I agree that we should be able to access the same materials as sighted folks but
that is a completely different kettle of fish from the Handi-Ham paperwork.  Our
state libraries require documentation to become users and I don't see people
crying about that.  The issues we're dealing with in getting access to materials
have to do with copyright laws and as they are now the only ones who can legally
get around copyright restrictions are those organizations producing them in
special formats.  The state library system does have a few very outdated books
and I believe that RFB has a few but then again you have to provide information
to them.  The same is true of Vacaville or any of the other special groups out
there.  Since you can now get online and get the questions and a great deal of
study material I don't really understand what the problem is especially since,
as has been incorrectly claimed, Handi-Hams is not "the only game in town" and
there is accessible material out there.  If nothing else, get a friend to read
it.  Some of us actually did undergraduate and graduate degrees with no
computers or access other than readers.  As to the federal government providing
the blind with access because the test is federally controlled or whatever, they
don't provide it to sighted folks so why should we get special treatment?
Question pools are available out there an that's what are provided to sighted
folks.  The rest is icing on the cake.  The Extra is more difficult than the
other exams but as tests go its not bad.  I've had far more difficult in college
freshman level math courses.

Tom


Tom Brennan  KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP
web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html