[Dtb-talk] Informational Picketing Against Authors Guild in NewYork City

[Greg Kearney]

That's right which is why this is a problem. The Authors Guild's  
actions is a stab directly at the heart o the talking book program and  
the very changes that are coming to it. As a person engaged in the  
production of digital talking books, many of which are now being made  
with text to speech and not human recordings I see trouble ahead with  
this. And that says nothing about devices such as computers and DAISY  
software and hardware playback devices.

And while braille is always to be promoted and used; braille does no  
good at all for dyslexics, such as myself, and others with print  
disabilities which are also dependent, even more so, on text to speech.

Greg Kearney
Curtin University Centre for Accessible Technology
gkearney at gmail.com



On Mar 28, 2009, at 2:59 AM, Anthony Vece wrote:

> You guys are taking this way out of proportion.
>
> The TalkingBook program has been around since the 30's, at least as  
> far as I know.
>
> Now with automation coming into play, the TalkingBook program will  
> need to change with the times.
>
> And, their is always Braille.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Greg Kearney" <gkearney at gmail.com>
> To: "Discussion of Digital Talking Books" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, March 27, 2009 9:56 PM
> Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] Informational Picketing Against Authors  
> Guild in NewYork City
>
>
> The trouble is that the Authors Guild, emboldened by its success with
> the Kindle, will turn it attention to any device that has text to
> speech including things like computers. So even through the Kindle was
> far from perfect in the area of accessibility the president that the
> Authors Guild is setting endangers the whole talking book program as
> well as accessible computers and other devices.
>
> Greg Kearney
> 535 S. Jackson St.
> Casper, Wyoming 82601
> 307-224-4022
> gkearney at gmail.com
>
>
>
> On Mar 27, 2009, at 6:34 PM, Anthony Vece wrote:
>
>> Hi There;
>>
>> If the product is not user friendly for someone who is visually
>> impaired then, go to the competition and hit them in their wallet
>> where it hurts.
>>
>> I would think that would make much more sense.
>>
>> Plus it would make us look much more respectable.
>>
>> Anthony
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Andrews"  
>> <dandrews at visi.com>
>> To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, March 27, 2009 4:40 PM
>> Subject: [Dtb-talk] Informational Picketing Against Authors Guild in
>> New York City
>>
>>
>>
>> >From Chris Danielson:
>>
>> Dear Fellow Federationists:
>>
>> As you may already know, Amazon, Inc. released the newest version of
>> its
>>
>> e-book reader, the Kindle, on February 9 of this year.  The Kindle 2
>>
>> includes a feature that allows e-books downloaded to it to be read
>> aloud.
>>
>> The Authors Guild has objected to this feature because it believes
>> these
>>
>> e-books are licensed only for visual display, and under pressure
>> from the
>>
>> Guild, Amazon has decided to allow authors and publishers to decide
>> which
>>
>> books can be read aloud by this device.  Naturally, this is a blow
>> to blind
>>
>> people and others with print disabilities who can benefit from the
>>
>> text-to-speech feature and who would love to be able to purchase
>> books and
>>
>> start reading them immediately for the first time in history.  For
>> this
>>
>> reason the National Federation of the Blind has joined with other
>>
>> organizations representing people who cannot use print effectively
>> to fight
>>
>> the Authors Guild.
>>
>> We plan to kick off our public education campaign to increase public
>>
>> pressure on the Authors Guild to reverse its stance with an
>> informational
>>
>> protest in front of the Guild's headquarters in New York City.  This
>> picket
>>
>> will take place on Tuesday, April 7, from noon until 2:00 p.m.  I am
>> writing
>>
>> to you in hopes that you can organize members to come to this
>> protest.  A
>>
>> number of Federationists from Maryland are coming and we expect
>>
>> participation from other organizations in the coalition, but it
>> would be
>>
>> very helpful if those of you with easy access to New York City would
>> help us
>>
>> by providing more picketers.  It is extremely important that we  
>> make a
>>
>> strong impression on the Authors Guild and the media so that our
>> message
>>
>> will be heard.
>>
>> In the next few days you will receive more communications with
>> additional
>>
>> logistical details, as well as more information about our position  
>> and
>>
>> suggestions on how to respond to questions from the media.  In the
>> meantime,
>>
>> if you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact
>> me.  As
>>
>> soon as you have an idea of how many people may be able to come to
>> this
>>
>> event, please provide that information to John Paré by calling
>> 410-659-9314,
>>
>> ext. 2227, or by e-mailing jpare at nfb.org.  Thank you for your
>> assistance in
>>
>> this important matter.
>>
>> Sincerely:
>>
>> Chris Danielsen
>>
>> Christopher S. Danielsen
>>
>> Director of Public Relations
>>
>> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>>
>>
>> David Andrews and white cane Harry.
>>
>>
>>
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