The National Federation of the Blind indicated that it supported the decision of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Syracuse University to not deploy Amazon's Kindle DX as a means of distributing electronic textbooks (e-books) to their students.
The Kindle DX features text-to-speech technology that can read textbooks aloud, but the menus of the device are not accessible to people who are blind. It is therefore impossible for a blind user to purchase books from Amazon's Kindle store, select a book to read, activate the text-to-speech feature, and use the advanced reading functions available on the Kindle DX.
The two universities reported that they had experimented with the Kindle DX to learn whether e-book technology is useful to their students. But the schools will not adopt the device for general use unless and until it is made accessible to blind students.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The National Federation of the Blind commends the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Syracuse University for rejecting broad deployment of the Kindle DX in its current form because it cannot be used by blind students and therefore denies the blind equal access to electronic textbooks. We do not oppose electronic textbooks; in fact, they hold great promise for blind students if they are accessible. But as long as the interface of the Kindle DX is inaccessible to the blind-denying blind students access to electronic textbooks or the advanced features available to read and annotate them-it is our position that no university should consider this device to be a viable e-book solution for its students."
The University of Wisconsin-Madison experimented with e-books for assigned course reading in an upper-level history seminar and encouraged students to give feedback about their experiences using e-books. Ken Frazier, the university's director of libraries, said of the Kindle: "The big disappointment was learning that the Kindle DX is not accessible to the blind. Advancements in text-to-speech technology have created a market opportunity for an e-book reading device that is fully accessible for everyone. This version of the Kindle e-book reader missed the mark. It is relatively easy to envision an improved e-book reading device that meets the needs of the entire university community. Such a device would include universal design for accessibility, higher-quality graphics, and improved navigation and note-taking. I think that there will be a huge payoff for the company that creates a truly universal e-book reader."
Pamela McLaughlin, director of communications and external relations at Syracuse University, said: "The university purchased two Kindle DX devices to learn whether they might be an appropriate means of distributing textbooks and course materials. Students are experimenting with these devices so that we can learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of this technology. At this time, however, we have no plans to purchase any more of these units in light of the fact that they are inaccessible to blind students. If Syracuse University decides to use e-book technology on campus, we will require technology that can be used by all of our students, including those who are blind."
At issue is whether the technology can be adapted to meet the needs of blind students. It appears to have the capacity to do so and could benefit blind students a great deal after what appears to be a few tweeks, but at present its lack of accessibility to the blind is somewhat off putting.
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