GEORGIA RADIO READING SERVICE INC

Who We Are: GaRRS is a staff of 6 employees (1 blind), and over 200 volunteers who strive to improve the quality of life for every Georgian who is blind, visually-impaired, or print-impaired.

What we do: Volunteer readers from across Georgia record approximately 200 different programs each month including essential local information, local and national newspapers, popular books, and an array of magazines and quality-of-life programming. The programming is broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and accessed by using an Amazon Alexa Dot, special radio, through our online webstream, by telephone, or by using a mobile app. Through these means we are able to provide our listeners with information, entertainment, and connections to their local communities.

Who we serve: Any resident of Georgia who is visually-impaired or otherwise print-disabled is eligible to access our services free of charge. Listeners use a special radio receiver (provided by GaRRS), or our online webstream, or our telephone programming, or use a mobile app.. By these two means, we have the capability of providing services to nearly 100% of print-impaired individuals in Georgia. Over the past six years we have sent radios to over 1,200 on our database, and in 2022 we received over 11,000 unique visitors on the garrs.org website who accessed our live webstream and archived content.

How we are distinct:
Programming: GaRRS’ programming offers local information essential to daily life and not found through other information services including:.
 Veterans: GaRRS works with the Atlanta and Augusta VA Medical Centers to produce local, Veteran-specific programs highlighting information and stories that impact the veteran community.
 Disability: We partner with Atlanta’s DisABILITY LINK to offer programming featuring issues around independent living, transportation, youth, and the newest in assistive technology.
 Local Sights: “Out & About” brings Georgia to life through a descriptive program highlighting events, venues, and artistic productions which listeners may not be able to otherwise experience.
 Shopping: GaRRS records, broadcasts, and makes available on-line food and shopping ads.
 Local News: GaRRS broadcasts local newspapers relevant to our listeners’ everyday lives and not broadcast elsewhere including the Albany Herald, Americus Times-Reader, Athens Banner Herald, Atlanta Inquirer, Bainbridge Post Searchlight, Berrien Press, Brookhaven Reporter, Brunswick News, Clayton News Daily, Clinch County News, Cochran Journal, Columbus Ledger Inquirer, Columbus Times, Creative Loafing, Dalton Daily Citizen, DeKalb Neighbor, Dublin Courier Herald, Dunwoody Crier, East Cobb Neighbor, Gainesville Times, Houston Home Journal, Marietta Daily Journal, Milledgeville Union Recorder, Northeast Georgian, Northside Neighbor, Rome News-Tribune, Sandy Springs Neighbor, Statesboro Herald and Waycross Journal Herald.
 AJC: A listener favorite, the AJC is read daily.
Announcements: GaRRS partners with local service organizations and blind support groups in Georgia to broadcast current public service messages about meetings, events, and available services.
Expanded audience: GaRRS’ services are not limited to the visually-impaired and blind, but also include the people with physical or cognitive disabilities preventing them from reading printed material (e.g. those with Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, physical handicaps, dyslexia, traumatic brain injuries, etc.)
Human-voice: GaRRS’ provides the only human-voiced broadcasting for the blind in Georgia. In focus groups, listeners have said they prefer listening to the human-voice over the computer-generated voices.