braille in their home languages and on Thursday, they will get a chance to show off their skills,” said Nair.