Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Blind-friendly candidates lose e-book-related election

George KerscherDetails via the TeleRead Web Log. Accessibility is an issue very dear to me and, I know, to the blind readers of David F's blog. Perhaps 70 percent of America's blind people are unemployed, and what better way to improve themselves than through books with which speech synthesizers get along well?

That's not the reality today, however, thanks partly to a less-than-fully-committed standards effort over the years from the International Digital Publishing Forum. Alas, in the just-finished election, IDPF members failed to re-elect board member George Kerscher--a blind man who is a prominent disability advocate within the tech community. Once the IDPF had even chosen George as chair, but I guess priorities change. Yes, for the benefit of the sighted, that's George in the photo.

A second blind-friendly candidate, Mark Carey, also lost. While the e-book industry is getting better, it still has a long way to go toward full accessibility.

One result is that David F can't be nearly as productive as a super-gifted book reviewer as he could be if true e-book standards existed.

Luckily another e-book standards group has emerged, the OpenReader Consortium, in which I'm involved along with Mark and others; and we'll cherish particpation by blind people and others with print-related impairments.

- Text by David Rothman

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Haptic software: Virtual museum tours for the blind?

Haptic software may now make it possible for the blind to visit virtual museums, explore molecular structures, learn about bridges and mechanical engineering, explore spreadsheets, or even learn how to sculpt. Perhaps, it could serve as a Braille tutor or even allow a blind person to explore virtual libraries? More details here.

--Text by David Faucheux

Audio book conf at BookExpo America on May 18

Details here.

Illinois authors featured in chatcasts: From J.A. Konrath to Saul Bellow

BellowFrom J.A. Konrath (May 10) to Saul Bellow (May 24), Illinois-related authors are the focus of new chatcasts from OPAL. Go here to partcipate and get the software (no spyware). More info here, via Tom Peters. For our sighted readers, the picture is of Bellow as his Nobel diploma shows him. Meanwhile here's an overview from the Illinois series:
...Wednesday, May 24, 2006 beginning at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 7:00 Central, 6:00 Mountain, 5:00 Pacific, and midnight GMT:

Book Discussion of The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow

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