why doesn't the nls take oter ham mags, they seem o take enough readers digest in lots of languages and the like and tons of minority mas too we need another ham mag in there from the nls lol
On Mar 20, 2012, at 6:37 PM, Buddy Brannan wrote:
> 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
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