Hi Lew, congrats on your iPad. they really are cool devices. My husband has one, and I thought long and hard about getting one too. But eventually I decided that since I didn't need the larger screen, that the iPhone could do everything I needed, so it didn't make sense to duplicate devices. I confess, though, I'm envious. Every once in a while I look at my husband's iPad and get a sudden craving for coolaide. lol Cheers, Donna On Apr 28, 2012, at 8:44 AM, Lewis Alexander wrote:
> nice one donna, I fully agree. > > the iPad is a product which can truly change the lives of blind users > throughout the world. I'm in the process of buying an iPad as it's needed for > work both in the workshop and on site as a rep for a company, so the online > catalogue needs to be available and accessible to me all the time, the iPad > for me feels absolutely amazing, after road testing the new model, I've > fallen in love with it. I don't need a wife, just an iPad lol > > lew > > On 28 Apr 2012, at 13:39, Donna Goodin wrote: > >> Hi Christine, >> >> I'm perplexed. How do you see the push to have iPads in classrooms as >> something that leaves the blind/VI student out? If anything, I see that as >> something that better enables us to participate, thanks to the fact that >> Apple has made the iPad a fully accessible device. >> Best, >> Donna >> On Apr 28, 2012, at 8:36 AM, Christine Grassman wrote: >> >>> With all due respect, Scott, laws which disparately impact certain groups >>> or classes of people have been flouted through civil disobedience since the >>> introduction of legal systems, e.g., civil rights, disability rights, >>> employment rights, etc. The United States might not exist were it not for >>> disobeying laws. >>> I am an attorney, and it continues to amaze me how slowly the U.S. is >>> moving to accommodate disability, and how snail-paced the societal shift in >>> attitudes toward us has been. and it seems that whenever a company like >>> Apple makes great strides in accommodating blindness off the shelf, plenty >>> of other technologies come along and do not bother to incorporate us into >>> their equation. So many educational apps, for example, are not accessible, >>> though they could be, and given the push now to have iPads in classrooms, >>> once again blind, visually impaired, and otherwise print-disabled students >>> will be left out. Apple moves us two steps forward, and "progress" (for >>> others) moves us three steps back. I should be able to turn on a >>> television, flip a switch, or turn on a transmitter, and get descriptions. >>> I should be able to access books on the Nook or the Kindle, not just >>> iBooks. I cannot express, and I am sure others here agree, the happiness I >>> feel when a new release or best-selling publication is available on iBooks. >>> (Incidentally, if a book is available on iBooks and on bookshare.org, I >>> purchase the book. Yet, I have lost quite a lot of money as a published >>> author -- as soon as my book was published, I sent a copy to bookshare.org; >>> it was more important to me to have it available at the same time to the >>> blind and print-disabled. The Authors Guild apparently does not care about >>> such access, despite the fact that they would actually get money from us.) >>> >>> I would happily go to the movies more and happily purchase audio-described >>> movies through iTunes if they were available. Even movies which are >>> released with audio description are not always sold through movie resellers >>> -- goodness knows I have tried. To date, I have only located The Incredible >>> Hulk, from 2008, which I purchased for my son. >>> Even Apple could do more. It could strengthen its requirements for apps. It >>> has provided developers with the means to make their apps VoiceOver >>> accessible, and there are plenty of apps out there which could be so. Only >>> apps that are visual by their very nature should be exempted. But, as >>> usual, profit trumps people, despite the fact that the disabled community >>> rewards those who remember us with our business. >>> Frankly, I would prefer to purchase the audio-described movies and shows I >>> download from the vault, so that I could watch them with sighted friends >>> and family. I wish I could show a film to a class and not have to ask my >>> para or a student to tell me what is going on. The entertainment industry >>> gets plenty of my money. If they want more, they should remember that I >>> deserve to be able to access their material independently. OK. Topic over. >>> Those of you who wish to continue this off-list are welcome; I've >>> appreciated your correspondence thus far. >>> Christine >>> On Apr 28, 2012, at 6:13 AM, Scott Howell wrote: >>> >>>> I am sure commenting on this only adds fuel to the fire, but I did want to >>>> point out that as I recall the person that is responsible for this movie >>>> vault thing also runs a legit company. I would find it difficult to >>>> believe that he has not checked into this because no one would want to put >>>> their business assets at risk. If there truly is an investigation then >>>> prove it. I get pretty annoyed when people claim something, but cannot or >>>> do not provide any reference to back those claims. And for the record I do >>>> not condone pirating of any kind and believe that regardless of >>>> accessibility issues even blind people must follow the laws. >>>> >>>> >>>> On Apr 27, 2012, at 10:51 PM, Christine Grassman wrote: >>>> >>>>> Naturally, if the moderator deems this discussion verboten, I will >>>>> refrain further, but I would feel remiss not to point out the following >>>>> for consideration: >>>>> 1. As of several hours ago, there was nothing on the FBI's official web >>>>> site regarding an investigation, nor were there any press releases or >>>>> other comparable references to an investigation of the movie vault. A >>>>> reference would be appreciated; mere speculation or rumor could be deemed >>>>> libelous. >>>>> >>>>> 2. The problem industries have with illegal file-sharing is loss of >>>>> revenue. Since, at least in the United States, there is virtually no way >>>>> to purchase audio-described movies or television shows, the industry is >>>>> not being cheated of revenue. >>>>> 3. The files are straight audio, with no ability, for example, to "watch" >>>>> with sighted peers while having the benefit of the audio description. >>>>> This is not at all remotely similar to downloading a film for the family >>>>> to watch. That being said, the vast majority of the sighted community >>>>> does this with impunity, even though many of the shows and movies they >>>>> download can be seen for free when they are are shown on television. We, >>>>> on the other hand, cannot even enjoy full access to these shows when they >>>>> *are* on television. Either they are not audio-described at all, or it is >>>>> not easy to turn on the secondary audio channel, or a particular station >>>>> only carries foreign language broadcasts on the SAC rather than audio >>>>> description. Comparing access to audio-described movies and shows in mp3 >>>>> format to the type of file-sharing which goes on 24/7 on hundreds and >>>>> thousands of sites is a stretch. >>>>> 4. If the government and/or the involved industries wish to do something >>>>> about the existence of resources like the movie vault, the former should >>>>> mandate, and the latter should provide a market from which we can obtain >>>>> these items. I have been able to watch a non-described movie with others >>>>> after listening to an mp3 file and tell another blind person what is >>>>> going on thanks to that previous experience. My two blind children have >>>>> been able to enjoy fare which their peers enjoyed months or years ago. >>>>> Until the entertainment industry levels the playing field, I will utilize >>>>> resources like the movie vault with the same guiltless pleasure I take in >>>>> bookshare.org (and, by the way, it is possible to download books from >>>>> bookshare.org which are available commercially.) We cannot use the Kindle >>>>> as others do. WE cannot use the Nook. We are severely limited in what >>>>> we can access independently when it comes to entertainment, and we must >>>>> even still fight for access to education at every level, despite >>>>> technological advances. Holding us to the same standards as the vast >>>>> majority of illegal file-sharers is legally, morally, and economically >>>>> inequitable. >>>>> >>>>> Christine >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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