I wonder if bookshare could be persuaded to carry QST. That way it would be accessible.
----- Original Message -----
From: richard fiorello <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask],
Date: Tuesday, Mar 20, 2012 12:03:37 PM
Subject: Re: Digital QST And Accessibility
>
>
> Very well written.
> I suspect that some sort of plain txt or pdf without the pictures might be needed but that certainly shouldn't be impossible.
> Richard
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Buddy Brannan <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Tuesday, Mar 20, 2012 01:33:49 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
|