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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=468330007-30072007><FONT face=Arial
size=4>Dear David,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=468330007-30072007><FONT face=Arial
size=4></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=468330007-30072007><FONT face=Arial
size=4>Thanks a lot for catching up this issue. You are so right that this is
not only a question where you come from, it is a true matter of accessibility
and an true interest to close the gap of electronic accessibility.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=468330007-30072007><FONT face=Arial
size=4></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=468330007-30072007><FONT face=Arial
size=4>But it is also a matter of costs, as blind persons must buy application
programs which is so extremely expensive,and put the cost for the computer to a
minor cost. Not all of us can afford this. So the whole issue is about
affordability and accessibility, no matter where you come from.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=468330007-30072007><FONT face=Arial
size=4></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=468330007-30072007><FONT face=Arial size=4>I
will say, it is no problem with the skills and interest of using ICT among blind
persons, but as websites in most cases are inaccessible it marginalise us and
keep us out from the information stream , even if we wish to be part of
it, we can not. It is a good example of how a bad designed environment makes
persons unnecessary "disable" by ignore and acknowledge the
existence of blind and visually impaired persons in the world. It is to
make us disabled , it is not us who are disabled behind the
keyboard!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=468330007-30072007><FONT face=Arial size=4>Kind
regards</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=468330007-30072007><FONT face=Arial size=4>Kicki
</FONT></SPAN></DIV><!-- Converted from text/rtf format -->
<P align=left><SPAN lang=sv><FONT face=Arial size=4>Kicki
Nordström<BR>Synskadades Riksförbund (SRF)</FONT></SPAN> <BR><SPAN lang=sv><FONT
face=Arial size=4>World Blind Union (WBU)<BR>122 88 Enskede<BR>Sweden<BR>Tel:
+46 (0)8 399 000<BR>Fax: +46 (0)8 725 99 20<BR>Cell: +46 (0)70 766 18
19<BR>E-mail: <A
href="mailto:kicki.nordstrom@srfriks.org">kicki.nordstrom@srfriks.org</A>
</FONT></SPAN></P><SPAN lang=sv>
<P><FONT size=4><FONT face=Arial>kicki.nordstrom@telia.com (private)</FONT>
</FONT></P></SPAN>
<DIV> </DIV><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=sv dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>Från:</B> David Goldstein
[mailto:goldstein_david@yahoo.com.au] <BR><B>Skickat:</B> den 30 juli 2007
01:52<BR><B>Till:</B> governance@lists.cpsr.org<BR><B>Ämne:</B> Re: SV: SV:
[governance] IS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE A PHANTOM?<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif">Kicki
has mentioned something that is overlooked, and that has nothing to do if one is
from a developing country. Web developers are often appalling in their
appreciation of the issues faced by people who are blind in accessing the
internet.<BR><BR>Even with the best screen readers and computer equipment, they
are often next to useless if the websites can't be "read" by the screen reading
software.<BR><BR>David<BR>
<DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif"><BR><BR>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman,new york,times,serif">-----
Original Message ----<BR>From: Kicki Nordström
<kicki.nordstrom@srfriks.org><BR>To: governance@lists.cpsr.org; kwasi
boakye-akyeampong <kboakye1@yahoo.co.uk><BR>Sent: Monday, 30 July, 2007
6:33:56 AM<BR>Subject: SV: SV: [governance] IS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE A
PHANTOM?<BR><BR>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=421501019-29072007><FONT face=Arial
size=4>Dear Kwasi,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421501019-29072007><FONT face=Arial
size=4></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421501019-29072007><FONT face=Arial size=4>You are so right but
to this we must add the extra ordinary costs that additional programs as screen
readers etc, takes for enable blind and visually impaired persons to access ICT.
A screen reading program and a Braille Display to read the text, cost several
times more than the computer as such and it is no reduction because you are
coming from a developing country! </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421501019-29072007><FONT face=Arial
size=4></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421501019-29072007><FONT face=Arial size=4>I should not afford
this technology if I have to pay from my own income, but in Sweden, we get this
through different insurance, and can therefore use the available technology! But
the technology is also underdeveloped, as many Websites are inaccessible due to
formats, drawings and pictures, colours, columns and tables which the screen
reader can not interpret as it is also problems with PDF-files.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421501019-29072007><FONT face=Arial
size=4></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421501019-29072007><FONT face=Arial size=4>Equality of
accessing ICT is far away for poor people from any country but in particular
developing countries, and then to get the world to understand that everything
designed in a website can not and will not be possible to read for the worlds
180 million blind and visually impaired persons. We need to get a new solidarity
and understanding what is possible to technical develop and teach to normal
blind and visually impaired people, The more technical and specific the ICT
become, the more exclusive it will be. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421501019-29072007><FONT face=Arial
size=4></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421501019-29072007><FONT face=Arial size=4>Warm
regards</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421501019-29072007><FONT face=Arial size=4>Kicki
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=4><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<P align=left><SPAN lang=sv><FONT face=Arial size=4>Kicki
Nordström<BR>Synskadades Riksförbund (SRF)</FONT></SPAN> <BR><SPAN lang=sv><FONT
face=Arial size=4>World Blind Union (WBU)<BR>122 88 Enskede<BR>Sweden<BR>Tel:
+46 (0)8 399 000<BR>Fax: +46 (0)8 725 99 20<BR>Cell: +46 (0)70 766 18
19<BR>E-mail: <A href="mailto:kicki.nordstrom@srfriks.org" target=_blank
rel=nofollow>kicki.nordstrom@srfriks.org</A> </FONT></SPAN></P><SPAN lang=sv>
<P><FONT size=4><FONT face=Arial>kicki.nordstrom@telia.com (private)</FONT>
</FONT></P></SPAN>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4></FONT> </DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=4></FONT><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=sv dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>Från:</B> kwasi boakye-akyeampong
[mailto:kboakye1@yahoo.co.uk] <BR><B>Skickat:</B> den 28 juli 2007
14:16<BR><B>Till:</B> governance@lists.cpsr.org; Norbert Bollow<BR><B>Ämne:</B>
Re: SV: [governance] IS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE A PHANTOM?<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Norbert, you wrote:<BR>"<SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">This of course needs to be funded
somehow, but as</SPAN><BR style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic"><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">soon as this has been achieved,
<SPAN style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline">all visually disabled
people</SPAN></SPAN><BR
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic; TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">everywhere
will be able to benefit from this</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic"> ...</SPAN>".<BR><BR>I disagree
with the underlined bit because in the developing (under-developed) regions,
even the non-visually impaired are struggling to have access to computers.
Internet access is even worse. So for the visually impaired it is worse for them
in developing countries.<BR><BR>Believe me, the digital divide issue is worse
than we make it sound. Most of the solutions we propose are just not practicable
in the deprived regions. They are models fit for the developed countries. For
instance, most developing countries are struggling with electricity supply even
in the cities. Most rural communities are not connected to the national
electricity grid. So bridging the digital divide goes beyond providing them with
computers. <BR><BR>Greetings,<BR>Kwasi<BR><BR><B><I>Norbert Bollow
<nb@bollow.ch></I></B> wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">Kicki
Nordstrom wrote:<BR><BR>> World Blind Union has tried to negotiate with the
producer of screen<BR>> reading programs, that we from industrial could pay
more to reduce<BR>> the price for customer in developing countries. But
this was not<BR>> possible due to business tradition.<BR><BR>I think this
calls for the development of a good screen reader program<BR>as Free Software.
This of course needs to be funded somehow, but as<BR>soon as this has been
achieved, all visually disabled people<BR>everywhere will be able to benefit
from this, and will be able to<BR>always use the newest version without big
extra costs, without being<BR>contrained by the "business traditions" of a
profit-oriented company.<BR><BR>Greetings,<BR>Norbert.<BR><BR><BR>--
<BR><SPAN>Norbert Bollow <A href="http://Norbert.ch"
target=_blank>http://Norbert.ch</A></SPAN><BR><SPAN>President of the Swiss
Internet User Group SIUG <A href="http://SIUG.ch"
target=_blank>http://SIUG.ch</A></SPAN><BR>____________________________________________________________<BR>You
received this message as a subscriber on the
list:<BR>governance@lists.cpsr.org<BR>To be removed from the list, send any
message to:<BR>governance-unsubscribe@lists.cpsr.org<BR><BR>For all list
information and functions, see:<BR><SPAN><A
href="http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance"
target=_blank>http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance</A></SPAN><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR><BR>
<DIV><FONT class=sqq><STRONG><FONT face=system
color=#007f40>..............................................................................................................................</FONT></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=sqq><STRONG><FONT face=system color=#007f40>“If I am not for
myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when?”</FONT></STRONG> - <FONT face="arial black"><FONT
face=system>Rabbi Hillal</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=sqq><FONT face="arial black"><FONT face=System
color=#007f40><STRONG>..............................................................................................................................</STRONG></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
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