Who wants to pay the rates for bookshare? They probably couldn't get it done
any faster then the NLS can and the NLS is free.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Keithley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 7:11 PM
Subject: Re: Digital QST And Accessibility
>I wonder if bookshare could be persuaded to carry QST. That way it would be
>accessible.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: richard fiorello <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask],
> Date: Tuesday, Mar 20, 2012 12:03:37 PM
> Subject: Re: Digital QST And Accessibility
>
>>
>>
>> Very well written.
>> I suspect that some sort of plain txt or pdf without the pictures might
>> be needed but that certainly shouldn't be impossible.
>> Richard
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Buddy Brannan <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Date: Tuesday, Mar 20, 2012 01:33:49 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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