[Nfb-or] [JFreeh at nfb.org: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire]

Sat Oct 1 17:06:04 UTC 2011

That is too funny. I like to stick my nose in the air and think of it as
a practical approach to communication and education. Really, though, I'm
just plain snotty. /grin/

I do love reading the press releases of the NFB actions against the
primary consumers of these inaccessible products. If li'l ol' me stops
buying from Amazon, Amazon will not even notice. /lol/ However, by
enforcing accessibility laws when it comes to major Universities and
other systems for making use of that inaccessible technology and
software, that's a bit more painful, isn't it? /grin/ Especially if
there's big money involved at several layers in the lawsuit. Then it
becomes effective negative reinforcement. Which, I suppose, in a perfect
world, results in positive reinforcement for the competition because
their accessible products wil suddenly have a nice, big, lucrative
market... And we will have the stuff we need to be competitive, as well,
right? /grin/

Tami

On Sat, 2011-10-01 at 08:47 -0700, Mike Freeman wrote: 
> Your post reminds me of an incident that occurred many, many moons ago. I
> had eaten a most delicious taco pizza at the Pizza Hut next to the Portland
> State dorm 'the Ondine. I went to pay and I stood there ... and I stood
> there ... and I stood there. I must have waited five minutes for the
> cashier. No one showed. So I decided that if the establishment wasn't
> particularly anxious to be paid, I wasn't particularly anxious to pay. So I
> walked out.
> 
> I went back there something like six months later. I was asked if I had come
> in quite a while ago and had eaten a taco pizza without paying. I said this
> was so. They asked if I'd pay now and I said "Of course!". So I paid. (grin)
> 
> Actually, your tactics may work when dealing with a local establishment.
> Short of finding grounds to sue, however, it's more difficult to influence
> firms such as Amazon since, like it are not, there are relatively few of us
> when compared to the number of potential customers who do not need
> provisions for access. That's why we (NFB) have been suing universities
> since they are subject to Federal laws such as Section 504 and/or the
> Americans with Disabilities Act. Strictly-speaking, civil rights statutes as
> they stand to not apply to devices since they are not "places of public
> accommodation". Current law is being interpreted (rightly, in my view) such
> that cyberspace is a place of public accommodation and this is giving the
> Department of Justice what teeth it has in trying to enforce web
> accessibility.
> 
> The reason Apple was susceptible to hints from us is that they market to
> public schools at all levels and, I am sure, were loath to abandon that
> lucrative revenue stream.
> 
> Mike Freeman
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-or-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-or-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Tami Kinney
> Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2011 7:24 AM
> To: nfb-or at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [Nfb-or] [JFreeh at nfb.org: [Nfbnet-members-list] National
> Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire]
> 
> Thanks. I was wondering about that just yesterday when I was checking
> out the iPad in the Apple Store. So I guess Kindle is not competitive.
> So I guess Amazon doesn't want my money!
> 
> 
> Bummer for me. I don't have the funds to order books at the rate I used
> to, but... I'll be finding another place to get the ones I am able to
> budget from now on. If they don't want my business, then I'll give them
> what they want, eh?
> 
> That approach has actually become my standby approach to access
> challenges with my guide dog -- once courteous communication and
> education fails to produce the desired results -- or even that passive
> discrimination when there's a person with a dog or cane either one who
> is ignored while other customers are served... "I guess you don't want
> me to spend my money here," I will say, projecting my voice a bit more
> than normal to ensure that whomever I hear standing around will hear me.
> I've been known to pull out my wallet and the cash I have for whatever I
> was going to purchase. Then I'll put it back in my purse and walk out,
> saying to myself (with that extra projection, "I guess I'll go to X
> (major competitor of where I am) then go home and let everyone know that
> they shouldn't shop here." Stuff like that. I believe that gets the
> point across and thus counts as communication and education. /evil grin/
> Also, it has been known to produce some really great assistance with
> whatever I was shopping for... Depending on how quickly the staff
> corrects their bad manners, I may even buy what I wanted there. If I"m
> still getting the passive aggression, I can always take up lots of their
> time and get the information I was seeking about what I want to
> purchase. Then I can go  to X to buy it because I am not rewarding bad
> behavior by giving income. Then again, even before I was going around
> with a white cane or black guide dog, I was sort oft that way with bad
> customer service. /lol/ If you want to make it that difficult to pay you
> money for goods and services, then I guess you don't want people to do
> that. So, 'buy!
> 
> Okay, soapbox over. /smile/
> 
> Tami
> 
> Tami
> 
> On Fri, 2011-09-30 at 12:02 -0700, T. Joseph Carter wrote: 
> > I don't know if subscribers to just this list receive announcements 
> > posted to nfbnet-members-list or not, but here's one that might be of 
> > interest to students on the mailing list regarding the latest Amazon 
> > Kindle.
> > 
> > Joseph
> > 
> > 
> > ----- Forwarded message from "Freeh, Jessica" <JFreeh at nfb.org> -----
> > 
> > Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2011 02:53:18 -0500
> > From: "Freeh, Jessica" <JFreeh at nfb.org>
> > To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org
> > Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Condemns
> Lack of Access to New
> > 	Kindle Fire
> > Message-ID: <auto-000030413201 at mailfront3.g2host.com>
> > 
> > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > CONTACT:
> > 
> > Chris Danielsen
> > 
> > Director of Public Relations
> > 
> > National Federation of the Blind
> > 
> > (410) 659-9314, extension 2330
> > 
> > (410) 262-1281 (Cell)
> > 
> > cdanielsen at nfb.org
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > National Federation of the Blind Condemns
> >   Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Baltimore, Maryland (September 29, 2011): The National Federation of 
> > the Blind commented today on the release of Amazon's new Kindle Fire, 
> > which cannot be used by people who are blind.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, 
> > said: "Blind Americans have repeatedly asked Amazon to include 
> > accessibility for the blind in its Kindle product line.  The 
> > feasibility of including accessibility in similar products has been 
> > demonstrated.  The Department of Education and the Department of 
> > Justice have made it clear that Kindle devices cannot be purchased by 
> > educational institutions, libraries, and other entities covered by 
> > this country's disability laws unless the devices are fully 
> > accessible.  Despite all this, Amazon has released a brand new Kindle 
> > device, the Kindle Fire, which cannot be used by people who are blind.  
> > Enough!  We condemn this latest action by Amazon and reiterate that we 
> > will not tolerate technological discrimination.  The National 
> > Federation of the Blind seeks nothing less than equal access to all 
> > technology for blind people.  It is one of the most critical civil 
> > rights issues facing blind Americans in the twenty-first century, and 
> > we will do everything in our power to see that this right is secured."
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > ###
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 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.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > Nfbnet-members-list mailing list
> > Nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org
> > 
> > 
> > ----- End forwarded message -----
> > 
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