Sadly, This information is from yesterday. Here is the latest information from Melanie Brunsen. I can't emphasize enough the importance of contacing your legislative representatives.
See attached message.
Pratik
-----Original Message-----
From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Peter Altschul
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 6:23 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VICUG-L] FW: [Missouri-l] FW: [leadership] House Subcommittee to ConsiderFunding for Digital Talking Books Tomorrow!
-----Original Message-----
From: Melanie Brunson [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 4:54 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [leadership] House Subcommittee to Consider Funding for Digital
Talking Books Tomorrow!
Hi All,
I just got word that the House Subcommittee on the Legislative
Branch will be considering the request by NLS for an increased
appropriation to fund the beginning of the digital talking book
program tomorrow afternoon. I have written letters to the members of
this subcommittee, as well as the House Appropriations Committee,
which this subcommittee is a part of, and their counterparts in the
Senate. My letter is pasted below for your reference. I will send
another message containing a list of the committee members. If you
are in one of their districts, please either call or fax them and let
them know that this program is of paramount importance to blind
people. If your representative or senator is not on this list,
please contact your own legislators and urge them to communicate your
concerns to the members of the committees dealing with appropriations.
I apologize for the short notice, but appreciate your prompt response.
Melanie Brunson
June 5, 2007
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Chair, House Subcommittee on the
Legislative Branch
118 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Via Fax (202) 225-8456
Dear Rep. Wasserman Schultz,
I am writing on behalf of the American Council of the Blind to urge
you to grant the appropriation requested by the National Library
Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) to fund their
transition to digital talking book production. Our organization
represents tens of thousands of blind and visually impaired
individuals from every state in the union. Our members rely on
reading material provided by NLS for a wide variety of reasons,
including professional development, education, information to aid in
their civic participation, as well as entertainment. It is vital to
the interests of the blind community throughout this country that
this program be preserved. To accomplish this, it is necessary that
the technology used to produce and distribute talking books be
brought into the 21st century.
We have followed the deliberations of NLS over the course of the past
several years during which the plan to transition to digital talking
books was developed. In fact, members of our organization
participated directly in the creation and implementation of these
plans as future consumers of the digital talking book program. We
are impressed and pleased by the level of consumer involvement used
by NLS in developing the proposed digital system. We are confident
that the technology that has been chosen for future distribution of
talking books, and the proposed implementation schedule will
effectively meet the needs of their blind and visually impaired
patrons for decades to come.
We are aware that a recent report issued by the Government
Accountability Office has generated some controversy regarding the
proposed solution NLS has adopted for digital talking books. We wish
to suggest that this report appears
to be significantly flawed both in its presentation of fact and its
conclusions.
We believe that Congress has not been well served by this analysis and hope
you
will disregard it.
The technology is recognized by industry experts as solid and, unlike
similar "off-the-shelf" digital technology, is readily usable by
blind and visually impaired people of all ages and abilities. Such
usability by a diverse population with widely varying capabilities is
absolutely essential to the integrity of this program.
We have been awaiting this transition for some time. Please do not
make us wait any longer. Please authorize the appropriation
requested by the National Library Service for the digital talking
book program.
If you require any additional information about this issue, please do
not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Melanie Brunson, Executive Director
Cc: Frank Kurt Cylke, National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped
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