[nabs-l] Seems we lost an ally

Wed Jan 4 20:53:28 UTC 2012

I'd think HTML, (because,) that's text only.
Gloria, please E-mail me offlist.
Thanks, Joshua

On 1/4/12, Gloria G <gloria.graves at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
> Can anyone tell me when down loading books from bookshare, if I want to put
> the book on my victor stream I thought I should download the daizy version
> of the book. When I extract the zipped file I get a few choices like DTD or
> html. Which of the files do I choose to put on my stream? Thanks
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2012 2:16 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Seems we lost an ally
>
>
>> Hi Joshua,
>> Actually, I think they still do good in some areas; nice customer service
>> reps and they braille the cd sleeves so you know what book is inside.
>> I think they will redo their site if someone tells them.
>> And I don't know an organization that has more textbooks than learning
>> ally. Now with the daisy format, you can jump to particular pages and
>> peruse a book faster than before. I remember the days of four track tapes.
>>
>> Also, I know what its like to use readers, having them not show up and
>> getting behind in your work or having a reader quit mid semester. So
>> while they are flawed, IMO its better than before.
>>
>> And how can you say they don't care? Have you talked to them about it and
>> gotten a response?
>> I doubt it. We cannot make assumptions about them without some statement
>> from them. I do agree it does not seem like their an ally now. Can you
>> have a sighted person help you navigate the screen till they get it fixed?
>>
>> You can still use them
>> Unfortunately, accessibility when you are a minority is an after thought.
>> No it should not be that way, but sadly it is.
>>
>> Ashley
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Joshua Lester
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2012 12:06 AM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Seems we lost an ally
>>
>> They are only an ally to those with dislexia.
>> They don't care about us, anymore.
>> Bookshare may be our only option, now, if only they start doing
>> textbooks, which I doubt will happen.
>> Blessings, Joshua
>>
>>
>> On 1/3/12, Carly Mihalakis <carlymih at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi, Josh, and other interesteds,
>>>
>>> Ally?
>>> How can they call themselves something so ridiculous as Learning
>>> Ally? Really? Some ally. We really are without friends, if that's
>>> what they consider as such.
>>> Car
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>   Torcolini at Home <ntorcolini at wavecable.com> wrote:
>>>> > Yes, but, sometimes, you have to just take what you can get,
>>>> especially once
>>>> > you get into college.
>>>> >
>>>> > ----- Original Message -----
>>>> > From: "Chris Nusbaum" <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com>
>>>> > To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>>>> > <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>>> > Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 3:48 PM
>>>> > Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Seems we lost an ally
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >>I personally don't want to have the synthesized voice on the Stream
>>>> >>read
>>>> >> a
>>>> >>book to me, especially a novel or textbook, and would go the RFBD
>>>> >>route
>>>> >>whenever possible.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Chris
>>>> >>
>>>> >> "The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The real
>>>> >> problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that exists.
>>>> >> If
>>>> >> a
>>>> >> blind person has the proper training and opportunity, blindness can
>>>> >> be
>>>> >> reduced to a mere physical nuisance."
>>>> >> -- Kenneth Jernigan
>>>> >>
>>>> >> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> >> From: "Nicole B.  Torcolini at Home" <ntorcolini at wavecable.com
>>>> >> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>>>> >> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>> >> Date sent: Mon, 2 Jan 2012 20:10:14 -0800
>>>> >> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Seems we lost an ally
>>>> >>
>>>> >> You don't have to have a book.  It also plays MP3 files and reads TXT
>>>> >> files.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> >> From: "Joshua Lester" <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu
>>>> >> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>>>> >> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>> >> Sent: Monday, January 02, 2012 6:45 PM
>>>> >> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Seems we lost an ally
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> I was shwon one, at convention, 2 years ago.
>>>> >> I have one, but I'm not sure about working it.
>>>> >> I don't have any books for it, now.
>>>> >> I'll save your address, and E-mail you when I get a book.
>>>> >> Blessings, Joshua
>>>> >>
>>>> >> On 1/2/12, Patrick Molloy <ptrck.molloy at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> >> Joshua,
>>>> >> E-mail me off list and I can help you figure out the Stream.  It's
>>>> >> really quite simple.
>>>> >> Patrick
>>>> >>
>>>> >> On 1/2/12, Joshua Lester <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu> wrote:
>>>> >> Wow!
>>>> >> I still use the CD player for my classes.
>>>> >> I hate the Victor Stream, because I can't figure it out!
>>>> >> Blessings, Joshua
>>>> >>
>>>> >> On 1/2/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>> >> Antonio,
>>>> >> What are the problems? Do you use jaws? I've tried to figure out the
>>>> >> download; it took me a while to learn the old way, and now they
>>>> >> changed
>>>> >> it.
>>>> >> I'm not the most patient with technology, keep in mind.  If you have
>>>> >> a
>>>> >> cd
>>>> >> player, you still can order daisy cds, but now that humanware no
>>>> >> longer
>>>> >> offers the little daisy players; vr wave, vr vibe and vr classic,
>>>> >> more
>>>> >> probably will download.  I still have my old vr wave and thankfully
>>>> >> it
>>>> >> works!
>>>> >> Since as you said downloading is not friendly and a Daisy cd player
>>>> >> is
>>>> >> IMO
>>>> >> easy to use and simple.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Humanware recently released a new victor reader player, vr strattus,
>>>> >> which
>>>> >> both plays those daisy cds and downloadable books from many places
>>>> >> like
>>>> >> nls
>>>> >> and learning ally.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> I encourage you to write learning ally.  Many are disappointed.  With
>>>> >> changing
>>>> >> their name, it seems they changed their mission to focus on learning
>>>> >> disabilities without identifying them as disabled, for politically
>>>> >> correct
>>>> >> purposes.  Tell them to still include blind people and that blind
>>>> >> people
>>>> >> have
>>>> >> depended on them for over 30 years since they started.  Don't let
>>>> >> them
>>>> >> forget
>>>> >> us and be specific as to your accessibility challenges.  Stating
>>>> >> something
>>>> >> is
>>>> >> not accessible won't help.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Also IMo, their site is more hard to navigate.  More images and
>>>> >> complex
>>>> >> organization.  Like no longer can you see the book catalog from the
>>>> >> main
>>>> >> page
>>>> >> and when you search books you cannot read the edition/publisher
>>>> >> anymore
>>>> >> without clicking on something extra.  So I see like ten books with
>>>> >> the
>>>> >> same
>>>> >> or similar name and it takes longer to figure out what to pick.
>>>> >> frustrated,
>>>> >> Ashley
>>>> >>
>>>> >> -----Original Message-----
>>>> >> From: Antonio Guimaraes
>>>> >> Sent: Monday, January 02, 2012 8:35 PM
>>>> >> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>> >> Subject: [nabs-l] Seems we lost an ally
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Dear NABS members,
>>>> >>
>>>> >> It is more than obvious to me that the new Learning Ally download
>>>> >> features fall short of offering blind screen reader users the
>>>> >> services
>>>> >> we've come to know in previous years.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Today I experienced at least an hour of frustrations trying to use
>>>> >> their
>>>> >> new and improved program for downloads.  I have listened to their You
>>>> >> Tube video explaining the process, and then reached out to people
>>>> >> like
>>>> >> you for some feedback.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> There are several reports that blind readers can not use Learning
>>>> >> Ally's
>>>> >> download features.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> I am not a happy scholar.  I am writing to find out if you too have
>>>> >> come
>>>> >> up against issues with the download service.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> The NABS division and its membership should not accept lack of access
>>>> >> from an organization that has long been at the forefront in providing
>>>> >> access to recorded texts for blind users.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Your experience will only help confirm some of the reported issues,
>>>> >> and
>>>> >> hopefully result in rectifying what must certainly be an oversight on
>>>> >> Learning Ally's part.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Sincerely,
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Antonio Guimaraes
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> _______________________________________________
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>>>> >>
>>>> >>
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>>>> >>
>>>> >>
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>>>> >>
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>>>> >>
>>>> >>
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>>>> >
>>>> >
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>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
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>
>
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