by Michele Howe, Star-Ledger Staff, November 20, 2001
When Greg Paris isn't working with his colleagues to come up with the next wonder drug, the scientist spends time recording textbooks for people who are blind or dyslexic.
Once a week he travels from his job at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., in. Summit, to the West Windsor studio of the New Jersey Unit for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. The national nonprofit organization provides textbooks on tape and computer disk to students in kindergarten through graduate school who are blind or have reading disabilities.
"I've recorded a number of different science texts-chemistry, biochemistry as well as ones related to computers, geology and oceanography," said Paris, who works with the Drug Discovery Research group at the pharmaceutical company.
He began volunteering in the organization's Manhattan studios during the 1970s when it was referred to as Recording for the Blind. Now a Cranford resident, he was living in New York at the time.
"I had volunteered to judge at science fairs for some time, so when a friend in the New York Choral Society mentioned RFB to me, it seemed like a logical next step," Paris said
Volunteer readers are tested to determine the level of expertise in their specialty areas and can also take a general test if they are interested in reading texts outside their field of knowledge. After passing the test Paris started reading medical books
Paris continued volunteering at the Manhattan studio after moving to New Jersey in 1981, but switched to the West Windsor location five years ago.
Volunteering with the organization "offers me an outlet as a scientist and as an advocate of science and critical thought-a way of both promoting and offering an example of a way of thinking that appears to need more and more support," Paris said.
"This is a way of using my experience and my talents, enjoying myself immensely, and simultaneously helping others. It's also a form of continuing education, because reading scientific texts is a wonderful way to keep learning, and to remember things long forgotten," he added.
The New Jersey Unit of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic is one of 21 units in the United States.
RFB&D's 80,000-volume library of taped textbooks, reference and professional materials serves more than 90,000 clients across the nation. There is an initial $50 registration fee for the members who use the service and an annual $25 fee thereafter.
Funding comes from corporate foundation and individual donations, as well as federal and state .money.
"Our volunteers come from all walks of life-teachers, corporations and students, and retirees," said Ted Taylor, RFB&D Unit executive director.
"The number of students requesting tapes has increased dramatically, so we need to increase our output to serve their needs. We especially need people with backgrounds in math, the sciences, computers, or teaching," he said.
For information on volunteering, call the organization's Princeton studio at (609) 921-6534 or the West Windsor studio at (609) 750-1830, or go to www.rfbdnj.org/volunteer.html.