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On the National Federation of the Blind's Web site, the guild is accused of arguing that it is illegal for blind people to use âoereaders, either human or machine, to access books that are not available in alternative formats like Braille or audio." . . . In fact, publishers, authors and American copyright laws have long provided for free audio availability to the blind and the guild is all for technologies that expand that availability. (The federation, though, points out that blind readers can't independently use the Kindle 2's visual, on-screen controls.) But that doesn't mean Amazon should be able, without copyright-holders' participation, to pass that service on to everyone.

So his counterpoint to the argument that copyright laws allows the Kindle text-to-speech feature is that blind people can't use the Kindle? It didn't seem that he remotely addressed their point. For though blind people can't independently operate a Kindle, doesn't mean that they can't operate it all. i.e. "Sonny can you load up A Tale of Two Cities and play it for me". Also for those people who are not blind but visually impaired(dsylexic, far-sighted, glaucoma, etc. ), they may be able to operate the Kindle 2. I am not a copyright lawyer but aren't there organizations whose sole purpose is to record books on audiotape royalty-free for blind and visually impaired persons. I don't see how this feature is any different.

When looking for schoolbooks for the severely dyslexic little brother of a friend we tried looking for audio books. Turned out there was an organisation which used to deal with that here. Notice "was". For schoolbooks which had no audio book available from the publisher they'd got teachers who volunteered to record audio books for blind students. Guess what the publishers thought of that. Now they aren't allowed hand out recordings to blind students and the publishers aren't interested in making or distributing any since the market is so small.

Did you check with Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic? They do require documentation of a print disability for membership.

I'll be putting up some recording tips (& recommended equipment) shortly for producers/performers who want to be involved at Telltale. Up to this point, participants in the project have had their own home studios (from a simple four-track and microphone to big, bad mixing boards and dedicated rooms).

Alex.

Yeah, but it's fa da dyslexics, an' we ah based in New Joisey. R, F, B, D. You gonna ahgue?

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic
National Headquarters
20 Roszel Road
Princeton, NJ

There's a charity that specializes in doing exactly that, through the efforts of volunteers.

(I've been thinking of giving it a go someday....)

Well, in a way "they" do. Under the US copyright law, publishers are required to allow agencies serving people with disabilities to produce accessible versions of their books without charging royalties. Thus, for example, organizations like Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic can freely produce audio textbooks for distribution to students with print disabilities.

And there's more on the way. A bill has been introduced into congress (the Instructional Materials Accessibility Act) that will take this further, requiring textbook publishers to provide electronic text files in a uniform format for use by agencies that produce Braille and audio books for students with disabilities.

Granted you have to be blind to use either service but it is my experience that you really want to read technical books. You get a lot more out of them that way, it is way too easy to zone out while listening to them.

RFB is at www.rfbd.org

If you want to do something for an organization that is not a policy-based group (like EFF), may I suggest Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic? RFBD is a group in the United States which - using volunteer labor - records books and other written material so that blind and dyslexic people can have access to the same information. There are only 34 recording studios across the nation, usually in urban areas, and it requires a screening test and a weekly commitment to be a volunteer. However, RFBD is in desperate need of readers who can handle scientific and technical material. If you can't volunteer physically, they take cash too; they are starting to convert hundreds of thousands of audio tapes to CD-ROM and need to raise $35 million to do so and to upgrade the recording facilities. RFDB is the only organization that does this in the US. It is non-governmental and community based. If you care about giving back to the geek community in more than just a policy way, here's a way to help students and adults learn about technical subjects (as well as every other subject under the sun).