Detroit’s Hidden Gem: How Detroit’s Hidden Radio Service, DRIS Keeps the Visually Impaired Connected to Community News

Imagine a woman sits quietly in her Detroit home, flipping through the local newspaper. She squints, trying to make out the letters that have become nothing more than blurs. For her, the words that tell the story of her community are just out of reach. But she still craves the connection, the lifeline that local news provides to the events shaping the world around her. Though newspapers aren’t made for her and the many others in southeast Michigan living with visual impairments, there’s a hidden gem in the heart of Detroit that ensures they aren’t left in the dark. The Detroit Radio Information Service (DRIS) has been filling that gap since 1978. Tucked away within WDET 101.9 FM, Detroit’s NPR station housed at Wayne State University, DRIS is a beacon of hope for the visually impaired and print-disabled across southeast Michigan. It’s more than just a radio program — it’s a lifeline of information for people who often struggle to access traditional print media. For nearly five decades, this hidden gem has connected people with disabilities to the world around them, ensuring that the voices of our community resonate with every individual, no matter their abilities. Diane Sanders, the manager...