WILL Community Services: Illinois Radio Reader
Illinois Radio Reader
59 East Armory
Champaign, IL 61820
217-333-6503
Director Deane Geiken
The Illinois Radio Reader is a free radio service for the blind and visually impaired community of east central Illinois. More than 350 listeners are kept up-to-date on world, national, state and local news via a special radio receiver. The service depends on more than 70 volunteer readers, who produce some 80 hours of local programming each week. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, call 217-333-6503.
What does IRR broadcast?
A free program guide is available by contacting IRR.
The following newspapers are presented every weekday:
Wall Street Journal
Decatur Herald & Review
Bloomington-Normal Pantagraph
Champaign-Urbana News Gazette
Christian Science Monitor
Vermilion Co. editon of the News-Gazette
Local and area advertisements
The Gibson City Courier and the Rantoul Press are presented weekly.
Books, cooking programs, medical programs senior citizen features, entertainment programming.
In-Touch Network from New York, with its coverage of popular magazines.
Descriptive Video Service
In conjunction with WGBH and WILL-TV, IRR presents descriptive narration of popular public television shows like Mystery!, Nature and Masterpiece Theatre.
How does the service work?
IRR broadcasts on a subcarrier signal provided by WILL-TV.
Broadcasts can be heard only by obtaining special radio receivers, offered free of charge to qualified recipients.
IRR depends on a staff of volunteers to read the newspapers, magazines and books that are broadcast.
How do you qualify for a free receiver?
Anyone who has a visual or physical disability which impairs his or her ability to read may be eligible to obtain a special radio. Contact the IRR at 217-333-6503.
WILL Community Services: Closed captioning on WILL-TV
The following captioning information is from the Media Access Group at WGBH. Like subtitles, captions display spoken dialogue as printed words on the television screen. Unlike subtitles, captions are specifically designed for viewers who are deaf and hard of hearing. Captions are carefully placed to identify speakers, on- and offscreen sound effects, music, and laughter.
Closed captions are hidden as data within the television signal, and they must be decoded in order to be displayed on your TV screen. With either a set-top decoder or a caption-ready TV set, you can switch captions on or off with the touch of a button.
