Hi All, I do realize that this topic -- Kindle vs Bookshare etc. -- is in danger of slipping out of the range of VoiceOver and the iPhone, and relevant topics for this list. And, I don't have any real disagreement with anything that has been said in this discussion so far. But books are so very important to me, and reading makes such a difference in my life -- as I know it does for others on this list -- that I couldn't help but chiming in. I'll try to keep it relevant to this list. 1. Growing up, I felt starved for books. I loved the NLS service, and eagerly awaited the next shipment of books; but I so envied my friends whose access to books was so exponentially greater than mine. Every year, before the school year started, I, or my parents, or "Vision Teacher' would begin the scramble to get a textbook list and to get those books translated into a form where I could use them. Often there would be some glitch or another and I'd be without a book for some portion of the semester. When the Optacon came along, I got out a book that I had always wanted to read, and I read it -- very slowly and laboriously. In 1980, our school district got a Kurzweil reading machine. It was about the size of a photo copier, and it was accurate about 50% of the time. Other advances came along, but as I became an adult, and had to pay out of pocket for new technologies, much of that technology was beyond my means. 2. Finally, more access technology is available to me, and to others. Reading is just one small -- but incredibly important -- way my life has been transformed and enriched by technology. Not the least of those is my iPhone, which now gives me access to books from Bookshare, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Audible, the iTunes bookstore, various ePubs and books in other file formats, learning Ally (though I'm not a member), and soon, NLS. I feel like a kid at a candystore. I am awash in books, and it is absolutely amazing to me. 3. I understand the argument to support mainstream book providers like Amazon by putting our money where are mouth is, so to speak. At the same time, Bookshare's mission is to make printed material available to everyone who has a barrier to printed materials. Maybe there will be a time when that kind of mission isn't needed, and maybe we're far closer to that day then any of us dreamed of, but, for now, that mission is still needed. So, I will keep supporting Bookshare too. It's really worth reading their mission statement. 4. For all of us who love books and who are working to have equal opportunities, are work isn't done. I applaud Amazon for finally coming out with an accessible app, that is far superior to the plug-in for pc that has been the only option thus far. But, an accessible Kindle is still an important goal for me, and if nothing else, the iPhone proves that it can be done, and done well. I also know that all of our advances are fragile and we need to stay vigilant. 5. I know especially that there are plenty of blind and other disabled folks out there who can't afford an iPhone, and for whom even a $50 Bookshare membership is still an extravagance. I want to make sure they aren't left behind either. 6. And finally, just the other day I began a hunt for a book that I read about in the New York Times and was interested in reading. I began at Bookshare. Not there. Then Audible, then Kindle, then Barnes and Noble and iTunes. Nope, not there. Maybe the publisher has some restriction on electronic or other publication; maybe its niche market is too small. I don't know. But, I guess, if I really want to read it, I'm going to have to OCR it. It's a reminder that we're still not there yet. Ok, so maybe I did stray a little bit off topic. Thanks for your endulgence!!!! :Lisa
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Raul A. Gallegos Sent: Monday, May 13, 2013 3:43 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Justification for using Kindle vs. downloading from Bookshare ,one thing which I'm wondering about is what's the real difference in using books from Bookshare VS Kindle since none of it is free. Bookshare still costs money, and so do <Kindle books. What if you get a yearly subscription to Bookshare and then only get a few books a month from it. Does the cost end up being less or more than if you just purchased which ever books you want from Kindle, Nook, or iBooks? Or is the attraction to Bookshare the fact that it's specifically geared to print disabled like blind people. maybe I too am missing the point here. I don't particularly care for Bookshare, but through no fault of their own, I just never saw a need for myself personally. NLS is another one which I have used a lot, but when it comes down to it, I'd rather get the commercial audio books from Audible.com or purchase the electronic books from Barnes and Noble or Amazon. Yes, it's true that many people read many books by never buying them, getting them from the library or from a friend, ETC. Yet it's also true that just as many people also buy them, whether it's audio or not. I don't know what my point to this message is really other than just to agree with Kara in that if we have the equality like others, then that is best in my opinion. -- Raul A. Gallegos I would have been here sooner but the bus kept stopping for other people to get on it. - Sheldon Cooper Twitter and Facebook user ID: rau47 On 5/12/2013 10:02 PM, Cara Quinn wrote: > Hi Mary, > > thanks so much for your note! > > I'm having a little trouble with the comparison between services like BookShare and a library, only because with a library you must return the books and with BookShare the book is yours for as long as you like. > > I guess I'd see more of a comparison between a service like National Library Service and a typical public library. > > So I'm sorry if I'm missing the point here. I'm sure not meaning to hold any particular group or interest to any specific standard, just wanting to promote equality. That's all. > > Thanks a bunch and have a lovely evening! > > Smiles, > > Cara :) > On May 12, 2013, at 3:10 PM, Mary Otten <[email protected]> wrote: > > Cara, > > Would you suggest that sighted people forego the use of the public library or other sources, such as a university library, if you happen to be lucky enough to have access to one, and buy all their books? Equality is great, but equality ought also to mean being able to avail oneself of all available resources. In a free and open society where access to information is not limited to only those who can afford to buy everything, it seems to me that your position sets the bar higher for the blind than it is for the rest of the reading public. > > Mary > > Mary Otten > [email protected] > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. 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/viphone?hl=en. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. 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/viphone?hl=en. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
