[blindlaw] Fw: Reading Rights Coalition Urges AuthorstoAllowEveryone Access to E-books

Chris Danielsen cdanielsen8 at aol.com
Tue Mar 31 22:17:13 UTC 2009


Joe,

Suggestions for other actions will soon be posted on the Web site
www.readingrights.org.

Chris


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Joe Orozco
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 10:27 PM
To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Fw: Reading Rights Coalition Urges
AuthorstoAllowEveryone Access to E-books

Is there something those of us who cannot go to New York do to show support?

Joe Orozco

"A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the
crowd."--Max Lucado 

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org 
[mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chris Danielsen
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 9:17 PM
To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Fw: Reading Rights Coalition Urges 
Authors toAllowEveryone Access to E-books

With Bookshare, you're not paying for the books you download. 
By contrast, if I buy a book like everyone else, it's nobody's 
business how I read it or why I'm reading it that way.

Chris


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org 
[mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of E.J. Zufelt
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 6:15 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Fw: Reading Rights Coalition Urges 
Authors to AllowEveryone Access to E-books

Is it immoral for Bookshare to require registration aswell?

Everett


On 30-Mar-09, at 2:21 PM, Michael Fry 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/mikefr
y79%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/everet
t%40zufelt.c
a


_______________________________________________
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/cdanie
lsen8%40aol.
com

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of 
virus signature
database 3976 (20090330) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com


 

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of 
virus signature
database 3976 (20090330) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.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/jsoroz
co%40gmail.com
 

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of 
virus signature database 3973 (20090329) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com
 
 

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 3973 (20090329) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.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/cdanielsen8%40aol.
com

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 3979 (20090331) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com


 

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 3979 (20090331) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com
 





More information about the BlindLaw mailing list