[blindlaw] audio description TV - why not in USA????

[Michael G. McKay]

This is truly wonderful news, I hope that this Service comes quickly, of
course I hope that the big companies that are planning to provide this
service, are not out there to gouge the blind and visually impaired with
high priced costs.

Lets hope that the prices are resonable and affordable.

Thanks again for the news, it is great to hear this.

Cheers!
Michael G. McKay BA, '05
333 Cliffe Street, Apt. No. 210,
Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Canada. E3A 0S8
Home Phone: (506) 454-5885
Email: mgmckay at rogers.com

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Dennis DiBona
Sent: August 4, 2007 9:34 PM
To: NFB.MAIL.LIST at mac.com
Cc: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blindlaw] audio description TV - why not in USA????

Hi Lists - PLEASE take the time to read this - especially if blind or
visually impaired or a caregiver-
	Very Important info is included below  that would definitely benefit
the ever -growing low vision/blind population in the USA..
  	PLEASE!  Help Me Spread the Word regarding the need to allow us, in
America, to ALSO  have audio described TV as an accessibility right in the
USA.
Please get this  message and the info below to those who can make it a
reality for us here...
Here is the question:
Does anyone know why we, the blind,  do not have audio description TV
service  in the USA?
What is the barrier?
Who do we need to contact to get this in motion?
	PLEASE READ the news article below BELOW:

A big ---  Shot in the arm for audio description  - great for the blind -
>From European news sources By Paul Crichton
31 Jul 07, 08:15 PM

Sony
has recently announced that all their digital TVs in the Bravia Range will
now provide access to audio description on Freeview as standard. This
follows in the wake of Panasonic , who made a similar move earlier in the
year.
Audio description is an extra narrative voice added to a programme to help
explain what is happening on screen for visually impaired viewers.
After years of waiting, there are now several ways to receive audio
described TV at home. Satellite and cable set-top boxes provide this
functionality as do specialist devices, such as the Portset Digital Media
Centre . But if your old analogue TV has gone to the great junkyard in the
sky, then an IDTV - which is a digital television with a set-top box
integrated into it - is an option to think about.
What is quite exciting about this is that audio description is being
provided as standard with these televisions - in the same way that closed
captioning has been for 25 years or more. This means that no expensive
special boxes need be purchased and no one will be financially penalised for
being visually impaired; that isn't always the case.
Additionally, we're not talking one or two token TVs here. You can pick from
dozens of TVs from Sony and Panasonic to get the one that suits you best.
Sony also indicated that they will be seeking to raise awareness of the
issues, and will be campaigning across Europe to spread the word to
consumers, broadcasters and legislators about audio description.
Sony's press release
quotes a figure of almost 30 million people throughout Europe who could
benefit from audio description, a figure provided by the European Blind
Union Where are we in the USA with this project?????? Let's band together to
get it here!
Please send this out to anyone you may know of ,especially your
legislatures, Sony and Panasonic and any other companies , dealers ,
representatives and any governmental or organization agencies who can speak
for us about this very important issue that can help move it forward for the
blind/low vision population.
This really should be a basic right and part of equal accessibility, don't
you agree?