Comments on: ADA vs. the Nook, cont’d

By: Irene Klar

Irene Klar — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 16:23:27 +0000

Art galleries watch out! You might be next.

By: asdfasdf

asdfasdf — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 20:15:35 +0000

Every book should also have translations available so that it is accessible to those who do not speak English.

And books should have simple synopses available, written at an elementary school level, so as not to discriminate against the learning disabled as well.

By: ras

ras — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 02:07:51 +0000

And when the technology development and production moves offshore – I mean, even more than at present – they will wonder why and demand even more control to force it it to stay.

By: Fatwa Arbuckle

Fatwa Arbuckle — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 00:49:52 +0000

Radios, CDs, and all digital audio files (.mp3, .wav, .rar, etc.) are also unfair to deaf people.

By: mojo

mojo — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:37:29 +0000

“Moronic” is being too kind.

By: John Burgess

John Burgess — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:24:37 +0000

I want to know why ‘chic lit’ dominates the library shelves! I know they’re best-sellers, but I — for one — don’t want to read them. I want guns and gore and boobies. Why aren’t 50% of library acquisitions meeting my demand?

By: Ed

Ed — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:18:29 +0000

So I assume they will not allow anyone to have a paper book that isn’t written in both text and Braille.

By: Rogers turner

Rogers turner — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:16:57 +0000

Under this logic, haven’t they been discriminating ever since the “technology” of books on tape emerged by not having every title available in that format? I think not having foreign language translations of both written and taped versions also seriously implicates national origin concerns as well. Clearly this warrants federal intervention.

By: Richard Nieporent

Richard Nieporent — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:13:41 +0000

How prescient was Kurt Vonnegut. Our Handicapper General is making sure that no one has an advantage over anyone else. The purpose of these lawsuits is not to help the blind but to punish the sighted. How long will it be before the government sues the libraries for having the audacity to keep a large collection of items that are inaccessible to the blind? I believe they are called books. Even worse, they loan out movies. That is clearly a deliberate affront to the blind. And what about their books on tape? Think of all of the deaf people who are being discriminated against!

By: marco73

marco73 — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:19:03 +0000

Here’s the money quote from the article:

“Emerging technologies like e-readers are changing the way we interact with the world around us and we need to ensure that people with disabilities are not excluded from the programs where these devices are used,” said Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez.

I have a standard issue Nook, and I find it tremendously convenient. There are some improvements I’d love to see, but if B&N are going to have to clear any improvements with the ADA section of the Justice department, we might as well forget it.

Note to any other companies that are thinking of coming up with any new technology: just don’t. You’ll pay more for your ADA compliance lawyers that you will ever earn back.