[blindlaw] Fw: Reading Rights Coalition Urges Authors to Allow Everyone Access to E-books

Mon Mar 30 18:47:59 UTC 2009

I may have missed it, but where did you come up with the registering
and paying extra? The issue is that they can just turn off the reading
for all.

On 3/30/09, Michael Fry <mikefry79 at gmail.com> wrote:
> It is awesome that so many organizations are coalescing around such a noble
> and worthy cause.
>
> The Guilds position is immoral since it is infringes on human rights
> and dignity because it exploits, for profit, a vulnerable minority of the
> population.  Requiring the disabled to 'register' - like some kind
> of inferior animal - in order to use new, free, and
> innovative text-to-speech technology places an unnecessary obstacle in path
> of people with disablities.  This obstacle is desgined solely to exploit
> money from people without the time or inclination or, who are too
> embarrassed to register, as a text disabled individuals.  They are
> attempting to bully extra profits out of people with disabilities.  The
> Guild, comprised of enlightened and educated individuals, should be ashamed
> since there is no explanation other than immoral greed for their position.
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 30, 2009 at 9:16 AM, Scott C. LaBarre
> <slabarre at labarrelaw.com>wrote:
>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Freeh, Jessica
>> To: Alpidio Rolon ; Amy Buresh ; Anil Lewis ; Art Schreiber ; Beth Rival ;
>> Bob Kresmer ; Carl Jacobsen ; Cathy Jackson ; Charlene Smyth ; Christine
>> G.
>> Hall ; Daniel Burke ; David Ticchi ; Don Galloway ; Donna Wood ; Elsie
>> Lamp
>> ; Frank Lee ; Franklin Shiner ; Fred Schroeder ; Fred Wurtzel ; Gary Ray ;
>> Gary Wunder ; J.W. Smith ; James Antonacci ; James Broadnax ; Jennelle
>> Bichler ; Jennifer Dunnam ; Jerree Harris ; Joe Ruffalo ; John Batron ;
>> John
>> Fritz ; Joyce Scanlan ; Kathy Davis ; Ken Rollman ; Kevan Worley ; Marie
>> Johnson ; Mary Willows ; Melissa Riccobono ; Michael Barber ; Michael
>> Freeman ; Nani Fife ; Pam Allen ; Parnell Diggs ; Patti Chang ; Richard
>> Bennett ; Richard Gaffney ; Ron Brown ; Ron Gardner ; Sam Gleese ; Scott
>> LaBarre ; Selena Sundling-Crawford ; Steven Priddle ; Terri Rupp ; Tommy
>> Craig
>> Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 7:09 AM
>> Subject: Reading Rights Coalition Urges Authors to Allow Everyone Access
>> to
>> E-books
>>
>>
>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>>
>>
>> CONTACT:
>>
>> Chris Danielsen
>>
>> Director of Public Relations
>>
>> National Federation of the Blind
>>
>> (410) 659-9314, ext. 2330
>>
>> (410) 262-1281 (Cell)
>> cdanielsen at nfb.org
>>
>>
>>
>> Reading Rights Coalition Urges Authors to Allow
>> Everyone Access to E-books
>>
>>
>>
>> Informational Protest to be Held at Authors Guild Headquarters
>>
>>
>>
>> New York City (March 30, 2009): The Reading Rights Coalition, which
>> represents people who cannot read print, will protest the threatened
>> removal
>> of the text-to-speech function from e-books for the Amazon Kindle 2
>> outside
>> the Authors Guild headquarters in New York City at 31 East 32nd Street on
>> April 7, 2009, from noon to 2:00 p.m.  The coalition includes the blind,
>> people with dyslexia, people with learning or processing issues, seniors
>> losing vision, people with spinal cord injuries, people recovering from
>> strokes, and many others for whom the addition of text-to-speech on the
>> Kindle 2 promised for the first time easy, mainstream access to over
>> 245,000
>> books.
>>
>>
>>
>> When Amazon released the Kindle 2 electronic book reader on February 9,
>> 2009, the company announced that the device would be able to read e-books
>> aloud using text-to-speech technology.  Under pressure from the Authors
>> Guild, Amazon has announced that it will give authors and publishers the
>> ability to disable the text-to-speech function on any or all of their
>> e-books available for the Kindle 2.
>>
>>
>>
>> Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
>> "The blind and print-disabled have for years utilized text-to-speech
>> technology to read and access information.  As technology advances and
>> more
>> books move from hard-copy print to electronic formats, people with print
>> disabilities have for the first time in history the opportunity to enjoy
>> access to books on an equal basis with those who can read print.  Authors
>> and publishers who elect to disable text-to-speech for their e-books on
>> the
>> Kindle 2 prevent people who are blind or have
>>
>> other print disabilities from reading these e-books.  This is blatant
>> discrimination and we will not tolerate it."
>>
>>
>>
>> Mike Shuttic, president of the Association on Higher Education and
>> Disability (AHEAD), said: "AHEAD envisions educational and societal
>> environments that value disability and embody equality of opportunity.
>> This
>> vision of AHEAD is directly aligned with the efforts of this coalition.
>>  Although much rhetoric is made about potential obstacles and problems
>> that
>> exist, the basic goal is clear and simple--access for everyone.  And why
>> create something that prevents it?"
>>
>>
>>
>> Mitch Pomerantz, president of the American Council of the Blind, said:
>> "Removing the text-to-speech features closes the door on an innovative
>> technological solution that would make regular print books available to
>> tens
>> of thousands of individuals who are blind or visually impaired."
>>
>>
>>
>> Andrew Imparato, President and Chief Executive Officer for the American
>> Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), said: "It is outrageous
>> when
>> a technology device shuts out people with all kinds of disabilities.  AAPD
>> works to remove barriers to accessibility and usability in technology, and
>> we don't expect to see people with disabilities singled out by having to
>> pay
>> more for access.  New technologies, such as electronic books, should be
>> available to everyone regardless of disability."
>>
>> Paul Schroeder, vice president of programs and policy for the American
>> Foundation for the Blind, said: "Those of us with print disabilities have
>> long dreamed of a world in which books and media are available to us at
>> the
>> same time as everyone else. The Kindle 2 offers that possibility for the
>> first time.  We hope publishers and authors come to see that
>> text-to-speech
>> is simply an alternative means of access to print."
>>
>> Dr. Peter Blanck, chairman and university professor at Burton Blatt
>> Institute at Syracuse University, said: "As electronic books become the
>> norm, denying universal access will result in more and more people with
>> disabilities being left out of education, employment, and the societal
>> conversation.  We will all suffer from the absence of their participation
>> and contribution to the debates that occupy us as a society."
>>
>>
>>
>> George Kerscher of the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY)
>> Consortium, said: "The DAISY Consortium envisions a world where people
>> with
>> print disabilities have equal access to information and knowledge, without
>> delay or additional expense.  Authors and publishers surely must share
>> this
>> vision.  Now that the issue of human rights has been explained, and the
>> opportunity for larger sales are known, I urge the Authors Guild to
>> reverse
>> their position on text-to-speech and join us in actively encouraging all
>> publishers and reading technology developers to open the world of reading
>> to
>> everybody.  Authors, join us on the picket line."
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Steve Jacobs, president of IDEAL Group Inc., said, "Not only is
>> text-to-speech important to people who are blind, it is critical in
>> providing quality educations to millions of young people who rely on
>> text-to-speech to learn effectively.  This includes students with autism,
>> learning disabilities, mobility disabilities, and cognitive disabilities
>> that impact their ability to acquire information with their eyes only. I
>> remain hopeful that the talented members of the Authors Guild come to
>> understand the potential negative impact of disabling the text-to-speech
>> function on their e-books and reconsider their position."
>>
>>
>>
>> Cynthia D. Waddell, executive director of the International Center for
>> Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI), said:  "The mission of ICDRI
>> supports the removal of barriers in electronic and information technology
>> and the promotion of equal access.  ICDRI welcomes the text-to-speech
>> functionality being offered by the Kindle 2 since it increases mainstream
>> access to books for the first time in history.  We question why the
>> Authors
>> Guild demands that it be turned it off since many more books would be sold
>> if text-to-speech was turned back on.  Not only
>>
>> does this feature benefit persons with disabilities, but it also helps
>> persons for whom English is not their native language.  In an increasingly
>> mobile society, flexibility in access to content improves the quality of
>> life for everyone."
>>
>>
>>
>> James Love, director of Knowledge Ecology International, said: "Knowing
>> full well that not everyone can see, the Authors Guild wants the right to
>> be
>> seen, but not heard.  By bullying Amazon to change the technology of
>> Kindle
>> 2, the Authors Guild will either deny access to people who are disabled,
>> or
>> make them pay more.  By attacking disabled persons in this way, the
>> Authors
>> Guild is attacking everyone who would otherwise benefit from the
>> contributions this community has the potential to offer."
>>
>>
>>
>> James H. Wendorf, executive director for the National Center for Learning
>> Disabilities, said: "Access to the written word is the cornerstone of
>> education and democracy.  New technologies must serve individuals with
>> disabilities, not impede them.  Our homes, schools and ultimately our
>> economy rely on support for the future, not discriminating practices and
>> beliefs from the past."
>>
>> While the Kindle 2 is not currently accessible to blind users, Amazon
>> recently announced on its Kindle 2 blog that it is currently at work on
>> making the device's navigational features accessible to the blind.
>>
>>
>>
>> The coalition includes: American Association of People with Disabilities,
>> American Council of the Blind, American Foundation for the Blind,
>> Association on Higher Education and Disability, Bazelon Center for Mental
>> Health Law, Burton Blatt Institute, Digital Accessible Information System
>> (DAISY) Consortium, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF),
>> IDEAL Group, Inc., International Center for Disability Resources on the
>> Internet, International Dyslexia Association, International Dyslexia
>> Association--New York Branch, Knowledge Ecology International, Learning
>> Disabilities Association of America, National Center for Learning
>> Disabilities, National Disability Rights Network, National Federation of
>> the
>> Blind, NISH, and the National Spinal Cord Injury Association.  In addition
>> to the April 7 New York City protest, the coalition will participate in
>> the
>> Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on April 25-26.
>>
>>
>>
>> ###
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindlaw mailing list
>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindlaw:
>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mikefry79%40gmail.com
>>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/chatter8712%40gmail.com
>

-- 
-Shane
Website: http://www.blind-geek.com
AIM: inhaddict
MSN: shane at blind-geek.com
Skype: chatter8712
Twitter: blind_geek