[nfb-talk] Fwd: Why did the National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire?

[David Andrews]

He is entitled to his opinion -- even if it differs from yours.

Dave

At 03:10 PM 10/4/2011, you wrote:
>How did he get on our list, anyway?
>I'm going to ask Mrs Sheeler to ban him!
>He sent it to the entire group.
>Blessings, Joshua
>
>On 10/4/11, Gloria Whipple <ladygloria at webband.com> wrote:
> > What a scum bag!
> >
> >
> > Gloria Whipple
> > Corresponding Secretary
> > Inland Empire chapter
> > nfb of WA
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> > Behalf Of Joshua Lester
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 12:45
> > To: nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> > Subject: [nfb-talk] Fwd: Why did the National Federation of the Blind
> > Condemns Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire?
> >
> > Hi, it's Joshua Lester.
> > Look at what this idiot just sent, to the entire NFB of Arkansas!
> >
> >
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > From: terrysteve at suddenlink.net
> > Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2011 13:59:48 -0500
> > Subject: Why did the National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of
> > Access to New Kindle Fire?
> > To: tosheeler at cox.net, bkshfreeman at gmail.com, bfreeman0420 at gmail.com,
> > vtscott at cox.net, leaann1967 at gmail.com, j.scholes at sbcglobal.net,
> > bogan1265 at yahoo.com, geofynder at gmail.com, Gogetm00 at aol.com,
> > hayleyksch at gmail.com, dave.mehler at gmail.com, walkercutoff at att.net,
> > Donna.Walker at arkansas.gov, Matt.Lyles at arkansas.gov,
> > lyles_j at sbcglobal.net, honestblindman at gmail.com, pat.nfb at att.net,
> > bkkindle at yahoo.com, Teddey3000 at aol.com, james.worley at cox.net,
> > twedwards1111 at gmail.com, anmolpbhatia at yahoo.com, deweycoursey at cox.net,
> > lizngraves at yahoo.com, erp at uark.edu, mika_hooper at yahoo.com,
> > Matteri at cox.net, donbrey at gmail.com, trinitymlovell at gmail.com,
> > clj_smith at yahoo.com, arspurplegirl at cox.net, delreal93 at yahoo.com,
> > ctroby at uark.edu, e.yarberry at gmail.com, jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu,
> > gvwright2 at juno.com, lhwayland at sbcglobal.net, joshcrunkleton at gmail.com,
> > showard826 at gmail.com, jsexson at live.com, sflesher at yahoo.com,
> > diane403bill at suddenlink.net, abhoxeng at yahoo.com, hoxeng at aol.com,
> > barefootinar at yahoo.com, peter-hoffman at att.net, kaylaltodd at gmail.com
> >
> > Get a grip folks! There are many devices designed, manufactured and sold
> > that are not "blind friendly". And rightly so! It was stated that "The
> > feasibility of including accessibility in similar products has been
> > demonstrated." As a result of this statement there must be devices of this
> > nature that are "blind friendly". So the blind apparently do have this
> > technology available to them. And just to put a point on it, the 
> Kindle Fire
> > is a PERSONAL devise, not a community device. There are dozens of devices
> > that use touch screens. None of these are "blind friendly". I doubt if the
> > technology now exists to make them "blind friendly".
> >
> > This tirade by Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the
> > Blind, is typical of individuals that get so fanatical about  an issue they
> > have loose touch with the reality of the real world in their unrealistic
> > search for and unworldly and unobtainable utopia. I have books on my shelf
> > that the blind cannot read; must all my books be audio? I have clocks in my
> > home that the blind cannot use to tell the time; must all my clocks be
> > talking. I drive a car that the blind cannot drive. This is not me being
> > unsympathetic to the blind or to the cause of the blind, it is me being
> > realistic in my reality. There is technology that the blind cannot use
> > because they are blind. Sorry, FACT! There is technology that 
> cannot be made
> > available to the blind due to our level of technology at this time. Touch
> > screens in use by many devices again come to mind. Can't we focus on what
> > can be done and what needs to be done. Not on minor issues as that below?
> >
> > Dr. Maurer should rethink his position regarding Amazon, waste not his
> > energy on such nonsense and concentrate on those things which actually help
> > our cause. Senselessly attacking anything that is not "blind friendly"
> > actually hurts the cause. Using some common sense in choosing the issues to
> > tackle is important to our cause.
> >
> > Lets tone down the rhetoric and concentrate on issues that help our blind
> > friends and make the public aware of their real needs and not insist on
> > unnecessary requirements that turn the public against us and out cause and
> > make us look like foolish fanatics. Stop hurting our cause with 
> self serving
> > rhetoric.
> >
> > Steve Terry
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <tosheeler at cox.net>
> > To: <bkshfreeman at gmail.com>; <bfreeman0420 at gmail.com>; <vtscott at cox.net>;
> > <leaann1967 at gmail.com>; <j.scholes at sbcglobal.net>; <bogan1265 at yahoo.com>;
> > <geofynder at gmail.com>; <Gogetm00 at aol.com>; <hayleyksch at gmail.com>;
> > <dave.mehler at gmail.com>; <walkercutoff at att.net>;
> > <Donna.Walker at arkansas.gov>; <Matt.Lyles at arkansas.gov>;
> > <lyles_j at sbcglobal.net>; <honestblindman at gmail.com>; <pat.nfb at att.net>;
> > <bkkindle at yahoo.com>; <Teddey3000 at aol.com>; <james.worley at cox.net>;
> > <twedwards1111 at gmail.com>; <anmolpbhatia at yahoo.com>; 
> <deweycoursey at cox.net>;
> > <lizngraves at yahoo.com>; <erp at uark.edu>; <mika_hooper at yahoo.com>;
> > <Matteri at cox.net>; <donbrey at gmail.com>; <trinitymlovell at gmail.com>;
> > <clj_smith at yahoo.com>; <hayleyksch at gmail.com>; <arspurplegirl at cox.net>;
> > <delreal93 at yahoo.com>; <ctroby at uark.edu>; <e.yarberry at gmail.com>;
> > <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu>; <gvwright2 at juno.com>;
> > <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu>; <lhwayland at sbcglobal.net>;
> > <joshcrunkleton at gmail.com>; <showard826 at gmail.com>; <jsexson at live.com>;
> > <sflesher at yahoo.com>; <diane403bill at suddenlink.net>; <abhoxeng at yahoo.com>;
> > <hoxeng at aol.com>; <barefootinar at yahoo.com>; <Terrysteve at suddenlink.net>;
> > <peter-hoffman at att.net>; <kaylaltodd at gmail.com>
> > Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2011 6:19 PM
> > Subject: Fwd: National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to
> > New Kindle Fire
> >
> >
> >
> >> From: "Freeh, Jessica" <JFreeh at nfb.org>
> >> To: Alpidio Rolon <arguza at attglobal.net>, Amy Buresh
> >> <amy.buresh74 at gmail.com>,
> > Art Schreiber <blindart at samobile.net>, Beth Rival 
> <erival at comcast.net>, Bill
> >  Packee <alaskanfb at yahoo.com>, Bob Kresmer <krezguy at cox.net>, Carl Jacobsen
> > <office at nfbny.org>, Cassandra McNabb <cemcnabb21 at yahoo.com>, Cathy Jackson
> > <cathyj at iglou.com>, Charlene Smyth <cs.nfbwv at verizon.net>, "Christine G.
> >  Hall" <c.tessa4 at comcast.net>, Dan Hicks <danjhicks at yahoo.com>, 
> Daniel Burke
> > <burke.dall at gmail.com>, Don Galloway <dgalloway627 at gmail.com>, Donna Wood
> > <donnajwood at cox.net>, Duane Iverson <diverson at samobile.net>, 
> Elsie Dickerson
> > <elsiedickerson at ymail.com>, Frank Lee <francois57 at comcast.net>, Franklin
> >  Shiner <fshiner at myfairpoint.net>, Fred Schroeder <fschroeder at sks.com>,
> > Garrick Scott <gscott at nfbga.org>, Gary Ray <ghraynfbofnc at charter.net>, Gary
> >  Wunder <gwunder at earthlink.net>, Grace Pires <silvara at cox.net>, 
> "J.W. Smith"
> > <jwsmithnfb at verizon.net>, James Antonacci <president at nfbp.org>, Jeannie
> >  Massay <Jmassay1 at cox.net>, Jennifer Dunnam 
> <jennifer.dunnam1829 at gmail.com>,
> > Joe Ruffalo <nfbnj at yahoo.com>, John Batron <jbatron at maine.rr.com>, John
> > Fritz
> > <johnfritz at centurytel.net>, Joy Harris <joy.harris at dwx.com>, Joyce Scanlan
> > <joyce.scanlan at earthlink.net>, Ken Rollman <gatorbumps at rushmore.com>, Kim
> >  Williams <rkvend at aol.com>, Kimberly Flores <kflores at nfb-texas.org>, Larry
> >  Posont <president.nfb.mi at gmail.com>, Lynn Majewski <majla at verizon.net>,
> > Mary
> >  Willows <mwillows at sbcglobal.net>, Melissa Riccobono 
> <melissa at riccobono.us>,
> > Michael Barber <michael.NFBI at gmail.com>, Michael Freeman <k7uij at panix.com>,
> > Mika Pyyhkala <pyyhkala at gmail.com>, Nani Fife <nanifife at aol.com>, Pam Allen
> > <pallen at lcb-ruston.com>, Parnell Diggs <parnell at sccoast.net>, Patti Chang
> > <pattichang at att.net>, Rena Smith <realhappygirl1 at gmail.com>, Ron Brown
> > <rb15 at iquest.net>, "Gardner, Ron" <RGardner at nfb.org>, Sam Gleese
> > <SGleese at city.jackson.ms.us>, Scott LaBarre 
> <slabarre at labarrelaw.com>, Terry
> >  Sheeler <tosheeler at cox.net>
> >> Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:50:08 -0700
> >> Subject: National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to New
> >  Kindle Fire
> >>
> >> 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.