<html>
<body>
<font face="Garamond"><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br>
CONTACT:<br><br>
</b> Larry Posont, President<br><br>
National Federation of the Blind of <?xml:namespace
prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
/>Michigan<br><br>
Phone: (313) 271-3058<br><br>
E-mail:
<a href="mailto:president.nfb.mi@gmail.com">president.nfb.mi@gmail.com</a>
<br><br>
Scott White, Director, NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®<br>
</sup> Phone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2231<br>
E-mail: swhite@nfb.org<br><br>
<br><br>
</font><div align="center"><h1><b>Critical Funding Shortage Threatens
NFB-NEWSLINE®</b></h1> in Michigan <br><br>
</div>
<font face="Garamond"> <br><br>
<div align="center"><b><i>Thousands of Print-Disabled Michigan Residents
May Lose Free, <br>
Independent Access to Newspapers and Magazines <br><br>
</i></b></div>
<br><br>
<b>Baltimore, Maryland (August 31, 2010):</b> Due to lack of
funding, NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup>, a free service that provides
independent access by print-disabled people to hundreds of local and
national publications and TV listings, will be turned off in Michigan,
effective October 1, 2010. Termination of this service will
drastically limit the ability of thousands of print-disabled Michigan
residents to obtain in-depth information about international affairs,
local events, and breaking news easily and independently. <br><br>
<br><br>
NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup> allows those who cannot read conventional
newsprint due to a visual or physical disability to listen to newspapers
and magazines over the telephone, on the Web, or by download to a digital
talking-book player.<b> </b>Through the service, print-disabled
people can access over three hundred newspapers and magazines
independently, determining how, when, and where they wish to read their
favorite publications. If funding is not found on or before October
1, 2010, blind and print-disabled Michigan residents will no longer have
access to NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup>.<br><br>
<br><br>
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
“With NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup>, blind and print-disabled people can
benefit from the vital news contained in newspapers and magazines.
Access to information such as analyses of current events, political
commentary, and international news helps all individuals, including the
print-disabled, to be successful participants in their workplaces and in
the world. NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup> offers us the ability to read
the news independently, choosing the content that is of interest to
us. As a subscriber, I truly benefit from the service every day,
and would very much miss reading the paper with my morning cup of
coffee.”<br><br>
<br><br>
NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup> offers six Michigan newspapers, including the
<i>Detroit Free Press</i>, the <i>Detroit News</i>, the <i>Flint
Journal</i>, <i>Grand Rapids Press</i>, <i>Lansing State Journal</i>, and
the <i>Mining Journal, </i>as well as the Michigan Associated Press wire
feed. In addition to state newspapers from Michigan and across the
nation, subscribers have access to many national publications, including
the <i>New York Times</i>, <i>USA Today</i>, <i>Popular Science</i>, the
<i>Economist</i>, and the <i>Christian Science Monitor</i>.
NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup> also provides print-disabled Michigan residents
access to information from state agencies and legislative bodies that can
otherwise be difficult to obtain. Through a state-specific channel
on the service, entities such as the Michigan Commission for the Blind,
Michigan Legislative Service
Bureau,</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">
</font><font face="Garamond">the Michigan State House of Representatives,
and the Michigan State Senate can provide, at no cost, vital information
to this population in an accessible format.<br><br>
<br><br>
“This truly is a crisis for the blind and print-disabled of Michigan, as
we will be losing an incredibly valuable service that helps us to connect
with the world at large and with our own communities,” said Larry Posont,
president of the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan.
“With NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup>, for more than ten years I have been able
to read the <i>Wall Street Journal</i>, <i>Roll Call</i>, and the <i>New
York Times</i> to keep up on national news and to learn about economic
forecasts and pending governmental legislation. I also read the
<i>Lansing State Journal </i>to learn about events in my community.
Losing this innovative service would have a profoundly negative impact on
my life, as the service helps me not only as a citizen and retired
businessman, but also in my role as an advocate for the blind in Michigan
State.”<br><br>
<br><br>
Peter Zaremba, a blind resident of Michigan, said: “Using
NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup> I can access at any time and at any place the
same essential and entertaining news that my sighted peers enjoy.
This helps me to be successful in my business of course, but also in my
relationships with others, as conversations with colleagues, neighbors,
and friends often revolve around the news of the day. It would be
virtually impossible for me to obtain the news I need without
NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup> and I would miss having access to this
invaluable resource were it to be shut down.”<br><br>
<br><br>
Scott White, director of NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup>, said: “While it would
be a great shame to close this vital service to blind Michigan residents,
unless we are able to locate or are provided with a funding source, we
have no choice but to turn off NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>® </sup>in Michigan on
October 1.”<br><br>
<br><br>
To learn how you can help keep NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup> available in
Michigan, please call Larry Posont, president of the National Federation
of the Blind of Michigan, at (313) 271-3058 or send e-mail to
president.nfb.mi@gmail.com. <br><br>
<br><br>
To learn more about NFB-NEWSLINE<sup>®</sup>, please visit
<a href="http://www.nfbnewsline.org/"><b>www.nfbnewsline.org</a></b>.<br>
<br>
<br><br>
<div align="center"><b>###<br><br>
</div>
<br><br>
About the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan <br><br>
</b> <br><br>
With chapters in all major cities, the Michigan affiliate of the National
Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership
organization of blind people in the Great Lakes State. Since 1941,
in connection with thousands of blind Michigan residents, the National
Federation of the Blind of Michigan has worked to improve the lives of
blind citizens in its affiliate through advocacy, education, and programs
encouraging independence and self-confidence.<br>
</font> <br>
</body>
</html>