[nfbcs] Freedom Scientific Reduces Price of Focus 40 Blue Braille Display by 38%

Thu Mar 4 14:46:09 UTC 2010

I wonder if this has anything to do with the announcement/blog post
from Mike Calvo?  I also wonder why they couldn't have done it sooner.
 I mean, the process for making braille displays hasn't changed in 20
years or so, so it's not like they are recouping research and
development costs.  I think they could have done this much earlier and
were just waiting for a strategic time to do it.

On 3/4/10, Stanzel, Susan - Kansas City, MO <susan.stanzel at kcc.usda.gov> wrote:
> Hi Gary,
>
> I can't believe Freedom did this. I have had a rather bitter pill in my
> mouth about them. I have not tried any of the free stuff. Have you?
>
> Susie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Gary Wunder
> Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2010 9:41 PM
> To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nfbcs] Freedom Scientific Reduces Price of Focus 40 Blue Braille
> Display by 38%
>
> I forward FYI. ----- Original Message ----- From:
> @ Freedom Scientific News To:
> gwunder at earthlink.net Sent: Wednesday, March 03,
> 2010 3:20 PM Subject: Freedom Scientific Reduces
> Price of Focus 40 Blue Braille Display by
> 38%       Having trouble viewing this email?
> Click here  Greetings! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> Media Contact: Brad Davis 800-444-4443 or
> 727-803-8000 www.FreedomScientific.com Sales:
> info at FreedomScientific.com Freedom Scientific
> Reduces Price of Focus 40 Blue Braille Display by
> 38% to Support Drive for Braille Literacy (St.
> Petersburg, Florida  March 3, 2010) - Freedom
> ScientificÂ® today announced that it has reduced
> the US list price of its Focus 40 Blue Braille
> Display from $4,495 to $2,795, a $1,700
> reduction, in a move to support Braille literacy.
> The National Federation of the Blind, in their
> report from the Jernigan Institute, has declared
> that there is a "Braille Literacy Crisis in
> America," citing such statistics as:   a.. Fewer
> than 10 percent of the 1.3 million people who are
> legally blind in the United States are Braille
> readers   b.. Only 10 percent of blind children
> in the US are learning Braille   c.. Over 70
> percent of blind adults are unemployed, and as
> many as 50 percent of blind high school students
> drop out of high school The factors that
> contribute to a low Braille literacy rate in the
> US are many, among them a shortage of qualified
> Braille teachers and an increasing reliance on
> recorded audio and text-to-speech technologies.
> "We believe that technology should be supporting
> Braille literacy, not replacing it," states Dr.
> Lee Hamilton, President and CEO of Freedom
> Scientific. "The combination of JAWSÂ® and a
> Braille display makes learning and using Braille
> easy. JAWS can translate almost any electronic
> document or Web page into Braille and then
> display them on the Focus 40 Blue. JAWS also has
> a built-in Braille tutor that works with the
> Focus 40 Blue to provide immediate spoken help
> when the reader encounters an unfamiliar Braille
> symbol. This makes independent Braille study
> easier as it can be used with any document of
> interest to the student. With a computer and a
> Braille display, a person who is Braille literate
> can carry hundreds of books on a single memory
> card or USB thumb drive. "Unfortunately, Braille
> displays have always been expensive, which has
> meant that not everyone who wanted a Braille
> display could get one. Freedom Scientific wants
> to open the world of Braille to as many blind
> people as possible. We first drastically reduced
> the cost of Braille displays in 2004, when we
> introduced models 40% below the average price of
> currently available Braille displays. We are
> pleased that the manufacturing efficiencies
> inherent in our latest product design make it
> possible for us to reduce prices once again and
> hope this will make Braille accessible to many
> more people." The Focus 40 Blue is a compact
> portable Braille display that is the perfect
> companion to a desktop, laptop, or netbook PC. It
> connects via USB or BluetoothÂ® and has a Braille
> keyboard. The 40 Braille cells are constructed
> without seams between characters, so the user
> experience is like reading Braille on paper. The
> Focus 40 Blue works with AppleÂ® computers and
> cell phones as well as with JAWS for WindowsÂ®.
> Freedom Scientific's Braille displays are the
> most reliable in the industry and are backed by
> technical support and service teams based in St.
> Petersburg, Florida. The new US/Canada list price
> for the Focus 40 Blue is USD 2,795 and includes a
> two-year manufacturer's warranty. For more
> information, please visit the Freedom Scientific
> Web site or call 800-444-4443. About Freedom
> Scientific Freedom Scientific is the leading
> worldwide provider of assistive technology
> products for those with vision impairments. The
> Company sells its products worldwide and has
> offices in Florida and Switzerland. The Company's
> products have been translated into 24 languages
> and are available in 55 countries. Freedom also
> has a line of software products for those with
> learning disabilities. Freedom ScientificÂ® and
> JAWS for WindowsÂ® are either trademarks or
> registered trademarks in the United States and/or
> other countries. The names of actual companies
> and products mentioned herein may be the
> trademarks of their respective
> owners.             Forward
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