[nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind AnnouncesAgreement withTicketmaster

Thu Apr 28 05:29:53 UTC 2011

True... Making a website compatible with a Braillenote is a nightmare... A couple of years ago I tried to tweak a Drupal installation to make it happen, because somebody needed it. I don't have anything against the braillenote, but as Nicole said, it simply doesn't support a bunch of web features which are generally used by developers to make sites accessible...
On Apr 27, 2011, at 10:14 PM, Nicole B. Torcolini at Home wrote:

> I would also like to add that designing a website that is 100% compatible with a BrailleNote can be rather tricky. Don't quote me on this, but I think that the BrailleNote supports even fewer web features than smart phones. Often, small changes can be made to make websites compatible with screen readers, but compatibility with the BrailleNote would mean almost complete reconstruction. Please do not take this to mean that I do not think that websites should be compatible with the BrailleNote. I am just trying to explain why things are the way that are.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 7:03 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind AnnouncesAgreement withTicketmaster
> 
> 
>> Hi, chris.
>> 
>> I'm going to express a view that is rather unpopular among students and some
>> other techies.  I feel that if we expect the public to treat us with respect
>> and not discriminate against us, we must have a philosophy that is
>> internally consistent so that both we and society at large know what we
>> expect of society and of ourselves.  With that in mind, here is my view.
>> 
>> I start with the observation that note-takers are, in essence, PDAs.  Yes,
>> they can get rather expensive, especially when they have a braille display.
>> But they are PDAs nevertheless.  Sighted persons also use smart devices --
>> PDAs,smart phones and the like -- albeit these devices are usually far less
>> expensive than are our note-takers.  Some websites have a mobile version;
>> others do not.  Hence, the sighted cannot view every website using their
>> smart phones or PDAs and must use a PC or Mac to view some websites.  Why
>> should we, the blind, expect to be treated differently?  Some might say that
>> our impecuniousness, that is, our lack of income making it difficult to
>> afford both a note-taker and a laptop or PC/Mac should be sufficient reason
>> to justify a request for differential/special treatment.  I don't buy it.
>> There are plenty of sighted folks who cannot or choose not to own both a
>> personal computer and a smart phone or PDA due to lack of means.  In my
>> view, to demand that all websites be accessible by note-takers amounts to a
>> request for special treatment and we should think *very* carefully before we
>> ask for such differential treatment.
>> 
>> On the other hand, I think it *might* be defensible to request that
>> government websites, at least, have a text-only version accessible by both
>> fancy computers and mobile devices such as note-takers, PDAs and smart
>> phones.  The problem there is that often this means two websites must be
>> maintained and this inevitably leads to the sites getting out of sync.  So
>> many of us have resisted this solution to the problem of web accessibility.
>> 
>> I know it's human nature to want to have our cake and eat it, too.  But one
>> of the strengths of NFB philosophy is that we realize that this is
>> impossible.
>> 
>> This is, of course, entirely separate from the question as to whether
>> note-takers should have more powerful processors.  But that's between the
>> blind and the note-taker manufacturers.  And one can't blame these
>> manufacturers for not going that route when at least some folks maintain
>> that note-takers will soon be obsolete.  I'm not sure this is the case but
>> it's something to think about.
>> 
>> Mike Freeman
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>> Of Chris Nusbaum
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 3:16 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list;
>> david.andrews at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind Announces Agreement
>> withTicketmaster
>> 
>> Hi, all.
>> 
>> I just want to make a few comments.  I'm always very glad to know that NFB
>> has reached an agreement with a private company to make that company's Web
>> site accessible.  My only comment is that in all these press releases, I've
>> noticed that it has only talked about making sites accessible to screen
>> reading software, and that's great! Screen readers are the most popular form
>> of Internet access for the blind, if I'm not mistaken.  But I don't want NFB
>> to overlook the fact that they also need to be accessible to people using
>> electronic notetakers for their Internet access as well as those using
>> screen readers.  I have both available, so if a site isn't accessible to the
>> BrailleNote, I'll try JAWS.  But a friend of mine only uses his Braille-Note
>> for Internet access both at school and at home, and hasn't gotten a laptop
>> yet.  What about people like him? Also, it never ceases to amaze me that the
>> NFB has to go so far as a lawsuit to get companies to make their Web sites
>> accessible.  It sounds to me like the CEO of Live Nation, in that case, was
>> totally cooperative with the NFB and would be glad to make their site
>> accessible.  But if the CEO was that cooperative, they wouldn't have to take
>> Live Nation to court.  The same with the law school admission site that we
>> were told about yesterday.  What do you think of all this?
>> 
>> Chris Nusbaum
>> 
>> "A loss of sight, never a loss of vision!" (Camp Abilities motto)
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Freeh,Jessica" <JFreeh at nfb.org> (by way of David Andrews
>> <dandrews at visi.com>)
>> To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:20:44 -0500
>> Subject: [nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind Announces Agreement
>> withTicketmaster
>> 
>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> CONTACT:
>> 
>> Chris
>> Danielsen
>> Linda Bandov Pazin
>> 
>> Director of Public
>> Relations
>> Live Nation Entertainment
>> 
>> National Federation of the
>> Blind                                                   (310)
>> 867-7000
>> 
>> (410) 659-9314, extension
>> 2330
>> <mailto:lindabandov at livenation.com>lindabandov at livenation.com
>> 
>> (410) 262-1281 (Cell)
>> 
>> <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> National Federation of the Blind
>> Announces Agreement with Ticketmaster
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Ticketmaster Makes Website Fully Accessible and Fan-Friendly to Blind Users
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Baltimore, Maryland (April 26, 2011): The National Federation of
>> the
>> Blind (NFB), the nation's leading advocate for Internet access by
>> blind Americans, today announced a cooperative agreement with
>> Ticketmaster, the global event ticketing leader and one of the
>> world's top five eCommerce sites, to make its website fully
>> accessible to the blind.  Under the agreement, Ticketmaster will
>> make
>> its website (<http://www.ticketmaster.com/>www.ticketmaster.com)
>> fully accessible to blind users utilizing screen access
>> technology by
>> December 31, 2011.  Screen access technology converts what is on
>> the
>> computer screen into synthesized speech or Braille.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Dr.  Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the
>> Blind,
>> said: "An increasing number of goods and services are now offered
>> primarily over the Internet and Ticketmaster's extremely popular
>> ticket sales website is a prime example of this trend.
>> Ticketmaster
>> customers gain many of the company's valuable benefits and
>> services,
>> including access to special pre-sales and promotions, through its
>> website.  The National Federation of the Blind is pleased that
>> Ticketmaster has recognized the importance of providing equal
>> access
>> to its website for its blind customers, and we look forward to
>> working with the company to achieve that goal.  The National
>> Federation of the Blind will continue to work tirelessly until
>> the
>> blind have equal access to the full range of products and
>> services
>> available to the public through the Internet and other
>> information
>> technologies."
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> "For Ticketmaster, the future is all about the fans.  We want to
>> participate wherever and however so that fans can have the best
>> possible fan-friendly experience," said Nathan Hubbard, CEO of
>> Ticketmaster.  "Partnering with the National Federation of the
>> Blind
>> is enabling us to address the needs of our blind fans, so that
>> they
>> can have the same positive experience when purchasing tickets for
>> their favorite artists' performance or any live event.  We are
>> committed to working with NFB to enhance the Ticketmaster website
>> so
>> that it's accessible and usable by all of our fans out there."
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Pursuant to the agreement, Ticketmaster will develop a
>> comprehensive
>> accessibility program that will include the development of an
>> accessibility guidelines manual, as well as the appointment of
>> both
>> an accessibility coordinator and an accessibility committee.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Additionally, Ticketmaster will continue to work with officials
>> of
>> the National Federation of the Blind to ensure that the
>> Ticketmaster
>> services remain accessible to the blind.  Ticketmaster will
>> submit
>> its website to the NFB Nonvisual Accessibility (NFB-NVA) Web
>> Certification program, a rigorous procedure by which websites and
>> applications that have made efforts to be accessible to the blind
>> can
>> be identified and recognized.  The NFB-NVA Web Certification
>> program
>> continuously monitors participating sites to ensure that they
>> remain
>> compliant with certification criteria.  If a site remains
>> accessible,
>> its certification is renewed on an annual or a version basis.  If
>> accessibility issues arise, the National Federation of the Blind
>> will
>> work with the site developers to remedy them.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ###
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> About the National Federation of the Blind
>> 
>> With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the
>> Blind
>> is the largest and most influential membership organization of
>> blind
>> people in the United States.  The NFB improves blind people's
>> lives
>> through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs
>> encouraging independence and self-confidence.  It is the leading
>> force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's
>> blind.  In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of
>> the
>> Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center
>> in
>> the United States for the blind led by the blind.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> About Live Nation Entertainment
>> 
>> Live Nation Entertainment is the world's leading live
>> entertainment
>> and eCommerce company, comprised of four market leaders:
>> <http://www.ticketmaster.com/>Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation
>> Concerts,
>> Front Line Management Group and Live Nation
>> Network.  <http://www.ticketmaster.com/>Ticketmaster.com is the
>> global event ticketing leader and one of the world's top five
>> eCommerce sites, with over 26 million monthly unique visitors.
>> Live
>> Nation Concerts produces over 20,000 shows annually for more than
>> 2,000 artists globally.  Front Line is the world's top artist
>> management company, representing over 250 artists.  These
>> businesses
>> power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment
>> marketing solutions, enabling over 800 advertisers to tap into
>> the
>> 200 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its
>> live
>> event and digital platforms.  For additional information, visit
>> <http://www.livenation.com/investors>www.livenation.com/investors
>> 
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