[nfb-talk] Braille Monitor

Wed Aug 3 22:51:37 UTC 2011

True. NFB has a seniors division and so many lose vision due to ARMD
and I don't think the financial cost should shorten the outreach efforts.  I 
do not know the demographics of the braille monitor.
But I do know that many people want to read a magazine with a human reader.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Prows, Bennett (HHS/OCR)
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 5:48 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Braille Monitor

Financial discipline.  Sounds familiar.  Some folks use financial discipline 
to maliciously cut programs they don't want, like, believe in, or otherwise 
think are big government run amuck.  I am sure we don't think the Braille 
Monitor is not important.  As you say, we still need it.  If for no other 
reason than for documenting the history and realities of blindness, and 
related things.

/s/

Bennett Prows
-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
Behalf Of Mike Freeman
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 2:31 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Braille Monitor

Being a doubter by profession, I wonder how relevant it really is that the 
fastest-growing population of blind people is that of senior citizens? How 
many of these will actually admit that they're blind and of this subset, how 
many will actually read the Monitor (or the Forum, for that matter(? I 
realize that the demographics of the several affiliates are varied. And I 
also realize that hope springs eternal. But in my affiliate, precious few 
seniors hang upon every word of the Monitor each month. This is not to 
disparage the relevance of the Monitor but, rather, to question how large 
the actual or even potential audience is for versions of the Monitor other 
than Braille or on-line (either Braille, text or audio). I am not saying we 
shouldn't try to reach the widest possible audience. But at some point, we 
ought to admit that financial discipline may play a role.

Mike Freeman
sent from my iPhone

On Aug 3, 2011, at 14:04, <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Hi,
> Remember that the fastest growing population of legally blind people is 
> the seniors. They cannot use a computer or may not have access to one.
> I think CD players are a fine alternative. CD players are still very 
> simple to operate and all ages can use them.
> Another good solution is the
> usb drive thing; but as  you said  its too expensive. Because  legally 
> blind seniors have access to the free NLS player, I think something 
> compatable with it is a good solution.
> Ashley
>
> -----Original Message----- From: David Evans
> Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 12:15 PM
> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Braille Monitor
>
> Dear All,
>
> I can understand the national's reasoning in stopping the audio tape 
> version
> of the Braille Monitor.
>
> They are likely looking at the replacement of the duplication equipment 
> for
> doing the Monitor and the issue of a fading technology and the emergence 
> of
> newer technologies that will replace the former.
> I have produced audio tape newsletters for my chapter since 1989 and also
> for the Florida State Affiliate.
> It is about time for us to move on to the next technology for use as our
> Mass Media for communicating to our membership and friends.
> Audio tapes are on the way out and that is just the way it is.  The 
> question
> is, what will best replace them and how soon.
> It has been said that most of our members have and can access the Monitor 
> by
> e-mail or on-line.  It is possible to read the monitor using NFB NEWSLINE
> for the Blind using a computer or telephone.
> This still leaves out some elderly members  who do not have a computer or 
> do
> not have NFB NEWSLINE in their areas but still use the Talking Book 
> Library
> audio tape machines and understand the technology.
> Doctor Mauer spoke about this all at the convention and that they were
> looking at several possibilities including USB drives that could just be
> plugged into the USB port on the new digital Talking Book Machines or any
> USB port on a computer or other device.
> The problem is that these USB thumb drives cost about $6.00  each and that
> is too much.
>
>
> Another media that might be used is a CD Rom disc or one that is modified.
> These could be as little as 3 cents each and could be played on many CD
> players, computers and such.  The file formats could be recorded in a
> variety of file types that would make this media easy to copy and use.  As
> CD players are very common now, even most of the elderly have access to 
> them
> and even those who do not yet have a new Talking Book player can likely 
> find
> a CD player they can use.
> We must find a way to reduce the cost of the production of the Braille
> Monitor, but at the same time extend its availability to as many as
> possible.  Even this technology will have a short life span, but It might
> get the Monitor through to the point that our membership population 
> catches
> up to newer technology or dies off.
> These are just my thoughts on the subject and I would like to hear what
> others have to say on the matter.
>
> David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "T. Joseph Carter" 
> <carter.tjoseph at gmail.com>
> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 9:50 AM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Braille Monitor
>
>
>> For what a CD costs anymore, someone in the chapter can produce half a 
>> dozen of them for those members for the cost of one cassette.
>>
>> Joseph - kf7qzc
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 03, 2011 at 05:51:57AM -0700, ckrugman at sbcglobal.net wrote:
>>> This is unfortunate as we have many elderly members of our chapter who 
>>> are not computer users or Braille readers. I would think that the 
>>> cassette version would continue to be a good outreach tool to get new 
>>> federationsits.
>>> Chuck
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ed Meskys" <edmeskys at roadrunner.com>
>>> To: "nfb-talk" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 4:56 PM
>>> Subject: [nfb-talk] Braille Monitor
>>>
>>>
>>>> I am surprised that no one has referred to Dr. Maurer's announcement of 
>>>> the end of the cassette edition of the Braille Monitor after the 
>>>> December issue. Computer users will be encouraged to download it, but 
>>>> no decision has yet been made as to what will be done for non-computer 
>>>> users. A possibility is thumb drives, which can be cheaper than the 
>>>> cartridges. We are supposed to get a full announcement in September. In 
>>>> answer to a question, we were told that it cannot be placed on BARD, 
>>>> but downloads will have to be from an NFB site.
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>>>
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