About Voicecorps
For people who have a medical condition that prevents them from using print, Voicecorps is a tool for independent access to information. Volunteers read aloud from current local and national newspapers, plus 200 other print publications and neighborhood shopping flyers. Check out our program listings here.
We use broadcasting and internet streaming to deliver those readings in a 24-hour schedule. Our volunteers and systems are extremely reliable, too. So much so, that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the Voicecorps audience was never without a daily newspaper. This level of dedication and service offers the audience access to print news that’s nearly equal to that of their sighted or unimpaired neighbors.
A Bit of History
We began in 1975 when blind members of the Columbus Ohio community advocated for a broadcast-based reading service. They succeeded, and on November 17th Voicecorps began reading the Columbus Dispatch and a limited set of other print publications on the subcarrier of WOSU-FM, using the name Central Ohio Radio Reading Service. Voicecorps was the first radio reading service in the state, the third reading service of its kind in the world and the first in the nation to be established by eligible recipients of the service.
Demand for the service has grown as has the need to deliver reading in a variety of ways. We still use FM subcarrier radio in central Ohio and in Portsmouth but have added internet streaming, Alexa devices, and digital television channels to our network which now covers more than 120,000 eligible Ohio residents.
About the Audience
Anyone who cannot read print because of a disability is eligible for our service. Some listeners are totally blind while others have low vision from macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, or glaucoma. Some can no longer turn the pages of a newspaper because they have had an injury, stroke, or Parkinson’s disease. Still others are unable to read due to dyslexia, or a military service-related injury.
Voicecorps Today
Voicecorps broadcasts are available in central and southern Ohio, and with agreements signed in 2020 for transmission in northwest and southeast Ohio, we can read to more than 80,000 eligible residents of the State. Plus, our internet streaming goes everywhere there is web access. Our programs are a high-quality resource of vital news, information, education, and entertainment.
Our program schedule is anchored in print-based material; however, we add a judicious few hours of public affairs programming designed specifically to inform and educate people who might otherwise not learn of the organizations and topics we bring to their attention. Our interview programs feature other service organizations and civic groups, consumer advocacy associations, and often highlight meetings and events which a visually impaired person might not otherwise learn about.
To learn how to tune in Voicecorps in any of these formats, please call us at 614-274-7650. Voicecorps is a proud member of both the Ohio Radio Reading Services – ORRS and the International Association of Audio Information Services – IAAIS.