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<DIV dir=ltr class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Freeh, Jessica
[mailto:JFreeh@nfb.org]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, November 17, 2009 3:13
PM<BR><B>To:</B> Alpidio Rolon; Amy Buresh; Angela Wolf; Anil Lewis; Art
Schreiber; Beth Rival; Bob Kresmer; Carl Jacobsen; Cathy Jackson; Charlene
Smyth; Christine G. Hall; Dan Hicks; Daniel Burke; Don Galloway; Donna Wood;
Elsie Lamp; Frank Lee; Franklin Shiner; Fred Schroeder; Gary Ray; Gary Wunder;
J.W. Smith; James Antonacci; James Broadnax; Jennelle Bichler; Jennifer Dunnam;
Joe Ruffalo; John Batron; John Fritz; Joyce Scanlan; Ken Rollman; Kevan Worley;
Larry Posont; Marie Johnson; Mary Willows; Matt Lyles; Matt Lyles; Melissa
Riccobono; Michael Barber; Michael Freeman; Mika Pyyhkala; Nani Fife; Pam Allen;
Parnell Diggs; Patti Chang; Richard Gaffney; Ron Brown; Ron Gardner; Sam Gleese;
Scott LaBarre; Selena Sundling-Crawford; Terri Rupp<BR><B>Subject:</B> National
Federation of the Blind Commends Parties to Google
Settlement<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Garamond>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=5><FONT face=Helvetica>FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p><FONT size=5
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT
face=Helvetica>CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT
face=Helvetica><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Chris
Danielsen</SPAN></st1:PersonName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>Director of Public
Relations<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>National Federation of the
Blind<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>(410) 659-9314, extension
2330<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>(410) 262-1281
(Cell)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A
href="mailto:Cdanielsen@nfb.org"><FONT
face=Helvetica>Cdanielsen@nfb.org</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<H3 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: auto 0in" align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; LETTER-SPACING: 0pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">National
Federation of the Blind Commends<BR><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Parties to Google
Settlement<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H3>
<H3 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: auto 0in" align=center><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; LETTER-SPACING: 0pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Terms
of Amended Settlement Agreement <BR>Will Revolutionize Blind People’s Access to
Books<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></H3>
<P><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Baltimore, Maryland (November 17,
2009):</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> The National Federation of
the Blind today commended Google, the Association of American Publishers, and
the Authors Guild for retaining important provisions in the amended settlement
relating to the Google Books project that will allow people who are blind or
have other print disabilities to access the books that Google makes available to
the public. The amended settlement between Google and authors and publishers
regarding the Google Books project, if approved by the courts, will have a
profound and positive impact on the ability of blind people to access the
printed word. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National
Federation of the Blind, said: “Access to the printed word has historically been
one of the greatest challenges faced by the blind. The agreement between
Google and authors and publishers will revolutionize access to books for blind
Americans. With millions of books expected to be available through Google
Books, this agreement means that blind people will have more access to print
books than we have ever had in human history. The blind, just like the
sighted, will have a world of education, information, and entertainment
literally at our fingertips. The National Federation of the Blind commends
the parties to this agreement for their commitment to full and equal access to
information by the blind.”</SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“The
Google Books project is designed to facilitate broad access to the world’s
written knowledge,” said Allan R. Adler, vice president for legal and government
affairs of the Association of American Publishers (AAP). <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“It is only fitting that the settlement
includes provisions that will make these materials available to the blind and
others who cannot read print. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>These
provisions certainly reflect the values of the AAP, and we are pleased
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">that this settlement will mean greater
availability of books to approximately 30 million Americans who have
traditionally experienced barriers to accessing the printed
word.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The terms of the amended settlement, like
the settlement agreement proposed last year, allow Google to provide the
material it offers users “in a manner that accommodates users with print
disabilities so that such users have a substantially similar user experience as
users without print disabilities.” A user with a print disability under
the agreement is one who is “unable to read or use standard printed material due
to blindness, visual disability, physical limitations, organic dysfunction, or
dyslexia.” Blind people, like other members of the public, will be able to
search the texts of books in the Google Books database online, purchase some
books in an accessible format, or access accessible books at libraries and other
entities that have an institutional subscription to the Google Books
database. Once the court approves the settlement, Google will work to
launch these services as quickly as possible. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">About the National Federation of the
Blind</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR>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 <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>. 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 <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>
for the blind led by the blind. Please visit our Web site: <A
href="http://www.nfb.org/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext">www.nfb.org</SPAN></A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV>
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