Subject: RE: [arrl-odv:21846] FW: Digital Access to QST By Blind Hams
Cliff, this issue also came up at the ARRL Forum at the Rocky Mountain
Division Convention last month.
It occurs to me that once we get this issue resolved there no longer
will be a rationale for the special blind membership rate of $8.00 per
year that is specified in Bylaw 7(a). That rate is based in large part
on our not being able to deliver QST in a form that is fully useful to
blind members. That currently remains the case, but will not be once
they can use the digital edition.
Dave K1ZZ
-----Original Message-----
From:
arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org
[mailto:
arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org] On Behalf Of Cliff Ahrens
Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 9:17 AM
To: Kramer, Harold, WJ1B
Cc: arrl-odv
Subject: [arrl-odv:21846] FW: Digital Access to QST By Blind Hams
Harold, here's a request from an ARRL member from the Midwest Division,
writing as President of the National Federation of the Blind Ham Radio
Division, requesting ARRL explore and implement the Nxtbook solution for
digital QST that will provide a fully accessible experience to blind
hams.
I would appreciate it if staff could study and advise the board
concerning the feasibility and cost of offering this service to blind
hams. Since this is an issue that impacts blind hams nationwide, I'm
copying ODV. Thanks.
Cliff K0CA
-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Olivero [mailto:
anthony@olivero.us]
Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 12:13 AM
To:
k0ca@arrl.org
Subject: Digital Access to QST By Blind Hams
Director Ahrens,
I am writing to you this evening as an ARRL member, a member of your
division (through the Nebraska section), and as the president of the
National Federation of the Blind Ham Radio Division. As you are aware,
the League last year launched an online version of QST available on the
web and iOS devices. I, and other blind hams, were excited about the
potential a digital version of QST could offer us. Currently we have to
wait for a recorded version to be produced by the National Library
Service for the Blind or a digest version to be recorded by the
Courage-Kinny HandiHam organization. Both of these options offer
disadvantages placing blind hams on an unequal footing with our sighted
League member colleagues and other QST readership.
Until June, 2013, the recorded version of QST often took up to a month
from release to be recorded resulting in some information being out of
date.
Additionally, due to postal regulation, advertising is omitted from the
magazine. This is a result of the method which the recorded magazines
are shipped, and the illegality of providing advertising when using the
Free Matter for the Blind service. However, I, and many of my
colleagues, are interested in keeping up with the latest trends, and
knowing what manufacturers are putting on the market.
I'm sure you can see reasons we had high hopes that a digital edition of
QST would provide both the full content and timely delivery of the
magazine to blind readers. Unfortunately, this was not to be the case.
The Nxtbook digital publishing platform the League uses to publish QST
on the web by default includes a Flash based interface that does not
expose the text to programs used by the blind to read the contents of
the computer screen. certain controls are exposed, but they can take us
to different pages of the publication, we just can't read any of the
articles. After doing some research, I have found scattered references
to the Nxtbook Liberty platform offering a version of published
magazines compatible with screen reading technology for the blind, but
have found no way to access this version from the Nxtbook interface for
QST.
I understand the board is having a meeting in the near future where you
will set policy and direction for the League and actions for the League
staff. I would like to ask that you, and your fellow directors, direct
the staff responsible for the online version of QST to explore and
implement the Nxtbook solution that will provide a fully accessible
experience to blind hams. For background, I did contact HQ staff in
reference to this issue last year, but was directed to the aformentioned
organizations and told accessibility would be considered at a later
date.
I am happy to assist the League in any way I can in this endeavour.
Please feel free to contact me through the below information. I
appreciate your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Tony Olivero, AD9O
President, National Federation of the Blind Ham Radio Division
765-977-1683
anthony@olivero.us
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