[Nfb-hi] Urgent Request from NFB of Hawaii President

[Milton Ota]

Aloha Friends and Advocates,
Your kokua (help) is needed to write or call the following legislators and
ask that SB 2435 SD1 be scheduled for a public hearing in the Finance
Committee:
.	Representative Marcus Oshiro: 586-6200,
repmoshiro at capitol.hawaii.gov
.	Speaker Calvin Say: 586-6100, repsay at capitol.hawaii.gov,
.	As you may know, if we are unable to show enough support, SB 2435
SD1will likely not be scheduled for a public hearing, which would kill this
measure. This is why your calls as soon as possible are so important. 
Background 
Would you like a newspaper with your morning cup of coffee? NFB-NEWSLINER
just added its 300th publication AND it's still growing. Five
Spanish-language newspapers are now available to all subscribers. The
service handles thousands of phone calls each day for individuals across the
country that now access daily newspapers and magazines as never before. The
toll-free centralized call-in center provides service on demand to any
subscriber. This also enables those who cannot read conventional print to
have access to all content offered on NFB-NEWSLINER when traveling
throughout the United States twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Every day, a subscriber can choose that day's, the previous days, or the
previous Sunday's issue of any newspaper in the service. On NFB-NEWSLINER,
the user can easily choose which newspaper, section, and article to read
using a standard touch-tone telephone. The menu provided allows the user to
change the speed and voice settings, spell out words, or search for a
particular word or subject.
NFB-NEWSLINER now offers more choices than ever, including special local
channels to distribute announcements of specific interest to the blind.
Over 35 magazines, ranging from the Arts, Science, Health and Fitness, Pop
Culture and National and International news are available on NFB-NEWSLINER. 
Now the Blind Have Access to Newspaper Information
Lifetime learning, including detailed awareness of current events, is part
of what makes a good citizen, a successful employee or employer, and a
valuable participant in community life. Without ready access to information,
none of us can reach his or her full potential. Until 1995, the nation's
blind did not have the promise of ready access to a fundamental source of
such information--the daily newspaper. But now the National Federation of
the Blind has created NFB-NEWSLINER.
NFB-NEWSLINER is at last making it possible for blind individuals to gain
access to the information in newspapers at the same time as their sighted
colleagues, friends, and family members. Blind professionals, for example,
can now converse on relevant topics, no longer being under informed about
information critical to their professions or left out at social functions
when the latest editorial is discussed. Beyond this, a wealth of information
primarily found in newspapers is now available to the blind on an equal
footing, making possible their participation in the life of the community on
the basis of equality.
Your support and advocacy is very much appreciated.
Nani Fife, National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, President