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

Sat Jan 13 15:07:41 CST 2007

What I meant to say, of course, is that one *can* look up numbers while
roaming about -- sorry for the typo below.

Brian

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Miller" <brian-r-miller at uiowa.edu>
To: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>; "NFB Talk Mailing List"
<nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2007 11:47 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Fw: Washington Connection Legislative
Update-TelephoneDirectories

> 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
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > nfb-talk mailing list
> > > nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
> > >
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nfb-talk mailing list
> > nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfb-talk mailing list
> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk