Your guidance is arguably correct and I think that you are caught
between the rock of the guidelines/law which I quoted in my reply to
John Conway and the hard place of the DDA and SENDA. The spirit of the
latter may provide more agreeable guidance.
On the other hand, if everybody applied for permission from the
copyright holders every time they wanted to scan something for a
dyslexic person, maybe the publishers would be as keen to have the law
changed as we are.
Regards
Ian Litterick
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Arthur Owens [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 10 February 2003 14:28
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Scanning & OCR: Help please
>
>
> I'm not quite sure how our situation relates to Ian's question but we
> are due to get scanning/OCR equipment soon (actually we
> should have had
> it before Christmas - but that's another story).
>
> I'm advised that the only people I can allow to use it
> without explicit
> prior permission of copyright holders are those with a physical visual
> handicap. As the law stands, I believe dyslexics are excluded. Quite
> apart from any moral or ethical concerns, I'm not at all clear how I'm
> going to control access on such a basis. If anyone can give me proof
> that my advice is wrong I'd be very grateful!
>
> Arthur Owens (SubLibrarian Socila Sciences and Disability Officer for
> Lanchester Library, Coventry University)
>
> Ian Litterick wrote:
> > I have been asked by the British Dyslexia Association
> Computer Committee
> > to put together a briefing document about the waste of resources in
> > scanning already printed documents so that they can be accessed by
> > people with dyslexia and disabilities, eg via text to
> speech. We would
> > like a change of legislation on copying rights for people with
> > disabilities to be included in this year's Disability Bill: see
> >
> http://www.dwp.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2003/jan/csd22
01-flying.
> htm
>
> We would like to know how big is the problem?
>
> How much
> time;
> and
> money
>
> are spent by
> organisations (eg RNIB, Talking Books);
> institutions (eg University support services);
> individuals (eg dyslexic students)
>
> scanning and OCRing printed text to get it into digital form so that
it
> can be used for:
> changing its appearance (font size, colour etc);
> assisted reading (via Text to Speech, E Books)
> Braille.
>
> And how much reading and learning doesn't get done because of the time
> and costs that would be incurred?
>
> If you have any evidence from your experience or your organisation
that
> would help to build a picture, however anecdotal, could you please
pass
> it on to me? Thanks.
>
> The aim would be to let UK legislation relating to Disability
> Discrimination and publishing catch up with and perhaps overtake that
of
> the USA. The hope is that relevant organisations - eg BDA, RNIB,
Mencap
> can work together on this one.
>
> Ian Litterick
>
> BDA Computer Committee Member
> iANSYST Ltd
> www.dyslexic.com
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