Q&A: Highlighting Studying To The Others With Argyro Spyridaki

Striving For Equal Entry To Data, One Guide At A Time

Argyro Spyridaki based the non-governmental group Studying to the Others (Diavazo Gia tous Allous) in 2015, when she realized that equal entry to data and schooling ought to be an inalienable proper for each human. For that reason, the mission of Studying to the Others is to make sure equal instructional alternatives by offering books to individuals who could lack entry to them. She has a level in Political Science, a Grasp’s Diploma in Transport Coverage, {and professional} expertise in each administrative analysis and journalism. For the previous couple of years, she has been the Common Supervisor of Studying to the Others and can be Chair of the group’s Board of Administrators.

How did all of it begin? Is there something that you simply want extra folks knew about Studying to the Others or the problems you are attempting to unravel?

Studying to the Others was born throughout a dialog I had with a good friend of mine, who was born blind. We had been discussing literature once I advised that he learn The Home of Sleep by Jonathan Coe. He replied, “You recognize, I would like to learn it, I’ve learn Coe earlier than, however this explicit guide is not obtainable within the audiobook library for the blind.” I used to be shocked as a result of I believed that every one printed books obtainable for sighted people are additionally revealed in Braille for these with visible impairments. In fact, that isn’t the case.

My good friend requested me to learn it with him. So, I returned house, grabbed the guide from the bookcase to verify the variety of pages, and began fascinated by how we may learn it. I used to be pondering of various methods; then, I believed perhaps I may file it to additionally donate it to the audiobook library for the blind.

And similar to that, I noticed that if I used to be prepared to do that, perhaps different folks can be prepared to do the identical. I created a Fb web page referred to as “Studying to the Others” and invited volunteer readers to file books to complement the audiobook library for the blind. It took off, and the primary large assembly of volunteers occurred in January 2015. That is how Studying to the Others was born, however now our objectives have expanded.

To remove social obstacles related to stereotypes and discrimination relating to blindness and variety basically, our objective is to tell, increase consciousness, and educate [the public] on equal entry to schooling for all and the acceptance of variety. We wish to encourage particular person and collective motion to construct a tradition of inclusivity that is not imbued with worry, ignorance, or negativity towards variety however equally accepting and supportive of people from socially weak teams.

What’s your most profitable program, and why? Give us your greatest instance of the best way you’ve got seen your group’s work make a distinction.

The preferred program amongst our volunteers is audiobook recording—a course of that enables them to contribute one thing invaluable to folks with visible and print disabilities. [1] The books we file have been requested by people with visible impairments. They embody college textbooks that our beneficiaries want to finish their research or take admission examinations, in addition to literary works.

But, our biggest social influence comes from our Therapeutic Readings program for senior people, the place we create significant connections between our volunteers and beneficiaries and supply companionship to individuals who usually really feel remoted and socially excluded. In any case, it is considered one of our main applications; as of now, we hold firm to 180 senior people in residential care properties, ten in Athens and one in Crete. Our educated volunteers pay weekly visits to the care properties’ residents, or these residing alone at house, to learn them a particular guide passage and talk about it. The passage sparks dialog, permitting constructive moments from the previous to resurface.

An instance of our work making a distinction was when a few of our senior beneficiaries from a care house in Crete determined to alter the time they visited their church to attend the group readings from our volunteers. These readings deliver pleasure to our beneficiaries and our volunteers, so the influence of our work has been extraordinarily encouraging.

For our crew, our awareness-building initiatives in collaboration with colleges and companies are very particular, as we witness them domesticate social consciousness and solidarity and stimulate reflection amongst youthful generations and professionals.

Inform us a bit extra about how your NGO enriches audiobook libraries for the blind and promotes public consciousness.

In 2023, Studying to the Others recorded a complete of 36 books; proper now, we’re concurrently recording 14 books for people with print disabilities. Studying to the Others’ digital audiobook library “Athena” is beneath building and can quickly be obtainable to the general public. That is the place we’ll add all of our recorded books; our beneficiaries will be capable to entry them with a small subscription price.

Furthermore, we’re collaborating with Panteion College and AMELib (Accessible Multi-modal Digital Library), the place we add all of our recorded college textbooks so that each pupil has quick access all through their attendance.

A particularly invaluable software for elevating public consciousness relating to using audiobooks is our social media channels, the place we promote the books we file and the educated volunteers who voice them, sharing their experiences of the recording course of.

Do you could have a strategic plan, and what key issues are you attempting to perform? What are the areas of alternative in your group? What may you do higher?

We’ve got already established our strategic plan for the subsequent three years. Our strategic priorities are divided into three axes. The primary axis includes the creation of equal studying alternatives by aiming to file 150 literary works and 60 college textbooks, in addition to the creation of a digital audiobook repository that might be accessible to each particular person with visible or print disabilities from anyplace in Greece. As well as, we goal to maintain 330 seniors and sufferers firm by particular person or group studying classes.

The second strategic axis issues the creation of an inclusive tradition by constructing consciousness throughout the neighborhood. Therefore, we wish to proceed our awareness-raising initiatives in colleges and firms. We additionally wish to create a information on the right use of inclusive language relating to incapacity and variety to remove phobic social perceptions of individuals with disabilities and break down discriminatory and damaging stereotypes related to [disabilities].

Our third and remaining axis focuses on inner organizational restructuring. Within the subsequent few years, we’ll focus on rising our community of volunteers, increasing our Board of Administrators—the very best governing physique of an NGO—and, lastly, refining our strategies of measuring the influence of our work.

As you’ll be able to perceive, our strategic plan is essential to us. It would information us in our subsequent steps, serving to us keep true to our imaginative and prescient and mission; we hope to encourage the folks near us in order that, collectively, we construct a society with equal entry to data and schooling for all.

What are your most pressing wants? What about funding and personal donations? What sort of assets show you how to do what your different sources of funding do not cowl?

For us, this can be very necessary that we proceed to assist customers with blindness and print incapacity, senior people, and sufferers and to pursue change in social tradition with out letting the group’s funding get in the best way of our initiatives and the social objectives we want to obtain.

As you’ll be able to perceive, donations from foundations are additionally essential since they cowl the best portion of our applications’s implementation. Nevertheless, it is the person and firm donations, the funds that may be allotted to check new pilot applications or to cowl the rapid and pressing wants of our beneficiaries, that permit us to change into extra inventive and efficient. Due to this fact, we ask folks to go to our web site, get to know us, and, offered that we earn their belief, assist us in any means they’ll.

In any case, as an NGO, our wants will not be simply financial. Many corporations assist by offering us with the assets we’d like, similar to laptops sometimes. The workspace that we use was additionally donated, in addition to our bookcases. Lately, a regulation agency donated 4 printers, which we actually wanted. In fact, folks can assist us by donating used books that they not want, which we’ll use throughout our studying initiatives or resell to create a small revenue.

Past monetary assist, voluntary companies from numerous professionals, like attorneys, IT specialists, and graphic designers, are very useful. Equally necessary is the donation of stationery, crops, and different gadgets that streamline our day-to-day work and make our surroundings extra nice.

What would make the best distinction in serving to your group get higher at what it does? How can extra folks become involved?

To enhance our group, upgrading our technological infrastructure would make the largest distinction. By buying new, extra fashionable tools and software program for our recording studio, we’d be capable to supply higher audiobook recording companies.

There are numerous ways in which people can become involved and assist our work. Initially, by volunteering, you’ll be able to supply your time and abilities to recordings, readings, administrative assist, graphic design, and anything you’ll be able to consider. Furthermore, donations, by the annual membership subscription or a bigger contribution, help considerably in guaranteeing the sustainability of our initiatives.

Moreover, you’ll be able to share our work with your mates and acquaintances throughout your get-togethers or in your social media channels and assist our viewers develop. Lastly, as a part of their company social duty applications, corporations can work with us to co-organize an awareness-raising exercise for his or her staff or a fundraising occasion for our group. And, as talked about above, specialised companies primarily based on every individual’s experience, similar to authorized recommendation, graphic design, or IT, are essential for the continuation of our work.

How can a volunteer use their distinctive abilities, expertise, or perspective to additional your trigger? What further abilities and expertise would one like to amass on this function?

Our volunteers are our energy. Studying to the Others started as a voluntary community—with out the assist and contribution of our volunteers, we would not be the place we’re right this moment.

Every year, we concern an open name for brand spanking new volunteers. These interested by readings bear a voice evaluation with a committee of companions with visible disabilities. If their voice is deemed appropriate, they transfer on to the coaching stage after which to the studio for the recording of the guide upon which we’ve got agreed. The recording course of requires preparation and diligence from the volunteer lending their voice. Ultimately, the result’s rewarding for all of us. The books we file are primarily books which have been requested by our beneficiaries.

As for our dwell Therapeutic Readings, we concern an open name two to a few occasions per yr, relying on the wants. Our volunteers interested by these readings are educated on Bibliotherapy methods and how you can correctly handle their voice in order that they do not get drained whereas studying aloud.

Afterward, we deliver our volunteers along with our beneficiaries and schedule weekly conferences, which occur beneath our fixed supervision and steering. We learn both in teams, in residential care properties, or individually in properties, to individuals who can’t learn by themselves on account of age, sickness, or incapacity. We hold them firm, talk about what we’ve got learn, and recall experiences and moments from the previous. In fact, the passages we select to learn correspond to the cognitive, psycho-emotional degree, and the pursuits of every beneficiary or group.

Past the above, our volunteers are additionally instrumental in our workplace’s administrative issues. We’re a small crew, and each little bit of assistance is invaluable. Throughout their visits, our volunteers assist us with guide scanning, telephone correspondence, and our “Library” venture. It’s a large-scale venture that goals to reconstruct and arrange our library, classify our books in a means that serves us, and create a lending library the place our volunteers can borrow books and passages to learn to our senior beneficiaries. Volunteers are concerned in organizational and administrative issues all year long as our wants proceed to develop.

What we search for in a volunteer is a shared perception in our imaginative and prescient of equal entry to studying. Subsequent, diligence and crew spirit are essential, as we at all times work collaboratively and as a crew. With regards to particular abilities, we’re at all times open to individuals who wish to contribute to our graphic design wants, social media channels, in addition to our fundraising efforts; we wish to talk about with them methods we will work collectively and listen to their recent concepts.

What are your subsequent steps or future plans? Is the crew at Studying to the Others fascinated by increasing? (Both when it comes to different sorts of voluntary actions or in one other location/area, and so forth.)

After making use of the Idea of Change, we collectively understood that what we wish for the longer term is to do our half in altering the tradition round variety and acceptance. Within the coming years, we wish there to be extra social consciousness round incapacity, blindness, and the acceptance of others basically. We wish to begin speaking about social stereotypes, we wish to begin speaking about disabilities extra overtly as a corporation, we wish to develop nearer to the social teams we serve. We would like our beneficiaries to inform us what else they want.

That is why we’ve got additionally created a digital accessibility seminar, coaching corporations and staff on how you can create accessible digital communication flows for his or her web sites and their company or private social media channels. We, as a corporation, are additionally receiving coaching on these subjects. All of our group’s staff and, one after the other, our members are beginning to change into conversant in accessibility points.

Wrapping Up

Thanks a lot to Argyro Spyridaki for sharing the imaginative and prescient behind Studying to the Others and the way our readers can contribute. If you would like to make your organization’s surroundings extra inclusive and your social media content material accessible to folks with visible disabilities, you’ll be able to contact the group to participate within the digital accessibility seminars that their crew organizes.

[1] Print disabilities: Problem or lack of ability to learn printed materials successfully, on account of whole/partial imaginative and prescient loss, extreme dyslexia, higher limb disabilities, and so forth.

Editor’s Notice: This Q&A was initially performed in Greek and translated to English for publication functions.