I just got word that the House Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch will be considering the request by NLS for an increased appropriation to fund the beginning of the digital talking book program tomorrow afternoon. I have written letters to the members of this subcommittee, as well as the House Appropriations Committee, which this subcommittee is a part of, and their counterparts in the Senate. My letter is pasted below for your reference. I will send another message containing a list of the committee members. If you are in one of their districts, please either call or fax them and let them know that this program is of paramount importance to blind people. If your representative or senator is not on this list, please contact your own legislators and urge them to communicate your concerns to the members of the committees dealing with appropriations.
I apologize for the short notice, but appreciate your prompt response.
Melanie Brunson
June 5, 2007
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Chair, House Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch
118 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Via Fax (202) 225-8456
Dear Rep. Wasserman Schultz,
I am writing on behalf of the American Council of the Blind to urge you to grant the appropriation requested by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) to fund their transition to digital talking book production. Our organization represents tens of thousands of blind and visually impaired individuals from every state in the union. Our members rely on reading material provided by NLS for a wide variety of reasons, including professional development, education, information to aid in their civic participation, as well as entertainment. It is vital to the interests of the blind community throughout this country that this program be preserved. To accomplish this, it is necessary that the technology used to produce and distribute talking books be brought into the 21st century.
We have followed the deliberations of NLS over the course of the past several years during which the plan to transition to digital talking books was developed. In fact, members of our organization participated directly in the creation and implementation of these plans as future consumers of the digital talking book program. We are impressed and pleased by the level of consumer involvement used by NLS in developing the proposed digital system. We are confident that the technology that has been chosen for future distribution of talking books, and the proposed implementation schedule will effectively meet the needs of their blind and visually impaired patrons for decades to come.
We are aware that a recent report issued by the Government Accountability Office has generated some controversy regarding the proposed solution NLS has adopted for digital talking books. We wish to suggest that this report appears to be significantly flawed both in its presentation of fact and its conclusions.
We believe that Congress has not been well served by this analysis and hope you will disregard it.
The technology is recognized by industry experts as solid and, unlike similar "off-the-shelf" digital technology, is readily usable by blind and visually impaired people of all ages and abilities. Such usability by a diverse population with widely varying capabilities is absolutely essential to the integrity of this program.
We have been awaiting this transition for some time. Please do not make us wait any longer. Please authorize the appropriation requested by the National Library Service for the digital talking book program.
If you require any additional information about this issue, please do not hesitate to contact me.