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Half a decade ago a railway clerk taped himself reading a book for his sick friend. Since then thousands of blind and visually impaired people have been touched by Tape Aids for the Blind.
Pauline Hoffman, Tape Aids national director is flanked by beneficiaries, Dr Siva Moodley and Mario Nijenhuis at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the organisation
SITTING at a table under a thatched gazebo on an exotic island holiday with his wife, Mario Nijenhuis orders two drinks.
A second waitress whispers into the ear of her colleague, "Are they really blind?" The Nijenhuis's waitress replies, "Yes they are, why?" In response, the first exclaims loudly, "But they are drinking!"
This is how Nijenhuis, a good-looking blind man in his mid-40s, describes his daily experiences and the farfetched perceptions some people have about blind people.
He has great insight into life, and he directs all the credit for his many educational qualifications to the "dedicated services" of Tape Aids for the Blind, a free library service that provides audio taped reading material to blind and print-handicapped South Africans.
With its headquarters in Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal, the organisation has 12 branches countrywide, including in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and East London, as well as satellite agencies in all nine provinces.
The organisation celebrated its 50th anniversary with a party in Joburg's eastern suburb of Highlands North recently. A guest speaker, Nijenhuis noted that there were still many misconceptions being perpetuated about blind people, "but Tape Aids for the Blind is gradually helping to dispel those perceptions and still manages to educate us".
Empowerment
He read for recreation and for empowering himself with information, and to be more educated. The organisation's good work was helping to integrate blind people into society, which had for some time "alienated us".
As part of its free services, Tape Aids offers audio recorded textbooks, tutorials, prescribed works and required academic material to blind and print-handicapped academics.
Pauline Hoffman, its national director, says the organisation constitutes a large and far-flung family, devoted to meeting the individual needs and aspirations of those who call upon it.
The past five decades of its existence "have been characterised by a wonderful feeling of solidarity between sight-impaired people thirsty for knowledge and entertainment", she says.
Tape Aids for the Blind has more than 800 volunteers nationwide who give their time and skills to record reading materials on audiotape, so that blind and print-handicapped library members enjoy the literature and information that is easily accessible to sighted people.
It is registered with the Department of Social Development, but does not receive any state subsidy and depends entirely on public donations for its survival. Hoffman says the financial support from donors makes "our free service possible".
It has a museum at its Durban branch, which chronicles the past 50 years of its existence as well as the "incredible progress that we have made".
The beginning
A former South African Railways clerk, Jannie Venter, couldn't bear to see a friend lying in a hospital bed unable to do anything. So, in 1958, he decided to tape himself reading a book, and play the tape to his friend. It was so well-received, that he approached Ken Macintyre, at the time the dean of the Faculty of Arts and head of the department of political history at the University of Natal, to take the thought a step further. Macintyre was himself blind.
Guest help themsleves to the cake to mark Tape Aids's 50th anniversary
Venter spoke about the possibilities of using tape recorders to provide reading material for blind and visually handicapped people, or for those who, because of other disabilities or injuries, could not read printed words. And so was born Tape Aids for the Blind.
"What began as the dream of these two pioneers who saw the possibility of making information accessible to blind people, culminated in the launch of Tape Aids for the Blind," reads a statement from the organisation.
Recordings were done in Venter's small city flat, where traffic, domestic and urban noises continuously interrupted the process. This forced the men to relocate to a borrowed office, which overlooked the Cenotaph in the heart of Durban. A quieter space, it helped the project to grow.
Then, in 1959, a generous donation of R1 000 made it possible for the organisation to rent a small suite of offices, where three sound-proofed cubicles were constructed and recording became more sophisticated.
By 1962, the organisation had rebuilt and installed air-conditioning in its studios, allowing uninterrupted recording sessions by the volunteers. This ensured recordings were faster and of an acceptable technical standard. The result was economical production and distribution.
International institution
Venter's vision has dramatically affected the lives of thousands of blind people in South Africa, Hoffman proudly says, adding that his commitment to the programme had transformed a small local project into an international institution which has given the gift of reading to thousands of print-handicapped people.
"We are proud to walk in your footsteps Jannie."
Today, the organisation lends on a daily basis, some 2 000 books and magazines via freepost to its members across the country and beyond its borders. In the past year, Tape Aids for the Blind provided over 10,72 million free listening hours to hordes of sight-impaired library members. These were recorded in its 27 soundproof studios across the country, each with state-of-the-art equipment.
"Audio books are narrated and recorded in our own studios, by teams of trained volunteers and cover a wide range of subjects. Recreational and educational books both for adults and children are produced in all 11 languages of South Africa," reads the Tape Aids for the Blind website.
Updating
Close to 2 000 new titles are added to its collection every year; the selection committee obtains copyright permission from publishers and literary agents. "Volunteer teams assist in the various stages needed to produce accurate, well-modulated tapes, and a master tape is created."
Once recorded, the books are archived, and library members can order them at any time. "We endeavour to maintain a balanced library stock in order to afford our members the same range of subject matter available to sighted people. Volunteers are auditioned and wherever possible the voice is cast and matched to the content and style of the book," reads the website.
In addition, more than 30 000 audio magazine cassettes are sent to library members in old age homes, hospitals, hospices and schools for mentally and physically handicapped people, every month. The cassettes are used for individual or group listening.
Hoffman says that there has been an explosion of information and tape aids in the past 50 years. "During this period, [we have] done much to contribute to the freedom and success of so many people."
The organisation has undoubtedly helped to create a world in which blind and print-handicapped people are empowered and have equal rights to their sighted counterparts, she says.
"The boundaries of the Tape Aids for the Blind library are undefined, its collections everywhere. The service is vital to thousands of people in South Africa and may never be abandoned."
Small staff
A staff of six people who share odd jobs from errands to despatch, including a number of volunteers, have continued this legacy, and are helping to deliver the free books countrywide. Through the act of giving their time, talent and expertise the Tape Aids staff has enriched the lives of many blind people, Hoffman notes.
Speaking in Afrikaans, she adds: "I want to say to our Afrikaans volunteers: I know many of you travel long distances every week to come and read, but I want to assure you that our blind library members have the greatest appreciation for this. I see the thank-you notes coming in and the amount of appreciation expressed for the Afrikaans readers."
The Tape Aids free library service is a living force for education and culture. Books range in genre from best-sellers to classics, thrillers to poetry and biographies, to religious literature and children's books. The organisation's mini-libraries have been customised to suit specific needs, dialect and age of particular groups and individuals.
Nobel laureate for literature, Nadine Gordimer, says the work in which Tape Aids is in involved is tremendous, "and goes a long way in impacting positively in the lives of blind people".
Gordimer has donated two of her books to the organisation.
Education
Close contact is maintained with lecturers and student advisers at universities, colleges and other educational institutions to ensure that print-handicapped students are provided with appropriate reading material.
"Perhaps one of the most important aspects of our work is the outreach programmes that we offer to blind students studying at all academic levels. So many of them have joined the professional ranks and have passed their examinations with the same confidence as their sighted peers," explains Hoffman.
Despite the work of the organisation, there is still a lack of access to books and information. "I am sad to report that blind people all over the world continue to experience a book famine," notes Hoffman. It is imperative for the group to reaffirm its commitment to eradicating the problem, and "ensure the universal right to read".
About four million South Africans are blind or visually impaired, and it is estimated that 95 percent of books only appear in conventional print. "Books, whatever their category, remain closed for millions around the world who are blind or partially sighted," according to a Tape Aids statement.
Human rights
The Tape Aids for the Blind library subscribes to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights: "Constructive participation and the development of democracy begin with satisfactory education as well as free and unlimited access to knowledge, thought, culture and information."
Providing a gateway to knowledge and information is its main priority. "We at Tape Aids believe that nothing should stand in the way of sharing the knowledge and information found in books. Books must therefore be available to everyone, both in numbers and format," the statement reads.
To make a financial or other donation, including tape recorders, headphones, walkmans, or your voice, contact Tape Aids for the Blind at its Johannesburg branch at 148 Ninth Avenue, Highlands North, 2192; or telephone the group on 011 786 6130, send an email to
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or log on to the Tape Aids for the Blind website.
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