* RE: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
@ Dawes, Stephen
` Rich Caloggero
` Charles Crawford
0 siblings, 2 replies; 7+ messages in thread
From: Dawes, Stephen @ UTC (permalink / raw)
To: speakup
I will do more to find out about this. The following is taken from a
note from the Librarian, Rosemary, hear in Calgary who is in charge of
the Special needs department.
Rosemary writes
"This is such sad news. My spies in Vancouver tell me that there is an
active
lobby effort to reinstate the program, and the government has publicly
stated they may reconsider these cuts. No One is holding their
breath..."
Steve Dawes
PH: (403) 268-5527.
Mailto: sdawes@gov.calgary.ab.ca
-----Original Message-----
From: Dawes, Stephen
Sent: 2002 January 30 1:52 PM
To: Speakup@Braille. Uwo. Ca (E-mail)
Subject: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
I appologize for the off topic posting, but I feel that this is a step
back towards the stone age, and thought others would like to know about
this turn of events.
+_______________________________________________________________________
_______+
Media Release
BC government's decision to withdraw audiobook funding a devastating
decision
for Canadians who are blind: CNIB
January 29 * The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) today
expressed its deep regret at the BC government's recent decision to stop
funding the BC Library Services audio book program.
The reason given for the cut was that commercial audiobooks are now
available
to replace the books recorded in the program. However, the vast majority
of
commercial audiobooks are abridged, and the few that are full-length are
costly. "When it comes to library services, we don't expect sighted
people
to
buy books, or read books that are incomplete," said Jim Sanders,
President
and
CEO of the CNIB. "Why would we expect that of people like myself who are
blind
or visually impaired?"
Only 3-4 per cent of what is published ever makes it into an accessible
format, such as an audio book. With such a huge gap in access to
information,
the loss of any further production in Canada is devastating. The CNIB
Library
and BC Library Services have been sharing titles for 27 years. In 2001,
the
BC
audio book program provided a quarter of the titles added to the CNIB
Library's collection. Many of these titles were Canadian content and not
available anywhere else.
"Even though I live in Alberta, this hurts me and all other
print-disabled
Canadians who want original Canadian content in an accessible format,"
said
CNIB client Gerry Chevalier. "I have read many, many audiobooks over the
years
that were produced by BC Library Services."
"More than 3 million Canadians cannot read print because of a
disability.
This
decision marks the last exit of a Canadian government from the creation
of
general English-language accessible content. It is regrettable, because
all
other major industrialized nations fund the production of braille and
audio
books for people who are blind or visually impaired," said Sanders.
"Sighted
Canadians have the right to books and information through a local
library.
However, Canadians who are blind do not have that same right."
The $280,000 annual price tag for the audio book program amounted to
only
one
hundredth of one per cent of the total cuts the BC government made on
Jan
21.
Fact Sheet: Access to Information in Canada
When it comes to books, culture, and information for people who need
alternate
formats, there's just not enough out there. The British Columbia
government's
decision to cut its audiobook program is the most recent setback, but
government support in Canada for books for people who are print disabled
has
been eroding now for decades. Here's a look at the numbers behind the
problem...
- Percentage of materials published in Canada that make it into an
alternate
format like an audiobook: 3-4%
- Number of Canadians who need alternate format materials because of a
print
disability (a visual, physical, or learning disability that prevents
them
from
reading print): 3 million, or 10% of the population
- Number of audiobooks Canadian publishers produced in 2000: 814
- Estimated number of these books that were full-length (unabridged):
less
than 5
- Typical retail cost of an unabridged audiobook: $50*$200.
- Percentage of new audiobooks (many Canadian content) added to the
CNIB
Library's collection in 2001 that came from BC Library Services: 25%
- Number of print books available through a local public library
system in
Canada: 1 million and many millions more by inter-library loan
- Number of alternate-format books available in the five wealthiest
countries in the world: 280,000
- Average number of books read by a public library user each year: 1.5
- Average number of books read by a CNIB Library client each year: 60
- Number of the eight major industrialized nations to fund library
services
for people who are blind or visually impaired: 7 (Canada is the only
exception)
- Canadians over age 65 that experience severe vision loss that cannot
be
corrected with standard eyeglasses: 1 in 9
- Canadians over the age of 80: 1 in 4
* 30 *
For more information
Julia Morgan
Communications Coordinator
CNIB Library for the Blind
(416) 480-7423
+_______________________________________________________________________
_______+
Steve Dawes
PH: (403) 268-5527.
Mailto: sdawes@gov.calgary.ab.ca
_______________________________________________
Speakup mailing list
Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 7+ messages in thread
* Re: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere! Dawes, Stephen
@ ` Rich Caloggero
` David Poehlman
` Charles Crawford
1 sibling, 1 reply; 7+ messages in thread
From: Rich Caloggero @ UTC (permalink / raw)
To: speakup
I don't know whether to cry or scream! It kind of makes me ill! I hope this
isn't the way things are headed in other countries, but who knows, with the
corporations in control of the political process, this same argument may be
tried in this country. I surely hope not!!
Rich
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dawes, Stephen" <Stephen.Dawes@gov.calgary.ab.ca>
To: <speakup@braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: 30 January, 2002 4:06 PM
Subject: RE: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
I will do more to find out about this. The following is taken from a
note from the Librarian, Rosemary, hear in Calgary who is in charge of
the Special needs department.
Rosemary writes
"This is such sad news. My spies in Vancouver tell me that there is an
active
lobby effort to reinstate the program, and the government has publicly
stated they may reconsider these cuts. No One is holding their
breath..."
Steve Dawes
PH: (403) 268-5527.
Mailto: sdawes@gov.calgary.ab.ca
-----Original Message-----
From: Dawes, Stephen
Sent: 2002 January 30 1:52 PM
To: Speakup@Braille. Uwo. Ca (E-mail)
Subject: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
I appologize for the off topic posting, but I feel that this is a step
back towards the stone age, and thought others would like to know about
this turn of events.
+_______________________________________________________________________
_______+
Media Release
BC government's decision to withdraw audiobook funding a devastating
decision
for Canadians who are blind: CNIB
January 29 * The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) today
expressed its deep regret at the BC government's recent decision to stop
funding the BC Library Services audio book program.
The reason given for the cut was that commercial audiobooks are now
available
to replace the books recorded in the program. However, the vast majority
of
commercial audiobooks are abridged, and the few that are full-length are
costly. "When it comes to library services, we don't expect sighted
people
to
buy books, or read books that are incomplete," said Jim Sanders,
President
and
CEO of the CNIB. "Why would we expect that of people like myself who are
blind
or visually impaired?"
Only 3-4 per cent of what is published ever makes it into an accessible
format, such as an audio book. With such a huge gap in access to
information,
the loss of any further production in Canada is devastating. The CNIB
Library
and BC Library Services have been sharing titles for 27 years. In 2001,
the
BC
audio book program provided a quarter of the titles added to the CNIB
Library's collection. Many of these titles were Canadian content and not
available anywhere else.
"Even though I live in Alberta, this hurts me and all other
print-disabled
Canadians who want original Canadian content in an accessible format,"
said
CNIB client Gerry Chevalier. "I have read many, many audiobooks over the
years
that were produced by BC Library Services."
"More than 3 million Canadians cannot read print because of a
disability.
This
decision marks the last exit of a Canadian government from the creation
of
general English-language accessible content. It is regrettable, because
all
other major industrialized nations fund the production of braille and
audio
books for people who are blind or visually impaired," said Sanders.
"Sighted
Canadians have the right to books and information through a local
library.
However, Canadians who are blind do not have that same right."
The $280,000 annual price tag for the audio book program amounted to
only
one
hundredth of one per cent of the total cuts the BC government made on
Jan
21.
Fact Sheet: Access to Information in Canada
When it comes to books, culture, and information for people who need
alternate
formats, there's just not enough out there. The British Columbia
government's
decision to cut its audiobook program is the most recent setback, but
government support in Canada for books for people who are print disabled
has
been eroding now for decades. Here's a look at the numbers behind the
problem...
- Percentage of materials published in Canada that make it into an
alternate
format like an audiobook: 3-4%
- Number of Canadians who need alternate format materials because of a
print
disability (a visual, physical, or learning disability that prevents
them
from
reading print): 3 million, or 10% of the population
- Number of audiobooks Canadian publishers produced in 2000: 814
- Estimated number of these books that were full-length (unabridged):
less
than 5
- Typical retail cost of an unabridged audiobook: $50*$200.
- Percentage of new audiobooks (many Canadian content) added to the
CNIB
Library's collection in 2001 that came from BC Library Services: 25%
- Number of print books available through a local public library
system in
Canada: 1 million and many millions more by inter-library loan
- Number of alternate-format books available in the five wealthiest
countries in the world: 280,000
- Average number of books read by a public library user each year: 1.5
- Average number of books read by a CNIB Library client each year: 60
- Number of the eight major industrialized nations to fund library
services
for people who are blind or visually impaired: 7 (Canada is the only
exception)
- Canadians over age 65 that experience severe vision loss that cannot
be
corrected with standard eyeglasses: 1 in 9
- Canadians over the age of 80: 1 in 4
* 30 *
For more information
Julia Morgan
Communications Coordinator
CNIB Library for the Blind
(416) 480-7423
+_______________________________________________________________________
_______+
Steve Dawes
PH: (403) 268-5527.
Mailto: sdawes@gov.calgary.ab.ca
_______________________________________________
Speakup mailing list
Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 7+ messages in thread
* Re: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
` Rich Caloggero
@ ` David Poehlman
0 siblings, 0 replies; 7+ messages in thread
From: David Poehlman @ UTC (permalink / raw)
To: speakup
not only that, but what goes next? Can someone be so foolish as to
decree that since we have narrator in xp that we don't need screen
readers? They cost too much?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rich Caloggero" <rjc@MIT.EDU>
To: <speakup@braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 8:07 PM
Subject: Re: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
I don't know whether to cry or scream! It kind of makes me ill! I hope
this
isn't the way things are headed in other countries, but who knows, with
the
corporations in control of the political process, this same argument may
be
tried in this country. I surely hope not!!
Rich
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dawes, Stephen" <Stephen.Dawes@gov.calgary.ab.ca>
To: <speakup@braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: 30 January, 2002 4:06 PM
Subject: RE: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
I will do more to find out about this. The following is taken from a
note from the Librarian, Rosemary, hear in Calgary who is in charge of
the Special needs department.
Rosemary writes
"This is such sad news. My spies in Vancouver tell me that there is an
active
lobby effort to reinstate the program, and the government has publicly
stated they may reconsider these cuts. No One is holding their
breath..."
Steve Dawes
PH: (403) 268-5527.
Mailto: sdawes@gov.calgary.ab.ca
-----Original Message-----
From: Dawes, Stephen
Sent: 2002 January 30 1:52 PM
To: Speakup@Braille. Uwo. Ca (E-mail)
Subject: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
I appologize for the off topic posting, but I feel that this is a step
back towards the stone age, and thought others would like to know about
this turn of events.
+_______________________________________________________________________
_______+
Media Release
BC government's decision to withdraw audiobook funding a devastating
decision
for Canadians who are blind: CNIB
January 29 * The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) today
expressed its deep regret at the BC government's recent decision to stop
funding the BC Library Services audio book program.
The reason given for the cut was that commercial audiobooks are now
available
to replace the books recorded in the program. However, the vast majority
of
commercial audiobooks are abridged, and the few that are full-length are
costly. "When it comes to library services, we don't expect sighted
people
to
buy books, or read books that are incomplete," said Jim Sanders,
President
and
CEO of the CNIB. "Why would we expect that of people like myself who are
blind
or visually impaired?"
Only 3-4 per cent of what is published ever makes it into an accessible
format, such as an audio book. With such a huge gap in access to
information,
the loss of any further production in Canada is devastating. The CNIB
Library
and BC Library Services have been sharing titles for 27 years. In 2001,
the
BC
audio book program provided a quarter of the titles added to the CNIB
Library's collection. Many of these titles were Canadian content and not
available anywhere else.
"Even though I live in Alberta, this hurts me and all other
print-disabled
Canadians who want original Canadian content in an accessible format,"
said
CNIB client Gerry Chevalier. "I have read many, many audiobooks over the
years
that were produced by BC Library Services."
"More than 3 million Canadians cannot read print because of a
disability.
This
decision marks the last exit of a Canadian government from the creation
of
general English-language accessible content. It is regrettable, because
all
other major industrialized nations fund the production of braille and
audio
books for people who are blind or visually impaired," said Sanders.
"Sighted
Canadians have the right to books and information through a local
library.
However, Canadians who are blind do not have that same right."
The $280,000 annual price tag for the audio book program amounted to
only
one
hundredth of one per cent of the total cuts the BC government made on
Jan
21.
Fact Sheet: Access to Information in Canada
When it comes to books, culture, and information for people who need
alternate
formats, there's just not enough out there. The British Columbia
government's
decision to cut its audiobook program is the most recent setback, but
government support in Canada for books for people who are print disabled
has
been eroding now for decades. Here's a look at the numbers behind the
problem...
- Percentage of materials published in Canada that make it into an
alternate
format like an audiobook: 3-4%
- Number of Canadians who need alternate format materials because of a
print
disability (a visual, physical, or learning disability that prevents
them
from
reading print): 3 million, or 10% of the population
- Number of audiobooks Canadian publishers produced in 2000: 814
- Estimated number of these books that were full-length (unabridged):
less
than 5
- Typical retail cost of an unabridged audiobook: $50*$200.
- Percentage of new audiobooks (many Canadian content) added to the
CNIB
Library's collection in 2001 that came from BC Library Services: 25%
- Number of print books available through a local public library
system in
Canada: 1 million and many millions more by inter-library loan
- Number of alternate-format books available in the five wealthiest
countries in the world: 280,000
- Average number of books read by a public library user each year: 1.5
- Average number of books read by a CNIB Library client each year: 60
- Number of the eight major industrialized nations to fund library
services
for people who are blind or visually impaired: 7 (Canada is the only
exception)
- Canadians over age 65 that experience severe vision loss that cannot
be
corrected with standard eyeglasses: 1 in 9
- Canadians over the age of 80: 1 in 4
* 30 *
For more information
Julia Morgan
Communications Coordinator
CNIB Library for the Blind
(416) 480-7423
+_______________________________________________________________________
_______+
Steve Dawes
PH: (403) 268-5527.
Mailto: sdawes@gov.calgary.ab.ca
_______________________________________________
Speakup mailing list
Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
_______________________________________________
Speakup mailing list
Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 7+ messages in thread
* RE: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere! Dawes, Stephen
` Rich Caloggero
@ ` Charles Crawford
1 sibling, 0 replies; 7+ messages in thread
From: Charles Crawford @ UTC (permalink / raw)
To: speakup
With no wish to offend anyone, this closing of the audio books program
sucks. I have sent the message to the head of a consumer group in Canada
and maybe we need to kick some butt up there.
-- charlie Crawford.
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 7+ messages in thread
* Re: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
` Kirk Wood
@ ` Rich Caloggero
0 siblings, 0 replies; 7+ messages in thread
From: Rich Caloggero @ UTC (permalink / raw)
To: speakup
Making audio books is a very labor intensive process. Think how long it
takes to read a book aloud. Then think about how much time and effort it
takes to do this well. Then think about doing this for one million books
each year (or whatever the number of new books published is per year - some
rediculous number). This quickly becomes unmanagable. However, for many many
people, this is the only way to get such information. In the US, I believe
we have on the order of one to two million audio books all told in our
entire NLS (national library service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped) system.
To be optomistic, when text to speech technology matures, computers may do
more of this reading. However, I still don't know how emotional content will
be conveyed audibly via TTS. This will require much more semantic analysis
of language, something which simply isn't possible and probably won't be any
time soon. In the next five years, text to speech will probably mature to a
point where inflection will be synthesized to some extent, but reading an
entire book is so much more enjoyable when it is read propperly. Listening
to large amounts of computer generated speech really fatigues me. I don't
see this changing in any real way in the next five years.
Just my opinion...
Rich Caloggero
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kirk Wood" <cpt.kirk@1tree.net>
To: "Speakup@Braille. Uwo. Ca (E-mail)" <speakup@braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: 30 January, 2002 5:31 PM
Subject: Re: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
It is truely a sad day. Of course I still wonder why the either or
syndrom? I don't normally listen to books, but have enjoyed listening to a
couple my roomie has (she is blind not me). If the books are read well
then perhaps some of the cost could be recovered by making the same
recording available to sighted people. Not to mention that I know of
several who would listen to more books if they were not often abridged.
I think it is time to call our governments into partnerships. The truth is
that there is a secondary market developing for many of the same
technologies that assist the blind. The most logical thing to me would be
to support development of the technology hoping that it can also find its
way into a secondary market of sighted people. If in partnership the cost
could be recouped to spend on the next thing to be developed.
The same should go for electronic books. I fail to see why there isn't a
huge effort to make the same titles available to the sighted world in the
same basic format.
=======
Kirk Wood
Cpt.Kirk@1tree.net
Nowlan's Theory:
He who hesitates is not only lost, but several miles from
the next freeway exit.
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 7+ messages in thread
* Re: A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
Dawes, Stephen
@ ` Kirk Wood
` Rich Caloggero
0 siblings, 1 reply; 7+ messages in thread
From: Kirk Wood @ UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Speakup@Braille. Uwo. Ca (E-mail)
It is truely a sad day. Of course I still wonder why the either or
syndrom? I don't normally listen to books, but have enjoyed listening to a
couple my roomie has (she is blind not me). If the books are read well
then perhaps some of the cost could be recovered by making the same
recording available to sighted people. Not to mention that I know of
several who would listen to more books if they were not often abridged.
I think it is time to call our governments into partnerships. The truth is
that there is a secondary market developing for many of the same
technologies that assist the blind. The most logical thing to me would be
to support development of the technology hoping that it can also find its
way into a secondary market of sighted people. If in partnership the cost
could be recouped to spend on the next thing to be developed.
The same should go for electronic books. I fail to see why there isn't a
huge effort to make the same titles available to the sighted world in the
same basic format.
=======
Kirk Wood
Cpt.Kirk@1tree.net
Nowlan's Theory:
He who hesitates is not only lost, but several miles from
the next freeway exit.
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 7+ messages in thread
* A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere!
@ Dawes, Stephen
` Kirk Wood
0 siblings, 1 reply; 7+ messages in thread
From: Dawes, Stephen @ UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Speakup@Braille. Uwo. Ca (E-mail)
I appologize for the off topic posting, but I feel that this is a step
back towards the stone age, and thought others would like to know about
this turn of events.
+_______________________________________________________________________
_______+
Media Release
BC government's decision to withdraw audiobook funding a devastating
decision
for Canadians who are blind: CNIB
January 29 * The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) today
expressed its deep regret at the BC government's recent decision to stop
funding the BC Library Services audio book program.
The reason given for the cut was that commercial audiobooks are now
available
to replace the books recorded in the program. However, the vast majority
of
commercial audiobooks are abridged, and the few that are full-length are
costly. "When it comes to library services, we don't expect sighted
people
to
buy books, or read books that are incomplete," said Jim Sanders,
President
and
CEO of the CNIB. "Why would we expect that of people like myself who are
blind
or visually impaired?"
Only 3-4 per cent of what is published ever makes it into an accessible
format, such as an audio book. With such a huge gap in access to
information,
the loss of any further production in Canada is devastating. The CNIB
Library
and BC Library Services have been sharing titles for 27 years. In 2001,
the
BC
audio book program provided a quarter of the titles added to the CNIB
Library's collection. Many of these titles were Canadian content and not
available anywhere else.
"Even though I live in Alberta, this hurts me and all other
print-disabled
Canadians who want original Canadian content in an accessible format,"
said
CNIB client Gerry Chevalier. "I have read many, many audiobooks over the
years
that were produced by BC Library Services."
"More than 3 million Canadians cannot read print because of a
disability.
This
decision marks the last exit of a Canadian government from the creation
of
general English-language accessible content. It is regrettable, because
all
other major industrialized nations fund the production of braille and
audio
books for people who are blind or visually impaired," said Sanders.
"Sighted
Canadians have the right to books and information through a local
library.
However, Canadians who are blind do not have that same right."
The $280,000 annual price tag for the audio book program amounted to
only
one
hundredth of one per cent of the total cuts the BC government made on
Jan
21.
Fact Sheet: Access to Information in Canada
When it comes to books, culture, and information for people who need
alternate
formats, there's just not enough out there. The British Columbia
government's
decision to cut its audiobook program is the most recent setback, but
government support in Canada for books for people who are print disabled
has
been eroding now for decades. Here's a look at the numbers behind the
problem...
- Percentage of materials published in Canada that make it into an
alternate
format like an audiobook: 3-4%
- Number of Canadians who need alternate format materials because of a
print
disability (a visual, physical, or learning disability that prevents
them
from
reading print): 3 million, or 10% of the population
- Number of audiobooks Canadian publishers produced in 2000: 814
- Estimated number of these books that were full-length (unabridged):
less
than 5
- Typical retail cost of an unabridged audiobook: $50*$200.
- Percentage of new audiobooks (many Canadian content) added to the
CNIB
Library's collection in 2001 that came from BC Library Services: 25%
- Number of print books available through a local public library
system in
Canada: 1 million and many millions more by inter-library loan
- Number of alternate-format books available in the five wealthiest
countries in the world: 280,000
- Average number of books read by a public library user each year: 1.5
- Average number of books read by a CNIB Library client each year: 60
- Number of the eight major industrialized nations to fund library
services
for people who are blind or visually impaired: 7 (Canada is the only
exception)
- Canadians over age 65 that experience severe vision loss that cannot
be
corrected with standard eyeglasses: 1 in 9
- Canadians over the age of 80: 1 in 4
* 30 *
For more information
Julia Morgan
Communications Coordinator
CNIB Library for the Blind
(416) 480-7423
+_______________________________________________________________________
_______+
Steve Dawes
PH: (403) 268-5527.
Mailto: sdawes@gov.calgary.ab.ca
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 7+ messages in thread
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A Sad day for us in Canada, and who knows elsewhere! Dawes, Stephen
` Rich Caloggero
` David Poehlman
` Charles Crawford
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Dawes, Stephen
` Kirk Wood
` Rich Caloggero
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