Volunteers are needed to record textbooks to cassettes for students with special needs.

“There are currently 37 students on campus who are in need of recorded textbooks,” said Gwen Woodward, Disability Resources program director.

That number will go up slightly in the fall when new students come to Iowa State, she said.

The books will be used by students with physical and learning disabilities, visual impairments and those who are blind or have dyslexia, Woodward said.

Students with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or mobility issues that keep them from holding a book can also get the cassettes, said Jorja Kemp, Disability Resources accommodations coordinator.

“We haven’t had any complaints,” Kemp said. “Students are happy to get the book, and they’re really appreciative.”

Volunteers need to have good reading skills, Woodward said.

They must also be native English speakers because an accent makes it difficult for the students to understand what is being voiced on the cassette, she said.

Kemp noted that it is useful for the students to be in majors that go along with the content of the book. She usually lets the volunteer look at the book to see if they can read it well.

Textbooks in all subject areas are needed by the students. Every book is put on tape, and that means anywhere from 100 to 200 books are recorded in a semester, Woodward said.

It’s hard to say how long it takes to record one book because they vary from pamphlet-size to 1,300-page text, Woodward said.

It usually takes about one month to get through a book, she said.

“Right now we are doing really good with volunteers,” Kemp said.

The goal for student services is to have volunteers year round, Woodward said.

When the fall semester begins, another set of books will have to be recorded and volunteers will be needed. Those interested in volunteering should contact Disability Resources in 1076 Student Services Building at 294-6624.