Hi Hank, The issue for the Kindle app is that the Author's Guild brought suit when Amazon added text-to-speech functionality to the second generation Kindle. One of the consequences was that subsequently, only ebooks where text-to-speech access is specifically granted can have this turned on for the Kindle. I think that's about a third to half of commercially released ebooks. The second consequence of that is that Amazon cannot release a Kindle app that offers read-out-loud functionality with VoiceOver without being sued by the Author's Guild under similar grounds. The argument is that such access would deprive authors of income they would otherwise gain by selling audiobook rights. The proposed solution for blind readers by the Author's Guild, is that there be a means for each individual reader to go through a medical verification process and petition to have such functionality enabled, and that the application could then be unlocked for screen reader access on such a limited, per-individual basis. Most visually impaired users would not consider that to be a practical or workable process.
It has been pointed out that the quality of screen readers rendition of ebooks is nothing like the quality of audio books. That's been conceded, but the whole point that these versions are "listenable" and that the quality of machine text-to-speech is likely to improve in the future makes the Author's Guild take the stance that such screen reader access would infringe on copyrights. Since Apple will not permit any apps to selectively deny VoiceOver access to content -- the only way to match the current objections of the Author's Guild to text-to-speech access for some Kindle books -- apps like the Kindle are built so that none of the content can be accessed with VoiceOver. The roots of the restrictions on the Kindle app's accessibility do not rest with Amazon. They've simply designed the app to comply with the Author's Guild restrictions. HTH. Cheers, Esther On Mar 22, 2012, at 3:39 PM, Hank Smith wrote: > so because of stupid drm copy write crap the blind can't read the ebooks? > On 3/22/2012 6:30 PM, Esther wrote: >> >> Hi Jeff, >> >> There are a number of ebook apps that specifically disable VoiceOver's >> ability to access the content in order to preserve digital rights >> management. This is also true if you try to use the Barnes & Noble Nook >> app, for example. You'll notice that usually you can access everything >> except for the actual content of the text. That's being blocked. You can >> verify this by taking a screen capture, and sending the results to an OCR >> app like Prizmo or TextGrabber. The OCR app will tell you what the contents >> are, but obviously you're not going to read the book by screen capturing >> every page and sending it to an OCR app. >> >> If you want to read another example of this viewpoint, that the ability of >> screen readers to access text would promote copyright violation, take a look >> at Greg Kearney's posted response from Fictionwise in the archives, sent in >> reply to his inquiry about ebook accessibility for their ebook reading app >> just a few months after the iPhone 3GS was released with VoiceOver support: >> • Fwd: Response for Support Ticket #102495 >> http://www.mail-archive.com/macvisionaries%40googlegroups.com/msg06200.html >> Since this is the Mail Archive post, if you're reading on your computer, you >> can also use access key shortcuts of Control-N to read down the thread for >> other reader comments. >> >> Best, >> >> Esther >> >> On Mar 22, 2012, at 2:59 PM, Ray Foret Jr wrote: >> >>> Forget it. It ain't gonna happen. >>> >>> It ain't accessible at all. >>> >>> >>> Sincerely, >>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!! >>> >>> Now a very proud and happy Mac user!!! >>> >>> Skype name: >>> barefootedray >>> >>> Facebook: >>> facebook.com/ray.foretjr.1 >>> >>> >>> >>> On Mar 22, 2012, at 7:38 PM, Jeff Berwick wrote: >>> >>>> Hi All, >>>> >>>> I downloaded the Kindle app so I can read some of the books that my wife >>>> is reading. I can't, however, figure out how to get it to work. Has >>>> anybody had success with the Kindle app? Is it accessible? Any tips? >>>> >>>> It looks like, to me, that it is displaying images instead of rendering >>>> the text. >>>> >>>> Thx, >>>> Jeff >>>> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en.
