(Editor’s Note: What follows is a compilation of information from ACB Executive Director Charlie Crawford’s weekly submissions to ACB-L, the organization’s Internet mailing listserv. These weekly e-mail notices are intended to be informal brief summaries of weekly activities in the ACB National Office. We include them here for the benefit of those who do not currently have access to ACB’s Internet mailing list. If you would like to view these notes on a weekly basis, visit the ACB web page, http://www.acb.org. Scroll down to “News Notes” and select it. You will then be at the page where “News Notes” is housed. You may choose the current issue or whichever back issue you would like to read. Please let us know your opinion of “News Notes.”)
For the week, month, year, century, and millennium ending December 31, 1999
Ameritech 1, Braille 0
In a disappointing decision by a public utilities administrative law judge in Michigan, it was held that braille bills are not as valid as print ones in a case involving an ACB member and Ameritech. ACB has been watching developments and participating in the case for some months and now plans to convene our advocacy services committee to discuss next steps. While the decision is a disappointment, the proceeding was at a relatively low level, the Public Utilities Commission has not as yet adopted or accepted the ruling and there are avenues to reverse the decision, it is entirely possible that Michigan may become ground zero for the reliability of alternate media and what its value will become in the future.
Court proceedings in vending case may be over soon
The National Industries for the Severely Handicapped has moved for summary judgment in its complaint against the Department of Defense at around the same time that ACB, RSVA and NELDS had filed to intervene as defendants in the case. The court seems to have diverted from standard practice and may soon make a ruling without a hearing on the intervention motion. It remains to be seen how the judge will rule, but our legal team is optimistic that we may be victorious soon.
Year 2000 bug hits talking checkbook
While the initial testing showed no problems with the talking checkbook that runs in the DOS window in Windows, we discovered a flaw in the placement of the century command to the program modules. We will need to fix it on Monday since the latest program files to be compiled are at the office. People using the talking checkbook should wait until next week for a new release with the bug fixed.
Happy birthday to News Notes!
This is the 52nd issue of “News Notes” which completes a year of publication! We hope it has been a valuable service to ACB members and interested folks. We look to even a bigger year of success ahead, and you’ll be reading all about it in “News Notes.”
First ACB draft comments for video description done!
ACB Executive Director Charlie Crawford finished the first draft of our comments to the Federal Communications Commission in the matter of proposed FCC rules relative to video description. These comments are out for review to certain ACB officials and will be modified as appropriate and shared with folks to allow individual comments to be sent as well. The due date for submission is January 24, 2000 and our organizational comments will be out in sufficient time to give members a chance to read and submit their own.
For the week ending January 7, 2000
ACB issues letter of demand to online shopping service
After repeated attempts by ACB to work with the online shopping service GreaterGood.com to bring about a fully accessible and usable web site, ACB has concluded there can be no progress unless the organization takes strong and clear action. Consistent with the organizational value of working within systems, ACB has tried to educate and assist the GreaterGood web site in understanding the accessibility issues. Despite these repeated attempts to move GreaterGood from a marginally accessible web site to one that the average blind person can use without substantial difficulties, our efforts have been essentially ignored.
There comes a point in any negotiation where either cooperative gains are to be made, or continuation without fundamental change only results in the deterioration of principle and discrediting of the effort. ACB has therefore sent a certified letter to GreaterGood.com in which the organization demands that the online service bring its web site into compliance with the World Wide Web Consortia guidelines for accessible web sites. ACB has further advised the shopping site that failure on their part to perform within 90 days will result in the cancellation of any and all agreements between ACB and GreaterGood.com, the removal of ACB from the list of charities at GreaterGood.com, the remittance of all financial receipts to ACB, and a complaint entered on behalf of our membership to the United States Department of Justice for failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In a related story, ACB has invited NFB to join with us in demanding the needed changes at GreaterGood.com. While they have declined our offer for the moment, we are hopeful that they will continue to review their position and join with us in affirming accessibility as a baseline expectation of web sites. More on the GreaterGood story will be forthcoming as events unfold.
Computer-free access to World Wide Web shown at ACB
ACB Executive Director Charlie Crawford and “Braille Forum” Editor Penny Reeder observed a fascinating demonstration of access to the World Wide Web without the use of a computer. A company called Every Path has been developing high quality synthetic voice links for business people to the Internet through a common telephone. Penny is writing an article on this promising technology; make sure you check out upcoming issues of “The Braille Forum” for the scoop.
ACB mid-year presidents’ meeting announced
The national office sent out an announcement and agenda to its affiliates yesterday on what appears to be a great mid-year meeting coming up. The agenda is packed with great presentations on new and old tools to help our affiliates and the national organization to grow and meet the increasing challenges to our blindness community. Check out reports to follow in “The Braille Forum.”
National office gears up for ACB Radio
The success of ACB Radio on the Internet has led the national office to make plans to soundproof an office for production of programming to be used on ACB Radio and distributed to radio reading services as well. These programs will not duplicate the already superb ACB Reports programs done by Laura Oftedahl, but will take on new directions of information and entertainment for blind people in general. It’s a bit early to discuss all that will be involved with ACB Radio, but there will be lots of exciting developments coming down the audio stream as time progresses.
ACB to assist national service corp on blindness issues
Affiliate Services Coordinator Terry Pacheco and Executive Director Charlie Crawford along with Donna Smith-Whitty and Ken Frasse will go to New Mexico later this month to help the cross section of government-sponsored social action volunteer programs learn how to recruit and use volunteers with disabilities to be of service to the nation. This exciting opportunity blends the national office perspective with those of affiliates at the state level in helping to put blind folks in a position of giving service to others. The training will occur with many disability groups who will also be assisting in the education of these national service programs.
ACB to join in large meeting on minimum wage at Congress
ACB has accepted an offer to work with a larger group in the discussion of minimum wage issues for the full range of supported employment programs and industrial workshops under various formulas around the country. While our baseline interest is in industrial programs and blind workers, ACB is best positioned to protect our issues from being buried under others by making sure folks understand where the issues are different.
In a related matter, ACB has been monitoring the General Services Administration issue with enforcement of blind priority purchasing and we note with optimism that there have been discussions between the National Industries for the Blind and the Office of Vice President Gore on the topic. ACB is pleased to have been a major party in bringing attention to the issue and we will continue to watch the situation and intervene as appropriate.