[Libs-Or] Who Knew? Print disabled people read!!

[Diedre Conkling]

Just thought you might find this of interest.

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2013/09/knew-print-disabled-people-read/
Who Knew? Print disabled people read!!
Posted on September 4, 2013 by Carrie Russell


ALA's Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) submitted
comments<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7520941612>to the
FCC in response to a
petition <http://www.scribd.com/doc/158701859/E-reader-FCC-Petition> from
the E-reader Coalition Petition of Class Waiver of Commission's rules for
Access to Advanced Communications and Services (ACS) for People with
Disabilities. The E-reader Coalition--Amazon, Sony and Kobo-- assert that
their e-readers were manufactured for the *sole purpose of reading text*,
therefore they should not be required to comply with FCC regulations that
e-readers be accessible. After all, people with print and other
disabilities don't read, right?

The E-reader Coalition suggests that e-readers are a different class of
product. They do not have all of the functionalities of a quality tablet or
smart phone. Instead the e-reader is a "stripped down" device, manufactured
to be subpar because some consumers just want a simple e-reader. At the
same time, the Coalition says that if they were required to make e-readers
accessible (enabling text-to-speech) people with print and other
disabilities would find the quality subpar (Apparently, subpar products are
fine for some people but not for others). Furthermore, the public interest
would not be served because many consumers want the choice of purchasing a
simple e-reader, with no extra functionalities that would distract them
from reading. Adding text-to-speech functionality to a simple e-reader
supposedly would disturb readers.

Sometimes, you just have to shake your head.
In our response <http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7520941612>in
opposition to the petition, we note that people with print disabilities
actually read. They also are consumers who buy e-books. They also like to
have choice in the marketplace when buying an e-reader. And if this wasn't
obvious enough, allowing the E-reader Coalition an exemption would be
discriminatory. We know that because the Justice Department has sued
libraries<http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/hardware-2/free-library-of-philadelphia-resolves-nook-accessibility-lawsuit/>who
loan inaccessible e-readers because it is discriminatory.

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2013/09/knew-print-disabled-people-read/

-- 
*Diedre Conkling**
Lincoln County Library District
P.O. Box 2027
Newport, OR 97365
Phone & Fax: 541-265-3066
Work email**: **diedre at lincolncolibrarydist.org*<diedre at lincolncolibrarydist.org>
*
Home email: **diedre08 at gmail.com* <diedre08 at gmail.com>

 "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change
your attitude."--Maya Angelou
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