Hi this Brian n8mnx and this does not surprise me at all that Arrl is not
interested in excessability. Several years ago I RECEIVED ONE OF THOSE
LETTERS ASKING ME TO JOIN AND THEY OFFERED A FREE BOOK OR IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
2 AND THERE WERE 6 BOOKS TO CHOOSE FROM BUT THE LETTER STATED THAT THE
OFFEREXCLUDED THE BLIND NOW HOW'S THAT FOR DISCRIMINATION DON'T THEY KNOW
THAT BLIND HAVE WAYS TO READ PRINT? wE HAVE OCR SOFTWHEAR AND READING
MACHINES AND THERE ARE SERVICES THAT WILL TAPE OR BRAILLE FOR A NOMINAL FEE.
tHE POINT IT IS THAT THEY DID NOT THINK THAT WE BLIND COULD READ ONE OF
THERE BOOKS WE ALWAYS FIND WAYS TO GAIN ACCESS TO PRINT ARRL CHOULD KNOW
BETTER OH THEY MAY NOTKNOW THE SPICIFICS OF OUR TECHNOLOGY BUT THEY CHOULD
KNOW THAT WE ARE VERY RESOURCFUL ENOUGH TO FIND A WAY TO READ THE BOOKS THAT
WE WANT TO READ. I WILL NEVER BE AMEMBER OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT CHOOSES TO
ENGAGE IN VERY DISCRIMINATIVE PRACTICES AND WHEN THEY SAY THATTHEY FIGHT FOR
THE RIGHTS OF ALL HAM OPPERATORS THAT IS NOT QUITE TRUE WHAT THEY REALLY
MEAN IS THAT IF YOUR SIGHTED THEN THEY WILL FIGHT FOR YOU BUT IF YOUR BLIND
THAN THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU. I USE TO GET QST FROM NLS BUT I DID NOT
LIKE THE FACTTHAT I DID NOT GET THE ENTIRE TEXT OF THE PRINT ADDITION I MAY
BE WILL TO PAY FOR AN ACCESSABLE VERSION BUT NOT FULL PRICE BECAUSE I WILL
NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THE PHOTOS AND DIAGRAMS SO THE BLIND CHOULD BE GIVEN A
DISCOUNT ON THE PRICE OF QST I WOULD RATHER PAY FOR QST IF I COULD GET THE
ENTIRE TEXT OF THE PRINT ADDITION INSTEAD OF THE FREE VERSION FROM NLS THAT
QUITE LIMITED. I AM NOT A BIG FAND OF THE ARRL IF THEY EVER GET THEIR ACT
TOGETHER THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL I THINK ABOUT JOINING THEM BUT FOR NOW NO
TNX. JUST SOME THOUGHTS FROM N8MNX 73
-----Original Message-----
From: Howard, W A 9 Y B W
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 2:31 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Digital QST And Accessibility
Hi,
Does anyone have any idea how many blind or visually impaired hams there are
and how many are ARRL members?
While this sounds drastic, should we consider a class action law suit if we
could find an attorney who would pursue this.
It seems it would be easier to fix this up-front rather than fix it later.
Just my thoughts.
73's
Howard #3
----- Original Message -----
From: "Buddy Brannan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 12:33 PM
Subject: Digital QST And Accessibility
> Hi,
>
> A fellow blind ham apparently spoke to someone at HQ recently to ask =
> about the upcoming digital edition of QST. The person he spoke to seemed =
> to indicate, according to Scott, that not only was the digital edition =
> of QST not going to be accessible, but there were no plans to make it =
> accessible.=20
>
> Needless to say, this is disappointing, if true.=20
>
> However, it's possible that there is a misunderstanding of the issues =
> involved here. We of course don't want a special edition, or something =
> like that. However, it seems to me that an online edition of QST could =
> be inherently usable by blind members. There are, of course, formats =
> that just don't work well (or at all) with screen access technology. The =
> system that CQ Communications has chosen to implement, for instance, =
> can't be used by screen readers. Your standard garden variety PDF, =
> however, will read with most screen readers, assuming that the PDF isn't =
> solely an image scan of a paper document.=20
>
> I would be interested to know what digital format the ARRL will be using =
> for its electronic distribution. Knowing this will help determine =
> whether or not I will be able to read it when it becomes available.=20
>
> While I wasn't on the call that I mentioned, I can tell you that my =
> friend felt as though he was not valued as a member in good standing, =
> that his membership was somehow less important because of his =
> disability, perhaps that he was asking for something unreasonable. Bear =
> in mind that, while we do get QST on tape from the Library of Congress, =
> the issue comes about two months after the general public gets it. I, =
> for one, would be willing to pay full freight for a membership that =
> included a timely and accessible version of QST. However, if my =
> membership as a blind ham is of no value to the League, perhaps i should =
> rethink that. Note that I have no reason yet to believe that this is the =
> case, but one of the staff's members has certainly left at least one =
> member with this impression, not by the possible inaccessibility of the =
> digital edition, but rather by the way the issue was handled. Or, =
> rather, blown off.=20
>
> I would love to discuss this further. We can start with what format the =
> digital edition will take and go from there.=20
>
> While I must admit to some disappointment that accessibility wasn't even =
> considered when the decision was made to go digital, and, to my =
> knowledge, no blind members were contacted to get any input on the =
> issue, I would like to believe that this is something that can be =
> considered now. Better late than never.
>
> Vy 73,
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
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