Every Wednesday morning, Connie Rodriguez of Prairie Village reads the Iola Register as a service for those who are visually impaired. 
She is a volunteer with The Audio-Reader Network, a reading and information service for the blind and visually impaired in Kansas and Western Missouri. Volunteers read newspapers, magazines and books, and some even describe live performing arts events.
Rodriguez has only a passing familiarity with Iola, having driven past it on her way to visit family in Chanute. Perhaps some day she’ll make the trip to visit the places she’s read about, to shop in businesses on the downtown square or take a walk on the Lehigh Portland Trails and see the future state park.
“I look at your celebrations and I think, that’s not too far,” she said. “I think Thrive is a pretty neat thing. I can’t wait until that guy builds the Airbnb in the old water tower. I’ve told a lot of people about it.
“I’ve always lived in the suburbs so I find it fascinating to read about your community, especially when so many newspapers have lost subscribers and gone kaput.”
Martha Kehr, communications director for the Lawrence-based Audio-Reader Network, said the service has existed for more than 50 years “to share the gift of sight through sound.” It’s a way for those who are visually impaired to stay connected to their communities. There is no charge for those who qualify because of disability.
“It’s all about connection,” Kehr said. “It’s that human voice. It’s knowing there are people out there who care and want you to have access to this information with a personal touch.”
THE AUDIO-READER Network began in 1971 when the first volunteer started reading books and newspapers in a nursing home and realized a greater need.
The service has grown to include 250 volunteers who read dozens of newspapers.
They read major publications such as the Kansas City Star, Topeka Capital Journal and Wichita Eagle along with at least 46 weekly and daily newspapers in Kansas, seven national magazines, 25 regional magazines and a dozen international news magazines. Some volunteers read weekly grocery store ads. Some attend performing arts events, such as those at the Starlight Theater in Kansas City, and describe the action on stage.
In 2021, Audio-Reader reached 16,947 through its Amazon Alexa service and 10,698 through its telephone reader service.
The service began in cooperation with the University of Kansas, but in 2018 became completely supported through an endowment and foundation although KU still provides a building to serve as the headquarters.
Some volunteers go to the building on the KU campus to record sessions but during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, many volunteers received equipment to do the recording at home.
Rodriguez calls a telephone number from her home and reads articles that way.
Listeners access the recordings using the touch-tone buttons on their telephones, can navigate directly to any publication, can speed up/slow down the readings, and can change the volume.
The service can be accessed in other ways, including special closed circuit radios, an internet stream and Alexa.
