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Geek News Central
Monday, May 15, 2006
Restore Web Braille Petition
Seems copyright fears has caused a site that was of immense value to
the visually impaired. Here is a segment of a e-mail I received.
www.RestoreWebBraille.com
"Essentially the National Library Service For The Blind (NLS) pulled
the plug on a service called Web Braille that allowed only authenticated
users to download Braille files in a BRF format of books and magazines
in the NLS library collection. These files are readable on devices with
refreshable Braille displays or other text-to-speech enabled players.
While NLS has not released any official reason for the cessation of
service, it is believed it is due to fears about copyright
restrictions."
posted by geeknews at 03:02 PM
http://www.geeknewscentral.com/archives/006084.html
>>> Pratik patel <[log in to unmask]> 05/16/06 7:57 AM >>>
Check http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html for list
archives
Hello all,
Such a "panic" would not be caused by NLS simply providing an
explanation of
what the situation is. While I understand that they may not be able to
tell
us everything, at leasta brief glimpse into the proverbial bureaucratic
mind
would be helpful. Unless there is some kind of "national security
issue,"--isn't everything one?--there is no reason why NLS should be
so
silent. Let me suggest that many blind people who appear to be
"panicking"
are simply doing so because of an arrogant, off-handed manner in which
NLS
appears to be treating the community. It's the "follow us without
question"
model that gawls me. While I would typically agree that patience in
these
cases is the best method to employ, this situation warrants something
more.
A simple petition to request web-braill return isn't sufficient. I,
for
one, am more upset at the treatment that blind community is facing. I
would
rather have an apology from MR. Cilke and an explanation then flood
them
with requests to restore. It is obvious that web-braille is going to
return
in some form or another. The silence does make me wonder what form
that
will take; and I have my suspicions as well. But the strategy here is
completely wrong.
Pratik
Pratik Patel
Director, CUNY Assistive technology Services (CATS)
The City University of New York
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jack and Seetbriar
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 7:19 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VICUG-L] Web Braille Petition
Check http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html for list
archives
I can only sit here and shake my head.. It is simply not possible for
me
to
express how profoundly I dis-agree with you both... So I'm not even
going
to try...
--
Jack
mailto:[log in to unmask]
On Tue, 16 May 2006, David Poehlman wrote:
> Check http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html for list
archives
>
>
> ....and lest some of you beleive Mike and I are in collusion on this,
I
just
> now saw this message. I canonly say though that I agree and Thanks
Mike
for
> posting.
>
> On May 15, 2006, at 12:36 PM, Michael Barber wrote:
>
> Check http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html for list
archives
>
>
> I have seen that many people are hitting the "Panic Button" because
of
> the notice which appeared last week regarding the discontinuation of
the
> Web Braille Site. It's so bad that the President of a national
> organization has already written an article which will appear in
their
> June publication.
> I, for one, am not one who is hitting the panic button. I believe
that
> something must have happened which is requiring the temporary closure
of
> the site while some things are attended to. I do think, however,
NLS
> could have done a better job with their notice. I think they should
> have added the word temporary in the notice so people wouldn't get
the
> wrong idea. I'm guessing somebody may have hacked the site or
> something, but I don't know for sure.
> Below is something I saw from another List. Included in this
posting
> is a note from Frank Kurt Cylke, and even though it's short, I think
it
> got right to the point.
>
>
> Dear Mr. Cylke,
> I know that you don't know me, so please forgive my barging into
your
> inbox. I got your address from someone who passed it along on an
e-mail
> discussion
> list pertaining to the use of the BrailleNote note-taker.
> I'm writing to you this evening to tell you that I was quite
surprised
> and
> disappointed yesterday to find that the Web Braille service is shut
> down.
> The
> Web Braille service has been my primary source of electronic Braille
> books
> for the past six years, and, as an avid reader, I can tell you that
the
> removal
> of the service was a shocking blow. It will be sorely missed by all
of
> us
> throughout the country who have derived immense pleasure from being
able
> to freely download books whenever we get the urge to read. Thus I'm
> compelled to write to you this evening, as others undoubtedly will,
> imploring NLS to consider reinstating the service. If that's not
> possible, for technical or security reasons, it is my sincere hope
that
> a suitable
> alternative, with an even greater wealth of reading material, will
be
> provided
> as soon as possible.
> Sincerely,
> Tom Lange
>
>
> Mr. Cylke kindly replied:
>
> Mr. LANGE: Web-braille will be back soon. Thank you for your
thoughtful
>
> message. Kurt Cylke ... P.S. Please feeel free to "barge in"
anytime.
> Kurt
> Cylke
>
> Frank Kurt Cylke, Director
> National Library Service for the
> Blind and Physically Handicapped
> Library of Congress
> Washington, DC 20542
>
> 202-707-5104
> Fax 202-707-1690
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Judi Piscitello
> Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006 10:27 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [VICUG-L] Web Braille Petition
>
>
> Check http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html for list
archives
>
>
> Reasons to sign the online petition (link below article) and to
> encourage AFB, NFB and other organizations to advocate as well:
>
> The Mosen Explosion (Blog)
> Friday, May 12, 2006
>
> The Demise of Web Braille
>
> By Jonathan Mosen
>
> Since it became known that the US Library of Congress's National
Library
> Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) was closing
Web
> Braille apparently on a temporary basis, there has been much
speculation
> as to why. At the time of posting, the only official comment I have
read
> from NLS is that the sight has been closed for security reasons and
that
> they hope the closure will be short lived.
>
> My immediate thoughts on this are threefold.
>
> Firstly, I hope that members of both consumer organisations are not
just
> writing to NLS, which they certainly should be doing, but also
writing
> to the leadership of their consumer organisation to ask for the
maximum
> possible advocacy effort on this matter. When it has come to issues
such
> as promoting Braille and access to blindness services, both
> organisations have a good track record of burying what differences
exist
> and working together for the common good of all Americans. I
sincerely
> hope that advocating strenuously for the return of Web Braille is an
> issue that falls into this category. Both organisations have gifted
> blind advocates who serve Americans well. Let's hope that talent can
be
> pooled for the sake of this important issue.
>
> Secondly, blind Americans are tax payers too. A service they have
come
> to depend on and value has been taken away from them, with very
little
> explanation. We need to know more about the nature of the security
> concern. Does the security concern relate to the potential to back
> translate Braille material? Are accounts compromised in some way? Is
it
> something else? We don't yet, as far as I am aware, know why the
service
> was suddenly pulled, and we need to. Surely a Government department
> funded by US taxes has a duty to be much more forthcoming with
> information. Blind people can speculate all they like on the
reasons,
> but that speculation is unhelpful and merely adds to the confusion.
The
> first step to understanding the shut-down is to be informed as to
the
> reasons for it. Again, if there is an issue, there are many gifted
blind
> technology experts who'd be glad to lend their expertise to the
problem.
>
> Thirdly, while I support wholeheartedly the endeavours of each and
every
> person who seeks to have this service restored, I would urge those
> affected by the Web Braille shut-down to take a moment to reflect on
how
> much they value the service, and how many people throughout the
world
> cannot access a similar service. Special format material is a
precious
> and scarce resource. It seems to me a tragedy that, with the
shortage
> of special format material that exists as compared with the millions
of
> titles available to sighted people in print, more isn't done to
minimise
> duplication of effort in
> special format production, and to facilitate the sharing of that
> material.
>
> Mechanisms need to exist for greater sharing of special format
material
> between countries which have similar copyright laws. For example, my
> view is that those outside of the US, living in countries with
copyright
> laws that support the provision of special format material by
prescribed
> organisations without having to seek the permission of the copyright
> holder, should be able to access Web Braille for a fee. Web Braille
is
> paid for by US tax dollars, and it is not my view that non-US blind
> citizens should somehow enjoy a free ride off the US tax payer. It's
> interesting to note though that given the huge foreign aid budget of
> many western countries, the US included, allowing a few blind people
> outside of the US to access the service would be a mere drop in the
> bucket, particularly if the processing was handled by an appropriate
> blindness agency in the country in question. US citizens should
also
> have reciprocal rights in countries where similar services are
> available.
>
> All of us as blind people know how frustrating it can be to get
access
> to what we want to read. If the will truly existed, ways could be
found
> to better facilitate the sharing of special format material. It's
the
> right thing to do, and it is an area where the US is uniquely
positioned
> to lead the way. It would mean that five or six copies of the same
book
> would no longer need to be produced in different countries, which is
a
> shameful nonsense and a waste of resources.
>
> So let's hope an explanation is forthcoming, the consumer
organisations
> work together to get the service restored, and that US citizens use
this
> down time to think about how it is for many blind people around the
> world, and perhaps develop a bit of compassion as a result.
>
> Oh and a final thought. Please spare a thought for blind people
working
> for NLS right now. I have no doubt it's not easy when one would like
to
> be more forthcoming to one's fellow blind people, but for whatever
> reason cannot be.
>
> http://jmosen.livejournal.com/244287.html
>
>
> Please help us restore Web Braille by signing the online petition
at:
>
> http://www.PetitionOnline.com/braille/petition.html
>
>
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VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
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