What you used to recognize by the name Recording For the Blind & Dyslexic has changed it’s name. The new name is Learning Ally. It will continue to provide the services that make reading more accessible to people of all ages who are blind or dyslexic.
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic was founded in 1948. In general, the longer an organization maintains the same name, the easier it is for people to recognize who they are, and what they do. It makes people trust them. Considering this, you may be wondering why Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic decided to change it’s name to Learning Ally.
According to their website, the name change was inspired by research that the organization did with focus groups that included students, parents, educators, volunteers, and those who provided funding. The results were interesting. While some of their members are blind, or dyslexic, many of their members are neither. The name change reflects the diverse learning differences of their members.
Many members have clearly expressed that they don’t want to be labeled. What they want is to have the same opportunities to succeed that other people are enjoying. The new name reflects the members’ desire to learn and achieve. The new name doesn’t emphasis specific labels, whereas their old name, Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, did. Overall, Learning Ally wants to continue to be an advocate for people who learn differently.
Right now, families and individuals can become a member of Learning Ally for free. Membership includes free software for both PC and Mac computers. The funding for these free memberships and software comes from a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
Membership gives your family access to free ReadHear software, and unlimited access to 65,000 downloadable textbooks and literature titles. These books are read by people who volunteer to give their time and talent as a reader. There are chapter books that would appeal to younger readers, that can be listened to in audio format. Learning Ally makes books a whole lot more accessible to children who have a special need that makes reading extremely difficult.
Image by David Scott on Flickr