[Stylist] NFB Access Campaign?

Wed May 23 13:59:21 UTC 2018

The NFB is working on Tech access, which includes all tech and websites, so, self-publishing would be emcompassed in this.

-----Original Message-----
From: Stylist <stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Miss Thea via Stylist
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2018 8:45 AM
To: Writers' Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Miss Thea <thearamsay at rogers.com>; writingblind at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Stylist] NFB Access Campaign?

What’s up, writers?
Over the last few days, I’ve been trying to work with Amazon’s publishing tools.
Kindle Create is so inaccessible as to be not worth mentioning.
Anyway, someone told me I could publish a Word file.
Even so, I ran into some access issues:
Poo In The Face: A Murray B. Dolphin Adventure is now live on Amazon for a dollar and change. 
I didn’t ask more because it’s a short story, and according to my research, such stories are offered for free or 99 cents.
Which is what I chose, but I guess Amazon added their thirty-five percent royalties, so I end up getting 99 cents a pop.

Secondly, I didn’t want anyone paying much for the story, because although I believe I’m a pretty good writer, and I’m sure you’ll like the story, (it’s fun, humorous and light-hearted), I’m equally sure the visuals will not be a turn-on.
Amazon’s cover creator turned out to be as inaccessible as it gets; no tagged images, no interaction between screenreader and program, so I could turn out something I was really proud of on all fronts.

Does anyone know of an NFB or other organization of the blind campaigning for the access rights of blind authors?
There’s plenty for blind readers, but I haven’t seen much on blind authors, or much for them, for that matter.
I know some of you use lulu and other author services.
I myself am using Tellwell to publish Lucy.
(Remember the little girl with the weird, blind teacher, who escaped her world’s final holocaust by escaping to Andorpha?) Well, I paid a lot of money I don’t have, thinking I was going to get lots of help, and still ran into access issues.
But that’s another story.
I was hoping Murray B. Dolphin would swim in smoother seas, but no such luck. The only thing I can say is that it didn’t cost me anything to put him in Amazonian waters.
Except I know I didn’t create the product I would have liked.
I would have liked to create a visually-appealing (I’m not even sure it’ll be legible on your device), fun story you can read over lunch hour or while you’re riding home on the bus.
I wanted to find an engaging picture of a dolphin and put him on my cover, write the title in ocean-blue ink, and promote the hell out of it.
I really enjoy this kind of work.
But when screenreader won’t interact with the program, and access becomes a stumblingblock, well, it isn’t much fun.
I just wondered who, if anyone, is the lone voice in the wilderness of blind authors, preparing the way for us.
Thea Ramsay
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