[gui-talk] NVDA

[Hoffman, Allen]

All, please see posting from NVDA blog site.
 
From:
http://www.nvda-project.org/blog/NVDANeedsYou
 
NVDA Needs You 
 
As you are all aware, NV Access, the organisation which develops NVDA,
is a non-profit organisation which is predicated on making software for
the blind
that requires no extra cost than the purchase of a computer. What you
may not know, however, is that to do this, we must seek grants or
donations from
larger organisations to survive. Unfortunately, the present financial
climate has meant that these grants are much less forthcoming than in
the past, despite
the accolades that NVDA has received over the past couple of years. 
 
Jamie and Mick, the core developers of NVDA, are essentially paid
minimum wage for their experience, knowledge and skills, which they are
prepared to accept
because they love the fact that they are making a positive contribution
to the blind community and the accessibility industry more generally.
Despite their
willingness to carry on, however, there will be no money to pay them
after July 2011 unless we receive some financial assistance. Rest
assured, we will
be seeking grants from and alliances with other companies, but the stark
reality is that these may not come to fruition in time to save NVDA. In
short,
we desperately need your help. 
 
For the last release of NVDA, our records indicate that there were
50,000 downloads. Even if we discount 20,000 for those who may have
downloaded NVDA multiple
times, we are left with 30,000 individual users. If every user donated
$10 today, we would have $300,000 that we could use to pay Jamie and
Mick to continue
to develop NVDA full time for the foreseeable future. 
 
We are very proud that we provide a free and open source screen reader
for our community and for the accessibility industry to use. The
principles that
underlie the decision to make NVDA free and open source are as important
to the committee of NV Access now as they were when Mick first envisaged
the potential
of NVDA. However, for NVDA to be developed in the way that you have
become accustomed, we need your help. We are not being greedy or
exploitative, merely
pragmatic and honest. Please think of how NVDA might have helped you, or
may help others, and 
 donate
today. 
 
We sincerely thank you for any contribution you can make. 
 
The NV Access Committee 
 
 
Allen Hoffman