Support us by Volunteering

Looking for a volunteer opportunity that can have a deep and lasting impact on the lives of others? Take a closer look at the fun, challenging and useful ways you can donate your time and talents at State Services for the Blind (SSB).

A Special Note About Our Current Volunteer Needs

At this time, we are very fortunate to have a full complement of volunteers for readers (audio recording) and for processing print (structuring).

While we are still accepting applications from persons interested in volunteering with our engineering and braille services, our Audio Services section is at capacity and not processing new applications at this time.

If you have expertise in braille transcription, or if you are interested in repairing equipment, please read more about these volunteer positions, and consider applying.

If you have an interest in audio recording, or working with the technical aspects of structuring books, please check back with us at a later time. We currently have no openings for these volunteer positions.

Overview

Without the generous contribution of time and talent from our energetic volunteers, we could not produce the 750,000 pages of Braille that we do each year; record nearly 1,000 books into audio; prepare and record thousands of hours of programming for the Radio Talking Book or repair thousands of audioplayers. In any given year, our volunteers contribute close to 2 million dollars of in-kind contributions. Thank you for considering joining them!

Read
Produce Braille
Maintain Equipment

Read

SSB's Communication Center depends on volunteers to record standard print materials. We have two different units that use volunteer readers. The Audio Services unit makes custom audio recordings for students, workers, leisure readers, and organizations. Radio Talking Book - a 24/7 reading service that broadcasts programs online and via apps - records books, newspapers, magazines and other content.

At the present time, in addition to seeking strong readers for general subjects, we are particularly looking for readers with a background in science, health care, mathematics, law or computers. We are also seeking volunteers with fluency in another language, especially Somali, Hmong, Dakota, Anishinaabe, Karen, Arabic, and Chinese. If you have expertise in any of these areas, please keep reading to find out more about volunteering.

Do I have the Time?

Becoming a volunteer reader requires a time commitment of two to four hours a week. You can record at the Communication Center's own studios in St. Paul's Midway area. We also have options for recording at home; you must have a quiet place for recording. We'll provide equipment and assignments.

What Will I Read?

Volunteers in both Audio Services and Radio Talking Book record a full range of print materials without editing or censorship. Depending on your strengths and interests and our needs you may be assigned to read fiction, non-fiction, magazines, newspapers, textbooks, leisure books, and/or business and vocational materials.

Do I Have the Ability?

Our volunteer readers must be able to read aloud without previous preparation and with a high degree of accuracy and clarity. You should be able to follow instructions, fix mistakes, and pronounce words correctly.

Does volunteer reading sound interesting?

Test yourself on the following words:
1. ambivalence
2. gubernatorial
3. nuclear
4. hallucinatory
5. niche
6. dichotomy
7. rhetoric
8. unanimity
9. obsequious
10. recidivism
11. queue
12. bacchanalian
13. choreography
14. bureaucracy
15. deficit
16. irrelevant
17. acclimate
18. pseudonym
19. barrage
20. ophthalmologist
If you can pronounce 18 out of the above 20 words without hesitation, and you have the reading qualities just described, you may want to apply to become a recording volunteer.

All volunteers must pass an oral reading test. The test consists of nine parts, including such areas as word pronunciation, poetry, news articles, humor, children's stories, and optional specialty term tests.

How to Apply

If you are interested in becoming a reader, fill out the volunteer services form. After you submit the form, we will send you a volunteer application. Once you fill out and return the application, we will contact you about scheduling a reading test. If you have questions, please call our offices at 651-539-2300 (Twin Cities Metro) or toll-free 800-652-9000.
Produce Braille

The Braille Unit at SSB has an ongoing need for volunteers who have National Library Service (NLS) certification in braille. They can also use volunteers who do not know braille for other important tasks.

Braille Transcription

A volunteer must have or be working on certification as a braille transcriber by the National Library Service in Washington, D.C. The training for certification takes about a year to complete; it is available in many local areas. Upon certification, additional training is available in transcribing textbooks. Volunteers use computers, either their own or one provided by SSB, to produce braille in their homes. At least one braille volume of about 70 pages must be transcribed each month.

Tactile Graphics

Tactile graphics (raised pictures, maps, or diagrams that can be felt rather than seen) volunteers assist in producing the illustrations that are used in many types of braille books. Graphics are prepared by tracing, freehand drawing, or by using a computer design program. Training is provided and the time commitment varies with the project being worked on. It is not necessary to be familiar with braille.

Proofreading Assistant/Copy Reader

A proofreading assistant/copy reader works as a team with a braille proofreader; the volunteer will read print material aloud while the proofreader checks the braille copy for accuracy. Volunteers read for approximately three hours at a time, with frequent breaks. It is not necessary to be familiar with braille, and no reading test is required.

How to Apply

For more information and an application, fill out the volunteer services form.
Maintain Equipment

The Communication Center loans SSB customers with print disabilities special Talking Book players. These machines play specially formatted digital book cartridges. Volunteers clean, test, and repair these digital book players.

Knowledge of electronic devices and how they work is necessary. Volunteers should be able to troubleshoot electronic devices down to the sub-assembly and wiring/cable level. They should also be able to use hand tools, as well as follow testing and cleaning protocols. A commitment of three to four hours per week on a regular basis is required. Training, tools, and work space are provided.

How to Apply

For more information and an application, fill out the volunteer services form.