----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Acosta" <boacosta@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <BLIND-X@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2006 5:08 PM
Enclosed is a letter from Chris Gray, the President of the American Council
of the Blind.
>Hello to All:I am sending to you the text of my President's Message for June, 2006. Ashttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/askaboutit/
you
will shortly understand, this message requires your immediate attention.
The
closure of Web-Braille is, in a word, unbelievable. Please read this
article
and take immediate action. More to follow.
Thank you.
Chris
President's Message: That All May Read Except Those Who Read Braille
NLS Strikes Blow to Braille
by Christopher Gray
In 1998, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped
(NLS) made its collection of braille books in electronic format available
to
eligible borrowers over the internet through a program called Web-Braille.
Blind and visually impaired people could brows among thousands of titles
and
download books to their Braille-aware devices such as BrailleNotes, PAC
Mates
and Braille Senses or emboss them and read them in hardcopy. Beginning in
2004, Web-Braille was used to make large numbers of braille music titles
similarly available. This was a great service to library patrons and we in
the
ACB, individually and collectively, applauded NLS for their accomplishment.
On May 11th of this year, NLS announced on the Web-Braille web site that
"Because of technical and security difficulties, Web-Braille will be
unavailable in the near future. NLS regrets the inconvenience and will
provide
further information as soon as possible."
While the nature of the " technical and security difficulties " have yet to
be
officially explained, it is clear that the leadership at NLS are concerned
about possible violations of "fair use" in the Chaffee Amendments of the U.
S.
Copyright laws.
Web Braille files are prepared in a special braille format called "BRF"
files,
fully translated into contracted Braille and formatted in the same way they
appear in NLS hardcopy braille titles or as embossed on braille paper.
These
files can only be downloaded by registered eligible users who have been
issued
the proper user name and password by a cooperating NLS network library.
Each day that Web-Braille is down, blind children are being denied access
to
Braille books that are in limited supply; those who are deaf-blind are
restricted from accessing a primary source of reading material; and
libraries
are being forced to engage in additional shipping of hardcopy braille books
adding to their operational expenses.
While we understand that NLS must be responsible when it comes to complying
with copyright law, we believe that they have taken precipitous and
unwarranted
action in restricting access to Web-Braille, and have taken an extremely
narrow
interpretation of "fair use", thus negatively impacting the patrons they
are
pledged to serve in accessing reading materials.
As a longtime devotee of audio recordings (in both an analog and digital
environment) and having worked in both the mainstream and adaptive
technology
fields, I know that any individual, whether sighted or blind, can easily
acquire and use the technology necessary to convert files from one format
to
another, including from BRF e-text files to mp3 audio files. The world
relies
on the good will of end users, not to abuse this ability. Certainly, users
of
Web-Braille have honored that commitment for the past eight years. We will
not
stand by and see our access to information denied on the basis of "it might
be
done someday".
ACB calls on NLS to reinstate Web-Braille immediately while continuing to
work
on acceptable procedures that are not burdensome to borrowers, while
assuring
compliance with copyright law. To our knowledge, Web-Braille has not been
abused by those who it is intended to serve, and registered borrowers and
the
blindness community as a whole should not be punished as if they have
violated
the law.
I ask each ACB member to contact their elected representative in Congress
today
in Washington D.C. and ask them to use their influence with NLS and its
director Frank Kurt Cylke to urge the immediate restoration of Web-Braille
access to registered users. Congress should also take this opportunity to
clarify and assure that "fair use" for blind and visually impaired citizens
includes Web Braille and similar projects.
In addition, feel free to express your concerns to NLS Director Frank Kurt
Cylke at
fcyl@xxxxxxx
or at 1-800-424-8567. Let me assure you that this narrow
interpretation of the law can endanger other services being provided by
both
public and private organizations wishing only to bring the joy of reading
to
all of us. The pressure you can bring on NLS and Congress is all that
stands
between you and restored equal access to the written word.
Don't worry about what people think; they don't do it very often.
Steve, K8SP
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