Podsafe for Peace Issues, the thread that doesn't die, etc...
- From: "Darrell Shandrow" <nu7i@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <blindcasting@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2005 07:07:53 -0700
Hi all,
I know Jeff asked for the end of this thread a couple of days ago, yet I just
can't allow the ongoing condemnations and misunderstandings of me and all I am
trying to accomplish to go on and on unchallenged. Though I am sure most of
you have decided you're not interested, I am nevertheless going to lay out all
the facts as I understand them, then explain the rationale behind my making
such an issue of the accessibility problems surrounding Podsafe for Peace for
what it is or is not worth to most of you whom seem to have already made up
your minds.
Podsafe for Peace is a We Are the World type benefit by podcasters featuring a
lot of Podsafe musicians getting together to sing and disseminate a song
written and composed originally by Jerry Halatyn and another person. The
project is endorsed by Adam Curry and Podshow. The song is available on the
Podsafe Music Network (which remains inaccessible to the blind) as well as for
PayPal purchase on a web site that does happen to be accessible. Blindcasters
may send e-mail directly to Slau for a copy of the track to be played on their
podcast. Proceeds from the purchase of this song are going to UNICEF, though
this project is, in no way shape or form, officially endorsed by the charity.
On the morning of Sunday, December 4, Jeff Bishop created a fair way to make
the Podsafe for Peace track directly and immediately available to blindcasters
for download from his web site after providing their name and e-mail addresses
for reporting purposes. A reasonable effort was made to insure the track could
not be downloaded without completing the form, and language was clearly
included concerning the need to report all podplay to music@xxxxxxxxxxxx The
system was set up to work around the current inaccessibility of the Podsafe
Music Network both for registration (due to inaccessible visual verification)
and overall use as we are currently not able to add songs to our playlists once
we do manage to get manually registered. More than 60 blind people downloaded
the song from using this system. Some were podcasters, while others were not.
On Sunday night, Slau was featured on Marlaina's show on ACB Radio. I called
in to thank Jeff Bishop for his efforts to make this project equally accessible
to the blind. I was under the mistaken impression that, despite the
inaccessibility of PMN, the blind would, in fact, be permitted full and equal
participation in this fun, benefitial project. Sadly, I was to learn in a
hurry that my optimism would be quite short lived.
Only a few hours after implementation of this accessible work around, pressure
was applied by Slau to require PMN registration despite its current
inaccessibility. Even after that change was made, additional pressure was
applied to make other changes, such as a request to add a prompt for the
downloader's podcast feed. Within only a couple of days, Jeff simply removed
the accessibility to the track from his web site altogether. As is usually the
case, the needs and wants of all others trumped our need for equal
accessibility and full participation.
Slau is a blind musician who relies on assistive technology such as screen
reading software in order to do his job and enjoy the technological part of his
life. It is quite reasonable to expect that a blind brother would do
everything possible to insure a project he leads is made accessible to the
blind. Certainly, it is quite disappointing and unexpected for such a person
to take steps to thwart a fairly implemented accessibility work around due to
one or two potential concerns that did not even actually come to fruition!
On the Blind Access Journal blog and podcast, as well as the blindcasting
mailing list, I called Slau out on the carpet for his errors with respect to
failing to take care of the accessibility needs of his blind brothers and
sisters. A few days of controversy persisted, largely confined to the blind
community, before starting to die down.
On the evening of Saturday, December 10, while checking my e-mail after a great
day visiting with the Bishop family, I read a private e-mail from Slau telling
me how hurt and insulted he was that I displayed my disappointment in him. I
sent him a private response. On Sunday morning, December 11, Slau
inappropriately decided to make our private correspondence extremely public by
sending it not only to the blindcasting list, but also directly to Adam Curry,
C.C. Chapman, Marlaina and Jeff! This improper action added fuel to an
otherwise dying fire and served to take the controversy far outside our blind
community.
This is where we stand now. Podsafe for Peace is accessible to blindcasters
either by way of an e-mail to Slau or by purchase from the podsafeforpeace.org
web site. In all fairness to Slau, he is reasonably prompt in his response by
blindcasters, providing a link to the song within approximately 90 minutes of
my request. This remains far from the equal access Jeff provided, or which
would be provided had only the developers of PMN appropriately considered the
need for accessibility during the design and implementation of that service! A
task a sighted person is able to accomplish within five minutes required more
than 90 minutes for a blind person to be permitted the same result.
Most of the blind community is squarely opposed to me and all for which I
stand. I am apparently "militant" and unwilling to work cooperatively with
others to achieve accessibility. The blind community will prop up any blind
person who accomplishes something, even if that person failed to appropriately
consider the needs of his own blind brothers and sisters! The community will
also quickly and easily slam anyone (over a single controversy) who is working
very hard to look out for their accessibility needs without doing their
research and having all their facts straight!
For the record, some may consider portions of my accessibility evangelism to
be "militant". I prefer to think of it as insistent. Of course, most of my
work is actually quite conciliatory and diplomatic, working to raise awareness
of assistive technology and accessibility, asking the mainstream technology
industry to consider our needs for accessibility and rationally explaining the
human rights aspect of insuring that the blind aren't simply left out in the
cold while technology advances without us, thus threatening to destroy our
ability to learn, work and enjoy leisure activities. From this controversy, I
have learned a couple of critical lessons. First, keep in mind that your
private communications can be made public at any time and in the most
inopportune manner possible. Second, the blind community is mostly made up of
clueless, immature, selfish, sheltered, ungrateful people, living in their own
little fantasy worlds, willing to attack, at a moment's notice, anything they
do not immediately understand!
Merry Christmas my blind brothers and sisters. Have a nice life in your
shrinking, increasingly inaccessible world!
Darrell Shandrow - Shandrow Communications!
Technology consultant/instructor, network/systems administrator!
A+, CSSA, Network+!
Check out high quality telecommunications services at http://ld.net/?nu7i
Information should be accessible to us without need of translation by another
person.
Blind Access Journal blog and podcast: http://www.blindaccessjournal.com
Other related posts:
