[nabs-l] Independence with a Price Tag

Wed Feb 3 23:41:18 UTC 2010

While it is true the technology can be costly to develop, (taking into account paying programers, etc), the price the public is charged can be considered above and beyond. It is true that there are affordable options available like System Access, as well as built in accessibility provided in Apple products, but Freedom Scientific still holds 80 percent of the market share.

Briley
On Feb 3, 2010, at 11:53 AM, Joe Orozco wrote:

> John,
> 
> That's the kind of feedback I'm trying to generate.  I don't know how much
> it really costs to develop some of these products and do not want to
> leverage criticism if it really costs a lot of money to design these
> devices.  Braille, I understand, will require special expertise.  Yet, even
> in this case one has to wonder about the cost after the initial release.  Is
> it costing a lot because the engineering is complex, or is it costing a lot
> because companies are being inefficient about how they are going about their
> development?
> 
> The parts that make up a notetaker are not altogether unique ones.  Consider
> the battery, for example.  We are talking about special products but not
> special products with completely unique pieces.
> 
> And the Pac Mate?  It's applying an existing  screen reader to an existing
> operating platform.  Is the price still justifiable?  You don't even get
> built-in wi/fi, but Freedom Scientific thinks itself a hero for dropping the
> price by a few hundred dollars and then making up just over half of that by
> selling outdated wi/fi and bluetooth cards.
> 
> Is it justifiable for people to have to pay $900 for what is basically a
> text-based GPS program?  It's not as though Sendero is developing the maps
> for this thing!  A sighted person can pay $10 for GPS through their carrier.
> It would take them seven and a half years to pay for what a blind person has
> to pay in one cough.
> 
> I am in favor of blind people making some sacrifice to independently
> purchase their own equipment.  Someone earlier made the observation that
> sighted people have to pay twice as much for a vehicle.  To me, the two
> expenses are irrelevant, because if you want to throw in independent living,
> blind people have to set aside a certain percentage for readers, taxis and
> public transportation.  There are far fewer people with salaries capable of
> absorbing daily living and crucial technology, just as there are far fewer
> employers capable of affording some of this crucial technology.  People
> should not have to make a choice based on cost alone, and the real
> difference to blind people is that for us technology is a necessity to
> compete on equal footing.  It is not a luxury as it is for the sighted
> public.
> 
> I am blessed to be in the position to pay for some of my technology needs.
> I am even more appreciative of the companies who have made it their mission
> to help blind people get jobs.  Still, I hate to come across e-mails from
> people who could really benefit from the new technology but cannot do so
> because it is too much beyond their financial means.  I'd like to do
> something about it.  I don't want to make developers out to be the bad guys,
> but based on the feedback I've been accumulating, there very clearly needs
> to be a compromise that benefits consumers as consumers and not consumers as
> clients of government agencies who can afford to pay for the totals these
> companies put out.  I would like to take the issue to the developers
> themselves, but before I do I would like to get a real feel for the people
> who disagree and can give valid reasons for why the current price structures
> for adaptive technology are reasonable.
> 
> Joe Orozco
> 
> "A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the
> crowd."--Max Lucado 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org 
> [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of John G. Heim
> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 11:30 AM
> To: NFBnet NFBCS Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Independence with a Price Tag
> 
> I've often wondered about the issues you bring up.  About a year ago I 
> remember seeing an announcement for a GPS system that was 
> supposedly a price 
> breakthrough. The price? $850. For just a talking GPS.
> 
> So I understand your frustration. But how can you be sure the 
> prices for 
> adaptive equipment are inflated? I think you have to have more 
> than vague 
> suspicions before formally making a charge like that. In fact, doing so 
> might do more harm than good. People might demand that 
> government agencies 
> stop buying  adaptive equipment if they suspect that the 
> equipment their tax 
> dollars are paying for is over priced. Rather than lowering the 
> price for 
> adaptive equipment, the result might be that government 
> agencies just stop 
> buying it.
> 
> A new Pac Mate with a 40 cell display costs about $5600. That 
> seems like an 
> incredible amount of money for a product that doesn't even have 
> built in 
> wireless, right? But if the Pac Mate is so over priced, why 
> doesn't one of 
> Freedom Scientific's competitors come out with a product that 
> blows it out 
> of the water for price/performance?
> 
> Another data point is the KNFB Reader. The NFB itself came out 
> with the KNFB 
> Reader. But at a base price of $1600, its not exactly a 
> breakthrough product 
> in terms of price. I doubt that the NFB is part of a conspiracy to keep 
> prices high.
> 
> We've been over and over the issue of the cost of the Pac Mate on 
> thepacmateger.com email list. And I have come to the conclusion 
> that it just 
> costs that much. You can put together the hardware for a lot less and 
> install a free screen reader. But if you figure in the cost of 
> jaws vs nvda 
> and the cost of support (and you have to give Freedom 
> Scientific credit for 
> providing great support), $5600 doesn't seem far out of line.  
> Honestly, I 
> am no fan of Freedom Scientific. I think their licensing policies are 
> draconian and I am fed up with their tendency to sue their competitors. 
> But when I really think about it, I have to admit that the Pac 
> Mate isn't 
> that much over priced.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'" 
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: "'Discussion list for NABS,National Alliance of Blind Students.'" 
> <nabs at acb.org>; <tabs_students at googlegroups.com>; "'NFBnet 
> NFBCS Mailing 
> List'" <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 10:45 PM
> Subject: [nfbcs] Independence with a Price Tag
> 
> 
>> Dear list,
>> 
>> I'm continuously appalled at the price tags associated with adaptive
>> technology.  While you're in college you might receive 
> assistance from 
>> your
>> rehab agency to purchase equipment.  You may get some 
> assistance after you
>> find a job, but inevitably there comes a point when the expense comes
>> directly from your own pocket.  I wonder how many people have had to 
>> settle
>> for outdated technology because they simply cannot afford it. 
> But, that's
>> the thing.  I'm only assuming there are tons of people who 
> cannot afford
>> this technology.  I'd like to lead a campaign to call public 
> attention to
>> this monopoly, and, I'd like to hear your thoughts on whether 
> or not you
>> think me crazy.  If my assumption is wrong, I'll keep my 
> views to myself.
>> If there is a high number of people unable to tap into 
> emerging software
>> simply because they cannot pay for it, I'd like to hear from you.  I
>> understand the technology itself costs a lot of money to 
> develop.  Yet, it
>> seems more of the price boost is owed to extravagant 
> government contracts
>> that allow the few players to charge something like $6,200 
> for a device
>> that, despite its best advertisements, does not perform 
> completely on par
>> with its mainstream counterparts.
>> 
>> At this time I have only a vague idea for a strategy.  Yet 
> it's something
>> I'm willing to build up if the need can be clearly identified.
>> 
>> Looking forward to your input,
>> 
>> Joe Orozco
>> 
>> "A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the
>> crowd."--Max Lucado
>> 
>> 
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> 
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