Hi Dark, While I understand your frustration with the RNIB I think a lot of the problem is you only have one agency in the U.K. redistributing materials for the blind. In the USA, for example, there are several different agencies where accessible aids, braille books, and software products can be obtained.
For example, if I need books in accessible format I have three sources to check. I can call up the Learning Alley--formally RFB&D--and see if they have it in braille, in audio, or scanned text. Failing that I can check American Printing House which has thousands of books in braille as well. For general reading the library of congress has thousands of books in audio, braille, and some in daisy format too. So I'm not exactly tied to any specific agency if I want a certain sci-fi book chances are one of the agencies above, most likely the Library of Congress, will have it in some accessible format. Plus that's not my only choices these days. Since Bookshare started up I can pay a flat rate of $50 per year and download 10 scanned books a month and read them on my computer or convert them to braille using a braille translator and send them to a braille printer for printing. With access to Bookshare its made my personal reliance on the three agencies above less essential because often times a popular book such as Harry Potter will be posted on Bookshare a day or two after it hits stores meaning I don't have to wait for the Library of Congress or Learning Alley to record it, braille it, whatever. With Bookshare anything you want is fairly easy to obtain because people of similar interests are donating and editing their scanned books for download in daisy format. As far as software and other products goes again there are several choices here in the USA. There is Independant Living Aids, Maxi Aids, LS&S, and a few others I could name. So there is some competition between them and some incentive to carry more products, services, and better pricing than the other guy. RNIB doesn't seem to have that kind of competition and can do whatever they want. They are a monopoly over there customers and if there were someone else doing the same thing with better services for younger people RNIB would probably have to compete. Cheers! On 11/25/11, dark <d...@xgam.org> wrote: > Unfortunately Jeremy getting the rnib to do anything is near impossible > sinse they are a law unto themselves. > > heck I've tried to get them to record sf and fantasy books for the last 22 > years and mostly completely failed! > > I suspect the reasons that they are behind azabat are either because A, the > chap himself has some sort of personal connection with their management, or > B, because Azabat have very much the same outlook as rnib do on blindness, > namely that all blind people are doddery old biddies who just want to sit > around, knit and play cards all day. Remember this is an organization that > produce a magazine of braille knitting patterns, but catagorically refused > to produce braille manuals for tabletop rp when I asked. > > Unfortunately, as far as disability goes, places like the Us, the > netherlands, Most of scandanavia, Germany and probably quite a few more > places are far more ahead of the Uk in terms of atitude, whether that's the > government or disability organizations. > > Beware the Grue! > > Dark. > > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, > please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. > --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.