[Home-on-the-range] FW: [Nfbnet-members-list] URGENT: WE NEED LETTERS TO MAKE E-READERS ACCESSIBLE BY LABOR DAY

Fri Aug 30 16:51:52 UTC 2013

Hi Listers,

We need to take action.

Susie

From: Nfbnet-members-list [mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Yingling, Valerie
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 11:18 AM
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] URGENT: WE NEED LETTERS TO MAKE E-READERS ACCESSIBLE BY LABOR DAY

This letter was originally sent to the legislative directors but we are circulating it to the entire membership for maximum outreach:

We need your help!  The Coalition of E-Reader Manufacturers has submitted a Petition for Waiver to the FCC asking that e-readers be exempt from the Twenty First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) accessibility requirements.  I have attached the Petition.  NFB has written comments opposing the request, and we are asking other groups to sign on.  I have also attached those comments.  But the FCC needs to hear from our members - blind people who want access to e-readers - and the more people they hear from, the better.  We are asking all Legislative Directors to find people in their respective affiliates to edit the attached skeleton letter and return it to us.  The letter is already formatted and has an outline, but it is up to each person to make it personal and select which talking points they want to use.  Finished letters should be sent to Valerie Yingling at vyingling at nfb.org<mailto:vyingling at nfb.org> by 8pm on Monday, September 2.  Valerie will proofread each document to make sure there are no typos and the customized points are still on message, and then we will submit the letters all at once when they are due on September 3rd.  We are short on time but I trust that this issue is pressing to our membership and we will get a good amount of letters.

For some background:  The CVAA requires that all mobile devices with advanced communications services (ACS) be accessible to blind people, but the law allows manufacturers to request a waiver for equipment that is not intended for ACS.  The Coalition (comprised of Amazon, Sony and Kobo) claims that the primary purpose of e-readers is reading, and that the ACS found in e-readers is so incidental and ancillary that it is not an intended purpose of the device.  We know this is not true - e-readers are outfitted with built-in web browsers and designed for social media.  The Coalition also claims that to make e-readers accessible would require a fundamental overhaul that would render e-readers obsolete, harm the public interest, and not provide substantial benefit to blind people.  We know that this offensive claim is also not true.  It is critical that the FCC hear from all of us - it is the only thing that can defeat the petition.  Regulation is legislation's sister, so I know we can count on all of you to get a good amount of feedback to the FCC.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me or Valerie.   Looking forward to seeing everyone's letters.

Cheers,
Lauren

Lauren McLarney
Government Affairs Specialist
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
200 East Wells St.
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659 9314 ext. 2207
lmclarney at nfb.org<mailto:lmclarney at nfb.org>

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