[Pibe-division] Kindle letters needed

Carlton Anne Cook Walker attorneywalker at gmail.com
Tue Nov 27 01:11:44 UTC 2012


Dear friends,

You have likely received information about the upcoming protest that the
NFB is holding at Amazon headquarters next month. The reason for this
protest is Amazon's new push to place Amazon Kindle Fires, Kindle ebooks,
and a Whispercast software in schools throughout the country – and Amazon's
continued refusal to make Kindle products and associated technologies
accessible to blind students. It is particularly these associated
technologies that are problematic: Kindle books are NOT accessible even
when used on accessible devices.

A few weeks ago, Mr. Chris Danielsen put out a call for letters. I set
forth a portion of his email at the bottom of my message.

I heartily encourage each of you to write a letter asking Mr. Jeff Bezos,
the founder and president of Amazon, to make Kindle products, including
ebooks, accessible to all, including the blind. Educational programming
based upon inaccessible technology will necessarily lead to a separate and
unequal education for students with blindness/visual impairment. Battles
fought now will help shape the future of technology – will it be accessible
or will accessibility become only an option? Please send your letter to
Chris, as outlined below, NO LATER than December 1, 2012.

I set forth, below, a portion of my letter to Mr. Bezos. Please do not copy
it – we need to send real letters from real people, not form letters. Write
from your heart – it will show.

“This matter hit home with me just a few months ago. Prior to the start of
sixth grade, my daughter came to me crying. In addition to the typical
fears of entering middle school, she was petrified of her school's plan to
utilize Kindle technology throughout her classes. She knew that Kindles are
inaccessible to her. She knew the Kindle ebooks are inaccessible, even when
she attempts to use them on her accessible devices. My little girl saw
Kindles as yet another way she would be excluded from her peers. Please
make the Kindle and its ebooks accessible so that my daughter may
experience the wealth of learning and collaboration opportunities Kindle
and its associated products offer.”


 I thank you for your consideration of this request. By protecting our
students' right to accessible educational technology, we protect their
right to an education and to a world in which they may be judged by their
intelligence and creativity rather than by their ability to see.


 Carlton Anne Cook Walker

President, National Organization of Blind Children

Attorney at Law

Teacher of Students with Blindness/Visual Impairment



 From Chris Danielsen's request:

“We are asking each of you, and/or your blind children, to write a letter
to Amazon’s founder and chief executive officer, Mr. Jeff Bezos, explaining
the harmful impact that the use of this inaccessible technology in the
classroom will have on blind students . . . We plan to deliver the hard
copy letters directly to Jeff Bezos at an informational protest, so please
send the letters to us at National Federation of the Blind, 200 East Wells
Street at Jernigan Place, Baltimore, MD 21230, Attention Chris Danielsen,
Director of Public Relations.  To be included in our delivery to Mr. Bezos,
we must receive your letter no later than December 1, 2012.”



-- 
Carlton Anne Cook Walker
Attorney at Law
President, National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
Teacher of Students with Blindness/Visual Impairment
105 Creamery Road
Boiling Springs, PA   17007
Voice: 717-658-9894
Twitter: braillemom


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