[nfb-talk] Fw: Washington Connection Legislative Update -TelephoneDirectories

[Brian Miller]

Like them or not, automatic voice driven phone environments are here to
stay, and to be fair, they've gotten much better in recent years.

The 800-FREE-411 service starts by trying to find your listing via voice
recognition, then if it can't, it switches you over to a human being.  This
hybrid approach is probably the best way.  The free 411 referenced above is
a great service, because it works with cell phones too, so you can't look up
numbers while mobile.

It would be interesting to know where we are with the blind community in
terms of internet connectivity.  I think the argument that blind people
aren't on the web, or don't have access to computers like the sighted, may
be an argument that is less valid today -- maybe it is, but my impression is
that my blind friends are on the web more than my sighted ones in many
cases, in part because they have to.

Brian Miller

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2007 8:06 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Fw: Washington Connection Legislative
Update -TelephoneDirectories


>     Alright, so either you disagree there is a problem or you are not
> willing to provide answers on how to fix it?  Come on Mike.  You're
usually
> good about providing thought-out responses.  I don't know that the issue
is
> important enough for us to make a legislative item out of it, but it's
> something I'd never thought to consider.
>
>           Joe Orozco
>
> "It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees."--Emiliano
> Zapata
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
> To: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>; "NFB Talk Mailing List"
> <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 8:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Fw: Washington Connection Legislative Update -
> TelephoneDirectories
>
>
> > Won't happen. People are expensive, i.e., directory assistance
operators,
> > and John Q. Public is getting darned tired of navigating thru automated
> > systems.
> >
> > Mike
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
> > To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 4:42 PM
> > Subject: [nfb-talk] Fw: Washington Connection Legislative Update -
> > TelephoneDirectories
> >
> >
> > I think the ACB might be on to something here.
> >
> >          Joe Orozco
> >
> > Telephone Directories
> >> January 10, 2007
> >>
> >> In 2005, ACB passed a resolution to seek a national exemption from 411
> >> charges for wire line users who are blind or visually impaired.  As
> >> stated
> >> in the resolution, during the print era, paper phone directories were
an
> >> extremely useful tool for finding local, regional, and national
> >> information
> >> -- for citizens who could manipulate and see the print pages.  But for
> >> many
> >> disabled citizens, including blind and visually impaired individuals,
> >> print
> >> phone directories are of limited or no use.
> >>
> >> One of the strengths of ACB has always been its ability to collaborate
> >> and
> >> cooperate with other organizations who share similar goals.   The
> >> National
> >> Office recently came in contact with the Product Stewardship Institute
> >> (PSI).  PSI is a national non-profit membership-based organization that
> >> works with state and local government agencies to partner with
> >> manufacturers, retailers, environmental groups, federal agencies, and
> >> other
> >> key stakeholders to reduce the health and environmental impacts of
> >> consumer
> >> products.
> >>
> >> Of particular interest to us was PSI's new Phone Book Project.
Telephone
> >> books represent significant tonnage in the waste stream (640,000 tons
per
> >> year) and in the spring of 2006, PSI was asked by several state and
local
> >> government officials to develop a national solution to the problem of
> >> unwanted phone books.   They have discussed several proposals and are
> >> working towards a collaborative process that seeks agreement on joint
> >> solutions.
> >>
> >> In a letter of support, ACB specifically endorsed phone-based
directories
> >> as
> >> an alternative to print telephone books because of the availability and
> >> ease-of-use of such phone-based systems.  The letter went on to state
> >> that
> >> although internet-based directories have become increasingly popular
> >> alternatives for such directory information, they are a poor substitute
> >> because of the number of blind and visually impaired individuals who do
> >> not
> >> have internet access on a regular basis.  Similarly, many seniors,
> >> disadvantaged and low-income citizens who need local services do not
have
> >> internet resources available either.
> >>
> >> Although ACB's reasons for seeking a decrease in the use of print
> >> telephone
> >> directories may differ from PSI's reasons, the goal of developing a
> >> system
> >> that allows for less paper waste and a system that creates greater
> >> accessibility are well-matched.  If the money spent on producing and
> >> recycling print directories was re-allocated to free phone-based
> >> directories, everyone would have easy, accessible information available
> >> at
> >> home and "on the road."
> >>
> >>
> >> Day Al-Mohamed
> >> Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
> >> American Council of the Blind
> >> 1155 15th St. NW
> >> Washington DC  20005
> >> Tel. 202-467-5081
> >> dalmohamed at acb.org
> >>
> >>
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
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> >
> >
>
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