[Fopbc] Fwd: National Federation of the Blind Endorses Google Books Settle...

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-----Original Message-----
From: Freeh,Jessica  <JFreeh at nfb.org>
To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
Sent: Thu, Sep 10,  2009 7:07 pm
Subject: [blindkid] National Federation of the Blind Endorses  Google Books 
Settlement Before Congress



FOR IMMEDIATE  RELEASE 


CONTACT: 

Chris  Danielsen 

Director of Public  Relations 

National Federation of the  Blind 

(410) 659-9314, extension  2330 

(410) 262-1281 (Cell) 

_cdanielsen at nfb.org_ (mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org)  

National  Federation of the Blind 
Endorses Google Books Settlement Before  Congress 


Urges Justice Department to Support  Settlement 


Washington, DC (September 10, 2009):  The National Federation of the Blind, 
the nation's oldest and largest  organization of blind people and the 
leading advocate for access by the blind  to digital information, testified 
before the House Judiciary Committee today  that the proposed settlement between 
Google and authors and publishers  regarding the Google Books project should 
be approved. The Google Books  settlement will make millions of titles 
available to the blind and other  Americans with print disabilities, providing 
more access to the printed word  than the blind have had in all of human  
history. 


Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the  National Federation of the Blind, told 
the House Judiciary Committee: "The  Google settlement is, for the blind and 
many others, the next step in the  democratization of knowledge. That 
process began with the introduction of the  printing press and then, for the 
blind, with the invention of Braille. Now  technology is available that 
transcends the traditional limitations of both  print and Braille, promising to make 
millions of titles available to the blind  in Braille or any other format of 
our choice. The narrow business interests of  Google's competitors must not 
be allowed to block Americans who cannot read  print from all of the 
opportunities that greater access to written knowledge  will make available to 
them. It is time for the doors of the world's great  libraries to be opened and 
welcome to  everyone." 


The National Federation of the Blind  also urged the United States 
Department of Justice, which is reviewing the  terms of the settlement, to support 
the  agreement. 


"The Google Books settlement is a  major step forward in advancing the 
civil rights of blind Americans and others  who cannot read print because it 
substantially increases our opportunities for  education and employment," 
President Maurer said. "The Justice Department,  which is tasked with protecting 
the civil rights of all Americans, should  respect the agreement of the 
parties to the settlement and allow its access  provisions to be fully 
implemented. In doing so, the government will send a  strong message that it values 
the participation of the blind in society and  believes that we should have 
access to all of the information to which our  sighted friends and colleagues 
have  access." 


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