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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I and Curtis Chong are taking up an issue regarding Learning Ally not supporting the Victor Reader Stream third generation and DAISY. Not ready yet to go into all the details with the lists, but Learning Ally claims few blind people even use their “services” with Victor Reader Streams and DAISY. So, we want to find out what is really going on.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks for any help you can give to get this out.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Mike Hingson<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Hi all,<span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Many of you know me as a long-time member and leader in the Federation. I am writing to you to ask a question and then to possibly raise an issue regarding Learning Ally and its current stance regarding the new Victor Reader Stream’s ability to play books in the DAISY format.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in'>Question: Do you find Learning Ally to be a useful source for textbooks and other kinds of books, and do you use the original or the second generation of the Victor Reader Stream to read your Learning Ally books?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I recently purchased the new Victor Reader Stream 3. I am a lifetime member of Learning Ally and a past RFB scholarship winner. I went to Learning Ally’s <a href="https://portal.learningally.org/Authorize-DAISY-Player">Authorize a DAISY Player</a> page, (<a href="https://portal.learningally.org/Authorize-DAISY-Player">https://portal.learningally.org/Authorize-DAISY-Player</a>) to request a user authorization key (UAK) for my new Stream. I kept receiving a message saying that my serial number was not valid. When I contact Learning Ally Customer Service, I was told that Learning Ally would not be supporting the latest model of the Victor Reader Stream because of the relatively small number of its members who read books in the DAISY format.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Now, if blind readers no longer rely upon Learning Ally to get textbooks and/or other books in an accessible format for various reasons, I can be irritated with Learning Ally because of its disservice to existing members. However, if there are few or no blind readers who care, then this becomes a moot point. If, on the other hand, blind readers continue to rely on Learning Ally as one source of accessible books, then this becomes an issue which we all must deal with.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I would like to hear your thoughts. If you want to communicate with me privately, I can be reached by email at <a href="mailto:mike@michaelhingson.com">mike@michaelhingson.com</a> and by phone at (415) 827-4084.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks in advance for your interest in this and for your answers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Best Regards,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Michael Hingson”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Curtis Chong: <a href="mailto:chong.curtis@gmail.com">chong.curtis@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>