You know I would really like to avoid legal action if at all possible. I realize this is an avenue, but one that costs both sides lots of money, creates bad feelings, and may not go in our favor. I really hope it would never come to feeding lawyers. grin
On Mar 20, 2012, at 2:31 PM, Howard, W A 9 Y B W wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Does anyone have any idea how many blind or visually impaired hams there are
> and how many are ARRL members?
>
> While this sounds drastic, should we consider a class action law suit if we
> could find an attorney who would pursue this.
>
> It seems it would be easier to fix this up-front rather than fix it later.
>
> Just my thoughts.
>
> 73's
>
> Howard #3
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Buddy Brannan" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 12:33 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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