I read an article in the July 9 issue of American Library Direct about your DTV initiative.  You've done a fine job of preparing a toolkit about DTV with quick reference guide, etc. but nothing in the quick references spoke to the needs of blind and visually impaired consumers to know which converter boxes are accessible to us, etc.  Please consider publishing an adenda so that librarians can answer those questions too. I've pasted below a little info that I got from the American Council of the Blind that could get you started. Thanks.  Kathie

Katherine Schneider, Ph.D.
Senior Psychologist, Emerita
Counseling Service
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
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A friend sent these notes from the ACB meeting:
  A lot of this centered on discussion of the upcoming conversion to digital television, which will take place February 17, 2009.  If you have an analog tv at that time and use an antenna for reception, your tv will not work after this date.  Neither will your tv radio if you have one.  You need to either buy a digital tv, subscribe to a paid service such as cable or satellite, or purchase a converter box.

Kathy Class of the National Telecommunication and Information Association spoke about converter boxes.  There is a Federal program by which you can receive a coupon to defray part of the cost for a converter box.  Each household is limited to two coupons.  There are some 87 boxes approved for digital tv conversion.  What they do is convert digital tv signals into analog.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association, there are some 13 million homes which will need to do something to prepare for digital tv conversion.  The coupons, which look like gift cards, will reduce the cost of converter boxes.  If you need to get a coupon, do so as soon as possible.  Go towww.dtv2009.gov or call 888-388-2009 (Voice) or 877-530-2634 (TTY).  You can apply in seven languages, and thanks to the National Association of Broadcasters, they have applications in Braille.

Be ready to go shopping for a converter box when you get your coupon as the coupons expire within 90 days.  Also, each coupon can be used once, so make sure you get the box you want.  Two boxes which pass through descriptive video are the Insignia from Best Buy and the Digital Stream from Radio Shack.

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