In the following forwarded article, I believe the National Association of
Blind Students is the front group for the National Federation of the
Blind, It is the student division. But you'd never guess that from the
article.
Steve
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 22:57:12 +1100
From: Steve Pattison <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Multiple recipients of NFBnet GUI-TALK Mailing List
<[log in to unmask]>
To: Multiple recipients of NFBnet GUI-TALK Mailing List
<[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Fwd: US: Pressure Mounts for Accessible Textbooks Law
From: William Jolley [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Hello Everyone
The following message describes the mounting pressure for a law in the
United States that would lead to consistently marked-up publishers
files
being made available for production in accessible formats.
Cheers
Bill
From: James Allan [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
From:
http://www.austin360.com/auto_docs/epaper/editions/thursday/news_20.html
Blind students want faster access to books
Federal law is sought to speed up the process of adapting textbooks
for
visually impaired people
By Andrew Mollison
Washington Bureau
Thursday, February 7, 2002
WASHINGTON -- Blind students from across the country lobbied members
of
Congress this week to support a new plan to give the next generation
of
blind students faster access to usable versions of textbooks.
"I use Braille and recorded books and readers," said Angela Wolf, a
senior at the University of Texas, who is president of the National
Association of Blind Students.
But she recalled having to wait two to four weeks for taped or
digitally
recorded versions and months for Braille versions of textbooks that
sighted students could use in print versions on the first day of
school.
"And sometimes there simply isn't an accessible version," Wolf said.
"It's not always easy to find and schedule time with people to be
readers (of the print version). That can be a real pain."
The students were seeking a federal law that would require all
publishers of new K-12 textbooks to send an electronic file of each
textbook in a uniform national format to a newly created nonprofit
center. The center would assist state and local educators in helping
students and their parents obtain those files, which can be used
instantly for large-print, audible or Braille-machine versions. The
usual six-month delay in obtaining regular Braille versions of
textbooks
could be cut in half.
The plan would cost the federal government $6 million a year. It was
crafted during two years of negotiations by about 20 groups, including
the schools division of the American Association of Publishers, state
education and rehabilitation departments, the American Foundation for
the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind.
"It would be more cost-efficient for the publishers, students would
have
more access, schools would have fewer headaches finding accessible
material and society would have more educated workers," Wolf said.
The proposal would apply only to elementary and secondary textbooks,
because only those publishers agreed to the plan.
But its advocates anticipate that if the system is created and works
smoothly, it would attract support from all other U.S. publishers,
including those who supply college textbooks.
Federal laws already require colleges and schools to supply students
with accessible textbooks and other instructional materials. And just
over half the states require publishers to provide electronic copies
of
print editions of K-12 textbooks.
"However, there is no consistent file format used among the states,
and
creating one to meet each state's standards takes time and can cost a
publisher thousands of dollars," said Marc Maurer, president of the
National Federation of the Blind. "The delay and uncertainty can be
totally frustrating for the student."
At the publishers' association, Steve Driesler, executive director of
the schools division, said, "The financial advantage for our
publishers
would come from dealing with one standard, as opposed to dealing with
26
state formatting rules, and from the nonprofit center's use of the
files
in a way that would protect our intellectual property rights."
Federal laws already require colleges and schools to supply students
with accessible textbooks and other instructional materials. And just
over half the states require publishers to provide electronic copies
of
print editions of K-12 textbooks.
"However, there is no consistent file format used among the states,
and
creating one to meet each state's standards takes time and can cost a
publisher thousands of dollars," said Marc Maurer, president of the
National Federation of the Blind. "The delay and uncertainty can be
totally frustrating for the student."
At the publishers' association, Steve Driesler, executive director of
the schools division, said, "The financial advantage for our
publishers
would come from dealing with one standard, as opposed to dealing with
26
state formatting rules, and from the nonprofit center's use of the
files
in a way that would protect our intellectual property rights."
Regards Steve,
mailto:[log in to unmask]
MSN Messenger: [log in to unmask]
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