[nabs-l] new nfb products for accessibility

[Josh Kennedy]

Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 16:03:44 -0500
From: Thomas Ward <thomasward1978 at gmail.com>
To: Gamers Discussion list <gamers at audyssey.org>
Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Mainstream brands and how to work with them

Hi Eleanor,

While I agree with you that we, as blind gamers, must continue to try
and contact mainstream developers and make them aware of our needs we
also have to remember all of us have a biological time clock. For
example, I'm already in my mid 30's and for a human being that is
about roughly half the human life span. I shouldn't have to wait 10,
20, or 30 years to see some access changes being done in my life time.
I should be able to experience and enjoy some of these games right
here and now. While there are groups like IGDA trying to get changes
they aren't going to get these companies into making any changes soon,
and certainly not force companies to go back and remake every single
game they have ever designed with accessibility. Which is exactly what
they need to do to make it fair that each and everyone of us have an
opportunity to play these games.

This is were the problem comes in. I know full well what what the
copyright laws say, and pretty much how they work. Problem is
companies have been able to use copyright laws as a means of denying
equal access to products and services for years. If I want to play a
certain vidio game I can't because it is not accessible, and the
company can use copyright laws to keep me from producing my own
accesssible version. If I want to listen to a certain movie with audio
description I often have to have someone send me a copy from the U.K.
so I can listen to it with audio description because the American
broadcasting companies rarely if ever have audio description. There
are probably hundreds of other examples, but the fact is when it comes
to fair and equal treatment a blind man or woman always gets the short
end of the stick. Somehow large mainstream companies always get the
gold mine while we get the shaft.

To get back to the point I'm tired of the should of, would of, could
of line. It is time we do something pretty major to make access
changes now with or without the companies permission. If they don't
like it and sue for copyright infringement I'll be happy to go on CNN,
Fox News, or any major media outlet of your choice and expose these
companies for the unsympathetic, short sighted, greedy jurks they are.
Perhaps some media publicity of this issue will light a fire under
their collective butts and make them aware some of us are sick and
tired of being stone walled, denied, and/or being outright ignored. We
want access changes and we want them now and not 50 years from now.

Cheers!