As explained in the section on Public Services, some television programing is broadcast with a descriptive narrative for the Visually Impaired. This is done through the cooperation of local Public Broadcasting System (PBS) stations and advocates for the blind and visually impaired. Locally the Toledo Sight Center has volenteer readers that come in and read portions of the Newspaper daily through the week and on Sunday, as a Public Service for those unable to read. This programing is accessable by enabling the "Second Audio Program (SAP) feature that is built in to Stereo Televisions and VCRs. When Stereo TV's and VCR's were not as common, special FM receivers were built to access that audio programming. I am not sure if these SAP receivers are still available, but of the three contacts I had. One has since been bought out by a supplier of equipment for the Television Broadcasting industry, the second seems to specialize in restoring older FM radios, and I have been unsucessful in trying to locate anything on the third. For general information I have listed what I have on the two still operating.

Avocet Instrument CRL/Orban, which purchased Avocet Instruments in June 2001, builds television Pro and SAP generators. Circuit Research Labs, Inc., Tempe, AZ and San Leandro, CA ("OTC/BB": CRLI), parent company of Orban, Inc. and CRL Inc.,
For more information on Avocet products,
contact Kevin Clayborn
[email protected]
or Bryant Jones
[email protected]
Phone: (602) 438-0888
fax (602) 438-8227
For information on Orban and CRL, contact
Sabrina Dodaj at
Phone: (510) 351-3500
fax: (510) 351-0500
E-mail: [email protected]
Information is also available at the following web sites:
www.orban.com
www.crlsystems.com

Email: [email protected]