GOLD2021

RADIO EYE INC.

Your Eye on the Written World

Lexington, KY

Mission

Radio Eye broadcasts the reading of current news, public service and general interest programming to people who are blind and print-disabled, with the vision of producing quality programming designed to help our listening audience lead enriched, productive, and independent lives.

Ruling year info

1995

Executive Director

Amy Hatter

Main address

1733 Russell Cave Road

Lexington, KY 40505 USA

Show more contact info

Formerly known as

CKRE

Central Kentucky Radio Eye

EIN

61-1148801

NTEE code info

Blind/Visually Impaired Centers, Services (P86)

Senior Centers/Services (P81)

Radio (A34)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

There are approximately 160,000 people in Kentucky with a visual impairment (American Community Survey and DisabilityStatistics.org) and many more with other print reading disabilities. Lack of access to information is a huge problem facing the visually impaired community. Only 10% can read braille (Kentucky School for the Blind) and many do not have access to assistive technology. Seventy-one percent of our listeners are low income and 45% do not even have access to the internet. 70% of all websites are not fully accessible, according to a study conducted by Nucleus (https://accessibility.deque.com/nucleus-accessibility-research-2019). Many of our listeners use Radio Eye to keep them company, in addition to a way to receive news and information. For people aging in place, social isolation can be a hardship, especially if they live alone. Last year, 94% of the listeners who said their disability made them feel isolated also said Radio Eye helped.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

24-hour-a-day Radio Reading Program

Broadcasting throughout Kentucky, Radio Eye provides its listeners with free listening devices on which they may hear the free 24-hour program schedule including the reading of of newspapers, magazines and other current literature. Emphasis is placed on state, regional and local publications. Radio Eye can be heard in private homes via special radio receivers, telephone, online at www.radioeye.org, in several group homes and hospitals, on cable TV in Frankfort, on the Sero, Tune-In, and ooTunes apps, and now on Amazon Echo devices. Many programs are also available on-demand as podcasts on Amazon Echo devices, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast distributors.

Population(s) Served
Seniors

Where we work

Awards

Affiliations & memberships

Kentucky Nonprofit Network 2021

Internal Association of Audio Information Servcies 2021

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Radio Eye's main goal is to increase our listeners' ability to lead full and productive lives, through access to date-sensitive printed information and other programming designed to offer greater independent living and improve health and well-being. We plan to reach out to more listeners in private homes, hospitals, and nursing/group homes; to alter local and regional programs on an annual basis based on our listeners’ wants and needs; and to seek other partnership opportunities. We evaluate the service with our annual listener survey, as well as through other contact with listeners.

As a result of Radio Eye, Kentucky’s blind and disabled population will have:
• Increased knowledge of current events on a local, state, and national level, including information about their elected representatives and political candidates up for election
• Decreased feeling of isolation, increased social interaction, and increased happiness
• Increased health literacy, and greater knowledge to self-advocate in health matters

Our target outcomes for 2020 are:
• 90% feel less isolated
• 65% know more about health topics affecting their community
• 50% able to talk to family and friends about topics on programming
• 20% talk to their doctor
• 15% attend an event they heard about on Radio Eye
• Keep our 24 hour broadcast on the air and podcasts available in the midst of physical office closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To increase our listeners’ access to printed news and information, we produce 70 programs each week of information targeted to their needs and desires. Over 200 volunteers help with program production by reading printed material on-air and running our soundboard during live readings.

We broadcast our program 24/7 in a variety of media (including radio, telephone, smartphone app, Amazon Echo Alexa Skills, etc.) in order to reach the most listeners, regardless of technological ability. We keep abreast of trends in the radio reading industry and the blind/visually impaired population, through our memberships in the International Association of Audio Information Services and the Blind Services Coalition of Kentucky, and use those trends to inform our decision making.

In order to reach the highest number of blind and print-disabled listeners possible, we go to dozens of outreach events each year targeted to our demographic, and partner with many ophthalmologists and blindness professionals for referrals. The majority of our new listeners each year come from these referrals.

To ensure our listeners have increased knowledge of current events, we read dozens of programs each week, including 31 newspapers, 2 national news magazines, 3 consumer information programs, and 5 community news programs. To ensure greater health literacy, we read 9 health and disability programs. To ensure greater knowledge in general, we read 20 other programs with a variety of topics, including science and technology, fiction and non-fiction books, history, women’s issues, spirituality, and music. Through the familiar voices of our volunteer readers, we offer our listeners a unique form of companionship during long, lonely periods of their day and night, lessening feelings of isolation. Every year, we survey our listeners to make sure that our programming is effective, and update as needed based on the results.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.
  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    We serve people who have a print-reading disability. Many of our listeners are blind or visually impaired. We also serve people with physical disabilities that make it hard to pick up a book or turn a page in a newspaper, people with learning disabilities, people with mental health issues that make it hard to read or retain what was read, and people with dementa or Alzheimer's.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    This year, we added a fifth broadcast stream, to be able to broadcast Western Kentucky regional papers to our listeners in that area.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback

Financials

RADIO EYE INC.
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

RADIO EYE INC.

Board of directors
as of 10/25/2021
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Mr. David Hafley

The Thrasher Group

Term: 2021 - 2024

John Copeland

CPA at Blue and Co.

Melanie Kilpatrick

Rajkovich, Williams, Kilpatrick & True (Attorney at Law)

Rob Deal

JRA Architects

David Hafley

Parsons Brinckerhoff

Alice Dehner

Community Volunteer

Chris Clements

Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP

Rick Roderick

Retired

Laura Mitchell

Simpson Optical

Mike Barnard

Montgomery County Schools

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 10/25/2021

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientations in the LGBTQIA+ community
Disability status
Person with a disability

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.