Arlene.Kunigel@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Arlene Kunigel) (11/05/90)
Index Number: 11530
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
I called the Music Services Unit of NLS this morning looking for a
Braille print-out of piano teaching texts they had available in
Braille. After calling them a second time, the first time being
yesterday morning, the person who answered me informed that they could
not send me a Braille print-out of what I wanted, that would only be
available in print. This from the National Library Service for the
Blind and Physically Handicapped, can you believe it!
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89.0!Arlene.Kunigel
Internet: Arlene.Kunigel@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.orgGary.Petraccaro@f90.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Gary Petraccaro) (11/06/90)
Index Number: 11575
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
-> In a message to All <10-30-90 14:52> Arlene Kunigel wrote:
->
-> AK> I called the Music Services Unit of NLS this morning
-> AK> looking for a Braille print-out of piano teaching texts
-> AK> they had available in Braille. After calling them a second
-> AK> time, the first time being yesterday morning, the person
-> AK> who answered me informed that they could not send me a
-> AK> Braille print-out of what I wanted, that would only be
-> AK> available in print. This from the National Library Service
-> AK> for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, can you believe
-> AK> it!
Arlene,
I not only believe it, I suspect things will get much worse. After
all, in the womb-to-tomb security state we have all that other stuff to pay
for first, and, mark my words, it will come first. I have real concern for
the future existance for the NLS.
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!90!Gary.Petraccaro
Internet: Gary.Petraccaro@f90.n129.z1.fidonet.orgAl.Hoffman@p0.f143.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Al Hoffman) (11/14/90)
Index Number: 11672
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
About NLS:
I wonder whats going on there as well. I don't have the information
for any analysis--but here is all I have been told so far.
TBS Triformation Braille Service of Florida and my past employer,
used to get an enormous share of the NLS book production business-
-even if they did have problems meeting deadlines and the like, now
they are in the spot of receiving none of the business this year except
at present a Playboy magazine contract that is in "demonstration,"
phase. What do these people at NLS think the poor schmuck running
a business is to do when his/her main source of funding is an unreliable
bunch of government staffers?
Sure, we can't be sending money to businesses who don't do good
business--and TBS is not in my opinion always the easiest place to
deal with--but they aren't anywhere as bad as cutting them off like
this--I see more errors in materials from Clovernook magazines than
we were allowed while I was there for sure.
But the issue is if this trend continues where will the NLS get
braille books produced? I think TBS at present is in trouble. If
they have to send proofreaders and experienced transcribers home for
lack of work, who will pay the peoples bills? Nobody, and soon those
people will people will figure on another line of work with more stable
and responsible management. Then where will our braille come from?
Or is NLS gonna wise up and learn that they could probablly just
have their own production facility and spend less or what.
OK, enough complaining for now--any thoughts are appreciated.
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!109!143.0!Al.Hoffman
Internet: Al.Hoffman@p0.f143.n109.z1.fidonet.orgAl.Hoffman@p0.f143.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Al Hoffman) (11/17/90)
Index Number: 11767
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
On further reflection about NLS:
1: They do a darned good job of serving their population base
as a whole--older recently blinded people who have no real interest
in becoming fully functioning members of society again. 2: They
produce very high quality materials that do last for long periods
of time--at a cost. They do not however serve the techno-klutzs out
here, but do serve some of the sci-fi-geeks like myself well enough
considering the relative sci-fi sales to say, westerns or mysteries.
I think NLS is doing fine, but they have problems that don't
appear from the outside to being addressed--but then maybe they are
but the grinding wheels of government money drains are so slow that
the sound they make is too low-frequency to hear.
For the prices they are paying for the braille materials they
produce, I think they could possiblly afford to purchase each braille
client of theirs a VersaBraille, and just set up a Modem service with
the materials--but that would violate the copyright laws probablly.
The selection process for books is not clear to any of my friends.
For example there are some very off the wall and unheard of sci-fi
books in braille, while some of the more well know classics are in
no format at all. The same goes for mysteries, westerns, and more.
Then the whole braille issue comes up. they NLS standards are
nice, but costly--and they aren't even that nice. The NLS people
should make their rules fit computer logic more effectively--thus
lowering the cost of making the books. I mean the rules about
sylablization are just stupid--sure some words look nicer to my fingers
if they are written on way rather than another, but thats just because
I've seen them that way for so long. There is no stone tablet lying
around with braille commandments written on it--other than the North
American Braille Authority group, who are a bunch of old ladies who
think they "know whats best,,".
They usually have good opinions on braille, but the outcome is
not always sensible for production means--and yet they probablly mean
well. But it appears to me that by making difficult rules more so
as time passes, making the life of a braille producer more taxing
by making proofreading more subjective, that they only justify their
own silly existence as "North American Braille Authority,"--I mean
what kind of stupid name is that anyway--the braille police work in
Washington D.C. and use government money to make the rest of us stick
to the rules.
OK, OK, maybe I sound like I'm about to foam at the mouth,
but maybe I should. I hate general pointless stupidity based on
traditional methods of propagating more pointless tradditional stupidity!
For that matter I wonder if NLS is considering making any public
road maps available using the Pixel Master, it can't cost much more
than a copy of one of the new Lesbian books, or the new braille editions
of how to make jewelry out of rice. There are just some of the stupidest
books out there on the braille shelves that its mind boggling (finger
numbing). Sure, some probablly want to read a book concerning
Lesbianism, or making rice-jewelry, but then I'd like to read some
programming books that weren't 1st grade level too and can I get them?
Noooooo--not from NLS at any rate.
Oh well, I like to rant and rave at times and this just seemed
to be a good place/time to do it. It would be nice to see some NLS
people respond to my comments here because I am not saying I have
the answers here, just questions and my own feelings. I can be wrong-
-and am lots of the time, but you never learn without being taught,
or or finding out the hard way.
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!109!143.0!Al.Hoffman
Internet: Al.Hoffman@p0.f143.n109.z1.fidonet.org