[nabop] Stedman's word books and drug book not accessible toscreenreading software

[Sherri]

The thing is Mike, tit was previously totally accessible. Why ruin a good 
thing? I just don't get it.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFBnet National Association of Blind Office Professionals" 
<nabop at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2008 3:07 PM
Subject: Re: [nabop] Stedman's word books and drug book not accessible 
toscreenreading software


Sherry:

It is my opinion (and I am not a lawyer) that the publisher is *not* in
violation of ADA by not providing accessible material. More
specifically, the actual limits of ADA in the electronic arena are a
matter of debate in the courts (can you say Target Lawsuit?) -- the
debate is whether things like publications and/or electronic web sites
are places of public accommodation or goods and services within the
purview of Title III of ADA. In fact, I would argue that books are *not*
such goods or services in that if they were. *everything* would have to
be made accessible or put into braille. While this might be desirable,
you can be sure that had this been the intent of Congress, it would have
had the fight of the century on its hands and, in any event, I am not
sure that this is what we really would have wanted in that we would have
gotten an awful lot of bad braille out of this.

Best bet is just to try to get the publisher to put out an alternative
for you or, better yet, to try to get the creators of Bookshelf to make
it accessible to screen-reading software.

Just my $0.02-worth.

Mike Freeman

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Sherri
  To: Multiple recipients of NFBnet nabop Mailing List ; Multiple
recipients of NFBnet GUI-TALK Mailing List
  Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 4:00 PM
  Subject: [nabop] Stedman's word books and drug book not accessible to
screenreading software


  Hello list,

  I got word from the person who
  teaches the transcription course for blind people out of Daytona that
the
  Stedman's word books for 2008 are now using bookshelf, which has been
used
  in the Quick Look Electronic Drug Reference for the last couple of
years. I am extremely concerned about
  this and feel we should let them know that this will not work for
blind
  people using screen-reading software and that they need to provide
  accessible copies of their books for us. Does anyone know who I can
contact? Are they in any sort of violation of the ADA by producing their
electronic books in a format we cannot use? Any help would be
appreciated.


  Sherri

  sbrun at cfl.rr.com

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CENTRAL FLORIDA go to:







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