DC Night Out

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Public Relations Specialist
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen@nfb.org

National Federation of the Blind and Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Announce Agreement with Apple to Make iTunes Fully Accessible

Baltimore, Maryland (September 26, 2008): The National Federation of the Blind and Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley today announced a cooperative agreement with Apple, Inc. to make Apple’s iTunes software, iTunes Store, and iTunes U more accessible to the blind. On September 9, Apple released iTunes 8, which contains significant accessibility improvements. Under today’s agreement, Apple will make iTunes U (a dedicated area of the iTunes Store for content provided by colleges and universities) fully accessible by December 31, 2008, and will ensure the full accessibility of the iTunes software and the rest of the iTunes Store to blind people using both Mac and Windows operating systems by June 30, 2009. Over the next three years, Apple will continue to work with officials in the office of the Massachusetts Attorney General and the National Federation of the Blind to ensure that the iTunes services remain accessible to the blind and that accessibility issues are resolved. Apple has also agreed to contribute $250,000 to the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind to assist the agency in providing adaptive technology to blind residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “Computer technology is a critical means of access to business, education, information, and entertainment in the twenty-first century, and the blind must have equal access if we are to be equal participants in society. By making its extremely popular iTunes service fully accessible to the blind, Apple is setting an example that should be followed by the entire information technology industry. The National Federation of the Blind is pleased to have worked with Attorney General Coakley and her staff to reach this important agreement with Apple, and we will continue to work tirelessly until the blind have equal access to the full range of products and services available to the public through the Internet and other information technologies.”

“Our office is committed to providing equal opportunity to all citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Attorney General Martha Coakley. “This agreement will benefit blind Commonwealth citizens and all blind Americans by making one of the most widely used computer applications accessible to them. I applaud Apple for its commitment to accessibility and look forward to continuing to work with the National Federation of the Blind to ensure that rapid progress is made in making the iTunes software and services usable by everyone.”

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About the National Federation of the Blind

With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation’s blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.

click to listen to Labor Day 2008 podcast.

The recent NFB vs. Target settlement once again brings out a viewpoint and claim by some that accessibility should only be done at the whim of businesses, that accessibility should be voluntary, and that the nations blind should not be able to expect accessibility on the web even though since passage of the ADA businesses have had to make a number of accessibility changes to accommodate other disabilities. A textbook example is that a new shop or restaurant cannot open today if it does not provide accessibility for people in wheelchairs. In other words, it must have a means of entry and exit besides steps and probably some other technical details in its construction.

I asked them…where is the disconnect? What good is a civil rights law if its provisions are voluntary? What if all the provisions in the Civil Rights Act, the ADA, and other laws were voluntary?

I don’t think some of the crowd understand that with the passage of the ADA it was the intent of Congress that people with disabilities, including people who are blind, have a right and an expectation to be able to enjoy full participation in society. We don’t just have this right “if corporate America feels like it.” This is not a charity kind of thing, or something you just do if you feel like doing a good deed. Its a fundamental right. call it an entitlement if you want too.

this right or entitlement isn’t for some half baked second or third class citizenship status, the right or entitlement is for full first class citizenship! In this arena that means the right translates in to an obligation on the part of web developers in business to build accessible web sites from the get go. No, not 3 or 5 years after the site launches. No, not only a few special pages that you sometimes update if you feel like it. No, you don’t just have your support department tell us just “thanks for your suggestions,” and then ignore us.

There are many resources that corporate America can use to train their internal staff to develop and test for accessible web pages. There are many organizations, like the NFB and many others, that would be glad to be hired to either provide training or literally work alongside corporate America’s developers to fix their broken web pages. Again, similarly, there are many organizations that would be glad for you to hire them to install a wheelchair rampe or an elevator in your facility for those with physical disabilities. There are organizations that would be glad for you to hire them to provide closed captioning for the deaf or audio description for the blind.

The blind, and this nations disabled, are not bashful or shy about exercising these fundamental rights. So to answer my own question, the disconnect is that people do not understand the concept that these are fundamental inalienable rights! For whatever reason, people still in 2008, 18 years after the passage of the ADA, still think accessibility is some kind of voluntary charitable thing you do only if you feel like it, and maybe only if you don’t have to pay for it.

I have tried to explain this, and maybe commenters can explain it in a different way that makes more sense. Often there is more than one way to explain a concept. You can also click the Digg link in this post to read the comments on Digg that inspired this creation.

read more | digg story

The recent NFB vs. Target settlement once again brings out a viewpoint and claim by some that accessibility should only be done at the whim of businesses, that accessibility should be voluntary, and that the nations blind should not be able to expect accessibility on the web even though since passage of the ADA businesses have had to make a number of accessibility changes to accommodate other disabilities. A textbook example is that a new shop or restaurant cannot open today if it does not provide accessibility for people in wheelchairs. In other words, it must have a means of entry and exit besides steps and probably some other technical details in its construction.

I asked them…where is the disconnect? What good is a civil rights law if its provisions are voluntary? What if all the provisions in the Civil Rights Act, the ADA, and other laws were voluntary?

I don’t think some of the crowd understand that with the passage of the ADA it was the intent of Congress that people with disabilities, including people who are blind, have a right and an expectation to be able to enjoy full participation in society. We don’t just have this right “if corporate America feels like it.” This is not a charity kind of thing, or something you just do if you feel like doing a good deed. Its a fundamental right. call it an entitlement if you want too.

this right or entitlement isn’t for some half baked second or third class citizenship status, the right or entitlement is for full first class citizenship! In this arena that means the right translates in to an obligation on the part of web developers in business to build accessible web sites from the get go. No, not 3 or 5 years after the site launches. No, not only a few special pages that you sometimes update if you feel like it. No, you don’t just have your support department tell us just “thanks for your suggestions,” and then ignore us.

There are many resources that corporate America can use to train their internal staff to develop and test for accessible web pages. There are many organizations, like the NFB and many others, that would be glad to be hired to either provide training or literally work alongside corporate America’s developers to fix their broken web pages. Again, similarly, there are many organizations that would be glad for you to hire them to install a wheelchair rampe or an elevator in your facility for those with physical disabilities. There are organizations that would be glad for you to hire them to provide closed captioning for the deaf or audio description for the blind.

The blind, and this nations disabled, are not bashful or shy about exercising these fundamental rights. So to answer my own question, the disconnect is that people do not understand the concept that these are fundamental inalienable rights! For whatever reason, people still in 2008, 18 years after the passage of the ADA, still think accessibility is some kind of voluntary charitable thing you do only if you feel like it, and maybe only if you don’t have to pay for it.

I have tried to explain this, and maybe commenters can explain it in a different way that makes more sense. Often there is more than one way to explain a concept. You can also click the Digg link in this post to read the comments on Digg that inspired this creation.

read more | digg story

The National Federation of the Blind and Target announced today that they have reached a $6 million settlement of a class action lawsuit regarding access to the Target.com Web site by blind people. In addition, the NFB will certify the Target Web site once agreed upon improvements are completed in early 2009.

read more | digg story

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

I was just completing my tax return today using Turbotax for the web. In Massachusetts, we get a few extra days to do this than the rest of you. I’ve used Turbotax for the last several years. In several places in the system, they have an option to click to hear audio on the given topic you are working on. One might expect these audio files to be dry and boring, but this year they were pretty funny. Click here for a sample. This sample comes from near the end of the process. You can also change the number in the URL to hear some of the other audio help files, it runs from about 1 to 25, but some numbers are skipped. I may add some more links to this post, but don’t count on that.

Click to listen to 18 minute podcast.

Click to listen or download 21 minute podcast.

We begin by reminding listenters about airline Rule 240 and 120.20 which involves passengers being transferred from one airline to another. I could not find many if any comprehensive articles on this to link too.

We go on to discuss several other podcasts from the CSUN 2006 conference that are available. These include:
Blind Access Journal

Blind Cool Tech
The Desert Skys
and
ACB Radio

We highlight products from a company called Code Factory which produces screen reader software for off the shelf PDA devices.

Did you know that about 50 plus CSUN attendees stay at the Embassy Suites LAX North hotel instead of the Hilton and Marriott? Note, there is also an Embassy Suites LAX South (but North is what you want). We hear from someone on the podcast who describes the experience of staying in this alternative hotel.

Also the food and beer at the Four Points LAXis recommended.