Contact: Angela L. Barlup, Public Relations Director
Phone: 717-238-2531
Date: January 12, 2004

For Release: January 12, 2004

Radio Reading Service Celebrates Twentieth Anniversary

Harrisburg — The Harrisburg Area Radio Reading Service, a department of the Tri-County Association for the Blind will celebrate its twentieth anniversary on Monday, February 23, with an Open House from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the agency office located at  1800 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA.

The Harrisburg Area Radio Reading Service began its broadcast on a sub-carrier of WITF-FM at noon on February 22, 1984 as a new service of the Tri-County Association for the Blind. This service gives people who are print-impaired (those who cannot hold, read or turn pages of a book because of visual impairment or physical disability) access to more in-depth news, especially local programming, that is usually available only in printed form.

Since its beginning, the Harrisburg Area Radio Reading Service has grown to include both local newspaper reading and national programming in order to provide a 24-hour broadcast. The Patriot-News is read daily, along with other local papers and regional newspapers. The Radio Reading Service also records several magazines, including Harrisburg Magazine, Central PA and Reminisce. The Harrisburg Area Radio Reading Service currently reaches approximately 800 listeners who are print-impaired.

The Anniversary Open House is free and open to the public. For more information or to make reservations, please call 238-2531.

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