[il-talk] National Federation of the Blind Comments on Release of Large-screen Kindle

[Edwin Rodriguez]

Thank you Mr. Maurer,
These people need to know that blind people are a source of income.
Besides that, shame on them for discriminating against any potential 
customers.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Freeh,Jessica (by way of David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)" 
<JFreeh at nfb.org>
To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 8:33 PM
Subject: [il-talk] National Federation of the Blind Comments on Release of 
Large-screen Kindle


>
>
>
>
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
> National Federation of the Blind
> Comments on Release of Large-screen Kindle
>
>
>
>
>
> Urges Accessibility of New E-book Reader for Students
>
>
>
> Baltimore, Maryland (May 6, 2009): The National Federation of the Blind, 
> the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind Americans, commented 
> today on the release by Amazon, Inc. of a new version of its Kindle 
> electronic reading device.  The new Kindle has a larger screen than 
> previous versions and is being marketed by Amazon as a potential platform 
> for the display of textbooks for college and graduate students.
>
>
>
> Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: 
> "We are appalled that Amazon is releasing a new Kindle device ostensibly 
> for the use of students that does not contain features that make it 
> accessible to the blind.  While this new device has the ability to read 
> text aloud, its controls and user interface are not accessible to blind 
> people; therefore, blind students will not have access to electronic 
> textbooks available for the device.  If the controls on the Kindle are 
> made accessible to the blind, however, blind students will have equal 
> access to textbooks at the same time as their sighted peers for the first 
> time in history.  We therefore urge Amazon to introduce a user interface 
> for the Kindle that is accessible to the blind as soon as possible.  Until 
> such an accessible interface is introduced by Amazon, no college or 
> university should deploy this device for use by its students, since doing 
> so will place blind students at an unfair disadvantage compared to their 
> sighted peers and will violate state and federal laws requiring equal 
> access to textbooks and course materials for students with disabilities."
>
>
>
> ###
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