Storms damage Belleville agency that broadcasts for the blind. Here’s how you can help.
MindsEye, a Belleville-based agency that provides information to the visually impaired, needs the community’s help.
The non-profit organization provides programs and services for individuals who are blind or have low vision. The severe storms that blew eight tornadoes through St. Louis and the metro-east Saturday caused significant damage to their building at 9541 Church Circle Drive located at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville.
The damage impacts the free Broadcast Information Program service, which translates print into audio for those who may not be able to read for themselves. Volunteers record themselves reading various news materials such as newspapers, magazines, and grocery store ads for MindsEye to broadcast on the MindsEye Radio network.
But not all of MindsEye’s volunteers have the technical experience or equipment to do their reading from their own homes.
“I think our biggest point is to get some volunteer readers who can read remotely,” MindsEye President and CEO Jason Frazier said Tuesday morning. “We really need some people who can become volunteers. Some of the people who work for us simply can’t read remotely. Some of our volunteer readers aren’t the most tech savvy, so that eliminates some of our volunteers.
“And we’re trying to figure out a way to get those essential things out to our readers they otherwise would get on a consistent basis because, right now, we don’t have the volunteer support we normally have because we don’t have a studio.”
According to Frazier, MindsEye also services individuals who can’t turn the pages of the book, such as people who suffered a stroke.
“Our main demographic is blind/visually impaired people, but we have other listeners who come to use for other reasons.”
MindsEye is seeking volunteers to cover the regularly scheduled MindsEye Radio news programs until further notice. Volunteering can take place at home and only requires a recording device such as a smartphone, tablet or digital recording device.
Frazier said anyone who is interested can visit www.broadcast@mindseyeradio.org for more information to submit an application to become a volunteer.
He added it’s too early to assess the extent of the building’s damage and when people can return to work.
“I think right now, we’re still in early stages of determining the damages inside the building and to the structure of the building,” Frazier said. “Once you go inside building nothing looks wrong. They’re assessing the roof today (Tuesday).
“Right now, it’s still up in the air for actual damage to the building versus what you look at outside and look at the tower that fell onto the building. The station signal is still going out and the internet is still working ... we’re still functional from an internal operations standpoint.”
Frazier said the present situation reminds him of 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic forced the non-profit to close its doors for remote work. He said MindsEye persevered then and will again this time.
“We’re kind of back to COVID protocol situation. It’s basically like 2020 and I had flashbacks to that,” he said. “This will create a little bit of a challenge, but we have a very determined staff and we’ll figure out how to get listeners what they need, get those messages out to them and help them stay informed with what’s going on.”
MindsEye pressing forward
MindsEye’s other programs and services will continue without delay. Audio description services at live events will continue as scheduled, including:
Saturday, April 29: Gateway Center for Performing Arts’ “9 to 5” matinee.
Saturday, April 29: St. Louis CITY SC vs Portland.
Tuesday, May 2: St. Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Angels.
Thursday, May 4: The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ “Gruesome Playground Injuries”.
Moving forward, Frazier again reiterated his team will power through.
“I know we’ll figure out how to get through this situation,” he said. “We figured out how to get through the pandemic. I’m sure our volunteers will lift us past this. We’re still operating. We’ll still have our beep baseball practice. We’re still going to make sure our clients are getting served one way or the other despite our situation.”
MindsEye celebrated its 50th year of service Friday night with a fundraising gala at the Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis. It also is set to host the National Beep Ball Association World Series in St. Charles in both 2024 and 2025. Beep Ball is a type of baseball for the visual impaired.
This story was originally published April 18, 2023 at 12:56 PM.