Voice

VOICE- Vocational Opportunities In Communication Education

Click here to hear the voice demo

This past fall, the Talking Information Center (TIC) and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind launched the first in the nation vocational communication program for the blind at its brand new state of the art facility in Boston.

Brief overview of the Talking Information Center and the VOICE Program

TIC Mission and Description

The mission of the Talking Information Center (TIC) is to provide blind, visually impaired, and print disabled individuals access to the printed word by bringing them the information necessary to lead inclusive, independent, productive lives.

TIC is a small organization devoted to improving the lives of visually impaired and blind individuals throughout Massachusetts since its inception in 1978.  Driven by the support of nearly 600 volunteers and a handful of staff, TIC broadcasts the printed word 365 days a year and 24 hours a day to over 25,000 individuals in Massachusetts.  Nowhere else in the State does a radio station broadcast the volume and quality of printed material and award winning programming to keep its listeners up to date and current on local, national, and world events. 

TIC programming is educational and engaging, providing thought provoking and stimulating reading to keep listeners as informed as any active sighted person.  Today, TIC reaches a broader audience than ever as the station is broadcast through in house television systems into every room at Boston Medical Center, and soon to be available at Brockton VA Hospital and South Shore Hospital. 

Program Description:

TIC, in collaboration with Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB), is launching the ground breaking program, VOICE.  VOICE (Vocational Opportunities in Communication Education) is a 12 week program held in the heart of Boston in a custom build facility at the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB).  Training is 4 days a week and 6 hours a day and will begin mid September 2010.  Three cycles of VOICE will run during the year.  The program will be intensive, interactive, and hands on focusing on experienced based learning that will provide lasting and valuable skills for visually impaired youth to successfully enter the working world with self confidence and competitive skill sets.   

VOICE Training will focus on communication skills important in the broadcasting industry such as on-air presentation, program producing, digital editing, and news editing.  Additionally, participants will learn skills that are pertinent to any industry including time management, interpersonal and organizational skills, resume writing, interview techniques, and advanced proficiency with the latest adaptive technologies crucial for any field of work.  During the program, participants will be producing, editing, and presenting material that will be used on-air at TIC, creating a unique opportunity for participants to truly become a collective voice for the blind community from the blind community. 

Individuals interested in the program will be interviewed by the VOICE instructor and additional MCB staff members prior to program admission.  During this face to face interview, VOICE candidates will be evaluated to determine if their skills, talents, initiative, and future employment goals are in alignment with the objectives of the program.  Individuals lacking the necessary skills to participate in the VOICE program will be encouraged to reapply once their identified inconsistencies have been refined. 

The VOICE program is the first in the nation to address job building skills through the communication field for blind and visually impaired youth.  The program’s goal is to prepare marginalized youth to become contributing and self sufficient citizens with gratifying careers. 

 

Community Need

In Massachusetts, there is a staggering 70% unemployment rate among visually impaired and blind people of working age.  Many are highly educated and driven, however, their school experience has not prepared them for entering the working world.  It is a frustrating dilemma for visually impaired youth to realize that their years of study are just not enough.  In these tough economic times, the already high unemployment rate for visually impaired youth could significantly rise because of layoffs and increased competition.  TIC, in collaboration with MCB, will tackle this problem through the VOICE program. 

MCB has identified that early work experience and training is the greatest tool for securing future vocational success for blind and visually impaired youth.  MCB operates a successful internship program with an 80% success rate.  They have partnered with over 100 corporations to secure employment opportunities.  The insight gained through the internship program will be directly applied to the VOICE program to ensure success.  Through TIC’s and MCB’s joint collaboration, participants in the VOICE program will receive vital skills for the working world through the context of communications; using the radio reading network as a classroom and experiential tool.