It seems the bad news on the accessibility front just keeps coming this
week.

DVS Home Video® Sales Effort Comes to a Close

Deep Discounts Offered for One Week on Remaining Inventory

Boston, MA. May 6. DVS Home Video, a project begun by Boston public
broadcaster WGBH in the early 90's to make movies on video accessible to the
nation's blind and visually impaired viewers, will end as of May 12. The
Hollywood studios have ceased manufacturing VHS or tape versions of films
for sale and rental.
WGBH's work to make media accessible via description goes on, with efforts
focused on television, feature films in theaters, DVDs and online video.

The DVS Home Video effort, started over a decade ago with funding from the
U.S. Department of Education, resulted in more than 300 videos made
accessible through narration of key visual elements inserted into natural
pauses in dialogue. From the very first DVS Video's debut, the reaction of
the community was immediate and actually profound. Films came alive in a
whole new way, and the eagerness for new titles only grew. Many of the
videos sold over the years were purchased by libraries and schools, which
multiplied the number of individuals and families who took such enjoyment in
described movies.

Films are now being distributed for sale and rental on DVD, BluRay DVD and
through video on demand (either rental or download to own) services via the
Internet. WGBH's Media Access Group, home to the Descriptive Video Service,
has been working to transition the home video efforts to DVD and to these
online movie delivery outlets. Lack of available memory space on DVDs has
been stated as the reason why more description tracks, created for
theatrical release in the over 300 movie theaters with WGBH's Motion Picture
Access® (MoPix®) systems, are not making the migration onto DVDs. WGBH
maintains a list of DVDs that have description tracks on them at the Web
page listed with other description-related links at the bottom of this post.

Advocacy is needed from the community of description fans to make this
transition happen. Please see the link below for a list of Hollywood
studios' home video/home entertainment divisions. Help show the providers
of video on these formats that there is a market and that you would be
willing to purchase movies with a description track included as an optional
feature.

For the next week (until May 12), DVS Home Video titles remaining in stock
will be sold at a deep discount. Videos that previously were available for
$15.01 and above will be sold for $10. Videos retailing for $15 and below
will be now be available for $5.

To access a list of available titles, please visit the Web site

http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/resources/dvs-home-video-catalogue.html.

To hear a list of titles, and/or to place an order, please call:
317 579-0439 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

All of us at the Media Access Group appreciate the unyielding support our
efforts have generated over the years, and we are looking forward to the
next chapter. Here is a list of links to information about ongoing
description work from WGBH:

DVS on Television
http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/services/description/ontv/

DVS in Movie Theaters
www.mopix.org

DVS on DVD
http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/resources/accessible-dvds.htm
l

Link to Contact List for Hollywood Studios
http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/studios.html
(please include "Home Entertainment Division" in the address)

Contact:
Mary Watkins
Media Access Group at WGBH
617 300-3700
mary_watkins@wgbh.org

Rite Aid’s Web Site and Point of Sale Improvements Praised

by Blind Community Leaders

Camp Hill, PA (May 1, 2008) — In a move praised by state and national blindness organizations, Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD) today announced it has undertaken a nationwide initiative that will benefit Rite Aid customers with visual impairments and other disabilities.  As part of the program, Rite Aid has made enhancements to its Web site and has begun installing new point of sale equipment with tactile keypads to protect the privacy and security of all shoppers who have difficulty entering numbers on a flat screen.

Today’s announcement is the result of collaboration between Rite Aid and major organizations including the American Foundation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind and California Council of the Blind.

Web Site Access

Today’s initiative includes Rite Aid’s commitment to ensure that www.riteaid.com meets guidelines issued by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (w3c) (www.w3.org/wai). The guidelines, which do not affect the content or look and feel of a Web site, ensure that Web sites are accessible to persons with a wide range of disabilities.  The guidelines are of particular benefit to blind computer users who use a screen reader or magnification technology on their computers and who rely on a keyboard instead of a mouse.

 “An accessible web site opens up unprecedented opportunities for people with vision loss to obtain goods, services and information on an equal footing,” said Paul Schroeder, vice president, programs and policy group of the American Foundation for the Blind.  “We applaud Rite Aid’s commitment to ensure that www.riteaid.com is usable by the broadest range of online consumers, including those who have disabilities.”

Point of Sale Improvements

Rite Aid’s point of sales improvements announced today are designed to assist customers who cannot read information on a flat screen point of sale device and therefore cannot privately enter their PIN or other confidential information.  Most point of sale devices in Rite Aid stores now have tactile keys to prevent this problem, and the company will be replacing remaining non-tactile devices by the end of 2009. Blind community representatives praised Rite Aid’s plan to install payment devices with keypads:  “Without tactile keys, blind people are forced to share their PINs with strangers,” explained Melanie Brunson, executive director of the American Council of the Blind.  “Today’s announcement, and the collaboration that led to it, demonstrates Rite Aid’s understanding of this fact and its ongoing commitment to its blind and visually impaired customers.”

“Our goal is to deliver a superior shopping experience to all of our customers, and with the initiative announced today, we can better serve our customers who are blind or visually impaired,” said Rob Easley, Rite Aid chief operating officer. “We thank the American Foundation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind and California Council of the Blind for their valuable assistance in making Rite Aid a better place for customers with disabilities to shop.”

About Rite Aid

Rite Aid Corporation is one of the nation’s leading drugstore chains with more than 5,000 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia with fiscal 2008 annual revenues of more than $24.3 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company’s website at http://www.riteaid.com.

About American Council of the Blind (ACB) and California Council of the Blind (CCB)

American Council of the Blind is a national consumer-based advocacy organization working on behalf of blind and visually impaired Americans throughout the country with members organized through seventy state and special interest affiliates.  California Council of the Blind is the California affiliate of the ACB and is a statewide membership organization with 40 local chapters and statewide special interest associations.  ACB and CCB are dedicated to improving the quality of life, equality of opportunity and independence of all people who have visual impairments.  Their members and affiliated organizations have a long history of commitment to the advancement of policies and programs which will enhance independence for people who are blind and visually impaired.  More information about ACB and CCB can be found by visiting www.acb.org  and http://www.ccbnet.org. 

About American Foundation for the Blind

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national nonprofit that expands possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB’s priorities include broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss; and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. AFB is also proud to house the Helen Keller Archives and honor the over forty years that Helen Keller worked tirelessly with AFB. For more information visit us online at www.afb.org.                                

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