Radio Broadcast - 1925, February - 113 Pages ... - VacuumTubeEra

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Some Experiences With the Blind and Radio 693
Some of my visits were quite inspiring.
For instance, one man who had been blind
,for about seven years was extraordinarily
cheerful, and he told me that until he adjusted
himself to his new life he was very, very unhappy.
Finally he convinced himself that a
man could live and take an active part in life
though blind; and when he had done this he
became happy, and has been happy ever since.
He had accomplished the
extraordinary feat
building himself a house, mostly with his
own hands and the help of his wife. He was
enthusiastic radio fan, but had to go a mile
and a quarter to the house of a friend when
he wanted to listen in, and this was difficult
because he had to have some one take him.
Naturally, the idea of having a machine for
himself was a source of great joy to him.
Three or four blind 1
people found had a
radio, and all of them were receiving the
greatest benefit and enjoying it hugely.
HOW THE SETS WERE INSTALLED
rounding up all
AFTER the people whom
I could find, I enlisted the help of the
Boy Scouts to put up the machines and take
care of them. We selected a very simple type
of machine, some with a pair of head phones,
and some with loud speakers. The cost of
the machine, batteries, and tubes was about
.forty dollars apiece. The Boy Scouts put
.them up, of course without charge, and are
expected to make a monthly inspection of each
blind person's radio and report the conditions.
Although there were some blind people who
were unwilling to have anything to do with
this new-fangled machine, in almost every case
persuaded them that they would get pleasure.
I
The humorous side has been their
fear
that it would cost them money. Without exception,
they showed the greatest apprehension
lest they would be led into- something
which would bring them financial responsibility.
When I told them that I was doing this
for pleasure, they did not accept it with any
degree of cordiality, feeling that there was
something behind which they did not understand;
in fact, that something was being put
over on them.
The experience of visiting these people,
which I
apprehended would be an unpleasant
job, was quite the reverse. Enough people
were very grateful to make the whole enterprise
worth while, and I feel sure that the
success of the thing is beyond peradventure.
the readers of RADIO BROADCAST
Among
there must be thousands who could do this in
their local town or county. My own experience
has proved that it has to be done personally
and cannot well be done by somebody
hired for the job.
I
cordially recommend the
idea to anybody who wants to add comforts
and pleasure to the lives of blind people. If a
sufficient number of people could be got together
to cover the country, the load of pain
and suffering would be tremendously decreased.
For the practical reader I
may say that the
machine we have found best adapted to the
purpose is of the reflex type.
THE title
"AS THE BROADCASTER SEES IT"
of an interesting series of articles by Carl Dreher, the
ISfirst of which will be a feature of this magazine for March.
What the broadcaster is
doing, how he does it, and what he is
thinking of while he is
doing it, will form the subject matter of this
series which should interest those both active and passive in radio.
"As the Broadcaster Sees It," will give the broadcasters engineers
and program directors a place where they may exchange ideas.
Listeners will be able to "look at" broadcasting from the inside.
Mr.
Dreher is chief engineer of one of the best known American broadcasting
stations. These articles will not supplant but complement
"The Listeners' Point of View."