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Media Center
Arizona Instructional Resource Center
For some 40 years, the Arizona Instructional Resource Center (AIRC) has been the not-for-profit state media center for students and adults who are blind or visually impaired.
 The AIRC of the Foundation for Blind Children contracts with the Arizona Department of Education to provide adaptive media service to all Pre-K-12 students who have a visual impairment or are blind. The service comprises braille, large print, and electronic file formats as well as other adapted instructional materials.
Postsecondary media service has recently been added through the support of an establishment grant from the Arizona Rehabilitation Services Administration.
The AIRC also functions as the state registrar for all students in the state with a visual impairment, as well as for all students who have documentation of legal blindness and qualify for registration in the annual Federal Quota Census. This program provides limited funding for the acquisition of instructional materials from the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky.
Postsecondary and Custom Text Conversion Service
The AIRC also offers specialized media service for postsecondary students and adults in employment. This includes custom text conversion from print to braille, large print, or electronic file format. Short turn-around time is not guaranteed, but can be negotiated. Hotel directories, restaurant menus, financial statements, staff rosters, procedures manuals, directories, bus schedules, or anything that may be needed will be converted.
Call or email Inge Durre for details and for a fee schedule: 602.678.5816, idurre@seeitourway.org
The AIRC
...acts as the state braille, large print and electronic schoolbook depository;
...is a resource for inquiries regarding access to special media;
...administers its own Perkins Braille Writer Repair Service in cooperation with an Arizona State Prison;
...holds an annual Summer Reading Contest for students who are large print, braille or pre- or non-readers;
 ...maintains the state’s largest braille recreational reading library as well as a large print reading library;
… maintains a Tactile Museum of a variety of donated art pieces and other objects that are interesting to feel.
...relies heavily on the assistance of committed volunteers including certified braille transcribers and proofreaders inside and outside of AZ prisons;
The AIRC also offers specialized media service for postsecondary students and adults in employment through RSA of Arizona. Please call for available services and fees.
In 2005/06, the media center...
...had 1,908 students actively registered;
...served 163 students with textbook service, 108 large print, 55 braille;
...served 634 persons with adapted equipment;
...had 57 participants in the Summer Reading Contest;
...produced 312 new titles in large print, with a total of 132,128 pages;
...produced 639 new titles in braille, with a total of 406,214 pages;
...received help from 133 volunteers who donated a total of 11,709 hours;
...acquired 39 new e-books.
To inquire about or place an order for
instructional materials, contact the
media center at 602.678.5810.
For all other information, please contact
Inge Durre, Director AIRC, at
Tel: 602-678-5816, Fax: 602-678-5811
idurre@seeitourway.org
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