Who’s Listening?

Shortly after becoming legally blind due to macular degeneration about eight years ago, Birdie Knapp attended a presentation at a low-vision group where a fellow attendee mentioned a radio that exclusively broadcast news and information for the blind.  Birdie sought out the presenter, AINC’s Kim Ann Wardlow, registered as a listener, and soon began listening on a radio in her home.

She joined a low-vision support group, which she still attends, and she credits her first coach, Debra Johnson, with helping her master the techniques and tools central to Birdie’s much-required independence.

She was hooked by the therapeutic value AINC delivered when she had difficulty sleeping at night or getting through a rough day.

The volunteer readers provide the organic nuances in their deliveries that enhance her midnight therapy.

“The volunteers should be proud of themselves for what they do for shut-ins and seniors,” she says.  Birdie has volunteered for Triad, RSVP, and FISH.  She also volunteered for 11 years at Centennial School in Broomfield.

Birdie, who received her nickname from her first high school boyfriend, defies her physical challenges. 

“Please don’t tell me you feel sorry about my eyesight,” she says.  “I’ve seen enough in my life and now I have my radio.  I hear it all now.”