[Nfbf-l] Fw: [fcb-l] librarians speak out

Mon Mar 29 20:12:46 UTC 2010

That was very interesting and a really good summary of what is going on. 
Thanks Patricia for passing it on.
Sherri
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Patricia A. Lipovsky" <plipovsky at cfl.rr.com>
To: "NFBF List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 2:07 PM
Subject: [Nfbf-l] Fw: [fcb-l] librarians speak out


>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Edwards, Paul" <pedwards at mdc.edu>
> To: <fcb-l at acb.org>; "Barbara Moyer at home" Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 
> 1:39 PM
> Subject: [fcb-l] librarians speak out
>
>
>>A Baby Step Taken, Authors Guild and AAP Agree that the Print-Disabled 
>>Have a Right to Read
>> March 24, 2010 ( No Comments )
>> Last week, I attended a training workshop for representatives of 
>> developing nations on copyright and the reading impaired. The weeklong 
>> workshop, sponsored by the U.S. Copyright Office and the World 
>> Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), included discussions related 
>> to the proposed WIPO treaty for a copyright exception for the reading 
>> impaired, presentations from Copyright Office staff on the Chafee 
>> amendment -  the U.S. copyright exception for the blind and visually 
>> impaired persons, and presentations from non-profit and federally funded 
>> organizations that serve the reading impaired including Reading for the 
>> Blind and Dyslexic, Bookshare, and the Library of Congress' National 
>> Library Service.
>>
>> I particularly enjoyed hearing from Dan Goldstein, attorney for the 
>> National Federation for the Blind, who provided an update on the ongoing 
>> Kindle 2 controversy.
>>
>> You may recall this reading rights controversy that began in February 
>> 2009, when the Authors Guild asked Amazon to disable the text-to-speech 
>> function of its Kindle 2, arguing that its authors had not given 
>> permission to Amazon to use computer synthesized speech on its e-book 
>> reader.  The Authors Guild feared that Kindle's computer generated 
>> synthesized speech function would compete with its audio book market, a 
>> ridiculous argument suggesting that sighted individuals would rather 
>> listen to computerized speech than vastly superior audio books read by 
>> professional actors.  The Authors Guild said that it would sue Amazon for 
>> breach of contract since Amazon had not negotiated private performance 
>> (a.k.a. reading aloud) rights with Authors Guild.  (The beauty of 
>> licenses for rights holders is that you can charge for rights not 
>> guaranteed under the copyright law. While public performance is an 
>> exclusive right of copyright, private performance is not. Nonetheless, 
>> you can make people
>>  pay extra for it, for you agree to the contract).
>>
>> Amazon acquiesced and the text to speech function was disabled.  In 
>> response, 30 national organizations that represent the print disabled 
>> formed the Reading Rights Coalition to advocate for equal reading rights. 
>> The text-to-speech function made thousands of Amazon e-book available to 
>> the reading impaired, a great step forward in using technology and the 
>> market to provide the reading impaired "the same book, at the same time, 
>> at the same price" as sighted people.
>>
>> After a year of negotiating that included a secret meeting called by the 
>> White House's Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for 
>> Disability, the Authors Guild, AAP, and the Reading Rights Coalition came 
>> to an agreement that the reading impaired should have equal access to 
>> reading. The statement issued March 9, reads in part:
>>
>> "The Reading Rights Coalition, the Authors Guild, and the Association of 
>> American Publishers believe that the     contents of books should be as 
>> accessible to individuals with print disabilities as they are to everyone 
>> else.  To that end, these groups agree to work together and through the 
>> communities they represent to ensure that when the marketplace offers 
>> alternative formats to print books, such as audio and electronic books, 
>> print-disabled consumers can access the contents of these alternative 
>> formats to the same extent as all other consumers."
>>
>> Big deal, right?  Well, yes a giant step forward concerning the reading 
>> famine that the print disabled tackle every day. Only 5 percent of works 
>> published in the United States are available in accessible formats for 
>> the print disabled.  Obtaining an accessible copy of a book is possible, 
>> but ordinarily occurs after the print edition has been published.  Costs 
>> for making accessible copies in Braille are high - on average $16,000 for 
>> a typical trade book publication.  The wait time can be several months - 
>> most Braille transcribers work for federally funded and volunteer 
>> organizations that serve the print disabled.  Braille transcription, 
>> still considered the gold standard for the reading impaired in that it 
>> enables reading literacy, takes a long time. Other format options are 
>> available - talking books,  large print for those with minor vision 
>> problems, the use of accessible equipment to enhance the appearance of 
>> text, or computer scanning of text that can be read aloud with a v
>> ariety of computer software.  All of these options, however, require a 
>> wait time and usually an intermediary for assistance. The Kindle 2 
>> offered immediacy, independence, and the opportunity for the reading 
>> impaired to mainstream with the sighted both buying the same product 
>> instead of the "dumbed down" version (cassette tapes?) typically 
>> considered "good enough" for the blind.
>>
>> One would figure that with today's technological advancements that this 
>> book famine problem could be solved. Interoperable computer standards 
>> exist that greatly improve the reading experience for the visually 
>> impaired, but publishers have been unwilling to create accessible copies 
>> at the point of publication because, they argue, such a venture would be 
>> risky and not profitable considering the small market for accessible 
>> books. Small? The number of Americans who have print disabilities is 
>> estimated at 30 million - a number that will increase over time with as 
>> Americans get older and begin to have vision problems.  Other print 
>> impaired individuals include millions with dyslexia, learning 
>> disabilities or mobility impairments that make it impossible to turn 
>> pages or hold a book as well as injured veterans.
>>
>> The publishers have changed their tune saying now that there is a market 
>> for accessible books.  The joint statement continues, "The growth in the 
>> number of books offered in electronic and audio formats has created 
>> tremendous opportunities for the millions of Americans who are blind or 
>> have other print disabilities that make it difficult or impossible to 
>> read printed books in the same way that other Americans typically do. 
>> This large community constitutes a previously-untapped market that is 
>> hungry for the educational, inspirational, and recreational opportunities 
>> that books can provide, and now offers a significant commercial 
>> opportunity to the publishing industry."
>>
>> Now we must wait and see if authors and publishers will take the action 
>> necessary to fulfill this promise.  In the meantime, it would be a shame 
>> if librarians with a strong commitment to reading did not take the 
>> opportunity to contact their Senators or Congressional representatives - 
>> now - encouraging the government to monitor these developments. Say that 
>> reading for the blind "is overdue."
>>
>> Carrie Russell
>> Director, OITP's Program and Public Access to Information
>>
>> Paul Edwards, Director
>> North Campus Access Services
>> Room 6113
>> 11380 Northwest 27 Avenue
>> Miami, FL 33167
>> Work Phone: (305) 237-1146
>> Work Fax (305) 237-1831
>> Home Phone: (305) 692-9206
>> Cell Phone: (305) 984-0909
>> Work Email: paul.edwards at mdc.edu
>> Home Email: edwpaul at bellsouth.net
>>
>> ABILITY COUNTS
>>
>> "Please Note:
>> Due to Florida's very broad public records law, most written 
>> communications to or from College employees regarding College business 
>> are public records, available to the public and media upon request. 
>> Therefore, this e-mail communication may be subject to public 
>> disclosure."
>>
>>
>>
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