[nfbwatlk] Amazon, Blind Federation Reach Agreement on Accessibility

[Nightingale, Noel]

From: Olson, Toby (ESD) [mailto:TOlson2 at ESD.WA.GOV]
Sent: Monday, April 4, 2016 8:48 AM
To: GCDE-INFO at LISTSERV.WA.GOV
Subject: Amazon, Blind Federation Reach Agreement on Accessibility


Amazon, Blind Federation Reach Agreement on Accessibility

                               by Mark Sherman



      From the Editor: This article first appeared in Special Education

Today on March 8, 2016. It is gratefully reproduced with the permission of

the publisher.



      For several years, the National Federation of the Blind has been on

Amazon's case for e-books and e-book distribution systems that are not

fully accessible. In 2013, for example, it wrote to state education

departments, saying, "The inaccessibility of Kindle e-books will grossly

inhibit blind and print-disabled students from attaining the goals set

forth in the Common Core State Standards. Moreover, school districts in

your state that introduce Kindle e-books into the curriculum will, as

explained below, be violating federal law." Likewise, NFB protested last

year when the New York City Education Department was considering entering

into a contract with Amazon.

      "Amazon's lack of regard for accessibility when creating Kindle e-

book content would leave blind students and teachers far behind their

sighted peers if NYC DOE chooses to proceed with the proposed contract with

Amazon," it said in a letter dated Aug. 13. On March 2, however, NFB

announced an agreement under which it would help the company avoid such

problems going forward.

      "Amazon and the National Federation of the Blind will collaborate on

improvements to Amazon's education content, platforms, and applications,

and will meet on an ongoing basis to review progress and exchange ideas and

feedback," it said. "Initial results of this collaboration are expected

this year and beyond."

      Amazon welcomes the agreement, according to spokeswoman Stephany

Rochon. "We are seeing more educational institutions embrace digital

learning, and this shift provides a great opportunity to improve

accessibility for blind students," she said in an email. "We look forward

to collaborating with the National Federation of the Blind to work together

on Amazon's education content, platforms, and applications for the blind."

Rochon did not discuss the contract with New York City except to say, "We

look forward to working closely with NYC DOE to serve the educational needs

of all their students."

                                 ----------


Toby Olson, MPA
Executive Secretary
Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment
360-902-9489 office
360-791-9115 cell
tolson2 at esd.wa.gov<mailto:tolson2 at esd.wa.gov>


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