tuesday. january 27, 2004
news
the university daily kansan
5A
Woman helps print-disabled, blind through recording voice for service
By Jodie Kraftt
jkraftt@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Kit Leffler/Kansa
Sitting at her desk at home, Natalie Spiens puts on a headset as her fingers move over a telephone-like device. She opens a newspaper, presses the record button and begins to read. "Música," she announces, and continues reading the rest of the article in Spanish.
Natalie Spiess, Overland Park senior, read Dos Mundos for the Audio-Reader Network on Sunday. Spiess has worked at Audio Reader since August.
Spiess, an Overland Park senior, spends about four hours each week reading the weekly newspaper Dos Mundos for Audio-Reader Network. Audio Reader, one of the first radio reading services in the world, provides free recordings of newspapers such as The Kansas City Star, The Topeka Capital Journal and The Wichita Eagle.
Listeners with visual or print disabilities can call into the station to select various publications and listen to articles.
"You pick up new words all the time," Spiess said. "It makes me focus on my reading and speaking skills."
Spiess said she first started working at Audio Reader because it was an opportunity to volunteer. She said incorporating her Spanish skills came later, when the Dos Mundos position opened. Although she has taken four semesters of Spanish at The University of Kansas, Spiess said she has learned much more from reading Dos Mundos.
Spiess has worked at Audio Reader since last August and has read Dos Mundos since the end of November. Because she has the recording system set up at her home, Spiess can read as much as she wants whenever she wants. This often leads to
Spiess re-recording articles until she is satisfied with her pronunciation.
"It's the most time consuming thing I've done for Audio Reader, but I want to do a good job," Spiess said.
Jim Boyd, supervisor of Telephone Reader — a division of Audio Reader — said Spiess was one of the most dedicated volunteers he has seen in his two years at Audio Reader.
"Her delivery is very professional. You wouldn'tguess she's a student." Boyd said.
Boyd said an average of 92 people call in to Audio Reader each month, although he couldn't provide the names of any listeners. He said this number has nearly doubled from a year-and-a-half ago, when Dos Mundos was added to the network.
Because of its growing popularity, Boyd said the network was thinking of adding more Spanish publications to its list.
Although Spiess doesn't know the names of people or how many she has reached through Dos Mundos, she said the realization that she was helping people in her community kept her coming back.
"I want to work with people, and I want to help more people's voices to be heard," Spiess said.
Boyd said there are currently about 250 volunteers at Audio Reader.85 of which volunteer for Telephone Reader.
Spiess said her first goal after graduating was to travel to Spain and learn to speak Spanish fluently.
Spiess said her friends often questioned her interest and involvement with Spanish because Spanish isn't her major. Spiess' answer usually was, "Because I love it. You might as well follow the things that make you happy."
After that, Spiess said the future was uncertain, but she might want to become an art or art therapy teacher or attend graduate school.
In the meantime, Spiess said she would continue reading *Dos*
Spiess will graduate in December with a bachelor's degree in art.
Mundos at Audio Reader.
"It's a good opportunity to experience connecting with people." Spiessaid.
For more information on Audio Reader, visit reader.ku.edu. or call 1-800-772-8898.
- Edited by Joe Hartigan
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