[nfb-talk] Fwd: Why did the National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire?

[David Andrews]

I understand that people are upset at the post in question -- but 
name calling and personal attacks will not help at all, so all of 
you, knock it off.

The guy states a point that many people probably think/feel so we 
need to deal with that, not attack him.

Dave

At 03:05 PM 10/4/2011, you wrote:
>What a scum bag!
>
>
>Gloria Whipple
>Corresponding Secretary
>Inland Empire chapter
>nfb of WA
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>Behalf Of Joshua Lester
>Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 12:45
>To: nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>Subject: [nfb-talk] Fwd: Why did the National Federation of the Blind
>Condemns Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire?
>
>Hi, it's Joshua Lester.
>Look at what this idiot just sent, to the entire NFB of Arkansas!
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: terrysteve at suddenlink.net
>Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2011 13:59:48 -0500
>Subject: Why did the National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of
>Access to New Kindle Fire?
>To: tosheeler at cox.net, bkshfreeman at gmail.com, bfreeman0420 at gmail.com,
>vtscott at cox.net, leaann1967 at gmail.com, j.scholes at sbcglobal.net,
>bogan1265 at yahoo.com, geofynder at gmail.com, Gogetm00 at aol.com,
>hayleyksch at gmail.com, dave.mehler at gmail.com, walkercutoff at att.net,
>Donna.Walker at arkansas.gov, Matt.Lyles at arkansas.gov,
>lyles_j at sbcglobal.net, honestblindman at gmail.com, pat.nfb at att.net,
>bkkindle at yahoo.com, Teddey3000 at aol.com, james.worley at cox.net,
>twedwards1111 at gmail.com, anmolpbhatia at yahoo.com, deweycoursey at cox.net,
>lizngraves at yahoo.com, erp at uark.edu, mika_hooper at yahoo.com,
>Matteri at cox.net, donbrey at gmail.com, trinitymlovell at gmail.com,
>clj_smith at yahoo.com, arspurplegirl at cox.net, delreal93 at yahoo.com,
>ctroby at uark.edu, e.yarberry at gmail.com, jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu,
>gvwright2 at juno.com, lhwayland at sbcglobal.net, joshcrunkleton at gmail.com,
>showard826 at gmail.com, jsexson at live.com, sflesher at yahoo.com,
>diane403bill at suddenlink.net, abhoxeng at yahoo.com, hoxeng at aol.com,
>barefootinar at yahoo.com, peter-hoffman at att.net, kaylaltodd at gmail.com
>
>Get a grip folks! There are many devices designed, manufactured and sold
>that are not "blind friendly". And rightly so! It was stated that "The
>feasibility of including accessibility in similar products has been
>demonstrated." As a result of this statement there must be devices of this
>nature that are "blind friendly". So the blind apparently do have this
>technology available to them. And just to put a point on it, the Kindle Fire
>is a PERSONAL devise, not a community device. There are dozens of devices
>that use touch screens. None of these are "blind friendly". I doubt if the
>technology now exists to make them "blind friendly".
>
>This tirade by Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the
>Blind, is typical of individuals that get so fanatical about  an issue they
>have loose touch with the reality of the real world in their unrealistic
>search for and unworldly and unobtainable utopia. I have books on my shelf
>that the blind cannot read; must all my books be audio? I have clocks in my
>home that the blind cannot use to tell the time; must all my clocks be
>talking. I drive a car that the blind cannot drive. This is not me being
>unsympathetic to the blind or to the cause of the blind, it is me being
>realistic in my reality. There is technology that the blind cannot use
>because they are blind. Sorry, FACT! There is technology that cannot be made
>available to the blind due to our level of technology at this time. Touch
>screens in use by many devices again come to mind. Can't we focus on what
>can be done and what needs to be done. Not on minor issues as that below?
>
>Dr. Maurer should rethink his position regarding Amazon, waste not his
>energy on such nonsense and concentrate on those things which actually help
>our cause. Senselessly attacking anything that is not "blind friendly"
>actually hurts the cause. Using some common sense in choosing the issues to
>tackle is important to our cause.
>
>Lets tone down the rhetoric and concentrate on issues that help our blind
>friends and make the public aware of their real needs and not insist on
>unnecessary requirements that turn the public against us and out cause and
>make us look like foolish fanatics. Stop hurting our cause with self serving
>rhetoric.
>
>Steve Terry
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <tosheeler at cox.net>
>To: <bkshfreeman at gmail.com>; <bfreeman0420 at gmail.com>; <vtscott at cox.net>;
><leaann1967 at gmail.com>; <j.scholes at sbcglobal.net>; <bogan1265 at yahoo.com>;
><geofynder at gmail.com>; <Gogetm00 at aol.com>; <hayleyksch at gmail.com>;
><dave.mehler at gmail.com>; <walkercutoff at att.net>;
><Donna.Walker at arkansas.gov>; <Matt.Lyles at arkansas.gov>;
><lyles_j at sbcglobal.net>; <honestblindman at gmail.com>; <pat.nfb at att.net>;
><bkkindle at yahoo.com>; <Teddey3000 at aol.com>; <james.worley at cox.net>;
><twedwards1111 at gmail.com>; <anmolpbhatia at yahoo.com>; <deweycoursey at cox.net>;
><lizngraves at yahoo.com>; <erp at uark.edu>; <mika_hooper at yahoo.com>;
><Matteri at cox.net>; <donbrey at gmail.com>; <trinitymlovell at gmail.com>;
><clj_smith at yahoo.com>; <hayleyksch at gmail.com>; <arspurplegirl at cox.net>;
><delreal93 at yahoo.com>; <ctroby at uark.edu>; <e.yarberry at gmail.com>;
><jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu>; <gvwright2 at juno.com>;
><jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu>; <lhwayland at sbcglobal.net>;
><joshcrunkleton at gmail.com>; <showard826 at gmail.com>; <jsexson at live.com>;
><sflesher at yahoo.com>; <diane403bill at suddenlink.net>; <abhoxeng at yahoo.com>;
><hoxeng at aol.com>; <barefootinar at yahoo.com>; <Terrysteve at suddenlink.net>;
><peter-hoffman at att.net>; <kaylaltodd at gmail.com>
>Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2011 6:19 PM
>Subject: Fwd: National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to
>New Kindle Fire
>
>
>
> > From: "Freeh, Jessica" <JFreeh at nfb.org>
> > To: Alpidio Rolon <arguza at attglobal.net>, Amy Buresh
> > <amy.buresh74 at gmail.com>,
>Art Schreiber <blindart at samobile.net>, Beth Rival <erival at comcast.net>, Bill
>  Packee <alaskanfb at yahoo.com>, Bob Kresmer <krezguy at cox.net>, Carl Jacobsen
><office at nfbny.org>, Cassandra McNabb <cemcnabb21 at yahoo.com>, Cathy Jackson
><cathyj at iglou.com>, Charlene Smyth <cs.nfbwv at verizon.net>, "Christine G.
>  Hall" <c.tessa4 at comcast.net>, Dan Hicks <danjhicks at yahoo.com>, Daniel Burke
><burke.dall at gmail.com>, Don Galloway <dgalloway627 at gmail.com>, Donna Wood
><donnajwood at cox.net>, Duane Iverson <diverson at samobile.net>, Elsie Dickerson
><elsiedickerson at ymail.com>, Frank Lee <francois57 at comcast.net>, Franklin
>  Shiner <fshiner at myfairpoint.net>, Fred Schroeder <fschroeder at sks.com>,
>Garrick Scott <gscott at nfbga.org>, Gary Ray <ghraynfbofnc at charter.net>, Gary
>  Wunder <gwunder at earthlink.net>, Grace Pires <silvara at cox.net>, "J.W. Smith"
><jwsmithnfb at verizon.net>, James Antonacci <president at nfbp.org>, Jeannie
>  Massay <Jmassay1 at cox.net>, Jennifer Dunnam <jennifer.dunnam1829 at gmail.com>,
>Joe Ruffalo <nfbnj at yahoo.com>, John Batron <jbatron at maine.rr.com>, John
>Fritz
><johnfritz at centurytel.net>, Joy Harris <joy.harris at dwx.com>, Joyce Scanlan
><joyce.scanlan at earthlink.net>, Ken Rollman <gatorbumps at rushmore.com>, Kim
>  Williams <rkvend at aol.com>, Kimberly Flores <kflores at nfb-texas.org>, Larry
>  Posont <president.nfb.mi at gmail.com>, Lynn Majewski <majla at verizon.net>,
>Mary
>  Willows <mwillows at sbcglobal.net>, Melissa Riccobono <melissa at riccobono.us>,
>Michael Barber <michael.NFBI at gmail.com>, Michael Freeman <k7uij at panix.com>,
>Mika Pyyhkala <pyyhkala at gmail.com>, Nani Fife <nanifife at aol.com>, Pam Allen
><pallen at lcb-ruston.com>, Parnell Diggs <parnell at sccoast.net>, Patti Chang
><pattichang at att.net>, Rena Smith <realhappygirl1 at gmail.com>, Ron Brown
><rb15 at iquest.net>, "Gardner, Ron" <RGardner at nfb.org>, Sam Gleese
><SGleese at city.jackson.ms.us>, Scott LaBarre <slabarre at labarrelaw.com>, Terry
>  Sheeler <tosheeler at cox.net>
> > Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:50:08 -0700
> > Subject: National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to New
>  Kindle Fire
> >
> > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> >
> > CONTACT:
> > Chris Danielsen
> > Director of Public Relations
> > National Federation of the Blind
> > (410) 659-9314, extension 2330
> > (410) 262-1281 (Cell)
> > cdanielsen at nfb.org
> >
> > National Federation of the Blind Condemns
> >  Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire
> >
> > Baltimore, Maryland (September 29, 2011): The National Federation of the
> > Blind commented today on the release of Amazon's new Kindle Fire, which
> > cannot be used by people who are blind.
> >
> > Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
> > "Blind Americans have repeatedly asked Amazon to include accessibility for
> > the blind in its Kindle product line.  The feasibility of including
> > accessibility in similar products has been demonstrated.  The Department
> > of Education and the Department of Justice have made it clear that Kindle
> > devices cannot be purchased by educational institutions, libraries, and
> > other entities covered by this country's disability laws unless the
> > devices are fully accessible.  Despite all this, Amazon has released a
> > brand new Kindle device, the Kindle Fire, which cannot be used by people
> > who are blind.  Enough!  We condemn this latest action by Amazon and
> > reiterate that we will not tolerate technological discrimination.  The
> > National Federation of the Blind seeks nothing less than equal access to
> > all technology for blind people.  It is one of the most critical civil
> > rights issues facing blind Americans in the twenty-first century, and we
> > will do everything in our power to see that this right is secured."
> >
> >
> > ###
> >
> >
> >
> > About the National Federation of the Blind
> > With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the
> > largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in
> > the United States.  The NFB improves blind people's lives through
> > advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging
> > independence and self-confidence.  It is the leading force in the
> > blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind.  In January
> > 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan
> > Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for
> > the blind led by the blind.
> >