New Stuff
The American Spectator is back in action and is being produced by Henry Harrison.
LA Magazine has been resurected! Get the latest info on all that's going on in Los Angeles, produced by Laraine Herman!
We The People is a weekly balanced conversation with leading scholars of all viewpoints on contemporary and historical topics about the United States Constitution. We The People hosted by National Constitution Center president and CEO Jeffrey Rosen will spark your interest in, and knowledge of, the laws that make our country great!
Nancy Porter reads you her selections from Time Magazine, spiced up occasionally with current news items. Time is the first (and best) news weekly in America (she says)!
Merrick Schneider is reading articles from one of the best (and most objective) newspapers in the United States, The Wall Street Journal. He can be listened to on our Wall Street Journal Podcast. Get the latest and greatest news on a great range of topics - not just articles on finance!
Guide Dog Selection. This LA Times article will explain what it takes to be a great guide dog and how to spot one. Written by Melissa Healey and read by Max Flehinger.
R.I.P. June Foray. Our friend passed away recently at age 95. June, known as the Female Mel Blanc, brought mountains of joy to her many fans with her voice-over characterizations. She was also kind enough to make this short public service announcement for AIRSLA.
Stem Cell Research! Listen to Dr. Jonathan Thomas, of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), discuss the current status of stem cell research and its implications for treatment of vision. It was recorded in collaboration with the Foundation Fighting Blindness.
AIRS-LA Smart Phone Apps! Enjoy the full range of AIRS programming from your iPhone or Android phone. They are FREE from the Apple App Store and Google Play (search for airsla), respectively. Here is a short tutorial on how to use the AIRSLA apps on your iPhone, by Julian Vargas
New Reader/Producers! Please give a warm welcome to these new Reader/Producers, recruited mostly through the efforts of our friend Marc Cashman.
- Michael Sessums reads Wired Magazine
- Sharon Blumberg reads Reminisce Magazine
- Sascha Rose reads History Magazine
- Danielle Rayne reads Allure
- Robin Wilk reads AARP Magazine
- Joyce Davis reads Southern Living
- Steve Johnson reads Country Living
- Ernie Goyette reads US News and World Report
- Lorie Ballman reads Woman's World
Kevin Anderson Yancy has made the rights to his extensive collection of short stories available to AIRSLA. If you enjoy science fiction and/or horror stories, you'll enjoy these "SonicMovies."
The Intrepid Listen to this touching story of four visually impaired mothers and their dedicated guide dogs. A selection from Real Simple magazine read by Melissa Baird.
Scouting Magazine Those of you who are into Scouting should get a charge out of this new project, read by Jody Olson. It's for all age groups, from cubs to leaders!
New Series on Smart Phones Dr. Bill Takeshita and Julian Vargas have initiated a new series on Smart Phone selection, usage, and accessibility.
Once Blind and Now They See! An exciting account of research on blind children in India by Dr. Pawan Sinha of M.I.T. has two goals: to help blind children regain their sight and to observe their recovery and learn how the brain processes visual information.
Blind Pole Vaulters Listen to Max read an inspiring story of blind athletes on the road to success!
Stories of personal experiences with eyes and seeing from Sun Magazine, read by Dan Woren. Enjoy this and other podcasts from Dan's selection of letters from The Sun's readers in their "Readers Write" series.
Device Offers Partial Vision for the Blind. On February 14, 2013, the FDA approved the first treatment to give limited vision to people who are blind, involving a technology called the artificial retina. Listen to the full story of the Argus 2 development.
Important Legal Ruling. A recent court case decided in favor of the National Federation of the Blind constitutes a major step in making digital books available to the blind and reading impaired. Learn more from this audio description.
Audio Description Available For Vision Impaired. Did you know that many of the programs you watch on TV are designed to help those in the vision impaired community SEE what is being presented? Many people don't know how widely available audio description is to those who need it, including those who need it most. Hear from Herb Merriweather as he shares some of what he has learned by working with Audio Eyes, LLC. The Case For Accessible Media, read to you by Jason Wineinger.
Grow Your Own Eye! This article from Scientific American Magazine gives a fascinating account of tissue (and even organ) replacement using stem cells. The author, Yoshiki Sasai, thinks replacement organs may find their way into the operating room in as little as 10 years!
AppleVis Podcast We are pleased to link you to this fantastic source of guidance on the use of Apple's VoiceOver technology on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Their experts will really give you a flood of good advice, not only on the standard iDevice functions, but on popular applications and games as well. Try it!
Follow AIRS-LA on facebook! You are cordially invited to visit and participate in our facebook page, a social network for those with visual impairment.
Darkness Visible, and Palpable. In the land of the blind - as you learn in the exhibition "Dialog in the Dark" - the one-eyed man hasn’t a chance. This recording describes a participatory experience that, for an hour or so, takes the fully-sighted through the fascinating process of adapting to total lack of sight.
How and why of using Facebook. Many listeners are afraid of Facebook because it is difficult to use with JAWS. On the Vision Talk Project, Dr. Bill interviews Julian Vargas, who shares some valuable tips on how to set up a Facebook page and how to follow AIRS-LA on Facebook.
More News
CCLVI Lectures on Low Vision These podcast lectures, sponsored by The Council of Citizens With Low Vision International, let you listen to a variety of topics that are specially designed for people who are partially sighted. Dr. Bill Takeshita presents these lectures each month and topics will include low vision and driving, signs and symptoms of emergency vision problems, what's new in low vision aids, and more.
Unable to Read the Newspaper? NFB-NEWSLINE is a free electronic service that gives any blind, visually impaired or print disabled person access to newspapers, magazines, and TV listings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using a Touch-Tone telephone. To hear more information, including samples and how you can sign up, go to NFB NewsLine Information.
Financial Support for AIRS-LA
You can support us either by donating via PayPal or by shopping through iGive
To donate through PayPal, just click on the button at the left and fill out a short form. You can use any popular credit card and PayPal will send you a receipt for tax purposes - your donation to AIRS-LA is fully deductible.
To Shop through iGive: After you sign up, by simply shopping at any of the 680 brand name stores on the iGive website, a portion of each purchase will be donated to AIRS-LA! You must join iGive to participate.
Our Audience
Our audience can get the news from several broadcast media, but not directly from newspapers, magazines, and other primary sources. Through the magic of streaming audio and podcasting, we provide word-for-word readings of print material and other news and entertainment, focused on and designed for our visually-impaired listeners.
AIRS is incorporated in the state of California and has received a 501(c)(3) tax free non-profit status designation from the Internal Revenue Service. This means your donations are tax-deductible!
AIRS can't do it alone. We need your help and we are pleased and grateful to receive donations in any amount. CONTACT US if you can help. Thank you.
