Christopher, Mike, Gordon and All:
It is very important to note that a request for an accessibility
waiver is often a slippery slope.  What starts out as something
exclusive can become a precedent for other cases should they arise.
In fact, Christopher said: "The ADA would come into play if a school
were going to select the Sony ereader as it's means for distributing
text books to it's students though." And, he is exactly correct.
Accessibility, as I understand this case, was required under
rulemaking by the Feds. But, I extrapolated it to the ADA because
schools are already using E Readers as textbook machines, in fact,
many schools have added EBooks and readers to their library systems.
Some prep schools require students to own E Readers as an admission
requirement. It is just a short stretch to think about a blind
professor who may lose their job, or not get a position, simply
because the machines being used were allowed to be inaccessible.

I was born long before the ADA, long before digital ink, way before
touch screens and just after the population explosion of blind folks
caused by RLF (now called retinopathy of prematurity) and I realize
the gains we have made but I also realize how easily we can slide
backwards.

There was very little thought of accessibility in the switch to
digital television and your cable boxes and converters are the result.

When it's time to take a stand, the digging in must begin early.
People need to become informed about the issues and discussions like
this one must continue while advocacy is being pursued.

Yes, laws can and do change.  Yes, some people and groups are sue
happy, others need to sue because their lives or livelihoods are
threatened by something corporations want to do to protect their
bottom line and patents. However, if we work hard to make our position
clear, there is no reason why the ADA (or any law) would be weakened
by issue advocacy and consumer participation.

Fear of the law being eliminated is no reason to stop protecting our
chances for an accessible world here in the USA.  Corporations already
have the lawyers and money, we must use our own knowledge, logic and
resources to defend our rights.

I do believe the ADA will be weakened by "special" rulings on E
Readers; that weakening and harm will only be seen after the fact. By
then?
It will be too late.

Steve Hoad


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