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

Mon Mar 30 23:29:39 UTC 2009

To address the first part of your question, Shane, the Guild made the
suggestion that those with disabilities desiring to use the Kindle 2
text-to-speech software would have to register in order to obtain access to
that software.  A burden of proof showing the extent of the registrants
disability would be placed on the registrant.  This in addition to the
hassle of filling out and processing the registration form.  I don't know
about you Shane, but I don't want to tell the Guild about the intimate
details of my disability.

Regarding the second part of your first question, Shane.  As far as the
additional cost goes the Guild can charge more for an aduiobook than they
can for a print based book.  The reason they don't want the text-to-speech
software used is because they think demand for more expensive audiobooks
will decrease.  This is a stupidly held belief on their part
since audiobooks should be considered a different media than books read via
text-to-speech software because audiobooks are read by humans and therefore
have a superior sounding quality.  The Guild's position is analogous to them
saying anyone with a reading disability must buy a more expensive hard cover
book.  In fact it's even more egregious than that because the selection of
audiobooks is paltry compared to that of print books.

I know that Guild wants to have the ability to just turn off the text to
reading software.  But the real issue is why do they want to turn off the
reading software?  The answer to that question, Shane, is so Guild can force
people with text-reading-disabilities to buy more expensive audiobooks.

I realize the last posting I made in this thread had some grammatical
problems.  I was in a rush while writing it.  Nonetheless, I hope I got the
point across.
Mike
On Mon, Mar 30, 2009 at 11:47 AM, Shane D <chatter8712 at gmail.com> wrote:

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