[stylist] From Donna Hill - NFB action against subscription e-library Scribd covered by Northeast PA newspapers

[Robert Leslie Newman]

This was sent to me by Donna Hill:

Hi Robert,

I'm not ready to come back to the list yet, but I thought that some of our
members might have an interest in this, so I hope you will post it for me.
My hand is healing nicely after surgery, but my guide dog is very ill. My
best wishes to all for a happy new year. Anyone who wants to respond to me
can reach me at: 

ApplebutterHill at gmail.com <mailto:ApplebutterHill at gmail.com> 

Blessings,

Donna

 

 

***

 

Hi Friends,

As some of you may know, the NFB filed suit this past July against the
subscription electronic library Scribd, which is dreadfully inaccessible.
One of the law firms representing the NFB contacted me for my take on the
issues from the perspective of a blind author. One thing led to another and
I was interviewed for an upcoming article in the ABA Journal - the official
publication of the American Bar Association. 

 

I had forgotten all about it when I received an email from a photographer
two weeks ago, wanting to set up a photo shoot -- in the snow, as it turned
out. I sent out some press releases with a photo Rich took of the crew with
their cameras and lights, and at least 3 area publications have picked it
up. Below is the text from one print version; no link yet.

 

Who'd've thunk my first photo shoot as a published author would be for the
Bar Association! She writes young adult novels and is featured in what
magazine?

Happy New Year,

Donna

12/18/14, from Wyoming County Press Examiner (Tunkhannock, PA) print edition

 

Block quote

Local author to be featured in ABA Journal  

 

The ABA Journal, the  publication of the American Bar Association, did a
photo shoot this past week  in Auburn Township for  an upcoming article
featuring local author Donna  W. Hill.  Hill, author of the novel,  The
Heart of Applebutter  Hill, is an advocate for the  full inclusion of people
with visual impairments  in society.  She visited Lackawanna  Trail and Elk
Lake High  Schools earlier this fall,  and is a consultant to the  law firm
Disability Rights  Advocates, which filed a  suit against the electronic
library Scribd on behalf  of the National Federation  of the Blind in July.


 

"Failing to make websites accessible to people  with print disabilities is a
violation of the Americans with Disabilities  Act," Hill said, "But,
there's no remedy for digital access issues equivalent to building permits
which ensure that new  brick and mortar structures have wheelchair  ramps
and elevators. The  only way the law is  enforced is when someone  files a
complaint, so it's always after the fact, and  it's harder for everyone
that way"  

 

Despite advances in  technology making it possible for books, magazines  and
other publications to  be made available in formats that blind people can
access with text-to-speech  software (aka screen readers) and digital
Braille displays, only five percent of  books are available in  accessible
formats.  This book famine, along  with an increasing problem with website
accessibility, is one of the major  contributors to the high  unemployment
rate  among otherwise able-bodied blind adults, most of  whom have never
had a  full-time job.  

 

Scribd boasts 40 million  titles for a monthly subscription fee of $8. In
contrast, only 80,000 titles are  included in the Talking  Book Program,
National  Library Service for the  Blind & Physically Handicapped (a
division of the  Library of Congress).  Learning Ally and Bookshare, which
cater to students with print disabilities have circa 80,000 and  300,000
titles, respectively.  

 

Hill, who is not a plaintiff in the action due to the  restrictions in
Scribd's terms of service, tried to  use the Scribd site to  advance her
writing  career.  The Heart of Applebutter Hill is carried by the
electronic book aggregator  Smashwords, and Smashwords placed it with
Scribd, along with other  titles included in Smashwords' extended
distribution program.  Hill, along with the other Smashwords authors,
received a free one-year  subscription to Scribd and  was looking forward to
networking with other authors by reading and  reviewing their books on  her
website. Scribd, however, is inaccessible and  has not responded to
requests to fix the problems.  

 

"It feels so unfair," Hill  said, "Promoting a book is  really difficult for
anyone,  but there are so many  examples like this, where I  can't even take
advantage  of the benefits other writers have, simply because  so many
websites don't  bother using the series of  1s and 0s that would make  them
accessible."  

 

PHOTO COURTESY OF RICH HILL: Donna W. Hill and her guide dog Hunter are
subjects of ABA Journal photographers John Kuntz,  left, and Jeff Wojtaszek.

Block quote end

 

-- The Heart of Applebutter Hill - a novel on a mission:

http://DonnaWHill.com <http://donnawhill.com/>