MEDIA ADVISORY:July 29, 2015
MEDIA CONTACTS: Diane Weaver Dunne, Executive Director, CRIS Radio
(860) 527-8000;
CRIS RADIO LAUNCHES FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND SERVICE FOR
SPANISH-SPEAKERS WITH PRINT DISABILITIES
WHO:CRIS Radio
WHAT: CRIS Radio (Connecticut Radio Information System) will announce the launch of a new streaming service, CRIS en Español, which will offer Spanish-speakers who are blind or print challenged with audio versions of articles published in Spanish-language magazines and newspapers. The audio versions all feature human narration, thanks to CRIS volunteers who provide the voice talent streamed through special Internet radios distributed to eligible individuals and organizations that serve people with disabilities that make it difficult to read, including learning, physical, intellectual and emotional disabilities.
The system will be demonstrated during a special reception.
Funding for CRIS en Español comes from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
WHEN:Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.
WHERE:Toivo Center
399 Franklin Ave., Hartford, Conn.
Parking:Street parking and parking to rear of the building
WHY: CRIS Radio is the first radio-reading service in the nation to offer an extensive line-up of audio versions of Spanish-language magazinesfeaturing human narration and streamed through special Internetradios for Spanish-speakers unable to access printed text. Forty-three percent of Hartford’s population is Hispanic of which according to national statistics 24 percent of Hispanics report having a disability, according to U.S. Census.
About CRIS Radio
CRIS (Connecticut Radio Information System) is a 36-year-old nonprofit based in Windsor and is Connecticut’s only radio-reading service providing audio access to news and information for people who are blind or print-challenged, including those unable to read due to physical, learning, intellectual or emotional disabilities. CRIS operates with more than 300 volunteers at its broadcast center in Windsor and regional studios located in Danbury, Norwich, Trumbull, West Haven and at ESPN in Bristol. For more information, contact CRIS Radio at or call (860) 527-8000.
About Toivo
Toivo Center – Advocacy Unlimited -- is a holistic wellness center that offers diverse mind-body classes and support groups for people with mental health and emotional disabilities. For more information, visit
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