NFB (National Federation of the Blind)
Barbara Pierce, Director of Public Education
237 Oak Street, Oberlin, OH 44075-1517
Phone:
440-775-2216 E-mail: bbpierce@pobox.comWeb Site: www.nfb.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
InternetSpeech and NFB Team to Bring Full Web Access to the Blind
Louisville, KY
—The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and InternetSpeech, the leader in Web-access by phone, announce their partnership at the NFB convention at the Galt House in Louisville June 28 through July 4, bringing full Web access to anyone anywhere using a phone."People no longer need a computer to surf the Web or check e-mail," said Emdad Khan, president and CEO of InternetSpeech, Inc. "Blind people struggling with inaccessible Web sites, businesspeople away from their desks, and seniors afraid to tackle computers can now use the phone to tap the resources of the Internet."
The netECHO service provides unlimited Web browsing and e-mail correspondence for $9.95 a month and the cost of phone calls into the 408 area code. For $19.95 a month U.S. users get five hours of service a month and additional time at five cents a minute. Both programs have a one-time $20 set-up fee.
"The NFB is partnering with InternetSpeech because many blind people do not have effective access to the Internet," said Marc Maurer, president of the 50,000-member blind consumer group. "This program will allow them to step onto the information superhighway for the first time."
Both groups hope that others interested in non-computer access to e-mail and Web sites will take advantage of this service. Those interested should contact
877-312-4638 or 408-360-7730 to take advantage of this introductory offer. InternetSpeech makes a small donation to the NFB from each new registration.
About the National Federation of the Blind
Founded in 1940, the NFB is the most effective consumer organization in the blindness field. More than 50,000 blind volunteers work to demonstrate to their communities that, though they do some things differently, they can and do compete and contribute equally with everybody else. The NFB is changing what it means to be blind and giving hope to newly blind people across the country. For more information call (410) 659-9314 or go to www.nfb.org .
About InternetSpeech
InternetSpeech is the leader in voice Internet technology. Its voice browser, netECHO, provides businesses and consumers complete anytime, anywhere voice-based telephone access to the Internet. The company's patented technology can be bundled with other products such as traditional computer-based Internet access, locations-based services, or visual micro browsers. InternetSpeech also offers business software that automates the process of voice-enabling a company's Web site and applications in any language, furthering the development of a globally connected voice Internet. InternetSpeech, a privately held company headquartered in San Jose, Calif., launched netECHO in November 2000. For more information about InternetSpeech, visit www.internetspeech.com , or call 408-360-7730. netECHO is a registered trademark of InternetSpeech.