Amazon Kindle Discriminates Against the Blind, Says NFB, in Protest
Who knew that that the Amazon Kindle would prove to be such a flash point for controversy? The device's text-to-speech capabilities rankled the Authors Guild, which then pushed Amazon to disable the feature, or at least allow publishers to opt out of it. This has, in turn, gotten the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) up in arms.
Today, the NFB is taking to the streets outside the Authors Guild's headquarters in New York, asking the guild to retract its demands that Amazon disable the feature. According to the NFB, the Authors Guild's stance discriminates against the blind, dyslexic, and others who have disabilities that make reading printed material difficult or impossible. When first asked by the NFB to reconsider their demands, the guild responded by proposing a Kindle registration process, by which a disabled person would be required to prove her disability in order to unlock (or pay for) the text-to-speech feature.
The NFB balked at the idea -- not surprisingly, since many Kindle owners already think that Kindle e-books are overpriced. A loosely organized group of 250 customers has been labeling books in the Kindle Store with the tag "9 99 Boycott" due to its belief that the e-books should cost no more than $10. It's a reasonable argument when you consider that most paperback books cost about $10 and are much more versatile than their e-book counterparts.
E-books, while infinitely portable, cannot be shared, donated, or sold. Due to Amazon's draconian use of digital rights management, or DRM, Kindle e-books can only be used with authorized accounts and cannot be transferred to non-Kindle devices (except for the iPhone, but only when paired with the Kindle application). Kindle e-books cannot be donated, either, so libraries are left out.
Considering the Authors Guild controversy, the counter reaction from the NFB, and the revolt of Kindle owners against e-book prices, Amazon may end up finding that the Kindle is more trouble than it's worth. But only if these setbacks can seriously dent the blockbuster sales of the device. [From: Wired, and ReadingRights.org]
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Considering the Authors Guild controversy, the counter reaction from the NFB, and the revolt of Kindle owners against e-book prices, Amazon may end up finding that the Kindle is more trouble than it's worth. But only if these setbacks can seriously dent the blockbuster sales of the device. [From: Wired, and ReadingRights.org]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
xbplaya1122 said 5:50PM on 4-07-2009
OK HERE IS PROOF RIGHT HERE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT LOOK FOR ANY REASON AT ALL TO COMPLAIN!!!!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!! here is where america is going wrong.... your not going to make everyone happy so stop giving in to all these nutballs who say discrimination this and that.... its an electronic device that puts books on a screen.... you know something people, i dont think there is a blind person out there who gives a damn about this silly contraption with its wasteful purpose... if your gonna make something that size at least put an operating system in it with some different applications ... u know all the technology thats basically standard on anything with a battery(it seems) in the 21st century......im sure blind people are fine with brail books and books on tape.......
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kristianek said 9:45AM on 4-09-2009
I think you've missed the point. The Kindle 2 presents an opportunity for the print disabled to access hundreds of thousands of books that have previously not been available to them. Imagine how many e-books and Kindles could be sold if they remained completely accessible to the print disabled (who are not just blind people, by the way). Furthermore, does progress occur when people don't "complain" about things that could be better? Is not your comment about an operating system and applications for the Kindle a complaint? And how does wanting equal access to the same information as everyone else make you a nutball? Anyone can go blind, have a spinal cord injury or develop some kind of disability that prevents them from being able to read print. If this were to happen to you, would you still drecry such "complaining?"
For those who are interested in supporting everyone's right to read, the Reading Rights Coalition has set up an on-line petition to urge the Authors Guild and Amazon to reverse course. Please read, sign, and pass along the petition to all your friends and family: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/We-Want-To-Read
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