[nabop] Stedman's word books and drug book notaccessibletoscreenreading software

[Nancy Coffman]

My one thought would be that this company does sell its electronic books to 
government entities such as mental health agencies.  Would it possibly be 
appropriate for us to advise these agencies and government transcription 
services that the books are inaccessible and should not be purchase under 
section 508?  It seems that government purchases a lot of inaccessible 
software from entities who can claim they aren't government.  Some of them 
bill their goods as being compliant when they are not.

Nancy Coffman




Nancy Coffman
----- 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 7:51 PM
Subject: Re: [nabop] Stedman's word books and drug book 
notaccessibletoscreenreading software


> To the majority of the world, nothing was ruined.
>
> Mike
>
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Sherri
>  To: NFBnet National Association of Blind Office Professionals
>  Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2008 5:41 PM
>  Subject: Re: [nabop] Stedman's word books and drug book not
> accessibletoscreenreading software
>
>
>  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
>
>    TO DONATE YOUR USED CELL PHONE AND CHANGE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLIND
> IN
>  CENTRAL FLORIDA go to:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>    Whether we succeed or fail in what we do is not the essential thing.
>
>    What is important is the heart with which we live our lives.
>
>
>
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