[gui-talk] any progress in NLS DTB limited access issues?

[Wayne Merritt]

Joel: the Blio reader is going to be free. Refer to
www.blio.com
for more details. Also, there have been some recent podcasts about the
Blio reader from Blind Bargains and Tech Talk from Accessible World,
where the software is demonstrated and shown to work with JAWS. Though
it's being marketted for the general public, since it can show
pictures and graphics as well as allow you to read or read to you
through TTS, it's being developed through KNFB Technologies group, the
same folk that produced the KNFB Mobile reader, so you know it's going
to be accessible. AS for platforms, they expect to have it ready for
PC, netbook, iPhone, and others.

Wayne

On 4/30/10, Mike Freeman <k7uij at panix.com> wrote:
> Your recommendation is totally foolhardy! Something similar shut down
> webbraille for a while.
>
> The simple fact is that NLS has decided software platforms on PC''s will not
> be provided access to digital talking books. Remember that BookShare is
> volunteer; NLS is held to a higher standard whether we like it or not. We
> were lucky to get full-funding for the dtb program. Please think before you
> advocate.
>
> Mike
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Hoffman, Allen" <Allen.Hoffman at dhs.gov>
> To: <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Date: Thursday, Apr 29, 2010 16:13:14
> Subject: [gui-talk] any progress in NLS DTB limited access issues?
>
>>
>>
>> Anyone know if there is any movement to provide UAC for such products as
>> FS Reader for NLS digital talking books?  The concept that bookshare.org
>> can produce volumes of materials for various platform usage, with
>> adequate if not draconian IP protections, while the well funded NLS
>> chooses to keep things to non-mainstream platforms seems ridiculous.  If
>> this doesn't change soon I recommend folks start writing their
>> Congressman about finding new budget solutions to this problem.  It is
>> all well and good to have a benevolent NLS to provide leisure materials
>> for folks, but insisting we can't be trusted to keep our access terms is
>> just a poor way to serve the public as a government in my opinion.  I am
>> finding that I read far more from bookshare.org of late than NLS anyway,
>> so it may just become something irrelevant to me soon.  I just hate to
>> see tax dollars spent without a more direct connection between a
>> perceived problem and reality.  Same goes for the whole publishing
>> industry's perceived problem with copying of materials by people with
>> disabilities.  If your book was so good that it gets copied
>> electronically, you probably have buyers anyway.  Besides, if the
>> accessible version is not for sale, they were not missing any revenues,
>> and if someone is copying materials for sale then the publisher was
>> missing a market opportunity of their own.
>>
>> I personally think that NLS should have a audiobooks sales licensing
>> side for publishers to use as they see fit-e.g. NLS does the contract to
>> get the materials recorded, and if a publisher wants to sell this to the
>> general public, it should be allowed.  Gives publishers motivation to
>> make things easy to get NLS to record, and maybe there even is some
>> revenue sharing, beyond taxes, that could make the project more self
>> supportive.
>> Anyhow, just wondering if it's time to send Congressmen letters, or if
>> progress is being made to improve NLS services for the modern world.
>>
>>
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