By Joe Kleinsasser

A service that provides daily broadcasts of printed materials to more than 2,000 blind and visually impaired people in the greater Wichita area is moving to a new home. The move by the Wichita Radio Reading Service from its present location at WSU to the university’s Metropolitan Complex is necessary and welcome, but it comes with a price tag and financial help is needed to complete the move.

The aging Communications Building that currently houses WRRS is slated for demolition by June. By March 1, WRRS will move into new studios at the Metropolitan Complex. Planning is already under way to remodel several rooms for WRRS, and installation of the main audio and electrical wiring has begun. Funding for this portion of the relocation is being provided by WSU.

However, the cost of new broadcast and production equipment and updated office computers will cost a little more than $50,000. The existing equipment, some of which was used when donated to WRRS in the mid-1970s, probably won’t survive the move.

During the last few months, WRRS has raised $16,000 toward the goal. According to Dorothy Harmon, president of the WRRS advisory board and a retired WSU staff member, donations are needed to enable WRRS to purchase new equipment for the studios and to continue to provide high-quality, uninterrupted service to its listeners.

People who would like to support the WRRS project should make checks payable to WRRS and send to KMUW Radio, 3317 E. 17th St., Wichita, KS 67208.

WRRS was founded in 1975, and is the sub-carrier of KMUW 89.1 FM, WSU’s public radio station. A special sub-carrier receiver is required to listen to the WRRS. Programming includes readings from newspapers including The Wichita Eagle, Wall Street Journal and Wichita Business Journal. A variety of magazines also are read including Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, Guidepost, Reader’s Digest, Sports Illustration, American Health and National Geographic.

WRRS has about 600 fixed tuned receivers that are loaned, free of charge, to any person who uses the service. The only criteria to become a WRRS listener is the inability to read conventional print.

WRRS has receivers checked out to 38 nursing homes and senior centers within the listening area. Some facilities schedule times and plan activities using WRRS programming.

The WRRS also can be heard at the bedside of Wichita’s four major hospitals: Columbia HCA Wesley Medical Center, Via Christi Regional Medical Center and Riverside Health System. This service is made possible by each hospital’s closed circuit television system.

Other receivers are loaned to individuals in their homes in the WRRS listening area which is a 60-mile radius of Wichita.

WRRS depends on volunteers who share their time, talent and voices as readers. More than 125 community volunteers perform a variety of duties, from reading, public speaking, public relations and fundraising.

WRRS receives financial support for its services from WSU, the state of Kansas, KMUW listeners fund, grants, civic and religious groups and businesses.