(Globe Staff Photo / John Blanding)

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic has provided Nicole Tarzia, 19, with books on tape that have allowed her to overcome the obstacles of her disability and excel academically.

hen I was in elementary school I was put into low-reading groups � you know, the ones every kid dreads to be in � and I always felt like I wasn�t good enough. I felt like giving up. There was no solace for me �� until Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic stepped in.

Tarzia was diagnosed with cerebal palsy at six months old. Doctors told her parents her intelligence would be low, she�d be wheelchairbound, and she�d never have a normal life. But with the help of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, a national nonprofit organization, Tarzia, now 19, has proven them wrong.

�I was a struggling elementary school student, and I graduated high school with a 3.95 grade point average,� she says, laughing.

Now a sophomore at Bridgewater State College, pulling a 4.0 GPA, Tarzia is majoring in both psychology and social work, and after graduation plans to open a clinical practice for children with disabilities.

�I want to be that rock for that child who has no one to turn to,� she says.

Blessed with a fighting spirit, Tarzia says she owes it all to RFBD, which provided her with academic books recorded on cassette tapes.

With a library of over 80,000 recorded books, and more than 250 volunteers throughout the region, RFBD has provided numerous textbooks for both the visually impaired and those with physical and learning disabilities. A service all too often overlooked, RFBD has helped hundreds of thousands nationwide overcome the obstacles of their disabilities and continue their education with remarkable success.

Says Tarzia, �I know how much I�ve struggled and I�ve accomplished, despite my disabilities.�

This story ran on page F7 of the Boston Globe on 11/18/2001.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.