[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7263]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE RECORDING FOR THE BLIND AND DYSLEXIC FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING 
                        SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 29, 2008

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, as we celebrate National Volunteers Week, 
I rise today to recognize the outstanding efforts of the Recording for 
the Blind and Dyslexic--a national non-profit, volunteer organization 
that, for 60 years, has been the leading producer of accessible 
education materials for students with disabilities. I would like to 
extend a special note of thanks and appreciation to the Connecticut 
chapter led by my good friend, Anne Fortunato.
  ``Education is a right, not a privilege.'' That was the mantra of 
Anne T. Macdonald, founder of the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic. 
Shortly after the end of World War II, letters began flooding the New 
York Library's Women's Auxiliary from soldiers who had lost their sight 
during combat but were eager to move forward with their lives. The new 
GI bill guaranteed them a college education but among the many 
obstacles they faced was access to college textbooks. These veterans 
were hoping for any assistance the auxiliary could provide and they 
developed a creative solution that continues to benefit others today.
  The women transformed the attic of the New York Library into a 
recording studio where volunteers began recording textbooks for the 
servicemen. In just 3 short years demand had grown so much the 
organization was incorporated as the Nation's only nonprofit to record 
textbooks. The following year, Anne Macdonald traveled across the 
country to organize recording studios in other communities. Today, 
there are a total of 30 studios nationwide and the organization has 
expanded its mission to provide education materials for students of all 
ages coping with various disabilities.
  One of those studios is the Connecticut unit located in New Haven 
which was established in 1959 and has since become a model for other 
communities. The Connecticut unit has been a leader for the 
organization since their inception. A testament to the quality of 
production, shortly after their establishment the Connecticut unit was 
selected by the national headquarters for a very special and 
prestigious project--the recording of the complete works of nine 
American authors including Samuel Clemens, Stephen Crane, Ralph Waldo 
Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Dean Howells, Washington Irving, 
Herman Melville, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman.
  Today, the Connecticut unit specializes in the production of science 
and technology books. Led by Anne Fortunato, a respected advocate and 
distinguished leader in education, the Connecticut unit operates a 
studio with six soundproof booths and utilizes over 160 volunteers 
along with a small paid staff to record books for hundreds of 
Connecticut residents and thousands of people across the country. I 
have been a proud supporter of the Connecticut unit for more than a 
decade and it is always an honor for me to go to the studio each year 
to record pieces on their behalf. Their work and that of the other 
studios across the country are making all the difference--ensuring that 
a quality education is an opportunity for all and truly making 
education a right and not a privilege.
  This week, as we recognize the invaluable contributions made to all 
of our communities by volunteers, I am proud to stand and pay tribute 
to the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic and the hundreds of 
individuals who volunteer their time to make their mission possible. 
There are no words of praise that can describe the extraordinary impact 
of this organization. There is no doubt that their good work will 
continue to open the doors of opportunity to others for generations to 
come.

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