[A2k] Release: Reading Rights Coalition Urges Authors to Allow Everyone Access to E-books

[Manon Ress]

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, ext. 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen@nfb.org

Reading Rights Coalition Urges Authors to Allow
Everyone Access to E-books

Informational Protest to be Held at Authors Guild Headquarters

New York City (March 30, 2009): The Reading Rights Coalition, which
represents people who cannot read print, will protest the threatened
removal of the text-to-speech function from e-books for the Amazon
Kindle 2 outside the Authors Guild headquarters in New York City at 31
East 32nd Street on April 7, 2009, from noon to 2:00 p.m.  The
coalition includes the blind, people with dyslexia, people with
learning or processing issues, seniors losing vision, people with
spinal cord injuries, people recovering from strokes, and many others
for whom the addition of text-to-speech on the Kindle 2 promised for
the first time easy, mainstream access to over 245,000 books.

When Amazon released the Kindle 2 electronic book reader on February
9, 2009, the company announced that the device would be able to read e-
books aloud using text-to-speech technology.  Under pressure from the
Authors Guild, Amazon has announced that it will give authors and
publishers the ability to disable the text-to-speech function on any
or all of their e-books available for the Kindle 2.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
said: =93The blind and print-disabled have for years utilized text-to-
speech technology to read and access information.  As technology
advances and more books move from hard-copy print to electronic
formats, people with print disabilities have for the first time in
history the opportunity to enjoy access to books on an equal basis
with those who can read print.  Authors and publishers who elect to
disable text-to-speech for their e-books on the Kindle 2 prevent
people who are blind or have other print disabilities from reading
these e-books.  This is blatant discrimination and we will not
tolerate it.=94

Mike Shuttic, president of the Association on Higher Education and
Disability (AHEAD), said: =93AHEAD envisions educational and societal
environments that value disability and embody equality of
opportunity.  This vision of AHEAD is directly aligned with the
efforts of this coalition.  Although much rhetoric is made about
potential obstacles and problems that exist, the basic goal is clear
and simple=96=96access for everyone.  And why create something that
prevents it?=94

Mitch Pomerantz, president of the American Council of the Blind, said:
=93Removing the text-to-speech features closes the door on an innovative
technological solution that would make regular print books available
to tens of thousands of individuals who are blind or visually impaired.=94

Andrew Imparato, President and Chief Executive Officer for the
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), said: =93It is
outrageous when a technology device shuts out people with all kinds of
disabilities.  AAPD works to remove barriers to accessibility and
usability in technology, and we don=92t expect to see people with
disabilities singled out by having to pay more for access.  New
technologies, such as electronic books, should be available to
everyone regardless of disability.=94
Paul Schroeder, vice president of programs and policy for the American
Foundation for the Blind, said: "Those of us with print disabilities
have long dreamed of a world in which books and media are available to
us at the same time as everyone else. The Kindle 2 offers that
possibility for the first time.  We hope publishers and authors come
to see that text-to-speech is simply an alternative means of access to
print."

Dr. Peter Blanck, chairman and university professor at Burton Blatt
Institute at Syracuse University, said: =93As electronic books become
the norm, denying universal access will result in more and more people
with disabilities being left out of education, employment, and the
societal conversation.  We will all suffer from the absence of their
participation and contribution to the debates that occupy us as a
society.=94

George Kerscher of the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY)
Consortium, said: "The DAISY Consortium envisions a world where people
with print disabilities have equal access to information and
knowledge, without delay or additional expense.  Authors and
publishers surely must share this vision.  Now that the issue of human
rights has been explained, and the opportunity for larger sales are
known, I urge the Authors Guild to reverse their position on text-to-
speech and join us in actively encouraging all publishers and reading
technology developers to open the world of reading to everybody.
Authors, join us on the picket line."

Steve Jacobs, president of IDEAL Group Inc., said, =93Not only is text-
to-speech important to people who are blind, it is critical in
providing quality educations to millions of young people who rely on
text-to-speech to learn effectively.  This includes students with
autism, learning disabilities, mobility disabilities, and cognitive
disabilities that impact their ability to acquire information with
their eyes only. I remain hopeful that the talented members of the
Authors Guild come to understand the potential negative impact of
disabling the text-to-speech function on their e-books and reconsider
their position.=94


Cynthia D. Waddell, executive director of the International Center for
Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI), said:  =93The mission of
ICDRI supports the removal of barriers in electronic and information
technology and the promotion of equal access.  ICDRI welcomes the text-
to-speech functionality being offered by the Kindle 2 since it
increases mainstream access to books for the first time in history.
We question why the Authors Guild demands that it be turned it off
since many more books would be sold if text-to-speech was turned back
on.  Not only
does this feature benefit persons with disabilities, but it also helps
persons for whom English is not their native language.  In an
increasingly mobile society, flexibility in access to content improves
the quality of life for everyone.=94

James Love, director of Knowledge Ecology International, said:
=93Knowing full well that not everyone can see, the Authors Guild wants
the right to be seen, but not heard.  By bullying Amazon to change the
technology of Kindle 2, the Authors Guild will either deny access to
people who are disabled, or make them pay more.  By attacking disabled
persons in this way, the Authors Guild is attacking everyone who would
otherwise benefit from the contributions this community has the
potential to offer.=94

James H. Wendorf, executive director for the National Center for
Learning Disabilities, said: "Access to the written word is the
cornerstone of education and democracy.  New technologies must serve
individuals with disabilities, not impede them.  Our homes, schools
and ultimately our economy rely on support for the future, not
discriminating practices and beliefs from the past.=94   While the
Kindle 2 is not currently accessible to blind users, Amazon recently
announced on its Kindle 2 blog that it is currently at work on making
the device=92s navigational features accessible to the blind.

The coalition includes: American Association of People with
Disabilities, American Council of the Blind, American Foundation for
the Blind, Association on Higher Education and Disability, Bazelon
Center for Mental Health Law, Burton Blatt Institute, Digital
Accessible Information System (DAISY) Consortium, Disability Rights
Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), IDEAL Group, Inc., International
Center for Disability Resources on the Internet, International
Dyslexia Association, International Dyslexia Association=96=96New York
Branch, Knowledge Ecology International, Learning Disabilities
Association of America, National Center for Learning Disabilities,
National Disability Rights Network, National Federation of the Blind,
NISH, and the National Spinal Cord Injury Association.  In addition to
the April 7 New York City protest, the coalition will participate in
the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on April 25-26.