Senate bill 2918 titled “Free Access to Newspapers for the Blind and Other Persons with Disabilities Act” passed the Senate under unanimous consent July 12th and went to the House for deliberation.
The bill authorizes to Librarian of Congress to pay the telecommunications costs for blind individuals to have interstate free access to electronic editions of newspapers from a multi-State nonprofit source. The bill also authorizes the appropriation of $750,000 for fiscal year 2007 with additional amounts to follow for the subsequent years.
Because it reads as a “feel good” bill it is uncontested and so passed quickly through the Senate, even with only 3 co-sponsors.
Some of the concerns expressed regarding this bill are:
1. Because “public funding” is proposed and because a single audio information method (telecommunications costs) is emphasized it could inadvertently encourage a defacto single US standard ignoring that there several means of providing this kind of audio information.
2. Because the wording so specifically defines a single national multi-state audio information vendor, it creates a lack of recognition of the many varied and sometimes more effective and efficient regional providers of the same newspaper services. In effect, creating a monopoly.
3. Because although it does provide funding for access to newspapers for individuals who are visually impaired, it is encouraging the funding of segregated and specialized programs, doing nothing to encourage newspaper providers and others to offer integrated accessible newspaper services.
A number of ACB affiliates and individual members have expressed significant concern over the substance of this bill, as has the International Association of Audio Information Services.
The bill is expected to move quickly through the House and potentially to come to the floor and pass via unanimous consent.
You can contact your Representatives through the House switchboard at 202-225-3121
Special thanks to Mike Duke for his vigilance on this issue.
Day Al-Mohamed
Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
American Council of the Blind
1155 15th St. NW
Washington DC 20005
Tel. 202-467-5081
dalmohamed@acb.org