Someone should write a letter to the QST Correspondence (Not sure what is
called in QST). A letter just stating our position and not Raving and
Ranting. They would probably not publish but it may be worth a shot.

John  KC2QJB


-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 6:37 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Digital QST And Accessibility

Hi Scott,

I don't know what their real position is, or if you caught Mark = (whichever
Mark it was) on a bad day, or if in fact they really are just = going to
blow us off. I decided to write to Katie Glass anyway as you = see, giving
them the benefit of the doubt, but at the same time letting = them know that
there is a perception that our memberships don't matter. = I would have
subscribed to CQ, as well, but Zineo is inaccessible, and = Zineo doesn't
seem very concerned. That's out of CQ's hands, unless they = change digital
publication platforms. I don't know how amenable they = would be to this,
but I'd sure like to get some other ham mags. I should = really join QRPARCI
for this very reason, come to think of it.
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY



On Mar 20, 2012, at 5:56 PM, Scott Howell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Buddy,
>=20
> I hope you are correct and I would at least like to have a discussion 
>=
=3D
> with someone at the ARRL, but I have this unfortunate, but yet nagging 
> =
=3D
> feeling that no one at the ARRL has any plans to contact me. I agree 
> =3D=

> that I would gladly pay the same cost as our sighted counterparts for 
> =
=3D
> equal access. Well the ARRL has some time before my membership renews 
> =
=3D
> and should that time come without any change I would have no problem 
> =3D=

> letting them know how I feel.
> I am very open to having an honest and productive discussion with the 
> =
=3D
> ARRL anytime they like.
>=20
> 73
>=20
> On Mar 20, 2012, at 1:33 PM, Buddy Brannan wrote:
>=20
>> Hi,
>> =3D20
>> A fellow blind ham apparently spoke to someone at HQ recently to ask 
>> =
=3D3D=3D
>=20
>> about the upcoming digital edition of QST. The person he spoke to =3D
> seemed =3D3D
>> to indicate, according to Scott, that not only was the digital =
edition =3D
> =3D3D
>> of QST not going to be accessible, but there were no plans to make it 
>> =
=3D
> =3D3D
>> accessible.=3D3D20
>> =3D20
>> Needless to say, this is disappointing, if true.=3D3D20
>> =3D20
>> However, it's possible that there is a misunderstanding of the issues 
>> =
=3D
> =3D3D
>> involved here. We of course don't want a special edition, or =
something =3D
> =3D3D
>> like that. However, it seems to me that an online edition of QST =
could =3D
> =3D3D
>> be inherently usable by blind members. There are, of course, formats 
>> =
=3D3D=3D
>=20
>> that just don't work well (or at all) with screen access technology. 
>> =
=3D
> The =3D3D
>> system that CQ Communications has chosen to implement, for instance, 
>> =
=3D3D=3D
>=20
>> can't be used by screen readers. Your standard garden variety PDF, =
=3D3D
>> however, will read with most screen readers, assuming that the PDF 
>> =3D
> isn't =3D3D
>> solely an image scan of a paper document.=3D3D20
>> =3D20
>> I would be interested to know what digital format the ARRL will be 
>> =3D
> using =3D3D
>> for its electronic distribution. Knowing this will help determine 
>> =3D3D=

>> whether or not I will be able to read it when it becomes =
available.=3D3D20=3D
>=20
>> =3D20
>> While I wasn't on the call that I mentioned, I can tell you that my =
=3D3D
>> friend felt as though he was not valued as a member in good standing, 
>> =
=3D
> =3D3D
>> that his membership was somehow less important because of his =3D3D 
>> disability, perhaps that he was asking for something unreasonable. 
>> =3D
> Bear =3D3D
>> in mind that, while we do get QST on tape from the Library of =3D
> Congress, =3D3D
>> the issue comes about two months after the general public gets it. I, 
>> =
=3D
> =3D3D
>> for one, would be willing to pay full freight for a membership that =
=3D3D
>> included a timely and accessible version of QST. However, if my =3D3D 
>> membership as a blind ham is of no value to the League, perhaps i =3D
> should =3D3D
>> rethink that. Note that I have no reason yet to believe that this is 
>> =
=3D
> the =3D3D
>> case, but one of the staff's members has certainly left at least one 
>> =
=3D3D=3D
>=20
>> member with this impression, not by the possible inaccessibility of 
>> =3D=

> the =3D3D
>> digital edition, but rather by the way the issue was handled. Or, 
>> =3D3D=

>> rather, blown off.=3D3D20
>> =3D20
>> I would love to discuss this further. We can start with what format 
>> =3D=

> the =3D3D
>> digital edition will take and go from there.=3D3D20
>> =3D20
>> While I must admit to some disappointment that accessibility wasn't 
>> =3D=

> even =3D3D
>> considered when the decision was made to go digital, and, to my =3D3D 
>> knowledge, no blind members were contacted to get any input on the =
=3D3D
>> issue, I would like to believe that this is something that can be 
>> =3D3D=

>> considered now. Better late than never.
>> =3D20
>> Vy 73,
>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY