Ridge Area Arc awarded grant through the Literacy Opportunity Fund

Funded by the Nora Roberts Foundation

Ridge Area Arc was chosen as a ProLiteracy® Literacy Opportunity Fund award winner.

ProLiteracy uses this fund to give select programs general operating funds to offset day-to-day expenses, expand programming, host events, purchase materials, or for any other needs they have. This grant, supported by the Nora Roberts Foundation, is based on a comprehensive application process that weighs a number of factors. This includes each applicant’s current needs combined with detailed plans outlining how they will use the grant to increase program capacity to better serve the needs of adults in their community.

We are proud to say that Ridge Area Arc was among 30 recipients across the US selected to share in $148,000 in funding.

Ridge Area Arc was awarded a generous $5,000 grant. ProLiteracy strengthens adult literacy programs nationwide by providing funding, professional training, research, and innovative learning resources through New Readers Press. The Literacy Opportunity Fund supports U.S.-based nonprofit organizations dedicated to transforming lives through adult education, with grants of up to $6,000 awarded to programs serving adult learners directly. As the county’s largest and most comprehensive provider of services for individuals with disabilities, Ridge Area Arc will use this funding to expand literacy opportunities and empower the individuals it serves.

The agency has purchased digital Scanmarker Pro Reading Pen and Translation Pens that will assist individuals with reading books and continuing their life-long learning as well as building their literacy skills. Scanmarker Pro Reading Pen and Translation Pens are portable, pocket-sized assistive technology scanning devices designed to support independent reading and literacy. Using advanced Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and text-to-speech (TTS) technology, they allow users to glide the pen over printed text to hear it read aloud immediately. They are highly recommended tools for individuals with disabilities including dyslexia, aphasia, and visual impairments.

“The Scanmarker Pro Reading Pen and Translation Pens will also support individuals with disabilities whose primary language is not English, as the devices offer translation in multiple languages,” said Kathleen Border, CEO of Ridge Area Arc. “These adaptive tools will help our individuals build essential literacy skills, including letter recognition, phonics, and word comprehension. We serve an 89-year-old individual with intellectual disabilities who dreams of reading the newspaper independently, as well as a 20-year-old with Down syndrome preparing for employment opportunities. The C-Pen Reader will help make both goals possible.”

Ridge Area Arc’s literacy programming is designed to meet individuals where they are and help them build confidence, independence, and practical life skills through education. For adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, literacy extends beyond reading books—it supports everyday tasks such as understanding medication labels, completing job applications, navigating transportation, reading menus, and increasing self-advocacy. By integrating adaptive technology and individualized instruction, Ridge Area Arc continues its commitment to ensuring every individual has the tools and support needed to reach their personal goals and live more independently.

Ridge Area Arc maintains a longstanding partnership with South Florida State College to enhance educational opportunities for the individuals it serves. Through this collaboration, Adult Basic Education teachers work alongside Ridge Area Arc individuals each day to strengthen literacy, communication, and foundational academic skills tailored to their specific learning needs. In addition, Ridge Area Arc’s Lab for Independent Living provides hands-on instruction focused on preparing participants for greater independence, teaching practical life skills such as meal preparation, budgeting, personal care, household management, and decision-making to help individuals thrive in their homes and communities.

Ridge Area Arc is a private, not for profit 501(c)3 organization, which was founded in 1957 by Franklyn and Mary Ellen Ward. Ridge Area Arc provides an array of services and support for nearly 200 families and individuals across Highlands and its surrounding counties. The agency is devoted to promoting and improving supports and services for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our vision is that every individual and family affected by intellectual disability in our service area has access to the information, advocacy, and skills they need to participate as active citizens of our democracy and active members of their community. For more information about Ridge Area Arc, please call 863-452-1295.

ProLiteracy’s mission is to remove barriers to education, like the stigma attached to adult literacy, and to equip adult education programs with the training and tools to help adults with low skills rise up and reach their goals. They aim to build equity in educational access to create stronger, healthier communities through literacy.