There are other choices. The newest versions of android are just as
accessible, and these are made by several manufacturers.
Original message:
Hi all,
I really have to agree with Eric, here. In response to Barry, what
Apple did with the iPhone 3Gs was to make a main-stream device
accessible to us. And yes, that still has the potential to level the
playing field . But the playing field is hardly level if Apple is the
only company doing this, if for no other reason than what that means is
that blind consumers would only have one choice. I agree with Bary. I
love my Apple products and have absolutely no interest in personally
owning a Kindle. But I work with lots of students who do have them.
Kindle does a lot more in textbooks than other e-text providers, which
means that people will want to buy these devices for school. Isn't it
reasonable to strive to have the same level of choice in our mobile
technology as our sighted peers? Sandy is right, there's a big gap
between the ideal and the current reality, but that's a big reason why
I think it's worth doing everything we can to stop Amazon from getting
this waiver. Barry may be correct, and that all our comments may be
for naught. However, the only way we'll know is to try.
Best,
Donna
On Aug 8, 2013, at 5:01 AM, eric oyen <eric.o...@gmail.com> wrote:
and what is wrong with that? the powers that be try every way to keep
us penned up, but I do not accept that. We have the right to be able to
live the same as others (at least here in the U.S.). So, why should we
accept anything less?
-eric
On Aug 7, 2013, at 2:16 PM, Barry Hadder wrote:
I recall a time not so long ago when i devices first became accessible,
everyone thinking how that was going to level the playing field. It’s
funny how quickly perspectives change.
Now the bar has been raised even higher. The playing field will not be
level until blind people have access to every cheep piece of crap in existence.
I should say that I’m happy with what Apple does and I have no desire
to use anything else. That said however, I certainly think that it
would be a very good think if other companies would realize the
importance of opening their products up to other segments of society
and not excluding them. I just don’t think that this is going to
convince them.
I don’t want to completely let Apple off the hook as it seems to me at
times that there are factions under their roof that don’t seem to
understand the importance of accessibility or what Voiceover is even
used for. On the other hand, I think that there is a much larger
faction at Apple that definitely gets it and that the evidence to
support this is over whelming. I realize that not every body can
listen to them, but there were some very impressive sessions at WWDC on
the importance of accessibility and how easy it really is to not only
make an app usable to a blind person, but make it a nice experience to use.
I would like to suggest, that just maybe, if a government agency needs
to step in to private inderestry and dictate to a company how their
product is required to function, the result probably won’t be something
you are going to want to use.
I think that we as a blind community have access to more information
then at any other time in history. And, while things can always be
better, maybe some gratitude is in order for the really good things
that some companies like Apple have done.
On Aug 7, 2013, at 12:36 PM, Richard Ring <richr...@gmail.com> wrote:
And, let's face it! Not all blind people can afford i devices, nor
should they have to! Having a relatively inexpensive Ereader would
really help to level the playing field!
You can have an off day, but you can't have a day off! ---The Art of Fielding
Sent from my Mac Book Pro
richr...@gmail.com
On Aug 7, 2013, at 12:21 PM, Eugenia Firth <gigifi...@me.com> wrote:
Hi there
Yes, and we all know which "disability" they are talking about, and
it's not the disabled they are talking about either. They are talking
about the blind, but of course, they didn't say so. They might as well
have. After all, most of the other disabilities can read the print.
When I heard about this law, I had a feeling this kind of thing was
going to start with the "we can't" people.
Hey, I guess you guys noticed how they want to solve the accessibility
problem, right! They want to let Apple carrying them along by saying we
can all use iPads etc.!
Regards,
Gigi
Regards,
Gigi
On Aug 7, 2013, at 10:02 AM, Mike Arrigo <n0...@charter.net> wrote:
I can't believe the FCC would even consider that. They should say,
absolutely not. These devices must be made accessible, end of story.
Original message:
Hello all:
In follow-up to Karen's post last night, I am posting information
regarding FCC's request for comments on this issue. I hope that many of
you will take the time to comment.
Best,
Donna
Request for Comment on Petition for Class Waiver of Accessibility Rules for ACS
On August 1, 2013, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) released
a Public Notice requesting comment on a petition filed by the Coalition
of E-Reader Manufacturers. The Coalition requests that the Commission
waive its rules requiring equipment used for advanced communications
services (ACS) to be accessible by people with disabilities. The
Coalition states that, although e-readers are equipment that consumers
can use for ACS, they are designed primarily for reading.
To distinguish e-readers from tablets and other devices that would not
be subject to the waiver request, the Coalition requests a waiver for
e-readers that have the following features:
(1) they have no LCD screen;
(2) they have no camera;
(3) they are not offered or shipped to consumers with built-in ACS
client applications and their manufacturers do not develop ACS
applications for their respective devices, though the devices may
include a browser and social media applications; and
(4) they are marketed to consumers as reading devices and promotional
material does not tout the capability to access ACS.
Comment Deadline: September 3, 2013
Reply Comment Deadline: September 13, 2013
Links to the Public Notice (including filing instructions):
(PDF)
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-13-1686A1.pdf
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-13-1686A1.pdf>
(Word)
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-13-1686A1.doc
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-13-1686A1.doc>
(Text)
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-13-1686A1.txt
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-13-1686A1.txt>
Link to the Coalition Petition (May 15, 2013):
http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7022314526
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7022314526>
Link to the Letter Supplementing the Coalition Petition (July 17,
2013): http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7520931307
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7520931307>
For further information, please contact Eliot Greenwald at (202)
418-2235 oreliot.greenw...@fcc.gov
<mailto:eliot.greenw...@fcc.gov><mailto:eliot.greenw...@fcc.gov
<mailto:eliot.greenw...@fcc.gov>>; or Rosaline Crawford at (202)
418-2075 orrosaline.crawf...@fcc.gov
<mailto:rosaline.crawf...@fcc.gov><mailto:rosaline.crawf...@fcc.gov
<mailto:rosaline.crawf...@fcc.gov>>.
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