[New-York-News] NEWSLINE Newsletter

Tue Jun 15 22:29:50 UTC 2021

May, 2021

Vol. 1 - Iss. 1

Accessible News Anywhere

Highlights from NFBNY-Newsline

In this Issue

Message from President <>                                     Spread the
Word <>                 Thoughts from Director <> 

Newsline News <>
Input Welcome <>                                          Questions? <> 

Greetings from President Robinson

On behalf of the NFBNY Affiliate and the Newsline team, I would like to
extend a warm welcome to you.  The Newsline team is here to help you get the
most out of the service.  If you have questions or comments, please feel
free to reach out to us.  Our contact information can be found at the end of
this newsletter.

I would also like to extend my sincerest thanks to the New York State
Commission for the Blind and to the New York State Legislature for their
generous support of Newsline. Without their support Newsline would not be
available in New York.

Please Help Us Spread the Word

We are working hard to make sure that our subscribers can take advantage of
all the content that Newsline makes available and to reach out to all New
Yorkers who can benefit from Newsline.  Besides being here to provide
program information, we would like to hear from you about your experiences
with NFB-Newsline. If you know of someone who can benefit from Newsline,
please let them know about us and share our contact information with them. 

If you are using the service and find it helpful, please share your story
with us. Testimonials help us by letting possible funding sources know how
Newsline makes a difference to you. Please remember that we will never use
your story without your consent.

If you are having trouble using the service, we want to know that too. We
cannot identify issues or help to improve the service without your input. If
you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to phone or email us.

Some Thoughts from Your Newsline Director

The coming of spring takes me back to afternoons spent outside or sitting by
an open window enjoying the gentle breeze while my fingers glided across the
pages of the latest Braille book that I had gotten through the mail from the
New York State Library. As somewhat of a history buff, I spent countless
hours reading what was then available to me on ancient and medieval history.
These memories bring to mind the staggering changes in the availability of
information that has occurred not only throughout history, but particularly
since my high school days. 

Through much of human history the written word was as precious as a gem.
Only a privileged few could read and write thus having access to written
records, manuscripts, and books. Even at the height of Roman imperial rule,
perhaps one in every ten people could read, and even fewer had the wealth to
collect enough books to be considered as having access to a private library.

The invention of mechanized printing revolutionized literacy by making it
possible for printed materials to be mass-produced and made widely available
inexpensively. Later, the creation of Braille brought literacy to blind
people; however, for blind people and others with disabilities limiting
access to the printed word, access to books and other printed information
remained challenging well into the late 20th century. 

As with the invention of mechanical printing, the development of
text-to-speech and refreshable electronic Braille technology and the
tremendous growth in digital telecommunications services have revolutionized
the expansion of access to written information to people with disabilities
that would otherwise limit their access to print.

Capitalizing on these breakthroughs, the National Federation of the Blind
developed NFB-Newsline, a service designed to utilize digital text-to-speech
and refreshable Braille displays to bring newspapers, magazines, and other
print content to people who are blind and others for whom reading print is
precluded or is challenging due to disability. 

NFB-Newsline is proudly made available, free of charge, to all eligible New
York State residents by the New York State affiliate of the National
Federation of the Blind. Since March of 2002, New Yorkers who have
registered to receive the service have been able to call a toll-free or
local telephone number to gain access to an ever-increasing and diverse
wealth of content ranging from breaking news to the latest happenings in the
world of sports and entertainment.  

NFB-Newsline can now also be accessed via a mobile app, through the Amazon
Alexa platform, on a fully accessible website, and through on-demand emails.
You can also have content downloaded to your specialized reading device of
choice. As more fully covered in the next article, the NFB-Newsline App also
allows registered users to access and use basic features of the KNFB Reader
to scan documents and convert them to speech, enhancing the ability of
eligible NFB-Newsline subscribers to gain access to print materials
anywhere.   

As Director of the NFBNY-Newsline service I consider it a privilege to have
been asked to play a role in promoting access to news and information to our
fellow New Yorkers who might not otherwise have access to print information
because of blindness or other disabilities.

NFB-Newsline News

KNFB Reader on your i-Devices

 <https://nfb.org/programs-services/knfb-reader> Did you know that when you
download the most up-to-date NFB-Newsline App on your i-Device, you get a
free basic version of the KNFB Reader?

What is It?

KNFB Reader is a character recognition program you can use to scan printed
material. How many times have you been in a meeting for your job or a
workshop, and a printed handout is distributed that you cannot read?

How many forms do you sign without having them read to you? Even though
lawyers tell us all the time not to sign something we have not read, the
reality is that many times we are asked to sign something when there is
nobody willing or able to read it to us. 

How can I benefit from having access to the basic version of the KNFB
Reader? 

*     Privacy: You do not need to involve anybody else to read personal
documents. 

*     You can read and sort your snail mail. 

*     You can identify packages and read preparation directions. 

*     You can read a computer screen your speech software is not reading to
you. 

*     Just plug in your earphone to your i-Device, scan, adjust the volume
and reading speed, and read.

If you have not downloaded the latest version of NFB-Newsline on your
i-device, KNFB Reader is a fantastic reason why you should. You never know
when you will need something printed read to you.

We are Available to Make Presentations

Do you represent an organization in need of a speaker or an interesting
presentation? Do you have clients or know of people who can benefit from
Newsline? Please contact us. We would be happy to speak to your organization
or group about Newsline. We would be delighted to explain what NFB-Newsline
is, how to use it, and how to sign up for the service. We would also gladly
sign up any eligible people who attend the presentation, and remember,
Newsline is provided free to all eligible subscribers, so there is no need
to provide payment or other financial information.

Your Input is Valued and Always Welcomed

Do you have a question or topic you would like us to write about in this
newsletter? Remember, if you want to know, probably others have the same
question too. Email or call, and we will do our best to include that
information in a future newsletter. Staff contact information can be found
at the end of this newsletter.

Do You Have a Question or Need Help Using Newsline? 

All the New York State NFB-Newsline staff have new phone numbers and new
email addresses, so that you can contact us. Phone numbers and email
addresses can be found at the end of this article.

Whether you signed up at a public event or agency, and you have not yet used
this informative free service, or you have not used NFB-Newsline for a while
and you do not remember your login information, please do not hesitate to
contact Bernice Bird, our Outreach Coordinator. She will make sure that you
get up to speed on how to use Newsline and make sure that you receive your
log-in information and that your subscriber data is up to date. If you have
any other questions or concerns, please feel free to share them with your
Newsline Director.

Director

Luis Mendez

518-512-9710

newsline at nfbny.org
<file:///C:/Users/lmend/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Ou
tlook/IPO35ELZ/newsline at nfbny.org> 

Outreach Coordinator

Bernice Bird

585-857-9520

newslineoutreach at nfbny.org
<file:///C:/Users/lmend/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Ou
tlook/IPO35ELZ/newslineoutreach at nfbny.org> 

Administrative Support

Claudia Bienenfeld

917-426-1509

office at nfbny.org
<file:///C:/Users/lmend/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Ou
tlook/IPO35ELZ/office at nfbny.org> 

Technical Coordinator

Arthur Jacobs

607-414-3656

newslinetech at nfbny.org
<file:///C:/Users/lmend/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Ou
tlook/IPO35ELZ/newslinetech at nfbny.org> 

Affiliate President

Mike Robinson

716-222-3632

president at nfbny.org
<file:///C:/Users/lmend/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Ou
tlook/IPO35ELZ/president at nfbny.org> 

Watch for the NFB-Newsline newsletter coming to your inbox again soon.

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