Critical Funding Shortage Threatens NFB-NEWSLINE® in Maine

BALTIMORE, Oct. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Due to lack of funding, NFB-NEWSLINE^®, a free service from the National Federation of the Blind that provides independent access by blind and print-disabled people to hundreds of local and national publications, emergency weather alerts, job listings, and TV listings, may be terminated in Maine effective November 13, 2015. Termination of this service will drastically limit the ability of print-disabled Maine residents to easily and independently obtain in-depth information about breaking news, emergency weather alerts, international affairs, job listings, and community events.

NFB-NEWSLINE^® allows those who cannot read conventional newsprint to listen to newspapers and magazines over the telephone, using the web, email, portable players, or a free iOS mobile app. NFB-NEWSLINE^® offers two Maine newspapers, Bangor Daily News and Portland Press Herald, plus Associated Press Maine. In addition to state newspapers from Maine and other states, subscribers have access to many national publications, including the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal. NFB-NEWSLINE^® also provides vital emergency weather alerts and weekly weather forecasts that are up- to-the-minute current and accessible to print-disabled Maine subscribers.

Through the service, print-disabled people can access over four hundred newspapers and magazines independently, determining how, when, and where they wish to read publications. The service also provides access to over 100,000 job listings and provides emergency weather alerts.

For the past several years, Maine's NFB-NEWSLINE^® service has been sponsored by private funding sources. Approximately $30,000 annually is required to maintain the service in Maine. If funding is not found before November 13, 2015, blind and print-disabled Maine residents will no longer have access to NFB-NEWSLINE^®.

Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said, "The incredible resource of NFB-NEWSLINE® should be available to every blind and print-disabled person. Having access to current news and information is essential for blind people to live the lives they want."

Leon Proctor, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Maine, said, "This service is vital to blind and print-disabled Maine residents. Nowhere else can they find such comprehensive, up- to-the-minute access to news and information. I personally will miss reading the national newspapers and breaking news."

To learn how you can help keep NFB-NEWSLINE^® in Maine, please call Scott White, Director of Sponsored Technology Programs at the National Federation of the Blind, at (410) 659-9314, extension 2231 or email [email protected].

To learn more about NFB-NEWSLINE®, please visit http://www.nfbnewsline.org.

About the National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
[email protected]

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SOURCE National Federation of the Blind

Related Links

http://www.nfb.org