[access-uk] Re: Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council (From News Shopper)
- From: <Clive.Lever@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:07:26 -0000
In a word, yes. I'm awaiting a response on that one. I've also fed back to
them that the online system for ordering downloadable audio books is sort-of
doable, but clunky if you're using speech software. Twice in fact: as a blind
customer through the consultation and engagement process, and wearing my work
hat when quality-checking impact assessments.
Best,
Clive
Clive Lever
Diversity Advisor
01622 221163 (extension 7000 1163) Room 1.15, Sessions House, County Hall,
Maidstone, ME14 1XQ.
Diversity is a strength and we will value and harness difference for the
benefit of all service users, the individual and KCC.
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Damon Rose
Sent: 12 January 2011 10:54
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council (From
News Shopper)
Have you ever fed back to them that they should double their timeout to an
hour?
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Clive.Lever@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 12 January 2011 10:33
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council (From
News Shopper)
Hello,
here in Kent we have a system whereby you can borrow audio books on line. More
and more, we are likely to find services being provided online only, rather
than in offices. It is in our interest therefore, to ensure we keep local
authorities on their toes:
1. By doing all we can to ensure the online book borrowing service is both
accessible and usable. One problem I've had with ours is that you can put six
books in your shopping basket, but you have to proceed to the check-out within
30 minutes or you lose the books. However, every time you put a book into the
basket, you waste a lot of time navigating around the system from almost the
start of the process, to find your next book. Without the skip navigation
buttons, and having to "drill down" through too many pages per book, you don't
get a lot of real value out of your 45 minutes worth. It's like having to get
from London to Manchester in three hours, when sighted people can go straight
there, but users of speech and keyboard are sent via Cornwall on a slow train
that stops at every lamp-post.
2. We need to ensure that the computer systems in our libraries are both
accessible and usable for those who don't have internet access at home. Once
again you have 30 minutes per session, but may not be able to do anywhere near
all the things that a sighted person could do in that time. Also, we need to
make sure that the computers they introduce are not solely touch-screen-based.
It's cheaper to provide services online, essentially courteous, efficient
self-service, than to keep open loads of premises and employ loads of customer
services staff, so the push towards digital by default may lead to more and
more closures of smaller, traditional libraries...and other services too. I
think we need to keep our wits about us to make sure that technology and
websites are accessible. I don't know how you would get on going to a library
where the access technology is HAL/Supernova and you are a Jaws user, for
example. In theory, you could then go to a jobcentre and find either nothing at
all, or WindowEyes. In order to access all online services through public
access terminals, would we need to know our way around all speech access
software, not just our preferred speech? Some libraries are reluctant to put
speech onto all their terminals for reasons of confidentiality, and for fear
that lots of speakers babbling different texts would disrupt other users. The
words Phones and head spring to mind.
Best,
Clive
Best,
Clive
Clive Lever
Diversity Advisor
01622 221163 (extension 7000 1163) Room 1.15, Sessions House, County Hall,
Maidstone, ME14 1XQ.
Diversity is a strength and we will value and harness difference for the
benefit of all service users, the individual and KCC.
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ron
Sears
Sent: 12 January 2011 09:21
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council (From
News Shopper)
I don't know what it is like in your areas but here in Oxford the libraries are
closing and we will only have the Central and one in the suburbs left so that
resource will be gone.
Ron
----- Original Message -----
From: "Damon Rose" <damon.rose@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 9:14 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council (From
News Shopper)
Joe public does get free books, Ibrahim. That's the root of the anger and
disappointment mentioned here. There is an amazing library system out there
which most visually impaired people can't access or take anything like full
advantage of.
Do you pay council tax? If so, you're paying for lots of people to be able to
access libraries except yourself. Many feel that there is an important
education, cultural knowledge and leisure time issue at stake here. Why should
blind people have to pay twice for library services? They're amongst the
poorest people in Britain.
And you should note that not everyone can afford 70 pounds or at least it would
easily slip down the priority list of a lot of people because it's a not
inconsiderable sum.
Do councils understand the impact that this will bring?
My grandma, who died a year ago, had gone blind in the last ten years of her
life. She spent most of her last ten years plugged into a talking book. Her
life revolved around them. I have since learnt that this is very much the case
for a lot of elderly blind people.
So, education, tax, cultural learning, leisure, self development all aside,
talking books are a lifeline to many, quite literally. I'd argue it was a big
part of what kept my grandma alive and happy.
It's inevitable that talking book itself will lose money as a result of this.
Lots of blind people won't be prepared to pay. This means that those who do pay
will find themselves with a lesser service in the long run as less books will
be recorded. If indeed the service is sustainable. Seems a shame this is
happening after RNIB's big talking book fundraising and adverrtising push at
the end of last year.
...Damon
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Ibrahim Gucukoglu
Sent: 12 January 2011 07:56
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council (From
News Shopper)
Hi.
I totally agree here. I cant see what all the fuss is about. Never at any
time in my life as far as I can remember have I ever had talking books paid for
by my local council or charity, be it public or private. Talking books as
supplied by the RNIB is only £69 per year, a significant subsidy when you
consider they loan you a player and potentially dozens of books per year. If
you want to read, you should be prepared to pay for it as reading is not a
human right and even if it were, the council in most boroughs provide their own
library services with books on cd, cassette and even playaway as is the case in
Peterborough where I live.
The fact that some blind people are either too lazy or just plane ignorant of
these services is no excuse not to ask them, for all they have to do is get off
their asses or pick up the phone and ask. In an age where most young blind
people and even a large majority of the middle aged and elderly have access to
technology of some sort or othe r or know people who have access to said
technology, the information about service provision in your local borough is
readily available online and details of how to access these services is often
posted in libraries and town halls.
For heaven sake, wake up everyone, smell the roses and start putting your hand
in your pocket and paying for things you want or that you feel you need. Joe
public doesn't get free books, so why the heck should we.
All the best, Ibrahim.
----- Original Message -----
From: David <mailto:n.weston42@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 7:36 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council (From
News Shopper)
Hi,
I would like to say that for that the last forty years or more I have had to
pay for my equipment and also for my talking books. So far as I can see their
is no change for me, or is Hertfordshire unique?
David Weston.
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Gordon Keen
Sent: 11 January 2011 09:38
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council (From News
Shopper)
Here we go then, the big society - my arse!
Site Logo<http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/resources/images/1000734/>
Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council
1:18pm Monday 10th January 2011
By David Mills
A CHARITY which represents the blind and visually impaired has hit out at
Bromley Council <http://www.bromley.gov.uk/Default.bromley> for temporarily
suspending equipment provision.
Services which include the talking books, as well as equipment such as walking
canes and liquid level indicators, are all under review by the council.
Kent Association for the Blind (KAB), which has a sight centre in Blyth Road,
Bromley, will be pressuring the council to continue providing funding.
Dick Groves, aged 65, of South View, Bromley, said: "Visual impairment is the
most feared of all sensory impairments. Provision in Bromley is extremely
patchy."
Mr Groves, who is blind, said: "This is a classic example of the way in which
action has been taken without consultation and without information being given
to one of the weakest sections of society and least able to respond."
Kent Association for the Blind's Bromley
branch<http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/resources/images/1536532/>
A KAB spokesman said: "We are currently in contact with our service users to
explain the service has been temporarily suspended by the London borough of
Bromley.
"We are sharing other providers of these services such as the Calibre audio
library, a completely free service, to ensure users are not going to go without
talking books.
"We at KAB are going to be making representations to the council to press the
case that it would be more cost effective to continue to fund provision because
we believe withdrawing that service represents a real risk to people's safety
and their ability to get out and about.
"The costs that could be generated by injury would far outweigh the cost to the
council of providing equipment."
A council spokesman said: "We have a strong commitment to providing talking
books in our libraries with no plans to cut the service and we will continue to
make special concessions to waive charges to people with a registered visual
impairment.
"We have however moved from cassettes to CDs and downloadable material over the
years but we still keep a large collection of older cassettes in our Home
Library Service, which supports customers who are physically unable to get into
a branch.
"There are also free national talking book service and as well as our library
service we will be assisting people to access the talking books from the
national Calibre service together with the equipment provided by the British
Wireless for the Blind Fund.
"To make sure we make the best use of our resource we wanted to avoid
duplication and whilst we no longer fund the KAB talking books service, KAB is
pointing people to our library and to these free services.
"In terms of equipment supplied by the KAB on our behalf such as portable
lamps, talking clocks and mobility aids, again we want to make sure we use
resources as efficiently as possible and have suspended this KAB while we carry
out a review.
"However we do continue to fund KAB to provide assessment and rehabilitation
services for people with visual impairments."
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