[nfbcs] FW: [Nfbnet-members-list] URGENT: WE NEED LETTERS TO MAKE E-READERS ACCESSIBLE BY LABOR DAY

[Tracy Carcione]

Hi Suzy.
I was able to save and open the letter.  If you need it in some other 
format, let me know and I'll see what I can do.
Tracy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stanzel, Susan - FSA, Kansas City, MO" <Susan.Stanzel at kcc.usda.gov>
To: <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 1:51 PM
Subject: [nfbcs] FW: [Nfbnet-members-list] URGENT: WE NEED LETTERS TO MAKE 
E-READERS ACCESSIBLE BY LABOR DAY


Hi Listers,

I tried to save this attachment as something else and I couldn't get 
anything but all files or a PDF. Should we just copy the letter with control 
C and paste it somewhere?

Susie

From: Nfbnet-members-list [mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
Behalf Of Yingling, Valerie
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 11:18 AM
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] URGENT: WE NEED LETTERS TO MAKE E-READERS 
ACCESSIBLE BY LABOR DAY

This letter was originally sent to the legislative directors but we are 
circulating it to the entire membership for maximum outreach:

We need your help!  The Coalition of E-Reader Manufacturers has submitted a 
Petition for Waiver to the FCC asking that e-readers be exempt from the 
Twenty First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) 
accessibility requirements.  I have attached the Petition.  NFB has written 
comments opposing the request, and we are asking other groups to sign on.  I 
have also attached those comments.  But the FCC needs to hear from our 
members - blind people who want access to e-readers - and the more people 
they hear from, the better.  We are asking all Legislative Directors to find 
people in their respective affiliates to edit the attached skeleton letter 
and return it to us.  The letter is already formatted and has an outline, 
but it is up to each person to make it personal and select which talking 
points they want to use.  Finished letters should be sent to Valerie 
Yingling at vyingling at nfb.org<mailto:vyingling at nfb.org> by 8pm on Monday, 
September 2.  Valerie will proofread each document to make sure there are no 
typos and the customized points are still on message, and then we will 
submit the letters all at once when they are due on September 3rd.  We are 
short on time but I trust that this issue is pressing to our membership and 
we will get a good amount of letters.

For some background:  The CVAA requires that all mobile devices with 
advanced communications services (ACS) be accessible to blind people, but 
the law allows manufacturers to request a waiver for equipment that is not 
intended for ACS.  The Coalition (comprised of Amazon, Sony and Kobo) claims 
that the primary purpose of e-readers is reading, and that the ACS found in 
e-readers is so incidental and ancillary that it is not an intended purpose 
of the device.  We know this is not true - e-readers are outfitted with 
built-in web browsers and designed for social media.  The Coalition also 
claims that to make e-readers accessible would require a fundamental 
overhaul that would render e-readers obsolete, harm the public interest, and 
not provide substantial benefit to blind people.  We know that this 
offensive claim is also not true.  It is critical that the FCC hear from all 
of us - it is the only thing that can defeat the petition.  Regulation is 
legislation's sister, so I know we can count on all of you to get a good 
amount of feedback to the FCC.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to 
email me or Valerie.   Looking forward to seeing everyone's letters.

Cheers,
Lauren

Lauren McLarney
Government Affairs Specialist
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
200 East Wells St.
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659 9314 ext. 2207
lmclarney at nfb.org<mailto:lmclarney at nfb.org>







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