From rob.tabor at sbcglobal.net Sat May 1 04:20:05 2010 From: rob.tabor at sbcglobal.net ( Rob Tabor) Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:20:05 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT References: <09189708FA5D4854B1A5625B8DFFE44F@14bd0130080a469> <880414F1285B4040A9E05ACE331D84EA@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: Good evening Tom and list. Perhaps the law school testing agencies need to be instructed on the recent court case against the Cal state board of bar examiners. If they are smart, they will read the hand writing on the wall. best regards Rob Tabor ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: ; "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 3:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I > have heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to > state exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely > not get it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing > and what might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have > suggested that I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to > double time, more breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. > This may cause the need to appeal, but may get things that should be > available to everybody. It doesn't seem right that every blind person > trying to take the test should go through these same hoops, over and over > again. It also doesn't seem like a level playing field when blind people > need to take the test in a manner that introduces an additional > distraction and more stress. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Cathryn Bonnette" > To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM > Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT > > >> In response to Tom- >> >> >> >> I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer >> sheet >> needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form >> properly. >> When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the >> form >> also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading >> the >> questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I >> was >> granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra >> breaks >> due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the >> testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, you >> will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My reader >> was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. >> >> Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel >> free >> to contact me off list if you wish. >> >> >> >> >> >> Cathryn >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rob.tabor%40sbcglobal.net From tom at tomladis.com Sat May 1 15:28:48 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 10:28:48 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT References: <09189708FA5D4854B1A5625B8DFFE44F@14bd0130080a469><880414F1285B4040A9E05ACE331D84EA@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <823160CD9315460B96A44BE69BFD9183@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Hello all. Yes, they have been in trouble with accommodation issues and need to step into the twenty-first century. Computers are cheap now and they should make the testing environment reflect current standard and adaptive technologies for everyone. Tom . ----- Original Message ----- From: " Rob Tabor" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 11:20 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > Good evening Tom and list. > Perhaps the law school testing agencies need to be instructed on the > recent court case against the Cal state board of bar examiners. If they > are smart, they will read the hand writing on the wall. > best regards > Rob Tabor > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Tom Ladis" > To: ; "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 3:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > > >> Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I >> have heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to >> state exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely >> not get it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing >> and what might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have >> suggested that I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to >> double time, more breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. >> This may cause the need to appeal, but may get things that should be >> available to everybody. It doesn't seem right that every blind person >> trying to take the test should go through these same hoops, over and over >> again. It also doesn't seem like a level playing field when blind people >> need to take the test in a manner that introduces an additional >> distraction and more stress. >> >> >> >> Tom >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Cathryn Bonnette" >> To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" >> Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM >> Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT >> >> >>> In response to Tom- >>> >>> >>> >>> I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer >>> sheet >>> needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form >>> properly. >>> When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the >>> form >>> also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading >>> the >>> questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I >>> was >>> granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra >>> breaks >>> due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the >>> testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, >>> you >>> will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My >>> reader >>> was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. >>> >>> Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel >>> free >>> to contact me off list if you wish. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Cathryn >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> blindlaw mailing list >>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >>> blindlaw: >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rob.tabor%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > From tom at tomladis.com Sat May 1 15:36:03 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 10:36:03 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT References: <2FC1DDB64A1D4DBF93216B2DCE35ECDF@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: Sure, but I would guess that most people would be able to utilize something more advanced and accessible than paper and pencil. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ramsey" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 6:28 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > Hi Tom, > While your concerns are valid, each test and each blind test taker are > different and as I have stated time and again, the examiners do not read > our > minds, so if you don't ask, they are not obligated to deliver. Test > preparation is paramount when applying for law school. > John > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Tom Ladis > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 4:15 PM > To: cathrynisfinally at verizon.net; NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > > > Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I > have > > heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to state > exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely not get > it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing and what > might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have suggested > that > > I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to double time, > more > breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. This may cause the > need > > to appeal, but may get things that should be available to everybody. It > doesn't seem right that every blind person trying to take the test should > go > > through these same hoops, over and over again. It also doesn't seem like > a > level playing field when blind people need to take the test in a manner > that > > introduces an additional distraction and more stress. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Cathryn Bonnette" > To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM > Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT > > >> In response to Tom- >> >> >> >> I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer >> sheet >> needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form >> properly. >> When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the >> form >> also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading >> the >> questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I >> was >> granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra >> breaks >> due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the >> testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, you >> will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My reader >> was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. >> >> Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel >> free >> to contact me off list if you wish. >> >> >> >> >> >> Cathryn >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > From va57 at law.georgetown.edu Sat May 1 18:28:51 2010 From: va57 at law.georgetown.edu (Vikram Agarwal) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 14:28:51 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] blindlaw Digest, Vol 72, Issue 1 LSAT In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <84C7DE89EC13B74E90BC22E82A3DA17E969AE2@law-be2.law.georgetown.edu> I was able to request an electronic format, the use of Jaws or Kurzweil and the use of Excel for the logic games. I also was able to receive extended time and extra breaks. As others have noted, it is imperative to begin the process of requesting accommodations well in advance to ensure you receive everything you need before the exam. You will still need a scribe to input answers, however, I also used Excel to keep track of my answers as I went. I took the exam in 2007. Feel free to contact me off line to discuss further. Vikram -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of blindlaw-request at nfbnet.org Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 1:00 PM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: blindlaw Digest, Vol 72, Issue 1 Send blindlaw mailing list submissions to blindlaw at nfbnet.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to blindlaw-request at nfbnet.org You can reach the person managing the list at blindlaw-owner at nfbnet.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of blindlaw digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Introduction (Jordan Richardson) 2. Re: LSAT (Tom Ladis) 3. Re: LSAT (John Ramsey) 4. Re: LSAT ( Rob Tabor) 5. Re: LSAT (Tom Ladis) 6. Re: LSAT (Tom Ladis) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:46:50 -0500 From: Jordan Richardson To: National Association of Blind Lawyers List Subject: [blindlaw] Introduction Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Hello all, My name is Jordan Richardson and I am currently a freshman at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities majoring in political science and planning to minor in philosophy. After my undergraduate degree I plan to attend law school specializing in Constitutional law. My plan is to practice law and then become a judge. I actually have some questions regarding blind judges: What non-visual techniques would a blind judge use on the bench during a trial? How would one deal with looking at evidence? Would the bailiff describe/read any pictures/texts, or would you simply have each attorney be descriptive? Thank you, Jordan Richardson 2nd Vice President, Minnesota Association of Blind Students -- Jordan Richardson 2nd Vice President, Minnesota Association of Blind Students lilrichie411 at gmail.com ?It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.? --Dalai Lama ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:15:03 -0500 From: "Tom Ladis" To: , "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Message-ID: <880414F1285B4040A9E05ACE331D84EA at TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I have heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to state exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely not get it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing and what might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have suggested that I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to double time, more breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. This may cause the need to appeal, but may get things that should be available to everybody. It doesn't seem right that every blind person trying to take the test should go through these same hoops, over and over again. It also doesn't seem like a level playing field when blind people need to take the test in a manner that introduces an additional distraction and more stress. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathryn Bonnette" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT > In response to Tom- > > > > I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer > sheet > needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form > properly. > When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the > form > also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading > the > questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I > was > granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra > breaks > due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the > testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, you > will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My reader > was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. > > Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel > free > to contact me off list if you wish. > > > > > > Cathryn > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com > ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:28:26 -0400 From: "John Ramsey" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Message-ID: <2FC1DDB64A1D4DBF93216B2DCE35ECDF at noneeb869fea9a> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi Tom, While your concerns are valid, each test and each blind test taker are different and as I have stated time and again, the examiners do not read our minds, so if you don't ask, they are not obligated to deliver. Test preparation is paramount when applying for law school. John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tom Ladis Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 4:15 PM To: cathrynisfinally at verizon.net; NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I have heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to state exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely not get it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing and what might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have suggested that I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to double time, more breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. This may cause the need to appeal, but may get things that should be available to everybody. It doesn't seem right that every blind person trying to take the test should go through these same hoops, over and over again. It also doesn't seem like a level playing field when blind people need to take the test in a manner that introduces an additional distraction and more stress. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathryn Bonnette" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT > In response to Tom- > > > > I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer > sheet > needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form > properly. > When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the > form > also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading > the > questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I > was > granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra > breaks > due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the > testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, you > will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My reader > was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. > > Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel > free > to contact me off list if you wish. > > > > > > Cathryn > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox .net ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:20:05 -0500 From: " Rob Tabor" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response Good evening Tom and list. Perhaps the law school testing agencies need to be instructed on the recent court case against the Cal state board of bar examiners. If they are smart, they will read the hand writing on the wall. best regards Rob Tabor ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: ; "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 3:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I > have heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to > state exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely > not get it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing > and what might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have > suggested that I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to > double time, more breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. > This may cause the need to appeal, but may get things that should be > available to everybody. It doesn't seem right that every blind person > trying to take the test should go through these same hoops, over and over > again. It also doesn't seem like a level playing field when blind people > need to take the test in a manner that introduces an additional > distraction and more stress. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Cathryn Bonnette" > To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM > Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT > > >> In response to Tom- >> >> >> >> I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer >> sheet >> needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form >> properly. >> When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the >> form >> also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading >> the >> questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I >> was >> granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra >> breaks >> due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the >> testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, you >> will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My reader >> was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. >> >> Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel >> free >> to contact me off list if you wish. >> >> >> >> >> >> Cathryn >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com >> > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rob.tabor%40sb cglobal.net ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 10:28:48 -0500 From: "Tom Ladis" To: "Rob Tabor" , "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Message-ID: <823160CD9315460B96A44BE69BFD9183 at TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response Hello all. Yes, they have been in trouble with accommodation issues and need to step into the twenty-first century. Computers are cheap now and they should make the testing environment reflect current standard and adaptive technologies for everyone. Tom . ----- Original Message ----- From: " Rob Tabor" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 11:20 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > Good evening Tom and list. > Perhaps the law school testing agencies need to be instructed on the > recent court case against the Cal state board of bar examiners. If they > are smart, they will read the hand writing on the wall. > best regards > Rob Tabor > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Tom Ladis" > To: ; "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 3:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > > >> Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I >> have heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to >> state exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely >> not get it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing >> and what might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have >> suggested that I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to >> double time, more breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. >> This may cause the need to appeal, but may get things that should be >> available to everybody. It doesn't seem right that every blind person >> trying to take the test should go through these same hoops, over and over >> again. It also doesn't seem like a level playing field when blind people >> need to take the test in a manner that introduces an additional >> distraction and more stress. >> >> >> >> Tom >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Cathryn Bonnette" >> To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" >> Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM >> Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT >> >> >>> In response to Tom- >>> >>> >>> >>> I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer >>> sheet >>> needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form >>> properly. >>> When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the >>> form >>> also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading >>> the >>> questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I >>> was >>> granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra >>> breaks >>> due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the >>> testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, >>> you >>> will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My >>> reader >>> was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. >>> >>> Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel >>> free >>> to contact me off list if you wish. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Cathryn >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> blindlaw mailing list >>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >>> blindlaw: >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rob.tabor%40sb cglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com > ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 10:36:03 -0500 From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Sure, but I would guess that most people would be able to utilize something more advanced and accessible than paper and pencil. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ramsey" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 6:28 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > Hi Tom, > While your concerns are valid, each test and each blind test taker are > different and as I have stated time and again, the examiners do not read > our > minds, so if you don't ask, they are not obligated to deliver. Test > preparation is paramount when applying for law school. > John > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Tom Ladis > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 4:15 PM > To: cathrynisfinally at verizon.net; NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > > > Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I > have > > heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to state > exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely not get > it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing and what > might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have suggested > that > > I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to double time, > more > breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. This may cause the > need > > to appeal, but may get things that should be available to everybody. It > doesn't seem right that every blind person trying to take the test should > go > > through these same hoops, over and over again. It also doesn't seem like > a > level playing field when blind people need to take the test in a manner > that > > introduces an additional distraction and more stress. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Cathryn Bonnette" > To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM > Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT > > >> In response to Tom- >> >> >> >> I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer >> sheet >> needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form >> properly. >> When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the >> form >> also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading >> the >> questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I >> was >> granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra >> breaks >> due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the >> testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, you >> will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My reader >> was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. >> >> Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel >> free >> to contact me off list if you wish. >> >> >> >> >> >> Cathryn >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com >> > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox .net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com > ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org End of blindlaw Digest, Vol 72, Issue 1 *************************************** From m_b_gilmore at yahoo.com Sat May 1 23:47:20 2010 From: m_b_gilmore at yahoo.com (Mike Gilmore) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 16:47:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? Message-ID: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Hi everybody,   I've been thinking about 508 compliance and maybe something NFB could push at the state level. I love how pretty much any document has to be 508-compliant on federal web sites (and I'm guessing state as well. Anyone know?) This is nice when you're trying to view a PDF. Unfortunately, there's a lot of web sites 9Barbri is one of them) who scan their PDF's onto the web site which JAWS will tell you the document is empty. So, we print the document out so we can read it. Has anyone thought of some kind of legislation or working with various web sites that post PDF's by scanning them in to make them 508 compliant, but on the private level? (What I mean is get a private 508 compliant law.)   I bring this up because as a federal worker, I've been e-mailed PDF's that have been scanned in and I've had to ask for the original Word document so I could read it. OF course, every PDF form they put up there is 508-compliant before it's released. (A couple of weeks ago, there was something that wasn't compliant--it was for internal office use. I was able to obtain the Word version and one of the supervisors sent the PDF to the tech folks and told them to make it 508 compliant. That was nice of her, but we can't always expect there to be the Word version still lying around or for folks to not scan the document into Adobe.)   Any thoughts?   Mike From joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com Sun May 2 00:15:11 2010 From: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com (RJ Sandefur) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 20:15:11 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> I'm having a problem with the same thing. I am unable to access this file. RJ -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Standefur Informed Choice.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 39474 bytes Desc: not available URL: From dandrews at visi.com Sun May 2 01:08:55 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Sat, 01 May 2010 20:08:55 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? In-Reply-To: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Things are moving in that direction, but we don't get there all at once. We have Section 508, which applies to Federal sites, at least in theory. Several states, including here in Minnesota, have passed legislation that extend 508 and/or WCAG 2.0 to the state level. While the ADA was passed prior to the web as we know it, some entities would fall under it, as far as the web goes, in terms of access to programs and services. The Justice Department seems to be making noise like they will officially extend the ADA to the web. In MN we just saw a law passed that requires accessibility in terms of all public records. So, step by step things are getting covered. Dave At 06:47 PM 5/1/2010, you wrote: >Hi everybody, > >I've been thinking about 508 compliance and maybe something NFB >could push at the state level. I love how pretty much any document >has to be 508-compliant on federal web sites (and I'm guessing state >as well. Anyone know?) This is nice when you're trying to view a >PDF. Unfortunately, there's a lot of web sites 9Barbri is one of >them) who scan their PDF's onto the web site which JAWS will tell >you the document is empty. So, we print the document out so we can >read it. Has anyone thought of some kind of legislation or working >with various web sites that post PDF's by scanning them in to make >them 508 compliant, but on the private level? (What I mean is get a >private 508 compliant law.) > >I bring this up because as a federal worker, I've been e-mailed >PDF's that have been scanned in and I've had to ask for the original >Word document so I could read it. OF course, every PDF form they put >up there is 508-compliant before it's released. (A couple of weeks >ago, there was something that wasn't compliant--it was for internal >office use. I was able to obtain the Word version and one of the >supervisors sent the PDF to the tech folks and told them to make it >508 compliant. That was nice of her, but we can't always expect >there to be the Word version still lying around or for folks to not >scan the document into Adobe.) > >Any thoughts? > >Mike From tom at tomladis.com Sun May 2 01:43:21 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 20:43:21 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> <7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> Message-ID: <2FDADB9B381844B1A38F2AF9A17B9A14@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Hello. I used OpenBook to OCR the file and saved it as a Word file for you. Maybe the process could be automated, somehow. I'll have to give it some thought. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "RJ Sandefur" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 7:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > I'm having a problem with the same thing. I am unable to access this file. > RJ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Document1.DOC Type: application/msword Size: 9216 bytes Desc: not available URL: From darlene.olsen at gmail.com Sun May 2 01:55:40 2010 From: darlene.olsen at gmail.com (Darlene Olsen) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 18:55:40 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> <7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> Message-ID: <7425F4B439CD44A8ADEEE587EEDF3A43@DarleneOlsen> Hi RJ, I am slightly confused, I opened the attached file and JAWS read it fine. Thank You for the valuable information. Respectfully, Darlene Olsen ----- Original Message ----- From: "RJ Sandefur" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 5:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > I'm having a problem with the same thing. I am unable to access this file. > RJ > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 5078 (20100501) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/darlene.olsen%40gmail.com > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 5078 (20100501) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5078 (20100501) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 2 03:28:05 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 20:28:05 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? In-Reply-To: <7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> <7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> Message-ID: The file was scanned in to a PDF document. When I ran it through Kurzweil it was read properly. If you need it I can send it back to you saved as a Word file. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "RJ Sandefur" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 5:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > I'm having a problem with the same thing. I am unable to access this file. > RJ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 2 03:30:16 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 20:30:16 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? In-Reply-To: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <27042B34739E4849AA8A924A0CB9E5B6@spike> To a certain extent depending on the quality of the scan they can be made accessible if you are using Kurzweil or Open Book software. However, any attempt to require the accessibility of documents is worth a try. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Gilmore" To: Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 4:47 PM Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? Hi everybody, I've been thinking about 508 compliance and maybe something NFB could push at the state level. I love how pretty much any document has to be 508-compliant on federal web sites (and I'm guessing state as well. Anyone know?) This is nice when you're trying to view a PDF. Unfortunately, there's a lot of web sites 9Barbri is one of them) who scan their PDF's onto the web site which JAWS will tell you the document is empty. So, we print the document out so we can read it. Has anyone thought of some kind of legislation or working with various web sites that post PDF's by scanning them in to make them 508 compliant, but on the private level? (What I mean is get a private 508 compliant law.) I bring this up because as a federal worker, I've been e-mailed PDF's that have been scanned in and I've had to ask for the original Word document so I could read it. OF course, every PDF form they put up there is 508-compliant before it's released. (A couple of weeks ago, there was something that wasn't compliant--it was for internal office use. I was able to obtain the Word version and one of the supervisors sent the PDF to the tech folks and told them to make it 508 compliant. That was nice of her, but we can't always expect there to be the Word version still lying around or for folks to not scan the document into Adobe.) Any thoughts? Mike _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com Sun May 2 03:48:57 2010 From: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com (RJ Sandefur) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 23:48:57 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com><7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> <2FDADB9B381844B1A38F2AF9A17B9A14@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: Thank you. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 9:43 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > Hello. I used OpenBook to OCR the file and saved it as a Word file > for you. Maybe the process could be automated, somehow. I'll have to > give > it some thought. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "RJ Sandefur" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 7:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > > >> I'm having a problem with the same thing. I am unable to access this >> file. >> RJ > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joltingjacksandefur%40gmail.com > From joramsey at cox.net Sun May 2 12:12:25 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Sun, 2 May 2010 08:12:25 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <5FB3E0CD817849BF94D32C8940EDC868@noneeb869fea9a> Hi Dave, What is the cite for the section 508 you are talking about? Thanks, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David Andrews Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 9:09 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? Things are moving in that direction, but we don't get there all at once. We have Section 508, which applies to Federal sites, at least in theory. Several states, including here in Minnesota, have passed legislation that extend 508 and/or WCAG 2.0 to the state level. While the ADA was passed prior to the web as we know it, some entities would fall under it, as far as the web goes, in terms of access to programs and services. The Justice Department seems to be making noise like they will officially extend the ADA to the web. In MN we just saw a law passed that requires accessibility in terms of all public records. So, step by step things are getting covered. Dave At 06:47 PM 5/1/2010, you wrote: >Hi everybody, > >I've been thinking about 508 compliance and maybe something NFB >could push at the state level. I love how pretty much any document >has to be 508-compliant on federal web sites (and I'm guessing state >as well. Anyone know?) This is nice when you're trying to view a >PDF. Unfortunately, there's a lot of web sites 9Barbri is one of >them) who scan their PDF's onto the web site which JAWS will tell >you the document is empty. So, we print the document out so we can >read it. Has anyone thought of some kind of legislation or working >with various web sites that post PDF's by scanning them in to make >them 508 compliant, but on the private level? (What I mean is get a >private 508 compliant law.) > >I bring this up because as a federal worker, I've been e-mailed >PDF's that have been scanned in and I've had to ask for the original >Word document so I could read it. OF course, every PDF form they put >up there is 508-compliant before it's released. (A couple of weeks >ago, there was something that wasn't compliant--it was for internal >office use. I was able to obtain the Word version and one of the >supervisors sent the PDF to the tech folks and told them to make it >508 compliant. That was nice of her, but we can't always expect >there to be the Word version still lying around or for folks to not >scan the document into Adobe.) > >Any thoughts? > >Mike _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From tom at tomladis.com Sun May 2 14:19:23 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Sun, 2 May 2010 09:19:23 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com><7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> <7425F4B439CD44A8ADEEE587EEDF3A43@DarleneOlsen> Message-ID: <9AA460E364E444ACBF9FD859BBD10DB1@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Hi Darlene, I apologize. I may have caused the confusion. I converted the file and sent it back in my earlier response. I probably should have asked if that was useful within the scope of the conversation before trying to be helpful. If you want to look at the initial file, I believe you can get it from the initial post. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Darlene Olsen" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 8:55 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > Hi RJ, > > I am slightly confused, I opened the attached file and JAWS read it > fine. > Thank You for the valuable information. > Respectfully, > Darlene Olsen > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "RJ Sandefur" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 5:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > > >> I'm having a problem with the same thing. I am unable to access this >> file. RJ >> >> >> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus >> signature database 5078 (20100501) __________ >> >> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. >> >> http://www.eset.com >> >> > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/darlene.olsen%40gmail.com >> >> >> >> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus >> signature database 5078 (20100501) __________ >> >> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. >> >> http://www.eset.com >> >> > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 5078 (20100501) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > From dandrews at visi.com Sun May 2 23:29:18 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Sun, 02 May 2010 18:29:18 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? In-Reply-To: <5FB3E0CD817849BF94D32C8940EDC868@noneeb869fea9a> References: <5FB3E0CD817849BF94D32C8940EDC868@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: Section 508 is actually "Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended." You can go to http://www.section508.gov to get started. Dave At 07:12 AM 5/2/2010, you wrote: >Hi Dave, >What is the cite for the section 508 you are talking about? >Thanks, >John > >John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > >P.O. Box 6063 > >Gainesville, FL 32627 > >Phone: (352) 505-6642 > >Fax: (352) 240-6453 > >This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or >legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or >entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in >error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed >materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be >aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this >communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or >civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, >John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are >uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to >communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) >505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email >messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our >control. Thank you. > > > > > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On >Behalf Of David Andrews >Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 9:09 PM >To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List >Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > > >Things are moving in that direction, but we don't get there all at >once. We have Section 508, which applies to Federal sites, at least >in theory. Several states, including here in Minnesota, have passed >legislation that extend 508 and/or WCAG 2.0 to the state >level. While the ADA was passed prior to the web as we know it, some >entities would fall under it, as far as the web goes, in terms of >access to programs and services. The Justice Department seems to be >making noise like they will officially extend the ADA to the web. > >In MN we just saw a law passed that requires accessibility in terms >of all public records. So, step by step things are getting covered. > >Dave > >At 06:47 PM 5/1/2010, you wrote: > >Hi everybody, > > > >I've been thinking about 508 compliance and maybe something NFB > >could push at the state level. I love how pretty much any document > >has to be 508-compliant on federal web sites (and I'm guessing state > >as well. Anyone know?) This is nice when you're trying to view a > >PDF. Unfortunately, there's a lot of web sites 9Barbri is one of > >them) who scan their PDF's onto the web site which JAWS will tell > >you the document is empty. So, we print the document out so we can > >read it. Has anyone thought of some kind of legislation or working > >with various web sites that post PDF's by scanning them in to make > >them 508 compliant, but on the private level? (What I mean is get a > >private 508 compliant law.) > > > >I bring this up because as a federal worker, I've been e-mailed > >PDF's that have been scanned in and I've had to ask for the original > >Word document so I could read it. OF course, every PDF form they put > >up there is 508-compliant before it's released. (A couple of weeks > >ago, there was something that wasn't compliant--it was for internal > >office use. I was able to obtain the Word version and one of the > >supervisors sent the PDF to the tech folks and told them to make it > >508 compliant. That was nice of her, but we can't always expect > >there to be the Word version still lying around or for folks to not > >scan the document into Adobe.) > > > >Any thoughts? > > > >Mike From APrevost at Sidley.com Mon May 3 13:33:51 2010 From: APrevost at Sidley.com (Prevost, Ann Marie) Date: Mon, 3 May 2010 09:33:51 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question In-Reply-To: <4aad3478.c5c2f10a.4f27.ffffc008@mx.google.com> References: <0F04FCD67AD04E50BBCEFBE88B18640C@spike> <004b01ca2fe4$f14bdc10$d3e39430$@com> <4aa591c9.02c3f10a.3629.ffffe495@mx.google.com><83CAA5A591B34E90A1FDC671C640EE6F@spike> <005801ca33d4$0fc62e50$2f528af0$@com><26DF3ADC32444453B7B53D64E4A9B4E8@spike> <4aacc4aa.85c2f10a.5b99.ffffc132@mx.google.com> <019501ca348f$b42742c0$1c75c840$@com> <4aad3478.c5c2f10a.4f27.ffffc008@mx.google.com> Message-ID: <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> If an organization wanted to give out tickets for theater performances to visually impaired children at a discounted price, would there be some sort of legal reason why the organization could not ask for some proof of status such as an IEP or registration with the Commission for the Blind? Ann Marie Prevost Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue New York, New York 10019 aprevost at sidley.com 212-839-5408 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To comply with certain U.S. Treasury regulations, we inform you that, unless expressly stated otherwise, any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments, was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may be imposed on such taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if any such tax advice is used or referred to by other parties in promoting, marketing or recommending any partnership or other entity, investment plan or arrangement, then (i) the advice should be construed as written in connection with the promotion or marketing by others of the transaction(s) or matter(s) addressed in this communication and (ii) the taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer's particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. **************************************************************************************************** This e-mail is sent by a law firm and may contain information that is privileged or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the e-mail and any attachments and notify us immediately. **************************************************************************************************** From slabarre at labarrelaw.com Mon May 3 15:50:01 2010 From: slabarre at labarrelaw.com (Scott C. LaBarre) Date: Mon, 3 May 2010 09:50:01 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question References: <0F04FCD67AD04E50BBCEFBE88B18640C@spike> <004b01ca2fe4$f14bdc10$d3e39430$@com> <4aa591c9.02c3f10a.3629.ffffe495@mx.google.com><83CAA5A591B34E90A1FDC671C640EE6F@spike> <005801ca33d4$0fc62e50$2f528af0$@com><26DF3ADC32444453B7B53D64E4A9B4E8@spike> <4aacc4aa.85c2f10a.5b99.ffffc132@mx.google.com> <019501ca348f$b42742c0$1c75c840$@com><4aad3478.c5c2f10a.4f27.ffffc008@mx.google.com> <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> Message-ID: <317AE2AD3D5C4D08A3DD185F763522F5@labarre> No reason at all. Scott C. LaBarre, Esq. LaBarre Law Offices P.C. 1660 South Albion Street, Ste. 918 Denver, Colorado 80222 303 504-5979 (voice) 303 757-3640 (fax) slabarre at labarrelaw.com (e-mail) www.labarrelaw.com (website) CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the designated recipient, you may not read, copy, distribute or retain this message. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender at 303) 504-5979 or slabarre at labarrelaw.com, and destroy and delete it from your system. This message and any attachments are covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Prevost, Ann Marie" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 7:33 AM Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question > If an organization wanted to give out tickets for theater performances > to visually impaired children at a discounted price, would there be some > sort of legal reason why the organization could not ask for some proof > of status such as an IEP or registration with the Commission for the > Blind? > > > Ann Marie Prevost > Sidley Austin LLP > 787 Seventh Avenue > New York, New York 10019 > aprevost at sidley.com > 212-839-5408 > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To comply with certain U.S. Treasury > regulations, we inform you > that, unless expressly stated otherwise, any U.S. federal tax advice > contained in this > communication, including attachments, was not intended or written to be > used, and cannot be > used, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may > be imposed on such > taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if any such tax > advice is used or referred > to by other parties in promoting, marketing or recommending any > partnership or other entity, > investment plan or arrangement, then (i) the advice should be construed as > written in connection > with the promotion or marketing by others of the transaction(s) or > matter(s) addressed in this > communication and (ii) the taxpayer should seek advice based on the > taxpayer's particular > circumstances from an independent tax advisor. > **************************************************************************************************** > This e-mail is sent by a law firm and may contain information that is > privileged or confidential. > If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the e-mail and any > attachments and notify us > immediately. > **************************************************************************************************** > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/slabarre%40labarrelaw.com > From APrevost at Sidley.com Mon May 3 16:36:02 2010 From: APrevost at Sidley.com (Prevost, Ann Marie) Date: Mon, 3 May 2010 12:36:02 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question In-Reply-To: <317AE2AD3D5C4D08A3DD185F763522F5@labarre> References: <0F04FCD67AD04E50BBCEFBE88B18640C@spike> <004b01ca2fe4$f14bdc10$d3e39430$@com> <4aa591c9.02c3f10a.3629.ffffe495@mx.google.com><83CAA5A591B34E90A1FDC671C640EE6F@spike> <005801ca33d4$0fc62e50$2f528af0$@com><26DF3ADC32444453B7B53D64E4A9B4E8@spike> <4aacc4aa.85c2f10a.5b99.ffffc132@mx.google.com> <019501ca348f$b42742c0$1c75c840$@com><4aad3478.c5c2f10a.4f27.ffffc008@mx.google.com><04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> <317AE2AD3D5C4D08A3DD185F763522F5@labarre> Message-ID: <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBBFF@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> Thank you! -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Scott C. LaBarre Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 11:50 AM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question No reason at all. Scott C. LaBarre, Esq. LaBarre Law Offices P.C. 1660 South Albion Street, Ste. 918 Denver, Colorado 80222 303 504-5979 (voice) 303 757-3640 (fax) slabarre at labarrelaw.com (e-mail) www.labarrelaw.com (website) CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the designated recipient, you may not read, copy, distribute or retain this message. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender at 303) 504-5979 or slabarre at labarrelaw.com, and destroy and delete it from your system. This message and any attachments are covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Prevost, Ann Marie" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 7:33 AM Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question > If an organization wanted to give out tickets for theater performances > to visually impaired children at a discounted price, would there be some > sort of legal reason why the organization could not ask for some proof > of status such as an IEP or registration with the Commission for the > Blind? > > > Ann Marie Prevost > Sidley Austin LLP > 787 Seventh Avenue > New York, New York 10019 > aprevost at sidley.com > 212-839-5408 > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To comply with certain U.S. Treasury > regulations, we inform you > that, unless expressly stated otherwise, any U.S. federal tax advice > contained in this > communication, including attachments, was not intended or written to be > used, and cannot be > used, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may > be imposed on such > taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if any such tax > advice is used or referred > to by other parties in promoting, marketing or recommending any > partnership or other entity, > investment plan or arrangement, then (i) the advice should be construed as > written in connection > with the promotion or marketing by others of the transaction(s) or > matter(s) addressed in this > communication and (ii) the taxpayer should seek advice based on the > taxpayer's particular > circumstances from an independent tax advisor. > **************************************************************************************************** > This e-mail is sent by a law firm and may contain information that is > privileged or confidential. > If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the e-mail and any > attachments and notify us > immediately. > **************************************************************************************************** > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/slabarre%40labarrelaw.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/aprevost%40sidley.com From johnrsheehan at yahoo.com Mon May 3 17:03:20 2010 From: johnrsheehan at yahoo.com (John Sheehan) Date: Mon, 3 May 2010 10:03:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question In-Reply-To: <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> References: <0F04FCD67AD04E50BBCEFBE88B18640C@spike> <004b01ca2fe4$f14bdc10$d3e39430$@com> <4aa591c9.02c3f10a.3629.ffffe495@mx.google.com><83CAA5A591B34E90A1FDC671C640EE6F@spike> <005801ca33d4$0fc62e50$2f528af0$@com><26DF3ADC32444453B7B53D64E4A9B4E8@spike> <4aacc4aa.85c2f10a.5b99.ffffc132@mx.google.com> <019501ca348f$b42742c0$1c75c840$@com> <4aad3478.c5c2f10a.4f27.ffffc008@mx.google.com> <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> Message-ID: <507955.55215.qm@web53807.mail.re2.yahoo.com> We provide our services for free to people who establish the need - blindness or low vision, or some other situation that makes it impossible for them to deal with traditional print. The gift or service in the question you ask is restricted - it is reasonable to ascertain that the qualification to receive the gift is met.   Fr. John R. Sheehan, SJ Chairman Xavier Society for the Blind Web Site: www.xaviersocietyfortheblind.org OnLine Auction: www.biddingforgood.com/xaviersociety 154 E. 23rd St NYC 10010 212 473-7800, ext 119 Help us raise money for the Xavier Society for the Blind just by searching the Internet or shopping online with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo! Free for you - and money for us! Thank you.   Residence: 53 E 83rd St New York, NY 10028 Room Phone: 212 606-3420 Cell: 646 853-1820 Blog: www.frjohnsj.blogspot.com ________________________________ From: "Prevost, Ann Marie" To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Sent: Mon, May 3, 2010 9:33:51 AM Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question If an organization wanted to give out tickets for theater performances to visually impaired children at a discounted price, would there be some sort of legal reason why the organization could not ask for some proof of status such as an IEP or registration with the Commission for the Blind? Ann Marie Prevost Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue New York, New York 10019 aprevost at sidley.com 212-839-5408 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To comply with certain U.S. Treasury regulations, we inform you that, unless expressly stated otherwise, any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments, was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may be imposed on such taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if any such tax advice is used or referred to by other parties in promoting, marketing or recommending any partnership or other entity, investment plan or arrangement, then (i) the advice should be construed as written in connection with the promotion or marketing by others of the transaction(s) or matter(s) addressed in this communication and (ii) the taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer's particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. **************************************************************************************************** This e-mail is sent by a law firm and may contain information that is privileged or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the e-mail and any attachments and notify us immediately. **************************************************************************************************** _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/johnrsheehan%40yahoo.com From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Tue May 4 09:02:32 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Tue, 4 May 2010 02:02:32 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question In-Reply-To: <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> References: <0F04FCD67AD04E50BBCEFBE88B18640C@spike> <004b01ca2fe4$f14bdc10$d3e39430$@com> <4aa591c9.02c3f10a.3629.ffffe495@mx.google.com><83CAA5A591B34E90A1FDC671C640EE6F@spike> <005801ca33d4$0fc62e50$2f528af0$@com><26DF3ADC32444453B7B53D64E4A9B4E8@spike> <4aacc4aa.85c2f10a.5b99.ffffc132@mx.google.com> <019501ca348f$b42742c0$1c75c840$@com><4aad3478.c5c2f10a.4f27.ffffc008@mx.google.com> <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> Message-ID: <62943244EA534B7192A4A9D60006FE19@spike> This type of criteria or similar is done all the time by nonprofit organizations with various populations. The recipient of the ticket or in this the child's guardian has the choice to provide the information as a condition of receiving the ticket. Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal 1237 P Street Fresno ca 93721 559-266-9237 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Prevost, Ann Marie" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 6:33 AM Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question > If an organization wanted to give out tickets for theater performances > to visually impaired children at a discounted price, would there be some > sort of legal reason why the organization could not ask for some proof > of status such as an IEP or registration with the Commission for the > Blind? > > > Ann Marie Prevost > Sidley Austin LLP > 787 Seventh Avenue > New York, New York 10019 > aprevost at sidley.com > 212-839-5408 > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To comply with certain U.S. Treasury > regulations, we inform you > that, unless expressly stated otherwise, any U.S. federal tax advice > contained in this > communication, including attachments, was not intended or written to be > used, and cannot be > used, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may > be imposed on such > taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if any such tax > advice is used or referred > to by other parties in promoting, marketing or recommending any > partnership or other entity, > investment plan or arrangement, then (i) the advice should be construed as > written in connection > with the promotion or marketing by others of the transaction(s) or > matter(s) addressed in this > communication and (ii) the taxpayer should seek advice based on the > taxpayer's particular > circumstances from an independent tax advisor. > **************************************************************************************************** > This e-mail is sent by a law firm and may contain information that is > privileged or confidential. > If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the e-mail and any > attachments and notify us > immediately. > **************************************************************************************************** > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Tue May 4 16:48:56 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Tue, 4 May 2010 11:48:56 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession: A Pledge for Change, WSBA Bar News, March 2010 Message-ID: Link: http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/mar10-diversity.htm Text: Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession: A Pledge for Change by Emily Cooper Pura January 18, 2010, marked the 27th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations in this county. It was President Ronald Reagan who signed the holiday into law in 1983 to honor Dr. King for his nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement. One of Dr. King's most powerful statements was, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." This is a principle that attorneys can identify with as we seek to promote all that is good and lasting in the justice system. That is why the ABA's most recent efforts to contribute to diversity efforts in the practice of law is so profound: it affects every one of us and the judicial system, even if we do not individually identify as having a disability. In 2009, the ABA hosted the Second National Conference on the Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities. Out of this groundbreaking conference also came "A Report from the American Bar Association to the Legal Profession." This report has far-reaching diversity implications affecting retention efforts of attorneys with disabilities practicing law, as well as employers and even law students with disabilities. The report includes information on the following topics: * The status of lawyers and law students with disabilities, including statistics and surveys, and why we need lawyers with disabilities in the profession * How to make the transition from law school to the workplace with a disability * How and why you should recruit, hire, retain, and promote lawyers with disabilities * Practical tips on how to make your place of employment both welcoming and legally compliant for those with disabilities * Personal stories and anecdotes from lawyers with disabilities, including the first blind U.S. Supreme Court clerk, an associate general counsel, and an official from President Obama's White House staff Another pivotal issue that came out of the conference and the subsequent report was the Pledge for Change. One of the primary purposes of the Conference was to encourage legal employers, including law firms and corporate counsels, to sign the "Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession: A Pledge for Change" (Pledge), in order to support disability diversity in the legal profession. In furthering its commitment to disability diversity in the legal profession, the ABA Commission is currently promoting the Pledge, a one-page commitment statement for legal employers to sign. The Pledge affirms the signatory's commitment to diversity, specifically disability diversity, and recognizes that diversity is in the best interest of the profession, those the profession serves, and the organization making the commitment. The Pledge also announces that the signatory will encourage others in the legal industry to make this commitment. It is this pledge that I, as an attorney with a disability who works at Disability Rights Washington, ask each employer and law school to consider in the next year. The ABA is hoping to have all signatures gathered by 2011. The Pledge for Change was created in response to the lack of lawyers with disabilities in the profession, and was the centerpiece of the Second ABA National Conference on the Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities held in June 2009. The ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law will be leading the effort to have legal employers sign the Pledge for Change. If you are interested in collaborating with the Commission in having your employer or others sign the Pledge for Change, please contact William Phelan at: ABA Pledge for Change c/o William J. Phelan, IV, Esq. 740 15th Street, NW, 9th Floor Washington, DC 20005-1022 phelanw at staff.abanet.org 202-662-1576 (phone) 202-442-3439 (fax) You may also review the Pledge for Change by going to www.abanet.org/disability/pledge. In the time since the ABA issued its call to employers and universities to sign the Pledge for Change, nearly 50 (including several from Washington state) have signed the Pledge, showing their commitment to diversifying their workforces, specifically for lawyers with disabilities. Association of Corporate Counsel ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firms Division ABA Individual Rights and Responsibilities Section ABA Section of Family Law Adorno Yoss Caley Dehkhoda & Qadri Arnall Golden Gregory LLP Arnold & Porter LLP Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC Ballard Spahr LLP Bar Association of San Francisco Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund Disability Rights Washington Florida Costal School of Law Fordham University School of Law Frank Law Office, P.C. The Goitia Law Firm, PL Golden Gate University School of Law Howard University School of Law Ice Miller LLP Kirkland & Ellis LLP Learning Rights Law Center Liberty University School of Law Michigan State University College of Law Morrison & Forster LLP Phoenix School of Law Quarles & Brady LLP Schiff Hardin LLP Schreiner Law Group PC State Bar of Arizona Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc. Temple University Beasley School of Law Texas Tech University School of Law Towe, Ball, Enright, Mackey & Sommerfeld, P.L.L.P. UCLA School of Law Ulmer & Berne LLP University of Buffalo Law School University of Miami School of Law University of New Mexico School of Law University of North Carolina School of Law University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law University of South Dakota School of Law University of Tulsa College of Law University of Washington School of Law Western New England College School of Law Washington state has made important strides to support and increase diversity in the legal profession. In 2007, the WSBA Board of Governors adopted five Guiding Principles, one of which is to "advance and promote diversity, equality, and cultural understanding throughout the legal community." This commitment has been made possible through significant efforts by WSBA leadership in partnership with the various Minority Bar Associations, the WSBA Committee for Diversity, the Board of Governors Diversity Committee, and other stakeholders in the legal community and community at large. This commitment would be strengthened if more Washington state employers were to sign the Pledge. Please take a look at the Pledge and talk to your colleagues and your employer about committing to support disability diversity in the legal field by signing this one-page pledge. Pledging to change the diversity of the legal profession ultimately upholds Dr. King's statement that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Emily Cooper Pura is a graduate of Seattle University School of Law. She has spent her legal career practicing in areas of public interest focusing on state and federal benefits law, as well as addressing the issues impacting individuals with disabilities. She works at Disability Rights Washington and also serves as a pro bono attorney with KCBA Volunteer Attorney for People with AIDS. Professional activities include serving on WSBA Committee for Diversity and Q-Law. Wilberforce Agyekum and Assistant Attorney General Maureen Mannix provided edits to this column. From JFreeh at nfb.org Wed May 5 14:12:37 2010 From: JFreeh at nfb.org (Freeh, Jessica) Date: Wed, 05 May 2010 09:12:37 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Law Schools Discriminate Against Blind Applicants Message-ID: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 (410) 262-1281 (Cell) cdanielsen at nfb.org Law Schools Discriminate Against Blind Applicants National Federation of the Blind Files Complaints Against Nine Law Schools Baltimore, Maryland (May 5, 2010): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind people, announced today that it has filed complaints with the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, requesting investigations of nine prominent law schools for violating the civil rights of blind and other print-disabled law school applicants. The NFB filed the complaints because the law schools require applicants who wish to have the convenience of applying online to use a centralized Internet-based application process provided by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) through its Web site (www.lsac.org) that is inaccessible to blind law school applicants. While sighted law school applicants can use the LSAC system to submit multiple law school applications at once, blind students must seek sighted assistance to use the LSAC system. Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires these law schools to offer equal access to their programs and services. The nine law schools named in the complaints are The University of Chicago Law School, Yeshiva University's Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Atlanta's John Marshall Law School, University of Denver's Sturm College of Law, Washington and Lee University School of Law, University of Miami School of Law, William Mitchell College of Law, Gonzaga University School of Law, and Northeastern University School of Law. The complaints ask the Justice Department to require these law schools to suspend use of the LSAC application system until it is accessible to blind and other print-disabled students and to require each law school to provide the same application process in a format available to all students. The NFB already has a lawsuit pending against the LSAC for violating California law by maintaining an inaccessible Web site. Blind people access Web sites on computers equipped with screen access software that converts what is on the screen into synthesized speech or Braille. The keyboard is used instead of a mouse to navigate the Web site and click on selected links or buttons. If a Web site is improperly coded, however, blind computer users cannot access or interact with the site. The LSAC application process does not present information to screen access software and thus requires blind users to resort to sighted assistance. Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The National Federation of the Blind expects those who control admission to the practice of law to obey the law. Forcing blind law school applicants to use a separate and inherently unequal application process violates both the letter and the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Accessibility standards for Web-based forms like those used in the Law School Admissions Council's application system have been in place for years and have been successfully implemented by many other Web sites, so there is no reason why the LSAC cannot make its application service available to blind law school applicants. That is why we have asked the United States Department of Justice to act swiftly and decisively to ensure that blind law school applicants are treated the same as their sighted peers." The National Federation of the Blind is represented in this matter by Daniel F. Goldstein and Mehgan Sidhu of the Baltimore firm Brown, Goldstein, and Levy; Laurence W. Paradis, Anna Levine, and Karla Gilbride of the Berkley firm Disability Rights Advocates; and Scott C. LaBarre of the Denver firm LaBarre Law Offices. ### About the National Federation of the Blind With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind. From info at michaelhingson.com Thu May 6 00:29:25 2010 From: info at michaelhingson.com (Michael Hingson) Date: Wed, 05 May 2010 19:29:25 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader Mobile At NFB National Convention Message-ID: Hello everyone, Once again this year the NFB and The Michael Hingson Group, Inc. will be selling the KnfbReader Mobile at our National convention. We want to help you with your purchase should you wish to buy a Reader at the convention. First, we will have plenty of KnfbReader Mobile systems available with either the Nokia N82 or the N86 hardware. Second, all systems will be configured and ready to activate. We will be happy to activate software for you in the exhibit hall when you purchase your KnfbReader Mobile. Third, once again we shall be utilizing the NFB %3 low interest technology loan as a way to help you buy a KnfbReader Mobile should you not wish to use cash or a credit card to make your purchase directly at the convention. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to approve and fund loans at the convention. The chair of the Loan Fund committee has told me that due to time constraints the committee will not be able to meet and approve loans during the convention. If you may be planning on using the loan fund to purchase a KnfbReader at the convention I would like to urge you to complete an application now rather than waiting until July. If your application is approved you can simply order the Reader from us for delivery at the convention which will save shipping charges. A link to the online loan application is available at http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com near the bottom of the page. In the field asking for the name of your dealer simply enter the words "NFB convention" should you plan to pick up your Reader at the convention. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of completing the application now should you wish to use the loan fund to purchase a KnfbReader Mobile. Curtis Chong, chair of the Loan Fund Committee tells me that any applications completed by late May should be funded by the convention. The sooner you complete the application the faster your loan will be completed. We cannot provide Readers to anyone who has not gone through the entire loan process and had their loan funded. We shall be ready to help anyone complete an application at the convention, but there will be a delay in you receiving your KnfbReader Mobile. Fourth, we will again be ready to answer any support questions of current users as well as helping you with any issues you may have. Representatives of KNFB Technologies will also be on hand to answer your questions. Finally, we are presently working on having a Reader users meeting sometime early in the convention. More details will follow on this when they become available. If anyone has any questions or wishes more information about the Reader please call me at (415) 827-4084 or email me at info at michaelhingson.com. Please tell your friends and anyone you know about how they can see this great technology at the NFB convention. All of us on the KnfbReader team look forward to serving you. Thank you for your support. Best, Michael Hingson The Michael Hingson Group, INC. "Speaking with Vision" Michael Hingson, President (415) 827-4084 info at michaelhingson.com www.michaelhingson.com for info on the new KNFB Reader Mobile, visit: http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com http://michaelhingson.com/images/knfbReader-michael_hingson.jpg __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 5089 (20100505) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Thu May 6 16:01:35 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Thu, 6 May 2010 11:01:35 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: New Job Announcements for the Civil Rights Division Message-ID: From: jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Maurer, Patricia Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 12:41 PM To: jobs at nfbnet.org Subject: [Jobs] FW: New Job Announcements for the Civil Rights Division ________________________________ From: Special Programs Vacancies [mailto:CRT.SpecProgVacancies at usdoj.gov] Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 2:28 PM To: Petrie, Diane E (CRT) Cc: Jin, Les (CRT); Johnson, Linda (CRT) Subject: New Job Announcements for the Civil Rights Division The Civil Rights Division (Division) would like to thank each of you for participating in our efforts to increase outreach to lawyers interested in working for the Division. By agreeing to receive our attorney job announcements, you are helping to make sure we have the best lawyers we can find. The application period for several of our lawyer positions will be closing within a week; and several others will close in the next few weeks. If you have a convenient way to remind your constituents of the looming deadline, we would very much appreciate it. The Division hopes to attract a broad and diverse pool of qualified applicants, and, to that end, encourages you to forward this information to any qualified applicants, including qualified applicants with disabilities, who may be interested in working for the Division. For your convenience, all current Division job announcements are listed below. Please also remind members of your organization that all our lawyer job announcements can always be found on the Division's homepage, http://www.justice.gov/crt/recruit.php. In addition, if you know of other organizations that might want to receive our job announcements, please let them know the process is very simple. They just need to send an email to CRT.SpecProgVacancies at usdoj.gov. There are no elaborate forms to fill out - just an email indicating that the organization wishes to receive future job listings and the e-mail address for us to contact them. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have suggestions on how we can improve our outreach efforts. Thank you. Employment Opportunities The chart below includes the Civil Rights Division job opportunities currently available. Individuals interested in applying for these positions should comply with the applications procedures and closing dates in the vacancy announcement. Position Section Grade Salary Closing Date Attorney Advisor Coordination and Review GS-13/15 $89,033 - $155,500 5/7/2010 New Lead Accessibility Specialist Disability Rights GS-13 $89,033 - $115,742 5/11/2010 New Accessibility Specialist Disability Rights GS-11/12 $62,467 - $97,333 5/11/2010 New Paralegal Specialist Appellate GS-7/11 $42,409 - $81,204 5/13/2010 New Supervisory Accessibility Specialist Disability Rights GS-14 $105,211 - $136,771 5/14/2010 New Chief Special Litigation ES-0905-00/00 $119,554 - $179,700 5/18/2010 New Deputy Chief Special Litigation GS-15 $123,578 - $155,500 5/18/2010 New Deputy Chief Voting GS-15 $123,758 - $155,500 5/19/2010 Student Volunteer Professional Development Office volunteer n/a open until filled Student Volunteer Office of the Assistant Attorney General volunteer n/a open until filled In addition, please direct your law school and undergraduate contacts to the Division's new Volunteer Internship Opportunities page, http://www.justice.gov/crt/vol_intern_opps.php, for information on available internships for the fall 2010 term. -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ Jobs mailing list Jobs at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/jobs_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Jobs: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/jobs_nfbnet.org/noel.nightingale%40ed.gov From slabarre at labarrelaw.com Thu May 6 12:41:12 2010 From: slabarre at labarrelaw.com (Scott C. LaBarre) Date: Thu, 6 May 2010 06:41:12 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] your help is needed Message-ID: Greetings: We are interested in talking to any blind/visually impaired college students who wish or plan to go to law school and who will be taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). However, our needs are even more specific than that. The student needs to be a California resident and planning to attend a California law school. Secondarily, we would like to talk to students who may not be a California resident but do wish/plan to attend a California law school. Please contact me at the below information. Thanks, Scott C. LaBarre, Esq. LaBarre Law Offices P.C. 1660 South Albion Street, Ste. 918 Denver, Colorado 80222 303 504-5979 (voice) 303 757-3640 (fax) slabarre at labarrelaw.com (e-mail) www.labarrelaw.com (website) CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the designated recipient, you may not read, copy, distribute or retain this message. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender at 303) 504-5979 or slabarre at labarrelaw.com, and destroy and delete it from your system. This message and any attachments are covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521. From rogerbaccus at gmail.com Fri May 7 00:36:06 2010 From: rogerbaccus at gmail.com (Roger Baccus) Date: Thu, 6 May 2010 20:36:06 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Message-ID: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? http://www.rogerbaccus.com From dandrews at visi.com Fri May 7 03:18:42 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Thu, 06 May 2010 22:18:42 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] =?iso-8859-1?q?_Statement_of_Daniel_Goldstein=2C_Befor?= =?iso-8859-1?q?e_Congress=2C_Achieving_the_Promise_of__the_Americans_with?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_Disabilities_Act_in_the_Digital_Age_=96_Current_Issues=2C?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_Challenges=2C_and_Opportunities?= Message-ID: Statement of Daniel F. Goldstein, Esq. Partner, Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP Before the United States House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties on Achieving the Promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the Digital Age – Current Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities Thursday April 22, 2010 Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me here today. As a partner in the Baltimore, Maryland law firm of Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP, I have been engaged in disability rights law, principally on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind (“NFB”), since 1986. In 1999, the NFB asked me to assist it in devising a strategy to promote the accessibility of digital information through education, negotiation and litigation. I have devoted much of the last 11 years to that effort. The ADA has played a valuable role in that undertaking, as we have worked to make websites, workplace software applications, ATMs, voting machines, cell phones and e-book reading devices accessible to people with vision and print disabilities. The challenge is immense. Digital information is everywhere, from consumer electronics and home appliances to the internet, computer screens and mobile devices to ticket kiosks and ATMs. It is difficult to identify an activity in modern American life in which digital information does not play a role. Because digital information is composed of zeros and ones, it is not inherently visual, aural or tactile but can be presented in any one or all of those modes with equivalent facility. Thus, the ubiquitous use of digital information should be great news for those who cannot access print because of a disability – whether it’s a vision disability, a learning disability, an intellectual disability, or a manual impairment or spinal cord injury. Similarly, digital information that was traditionally presented as speech can now produce mainstream accessibility for those with hearing impairments. Sadly, however, the potential for the disability community to have mainstream and therefore equal access has not been realized. So much electronic information is presented so that it is accessible only to one sense, resulting in persons with disabilities having unequal access and therefore being denied the opportunity for equal participation in all spheres of life. Thus, to give you a homely example, something as simple as setting the thermostat in one’s house, which a blind person could formerly do by adding tactile markings to the dial that controlled the thermostat, is now an inaccessible activity. Even though digital temperature controls could communicate both visually and audibly, most provide only visual information, leaving blind people worse off than before. A. The ADA and Public Accommodation Websites The ADA is key to unlocking these doors. Title III of the ADA applies to public accommodations, defined as 12 categories of commercial entities that interact with the public. We believe both the intent and the language of the ADA cover websites and other digital information and services provided by those covered entities, regardless of whether those entities also operate brick-and-mortar locations. In 1999, on behalf of the NFB, I filed suit in federal court in Massachusetts against America Online for violating Title III of the ADA by failing to make its service accessible to the blind. The First Circuit had held in the context of insurance services that a public accommodation may be covered under Title III of the ADA without the activity being linked to a physical place of public accommodation. We were anxious to follow that case law to its logical conclusion that websites that offer the services of a public accommodation, as delineated in Title III, are likewise covered by the ADA. However, AOL quickly decided to make its website fully accessible, so the matter was settled without creating any judicial precedent. In 2006, we filed suit against the Target Corporation over the inaccessibility of its website. After the federal court in San Francisco ruled that the portions of the website that had a nexus to the physical stores were covered by the ADA,[1] Target settled and has since made its website fully accessible.[2] Opponents of the application of Title III to commercial and educational websites might argue that some federal case law supports the proposition that e-commerce is outside the scope of the ADA. There is a line of reasoning adopted in some circuits that a place of public accommodation, within the meaning of Title III, must be an “actual, physical” place.[3] These courts have held that to state a claim under Title III, the plaintiff must allege either that there has been discrimination in a physical place, or that there is a “nexus” between the challenged act of discrimination and a physical place of public accommodation. This approach stands in stark contrast to the more commonsense view adopted by several other circuits that the phrase “public accommodation” encompasses more than just physical structures.[4] Most cases addressing the “place” argument have been in the context of insurance, considering whether the ADA’s non-discrimination requirements govern the substance of insurance policies. None of the circuit courts adopting the “physical place” line of reasoning have addressed the precise question of whether public accommodations that operate through the internet or its websites are places of public accommodation under Title III. So we do not currently know what conclusion these circuits would reach on that issue. In today’s increasingly online society, limiting the ADA (or any civil rights law) to only those businesses that operate in physical facilities would undermine the fundamental goals of civil rights. Given that one of the essential purposes of Title III is to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities in the basic, day-to-day activities that are a fundamental part of living and functioning in a community, it is hard to imagine that coverage would depend on whether a covered entity offers its services and goods in a physical location, door-to-door, by phone, or online. In an age where hundreds of millions of Americans are increasingly using the internet every day to shop for groceries, plan their travel, conduct business, do their banking, attend college classes, and socialize with friends and family, it is undeniable that these websites are an indispensable part of basic, day-to-day life in the community. Despite this obvious reality of life in the internet era, one district court, in Access Now v. Southwest Airlines Co. has erroneously extended the “physical place” line of reasoning to conclude that it would not apply Title III to prohibit discriminatory access to Southwest’s website where the plaintiff had failed to allege a “nexus” between the site and a physical, brick-and-mortar place.[5] I have no doubt that the district court’s interpretation of Title III in the Southwest case was incorrect, and that a federal Court of Appeals squarely presented with the issue should reach the conclusion that Title III applies to goods and services provided over the internet. But the fact that the district court strayed so far from Title III’s fundamental purpose was troubling, and is one of the reasons that I applaud the Committee’s decision to hold this hearing. In light of Assistant Attorney General Perez’s affirmation last week that the Department of Justice continues to believe that public accommodations are covered by Title III even when they reach the public only via websites, it seems to me that the time has come to test this proposition in the courts as well as through the development of regulations by the Department of Justice. Court cases aside, in the years since the internet has become a mainstay of American life, some advocates and covered entities have reached agreements about accessibility of internet sites. Among the websites that have reached such agreements, variously, with the NFB, the American Council of the Blind and the New York and Massachusetts Offices of Attorney General are: Amazon.com, Apple’s iTunes, Major League Baseball, CVS, Radio Shack, Rite Aid, Staples, Ramada Hotels, and Priceline.com. Other companies with commercial websites have reached out proactively to secure certification from the NFB that their websites are accessible, including both large companies like G.E. and NewEgg and small businesses like my law firm. These agreements and the Target case have had a positive impact in increasing website accessibility across the commercial industry. A study of the top thirty-two online retailers’ websites that analyzed the websites’ accessibility one year before the Target decision and one year following the decision found a significant improvement in overall accessibility.[6] Using the standards and tools provided by the ADA, we are seeing voice-guided ATMs and Accessible Point-of-Sale Machines. In the case of the former, with the recent announcement by Bank of America that all of its ATMs now have voice-guidance and my settlement with the largest nonbank deployer of ATMs, Cardtronics, inaccessible ATMs are becoming the exception rather than the rule. ATMs, however, provide an important lesson. The technology to make ATMs accessible is older than the technology to make ATMs and the additional cost of accessibility in manufacturing and deploying ATMs is marginal. However, delay by banks and other deployers of ATMs to comply with the ADA until the national fleet of ATMs was mature led to a tremendous and unnecessary increase in costs in retrofitting or replacing functioning inaccessible ATMs. It also needlessly delayed the blind from having this convenience that so many rely on. When new technologies find acceptance in the marketplace, their adoption and improvement often occurs with dizzying speed. When accessibility is not built in from the outset, however, the disability community suffers significant competitive disadvantages whose later correction may come only as that technology is being replaced by something newer or better. When a Microsoft offers first Windows Vista and then Windows 7 that were accessible from the day each went on the market, or Apple develops, as it has, a technology that allows the controls of its iPad to be accessible to the blind, this is cause for celebration. The list of other technologies that have been accessible from their entry into the market, however, remains far too short. Gratuitous barriers to accessibility are still the rule, not the exception. Improved clarity about the application of the ADA to public accommodations operating over the internet will help. As is demonstrated by the experience of educational institutions, once the purchasers of technology understand their obligations and insist on accessibility by their suppliers, accessibility becomes mainstreamed. B. Inaccessible Digital Information in Education Nowhere is the impact of digital information felt more than in the field of education. The impact is pronounced here, perhaps more than in any other sphere because digital information and electronic technology have the potential to change the game for students with print disabilities. However, educational institutions are not meeting that potential. For example, a 2008 study that examined the accessibility of postsecondary education web pages found that 97% of the institutions in its sample contained significant accessibility barriers.[7] The study examined only top or home pages of university websites, suggesting that the significant barriers are even more deeply entrenched than indicated by the study. That the vast majority of educational institutions fail to recognize their obligations under the ADA to make their website information accessible is only the tip of the iceberg. Reliance on online education is steeply increasing, with online enrollments growing substantially faster than overall higher education enrollments in the past six years.[8] Meanwhile, digital books, course management systems, and other educational technologies have become an integral part of post-secondary education. Many of these technologies are completely – and gratuitously – inaccessible to students and others with print disabilities. While universities and institutions have often failed to appreciate their obligations under the ADA and their commercial power as consumers of educational technology, some positive examples of success demonstrate the kind of impact institutions can have if their obligations under the ADA are made clear and enforceable. i. Universities and Amazon’s Kindle DX In February 2009, the Kindle 2 was introduced with a read-out-loud feature, but with on-screen navigation that was not voiced and was therefore inaccessible to the blind. The Association of American Publishers and the Authors Guild sought to have Amazon terminate this feature. In response, the Reading Rights Coalition was formed, thirty-two nonprofits representing the print-disability community­including, among others, the blind, people with dyslexia and other learning disabilities, those with cerebral palsy, and those with upper spinal cord injuries. The Coalition worked on one hand to protect the inclusion of Text-to-Speech while fighting to have Amazon allow its menus to talk and thus make the device accessible. In May 2009, Amazon announced the launch of its Kindle DX e-book reader, which it had designed for educational use. Because Amazon failed to include accessible navigational controls, the device was inaccessible to the blind. Six colleges and universities simultaneously announced they would be deploying the Kindle DX during the 2009 – 2010 academic year. The National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind filed a complaint in federal court against Arizona State University and filed complaints with the Department of Justice and Department of Education against the remaining schools (Pace University, Case Western Reserve University, Reed College, Princeton University, and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business). These complaints alleged that by deploying the inaccessible Kindle, the colleges and universities violated their obligations under Titles II and III of the ADA to provide equal access to their services. While sighted students would benefit from the instant access, notetaking, and other services of the Kindle, blind students would be left behind, forced to rely on separate methods of access that are significantly inferior to even the print textbook experience. The complaint against the University of Virginia is still pending with the Department of Education, but the NFB, the ACB and the Department of Justice secured settlements with the other five schools under which those schools agreed, after the end of this semester, not to deploy inaccessible e-book readers. While those complaints were pending, other universities stepped forward to publicly pledge they would not adopt e-book technologies on their campus – including the Kindle – unless and until they were accessible. Those universities included Syracuse University, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Illinois. In response to this pressure, Amazon announced that it would release a fully accessible Kindle in the summer of 2010. And on March 9, 2010, the Reading Rights Coalition, the Association of American Publishers and the Authors Guild issued a joint statement, released on the White House blog, supporting mainstream accessibility when books are issued in formats other than print, such as e-books and audio books.[9] ii. Libraries and Adobe Digital Editions Adobe Digital Editions is the leading commercial e-book format used by libraries and also the format that can be read on the inaccessible Sony e-book reader. Until March 2009, Adobe e-books had been accessible to those who require speech to access text and who downloaded those books to a PC. In March 2009, however, Adobe stopped support of that accessible system and switched to a new, inaccessible e-book platform, called Adobe Digital Editions. As a result, numerous public library patrons with disabilities could no longer access their libraries’ digital collections. Advocacy from the Burton Blatt Institute and the Reading Rights Coalition prompted the American Library Association to adopt a resolution strongly recommending that libraries ensure that all electronic resources they procure are accessible to people with disabilities.[10] Shortly thereafter, the Los Angeles Public Library, responding to a letter from the Reading Rights Coalition, agreed to suspend future procurement of Adobe Digital Editions books until they are fully accessible.[11] In response, Adobe announced that it would release an accessible Adobe Digital Editions in 2010.[12] Thus, when institutional customers of technology, like libraries, act on their obligations under the ADA, the developers of those technologies find strong economic motivation to remove the barriers to accessibility. iii. California State University and BlackBoard California State University succeeded in moving one of the leading course-management software systems, BlackBoard Learn, toward accessibility. In the late-1990’s, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights launched an investigation into California State University campuses’ compliance with, among other statutes, Title II of the ADA. In response, the Cal State system revamped its approach to providing access to students with disabilities and has become a leader and model for educational institutions to follow. Specifically, rather than delegating accessibility obligations to an isolated Disability Student Services office, as most universities do, Cal State established a system-wide, coordinated approach to accessibility. Under this approach, accessibility experts work closely with the University’s information officers to ensure that the technology the university employs is accessible. Through this arrangement, Cal State requires that new technologies it procures be accessible to its students. When Cal State put out a request for proposals for new course management software, it turned down BlackBoard – the leading purveyor of course management software – because it did not meet Cal State’s accessibility requirements. Since that time, BlackBoard has issued two new releases of its software that greatly enhance its accessibility.[13] C. The Next Steps to Access to Technology We are not even halfway there on making the internet accessible and in making accessible the technologies used in the workplace and offered through public accommodations, like educational institutions. And, of course, new technologies continue to develop and flourish with astonishing speed. The barriers to accessibility, however, are not the result, for the most part, of intractable technological issues and need not (and as a practical matter, would not) slow down innovation. The biggest contributor to the growing accessibility gap continues to be a lack of commitment to making technology accessible. The ADA was a tremendous normative statement of the importance we attach as a nation to equal opportunity without regard to disability. But while the disability community has the responsibility to use the ADA and the other tools offered by federal and state laws, government must continue to make clear its commitment to that promise as well. The National Broadband Plan, for example, states as one of its goals that “every American should have affordable access to robust broadband service, and the means and skills to subscribe if they so choose.”[14] It envisions, among other things “improvements in public education through e-learning and online content” and improvements in health care through the expansion of “e-care.”[15] Without concrete steps to build in accessibility at every stage and level, this promise to “every American” will not be realized. Recognizing this, the National Broadband Plan specifically states that “hardware, software, services and digital content must be accessible and assistive technologies must be affordable.”[16] The Plan calls on the federal government to be a model of accessibility, to specifically support innovation in accessibility, and to clarify and modernize its accessibility laws, enforcement efforts, and subsidy programs. In that respect, the federal government has a long way to go, as it has failed to monitor and enforce the provisions of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The National Education Technology Plan, currently in draft form, addresses to some degree the need for Education Technology to be designed for mainstream accessibility for those with disabilities and we hope the final draft will be more robust. However, recent draft rules regarding Health Information Technology fail to wholeheartedly incorporate accessibility. Again, the federal government must make sure that the execution follows the good intentions. Our milestones under the ADA thus far have been significant, but we remain far behind where we ought to be in an era that relies so intrinsically upon digital information. The near future will only expedite the transition to digital information in critical sectors – including education, employment, health care, commerce and social life. If we do not ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to digital information, they face exclusion from participation in our society. The commitment we have already seen from the Department of Justice will take us nearer that goal. The Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, General Services Administration, Federal Communications Commission, and others have important opportunities to advance accessible technology as well. There are good reasons to believe that the disability community, acting for itself and with the support of governmental entities, can make great strides toward the day that it no longer must settle for separate and unequal access to technology, but will have, instead, the same access to mainstream technology and thus an equal opportunity to participate in the educational, economic and social life of this country. Thank you [1] Nat’l Fed’n of the Blind v. Target Corp., 452 F.Supp.2d 946 (N.D. Cal 2006). [2] Nat’l Fed’n of the Blind, v. Target Corp., No. 3:06-cv-01802-MHP Doc. 210 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 9, 2008) (final judgment and order approving settlement and dismissing claims). [3] See Weyer v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., 198 F.3d 1104, 1114 (9th Cir. 2000) (concluding that places of public accommodation are “actual, physical places.”); see also Ford v. Schering-Plough Corp., 145 F.3d 601, 612–13 (3d Cir. 1998) (holding that plaintiff failed to allege a nexus between the place of public accommodation and the insurance benefits offered by the employer); Stoutenborough v. National Football League, 59 F.3d 580, 583–84 (6th Cir. 1995) (affirming the dismissal of a claim under Title III because the challenged service, the live telecast of a football game, was not offered by a place of public accommodation, the stadium). [4] See Carparts Distribution Ctr., Inc. v. Automotive Wholesalers Assoc. of New England, Inc., 37 F.3d 12, 19–20 (1st Cir. 1994) (holding that “public accommodations” encompasses more than actual physical structures and includes the defendant insurance company); Doe v. Mutual of Omaha Ins. Co., 179 F.3d 557, 559 (7th Cir. 1999) (noting that a “place of public accommodation” encompasses facilities open to the public in both physical and electronic space, including websites). [5] Access Now, Inc. v. Southwest Airlines Co., 227 F.Supp.2d 1312 (2002). On appeal, the 11th Circuit dismissed the appeal without reaching the merits of the case, so the 11th Circuit has not yet addressed the issue. See Access Now, Inc. v. Southwest Airlines Co., 385 F. 3d 1324 (11th Cir. 2004). [6] Jonathan Frank, "Web Accessibility for the Blind: Corporate Social Responsibility? or Litigation Avoidance?," pp.284, Proceedings of the 41st Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2008), 2008. [7] Project GOALS Evaluates 100 Pages in Higher Education for Accessibility Against Section 508 Standard, NCDAE Newsletter, April 2008. Retrieved: http://ncdae.org/community/newsletter/april2008/ [8] I. Elaine Allen and Jeff Seaman, Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United States, 2009, Babson Survey Research Group, January 2010. Retrieved at: http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/pdf/learningondemand.pdf [9] http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/03/09/one-step-closer-full-access [10] Purchasing of Accessible Electronic Resources Resolution, American Library Association, July 15, 2009. Retrieved at: http://bbi.syr.edu/events/2009/docs/Purchasing_Accessible_ Electronic_Resources_Resolution_revised_52.doc. [11] Letter to Eve Hill from Martin Gomez, August 31, 2009. http://www.readingrights.org/477 [12] Bill McCoy, Adobe eBooks - Update on Accessibility Support, October 8, 2009. http://blogs.adobe.com/billmccoy/2009/10/adobe-ebooks--.html [13] National Federation of the Blind and Blackboard to Demonstrate New Accessibility Features at CSUN, March 25, 2010. http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=566 [14] http://www.broadband.gov/plan/executive-summary/ (“National Broadband Plan”). [15] Id. [16] National Broadband Plan at 181 (“Addressing Issues of Accessibility for Broadband Adoption and Utilization”). From joramsey at cox.net Fri May 7 07:13:13 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 03:13:13 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader Mobile At NFB National Convention In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <0E0714D8BF3E42109D2E4D699C892191@noneeb869fea9a> Hello, Does anyone know a vendor who still sells the WayFinder GPS Software? If so, please send me the contact information. Cordially, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michael Hingson (by way of David Andrews) Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 8:29 PM To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader Mobile At NFB National Convention Hello everyone, Once again this year the NFB and The Michael Hingson Group, Inc. will be selling the KnfbReader Mobile at our National convention. We want to help you with your purchase should you wish to buy a Reader at the convention. First, we will have plenty of KnfbReader Mobile systems available with either the Nokia N82 or the N86 hardware. Second, all systems will be configured and ready to activate. We will be happy to activate software for you in the exhibit hall when you purchase your KnfbReader Mobile. Third, once again we shall be utilizing the NFB %3 low interest technology loan as a way to help you buy a KnfbReader Mobile should you not wish to use cash or a credit card to make your purchase directly at the convention. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to approve and fund loans at the convention. The chair of the Loan Fund committee has told me that due to time constraints the committee will not be able to meet and approve loans during the convention. If you may be planning on using the loan fund to purchase a KnfbReader at the convention I would like to urge you to complete an application now rather than waiting until July. If your application is approved you can simply order the Reader from us for delivery at the convention which will save shipping charges. A link to the online loan application is available at http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com near the bottom of the page. In the field asking for the name of your dealer simply enter the words "NFB convention" should you plan to pick up your Reader at the convention. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of completing the application now should you wish to use the loan fund to purchase a KnfbReader Mobile. Curtis Chong, chair of the Loan Fund Committee tells me that any applications completed by late May should be funded by the convention. The sooner you complete the application the faster your loan will be completed. We cannot provide Readers to anyone who has not gone through the entire loan process and had their loan funded. We shall be ready to help anyone complete an application at the convention, but there will be a delay in you receiving your KnfbReader Mobile. Fourth, we will again be ready to answer any support questions of current users as well as helping you with any issues you may have. Representatives of KNFB Technologies will also be on hand to answer your questions. Finally, we are presently working on having a Reader users meeting sometime early in the convention. More details will follow on this when they become available. If anyone has any questions or wishes more information about the Reader please call me at (415) 827-4084 or email me at info at michaelhingson.com. Please tell your friends and anyone you know about how they can see this great technology at the NFB convention. All of us on the KnfbReader team look forward to serving you. Thank you for your support. Best, Michael Hingson The Michael Hingson Group, INC. "Speaking with Vision" Michael Hingson, President (415) 827-4084 info at michaelhingson.com www.michaelhingson.com for info on the new KNFB Reader Mobile, visit: http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com http://michaelhingson.com/images/knfbReader-michael_hingson.jpg __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 5089 (20100505) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From goldflash9 at sbcglobal.net Fri May 7 12:48:35 2010 From: goldflash9 at sbcglobal.net (Sarah Clark) Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 05:48:35 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> Message-ID: <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> Hi Roger, The KNFB Reader is quite effective. I have the mobile version, and expected that it would be useful, but its accuracy surprised me. In my experience, at least in so far as reading letters and other similar documents which contain paragraphs of text, it seems to be every bit as accurate as the regular Kurzweil or Abbyy OCR software. Soon after I received it, I was reading something with it and my husband walked into the room, overheard it reading, and was blown away on how well it had recognized the text. I've also used it to read receipts and check cooking directions on packages. Other than that, I haven't had much extensive use with it, so can't comment on how it would handle tables and other things that are specially formmatted. But if its OCR with letters, etc is any indication, it would seem that it would handle the specially formatted items as well as Kursweil does. Sarah ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Baccus" To: Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:36 PM Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like > it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? > > > http://www.rogerbaccus.com > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/goldflash9%40sbcglobal.net From mike.sandi at att.net Fri May 7 14:52:06 2010 From: mike.sandi at att.net (Michael Groat) Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 07:52:06 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> Message-ID: <4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> Roger, I have a KNFB Reader along with two of my friends. We all enjoy using it. There is a slight learning curve, but the rewards are well worth it. I have used it to read documents, restaurant menus, etc. I demonstrated it to my Low Vision Specialist. She gave me a small box, about 1 by 3 inches with very small writing on it. She was totally surprised that it was able to read the very small lettering. Michael -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sarah Clark Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 5:49 AM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hi Roger, The KNFB Reader is quite effective. I have the mobile version, and expected that it would be useful, but its accuracy surprised me. In my experience, at least in so far as reading letters and other similar documents which contain paragraphs of text, it seems to be every bit as accurate as the regular Kurzweil or Abbyy OCR software. Soon after I received it, I was reading something with it and my husband walked into the room, overheard it reading, and was blown away on how well it had recognized the text. I've also used it to read receipts and check cooking directions on packages. Other than that, I haven't had much extensive use with it, so can't comment on how it would handle tables and other things that are specially formmatted. But if its OCR with letters, etc is any indication, it would seem that it would handle the specially formatted items as well as Kursweil does. Sarah ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Baccus" To: Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:36 PM Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like > it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? > > http://www.rogerbaccus.com > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/goldflash9%40sbcgl obal.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mike.sandi%40att.n et From garymelc at msn.com Fri May 7 20:03:24 2010 From: garymelc at msn.com (gary melconian) Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 13:03:24 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] your help is needed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hello scot, how are you doing. I will be looking at law school for the 2011 or 2012 year in California. I may either look at either online or traditional since I am already in my area of profession and I just need to have law as more enhancement to my areas of expertise in accounting and fiannce. I have contacted you at your office but I did not get an answer so I left a voice mail. I look forward to being able to help out. Sincerely Yours: Gary Melconian, MBA Cell: 818-731-3949 -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Scott C. LaBarre Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:41 AM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list; NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: [blindlaw] your help is needed Greetings: We are interested in talking to any blind/visually impaired college students who wish or plan to go to law school and who will be taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). However, our needs are even more specific than that. The student needs to be a California resident and planning to attend a California law school. Secondarily, we would like to talk to students who may not be a California resident but do wish/plan to attend a California law school. Please contact me at the below information. Thanks, Scott C. LaBarre, Esq. LaBarre Law Offices P.C. 1660 South Albion Street, Ste. 918 Denver, Colorado 80222 303 504-5979 (voice) 303 757-3640 (fax) slabarre at labarrelaw.com (e-mail) www.labarrelaw.com (website) CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the designated recipient, you may not read, copy, distribute or retain this message. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender at 303) 504-5979 or slabarre at labarrelaw.com, and destroy and delete it from your system. This message and any attachments are covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521. _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/garymelc%40msn.com From stevep.deeley at insightbb.com Fri May 7 22:39:11 2010 From: stevep.deeley at insightbb.com (Steve P. Deeley) Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 18:39:11 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> <4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> Message-ID: What is the cost of the device? Steve ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Groat" To: "'Roger Baccus'" ; "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 10:52 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Roger, > I have a KNFB Reader along with two of my friends. We all enjoy using it. > There is a slight learning curve, but the rewards are well worth it. I > have > used it to read documents, restaurant menus, etc. > > I demonstrated it to my Low Vision Specialist. She gave me a small box, > about 1 by 3 inches with very small writing on it. She was totally > surprised that it was able to read the very small lettering. > > Michael > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Sarah Clark > Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 5:49 AM > To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > Hi Roger, > The KNFB Reader is quite effective. I have the mobile version, and > expected > > that it would be useful, but its accuracy surprised me. In my experience, > at least in so far as reading letters and other similar documents which > contain paragraphs of text, it seems to be every bit as accurate as the > regular Kurzweil or Abbyy OCR software. Soon after I received it, I was > reading something with it and my husband walked into the room, overheard > it > reading, and was blown away on how well it had recognized the text. I've > also used it to read receipts and check cooking directions on packages. > Other than that, I haven't had much extensive use with it, so can't > comment > on how it would handle tables and other things that are specially > formmatted. But if its OCR with letters, etc is any indication, it would > seem that it would handle the specially formatted items as well as > Kursweil > does. > > Sarah > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Roger Baccus" > To: > Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:36 PM > Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > >> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like >> it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >> >> > http://www.rogerbaccus.com >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/goldflash9%40sbcgl > obal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mike.sandi%40att.n > et > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/stevep.deeley%40insightbb.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2859 - Release Date: 05/07/10 02:26:00 -------------- next part -------------- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2859 - Release Date: 05/07/10 02:26:00 From ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com Sun May 9 01:12:43 2010 From: ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com (Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.) Date: Sat, 8 May 2010 19:12:43 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus><00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2><4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> Message-ID: Steve, the KNFB Reader for the Symbian phones is $995; occasionally, special prices are offered. Some folks sell theirs on the blindness-related buy and sell mailing lists for a lot less. The price given above DOES NOT include the cost of the phone on which you can use the reader. If you add the phone's cost, you can expect to pay close to $1,300 or a bit more. Sincerely, Olusegun Denver, Colorado From dandrews at visi.com Sun May 9 03:06:05 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Sat, 08 May 2010 22:06:05 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader Mobile At NFB National Convention In-Reply-To: <0E0714D8BF3E42109D2E4D699C892191@noneeb869fea9a> References: <0E0714D8BF3E42109D2E4D699C892191@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: Even if you can still buy it, it is doubtful as to whether or not you would want to. The maker has announced they are discontinuing support in the near future. There are those who are negotiating to have the product continued in some manner, but the jury is still out. For most people, Points of Interest stopped working a couple weeks ago, and for me, as of a couple days ago, everything stopped working. So, it may already be gone! Dave At 02:13 AM 5/7/2010, you wrote: >Hello, >Does anyone know a vendor who still sells the WayFinder GPS Software? If so, >please send me the contact information. >Cordially, >John From rogerbaccus at gmail.com Sun May 9 10:35:26 2010 From: rogerbaccus at gmail.com (Roger Baccus) Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 06:35:26 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> Message-ID: <0EA994957C3047858C9CE30A70854F93@rogerbaccus> My counselor feels that it is a good thing to have. However, she does not see it as essential for my job. I can't come up with impelling reasons to justify it. I am sure that Although I don't possess OpenBook or equivalent, I do have access to scan material at work. Here is the response from rehab. *** Roger, I appreciate your request for a KNFB Reader but I'm still not clear on what print would need to be read while you are at a conference or other venue. Would you be given new printed material without explanation? Do you have a scanner and software (like Open Book) that you are using now at ULVA and/or at home to access printed material? Also, if you are at a conference and given information (such as would be on a business card or brochure) could you keep it to scan at the office? If someone is giving you information at a conference you can put it right into the MPower including contact names and phone numbers or you could save their business card to scan and save later at work right? If you are listening to a presentation at a conference you can record the notes in the MPower. The hand-outs at conferences are usually the same information that is presented verbally and could be scanned and saved when back at the office. I agree that shopping without access to print is a little more challenging but we have to relate it to a work need. I'm trying to figure out if using the Mpower and existing equipment if you can find a way to accommodate. Can you give me more explanation? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah Clark" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 8:48 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Hi Roger, > The KNFB Reader is quite effective. I have the mobile version, and > expected that it would be useful, but its accuracy surprised me. In my > experience, at least in so far as reading letters and other similar > documents which contain paragraphs of text, it seems to be every bit as > accurate as the regular Kurzweil or Abbyy OCR software. Soon after I > received it, I was reading something with it and my husband walked into > the room, overheard it reading, and was blown away on how well it had > recognized the text. I've also used it to read receipts and check cooking > directions on packages. > Other than that, I haven't had much extensive use with it, so can't > comment on how it would handle tables and other things that are specially > formmatted. But if its OCR with letters, etc is any indication, it would > seem that it would handle the specially formatted items as well as > Kursweil does. > > Sarah > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Roger Baccus" > To: > Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:36 PM > Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > >> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like >> it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >> >> >> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/goldflash9%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rogerbaccus%40gmail.com From r.g.munro at gmail.com Sun May 9 14:42:42 2010 From: r.g.munro at gmail.com (Robert Munro) Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 10:42:42 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <0EA994957C3047858C9CE30A70854F93@rogerbaccus> References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> <0EA994957C3047858C9CE30A70854F93@rogerbaccus> Message-ID: <2DE10DA9-E1E3-4963-935C-41B652068185@gmail.com> How about being handed documents at the last minute in court or at a negotiation or board meeting? Also, meeting with a client who has not prepaired in advance: having the KNFB Reader would let you read any documents the client had quickly, rather than having the client read them or having to wait until you got back to the office. On May 9, 2010, at 6:35 AM, Roger Baccus wrote: > My counselor feels that it is a good thing to have. However, she does not see it as essential for my job. I can't come up with impelling reasons to justify it. I am sure that Although I don't possess OpenBook or equivalent, I do have access to scan material at work. > > Here is the response from rehab. > > *** > > Roger, > > > > I appreciate your request for a KNFB Reader but I'm still not clear on what print would need to be read while you are at a conference or other venue. Would you be given new printed material without explanation? Do you have a scanner and software (like Open Book) that you are using now at ULVA and/or at home to access printed material? Also, if you are at a conference and given information (such as would be on a business card or brochure) could you keep it to scan at the office? If someone is giving you information at a conference you can put it right into the MPower including contact names and phone numbers or you could save their business card to scan and save later at work right? If you are listening to a presentation at a conference you can record the notes in the MPower. The hand-outs at conferences are usually the same information that is presented verbally and could be scanned and saved when back at the office. I agree that shopping without access to print is a little more challenging but we have to relate it to a work need. I'm trying to figure out if using the Mpower and existing equipment if you can find a way to accommodate. Can you give me more explanation? > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah Clark" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 8:48 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > >> Hi Roger, >> The KNFB Reader is quite effective. I have the mobile version, and expected that it would be useful, but its accuracy surprised me. In my experience, at least in so far as reading letters and other similar documents which contain paragraphs of text, it seems to be every bit as accurate as the regular Kurzweil or Abbyy OCR software. Soon after I received it, I was reading something with it and my husband walked into the room, overheard it reading, and was blown away on how well it had recognized the text. I've also used it to read receipts and check cooking directions on packages. >> Other than that, I haven't had much extensive use with it, so can't comment on how it would handle tables and other things that are specially formmatted. But if its OCR with letters, etc is any indication, it would seem that it would handle the specially formatted items as well as Kursweil does. >> >> Sarah >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Baccus" >> To: >> Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:36 PM >> Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? >> >> >>> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >>> >>> >>> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >>> _______________________________________________ >>> blindlaw mailing list >>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/goldflash9%40sbcglobal.net >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rogerbaccus%40gmail.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/r.g.munro%40gmail.com From stevep.deeley at insightbb.com Sun May 9 16:07:54 2010 From: stevep.deeley at insightbb.com (Steve P. Deeley) Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 12:07:54 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> <4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> Message-ID: <94BBA24812EA4974A560B27B9EBEA173@StevePC> Thank you. That sounds reasonable. What cell phone service can you use with this reader? Steve Steve ----- Original Message ----- From: "Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc." To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 9:12 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Steve, the KNFB Reader for the Symbian phones is $995; occasionally, > special > prices are offered. Some folks sell theirs on the blindness-related buy > and > sell mailing lists for a lot less. > > The price given above DOES NOT include the cost of the phone on which you > can use the reader. If you add the phone's cost, you can expect to pay > close to $1,300 or a bit more. > > Sincerely, > Olusegun > Denver, Colorado > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/stevep.deeley%40insightbb.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2861 - Release Date: 05/08/10 02:26:00 -------------- next part -------------- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2861 - Release Date: 05/08/10 02:26:00 From cathrynisfinally at verizon.net Sun May 9 20:26:23 2010 From: cathrynisfinally at verizon.net (Cathryn Bonnette) Date: Sun, 09 May 2010 16:26:23 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus><00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2><4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> Message-ID: <5CC2A076997A4D1881D8CA9299D7E820@14bd0130080a469> Hello- I'm Cathryn, and I'm just figuring out that I sort of skipped the introduction phase and just started on this list. Anyway, however belatedly, I lost the last of my eye sight about 4 years ago, close to completing grad school. I'm still figuring out all of the consequences of living in a very different world. I had experienced partial sight previously, and began working with guide dogs years ago. My current partner is a 50 lb. shepherd who transitioned beautifully from being an easy going "California girl" to dealing with grid lock at rush hour in Washington DC. I definitely used every bit of vision I had as long as possible. Relearning everything is a challenge, and slow going. OK, sorry if this is too long. I'm just wondering what "blindness-related buy and sell mailing lists" are (?) Could someone provide some examples. I would consider getting one of these readers if the price was lower. Thanks in advance for responding. Cathryn (& Abby) -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc. Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 9:13 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Steve, the KNFB Reader for the Symbian phones is $995; occasionally, special prices are offered. Some folks sell theirs on the blindness-related buy and sell mailing lists for a lot less. The price given above DOES NOT include the cost of the phone on which you can use the reader. If you add the phone's cost, you can expect to pay close to $1,300 or a bit more. Sincerely, Olusegun Denver, Colorado _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathrynisfinally%4 0verizon.net No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2859 - Release Date: 05/08/10 18:26:00 From dravant at ameritech.net Sun May 9 22:55:37 2010 From: dravant at ameritech.net (denise avant) Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 17:55:37 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Message-ID: <001001caefca$bd903fa0$38b0bee0$@net> Hello, I have a knfb reader. Sometimes, when you go to conferences, there are unexpected handouts that need to be read. If you had a reader, you could snap the picture, and have it in real time along with your sighted colleagues. If you're traveling to a hotel because of a conference, and don't have sighted assistance in your room, you use the mobile reader to find out what print materials are there. These are job related activities. Why should you have to hunt down someone to read to you on the spot if there is a portable solution that can help? The braillenote, which I have is good, but it cannot substitute when you need material read to you on the spot. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Roger Baccus Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 5:35 AM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Cc: R B Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? My counselor feels that it is a good thing to have. However, she does not see it as essential for my job. I can't come up with impelling reasons to justify it. I am sure that Although I don't possess OpenBook or equivalent, I do have access to scan material at work. Here is the response from rehab. *** Roger, I appreciate your request for a KNFB Reader but I'm still not clear on what print would need to be read while you are at a conference or other venue. Would you be given new printed material without explanation? Do you have a scanner and software (like Open Book) that you are using now at ULVA and/or at home to access printed material? Also, if you are at a conference and given information (such as would be on a business card or brochure) could you keep it to scan at the office? If someone is giving you information at a conference you can put it right into the MPower including contact names and phone numbers or you could save their business card to scan and save later at work right? If you are listening to a presentation at a conference you can record the notes in the MPower. The hand-outs at conferences are usually the same information that is presented verbally and could be scanned and saved when back at the office. I agree that shopping without access to print is a little more challenging but we have to relate it to a work need. I'm trying to figure out if using the Mpower and existing equipment if you can find a way to accommodate. Can you give me more explanation? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah Clark" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 8:48 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Hi Roger, > The KNFB Reader is quite effective. I have the mobile version, and > expected that it would be useful, but its accuracy surprised me. In my > experience, at least in so far as reading letters and other similar > documents which contain paragraphs of text, it seems to be every bit as > accurate as the regular Kurzweil or Abbyy OCR software. Soon after I > received it, I was reading something with it and my husband walked into > the room, overheard it reading, and was blown away on how well it had > recognized the text. I've also used it to read receipts and check cooking > directions on packages. > Other than that, I haven't had much extensive use with it, so can't > comment on how it would handle tables and other things that are specially > formmatted. But if its OCR with letters, etc is any indication, it would > seem that it would handle the specially formatted items as well as > Kursweil does. > > Sarah > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Roger Baccus" > To: > Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:36 PM > Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > >> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like >> it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >> >> >> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/goldflash9%40sbcgl obal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rogerbaccus%40gmai l.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dravant%40ameritec h.net From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 9 23:33:47 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 16:33:47 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <5CC2A076997A4D1881D8CA9299D7E820@14bd0130080a469> References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus><00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2><4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> <5CC2A076997A4D1881D8CA9299D7E820@14bd0130080a469> Message-ID: <31973121CB5B4120A13629FCD3569C14@spike> Actually while the price of the KNFB reader is high there are ways to finance it through the NFB so you don't have to run up credit card bills. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathryn Bonnette" To: "'Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.'" ; "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 1:26 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Hello- > I'm Cathryn, and I'm just figuring out that I sort of skipped the > introduction phase and just started on this list. Anyway, however > belatedly, I lost the last of my eye sight about 4 years ago, close to > completing grad school. I'm still figuring out all of the consequences of > living in a very different world. I had experienced partial sight > previously, and began working with guide dogs years ago. My current > partner > is a 50 lb. shepherd who transitioned beautifully from being an easy going > "California girl" to dealing with grid lock at rush hour in Washington DC. > I > definitely used every bit of vision I had as long as possible. Relearning > everything is a challenge, and slow going. > OK, sorry if this is too long. I'm just wondering what "blindness-related > buy and sell mailing lists" are (?) Could someone provide some examples. > I > would consider getting one of these readers if the price was lower. > > Thanks in advance for responding. > > Cathryn (& Abby) > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc. > Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 9:13 PM > To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > Steve, the KNFB Reader for the Symbian phones is $995; occasionally, > special > > prices are offered. Some folks sell theirs on the blindness-related buy > and > > sell mailing lists for a lot less. > > The price given above DOES NOT include the cost of the phone on which you > can use the reader. If you add the phone's cost, you can expect to pay > close to $1,300 or a bit more. > > Sincerely, > Olusegun > Denver, Colorado > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathrynisfinally%4 > 0verizon.net > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2859 - Release Date: 05/08/10 > 18:26:00 > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 9 23:52:29 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 16:52:29 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Department of Labor releases on line tool to understand nondiscrimination under disability laws Message-ID: US Labor Department helps employers understand responsibilities under disability nondiscrimination laws News Release OASP News Release: [05/04/2010] Contact Name: Lina Garcia Phone Number: (202) 693-4661 Release Number: 10-0562-NAT New online tool helps further equality and full access for people with disabilities WASHINGTON ?? The U.S. Department of Labor today unveiled a new tool to help America's employers ensure their employment policies and practices do not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities. "Today, we made it easier for employers of all sizes to access the talents of the 36 million Americans with disabilities, " said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez. "By providing this interactive and easy-to-use online tool, both workers and employers can readily access and understand their rights and responsibilities under our federal disability nondiscrimination laws." The online Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor, available at http://www.dol.gov/elaws/ odep.htm, helps employers quickly and simply determine which federal disability nondiscrimination laws apply to their business or organization and their responsibilities under them. It asks users to answer a few relevant questions in order to take into account relevant variables, such as nature of organization, size of staff and whether the business or organization receives federal financial assistance. Based on the responses provided, the advisor then generates a customized list of federal disability nondiscrimination laws that likely apply, along with easy-to-understand information about employers' responsibilities under them. The laws addressed by the Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor include: Titles I and II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (as it pertains to federal financial assistance) Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended The Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended The advisor also can help employees, job applicants and people applying for or participating in federally funded programs learn more about their rights under these laws. In addition, it includes a Guide on Employing People with Disabilities that outlines resources available to help employers comply with disability nondiscrimination laws. The Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor is one of a series of Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses, or "elaws," Advisors developed by the Labor Department's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, working with other department agencies, to help employers and employees understand federal employment laws. To access this set of advisors, visit the elaws website at http://www.dol.gov/elaws/. To learn more about the Labor Department's efforts to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities, visit http://www.dol. gov/odep. From joramsey at cox.net Mon May 10 06:26:05 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 02:26:05 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <5CC2A076997A4D1881D8CA9299D7E820@14bd0130080a469> Message-ID: <1FDE88FD52684712B77832AD1743F582@noneeb869fea9a> Hi Katherine, There is a blind assistive aids site called blind attic If that is not correct maybe someone on the list will be able to correct me. Also, thank you for the introduction. What program are you doing in grad school? Take care, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cathryn Bonnette Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 4:26 PM To: 'Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.'; 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List' Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hello- I'm Cathryn, and I'm just figuring out that I sort of skipped the introduction phase and just started on this list. Anyway, however belatedly, I lost the last of my eye sight about 4 years ago, close to completing grad school. I'm still figuring out all of the consequences of living in a very different world. I had experienced partial sight previously, and began working with guide dogs years ago. My current partner is a 50 lb. shepherd who transitioned beautifully from being an easy going "California girl" to dealing with grid lock at rush hour in Washington DC. I definitely used every bit of vision I had as long as possible. Relearning everything is a challenge, and slow going. OK, sorry if this is too long. I'm just wondering what "blindness-related buy and sell mailing lists" are (?) Could someone provide some examples. I would consider getting one of these readers if the price was lower. Thanks in advance for responding. Cathryn (& Abby) -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc. Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 9:13 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Steve, the KNFB Reader for the Symbian phones is $995; occasionally, special prices are offered. Some folks sell theirs on the blindness-related buy and sell mailing lists for a lot less. The price given above DOES NOT include the cost of the phone on which you can use the reader. If you add the phone's cost, you can expect to pay close to $1,300 or a bit more. Sincerely, Olusegun Denver, Colorado _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathrynisfinally%4 0verizon.net No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2859 - Release Date: 05/08/10 18:26:00 _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From mtarley at gmail.com Mon May 10 18:49:14 2010 From: mtarley at gmail.com (M T) Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 14:49:14 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> Message-ID: Hello Roger, I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have my own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB Reader in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them while in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It offers another level of independence and shows others that there is nothing that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you can adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish you luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, perhaps in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would be glad to help you. Best of luck. Michelle On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus wrote: > How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? > > > http://www.rogerbaccus.com > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gmail.com > -- Michelle Tarley, Esq. Attorney At Law "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing” -- Helen Keller From ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com Mon May 10 19:35:17 2010 From: ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com (Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.) Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 13:35:17 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <1FDE88FD52684712B77832AD1743F582@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: <49B2BA65C58D41BA8677B567B2BE0902@valtd> Hello Roger: If you are at a conference and there is a need for you to be able to identify paper money, it is my understanding that the KNFB Reader will work for this purpose as well. I don't have the reader and as such I can't put it through its paces in this regard. However, I've read on other mailing lists that folks have been able to use it to identify paper money and even their hotel room numbers. There are other similar technologies competing with the KNFB Reader. One is the BeyoCBS Reader from Britain. I've NOT READ ANY GOOD REVIEWS on it though. I don't recall the name of the third competitor, but, I do recall that it is a reader that sends info to a server of some kind. In that wise, it is NOT AS ROBUST as the KNFB Reader me thinks. Sincerely, Olusegun Denver, Coloradodo From joramsey at cox.net Tue May 11 09:58:05 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 05:58:05 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Hello Michelle, Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to get one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am very interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and awkward when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software package please let me know. Cordially, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of M T Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hello Roger, I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have my own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB Reader in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them while in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It offers another level of independence and shows others that there is nothing that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you can adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish you luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, perhaps in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would be glad to help you. Best of luck. Michelle On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus wrote: > How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I > like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? > > > http://www.rogerbaccus.com > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm > ail.com > -- Michelle Tarley, Esq. Attorney At Law "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" -- Helen Keller _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From dravant at ameritech.net Tue May 11 12:29:42 2010 From: dravant at ameritech.net (denise avant) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 07:29:42 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: <002a01caf105$a242d5a0$e6c880e0$@net> Hello, The wayfinder access gps software is no longer being supported. So you may want to rethink that one. For example, do you have a braillenote or a pacmate. Both have gps solutions. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of John Ramsey Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 4:58 AM To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List' Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hello Michelle, Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to get one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am very interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and awkward when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software package please let me know. Cordially, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of M T Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hello Roger, I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have my own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB Reader in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them while in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It offers another level of independence and shows others that there is nothing that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you can adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish you luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, perhaps in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would be glad to help you. Best of luck. Michelle On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus wrote: > How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I > like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? > > > http://www.rogerbaccus.com > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm > ail.com > -- Michelle Tarley, Esq. Attorney At Law "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" -- Helen Keller _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dravant%40ameritec h.net From mike.sandi at att.net Tue May 11 15:11:19 2010 From: mike.sandi at att.net (Michael Groat) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 08:11:19 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: <0CDBE9912BDC442E86B3D3E86BA96D1C@PUTTPUTT> John, I would suggest contacting Michael at: http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com/ He should be able to give you some assistance Michael -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of John Ramsey Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 2:58 AM To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List' Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hello Michelle, Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to get one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am very interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and awkward when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software package please let me know. Cordially, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of M T Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hello Roger, I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have my own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB Reader in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them while in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It offers another level of independence and shows others that there is nothing that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you can adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish you luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, perhaps in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would be glad to help you. Best of luck. Michelle On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus wrote: > How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I > like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? > > > http://www.rogerbaccus.com > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm > ail.com > -- Michelle Tarley, Esq. Attorney At Law "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" -- Helen Keller _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mike.sandi%40att.n et From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Tue May 11 15:19:46 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 08:19:46 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: the Wayfinder has been discontinued and is no longer supported as its manufacturer was bought out by another company. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ramsey" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 2:58 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Hello Michelle, > Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to get > one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a > vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am very > interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and awkward > when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. > I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional > appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of > these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software > package please let me know. > Cordially, > John > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of M T > Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM > To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > > Hello Roger, > I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in > everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have > my > own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the > barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and > giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB > Reader > in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then > and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. > This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more > efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is > extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take > saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them > while > in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It > offers another level of independence and shows others that there is > nothing > that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you > can > adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information > faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that > the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge > difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish > you > luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, > perhaps > in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would > be > glad to help you. Best of luck. > > Michelle > > > On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus > wrote: >> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I >> like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >> >> >> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm >> ail.com >> > > > > -- > Michelle Tarley, Esq. > Attorney At Law > > "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" > -- Helen Keller > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Tue May 11 15:48:28 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 10:48:28 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Attorney Vacancies at the U.S. Department of Justice Message-ID: From: jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Maurer, Patricia Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 10:14 AM To: jobs at nfbnet.org Subject: [Jobs] FW: Attorney Vacancies at the U.S. Department of Justice ________________________________ From: Ross, Rae N [mailto:raeross at usdoj.gov] Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 11:54 AM To: 'nedy at wyjlaw.com'; 'newmedia at ja.org'; 'Neysas at dnfsb.gov'; Maurer, Patricia; 'nijc at aol.com'; 'nlove at opd.state.md.us'; 'nmcconnell at jackscamp.com'; 'noconnell at tabinc.org'; 'noryrp at cox.net'; 'nromulus at gmail.com'; 'ntb at boglechang.com'; 'nwpatton at law.stanford.edu'; 'ocaaba at cox.net'; 'omanager at lawyerscomm.org'; 'palsd at hotmail.com'; 'patel at fr.com'; 'pchanster at yahoo.com'; 'pchapman at koonz.com'; 'pgrewal at daycasebeer.com'; 'pkim at lordbissell.com'; Maurer, Patricia; 'pmorrison at state.wv.us'; 'poppy.johnston at unlv.edu'; 'president at abaw.org' Subject: Attorney Vacancies at the U.S. Department of Justice To learn more about our attorneys and what they like most about working at DOJ, please visit our attorney profiles at, http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/arm/profiles.htm, and the video clips of our attorneys and interns available at https://www.avuedigitalservices.com/ads/jobsatdojoarm/index.jsp We encourage you to share this email with interested colleagues and peers. If you no longer wish to receive these periodic email announcements, please respond to this email address and ask to be removed from our mailing list. Thank you. Current Department of Justice Attorney Vacancies The purpose of this email is to advise potential interested persons of employment opportunities at the Department of Justice. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of this information. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information. Current Department of Justice Attorney Vacancies * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA ALEXANDRIA OFFICE 10-EDVA-10 Positions are open until filled, but resumes must be received by May 17, 2010. 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Date posted: 04-29-2010 * DEPUTY CHIEF, ES-905 APPELLATE SECTION CRIMINAL DIVISION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON, DC ANNOUNCEMENT #: 10-CRM-SES-05 All applications (including Mailed applications) MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM EST on May 25, 2010. Date posted: 04-29-2010 * ATTORNEY-ADVISOR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL WASHINGTON, D.C. Application Deadline is May 21, 2010 Date posted: 04-28-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA 10-WDVA-AUSA-02 TERM APPOINTMENT: NOT TO EXCEED ONE YEAR Applications must be received by 5:00PM Tuesday, May 4, 2010. Date posted: 04-28-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA ALEXANDRIA OFFICE 10-EDVA-08 Positions are open until filled, but resumes must be received by May 7, 2010. Date posted: 04-28-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WESTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK 10-WDNY-011 Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, with a first cut-off date of May 12, 2010. Date posted: 04-27-2010 * U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS GENERAL COUNSEL'S OFFICE ATTORNEY ADVISOR, GS-0905-15 VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NO: 10-EOUSA-010 OPEN: 04/27/2010 CLOSE: 05/11/2010 Date posted: 04-27-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA RICHMOND OFFICE 10-EDVA-07 Positions are open until filled, but resumes must be received by May 7, 2010. Date posted: 04-26-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA ALEXANDRIA OFFICE 10-EDVA-06 Positions are open until filled, but resumes must be received by May 7, 2010. Date posted: 04-26-2010 * UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ACCESS TO JUSTICE INITIATIVE ATTORNEY ADVISOR, GS-0905-13 to GS-15 ANNOUNCEMENT: A2J ATY-0310 The position will remain open until filled, but applications must be submitted no later than May 1, 2010. Date posted: 04-26-2010 -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ Jobs mailing list Jobs at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/jobs_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Jobs: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/jobs_nfbnet.org/noel.nightingale%40ed.gov From stevep.deeley at insightbb.com Tue May 11 16:56:12 2010 From: stevep.deeley at insightbb.com (Steve P. Deeley) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 12:56:12 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: <6D5233236BA340F493940D9C2C935580@StevePC> If you buy the reader, does it come with a cell phone or is that separate? Steve ----- Original Message ----- From: To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 11:19 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > the Wayfinder has been discontinued and is no longer supported as its > manufacturer was bought out by another company. > Chuck > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Ramsey" > To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" > Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 2:58 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > >> Hello Michelle, >> Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to >> get >> one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a >> vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am >> very >> interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and >> awkward >> when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. >> I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional >> appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of >> these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software >> package please let me know. >> Cordially, >> John >> >> John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. >> >> P.O. Box 6063 >> >> Gainesville, FL 32627 >> >> Phone: (352) 505-6642 >> >> Fax: (352) 240-6453 >> >> This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or >> legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or >> entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication >> in >> error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated >> printed >> materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be >> aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this >> communication or the information it contains may result in criminal >> and/or >> civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, >> John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are >> uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to >> communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) >> 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that >> email >> messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our >> control. Thank you. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On >> Behalf Of M T >> Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM >> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List >> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? >> >> >> Hello Roger, >> I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in >> everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have >> my >> own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the >> barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and >> giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB >> Reader >> in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then >> and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite >> impressed. >> This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more >> efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is >> extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take >> saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them >> while >> in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It >> offers another level of independence and shows others that there is >> nothing >> that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you >> can >> adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information >> faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that >> the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge >> difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish >> you >> luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, >> perhaps >> in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would >> be >> glad to help you. Best of luck. >> >> Michelle >> >> >> On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus >> wrote: >>> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I >>> like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >>> >>> >>> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >>> _______________________________________________ >>> blindlaw mailing list >>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >>> blindlaw: >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm >>> ail.com >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> Michelle Tarley, Esq. >> Attorney At Law >> >> "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" >> -- Helen Keller >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/stevep.deeley%40insightbb.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2867 - Release Date: 05/11/10 02:26:00 -------------- next part -------------- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2867 - Release Date: 05/11/10 02:26:00 From mtarley at gmail.com Tue May 11 18:23:38 2010 From: mtarley at gmail.com (M T) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 14:23:38 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: Hi John, I use the KNFB reader mobile with the N82 Nokia. It works great. However my new phone plan does not support that cell phone so I just use it as a reader only, not a cell. It works just the same and carrying that and a cell phone is not cumbersome because the N82 is not large at all. It has been such an invaluable piece of equipment and has not only increased my accessibility to written material but my efficiency at practicing law. There is software that you can put on the N82 for free that allows it to be used as a GPS. Check out the website KNFBreader.com. It has all the downloads and the info on the reader and phone. Good luck and I hope you prevail at acquiring one. Let me know if I can do anything to assist you. Michelle On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 5:58 AM, John Ramsey wrote: > Hello Michelle, > Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to get > one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a > vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am very > interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and awkward > when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. > I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional > appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of > these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software > package please let me know. > Cordially, > John > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure.  If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey.  Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email.  You must also be aware that email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control.  Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of M T > Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM > To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > > Hello Roger, > I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in > everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have my > own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the > barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and > giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB Reader > in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then > and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. > This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more > efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is > extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take > saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them while > in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It > offers another level of independence and shows others that there is nothing > that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you can > adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information > faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that > the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge > difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish you > luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, perhaps > in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would be > glad to help you. Best of luck. > > Michelle > > > On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus wrote: >> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I >> like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >> >> >> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm >> ail.com >> > > > > -- > Michelle Tarley, Esq. > Attorney At Law > >  "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" >                                               -- Helen Keller > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gmail.com > -- Michelle Tarley, Esq. Attorney At Law "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing” -- Helen Keller From joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com Tue May 11 19:13:55 2010 From: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com (RJ Sandefur) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 15:13:55 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> <0CDBE9912BDC442E86B3D3E86BA96D1C@PUTTPUTT> Message-ID: John, What does P.A stand for? RJ From joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com Tue May 11 19:22:43 2010 From: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com (RJ Sandefur) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 15:22:43 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> <0CDBE9912BDC442E86B3D3E86BA96D1C@PUTTPUTT> Message-ID: <72519E27D8B140CAB9B94B2304D01DC2@hometwxakonvzn> John, Do you practice law in reguards to a fair hearing before the Florida division of admenastrative hearings? If not, Do you know any one who does? Please email me off list, and let me know. RJ Sandefur. email is: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Groat" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 11:11 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > John, > I would suggest contacting Michael at: > http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com/ > > He should be able to give you some assistance > Michael > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of John Ramsey > Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 2:58 AM > To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List' > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > Hello Michelle, > Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to get > one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a > vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am very > interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and awkward > when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. > I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional > appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of > these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software > package please let me know. > Cordially, > John > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of M T > Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM > To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > > Hello Roger, > I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in > everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have > my > own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the > barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and > giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB > Reader > in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then > and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. > This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more > efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is > extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take > saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them > while > in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It > offers another level of independence and shows others that there is > nothing > that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you > can > adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information > faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that > the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge > difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish > you > luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, > perhaps > in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would > be > glad to help you. Best of luck. > > Michelle > > > On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus > wrote: >> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I >> like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >> >> >> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm >> ail.com >> > > > > -- > Michelle Tarley, Esq. > Attorney At Law > > "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" > -- Helen Keller > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mike.sandi%40att.n > et > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joltingjacksandefur%40gmail.com From ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com Tue May 11 19:52:02 2010 From: ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com (Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 13:52:02 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: Hello John: On other lists, I've read about the demise of the Wayfinder; it is NO LONGER available because VodaPhone WILL NOT produce them anymore. Current users, as I understand it, can continue to use it until around October or so. An alternative to consider is the MobileGEO from CodeFactory, the developers of MobileSpeak and its many variants. The MobileGeo ONLY WORKS on phones using the Windows Mobile Operating system. A good example would be the HTC Pro or the HTC Ozone. If you go with a phone using the Windows Mobile Operating system, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE to use the KNFB Reader as it has not yet been ported over to that platform. There are dealers who carry the MobileGeo. One such dealer is: www.atguys.com I bought my MobileSpeak from a guy based in Canada. He is Aman Singer, and his EMail address is: aman.singer at gmail.com I don't know if he sells the MobileGeo, but he gave me a pretty good price for the MobileSpeak I bought through him and that's why I am recommending him for a possible contact. One other product I've heard about is called Loadstone GPS. I don't know much about it, but their website is: www.loadstone-gps.com There appears to be quite a number of blind folks using it. It works on phones like Nokia running on the Symbian Operating System. In that wise, the Nokia N86 will be a great candidate for the Loadstone application. I am thinking of giving it a spin too, it is free if memory serves. Sincerely, Olusegun Denver, Colorado From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Tue May 11 21:22:09 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 16:22:09 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Special 2-hour Webinar on Section 508 rule-making! Message-ID: -----Original Message----- From: Distribution list for EASI Web Conferences, Podcasts and News [mailto:ITD-JNL at LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG] On Behalf Of Prof Norm Coombs Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 1:46 PM To: ITD-JNL at LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG Subject: Special 2-hour Webinar on Section 508 rule-making! Free Webinar: Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Section 508 2 hours: Monday, May 24 combining 90-minutes of panel and 30-minutes of Q & A Pacific time: 11-1 Mountain time: 12-2 Central time: 1-3 Eastern time: 2-4 Presenters: Susan Mazrui, Larry Goldberg, Jim Tobias and Gregg Vanderheiden The Webinar will be captioned thanks to the kindness of AT&T Sections 255 and 508 are the federal regulations that require accessible information and communication technologies (ICT). They are currently being revised, and the time is ripe for public comment before they are finalized. This webinar will go over the current environment, changes to the technical provisions, and how we all can participate in the process to make sure that the final regulations will provide the access needed by users to both current and emerging ICT. Besides outlining the proposed rules, the panel will explore ideas to make the government and others adopt a new commitment to following these rules. This is a timely topic, and you should register in advance to reserve a spot in the online Webinar room. Late registrations may not receive login instructions in time to join the Webinar. Go to the EASI Webinar page at: http://easi.cc/clinic.htm Look for the May 24 508 Webinar and follow the registration link. You'll receive info on joining the live Webinar 2 days in advance. Norm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Once you choose hope, anything's possible. Christopher Reeve Norman Coombs norm.coombs at gmail.com CEO EASI Equal Access to Software and Information phone (949) 855-4852 (NOTE pacific time zone) ****READ ABOUT THE DICK BANKS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: http://easi.cc/scholarship.htm ----------------------- Check out EASI's New Synchronous Clinics: http://easi.cc/clinic.htm EASI Home Page http://www.rit.edu/~easi Online Courses and Clinics http://easi.cc/workshop.htm To sign off this list send e-mail to listserv at listserv.icors.org saying signoff itd-jnl From ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com Tue May 11 22:23:50 2010 From: ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com (Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 16:23:50 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> <6D5233236BA340F493940D9C2C935580@StevePC> Message-ID: <2454F270032C460D94AF77A90C495B8B@valtd> Hi Steve: The KNFB Reader itself is $995. Generally, the phone, say the N86 for example, could cost you about $400. Most dealers also like to add the price for Talks or MobileSpeak. Expect to spend close to about $1,600 for the entire package unless there is a special running. Personally, I'd buy my phone elsewhere and only worry about getting the KNFB Reader from one of its many dealers. Sincerely, Olusegun Denver, Colorado From JFreeh at nfb.org Wed May 12 00:20:44 2010 From: JFreeh at nfb.org (Freeh, Jessica) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 19:20:44 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] NFB President Marc Maurer to Receive Honorary Doctorate from University of Notre Dame Message-ID: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 (410) 262-1281 (Cell) cdanielsen at nfb.org NFB President Marc Maurer to Receive Honorary Doctorate from University of Notre Dame Baltimore, Maryland (May 11, 2010): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the largest organization of blind people in the United States, today announced that its president, Dr. Marc Maurer, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Notre Dame at the 2010 commencement ceremony on May 16, 2010. Maurer is a 1974 graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "I am pleased and privileged to receive an honorary degree from my alma mater. As president of the largest organization of blind people in the United States, I have been fortunate to play a role in many exciting and life-changing developments for blind people in America. While we have made much progress, there is still more to be done. Only 10 percent of blind children are learning Braille in this country, and this directly contributes to a 70 percent unemployment rate among blind people in the United States. I humbly accept this honor on behalf of blind Americans and pledge to work harder than ever to ensure that the blind are not left behind in today's society." Maurer earned his law degree from Indiana University in 1977 and began focusing on representing blind individuals in the courts. A member of the Bar in Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, Maryland, and the Bar of the Supreme Court, Maurer is one of the most experienced lawyers in the field of civil rights and discrimination against the blind. Maurer has been president of the National Federation of the Blind since 1986. In that capacity, he has joined President George W. Bush in the Oval Office in 2001 to celebrate the organization's Everest Expedition, and was present for Bush's signing into law the Help America Vote Act of 2002. He has promoted new technology for the blind, including the knfbReader Mobile (a revolutionary cell phone application that scans and reads aloud most printed material) and the prototype vehicle for the Blind Driver Challenge. He has overseen the visionary expansion of the NFB Jernigan Institute, the first training and research institute for the blind, led by the blind. He has also previously served as president of the North America/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union. In November 2009, Dr. Maurer was awarded the Rev. John J. Cavanaugh, C.S.C., Award for outstanding contributions in the field of public service from the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association. For more information about the National Federation of the Blind, please visit www.nfb.org. ### About the National Federation of the Blind With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind. From joramsey at cox.net Wed May 12 07:16:53 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 03:16:53 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: P.A. stands for Professional Association and this is the designation that my firm has for incorporation purposes. John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of RJ Sandefur Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 3:14 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? John, What does P.A stand for? RJ _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From stevep.deeley at insightbb.com Wed May 12 09:14:04 2010 From: stevep.deeley at insightbb.com (Steve P. Deeley) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 05:14:04 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <2454F270032C460D94AF77A90C495B8B@valtd> References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> <6D5233236BA340F493940D9C2C935580@StevePC> <2454F270032C460D94AF77A90C495B8B@valtd> Message-ID: <457FCB87878E4344A6EA37FF30434F0B@StevePC> Thanks. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc." To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 6:23 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Hi Steve: > > The KNFB Reader itself is $995. Generally, the phone, say the N86 for > example, could cost you about $400. Most dealers also like to add the > price > for Talks or MobileSpeak. Expect to spend close to about $1,600 for the > entire package unless there is a special running. > > Personally, I'd buy my phone elsewhere and only worry about getting the > KNFB > Reader from one of its many dealers. > > Sincerely, > Olusegun > Denver, Colorado > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/stevep.deeley%40insightbb.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2867 - Release Date: 05/11/10 02:26:00 -------------- next part -------------- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2867 - Release Date: 05/11/10 02:26:00 From dandrews at visi.com Wed May 12 10:16:55 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 05:16:55 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <6D5233236BA340F493940D9C2C935580@StevePC> References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> <6D5233236BA340F493940D9C2C935580@StevePC> Message-ID: You can buy the reader software separately, for $995. Most dealers will also sell you a cell phone if you wish, and can also sell you a screen reader for that phone. Most, if not all dealers will install and configure everything -- which is worth something unless you have some comfort level with technical matters. They generally charge a little more for the phone -- then you could get from Amazon.com or another company -- but for most it is worth it for the convenience. Dave At 11:56 AM 5/11/2010, you wrote: >If you buy the reader, does it come with a cell phone or is that separate? >Steve David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920 From tom at tomladis.com Wed May 12 14:18:51 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 09:18:51 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Message-ID: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Hello All. I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able to provide anything besides the PDF files. Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word document? In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe for the practice tests? Thanks, Tom From attorney at alcidonislaw.com Wed May 12 15:32:24 2010 From: attorney at alcidonislaw.com (Rod Alcidonis, Esquire.) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 11:32:24 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC> Tom Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan has demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying with the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a constructive dialog with them. Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law Alcidonis Law Office, LLC 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl Philadelphia, PA 19111 Tel: (215) 305-8085 Fax: (215) 525-0999 Attorney at alcidonislaw.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney Alcidonis at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete this message from your system. This communication is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. -------------------------------------------------- From: "Tom Ladis" Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > Hello All. > > I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in > a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. > > I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able > to provide anything besides the PDF files. > > Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word > document? > > In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe > for the practice tests? > > > Thanks, > Tom > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Wed May 12 15:53:19 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 08:53:19 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: Message-ID: <695329.44175.qm@web30906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Tom, do not use Kaplan test prep and admissions! I used them for preparing to take the GRE in 2009. I have had the same problems of inaccessible course material, as well as an inability to utilize the online component. I was told that they were working on improving there services and were aware that there material was inaccessible and not usable to blind people. I also had inaccessible material with written computer language in the PDFS that needed formatting. This was never done and I never received adequate course materials. They had no problem taking my credit card info for course registration and fees of up to $2500. Instead of preparing for the GRE in 5 weeks, it took me five months since I was working with private readers, and a understanding Kaplan tutor. The only compensation from Kaplan was to offer me free tutoring sessions in late November and early December since I felt I was not ready to take the GRE. Kaplan has reports on ri-poffreport and the major consumer complaints websites. Kaplan is a perfect example of Corporate Americas Greed. William E. Bets is a disability accommodations attorney who requires a $500.00 retainer fee. I did not pay this since I did not have this available at this time. I posted the following to the list last year. The below information involves my experiences while studying for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). I want to make all reading this aware of a major problem with Kaplan Test prep. To those who are blind or visually impaired who want or are taking the prep courses for the GRE. Take the prep courses on your own with a private tutor. Do not take a class through Kaplan. You and any one supporting you will not get the $1100.00 you paid for since both the website is inaccessible and you are not given proper accessible course material in alternative formats usable to a screen-reader or screen magnification program in a timely manor. The course requires individuals to utilize the textbook and internet resources in an interactive classroom setting where the instructor demonstrates concepts and the students read or openly discuss specific examples from the text in the textbook. Even working through the representatives of the local Kaplan centers, the issues fall back on Kaplan as a corporation since you are lead to believe that you are the first blind or visually in pared person that Kaplan has come across. With a founding some 50+ years ago, I believe that Kaplan has had more than one visually impaired or blind person register for its courses. Kaplan has a refund policy which clearly states that one is not able to get a full refund after the third course session. The initial diagnostic examination counts as the first course. Kaplan is more than willing to make standard accommodations to those who require them for this. When one chooses to obtain help through representatives from Kaplan for there accessibility issues, the representatives will diligently work with you once one has completed two consecutive class sessions. This means that the deadline for any refunds has passed. Regarding the kaptest.com website, do not be mislead. The main page is completely accessible. The accessibility issues come up once you register and are able to create a student account. A student account can only be completed once one has authorized either a classroom instruction or tutoring session with a major credit card. The accessibility issues result from the personal student portals being formatted to support flash content and the lack of Kaplan integrating the website accessibility standards referred to as the W3c.org/waiweb access initiative and /TR technical reference pages through adobe systems. Unless one has there own personal equipment to utilize, one is not able to utilize there local Kaplan center’s equipment since none of the centers have any accessible screen magnifications or screen reading software on sight. In addition, for those who choose to study and prepare for the GRE through there local colleges or universities, those individuals would have the same problems since the teachings and course related material is still channeled through Kaplan and not the local colleges or University. Kaplan out sources itself within local colleges and universities to offer there programs since Kaplan is a monopoly as a service provider. Kaplan’s main headquarters are located in New York City, a place so diverse yet so segregated to those few who possess special personal corporate interests or political clout. . I hope this information is helpful to you. From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Wed May 12 16:59:48 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 09:59:48 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: In-Reply-To: <695329.44175.qm@web30906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <195285.55062.qm@web30908.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Please note: I am not soliciting or endorsing any person or service. Understand the mention of MR. Betz was for informational purposes only. Thank you. --- On Wed, 5/12/10, William ODonnell wrote: > From: William ODonnell > Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 11:53 AM > Tom, do not use Kaplan test prep and > admissions!  I used them for preparing to take the GRE > in 2009.  I have had the same problems of inaccessible > course material, as well as an inability to utilize the > online component.  I was told that they were working on > improving there services and were aware that there material > was inaccessible and not usable to blind people.  I > also had inaccessible material with written computer > language in the PDFS that needed formatting.  This was > never done and I never received adequate course > materials.  They had no problem taking my credit card > info for course registration and fees of up to $2500.  > Instead of preparing for the GRE in 5 weeks, it took me five > months since I was working with private readers, and a > understanding Kaplan tutor.  The only compensation from > Kaplan was to offer me free tutoring sessions in late > November and early December since I felt I was not ready to > take the GRE.  Kaplan has reports on > ri-poffreport and the major consumer complaints > websites.  Kaplan is a perfect example of Corporate > Americas Greed.  William E. Bets is a disability > accommodations attorney who requires a $500.00 retainer > fee.  I did not pay this since I did not have this > available at this time.  I posted the following to the > list last year.  > The below information involves my experiences while > studying for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).  I > want to make all reading this aware of a major problem with > Kaplan Test prep. > To those who are blind or visually impaired who want or are > taking the prep courses for the GRE.  Take the prep > courses on your own with a private tutor.  Do not take > a class through Kaplan.  You and any one supporting you > will not get the $1100.00 you paid for since both the > website is inaccessible and you are not given proper > accessible course material in alternative formats usable to > a screen-reader or screen magnification program in a timely > manor.  > The course requires individuals to utilize the textbook and > internet resources in an interactive classroom setting where > the instructor demonstrates concepts and the students read > or openly discuss specific examples from the text in the > textbook.    > Even working through the representatives of the local > Kaplan centers, the issues fall back on Kaplan as a > corporation since you are lead to believe that you are the > first blind or visually in pared person that Kaplan has come > across.  With a founding some 50+ years ago, I believe > that Kaplan has had more than one visually impaired or blind > person register for its courses.  > Kaplan has a refund policy which clearly states that one is > not able to get a full refund after the third course > session.  The initial diagnostic examination counts as > the first course.  Kaplan is more than willing to make > standard accommodations to those who require them for > this.  When one chooses to obtain help through > representatives from Kaplan for there accessibility issues, > the representatives will diligently work with you once one > has completed two consecutive class sessions.  This > means that the deadline for any refunds has passed.  > Regarding the kaptest.com website, do not be mislead.  > The main page is completely accessible.  The > accessibility issues come up once you register and are able > to create a student account.  A student account can > only be completed once one has authorized either a classroom > instruction or tutoring session with a major credit > card.  The accessibility issues result from the > personal student portals being formatted to support flash > content and the lack of Kaplan integrating the website > accessibility standards referred to as the W3c.org/waiweb > access initiative and /TR technical reference pages through > adobe systems. > Unless one has there own personal equipment to utilize, one > is not able to utilize there local Kaplan center’s > equipment since none of the centers have any accessible > screen magnifications or screen reading software on sight. > In addition, for those who choose to study and prepare for > the GRE through there local colleges or universities, those > individuals would have the same problems since the teachings > and course related material is still channeled through > Kaplan and not the local colleges or University.  > Kaplan out sources itself within local colleges and > universities to offer there programs since Kaplan is a > monopoly as a service provider. > Kaplan’s main headquarters are located in New York City, > a place so diverse yet so segregated to those few who > possess special personal corporate interests or political > clout.  .  > I hope this information is helpful to you. > > > >       > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > From rjaquiss at earthlink.net Wed May 12 17:17:35 2010 From: rjaquiss at earthlink.net (Robert Jaquiss) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 12:17:35 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Converting PDF files {was Re: In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions:} References: <695329.44175.qm@web30906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <4B96A8FDB00348E6A6F018162E7CE680@D3DTZP41> Hello: The way I usually convert a big pdf file is to use Kurzweil K1000. K1000 will get the text from the file or if it is images, do OCR on the images. I understand the OpenBook from Freedom Scientific can do the same thing. Demos of this software are available, so it is possible to try before you buy. Hope this helps. Regards, Robert Jaquiss From tom at tomladis.com Wed May 12 18:09:45 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 13:09:45 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> <7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC> Message-ID: <26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but the class has started and I am falling behind. It took them a month to get me the PDF files just 3 days before the class started. My fault for starting late and I have not been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to deal with getting me the materials in a JAWS friendly format. I was finally able to get OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not the greatest solution either. Thanks for your thoughts, Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Tom Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan has demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying with the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a constructive dialog with them. Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law Alcidonis Law Office, LLC 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl Philadelphia, PA 19111 Tel: (215) 305-8085 Fax: (215) 525-0999 Attorney at alcidonislaw.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney Alcidonis at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete this message from your system. This communication is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. -------------------------------------------------- From: "Tom Ladis" Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > Hello All. > > I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in > a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. > > I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able > to provide anything besides the PDF files. > > Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word > document? > > In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe > for the practice tests? > > > Thanks, > Tom > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com From tom at tomladis.com Wed May 12 18:18:14 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 13:18:14 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: References: <695329.44175.qm@web30906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2B8770DE96E345C1A9F79A8FBCB0C717@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Yes, it is difficult to get the right accommodations. The instructors are very sympathetic to the situation, but it is pretty difficult to get anyone who can help to become involved. Kaplan was suggested by another partially sighted candidate, but he was able to use ZoomText to get past the hurdles. I have a completely different set of issues. I feel pretty confident that I can do well on the test without them by reading books and practicing, but wanted the extra help and tricks that they offer. The Bureau of Blind Services, here in Chicago, paid the tab for the class, but I hate to waste their money. It will work out, but I may not be ready by June 7. I will consider it all a learning process and practice for the next test if I do not score well enough. Thanks, Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "William ODonnell" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:53 AM Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: > Tom, do not use Kaplan test prep and admissions! I used them for > preparing to take the GRE in 2009. I have had the same problems of > inaccessible course material, as well as an inability to utilize the > online component. I was told that they were working on improving there > services and were aware that there material was inaccessible and not > usable to blind people. I also had inaccessible material with written > computer language in the PDFS that needed formatting. This was never done > and I never received adequate course materials. They had no problem > taking my credit card info for course registration and fees of up to > $2500. Instead of preparing for the GRE in 5 weeks, it took me five > months since I was working with private readers, and a understanding > Kaplan tutor. The only compensation from Kaplan was to offer me free > tutoring sessions in late November and early December since I felt I was > not ready to take the GRE. Kaplan has reports on > ri-poffreport and the major consumer complaints websites. Kaplan is a > perfect example of Corporate Americas Greed. William E. Bets is a > disability accommodations attorney who requires a $500.00 retainer fee. I > did not pay this since I did not have this available at this time. I > posted the following to the list last year. > The below information involves my experiences while studying for the > Graduate Record Examination (GRE). I want to make all reading this aware > of a major problem with Kaplan Test prep. > To those who are blind or visually impaired who want or are taking the > prep courses for the GRE. Take the prep courses on your own with a > private tutor. Do not take a class through Kaplan. You and any one > supporting you will not get the $1100.00 you paid for since both the > website is inaccessible and you are not given proper accessible course > material in alternative formats usable to a screen-reader or screen > magnification program in a timely manor. > The course requires individuals to utilize the textbook and internet > resources in an interactive classroom setting where the instructor > demonstrates concepts and the students read or openly discuss specific > examples from the text in the textbook. > Even working through the representatives of the local Kaplan centers, the > issues fall back on Kaplan as a corporation since you are lead to believe > that you are the first blind or visually in pared person that Kaplan has > come across. With a founding some 50+ years ago, I believe that Kaplan > has had more than one visually impaired or blind person register for its > courses. > Kaplan has a refund policy which clearly states that one is not able to > get a full refund after the third course session. The initial diagnostic > examination counts as the first course. Kaplan is more than willing to > make standard accommodations to those who require them for this. When one > chooses to obtain help through representatives from Kaplan for there > accessibility issues, the representatives will diligently work with you > once one has completed two consecutive class sessions. This means that > the deadline for any refunds has passed. > Regarding the kaptest.com website, do not be mislead. The main page is > completely accessible. The accessibility issues come up once you register > and are able to create a student account. A student account can only be > completed once one has authorized either a classroom instruction or > tutoring session with a major credit card. The accessibility issues > result from the personal student portals being formatted to support flash > content and the lack of Kaplan integrating the website accessibility > standards referred to as the W3c.org/waiweb access initiative and /TR > technical reference pages through adobe systems. > Unless one has there own personal equipment to utilize, one is not able to > utilize there local Kaplan center’s equipment since none of the centers > have any accessible screen magnifications or screen reading software on > sight. > In addition, for those who choose to study and prepare for the GRE through > there local colleges or universities, those individuals would have the > same problems since the teachings and course related material is still > channeled through Kaplan and not the local colleges or University. Kaplan > out sources itself within local colleges and universities to offer there > programs since Kaplan is a monopoly as a service provider. > Kaplan’s main headquarters are located in New York City, a place so > diverse yet so segregated to those few who possess special personal > corporate interests or political clout. . > I hope this information is helpful to you. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > From tom at tomladis.com Wed May 12 19:15:02 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 14:15:02 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Converting PDF files {was Re: In regard to Kaplan testprep and admissions:} References: <695329.44175.qm@web30906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <4B96A8FDB00348E6A6F018162E7CE680@D3DTZP41> Message-ID: <96F5DE8A73A54112B8BDEC5D745AFB21@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Robert, I was finally able to read the text using OpenBook. It looks like the table of contents and page numbers do not match up right, so I will ask a sighted friend to help me figure out where things are off. Kaplan says that they sent what they provide as ADA accommodations, but it seems that there are extra pages for the Mastery series that knock the page numbering off. It did not seem to bother her that the page numbers did not match the numbers used in the class , but as I explained that the class is referencing things by page numbers, my page numbers will be off. This is not a perfect world, but they could do better than this for people who are getting an unknown product and expecting them to be able to figure things out on their own and keep up with the rest of the class. Thank you very much, Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Jaquiss" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 12:17 PM Subject: [blindlaw] Converting PDF files {was Re: In regard to Kaplan testprep and admissions:} > Hello: > > The way I usually convert a big pdf file is to use Kurzweil K1000. > K1000 will get the text from the file or if it is images, do OCR on the > images. I understand the OpenBook from Freedom Scientific can do the same > thing. Demos of this software are available, so it is possible to try > before you buy. Hope this helps. > > Regards, > > Robert Jaquiss > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > From dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net Wed May 12 19:23:04 2010 From: dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net (Dennis Clark) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 12:23:04 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: References: <695329.44175.qm@web30906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <2B8770DE96E345C1A9F79A8FBCB0C717@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <00b501caf208$8b5da230$6601a8c0@server> Hello Tom, My advice is not to take the LSAT until you are scoring as high as you are capable of scoring. You will know when you have reached that point. I think this is what you meant, and that you did not plan to simply take the LSAT and then just see how it goes. Many people sighted and blind do this with the LSAT banking on the notion that they will simply take it again if their score is not high enough. That is a very bad plan since the schools will be notified that the LSAT was taken several times. If I were on the admissions committee I would admit the students first who got acceptable scores on the first try, and then look at those who did not if there were any slots remaining. Likewise, I want a lawyer representing me who gets it right the first time and a surgeon who gets it right the first time. Real life provides very few do-overs on important matters like those on which lawyers work each day. Again, I think this is what you were saying but as a fellow (former) Chicagoian, I wanted to give you my 2 cents worth. Best, Dennis ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 11:18 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: > Yes, it is difficult to get the right accommodations. The instructors are > very sympathetic to the situation, but it is pretty difficult to get > anyone who can help to become involved. > > Kaplan was suggested by another partially sighted candidate, but he was > able to use ZoomText to get past the hurdles. I have a completely > different set of issues. > > I feel pretty confident that I can do well on the test without them by > reading books and practicing, but wanted the extra help and tricks that > they offer. The Bureau of Blind Services, here in Chicago, paid the tab > for the class, but I hate to waste their money. It will work out, but I > may not be ready by June 7. I will consider it all a learning process and > practice for the next test if I do not score well enough. > > > Thanks, > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "William ODonnell" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:53 AM > Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: > > >> Tom, do not use Kaplan test prep and admissions! I used them for >> preparing to take the GRE in 2009. I have had the same problems of >> inaccessible course material, as well as an inability to utilize the >> online component. I was told that they were working on improving there >> services and were aware that there material was inaccessible and not >> usable to blind people. I also had inaccessible material with written >> computer language in the PDFS that needed formatting. This was never >> done and I never received adequate course materials. They had no problem >> taking my credit card info for course registration and fees of up to >> $2500. Instead of preparing for the GRE in 5 weeks, it took me five >> months since I was working with private readers, and a understanding >> Kaplan tutor. The only compensation from Kaplan was to offer me free >> tutoring sessions in late November and early December since I felt I was >> not ready to take the GRE. Kaplan has reports on >> ri-poffreport and the major consumer complaints websites. Kaplan is a >> perfect example of Corporate Americas Greed. William E. Bets is a >> disability accommodations attorney who requires a $500.00 retainer fee. >> I did not pay this since I did not have this available at this time. I >> posted the following to the list last year. >> The below information involves my experiences while studying for the >> Graduate Record Examination (GRE). I want to make all reading this aware >> of a major problem with Kaplan Test prep. >> To those who are blind or visually impaired who want or are taking the >> prep courses for the GRE. Take the prep courses on your own with a >> private tutor. Do not take a class through Kaplan. You and any one >> supporting you will not get the $1100.00 you paid for since both the >> website is inaccessible and you are not given proper accessible course >> material in alternative formats usable to a screen-reader or screen >> magnification program in a timely manor. >> The course requires individuals to utilize the textbook and internet >> resources in an interactive classroom setting where the instructor >> demonstrates concepts and the students read or openly discuss specific >> examples from the text in the textbook. >> Even working through the representatives of the local Kaplan centers, the >> issues fall back on Kaplan as a corporation since you are lead to believe >> that you are the first blind or visually in pared person that Kaplan has >> come across. With a founding some 50+ years ago, I believe that Kaplan >> has had more than one visually impaired or blind person register for its >> courses. >> Kaplan has a refund policy which clearly states that one is not able to >> get a full refund after the third course session. The initial diagnostic >> examination counts as the first course. Kaplan is more than willing to >> make standard accommodations to those who require them for this. When >> one chooses to obtain help through representatives from Kaplan for there >> accessibility issues, the representatives will diligently work with you >> once one has completed two consecutive class sessions. This means that >> the deadline for any refunds has passed. >> Regarding the kaptest.com website, do not be mislead. The main page is >> completely accessible. The accessibility issues come up once you >> register and are able to create a student account. A student account can >> only be completed once one has authorized either a classroom instruction >> or tutoring session with a major credit card. The accessibility issues >> result from the personal student portals being formatted to support flash >> content and the lack of Kaplan integrating the website accessibility >> standards referred to as the W3c.org/waiweb access initiative and /TR >> technical reference pages through adobe systems. >> Unless one has there own personal equipment to utilize, one is not able >> to utilize there local Kaplan center’s equipment since none of the >> centers have any accessible screen magnifications or screen reading >> software on sight. >> In addition, for those who choose to study and prepare for the GRE >> through there local colleges or universities, those individuals would >> have the same problems since the teachings and course related material is >> still channeled through Kaplan and not the local colleges or University. >> Kaplan out sources itself within local colleges and universities to offer >> there programs since Kaplan is a monopoly as a service provider. >> Kaplan’s main headquarters are located in New York City, a place so >> diverse yet so segregated to those few who possess special personal >> corporate interests or political clout. . >> I hope this information is helpful to you. >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > From attorney at alcidonislaw.com Thu May 13 16:58:58 2010 From: attorney at alcidonislaw.com (Rod Alcidonis, Esquire.) Date: Thu, 13 May 2010 12:58:58 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Written recommendation needed from a lawyer user of the KNFB Reader Message-ID: <830ED89E9F024A2984FDABA7008A040C@LawOfficePC> Colleagues: Can you please write me off-list for further info if you can help. I am in need of a written recommendation from a lawyer for purchasing the KNFB Reader for my practice. Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law Alcidonis Law Office, LLC 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl Philadelphia, PA 19111 Tel: (215) 305-8085 Fax: (215) 525-0999 Attorney at alcidonislaw.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney Alcidonis at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete this message from your system. This communication is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. From CDanielsen at nfb.org Thu May 13 19:58:52 2010 From: CDanielsen at nfb.org (Danielsen, Chris) Date: Thu, 13 May 2010 14:58:52 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Please post on all NFB list-serves Message-ID: The 2009 National Federation of the Blind Annual Report is Now Available! Take a look back on all of the accomplishments of the National Federation of the Blind in 2009 by reading the newest Annual Report! The 2009 Annual Report is available online as an accessible PDF file (http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/2009%20Annual%20Report_Accessible.pdf) or a BRF file (http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/brf/2009_NFB_Annual_Report.BRF). Print copies are also available for order from the Independence Market; call (410) 659-9314, extension 2216 now to order your copy. From dwilson.lists at gmail.com Fri May 14 14:25:34 2010 From: dwilson.lists at gmail.com (Derek Wilson) Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 23:25:34 +0900 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> <7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC> <26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: Hi Tom, I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine was online and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions of the study materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the PDF files with ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe were flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much less accessible, as the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor jumbped around the screen at random. In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through LSAC. Kaplan had nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the LSAT in Tokyo last September and again last December. One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to prepare for the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on test day. I prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 options by LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test book, or 2. a human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print difficult for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able to read only 14 or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short periods of time. To make a long story short, my test day score was 15 points lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons aside, the nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge factor in my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a human reader to help me study, my options were limited. I don't what the implications are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge you to meet with them in person prior to test day and assess their reading skills at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, competent, and have the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for them to meet with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening and acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem them unfit for the task. After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last year, I asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a computer using Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not possible at this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a computer-based alternative in the future, and the representative repeated flatly "No, not at this time." I have since learned that two of my acquaintances in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to write on test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. I would not go so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their accommodation decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is clear to me that the playing field is far from level. I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in some way, and I wish you the best of luck on test day! Regards, Derek Wilson www.twitter.com/culturemate http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but the class has started > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to get me the PDF files just > 3 days before the class started. My fault for starting late and I have not > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to deal with getting me > the materials in a JAWS friendly format. I was finally able to get > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not the greatest solution > either. > > Thanks for your thoughts, > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Tom > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan has > demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying with > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a > constructive dialog with them. > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may > contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by > attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. > > If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney Alcidonis > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete > this message from your system. This communication is covered by the > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Tom Ladis" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > >> Hello All. >> >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in >> a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. >> >> I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. >> >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word >> document? >> >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe >> for the practice tests? >> >> >> Thanks, >> Tom >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Fri May 14 20:50:19 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 15:50:19 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Eleventh Circuit Title Two Decision: American Association of People with Disabilities v. Harris Message-ID: From: CMPDL's Disability Discussion Docket (3D) [mailto:CMPDL-3D at MAIL.ABANET.ORG] On Behalf Of Lissner, Scott Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 11:12 AM To: CMPDL-3D at MAIL.ABANET.ORG Subject: Eleventh Circuit Title Two Decision: American Association of People with Disabilities v. Harris Your are invited to participate in Ohio's ADA Report Card In American Association of People with Disabilities v. Harris the Eleventh Circuit dismissed a lawsuit challenging Florida's Duval County's lack of voting machines for disabled individuals. Relying on Alexander v. Sandoval (532 US 275, 121 S. Ct. 1511) the Eleventh Circuit concluded that there was not private right to sue under Title II of the ADA extending the reasoning in Sandoval beyond legislation rooted in the Spending Clause and to the Fourteenth Amendment legislation. For more read "Federal Appeals Court Decision Undercuts Effectiveness of ADA" in The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy Blog By Michael R. Masinter, Professor of Law, Shepard Broad Law Center, Nova Southeastern University. L. Scott Lissner, University ADA Coordinator, Office Of The Provost, The Ohio State University Associate, John Glenn School of Public Affairs Lecturer, Knowlton School of Architecture, Moritz College of Law & Disability Studies Chair, Public Policy & Government Relations Committee, Association on Higher Education And Disability Chair, ADA-OHIO Board Member, Ohio Governor's Council For People With Disabilities Member, Columbus Advisory Council on Disability Issues & Board of ADA-OHIO --------- Going to respond to this message? Be sure to hit "Reply All" when doing so. [cid:~WRD000.jpg] Disability Discussion Docket (3D) ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law http://www.abanet.org/disability --------- Material distributed over 3D is for educational and informational purposes only. The contents of any e-mail, including any statements that may be construed as legal advice or referral, are solely the responsibility of the e-mail?s author. In no event shall any contents be the responsibility of and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Bar Association, its officers, employees, agents or the Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law. --------- To leave this list at any time, please send a message to listserv at mail.abanet.org. In the body of the message type "sign off cmpdl-3d." If you have any questions about 3D or the CMPDL in general, please contact William Phelan at phelanw at staff.abanet.org. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ~WRD000.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 823 bytes Desc: ~WRD000.jpg URL: From joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com Fri May 14 21:38:43 2010 From: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com (RJ Sandefur) Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 17:38:43 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Eleventh Circuit Title Two Decision: American Association of People with Disabilities v. Harris References: Message-ID: I hope these people appeal this piece of trash! I hope the United States supreme court will hear this case! RJ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nightingale, Noel" To: Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 4:50 PM Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Eleventh Circuit Title Two Decision: American Association of People with Disabilities v. Harris > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joltingjacksandefur%40gmail.com > From emrene at earthlink.net Sat May 15 17:53:56 2010 From: emrene at earthlink.net (Elizabeth Rene) Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 10:53:56 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Federal Employment Message-ID: <686E30261DD1443D8B6F0E86D1E2BE0F@elizabethrene> I want to return to the practice of Law after a long hiatus, and want to pursue Federal employment under the Obama administration. Does anyone out there work for a Federal agency who would like to comment about your route to employment there, your experience of the work environment, your ease or difficulty in getting needed accommodations, what you like most and least about Federal employment, or about what you might have done differently as a blind Federal job seeker or new employee, had you known then what you know now? Are there any Federal magistrates, arbitrators, mediators, administrative law judges, or other hearing officers out there who would be willing to share your insights? Does anyone practice in the circuit courts or before the courts of appeals? I practiced for nine years as an assistant city prosecutor doing daily trial and appellate advocacy, for three years as municipal advisory counsel to elected and appointed department heads, working in labor law, city governance, public disclosure litigation, and information systems development, for nearly two years as a professional licensing attorney enforcing my state's version of the Uniform Disciplinary Act, and for two more years as a state excise tax judge. I went to seminary after that, and worked as a hospital chaplain, becoming fascinated by Medicine, clinical ethics, the support and discipline of troubled healthcare workers, and the rights of patients to self-determination. I am applying for admission to an LL.M. program in Health Law at my state university. I'd love to hear from any of you. Thanks, Elizabeth From AZNOR99 at aol.com Sat May 15 19:17:23 2010 From: AZNOR99 at aol.com (AZNOR99 at aol.com) Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 15:17:23 EDT Subject: [blindlaw] Federal Employment Message-ID: Elizabeth, I worked in the Obama Administration for the Department of Homeland Security and now work for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under HHS. Feel free to email me off-list to discuss some of the aspects you mention. _aznor99 at aol.com_ (mailto:aznor99 at aol.com) Regards, Ronza In a message dated 5/15/2010 2:16:44 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, emrene at earthlink.net writes: I want to return to the practice of Law after a long hiatus, and want to pursue Federal employment under the Obama administration. Does anyone out there work for a Federal agency who would like to comment about your route to employment there, your experience of the work environment, your ease or difficulty in getting needed accommodations, what you like most and least about Federal employment, or about what you might have done differently as a blind Federal job seeker or new employee, had you known then what you know now? Are there any Federal magistrates, arbitrators, mediators, administrative law judges, or other hearing officers out there who would be willing to share your insights? Does anyone practice in the circuit courts or before the courts of appeals? I practiced for nine years as an assistant city prosecutor doing daily trial and appellate advocacy, for three years as municipal advisory counsel to elected and appointed department heads, working in labor law, city governance, public disclosure litigation, and information systems development, for nearly two years as a professional licensing attorney enforcing my state's version of the Uniform Disciplinary Act, and for two more years as a state excise tax judge. I went to seminary after that, and worked as a hospital chaplain, becoming fascinated by Medicine, clinical ethics, the support and discipline of troubled healthcare workers, and the rights of patients to self-determination. I am applying for admission to an LL.M. program in Health Law at my state university. I'd love to hear from any of you. Thanks, Elizabeth _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/aznor99%40aol.com From emrene at earthlink.net Sat May 15 20:23:15 2010 From: emrene at earthlink.net (Elizabeth Rene) Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 13:23:15 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology Message-ID: <08978F571998447981311AD806DEC611@elizabethrene> In an earlier post today, I've asked blind lawyers to comment on their experience as Federal attorneys. I mentioned there that I hadn't practiced for a while, pursuing instead post-graduate study and other interests outside the Law. When I left my last legal position, Windows was barely accessible, most of my computer work was done in MS Dos, I scrutinized contracts with a CCT, and I hunted for case law and Shepherdized opinions with an 8X magnifying glass. Today on my laptop I use Windows XP with Service Pack Three, JAWS, and Kurzweil 1000. But I've never used any of the legal databases such as Lexis. Any ad hoc legal research I do these days, I do through Google. Does anyone have suggestions on how I might finally haul myself into the 21st century? Which computer-based research tools work best for you, and how have you learned to use them? Thanks, Elizabeth From mruniverse08 at gmail.com Sat May 15 20:52:11 2010 From: mruniverse08 at gmail.com (WB) Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 15:52:11 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology In-Reply-To: <08978F571998447981311AD806DEC611@elizabethrene> References: <08978F571998447981311AD806DEC611@elizabethrene> Message-ID: <003a01caf470$7e876f40$7b964dc0$@com> Hi there. I'm not an attorney but a paralegal. Since I've been out of work, I've still tried using the various research tools online. I have Jaws 9 and it seems to work pretty well with the online research tools, although they most often have to be the mobile version such as m.westlaw.com. It works very well because it takes away all the graphics that Jaws cannot read. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Rene Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 3:23 PM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology In an earlier post today, I've asked blind lawyers to comment on their experience as Federal attorneys. I mentioned there that I hadn't practiced for a while, pursuing instead post-graduate study and other interests outside the Law. When I left my last legal position, Windows was barely accessible, most of my computer work was done in MS Dos, I scrutinized contracts with a CCT, and I hunted for case law and Shepherdized opinions with an 8X magnifying glass. Today on my laptop I use Windows XP with Service Pack Three, JAWS, and Kurzweil 1000. But I've never used any of the legal databases such as Lexis. Any ad hoc legal research I do these days, I do through Google. Does anyone have suggestions on how I might finally haul myself into the 21st century? Which computer-based research tools work best for you, and how have you learned to use them? Thanks, Elizabeth _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mruniverse08%40gma il.com From tom at tomladis.com Sun May 16 01:15:26 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 20:15:26 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1><7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC><26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very difficult to work with to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email instead of human interaction. They are not willing to give much information over the phone, and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter in PDF files for me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see them add some more check boxes to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations advisors to people who are blind. Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended Kaplan, but it appears that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText and when you need to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files all seem to have formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke with Freedom Scientific about the problem and their conclusion is that the files are not formatted to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF files using OpenBook and saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of junk in the file because of their multi column structure and the books being for the Premier classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to keep up with a class when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded in the test is a problem. It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just trying to level the playing field for blind people who are already in or trying to get into the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the playing field leveled and attorney fees paid are welcome. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Hi Tom, I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine was online and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions of the study materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the PDF files with ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe were flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much less accessible, as the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor jumbped around the screen at random. In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through LSAC. Kaplan had nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the LSAT in Tokyo last September and again last December. One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to prepare for the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on test day. I prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 options by LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test book, or 2. a human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print difficult for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able to read only 14 or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short periods of time. To make a long story short, my test day score was 15 points lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons aside, the nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge factor in my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a human reader to help me study, my options were limited. I don't what the implications are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge you to meet with them in person prior to test day and assess their reading skills at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, competent, and have the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for them to meet with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening and acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem them unfit for the task. After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last year, I asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a computer using Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not possible at this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a computer-based alternative in the future, and the representative repeated flatly "No, not at this time." I have since learned that two of my acquaintances in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to write on test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. I would not go so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their accommodation decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is clear to me that the playing field is far from level. I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in some way, and I wish you the best of luck on test day! Regards, Derek Wilson www.twitter.com/culturemate http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but the class has > started > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to get me the PDF files > just > 3 days before the class started. My fault for starting late and I have > not > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to deal with getting me > the materials in a JAWS friendly format. I was finally able to get > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not the greatest > solution > either. > > Thanks for your thoughts, > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Tom > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan > has > demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying > with > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a > constructive dialog with them. > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may > contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by > attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. > > If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney > Alcidonis > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete > this message from your system. This communication is covered by the > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Tom Ladis" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > >> Hello All. >> >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in >> a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. >> >> I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. >> >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word >> document? >> >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe >> for the practice tests? >> >> >> Thanks, >> Tom >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com From dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net Sun May 16 05:07:29 2010 From: dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net (Dennis Clark) Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 22:07:29 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1><7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC><26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <039f01caf4b5$af28e030$6601a8c0@server> Hello Tom, I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for about 20 years now since I graduated from law school and I have had some success over the years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to convert the PDF's that Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you can do with Open Book. The files are too large to be sent as email attachments but if we can talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file transfer service that I use. I would also like to talk with you about the legal problems raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. Over the years I have taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was accessible, but my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. However, the ADA has been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they get their act together and provide complete course accessibility. Please give me a call if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am located in California, but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I look forward to talking with you. Warmest regards, Dennis Clark ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very difficult to work with to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email instead of human interaction. They are not willing to give much information over the phone, and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter in PDF files for me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see them add some more check boxes to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations advisors to people who are blind. Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended Kaplan, but it appears that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText and when you need to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files all seem to have formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke with Freedom Scientific about the problem and their conclusion is that the files are not formatted to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF files using OpenBook and saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of junk in the file because of their multi column structure and the books being for the Premier classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to keep up with a class when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded in the test is a problem. It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just trying to level the playing field for blind people who are already in or trying to get into the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the playing field leveled and attorney fees paid are welcome. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Hi Tom, I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine was online and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions of the study materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the PDF files with ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe were flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much less accessible, as the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor jumbped around the screen at random. In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through LSAC. Kaplan had nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the LSAT in Tokyo last September and again last December. One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to prepare for the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on test day. I prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 options by LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test book, or 2. a human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print difficult for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able to read only 14 or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short periods of time. To make a long story short, my test day score was 15 points lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons aside, the nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge factor in my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a human reader to help me study, my options were limited. I don't what the implications are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge you to meet with them in person prior to test day and assess their reading skills at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, competent, and have the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for them to meet with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening and acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem them unfit for the task. After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last year, I asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a computer using Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not possible at this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a computer-based alternative in the future, and the representative repeated flatly "No, not at this time." I have since learned that two of my acquaintances in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to write on test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. I would not go so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their accommodation decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is clear to me that the playing field is far from level. I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in some way, and I wish you the best of luck on test day! Regards, Derek Wilson www.twitter.com/culturemate http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but the class has > started > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to get me the PDF files > just > 3 days before the class started. My fault for starting late and I have > not > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to deal with getting me > the materials in a JAWS friendly format. I was finally able to get > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not the greatest > solution > either. > > Thanks for your thoughts, > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Tom > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan > has > demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying > with > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a > constructive dialog with them. > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may > contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by > attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. > > If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney > Alcidonis > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete > this message from your system. This communication is covered by the > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Tom Ladis" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > >> Hello All. >> >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in >> a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. >> >> I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. >> >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word >> document? >> >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe >> for the practice tests? >> >> >> Thanks, >> Tom >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net From joramsey at cox.net Sun May 16 19:02:57 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 15:02:57 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology In-Reply-To: <08978F571998447981311AD806DEC611@elizabethrene> Message-ID: <73E98B101B344E30A796AD886B29CD06@noneeb869fea9a> Elizabeth: Many of us use JFW with the text version of Westlaw but it is possible to navigate Lexis and the full version of Westlaw once you familiarize yourself with the respective page layouts. Personally, I have used the text only version of Westlaw since 2003 and love it. Cordially, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Rene Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 4:23 PM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology In an earlier post today, I've asked blind lawyers to comment on their experience as Federal attorneys. I mentioned there that I hadn't practiced for a while, pursuing instead post-graduate study and other interests outside the Law. When I left my last legal position, Windows was barely accessible, most of my computer work was done in MS Dos, I scrutinized contracts with a CCT, and I hunted for case law and Shepherdized opinions with an 8X magnifying glass. Today on my laptop I use Windows XP with Service Pack Three, JAWS, and Kurzweil 1000. But I've never used any of the legal databases such as Lexis. Any ad hoc legal research I do these days, I do through Google. Does anyone have suggestions on how I might finally haul myself into the 21st century? Which computer-based research tools work best for you, and how have you learned to use them? Thanks, Elizabeth _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 16 19:27:59 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 12:27:59 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology In-Reply-To: <08978F571998447981311AD806DEC611@elizabethrene> References: <08978F571998447981311AD806DEC611@elizabethrene> Message-ID: <63182674C9DE4ADF8DF281CD481F9CF9@spike> Westlaw and Lexis are both accessible and as a paralegal doing research I have used both. While both are accessible I prefer Westlaw based on the layout and content. I know that Westlaw has staff that are trained to work with screen reader clients to provide training although I haven't availed myself of it. Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal 1237 P Street Fresno ca 93721 559-266-9237 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Elizabeth Rene" To: Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 1:23 PM Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology > In an earlier post today, I've asked blind lawyers to comment on their > experience as Federal attorneys. I mentioned there that I hadn't > practiced for a while, pursuing instead post-graduate study and other > interests outside the Law. > > When I left my last legal position, Windows was barely accessible, most of > my computer work was done in MS Dos, I scrutinized contracts with a CC, > and I hunted for case law and Shepherdized opinions with an 8X magnifying > glass. > > Today on my laptop I use Windows XP with Service Pack Three, JAWS, and > Kurzweil 1000. But I've never used any of the legal databases such as > Lexis. Any ad hoc legal research I do these days, I do through Google. > > Does anyone have suggestions on how I might finally haul myself into the > 21st century? > > Which computer-based research tools work best for you, and how have you > learned to use them? > > Thanks, > > Elizabeth > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 16 20:07:12 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 13:07:12 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <039f01caf4b5$af28e030$6601a8c0@server> References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1><7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC><26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> <039f01caf4b5$af28e030$6601a8c0@server> Message-ID: <49302C1FD97A497DBA07BE1B93619A7C@spike> Hi Dennis, While I did not have a truly negative experience I had an experience dealing with a Kaplan affiliate that being Concord Law School as I was inquiring about on line school about a year and a half ago. I found that the live features of the on line site which involved live chat were not accessible during an on line introductory seminar. While I could listen I could not participate in the on line chat totally when using JAWS. As a result I did not pursue that as an option. Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal 1237 P Street Fresno ca 93721 559-266-9237 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 10:07 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Hello Tom, I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for about 20 years now since I graduated from law school and I have had some success over the years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to convert the PDF's that Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you can do with Open Book. The files are too large to be sent as email attachments but if we can talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file transfer service that I use. I would also like to talk with you about the legal problems raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. Over the years I have taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was accessible, but my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. However, the ADA has been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they get their act together and provide complete course accessibility. Please give me a call if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am located in California, but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I look forward to talking with you. Warmest regards, Dennis Clark ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very difficult to work with to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email instead of human interaction. They are not willing to give much information over the phone, and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter in PDF files for me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see them add some more check boxes to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations advisors to people who are blind. Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended Kaplan, but it appears that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText and when you need to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files all seem to have formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke with Freedom Scientific about the problem and their conclusion is that the files are not formatted to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF files using OpenBook and saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of junk in the file because of their multi column structure and the books being for the Premier classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to keep up with a class when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded in the test is a problem. It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just trying to level the playing field for blind people who are already in or trying to get into the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the playing field leveled and attorney fees paid are welcome. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Hi Tom, I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine was online and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions of the study materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the PDF files with ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe were flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much less accessible, as the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor jumbped around the screen at random. In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through LSAC. Kaplan had nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the LSAT in Tokyo last September and again last December. One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to prepare for the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on test day. I prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 options by LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test book, or 2. a human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print difficult for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able to read only 14 or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short periods of time. To make a long story short, my test day score was 15 points lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons aside, the nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge factor in my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a human reader to help me study, my options were limited. I don't what the implications are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge you to meet with them in person prior to test day and assess their reading skills at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, competent, and have the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for them to meet with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening and acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem them unfit for the task. After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last year, I asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a computer using Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not possible at this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a computer-based alternative in the future, and the representative repeated flatly "No, not at this time." I have since learned that two of my acquaintances in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to write on test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. I would not go so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their accommodation decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is clear to me that the playing field is far from level. I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in some way, and I wish you the best of luck on test day! Regards, Derek Wilson www.twitter.com/culturemate http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but the class has > started > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to get me the PDF files > just > 3 days before the class started. My fault for starting late and I have > not > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to deal with getting me > the materials in a JAWS friendly format. I was finally able to get > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not the greatest > solution > either. > > Thanks for your thoughts, > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Tom > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan > has > demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying > with > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a > constructive dialog with them. > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may > contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by > attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. > > If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney > Alcidonis > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete > this message from your system. This communication is covered by the > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Tom Ladis" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > >> Hello All. >> >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in >> a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. >> >> I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. >> >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word >> document? >> >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe >> for the practice tests? >> >> >> Thanks, >> Tom >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Sun May 16 21:04:37 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 14:04:37 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <49302C1FD97A497DBA07BE1B93619A7C@spike> Message-ID: <141163.35846.qm@web30901.mail.mud.yahoo.com> I have posted something to the list a week ago with some helpful information on resourses, as well as my issues with Kaplan when practicing for a GRE. I spoke with someone last week who told me that they have not made any changes to there flash content site or "accessible material." So, in essence, they have not made the changes they said they would have for "future blind students." The person declined to give a name. I have all emails saved for reference if anyone wants names and contacts. I hope this helps. -William- --- On Sun, 5/16/10, ckrugman at sbcglobal.net wrote: > From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Sunday, May 16, 2010, 4:07 PM > Hi Dennis, > > While I did not have a truly negative experience I had an > experience dealing with a Kaplan affiliate that being > Concord Law School as I was inquiring about on line school > about a year and a half ago. I found that the live features > of the on line site which involved live chat were not > accessible during an on line introductory seminar. While I > could listen I could not participate in the on line chat > totally when using JAWS. As a result I did not pursue that > as an option. > Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal > 1237 P Street > Fresno ca 93721 > 559-266-9237 > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 10:07 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated  from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC.  I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book.  The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use.  I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course.  > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA.  > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility.  > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244.  I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois.  I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info.  LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date.  They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much  > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view.  Funny, huh?  I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different.  The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged.  I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the  > files are not formatted > to be accessible.  They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes.  Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession.  Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced.  Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well.  I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes.  They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC.  Kaplan had > nothing to do with this.  I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day.  I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font.  I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time.  To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance.  As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited.  I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level.  They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours.  LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time."  I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology.  > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind.  It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started.  My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format.   I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > >  This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format.  They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files.  Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >>  I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable.   Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 16 22:43:17 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 15:43:17 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <141163.35846.qm@web30901.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <141163.35846.qm@web30901.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <68FDA431A2804C2B9ED0722D92252314@spike> This seems like it is an issue of great enough significance that NFB and its attorneys might want to start investigating this. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "William ODonnell" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 2:04 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support I have posted something to the list a week ago with some helpful information on resourses, as well as my issues with Kaplan when practicing for a GRE. I spoke with someone last week who told me that they have not made any changes to there flash content site or "accessible material." So, in essence, they have not made the changes they said they would have for "future blind students." The person declined to give a name. I have all emails saved for reference if anyone wants names and contacts. I hope this helps. -William- --- On Sun, 5/16/10, ckrugman at sbcglobal.net wrote: > From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Sunday, May 16, 2010, 4:07 PM > Hi Dennis, > > While I did not have a truly negative experience I had an > experience dealing with a Kaplan affiliate that being > Concord Law School as I was inquiring about on line school > about a year and a half ago. I found that the live features > of the on line site which involved live chat were not > accessible during an on line introductory seminar. While I > could listen I could not participate in the on line chat > totally when using JAWS. As a result I did not pursue that > as an option. > Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal > 1237 P Street > Fresno ca 93721 > 559-266-9237 > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 10:07 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility. > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the > files are not formatted > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC. Kaplan had > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day. I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time. To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time." I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format. I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format. They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable. Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From womankind at earthlink.net Mon May 17 12:15:40 2010 From: womankind at earthlink.net (Stephanie Ortoleva) Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 08:15:40 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] using footnotes in MS Word with Window Eyes In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear all, Does anyone have good guidance or instructions on using footnotes in MS Word with Window Eyes? I'd really apreciate it. Stephanie From emrene at earthlink.net Mon May 17 18:41:51 2010 From: emrene at earthlink.net (Elizabeth Rene) Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 11:41:51 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you Message-ID: Thanks to all of you who have sent your comments about using Westlaw and Lexis with screen reader software. I'm very grateful to you. And please, if there's anyone who hasn't written yet about research technology and techniques for blind lawyers, keep writing! Here's some more grist for the mill. Does anyone know of a Braille or electronic version of the Uniform System of Citation? What about the Restatements of the Law? How do you Shepherdize? How do you draft legislation and review bills in progress? How do you mark clerks papers on appeal? How do you prepare trial notebooks? What have been your best techniques for organizing and presenting oral argument on appeal? I'm speaking of the use of technology re all of this. When I practiced, I didn't have any blind lawyers to talk to, so I winged it a lot. I tried cases at all levels of state court, and argued regularly before my state's court of appeals and supreme court. I also conducted hearings and settlement conferences, and wrote formal opinions. So I'll share my experience and advice too, for what it's worth. Thanks, Elizabeth From rwayne1 at nyc.rr.com Tue May 18 02:03:38 2010 From: rwayne1 at nyc.rr.com (ray wayne) Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 21:03:38 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <20100518020338.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> We discussed some of this at our NABLIND meeting immediately following the tenBroek Syposium in Baltimore last month. We will do so again this summer in Dallas at our annual meeting. I hope you can make it to Dallas, and that you will come to our meeting. See agenda for time and location. Ray Wayne Secretary, National Assoc��ation of Blind Lawyers ----- Original Message ----- From: "Elizabeth Rene" To: Date: Monday, May 17, 2010 14:54:01 Subject: [bllaw] Re Research Technology �� thank you > > > Thanks to all of you who have sent your comments about using Westlaw and > Lexis with screen reader software. > > I'm very grateful to you. > > And please, if there's anyone who hasn't written yet about research > technology and techniques for blind lawyers, keep writing! > > Here's some more grist for the mill. > > Does anyone know of a Braille or electronic version of the Uniform System of > Citation? > > What about the Restatements of the Law? > > How do you Shepherdize? > > How do you draft legislation and review bills in progress? > > How do you mark clerks papers on appeal? > > How do you prepare trial notebooks? > > What have been your best techniques for organizing and presenting oral > argument on appeal? > > I'm speaking of the use of technology re all of this. > > When I practiced, I didn't have any blind lawyers to talk to, so I winged it > a lot. I tried cases at all levels of state court, and argued regularly > before my state's court of appeals and supreme court. I also conducted > hearings and settlement conferences, and wrote formal opinions. > > So I'll share my experience and advice too, for what it's worth. > > Thanks, > > Elizabeth > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > bllaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for bllaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com From joramsey at cox.net Tue May 18 11:11:55 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 07:11:55 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Message-ID: Hello: I believe it was Michelle who was well versed in drafting letters or proposals for the KNFB Reader. If so, pleas contact me off list. Also, I would like to get some of your input on the best course of action in challenging DBS for denial of services. Should I contact some of the Advocacy centers or go through the Administrative Hearing process? Noel Probably knows a lot about this on the federal level. Finally, do any of you know the appropriate process for removing the case from the administrative hearing phase to the civil court phase? Cordially, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. From attorney at alcidonislaw.com Tue May 18 13:30:30 2010 From: attorney at alcidonislaw.com (Rod Alcidonis, Esquire.) Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 09:30:30 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <81DDBFB2E7754C4AB77FB52BFE81165C@LawOfficePC> I am in need of a similar letter for the KNFB Reader. I would appreciate any assistance from a felow blind attorney, off-line please. Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law Alcidonis Law Office, LLC 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl Philadelphia, PA 19111 Tel: (215) 305-8085 Fax: (215) 525-0999 Attorney at alcidonislaw.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney Alcidonis at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete this message from your system. This communication is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. -------------------------------------------------- From: "John Ramsey" Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 7:11 AM To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB > Hello: > I believe it was Michelle who was well versed in drafting letters or > proposals for the KNFB Reader. If so, pleas contact me off list. > Also, I would like to get some of your input on the best course of action > in > challenging DBS for denial of services. Should I contact some of the > Advocacy centers or go through the Administrative Hearing process? Noel > Probably knows a lot about this on the federal level. > Finally, do any of you know the appropriate process for removing the case > from the administrative hearing phase to the civil court phase? > > Cordially, > John > > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com From slabarre at labarrelaw.com Tue May 18 17:38:52 2010 From: slabarre at labarrelaw.com (Scott C. LaBarre) Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 11:38:52 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] Fw: ABA GPSolo Diversity Fellowships Program - Extended to May 31, 2010 Message-ID: <26E2A299ACEC47D28B889B97772ADD2A@labarre> For those who are solos or in small practices, this is an excellent way to get involved in the GP Solo Division of the ABA. Expenses are paid to the various meetings etc. Scott C. LaBarre, Esq. ----- Original Message ----- From: ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division To: GP-LEADERSHIP at MAIL.ABANET.ORG Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 10:43 AM Subject: ABA GPSolo Diversity Fellowships Program - Extended to May 31, 2010 Call for Diversity Fellowship Nomination Extended to May 31, 2010: The ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division is pleased to announce the sponsorship of four Diversity fellowships in the Division during the 2010-2011 bar year. The program is designed to promote diversity within the Division and the ABA, while providing leadership development opportunities within the Division for women, attorneys of color, and those with disabilities and persons of differing sexual orientations and gender identities. Nomination applications deadline is extended to May 31, 2010. For further any information on the Division's fellowship programs please contact:the GPSolo Division at (312) 988-5648, (312) 988-5711 or genpractice at abanet.org. Visit our website at www.abanet.org/genpractice or download a DiversityFellowshipApplication1011.doc. Mail, fax or email completed applications and nominations to: American Bar Association GPSolo and Small Firm Division (Diversity or Young Lawyers) Fellowship Program Dee C. Lee, Finance and Committees Coordinator 321 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL 60654 Fax (312) 988-5711 Email: genpractice at abanet.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To remove yourself from this listserv, please click here http://www.abanet.org/abanet/common/email/listserv/listcommands.cfm?parm=unsubscribe&listgroup=gp-leadership -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: attad214.gif Type: image/gif Size: 5270 bytes Desc: not available URL: From milicatrpevska at aol.com Wed May 19 18:29:14 2010 From: milicatrpevska at aol.com (Milica Trpevska) Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 14:29:14 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] New to the list LSAT? Message-ID: <8CCC598513B2D0E-17E0-256C@webmail-d026.sysops.aol.com> Hello folks I am Mimi - short for Milica - from Macedonia. I am almost totally blind since birth and have just graduated from college with two majors in journalism and political science. I've spent four wonderful years at the American University in Bulgaria and they ended just as wonderfully with a great commencement and a senior prom. Now that I graduated, I started thinking about preparing for the long and cumbersome process of applying for a law school position. I registered for LSAT in October in Bulgaria and am about to apply for accommodated testing. I've read some blogposts and papers on accommodated testing but will need some pieces of advice from fellow blind peers who personally experienced the process. I'd like to use a computer in the analytical section: 0 this will be the most convenient method for me to to sort out and solve the problems in this section. I don't know, however, whether LSAC permits such use and, if yes, which is the best way to approach them regarding this issue. I am aware that some fellows, among them Ms. Stephanie Enyart, put together a succinct guide that would be much helpful to first-time applicants like myself. I would greatly appreciate if someone would send it my way for which I thank you all in advance. I will also appreciate any and all advices regarding accommodated testing as well as practicing for LSAT. Most of you are probably professional lawyers or law students who do not have as much spare time, but I would appreciate if someone wants to have a short chat about it on skype, MSN or AIM. My corresponding screen names are provided below: skype: go-getter87, MSN: milica.trpevska at gmail.com, AIM: milicatrpevska at aol.com . When adding me on either of them, please let me know that you are a member of the Blind Law mailing list. Last but not least, I hope I will become a contributing member of the list and I look forward to getting to know some of you and to hearing some useful advices about LSAT and, hopefully, about the application process as I go along. Best, Milica Trpevska From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Wed May 19 20:56:06 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 13:56:06 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you In-Reply-To: <20100518020338.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> References: <20100518020338.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> Message-ID: <1CF8D9DA85304DF3BFE2F74956559B24@spike> Was this meeting recorded and will the Dallas meeting be broadcast or recorded for those who might not be able to attend. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "ray wayne" To: Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 7:03 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you > We discussed some of this at our NABLIND meeting immediately following the > tenBroek Syposium in Baltimore last month. We will do so again this summer > in Dallas at our annual meeting. I hope you can make it to Dallas, and > that you will come to our meeting. See agenda for time and location. > > Ray Wayne > Secretary, National Assocíation of Blind Lawyers > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Elizabeth Rene" > To: > Date: Monday, May 17, 2010 14:54:01 > Subject: [bllaw] Re Research Technology - thank you > >> >> >> Thanks to all of you who have sent your comments about using Westlaw and >> Lexis with screen reader software. >> >> I'm very grateful to you. >> >> And please, if there's anyone who hasn't written yet about research >> technology and techniques for blind lawyers, keep writing! >> >> Here's some more grist for the mill. >> >> Does anyone know of a Braille or electronic version of the Uniform System >> of >> Citation? >> >> What about the Restatements of the Law? >> >> How do you Shepherdize? >> >> How do you draft legislation and review bills in progress? >> >> How do you mark clerks papers on appeal? >> >> How do you prepare trial notebooks? >> >> What have been your best techniques for organizing and presenting oral >> argument on appeal? >> >> I'm speaking of the use of technology re all of this. >> >> When I practiced, I didn't have any blind lawyers to talk to, so I winged >> it >> a lot. I tried cases at all levels of state court, and argued regularly >> before my state's court of appeals and supreme court. I also conducted >> hearings and settlement conferences, and wrote formal opinions. >> >> So I'll share my experience and advice too, for what it's worth. >> >> Thanks, >> >> Elizabeth >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> bllaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> bllaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > From JFreeh at nfb.org Thu May 20 10:51:08 2010 From: JFreeh at nfb.org (Freeh, Jessica) Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 05:51:08 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Key Stakeholders Agree on Measures to Protect Blind Pedestrians from Silent Cars Message-ID: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 (410) 262-1281 (Cell) cdanielsen at nfb.org Key Stakeholders Agree on Measures to Protect Blind Pedestrians from Silent Cars Urge Passage as Part of Motor Vehicle Safety Act Baltimore, Maryland (May 19, 2010): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the American Council of the Blind (ACB), the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM), and the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) announced today that they have agreed on proposed legislative language that will protect blind pedestrians and others from the danger posed by silent vehicle technology. The four organizations are urging Congress to adopt and pass the language as part of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010­which is currently pending in both houses of Congress­as quickly as possible. The proposed language would require the Department of Transportation to promulgate a motor vehicle safety standard requiring automobiles to emit a minimum level of sound to alert the blind and other pedestrians. Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The National Federation of the Blind commends the automobile industry for its leadership on this issue and for its genuine concern for the safety of blind Americans, cyclists, runners, small children, and other pedestrians. We look forward to working with the parties to this agreement, the United States Congress, and the Department of Transportation to ensure that America’s streets remain safe, both for those who drive and for those who do not.” "Good policy is a collaborative effort, and this is a good approach for pedestrians and automakers," said Dave McCurdy, President and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Because blind pedestrians cannot locate and evaluate traffic using their vision, they must listen to traffic to discern its speed, direction, and other attributes in order to travel safely and independently. Other people, including pedestrians who are not blind, cyclists, runners, seniors, and small children, also benefit from hearing the sound of vehicle engines. New vehicles that employ hybrid or electric engine technology can be silent, rendering them extremely dangerous in situations where vehicles and pedestrians come into proximity with each other. A recent report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that hybrid and electric vehicles are nearly twice as likely to be involved in accidents with pedestrians as vehicles with internal combustion engines. ### About the National Federation of the Blind With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind. From rwayne1 at nyc.rr.com Fri May 21 02:27:58 2010 From: rwayne1 at nyc.rr.com (ray wayne) Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 21:27:58 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you In-Reply-To: <1CF8D9DA85304DF3BFE2F74956559B24@spike> References: <20100518020338.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> <1CF8D9DA85304DF3BFE2F74956559B24@spike> Message-ID: <20100521022758.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> It was not recorded. We have not, to my recollection, recorded our annual meetings either, though our Mock Trials are available on CD. Call me a stick in the mud, but I think these things need to be interactive. That's not to say we wouldn't record the meetings in the future, but that's up to our Board to decide. I don't know your situation, but I think you should think seriously about coming to convention. You can listen to the presidential report and the banquet address online, but you can't get the interpersonal interaction unless you are there! Ray Wayne ----- Original Message ----- From: unknown To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 16:49:21 Subject: Re: [bllaw] Re Research Technology �� thank you > > > Was this meeting recorded and will the Dallas meeting be broadcast or > recorded for those who might not be able to attend. > Chuck > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "ray wayne" > To: > Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 7:03 PM > Subject: Re: [bllaw] Re Research Technology �� thank you > > > > We discussed some of this at our NABLIND meeting immediately following the > > tenBroek Syposium in Baltimore last month. We will do so again this summer > > in Dallas at our annual meeting. I hope you can make it to Dallas, and > > that you will come to our meeting. See agenda for time and location. > > > > Ray Wayne > > Secretary, National Assoc��ation of Blind Lawyers > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Elizabeth Rene" > > To: > > Date: Monday, May 17, 2010 14:54:01 > > Subject: [bllaw] Re Research Technology �� thank you > > > >ar > >ar > >ar Thanks to all of you who have sent your comments about using Westlaw and > >ar Lexis with screen reader software. > >ar > >ar I'm very grateful to you. > >ar > >ar And please, if there's anyone who hasn't written yet about research > >ar technology and techniques for blind lawyers, keep writing! > >ar > >ar Here's some more grist for the mill. > >ar > >ar Does anyone know of a Braille or electronic version of the Uniform System > >ar of > >ar Citation? > >ar > >ar What about the Restatements of the Law? > >ar > >ar How do you Shepherdize? > >ar > >ar How do you draft legislation and review bills in progress? > >ar > >ar How do you mark clerks papers on appeal? > >ar > >ar How do you prepare trial notebooks? > >ar > >ar What have been your best techniques for organizing and presenting oral > >ar argument on appeal? > >ar > >ar I'm speaking of the use of technology re all of this. > >ar > >ar When I practiced, I didn't have any blind lawyers to talk to, so I winged > >ar it > >ar a lot. I tried cases at all levels of state court, and argued regularly > >ar before my state's court of appeals and supreme court. I also conducted > >ar hearings and settlement conferences, and wrote formal opinions. > >ar > >ar So I'll share my experience and advice too, for what it's worth. > >ar > >ar Thanks, > >ar > >ar Elizabeth > >ar > >ar > >ar > >ar > >ar > >ar > >ar _______________________________________________ > >ar bllaw mailing list > >ar blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >ar http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >ar To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > >ar bllaw: > >ar http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > _______________________________________________ > > bllaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > > bllaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > > > > > _______________________________________________ > bllaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for bllaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Fri May 21 17:43:30 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 12:43:30 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: USA JOBS --- SES Enforcement Directors Message-ID: From: CMPDL's Disability Discussion Docket (3D) [mailto:CMPDL-3D at MAIL.ABANET.ORG] On Behalf Of Phelan, William Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 4:44 AM To: CMPDL-3D at MAIL.ABANET.ORG Subject: FW: USA JOBS --- SES Enforcement Directors Two job postings below for DC. William J. Phelan, IV, Esq. Special Projects and Technology Coordinator Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law American Bar Association phelanw at staff.abanet.org www.abanet.org/disability ________________________________ From: Mobley, Mary Lou [mailto:Mary.Lou.Mobley at ed.gov] Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 5:16 PM To: Phelan, William Subject: FW: USA JOBS --- SES Enforcement Directors Bill, Can you please post the announcement, below, on your listserv? Hope all is well... Take care, -Mary Lou The Office for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Education is advertising for two SES positions (Enforcement Directors), to be stationed in Washington, DC. Please help us distribute these announcements to all qualified applicants who may be interested. This link is for the 905 (attorney series) http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88155885&JobTitle=Enforcement+Director&q=Enforcement+director&where=Washington%2c+DC&brd=3876&vw=b&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&x=66&y=10&AVSDM=2010-05-17+14%3a51%3a00 This link is for the 360 (non-attorney series) http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88156145&JobTitle=Enforcement+Director&q=Enforcement+director&where=Washington%2c+DC&brd=3876&vw=b&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&x=66&y=10&AVSDM=2010-05-17+14%3a57%3a00 Thank you! --------- Going to respond to this message? Be sure to hit "Reply All" when doing so. [cid:~WRD008.jpg] Disability Discussion Docket (3D) ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law http://www.abanet.org/disability --------- Material distributed over 3D is for educational and informational purposes only. The contents of any e-mail, including any statements that may be construed as legal advice or referral, are solely the responsibility of the e-mail?s author. In no event shall any contents be the responsibility of and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Bar Association, its officers, employees, agents or the Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law. --------- To leave this list at any time, please send a message to listserv at mail.abanet.org. In the body of the message type "sign off cmpdl-3d." If you have any questions about 3D or the CMPDL in general, please contact William Phelan at phelanw at staff.abanet.org. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ~WRD008.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 823 bytes Desc: ~WRD008.jpg URL: From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sat May 22 02:45:31 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 19:45:31 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you In-Reply-To: <20100521022758.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> References: <20100518020338.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com><1CF8D9DA85304DF3BFE2F74956559B24@spike> <20100521022758.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> Message-ID: Being a self employed freelance paralegal there are lots of conventions that I ought to attend but as I need to promote my business which comes first there are many that I don't attend. In today's society there are other ways of being interactive than having to spend several hundred dollars in air fare and be unavailable to my clients for several days while attending a convention. I am still uncertain about whether I will be attending the convention in Dallas for these reasons. As my business activities do not involve a predominance of work with the blind I need to weigh all factors very carefully. Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal 1237 P Street Fresno ca 93721 559-266-9237 ----- Original Message ----- From: "ray wayne" To: Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 7:27 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you > It was not recorded. We have not, to my recollection, recorded our annual > meetings either, though our Mock Trials are available on CD. Call me a > stick in the mud, but I think these things need to be interactive. That's > not to say we wouldn't record the meetings in the future, but that's up to > our Board to decide. > > I don't know your situation, but I think you should think seriously about > coming to convention. You can listen to the presidential report and the > banquet address online, but you can't get the interpersonal interaction > unless you are there! > > Ray Wayne > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: unknown > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 16:49:21 > Subject: Re: [bllaw] Re Research Technology - thank you > >> >> >> Was this meeting recorded and will the Dallas meeting be broadcast or >> recorded for those who might not be able to attend. >> Chuck >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "ray wayne" >> To: >> Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 7:03 PM >> Subject: Re: [bllaw] Re Research Technology - thank you >> >> >> > We discussed some of this at our NABLIND meeting immediately following >> > the >> > tenBroek Syposium in Baltimore last month. We will do so again this >> > summer >> > in Dallas at our annual meeting. I hope you can make it to Dallas, and >> > that you will come to our meeting. See agenda for time and location. >> > >> > Ray Wayne >> > Secretary, National Assocíation of Blind Lawyers >> > >> > >> > ----- Original Message ----- >> > From: "Elizabeth Rene" >> > To: >> > Date: Monday, May 17, 2010 14:54:01 >> > Subject: [bllaw] Re Research Technology - thank you >> > >> >ar >> >ar >> >ar Thanks to all of you who have sent your comments about using Westlaw >> >and >> >ar Lexis with screen reader software. >> >ar >> >ar I'm very grateful to you. >> >ar >> >ar And please, if there's anyone who hasn't written yet about research >> >ar technology and techniques for blind lawyers, keep writing! >> >ar >> >ar Here's some more grist for the mill. >> >ar >> >ar Does anyone know of a Braille or electronic version of the Uniform >> >System >> >ar of >> >ar Citation? >> >ar >> >ar What about the Restatements of the Law? >> >ar >> >ar How do you Shepherdize? >> >ar >> >ar How do you draft legislation and review bills in progress? >> >ar >> >ar How do you mark clerks papers on appeal? >> >ar >> >ar How do you prepare trial notebooks? >> >ar >> >ar What have been your best techniques for organizing and presenting >> >oral >> >ar argument on appeal? >> >ar >> >ar I'm speaking of the use of technology re all of this. >> >ar >> >ar When I practiced, I didn't have any blind lawyers to talk to, so I >> >winged >> >ar it >> >ar a lot. I tried cases at all levels of state court, and argued >> >regularly >> >ar before my state's court of appeals and supreme court. I also >> >conducted >> >ar hearings and settlement conferences, and wrote formal opinions. >> >ar >> >ar So I'll share my experience and advice too, for what it's worth. >> >ar >> >ar Thanks, >> >ar >> >ar Elizabeth >> >ar >> >ar >> >ar >> >ar >> >ar >> >ar >> >ar _______________________________________________ >> >ar bllaw mailing list >> >ar blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> >ar http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> >ar To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> >ar bllaw: >> >ar >> >http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com >> > >> > >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> >> > _______________________________________________ >> > bllaw mailing list >> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> > bllaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net >> > >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> bllaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> bllaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > From b75205 at gmail.com Sat May 22 15:05:58 2010 From: b75205 at gmail.com (James Pepper) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 10:05:58 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 Message-ID: Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday Google put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet Explorer 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign document, and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it into the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up in the press as an internet threat. The game is still up. Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going to demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but I did not have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely drowning out the noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who was making off hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never had that happen before. The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. Anyway have you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an extreme moment? James From joramsey at cox.net Sat May 22 16:44:15 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 12:44:15 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <3C9CC3DD79C34C3AA61CB34ED9481532@noneeb869fea9a> Hello James: Fortunately I have not had that happen but I have noticed that the former page www.google.com/ie is now an advertisement for IE 8. It used to be a wonderful scaled down version of their search engine without all of the descriptions and graphics in the results. Take care, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of James Pepper Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 11:06 AM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday Google put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet Explorer 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign document, and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it into the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up in the press as an internet threat. The game is still up. Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going to demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but I did not have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely drowning out the noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who was making off hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never had that happen before. The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. Anyway have you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an extreme moment? James _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From k7uij at panix.com Sat May 22 17:25:47 2010 From: k7uij at panix.com (Mike Freeman) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 10:25:47 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 References: <3C9CC3DD79C34C3AA61CB34ED9481532@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: IMO no great loss as the stripped-down version didn't have any headers to skip between search results. (grin) Mike ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ramsey" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 9:44 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > Hello James: > Fortunately I have not had that happen but I have noticed that the former > page www.google.com/ie is now an advertisement for IE 8. It used to be a > wonderful scaled down version of their search engine without all of the > descriptions and graphics in the results. > Take care, > John > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of James Pepper > Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 11:06 AM > To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org > Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > > > Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday > Google > put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet > Explorer > 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use > Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign > document, > and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it > into > the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it > slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just > annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got > slow. > I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly like a > virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up in the > press as an internet threat. > > The game is still up. > > Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going to > demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but I did > not > have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this > thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely drowning out the > noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy > people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who was making > off > hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never > had > that happen before. > > The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept > droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. Anyway > have > you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an extreme moment? > > James > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/k7uij%40panix.com From b.schulz at sbcglobal.net Sat May 22 17:51:16 2010 From: b.schulz at sbcglobal.net (Bryan Schulz) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 12:51:16 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 References: Message-ID: <1934EE7ED2854827B29AA59A8789B673@HP8730notebook> hi, relax, it was a one day 30th anniversary celebration of the release of the pacman game. hopefully it will disappear soon. if you are good, you can jump to the search box quickly and type in your search and start getting results before the game automatically starts. you could have also used yahoo instead. Bryan Schulz ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Pepper" To: Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 10:05 AM Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday > Google > put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet > Explorer > 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use > Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign > document, > and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it > into > the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it > slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just > annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got > slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly > like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up > in > the press as an internet threat. > > The game is still up. > > Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going to > demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but I did > not > have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this > thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely drowning out the > noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy > people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who was making > off > hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never > had > that happen before. > > The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept > droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. Anyway > have > you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an extreme moment? > > James > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/b.schulz%40sbcglobal.net From joramsey at cox.net Sat May 22 19:15:40 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 15:15:40 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: <1934EE7ED2854827B29AA59A8789B673@HP8730notebook> Message-ID: <121263641E0B49D1A52FDF4A1E09D554@noneeb869fea9a> Does anyone know of a text based search site? John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bryan Schulz Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 1:51 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 hi, relax, it was a one day 30th anniversary celebration of the release of the pacman game. hopefully it will disappear soon. if you are good, you can jump to the search box quickly and type in your search and start getting results before the game automatically starts. you could have also used yahoo instead. Bryan Schulz ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Pepper" To: Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 10:05 AM Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday > Google > put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet > Explorer > 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use > Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign > document, > and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it > into > the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it > slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just > annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got > slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly > like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up > in > the press as an internet threat. > > The game is still up. > > Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going > to demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but > I did not have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that > I had this thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely > drowning out the noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see > how it would annoy people. I turned it off but it was a matter of > one guy who was making off > hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never > had > that happen before. > > The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it > kept droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. > Anyway have you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an > extreme moment? > > James > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/b.schulz%40sbcglob al.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net Sat May 22 20:09:50 2010 From: dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net (Dennis Clark) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 13:09:50 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 References: <121263641E0B49D1A52FDF4A1E09D554@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: <00a901caf9ea$bc82c270$6601a8c0@server> Hi John, Gail posted a modified google option yesterday and it looks pretty good. It is similar to the old one which ended with /IE. The new address is: http://labs.google.com/accessible/ Actually it looks a little better then our old one because this gives a line or so of text from the site. Let me know what you think. Best, Dennis ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ramsey" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 12:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > Does anyone know of a text based search site? > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Bryan Schulz > Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 1:51 PM > To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > > > hi, > > relax, it was a one day 30th anniversary celebration of the release of the > pacman game. > hopefully it will disappear soon. > if you are good, you can jump to the search box quickly and type in your > search and start getting results before the game automatically starts. you > could have also used yahoo instead. > > Bryan Schulz > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "James Pepper" > To: > Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 10:05 AM > Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > > >> Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday >> Google >> put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet >> Explorer >> 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use >> Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign >> document, >> and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it >> into >> the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it >> slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just >> annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got >> slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly >> like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up >> in >> the press as an internet threat. >> >> The game is still up. >> >> Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going >> to demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but >> I did not have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that >> I had this thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely >> drowning out the noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see >> how it would annoy people. I turned it off but it was a matter of >> one guy who was making off >> hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never >> had >> that happen before. >> >> The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it >> kept droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. >> Anyway have you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an >> extreme moment? >> >> James >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/b.schulz%40sbcglob > al.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net From dandrews at visi.com Sat May 22 21:00:19 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 16:00:19 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: <121263641E0B49D1A52FDF4A1E09D554@noneeb869fea9a> References: <1934EE7ED2854827B29AA59A8789B673@HP8730notebook> <121263641E0B49D1A52FDF4A1E09D554@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: By definition virtually all search sites are text-based. I suspect you are asking a different question? Dave At 02:15 PM 5/22/2010, you wrote: >Does anyone know of a text based search site? David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920 From joramsey at cox.net Sat May 22 21:38:39 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 17:38:39 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <94D57D2D51CF4250B9A9E0CFAFB65B70@noneeb869fea9a> Yes Dave, I was not trying to get too technical. I believe Dennis has answered my question. John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David Andrews Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 5:00 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 By definition virtually all search sites are text-based. I suspect you are asking a different question? Dave At 02:15 PM 5/22/2010, you wrote: >Does anyone know of a text based search site? David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920 _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From emrene at earthlink.net Sat May 22 22:46:28 2010 From: emrene at earthlink.net (Elizabeth Rene) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 15:46:28 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] SES Enforcement Directors Message-ID: <61DD3B690570462B96FD3C2740DF3B48@elizabethrene> What is the SES? Elizabeth From LBlake at nfb.org Mon May 24 12:28:31 2010 From: LBlake at nfb.org (Blake, Lou Ann) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 08:28:31 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] 2010 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium Message-ID: <7638A85981599142811F69FBB9508B6B028D178D@FPNTEXCBE01.services.local> Dear Blindlaw list members: Links to recordings of the plenary sessions and keynote addresses from the 2010 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium are now available on the symposium Web page. Go to http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Law_Symposium.asp to hear: Theme Keynote Address Tony Coelho, Chairman of the Board, American Association of People with Disabilities Panel I--Changing the Game Presenter: Richard Brown, Chief Judge, Wisconsin Court of Appeals Presenter: David Ferleger, Esquire, Law Office of David Ferleger 2010 Keynote Address Thomas Perez, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice Panel II--Education Plenary Session Presenter: Leslie Seid Margolis, Managing Attorney, Education Unit, Maryland Disability Law Center Presenter: Mark Weber, Vincent dePaul Professor of Law, DePaul University College of Law Panel III--Caucus/Open Discussion Facilitator: Andrew Imparato, President and CEO, American Association of People with Disabilities Panel IV--Access to Technology Plenary Session Presenter: Dan Goldstein, Partner, Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP Presenter: Mehgan Sidhu, Esquire, Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP Panel V--Medical Treatment/Ethics Plenary Session Presenter: Adrienne Asch, Director, Center for Ethics, Yeshiva University Presenter, Dan Brock, Director, Division of Medical Ethics, Harvard Medical School Lou Ann Blake, J.D. Law Symposium Coordinator Jacobus tenBroek Library Jernigan Institute NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place Baltimore, MD 21230 Telephone: (410) 659-9314, ext. 2221 Fax: (410) 659-5129 E-mail: lblake at nfb.org Web site: www.nfb.org From cathrynisfinally at verizon.net Mon May 24 15:12:35 2010 From: cathrynisfinally at verizon.net (Cathryn Bonnette) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 11:12:35 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] SES Enforcement Directors In-Reply-To: <61DD3B690570462B96FD3C2740DF3B48@elizabethrene> References: <61DD3B690570462B96FD3C2740DF3B48@elizabethrene> Message-ID: <2F5F354494254F899E03219978F8A112@14bd0130080a469> Elizabeth- and all, SES stands for Senior Executive Service" and is at grade level 15 or above. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Rene Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 6:46 PM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] SES Enforcement Directors What is the SES? Elizabeth _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathrynisfinally%4 0verizon.net No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2891 - Release Date: 05/23/10 06:26:00 From dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net Mon May 24 15:27:44 2010 From: dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net (dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 10:27:44 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] SES Enforcement Directors References: <61DD3B690570462B96FD3C2740DF3B48@elizabethrene> <2F5F354494254F899E03219978F8A112@14bd0130080a469> Message-ID: <6614034C21EC4D6EA6F20B837D600271@DANELLIEVANDAWN> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathryn Bonnette" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 10:12 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] SES Enforcement Directors > Elizabeth- and all, > > SES stands for Senior Executive Service" and is at grade level 15 or > above. > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Elizabeth Rene > Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 6:46 PM > To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org > Subject: [blindlaw] SES Enforcement Directors > > What is the SES? > > Elizabeth > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathrynisfinally%4 > 0verizon.net > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2891 - Release Date: 05/23/10 > 06:26:00 > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dlmlaw%40sbcglobal.net From dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net Mon May 24 15:35:32 2010 From: dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net (dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 10:35:32 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options Message-ID: <615C943FB3C4428D8C2A769BFC60DDF8@DANELLIEVANDAWN> I am a user of JAWS for accessibility to computers. Yesterday, a friend gave me a short demonstration of the Universal Accessibility program on his Apple McIntosh. I am, also, aware that Windows Vista and 07 come with similar programs called Windows Narrator. Is there anyone out there that is utilizing said programs in lieu of JAWS. I would appreciate your input regarding said programs. Dan McBride, Attorney Fort Worth, Texas From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Mon May 24 18:42:47 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 11:42:47 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options In-Reply-To: <615C943FB3C4428D8C2A769BFC60DDF8@DANELLIEVANDAWN> Message-ID: <186150.2276.qm@web30903.mail.mud.yahoo.com> The programs on windows require a use of a mouse. Therefore, they are not accessible to individuals who do not use a mouse. --- On Mon, 5/24/10, dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net wrote: > From: dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net > Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Monday, May 24, 2010, 11:35 AM > I am a user of JAWS for accessibility > to computers.  Yesterday, a friend gave me a short > demonstration of the Universal Accessibility program on his > Apple McIntosh.  I am, also, aware that Windows Vista > and 07 come with similar programs called Windows Narrator. > > Is there anyone out there that is utilizing said programs > in lieu of JAWS.  I would appreciate your input > regarding said programs. > > Dan McBride, Attorney > Fort Worth, Texas > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Mon May 24 18:42:57 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 11:42:57 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options In-Reply-To: <615C943FB3C4428D8C2A769BFC60DDF8@DANELLIEVANDAWN> Message-ID: <904984.29624.qm@web30904.mail.mud.yahoo.com> The programs on windows require a use of a mouse. Therefore, they are not accessible to individuals who do not use a mouse. --- On Mon, 5/24/10, dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net wrote: > From: dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net > Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Monday, May 24, 2010, 11:35 AM > I am a user of JAWS for accessibility > to computers.  Yesterday, a friend gave me a short > demonstration of the Universal Accessibility program on his > Apple McIntosh.  I am, also, aware that Windows Vista > and 07 come with similar programs called Windows Narrator. > > Is there anyone out there that is utilizing said programs > in lieu of JAWS.  I would appreciate your input > regarding said programs. > > Dan McBride, Attorney > Fort Worth, Texas > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > From dravant at ameritech.net Mon May 24 19:09:51 2010 From: dravant at ameritech.net (denise avant) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 12:09:51 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options In-Reply-To: <615C943FB3C4428D8C2A769BFC60DDF8@DANELLIEVANDAWN> Message-ID: <115360.83766.qm@web81908.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Hello, narrator is not an option in windows. you only want to use that when you're without jfw for whatever reason to inspect the screen. as for apple's voiceover, there is a list, and if you're contimeplating getting an appel, go to www.maccessibility.net, and look for the link regarding the mac, and signing up on the macvisionaries list. also, if you're attending the nfb convention this year in dallas, apple reps will be there. f--- On Mon, 5/24/10, dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net wrote: From: dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Date: Monday, May 24, 2010, 10:35 AM I am a user of JAWS for accessibility to computers.  Yesterday, a friend gave me a short demonstration of the Universal Accessibility program on his Apple McIntosh.  I am, also, aware that Windows Vista and 07 come with similar programs called Windows Narrator. Is there anyone out there that is utilizing said programs in lieu of JAWS.  I would appreciate your input regarding said programs. Dan McBride, Attorney Fort Worth, Texas _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dravant%40ameritech.net From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Mon May 24 21:46:20 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 14:46:20 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options In-Reply-To: <615C943FB3C4428D8C2A769BFC60DDF8@DANELLIEVANDAWN> References: <615C943FB3C4428D8C2A769BFC60DDF8@DANELLIEVANDAWN> Message-ID: <9F94A8D053E44A38AA439A2883D2D78C@spike> The functionality of those programs is rudimentary at best. You do not have the same degree of control of reading functions such as spped and delivery that you would have with an actual screen reader like JAWS. They work well for trouble shooting or at times when JAWS is disabled for some reason. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 8:35 AM Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options >I am a user of JAWS for accessibility to computers. Yesterday, a friend >gave me a short demonstration of the Universal Accessibility program on his >Apple McIntosh. I am, also, aware that Windows Vista and 07 come with >similar programs called Windows Narrator. > > Is there anyone out there that is utilizing said programs in lieu of JAWS. > I would appreciate your input regarding said programs. > > Dan McBride, Attorney > Fort Worth, Texas > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From cathrynisfinally at verizon.net Mon May 24 22:16:18 2010 From: cathrynisfinally at verizon.net (Cathryn Bonnette) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 18:16:18 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: James, I've had similar experiences in government agency meetings regardless of the volume level. For people who are not used to hearing the computer voice, the effect is annoying. Cathryn -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of James Pepper Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 11:06 AM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday Google put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet Explorer 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign document, and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it into the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up in the press as an internet threat. The game is still up. Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going to demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but I did not have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely drowning out the noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who was making off hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never had that happen before. The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. Anyway have you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an extreme moment? James _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathrynisfinally%4 0verizon.net No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2887 - Release Date: 05/22/10 06:26:00 From jsorozco at gmail.com Mon May 24 22:40:35 2010 From: jsorozco at gmail.com (Joe Orozco) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 18:40:35 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <3D05BE5B61DA41B1A24B3035988F2A24@Rufus> Frankly, even as a blind person who understands a screen reader, I would find a chattering computer more than distracting, perhaps even more so because I could understand the chattering. In cases where I am taking notes at a meeting I simply use an earpiece to comfortably take notes and participate in the meeting in progress. Joe "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cathryn Bonnette Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 6:16 PM To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List' Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 James, I've had similar experiences in government agency meetings regardless of the volume level. For people who are not used to hearing the computer voice, the effect is annoying. Cathryn -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of James Pepper Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 11:06 AM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday Google put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet Explorer 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign document, and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it into the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up in the press as an internet threat. The game is still up. Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going to demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but I did not have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely drowning out the noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who was making off hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never had that happen before. The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. Anyway have you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an extreme moment? James _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathry nisfinally%4 0verizon.net No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2887 - Release Date: 05/22/10 06:26:00 _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/jsoroz co%40gmail.com From DFrye at nfb.org Mon May 24 22:54:51 2010 From: DFrye at nfb.org (Frye, Dan) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 18:54:51 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Rod of Philadelphia Message-ID: <7638A85981599142811F69FBB9508B6B028D1C6C@FPNTEXCBE01.services.local> Rod: I need to find you, the attorney licensed in Pennsylvania and New jersey. If you remain on this list, please contact me off list using the detail below in my signature block. Thank you. With Kind Regards, *********************** Daniel B. Frye, J.D. Editor The Braille Monitor National Federation of the Blind Office of the President 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place Baltimore, Maryland 21230 Telephone: (410) 659-9314 Ext. 2208 Mobile: (410) 241-7006 Fax: (410) 685-5653 Email: DFrye at nfb.org Web Address: www.nfb.org "Voice of the Nation's Blind" From dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net Tue May 25 01:45:15 2010 From: dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net (Dennis Clark) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 18:45:15 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Rod of Philadelphia References: <7638A85981599142811F69FBB9508B6B028D1C6C@FPNTEXCBE01.services.local> Message-ID: <00d201cafbab$ec56a080$6601a8c0@server> Hi Dan, I am pretty sure that Rod's email address is: Attorney at alcidonislaw.com He posted on the list within the past couple of weeks. All the best, Dennis ----- Original Message ----- From: "Frye, Dan" To: Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 3:54 PM Subject: [blindlaw] Rod of Philadelphia > Rod: > > I need to find you, the attorney licensed in Pennsylvania and New > jersey. If you remain on this list, please contact me off list using the > detail below in my signature block. Thank you. > > With Kind Regards, > > *********************** > Daniel B. Frye, J.D. > Editor > The Braille Monitor > National Federation of the Blind > Office of the President > 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place > Baltimore, Maryland 21230 > Telephone: (410) 659-9314 Ext. 2208 > Mobile: (410) 241-7006 > Fax: (410) 685-5653 > Email: DFrye at nfb.org > Web Address: www.nfb.org > "Voice of the Nation's Blind" > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net From attorney at alcidonislaw.com Tue May 25 13:57:30 2010 From: attorney at alcidonislaw.com (Rod Alcidonis, Esquire.) Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 09:57:30 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Rod of Philadelphia In-Reply-To: <00d201cafbab$ec56a080$6601a8c0@server> References: <7638A85981599142811F69FBB9508B6B028D1C6C@FPNTEXCBE01.services.local> <00d201cafbab$ec56a080$6601a8c0@server> Message-ID: <905492B877F14B36A339E2C1BE09BA23@LawOfficePC> Hello friends: I have replied to Dan off-list as he requested. Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law Alcidonis Law Office, LLC 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl Philadelphia, PA 19111 Tel: (215) 305-8085 Fax: (215) 525-0999 Attorney at alcidonislaw.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney Alcidonis at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete this message from your system. This communication is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. -------------------------------------------------- From: "Dennis Clark" Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 9:45 PM To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Rod of Philadelphia > Hi Dan, > I am pretty sure that Rod's email address is: > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > He posted on the list within the past couple of weeks. > All the best, > Dennis > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Frye, Dan" > To: > Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 3:54 PM > Subject: [blindlaw] Rod of Philadelphia > > >> Rod: >> >> I need to find you, the attorney licensed in Pennsylvania and New >> jersey. If you remain on this list, please contact me off list using the >> detail below in my signature block. Thank you. >> >> With Kind Regards, >> >> *********************** >> Daniel B. Frye, J.D. >> Editor >> The Braille Monitor >> National Federation of the Blind >> Office of the President >> 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place >> Baltimore, Maryland 21230 >> Telephone: (410) 659-9314 Ext. 2208 >> Mobile: (410) 241-7006 >> Fax: (410) 685-5653 >> Email: DFrye at nfb.org >> Web Address: www.nfb.org >> "Voice of the Nation's Blind" >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com From tom at tomladis.com Tue May 25 17:01:24 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 12:01:24 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Pomaro to host meeting for blind lawyers Message-ID: Pomaro to host meeting for blind lawyers By Maria Kantzavelos Law Bulletin staff writer Nicholas T. Pomaro is well aware of the difficulties associated with a tight job market for lawyers looking for work in the current economic climate. But those problems, he said, "are tenfold for a blind person." "This is not sour grapes. This is just a reality," said Pomaro, a retired Cook County associate judge and former prosecutor who is blind. "Blind people, in general, have difficulty in finding work because, if they are able to do the work, the natural fears that sighted people have of blind people - the assumption is, they can't do certain things." Pomaro, who has been blind since age six, was told by a school administrator during law school that he could never be a trial attorney because he couldn't see facial expressions of witnesses and jurors. He graduated from The John Marshall Law School in 1964 and for about a decade before he rose to the bench, Pomaro worked as an assistant Cook County state's attorney prosecuting criminal felony cases. "It's true. I can't see facial expressions; I can't see body language. But a well-dressed, beautiful woman isn't necessarily truthful," Pomaro said. "I think I get much more out of voice inflections than other people do. . You learn to compensate. I lack sight, but I think I've developed other instincts." Pomaro retired from the bench in 2005. Today, he runs the Kane Legal Clinic located at The Chicago Lighthouse, 1850 W. Roosevelt Road. The clinic provides free legal services to blind or visually impaired people on low-incomes who seek representation in matters such as those related to job discrimination, social security, tax issues, and other civil matters, as well as assistance in criminal defense. But beginning at 1:30 p.m. on June 3, the clinic is scheduled to be the place where visually impaired and blind lawyers in the Chicago area are to meet in an effort to share mutual concerns, as well as to gauge support for forming a local association of blind attorneys and blind people interested in pursuing careers in law. Pomaro is serving as the meeting's host. "The thought was, there are a number of blind attorneys in the Chicagoland area," he said. "I think many attorneys nowadays are struggling because of the economy. And I know there are people who are visually impaired and thinking of the law as a profession. I thought it might be a good idea to get visually impaired people who are lawyers, or interested in the law, to discuss problems or issues that are unique to the visually impaired community and, with those discussions, see if we can help people." The gathering will serve as a brainstorming session, Pomaro said, to explore ideas of how local blind lawyers could network and help one another. For example, "I don't know how good of an idea it is, but I have never heard of a law firm made up of blind attorneys," Pomaro said. "Usually attorneys have specialties, and maybe you can find three, four or five who have particular skills in particular areas of the law, and they can form a loose association and refer cases to each other, or help each other out, or form a law firm." The former judge also hopes the forum will provide inspiration to newer attorneys who are blind, or to blind people interested in pursuing a career in law. When Pomaro was starting out, he said, "It was very helpful to me to know that other blind people succeeded in other fields." By late last week, Pomaro said, about 20 visually impaired and blind law students and attorneys responded to his call for a meeting, including several veteran attorneys. "Letting people know that it can be done, that these are blind people who have made it in these various areas of the law, I think, is helpful to them," Pomaro said. "We're trying to give people hope. It was important to me, and I think it's important to everyone to have hope." Pomaro pointed out the existence of the National Association of Blind Lawyers, a membership organization of blind attorneys, law students, judges and others in the law field that provides support and information regarding employment, techniques used by the blind, advocacy, laws affecting the blind and other issues for blind lawyers. But he said he is not aware of an association for lawyers in the Chicago area. Anthony J. Thomas, an assistant Cook County public defender in the Felony Trial Division, serves as an officer in the National Association of Blind Lawyers. A local association for blind and visually impaired lawyers to share resources and expertise, he said, sounds like a good idea. "Attorneys who are blind have different kinds of issues with which to deal than does a sighted attorney," Thomas said. "And, other blind attorneys who have gone through the process of going to school and getting an education, and dealing with the job market and how people respond to you in the practice of law - all those things come into play. And sometimes people can share information in terms of how to problem solve when certain situations arise." Assistant U.S. Attorney Yusef A. Dale, who was legally blind at birth and became totally blind at age 23, said there are plenty "tricks of the trade" that could be shared via a local association of blind lawyers. "There are blind lawyers who are practicing successfully out here," Dale said. "That's one of the reasons this organization is needed - to bridge that gap and exchange ideas of how best to bridge that gap." Blind lawyers, Dale said, generally have a disproportionate difficulty in getting hired, "Particularly because it's commonly believed, incorrectly so, that sight is paramount to being a good lawyer because it is so print driven." The federal prosecutor who serves in the financial crimes and special prosecutions unit in Chicago said being prepared with "all your tools in your tool box" is key to making it work. Those tools, he said, could be the technology tools such as computers with Braille keyboards and special screen reading software, as well as human resources. Thomas counts himself among the fortunate ones in that he was hired for the one job for which he applied after law school. He has been serving in the public defender's office since 1986. "My situation is not typical of most people," he said. "Most people I have talked to have told stories about how they've interviewed at dozens of places and have been shut out." Thomas has been totally blind since he was 8. Born with glaucoma and no sight in his left eye and limited sight in his right eye, he was totally blinded when he was struck in the right eye while wrestling with another boy. As a trial lawyer who appears each day in the Criminal Courts Building at 26th Street and California Avenue, Thomas has an assistant who has been hired by the county to read and write for him. The assistant also accompanies him to court, as well as to investigations of crime scenes and to interviews with clients and witnesses. "One of the things that I've experienced in my practice is that many people who are surprised when they meet me and discover I'm blind, after they talk to me for a few minutes, whatever feelings of trepidation they might have had dissipated," Thomas said. Thomas said he has mentored many blind people interested in practicing law. He often finds himself offering this advice: "If you believe in yourself and if you project a positive, confident demeanor and image to your client, your client will not see you as a blind lawyer, your client will see you as their lawyer." "What you are doing for the client starts in your mind," Thomas said. "The client has to believe in you. And the client cannot believe in you if you don't believe in yourself." For more information about the upcoming meeting for blind lawyers and students, call Pomaro at (312) 666-1331, ext. 3112. From dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net Tue May 25 20:13:36 2010 From: dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net (Dennis Clark) Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 13:13:36 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Law Firm Management Software Message-ID: <019901cafc46$c2013610$6601a8c0@server> Hello Everyone, Has anyone had any success using jaws or WindowEyes with any of the law firm management packages? In particular I am thinking of Time Slips or Amicus Attorney but I am willing to purchase which ever management package is most accessible. I am currently using Jaws but if WindowEyes will work better with a law firm management package I will go that direction. Thanks in advance for your assistance. Warmest regards, Dennis From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Tue May 25 21:34:27 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 16:34:27 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: 2010-2011 ABA Division for Public Services Clerkship Message-ID: From: CMPDL's Disability Discussion Docket (3D) [mailto:CMPDL-3D at MAIL.ABANET.ORG] On Behalf Of Phelan, William Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 7:38 AM To: CMPDL-3D at MAIL.ABANET.ORG Subject: 2010-2011 ABA Division for Public Services Clerkship Please see the attached. For law students at ABA-accredited law schools only. The Commission is under the ABA Division for Public Services. William J. Phelan, IV, Esq. Special Projects and Technology Coordinator Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law American Bar Association 740 15th Street, NW, 9th Floor Washington, DC 20005-1022 T: 202.662.1576 F: 202.442.3439 phelanw at staff.abanet.org www.abanet.org/disability --------- Going to respond to this message? Be sure to hit "Reply All" when doing so. [cid:~WRD267.jpg] Disability Discussion Docket (3D) ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law http://www.abanet.org/disability --------- Material distributed over 3D is for educational and informational purposes only. The contents of any e-mail, including any statements that may be construed as legal advice or referral, are solely the responsibility of the e-mail's author. In no event shall any contents be the responsibility of and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Bar Association, its officers, employees, agents or the Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law. --------- To leave this list at any time, please send a message to listserv at mail.abanet.org. In the body of the message type "sign off cmpdl-3d." If you have any questions about 3D or the CMPDL in general, please contact William Phelan at phelanw at staff.abanet.org. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ~WRD267.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 823 bytes Desc: ~WRD267.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 1011psd_clerkship_flyer_cmd.pdf Type: application/octet-stream Size: 116566 bytes Desc: 1011psd_clerkship_flyer_cmd.pdf URL: From tom at tomladis.com Wed May 26 12:11:01 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 07:11:01 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1><7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC><26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> <039f01caf4b5$af28e030$6601a8c0@server> Message-ID: <6539E4A36B6140989C419787B8560DC7@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Hello Dennis and All, Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been trying to catch up with the reading that I have been able to do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF files that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what they have sent me but not reading the stuff that has formatting issues due to table conversion issues. I have also not done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue all of these issues with Kaplan. At this point, I was able to find a friend who was willing to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, I was able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I have not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being administered on a computer starting this year. If that is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction that will put everyone into the same ball park. They are still going to provide my test in a printed format along with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are not able to administer the test with JAWS or another screen reader application. She reported that people did not like the computer format because it did not allow them to do their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is how Kaplan trains test takers. More later as I try to get another practice exam or three done before the actual test. Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any better luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the question text that got jumbled during conversion, and appreciate your offer of support. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Hello Tom, I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for about 20 years now since I graduated from law school and I have had some success over the years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to convert the PDF's that Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you can do with Open Book. The files are too large to be sent as email attachments but if we can talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file transfer service that I use. I would also like to talk with you about the legal problems raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. Over the years I have taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was accessible, but my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. However, the ADA has been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they get their act together and provide complete course accessibility. Please give me a call if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am located in California, but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I look forward to talking with you. Warmest regards, Dennis Clark ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very difficult to work with to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email instead of human interaction. They are not willing to give much information over the phone, and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter in PDF files for me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see them add some more check boxes to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations advisors to people who are blind. Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended Kaplan, but it appears that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText and when you need to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files all seem to have formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke with Freedom Scientific about the problem and their conclusion is that the files are not formatted to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF files using OpenBook and saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of junk in the file because of their multi column structure and the books being for the Premier classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to keep up with a class when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded in the test is a problem. It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just trying to level the playing field for blind people who are already in or trying to get into the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the playing field leveled and attorney fees paid are welcome. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Hi Tom, I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine was online and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions of the study materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the PDF files with ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe were flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much less accessible, as the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor jumbped around the screen at random. In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through LSAC. Kaplan had nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the LSAT in Tokyo last September and again last December. One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to prepare for the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on test day. I prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 options by LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test book, or 2. a human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print difficult for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able to read only 14 or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short periods of time. To make a long story short, my test day score was 15 points lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons aside, the nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge factor in my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a human reader to help me study, my options were limited. I don't what the implications are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge you to meet with them in person prior to test day and assess their reading skills at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, competent, and have the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for them to meet with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening and acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem them unfit for the task. After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last year, I asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a computer using Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not possible at this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a computer-based alternative in the future, and the representative repeated flatly "No, not at this time." I have since learned that two of my acquaintances in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to write on test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. I would not go so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their accommodation decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is clear to me that the playing field is far from level. I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in some way, and I wish you the best of luck on test day! Regards, Derek Wilson www.twitter.com/culturemate http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but the class has > started > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to get me the PDF files > just > 3 days before the class started. My fault for starting late and I have > not > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to deal with getting me > the materials in a JAWS friendly format. I was finally able to get > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not the greatest > solution > either. > > Thanks for your thoughts, > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Tom > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan > has > demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying > with > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a > constructive dialog with them. > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may > contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by > attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. > > If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney > Alcidonis > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete > this message from your system. This communication is covered by the > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Tom Ladis" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > >> Hello All. >> >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in >> a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. >> >> I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. >> >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word >> document? >> >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe >> for the practice tests? >> >> >> Thanks, >> Tom >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Wed May 26 15:35:47 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 08:35:47 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <6539E4A36B6140989C419787B8560DC7@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <553176.44406.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" and online exercises. I outsourced and used readers who were from local agencies who volunteered there time. I would start to make consumer complaints since you are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > From: Tom Ladis > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM > Hello Dennis and All, > > Sorry to have dropped off for a while.  I have been > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been able to > do.  Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF files > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what they > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has formatting > issues due to table conversion issues.  I have also not > done any of their online exercises.  Once I am able to > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue all of > these issues with Kaplan. > > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was willing > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice > exam.  To my amazement, after using the Princeton > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, I was > able to score a 137.  Not great or high enough to get > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. > > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I have > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being > administered on a computer starting this year.  If that > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction that > will put everyone into the same ball park.  They are > still going to provide my test in a printed format along > with a reader and scribe.  This tells me that they are > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another screen > reader application.  She reported that people did not > like the computer format because it did not allow them to do > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is how > Kaplan trains test takers. > > More later as I try to get another practice exam or three > done before the actual test. > > Dennis.  I will call you today to try to arrange > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any better > luck with the tables.  I have just been avoiding the > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and > appreciate your offer of support. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated  from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC.  I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book.  The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use.  I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course.  > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA.  > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility.  > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244.  I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois.  I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info.  LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date.  They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much  > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view.  Funny, huh?  I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different.  The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged.  I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the  > files are not formatted > to be accessible.  They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes.  Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession.  Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced.  Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well.  I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes.  They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC.  Kaplan had > nothing to do with this.  I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day.  I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font.  I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time.  To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance.  As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited.  I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level.  They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours.  LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time."  I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology.  > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind.  It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started.  My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format.   I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > >  This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format.  They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files.  Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >>  I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable.   Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > From b75205 at gmail.com Wed May 26 19:58:34 2010 From: b75205 at gmail.com (James Pepper) Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 14:58:34 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: <3D05BE5B61DA41B1A24B3035988F2A24@Rufus> References: <3D05BE5B61DA41B1A24B3035988F2A24@Rufus> Message-ID: Well I was demonstrating my process of accessibility and it was only for a minute and I was closing it down when these people arrived and got very hot and heavy in a short period of time. It was an immediate effect. On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 5:40 PM, Joe Orozco wrote: > Frankly, even as a blind person who understands a screen reader, I would > find a chattering computer more than distracting, perhaps even more so > because I could understand the chattering. In cases where I am taking > notes > at a meeting I simply use an earpiece to comfortably take notes and > participate in the meeting in progress. > > Joe > > "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, > some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org > [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cathryn Bonnette > Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 6:16 PM > To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List' > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > > James, > > I've had similar experiences in government agency meetings > regardless of the > volume level. For people who are not used to hearing the > computer voice, the > effect is annoying. > > Cathryn > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org > [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of James Pepper > Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 11:06 AM > To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org > Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > > Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and > yesterday Google > put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze > Internet Explorer > 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use > Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my > InDesign document, > and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just > loaded it into > the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is > invasive and it > slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game > but it just > annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got > slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect > was exactly > like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it > didn't show up in > the press as an internet threat. > > The game is still up. > > Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen > reader going to > demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant > but I did not > have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this > thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely > drowning out the > noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy > people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who > was making off > hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit > extreme. Never had > that happen before. > > The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept > droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. > Anyway have > you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an > extreme moment? > > James > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathry > nisfinally%4 > 0verizon.net > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2887 - Release Date: 05/22/10 > 06:26:00 > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account > info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/jsoroz > co%40gmail.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/b75205%40gmail.com > From JHartle at nfb.org Thu May 27 02:48:00 2010 From: JHartle at nfb.org (Hartle, Jesse) Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 21:48:00 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Legislative Alert - Motor Vehicle Safety Act Message-ID: Dear Fellow Federationists: I am writing to report that all of our hard work on the issue of silent cars is paying off. Language that will protect the blind and others from the danger posed by silent hybrid and electric vehicles has been favorably reported to the United States House of Representatives by the Committee on Energy and Commerce as part of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010 (H.R. 5381). This legislation, which is a comprehensive bill to address numerous vehicle safety issues raised by the recent Toyota recalls, now includes language agreed to by the National Federation of the Blind, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, and the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers. If passed by the House of Representatives and adopted by the Senate, this language will require the Department of Transportation to issue regulations requiring a minimum sound standard for hybrid and electric automobiles. This victory is a product of our hard work and the cooperation of the automobile industry, but we will need to remain vigilant to make sure this bill becomes law. We will keep you apprised of developments and let you know if action needs to be taken to secure this victory. Thank you again for all you do. Sincerely, Jesse M. Hartle Government Programs Specialist NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND Telephone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2233 E-mail: jhartle at nfb.org -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Legislative Alert 05-26-2010-.doc Type: application/msword Size: 25600 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tom at tomladis.com Thu May 27 14:20:18 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 09:20:18 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <553176.44406.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> This has all been a big drag. Luckily, Equipped For Equality is concerned and will be representing me to get things straightened out and wake them up a little bit. If they are not able to get them to do something under a cooperative agreement it may go to the next level. It may take litigation to get them to make permanent changes, but we will take it one step at a time. Either way, Kaplan and LSAC are both out of touch with the spirit of the ADA legislation and need blind people to keep whacking at them until they can level things off for the next guy. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "William ODonnell" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:35 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" and online exercises. I outsourced and used readers who were from local agencies who volunteered there time. I would start to make consumer complaints since you are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > From: Tom Ladis > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM > Hello Dennis and All, > > Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been able to > do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF files > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what they > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has formatting > issues due to table conversion issues. I have also not > done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue all of > these issues with Kaplan. > > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was willing > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice > exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, I was > able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. > > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I have > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being > administered on a computer starting this year. If that > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction that > will put everyone into the same ball park. They are > still going to provide my test in a printed format along > with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another screen > reader application. She reported that people did not > like the computer format because it did not allow them to do > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is how > Kaplan trains test takers. > > More later as I try to get another practice exam or three > done before the actual test. > > Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any better > luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and > appreciate your offer of support. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility. > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the > files are not formatted > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC. Kaplan had > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day. I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time. To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time." I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format. I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format. They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable. Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com From squierr at comcast.net Thu May 27 17:09:30 2010 From: squierr at comcast.net (Renee Squier) Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 10:09:30 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <553176.44406.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <14ec01cafdbf$5f1a2410$6701a8c0@BECKY> Hi Tom and all, I to am studying for the LSAT in June. Tom could you please contact me off list at squierr at comcast.net. Thank you all for some of the most interesting conversations. Renee ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 7:20 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support This has all been a big drag. Luckily, Equipped For Equality is concerned and will be representing me to get things straightened out and wake them up a little bit. If they are not able to get them to do something under a cooperative agreement it may go to the next level. It may take litigation to get them to make permanent changes, but we will take it one step at a time. Either way, Kaplan and LSAC are both out of touch with the spirit of the ADA legislation and need blind people to keep whacking at them until they can level things off for the next guy. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "William ODonnell" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:35 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" and online exercises. I outsourced and used readers who were from local agencies who volunteered there time. I would start to make consumer complaints since you are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > From: Tom Ladis > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM > Hello Dennis and All, > > Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been able to > do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF files > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what they > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has formatting > issues due to table conversion issues. I have also not > done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue all of > these issues with Kaplan. > > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was willing > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice > exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, I was > able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. > > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I have > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being > administered on a computer starting this year. If that > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction that > will put everyone into the same ball park. They are > still going to provide my test in a printed format along > with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another screen > reader application. She reported that people did not > like the computer format because it did not allow them to do > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is how > Kaplan trains test takers. > > More later as I try to get another practice exam or three > done before the actual test. > > Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any better > luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and > appreciate your offer of support. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility. > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the > files are not formatted > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC. Kaplan had > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day. I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time. To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time." I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format. I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format. They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable. Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/squierr%40comcast.net From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Thu May 27 21:01:34 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 14:01:34 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <912239.25343.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Agreed. Let me know what I can do to help when or if needed. --- On Thu, 5/27/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > From: Tom Ladis > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010, 10:20 AM > This has all been a big drag.  > Luckily, Equipped For Equality is concerned > and will be representing me to get things straightened out > and wake them up > a little bit.  If they are not able to get them to do > something under a > cooperative agreement it may go to the next level.  It > may take litigation > to get them to make permanent changes, but we will take it > one step at a > time. > > > Either way, Kaplan and LSAC are both out of touch with the > spirit of the ADA > legislation and need blind people to keep whacking at them > until they can > level things off for the next guy. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "William ODonnell" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:35 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" > and online > exercises.  I outsourced and used readers who were > from local agencies who > volunteered there time.  I would start to make > consumer complaints since you > are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom > Ladis > > wrote: > > > From: Tom Ladis > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM > > Hello Dennis and All, > > > > Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been > > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been > able to > > do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF > files > > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what > they > > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has > formatting > > issues due to table conversion issues. I have also > not > > done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to > > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue > all of > > these issues with Kaplan. > > > > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was > willing > > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice > > exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton > > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, > I was > > able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get > > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. > > > > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I > have > > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being > > administered on a computer starting this year. If > that > > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction > that > > will put everyone into the same ball park. They are > > still going to provide my test in a printed format > along > > with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are > > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another > screen > > reader application. She reported that people did not > > like the computer format because it did not allow them > to do > > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is > how > > Kaplan trains test takers. > > > > More later as I try to get another practice exam or > three > > done before the actual test. > > > > Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange > > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any > better > > luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the > > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and > > appreciate your offer of support. > > > > > > > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > > > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Hello Tom, > > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled > for > > about 20 years now > > since I graduated from law school and I have had some > > success over the > > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to > > convert the PDF's that > > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than > you > > can do with Open > > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email > > attachments but if we can > > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a > file > > transfer service > > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about > > the legal problems > > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. > > Over the years I have > > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither > was > > accessible, but > > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. > > However, the ADA has > > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that > they > > get their act > > together and provide complete course accessibility. > > Please give me a call > > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am > > located in California, > > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I > > look forward to > > talking with you. > > Warmest regards, > > Dennis Clark > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very > > difficult to work with > > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email > > instead of human > > interaction. They are not willing to give much > > information over the phone, > > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation > letter > > in PDF files for > > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see > > them add some more check boxes > > to their accommodations forms to assign > accommodations > > advisors to people > > who are blind. > > > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > > Kaplan, but it appears > > that taking the course when you are able to use > ZoomText > > and when you need > > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files > > all seem to have > > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke > > with Freedom Scientific > > about the problem and their conclusion is that the > > files are not formatted > > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF > > files using OpenBook and > > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all > sort of > > junk in the file > > because of their multi column structure and the books > being > > for the Premier > > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to > > keep up with a class > > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk > embedded > > in the test is a > > problem. > > > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time > just > > trying to level > > the playing field for blind people who are already in > or > > trying to get into > > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the > > playing field leveled and > > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > > > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > > > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Hi Tom, > > > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though > mine > > was online > > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > > of the study > > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the > > PDF files with > > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I > believe > > were > > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much > > less accessible, as > > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading > cursor > > jumbped > > around the screen at random. > > > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > > LSAC. Kaplan had > > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the > > LSAT in Tokyo > > last September and again last December. > > > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best > to > > prepare for > > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write > on > > test day. I > > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given > only 2 > > options by > > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print > test > > book, or 2. a > > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large > print > > difficult > > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able > > to read only 14 > > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for > short > > periods of > > time. To make a long story short, my test day score > > was 15 points > > lower than my timed practice test score. Other > reasons > > aside, the > > nature of my interaction with the test material was a > huge > > factor in > > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a > > human reader to > > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what > > the implications > > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your > attention. > > > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly > urge > > you to meet > > with them in person prior to test day and assess > their > > reading skills > > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, > > competent, and have > > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for > > them to meet > > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of > screening > > and > > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you > deem > > them unfit > > for the task. > > > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of > last > > year, I > > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > > computer using > > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is > not > > possible at > > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > > computer-based > > alternative in the future, and the representative > repeated > > flatly "No, > > not at this time." I have since learned that two of > > my acquaintances > > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were > able to > > write on > > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. > > I would not go > > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > > accommodation > > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but > it is > > clear to me > > that the playing field is far from level. > > > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful > in > > some way, > > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > > > Regards, > > Derek Wilson > > www.twitter.com/culturemate > > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > > wrote: > > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, > but > > the class has started > > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to > > get me the PDF files just > > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for > > starting late and I have not > > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how > to > > deal with getting me > > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > > format. I was finally able to get > > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that > is not > > the greatest solution > > > either. > > > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > > Tom > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > > > > Tom > > > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what > you > > need and why. Kaplan has > > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > > committed to complying with > > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for > the > > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not > be > > perfect. Have a > > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > > sent by a lawyer and may > > > contain privileged and confidential information > and > > may be protected by > > > attorney client and work product privileges. If > you > > are not the intended > > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any > retention, > > dissemination, > > > reading, or copying of this communication is > strictly > > prohibited. > > > > > > If you have received this communication in > error, > > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > > and permanently delete > > > this message from your system. This communication > is > > covered by the > > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. > § > > 2510-2521. > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > >> Hello All. > > >> > > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and > requested > > the course material in > > >> a digital format. They sent the material on > > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, > and not > > manageable by JAWS. > > >> > > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not > > usable. Kaplan has not been able > > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > > >> > > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > > >> document? > > >> > > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > > providing a reader and scribe > > >> for the practice tests? > > >> > > >> > > >> Thanks, > > >> Tom > > >> > _______________________________________________ > > >> blindlaw mailing list > > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or > get > > your account info for > > >> blindlaw: > > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > blindlaw mailing list > > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your > > account info for > > > blindlaw: > > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > blindlaw mailing list > > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your > > account info for > > > blindlaw: > > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > > account info for blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > > account info for blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > From dwilson.lists at gmail.com Fri May 28 00:59:12 2010 From: dwilson.lists at gmail.com (Derek Wilson) Date: Fri, 28 May 2010 09:59:12 +0900 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <912239.25343.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> <912239.25343.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: You can count on me for support as well, if and when it is needed. Derek On 5/28/10, William ODonnell wrote: > Agreed. Let me know what I can do to help when or if needed. > > > --- On Thu, 5/27/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > >> From: Tom Ladis >> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010, 10:20 AM >> This has all been a big drag. >> Luckily, Equipped For Equality is concerned >> and will be representing me to get things straightened out >> and wake them up >> a little bit.  If they are not able to get them to do >> something under a >> cooperative agreement it may go to the next level.  It >> may take litigation >> to get them to make permanent changes, but we will take it >> one step at a >> time. >> >> >> Either way, Kaplan and LSAC are both out of touch with the >> spirit of the ADA >> legislation and need blind people to keep whacking at them >> until they can >> level things off for the next guy. >> >> >> Tom >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "William ODonnell" >> To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:35 AM >> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> >> >> You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" >> and online >> exercises.  I outsourced and used readers who were >> from local agencies who >> volunteered there time.  I would start to make >> consumer complaints since you >> are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom >> Ladis >> >> wrote: >> >> > From: Tom Ladis >> > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM >> > Hello Dennis and All, >> > >> > Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been >> > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been >> able to >> > do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF >> files >> > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what >> they >> > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has >> formatting >> > issues due to table conversion issues. I have also >> not >> > done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to >> > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue >> all of >> > these issues with Kaplan. >> > >> > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was >> willing >> > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice >> > exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton >> > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, >> I was >> > able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get >> > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. >> > >> > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I >> have >> > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being >> > administered on a computer starting this year. If >> that >> > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction >> that >> > will put everyone into the same ball park. They are >> > still going to provide my test in a printed format >> along >> > with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are >> > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another >> screen >> > reader application. She reported that people did not >> > like the computer format because it did not allow them >> to do >> > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is >> how >> > Kaplan trains test takers. >> > >> > More later as I try to get another practice exam or >> three >> > done before the actual test. >> > >> > Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange >> > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any >> better >> > luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the >> > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and >> > appreciate your offer of support. >> > >> > >> > >> > Tom >> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" >> > >> > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM >> > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> > >> > >> > Hello Tom, >> > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled >> for >> > about 20 years now >> > since I graduated from law school and I have had some >> > success over the >> > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to >> > convert the PDF's that >> > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than >> you >> > can do with Open >> > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email >> > attachments but if we can >> > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a >> file >> > transfer service >> > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about >> > the legal problems >> > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. >> > Over the years I have >> > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither >> was >> > accessible, but >> > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. >> > However, the ADA has >> > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that >> they >> > get their act >> > together and provide complete course accessibility. >> > Please give me a call >> > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am >> > located in California, >> > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I >> > look forward to >> > talking with you. >> > Warmest regards, >> > Dennis Clark >> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" >> > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM >> > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> > >> > >> > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very >> > difficult to work with >> > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email >> > instead of human >> > interaction. They are not willing to give much >> > information over the phone, >> > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation >> letter >> > in PDF files for >> > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see >> > them add some more check boxes >> > to their accommodations forms to assign >> accommodations >> > advisors to people >> > who are blind. >> > >> > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended >> > Kaplan, but it appears >> > that taking the course when you are able to use >> ZoomText >> > and when you need >> > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files >> > all seem to have >> > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke >> > with Freedom Scientific >> > about the problem and their conclusion is that the >> > files are not formatted >> > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF >> > files using OpenBook and >> > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all >> sort of >> > junk in the file >> > because of their multi column structure and the books >> being >> > for the Premier >> > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to >> > keep up with a class >> > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk >> embedded >> > in the test is a >> > problem. >> > >> > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time >> just >> > trying to level >> > the playing field for blind people who are already in >> or >> > trying to get into >> > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the >> > playing field leveled and >> > attorney fees paid are welcome. >> > >> > >> > Tom >> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" >> > >> > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM >> > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> > >> > >> > Hi Tom, >> > >> > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though >> mine >> > was online >> > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions >> > of the study >> > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the >> > PDF files with >> > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I >> believe >> > were >> > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much >> > less accessible, as >> > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading >> cursor >> > jumbped >> > around the screen at random. >> > >> > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through >> > LSAC. Kaplan had >> > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the >> > LSAT in Tokyo >> > last September and again last December. >> > >> > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best >> to >> > prepare for >> > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write >> on >> > test day. I >> > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given >> only 2 >> > options by >> > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print >> test >> > book, or 2. a >> > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large >> print >> > difficult >> > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able >> > to read only 14 >> > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for >> short >> > periods of >> > time. To make a long story short, my test day score >> > was 15 points >> > lower than my timed practice test score. Other >> reasons >> > aside, the >> > nature of my interaction with the test material was a >> huge >> > factor in >> > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a >> > human reader to >> > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what >> > the implications >> > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your >> attention. >> > >> > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly >> urge >> > you to meet >> > with them in person prior to test day and assess >> their >> > reading skills >> > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, >> > competent, and have >> > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for >> > them to meet >> > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of >> screening >> > and >> > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you >> deem >> > them unfit >> > for the task. >> > >> > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of >> last >> > year, I >> > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a >> > computer using >> > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is >> not >> > possible at >> > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a >> > computer-based >> > alternative in the future, and the representative >> repeated >> > flatly "No, >> > not at this time." I have since learned that two of >> > my acquaintances >> > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were >> able to >> > write on >> > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. >> > I would not go >> > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their >> > accommodation >> > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but >> it is >> > clear to me >> > that the playing field is far from level. >> > >> > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful >> in >> > some way, >> > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! >> > >> > Regards, >> > Derek Wilson >> > www.twitter.com/culturemate >> > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate >> > >> > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis >> > wrote: >> > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, >> but >> > the class has started >> > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to >> > get me the PDF files just >> > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for >> > starting late and I have not >> > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how >> to >> > deal with getting me >> > > the materials in a JAWS friendly >> > format. I was finally able to get >> > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that >> is not >> > the greatest solution >> > > either. >> > > >> > > Thanks for your thoughts, >> > > Tom >> > > ----- Original Message ----- >> > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." >> > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM >> > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> > > >> > > >> > > Tom >> > > >> > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what >> you >> > need and why. Kaplan has >> > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are >> > committed to complying with >> > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for >> the >> > SAT, LSAT, and Bar >> > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not >> be >> > perfect. Have a >> > > constructive dialog with them. >> > > >> > > >> > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law >> > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC >> > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl >> > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 >> > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 >> > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 >> > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com >> > > >> > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: >> > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being >> > sent by a lawyer and may >> > > contain privileged and confidential information >> and >> > may be protected by >> > > attorney client and work product privileges. If >> you >> > are not the intended >> > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any >> retention, >> > dissemination, >> > > reading, or copying of this communication is >> strictly >> > prohibited. >> > > >> > > If you have received this communication in >> error, >> > notify Attorney Alcidonis >> > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, >> > and permanently delete >> > > this message from your system. This communication >> is >> > covered by the >> > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. >> § >> > 2510-2521. >> > > >> > > >> > > >> -------------------------------------------------- >> > > From: "Tom Ladis" >> > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM >> > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> > > >> > >> Hello All. >> > >> >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and >> requested >> > the course material in >> > >> a digital format. They sent the material on >> > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some >> > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, >> and not >> > manageable by JAWS. >> > >> >> > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not >> > usable. Kaplan has not been able >> > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. >> > >> >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 >> > megabyte ? PDF to a Word >> > >> document? >> > >> >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for >> > providing a reader and scribe >> > >> for the practice tests? >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> Thanks, >> > >> Tom >> > >> >> _______________________________________________ >> > >> blindlaw mailing list >> > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or >> get >> > your account info for >> > >> blindlaw: >> > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com >> > > >> > > >> > > _______________________________________________ >> > > blindlaw mailing list >> > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get >> your >> > account info for >> > > blindlaw: >> > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > > >> > > >> > > _______________________________________________ >> > > blindlaw mailing list >> > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get >> your >> > account info for >> > > blindlaw: >> > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com >> > > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > blindlaw mailing list >> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your >> > account info for >> > blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > blindlaw mailing list >> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your >> > account info for >> > blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > blindlaw mailing list >> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your >> > account info for blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > blindlaw mailing list >> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your >> > account info for blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com >> > >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your >> account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your >> account info for blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com >> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Fri May 28 23:54:51 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Fri, 28 May 2010 16:54:51 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> References: <553176.44406.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <13D984E984064DCB9CCA292729313310@spike> Congratulations, This is the type of action that needs to occur when organizations or companies blatantly fail to comply with ADA and other legislation. SWhat is Equipped for Equality as I'm not familiar with that organization? Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 7:20 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support This has all been a big drag. Luckily, Equipped For Equality is concerned and will be representing me to get things straightened out and wake them up a little bit. If they are not able to get them to do something under a cooperative agreement it may go to the next level. It may take litigation to get them to make permanent changes, but we will take it one step at a time. Either way, Kaplan and LSAC are both out of touch with the spirit of the ADA legislation and need blind people to keep whacking at them until they can level things off for the next guy. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "William ODonnell" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:35 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" and online exercises. I outsourced and used readers who were from local agencies who volunteered there time. I would start to make consumer complaints since you are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > From: Tom Ladis > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM > Hello Dennis and All, > > Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been able to > do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF files > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what they > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has formatting > issues due to table conversion issues. I have also not > done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue all of > these issues with Kaplan. > > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was willing > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice > exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, I was > able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. > > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I have > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being > administered on a computer starting this year. If that > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction that > will put everyone into the same ball park. They are > still going to provide my test in a printed format along > with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another screen > reader application. She reported that people did not > like the computer format because it did not allow them to do > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is how > Kaplan trains test takers. > > More later as I try to get another practice exam or three > done before the actual test. > > Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any better > luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and > appreciate your offer of support. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility. > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the > files are not formatted > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC. Kaplan had > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day. I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time. To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time." I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format. I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format. They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable. Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From tom at tomladis.com Sun May 30 03:02:58 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Sat, 29 May 2010 22:02:58 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <553176.44406.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com><9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> <13D984E984064DCB9CCA292729313310@spike> Message-ID: <646AE84A233C42FC980F0FE546FA1BF6@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Thanks. Equipped For Equality is a law firm in Chicago that takes on issues that help to level the playing field for people with disabilities. They seem to have their hands in things from Education to Online Banking to Workplace equality issues. I was not able to find a web site for them, but will get a phone number or web address from them and publish it here if they allow. Maybe I can get someone from their firm to publish their mission statement or something like that to this list. I will get back with more info. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 28, 2010 6:54 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Congratulations, This is the type of action that needs to occur when organizations or companies blatantly fail to comply with ADA and other legislation. SWhat is Equipped for Equality as I'm not familiar with that organization? Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 7:20 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support This has all been a big drag. Luckily, Equipped For Equality is concerned and will be representing me to get things straightened out and wake them up a little bit. If they are not able to get them to do something under a cooperative agreement it may go to the next level. It may take litigation to get them to make permanent changes, but we will take it one step at a time. Either way, Kaplan and LSAC are both out of touch with the spirit of the ADA legislation and need blind people to keep whacking at them until they can level things off for the next guy. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "William ODonnell" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:35 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" and online exercises. I outsourced and used readers who were from local agencies who volunteered there time. I would start to make consumer complaints since you are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > From: Tom Ladis > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM > Hello Dennis and All, > > Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been able to > do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF files > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what they > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has formatting > issues due to table conversion issues. I have also not > done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue all of > these issues with Kaplan. > > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was willing > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice > exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, I was > able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. > > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I have > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being > administered on a computer starting this year. If that > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction that > will put everyone into the same ball park. They are > still going to provide my test in a printed format along > with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another screen > reader application. She reported that people did not > like the computer format because it did not allow them to do > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is how > Kaplan trains test takers. > > More later as I try to get another practice exam or three > done before the actual test. > > Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any better > luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and > appreciate your offer of support. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility. > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the > files are not formatted > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC. Kaplan had > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day. I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time. To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time." I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format. I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format. They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable. Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com From dandrews at visi.com Mon May 31 22:42:14 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 17:42:14 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Cardtronics Settlement Message-ID: I have been asked to circulate the materials below. David Andrews The Proposed Remediation Plan provides as follows: (1) All Cardtronics-owned ATMs in Massachusetts will be Voice-guided no later than June 30, 2010. (2) By December 31, 2010, at least ninety percent (90%) of all transactions at covered ATMs occurring within the borders of Massachusetts will occur on ATMs that are Voice-guided. (3) All Cardtronics-owned ATMs nationally will be Voice-guided no later than December 31, 2010, with the exception of Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores which will be Voice-guided no later than March 31, 2011. (4) By March 31, 2011, at least ninety percent (90%) of all transactions at covered ATMs nationally will occur on ATMs that are Voice-guided. (5) With the assistance of the NFB, Cardtronics has developed enhanced scripts for the great majority of the ATMs it owns. With the exception of Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores, on or before December 31, 2010 Cardtronics will install enhanced scripts on all Cardtronics-owned ATMs, except where it is not technologically feasible to do so, in which cases, on or before December 31, 2010, Cardtronics shall either (i) replace such ATMs with ATMs on which an enhanced script can and will be installed, or (ii) remove such ATMs from the Cardtronics-owned fleet. Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores will be Voice-guided no later than March 31, 2011. Any script on any Cardtronics-owned ATM, including the enhanced scripts, shall meet the requirements set forth in the definition of “Voice-guided” and “Voice-Guidance” set forth in the Final Order[1] and as supplemented in paragraph 6 of this Order. (6) With the exception of Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores, by December 31, 2010, all Cardtronics-owned Voice-guided ATMs and those merchant-owned, Voice-guided ATMs that Cardtronics designates as making up a portion of the ninety percent (90%) transaction requirements of paragraphs 2 and 4 above, will have tactilely discernible controls, that is, operating mechanisms used in conjunction with speech output that can be located and operated by feel. When a numeric keypad is part of the tactilely discernible controls, all function keys will be mapped to the numeric keypad and, except for those remaining Wincor ATMs installed in Target stores prior to June 2007, the numeric keypad will have an “echo” effect such that the user’s numeric entries (other than the entry of a personal identification number) are repeated in voice form. All tactilely discernible controls will otherwise comply with applicable regulations. All Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores will meet these requirements no later than March 31, 2011. (7) With the exception of Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores, by December 31, 2010, all Cardtronics-owned ATMs will have appropriate signage as identified in the Final Order Ex. 1.[2] All Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores will meet these requirements no later than March 31, 2011. By December 31, 2010, Cardtronics will send such signage to each of its Merchant-owned customers that operate a Voice-guided ATM (with the exception of those customers for whom Cardtronics physically placed Braille signage on each of the customer’s Voice-guided ATMs after April 9, 2007) requesting that those customers install such signage on their Voice-guided ATMs. Cardtronics will include a letter from the NFB describing the importance of such signage with its request. On or before February 1, 2011, Cardtronics will provide the NFB with the approximate date on which it placed signage on each of the Merchant-owned Voice-guided ATMs or sent the appropriate signage by mail. (8) By December 31, 2012, Cardtronics will cause to have inspected all Cardtronics-owned, non-branded ATMs to ensure that the Voice-guided features of these ATMs are in working condition. Approximately 10,000 of these inspections shall take place in calendar years 2010 and 2011, with the balance taking place in calendar year 2012. To the extent Cardtronics can demonstrate to Class counsel that within the first two years of conducting such inspections the Voice-guided features are in compliance with the definition of Voice-guidance, the parties shall meet to discuss the results of these inspections and may agree in writing that Cardtronics shall cause to have inspected a minimum of 1,000 Cardtronics-owned, non-branded ATMs each year for the remainder of the term of the Agreement. These inspections will be documented in a manner showing that the person conducting the inspection used headphones to listen to the voice script on the ATM. Similarly, in the course of conducting its routine inspections of Cardtronics-owned, branded ATMs, such inspections shall be documented in a manner showing that the person conducting the inspection used headphones to listen to the voice script on the ATM. On a monthly basis, Cardtronics shall report the results of all inspections required by this paragraph to Class counsel. (9) In addition to the reporting requirements identified in the Final Order,[3] Cardtronics will report monthly between June 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011. For the period between June 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011, Cardtronics will add to the information it is currently reporting for each Cardtronics-owned ATM whether the enhanced script has been installed on the ATM, as well as the month and year of such installation. No later than October 31, 2010, for each Cardtronics-owned ATM on which it is not technologically feasible to install an enhanced script, Cardtronics will indicate whether it will replace such ATM with a Voice-guided ATM or remove the ATM from the fleet. (10) Cardtronics will keep its ATM locator on its website up to date as to whether a covered ATM is equipped with Voice-guidance. (11) Notice of the Proposed Remediation Plan will be provided to the Class in the manner described below. (12) In addition to the testing costs set forth in Final Order Ex. 1, Cardtronics will pay $60,000 to the NFB to be used for interim testing and other compliance monitoring by the NFB taking place in 2010 and the first quarter of 2011. The NFB shall provide Cardtronics with invoices as testing is completed, to be payable by Cardtronics within 30 days of receipt of each invoice. (13) Cardtronics will pay the NFB $145,000 for the reasonable fees and costs incurred by the NFB as a result of Cardtronics’ failure to comply with the Final Order. This amount includes attorneys’ fees and testing costs that the NFB incurred due to the failure of Cardtronics to comply with the Final Order and shall be paid in two equal installments of $72,500, one upon the effective date of this Court’s final approval of the Proposed Remediation Plan and the second 60 days thereafter. (14) The requirements set forth in Final Order Ex. 1 shall remain in effect, in whole or in part, for eight years from the date of this Court’s final approval of the Proposed Remediation Plan. The Parties may agree in writing to extend the requirements of Final Order Ex. 1 further or the Court may so order in connection with paragraph 13.3. Notwithstanding any expiration of Final Order Ex. 1, paragraphs 6, 7 and 13 of Final Order Ex. 1 shall continue to remain in effect in perpetuity. (15) To the extent that the requirements set forth herein are inconsistent with any provision of Final Order Ex. 1, this Order controls. All other terms and requirements of the Final Order, including Final Order Ex. 1, will remain in full force and effect. [1] Final Order Ex. 1 at 4. [2] See Final Order Ex. 1 at ¶ 4.2. [3] See id. at ¶ 4.4.1. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, et al., Plaintiffs, v. CARDTRONICS, INC., et al., Defendants. ) Civil Action No. 03-11206-MEL ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) NOTICE OF PROPOSED REMEDIATION PLAN CONCERNING FINAL ORDER RELATING TO CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND HEARING TO BE HELD ON September 15, 2010 @ 2:30pm TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE NATIONWIDE CLASS CERTIFIED BY THIS COURT TO INCLUDE BLIND PATRONS OF AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINES (“ATMs”) OWNED OR OPERATED BY EITHER CARDTRONICS, INC. OR CARDTRONICS USA, INC. (collectively, “Cardtronics”) On December 4, 2007, this Court granted final approval of a class action settlement agreement entered into between Plaintiffs, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the National Federation of the Blind (“NFB”), and several individual blind persons, and Defendants, Cardtronics, Inc. and Cardtronics, LP (now Cardtronics USA, Inc.) (collectively “Cardtronics”) concerning, among other things, the accessibility of ATMs owned or operated by Cardtronics to blind patrons under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and Massachusetts state laws. DUE TO CARDTRONICS’ INABILITY TO MEET A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS OF THIS COURT’S FINAL ORDER OF DECEMBER 4, 2007, THE PARTIES HAVE REACHED AGREEMENT ON A PROPOSED REMEDIATION PLAN, SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY THIS COURT, THAT REQUIRES CARDTRONICS TO MEET ALL OF THEIR PRIOR OBLIGATIONS WITH EXTENSIONS OF TIME TO DO SO, PLUS ADDITIONAL OBLIGATIONS INTENDED TO ENSURE THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS ENJOY THE BENEFITS SET FORTH IN THE ORIGINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND FINAL COURT ORDER. Cardtronics has agreed to a remediation plan that includes, among other actions, ensuring that with the exception of Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores, all ATMs owned by Cardtronics will offer voice guidance through a standard headphone jack located on the face of the ATM by no later than December 31, 2010; Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores will offer voice guidance through a standard headphone jack located on the face of the ATM by no later than March 31, 2011, and that by March 31, 2011, at least ninety percent (90%) of all Transactions at Covered ATMs shall occur on ATMs that are Voice-guided or otherwise accessible to Blind people. Cardtronics has agreed to develop improved voice-guided scripts for all Cardtronics-owned ATMs to ensure that blind customers can easily access all ATM functions. Cardtronics has also agreed to institute an inspection program intended to ensure that voice-guided ATMs remain operational for blind customers. A full copy of the proposed remediation plan is available on the NFB’s website: www.nfb.org and on the Cardtronics’ website: www.cardtronics.net/news/nfb_remediationplan.asp. The locations of the existing ATMs covered by the Final Order and by the proposed remediation plan, with designation of voice-guidance status, can be obtained through Cardtronics’ ATM locator feature, available at www.cardtronics.net/about/atmlocator.asp. As part of the proposed remediation plan and subject to Court approval, Cardtronics has agreed to pay the amount of $145,000 in attorneys’ fees to the attorneys representing the class. These amounts will not detract from Cardtronics duties to provide accessible ATMs to the class. The Court will conduct a hearing on the motion of class counsel for their attorneys’ fees at the date and time set forth in the following paragraph. Cardtronics has also agreed to pay an additional $60,000 to the NFB for testing that the NFB will conduct to ensure compliance with the remediation plan requirements. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and an Order of the Court dated May 18, 2010, and as thereafter amended that a Final Approval Hearing will be held on September 15, 2010, at 2:30pm, before that Court in the United States Courthouse, One Courthouse Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. The purpose of this Final Approval Hearing is to determine whether the proposed remediation plan should be approved by the Court as fair, reasonable and adequate and whether the application for award of attorneys’ fees and reimbursement for expenses should be approved. Class Members who wish to object to the proposed settlement must provide notice of and explanation of their objection in writing to the Court at the address above, with copies to Counsel at the addresses provided below, no later than Monday, August 30, 2010. Only Class Members filing timely objections may request to present their objections at the Final Approval Hearing. Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General Attn: Maura Healey, Esq. 100 Cambridge Street 11TH floor Boston, MA 02108 Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP Attn: Sharon Krevor-Weisbaum, Esq. 120 E. Baltimore Street Suite 1700 Baltimore, MD 21202 Joseph Kociubes, Esq. Bingham McCutchen LLP 150 Federal Street Boston, MA 02110-1726 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, VISIT www.cardtronics.net/news/ OR CONTACT COUNSEL FOR THE PLAINTIFFS: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of Attorney General Disability Rights Project (617) 727-2200 www.mass.gov/ago OR Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP (410) 962-1030 www.browngold.com EXCEPT AS INSTRUCTED IN THE NOTICE, PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT. Dated: May 18, 2010 By Order of the United States District Court For the District of Massachusetts UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, et al., Plaintiffs v. E*TRADE ACCESS, INC., et al., Defendants CIVIL ACTION NO. 03-11206-MEL FINAL ORDER AND JUDGMENT Plaintiffs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, National Federation of the Blind, Inc. (“NFB”), Adrienne Asch, Jennifer Bose, Norma Crosby, Dwight Sayer, Robert Crowley, Jr., Raymond Wayne, Terri Uttermohlen, and Bryan Bashin, seek final approval of the class action settlement that was approved preliminarily by this Court on July 26, 2007. See Memorandum and Order Granting Unopposed Motion for Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement and for Fairness Hearing (“Preliminary Approval Order”). Specifically, Plaintiffs have moved the Court for an Order: (1) finding that the class action Settlement Agreement between Plaintiffs and Defendants, Cardtronics, LP, and Cardtronics, Inc. (collectively “Cardtronics”), is a fair, reasonable and adequate settlement of all of the claims of the class against Defendants, overruling the single objection to the proposed settlement and finding that each class member shall be bound by the Settlement Agreement, including its release; (2) finding that the Notice published to the class satisfies the requirements of due process and Fed. R. Civ. P. 23; (3) approving an award of attorneys’ fees and costs by Defendants to Plaintiff, NFB, in the amount of $900,000, as agreed to by the parties; (4) dismissing this lawsuit on the merits and with prejudice as to all claims in the lawsuit against all Defendants; (5) attaching and incorporating by reference the terms of the Settlement Agreement; and (6) retaining jurisdiction of all matters relating to the interpretation, administration, implementation, effectuation and enforcement of the Settlement Agreement. I. Background A. Plaintiffs’ Claims Cardtronics currently owns and/or operates at least 23,300 ATMs throughout the United States, including approximately 15,000 ATMs formerly owned and/or operated by Defendant E*TRADE Access, Inc. (“Access”).[1] Approximately half of these ATMs are owned by independent merchants who are customers of Cardtronics (“Merchant-Owned ATMs”). This litigation concerns Plaintiffs’ request that Cardtronics’s fleet of ATMs be made accessible to and independently useable by blind people through the use of voice-guidance technology. Some of the ATMs in the Cardtronics fleet already have voice guidance. Those ATMs that are not currently voice-guided vary in their capacity to be made voice-guided. Many newer machines have the capacity to be upgraded to provide voice-guidance through a straightforward retrofit process (“Upgradeable ATMs”). Other, older, machines are not able to be upgraded and must be replaced completely in order to make voice guidance available. Plaintiffs’ Fourth Amended and Supplemental Class Action Complaint (“Fourth Amended Complaint”) alleges that Cardtronics has failed to make all of the ATMs it owns and/or operates accessible to blind individuals in violation of Title III of the ADA, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12181 et seq., and Section 4.34.5 of the Department of Justice Standards for Accessible Design, 28 C.F.R. pt. 36, app. A (“Standards”) (requiring that ATMs be “accessible to and independently useable by persons with vision impairments”). Title III is enforceable through a private right of action for injunctive relief and prevailing plaintiffs are entitled to attorneys’ fees. See 42 U.S.C. §§ 12188(a)(1), (2) and 12205. Plaintiffs have also alleged violations of the Massachusetts Public Accommodations Act (“MPAA”), Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 272, §§ 92A and 98, and the Massachusetts Equal Rights Act (“MERA”), Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93, § 103. Although numerous procedural and substantive disputes have arisen throughout this litigation, the case turns primarily on the vigorously contested issues of whether Defendants’ ATMs are in violation of the Standards and, if they are, whether Plaintiffs are entitled to an injunction that would require Cardtronics to install voice-guidance capabilities on all ATMs it owns and/or operates, including Merchant-Owned ATMs. The lawsuit also includes claims against Defendant E*TRADE Bank, Inc. concerning its banking policies applicable to consumers’ use of the Cardtronics ATMs. These claims are derivative of the claims addressing the accessibility of the Cardtronics ATMs. B. Pre-Filing Settlement Negotiations On June 9, 2003, after lengthy negotiations, the Commonwealth and the NFB entered into a Partial Settlement Agreement (“PSA”) with Defendants Access and E*TRADE Bank, Inc. (collectively “E*TRADE”), pursuant to which Access agreed to equip the ATMs it owned with voice guidance over a period of two and one-half years. The parties were not able to reach agreement with respect to Merchant-Owned ATMs. C. Litigation On June 23, 2003, the Commonwealth and the NFB, along with several individual blind people and the NFB’s Massachusetts affiliate, filed the present suit against E*TRADE. From its inception, this litigation has been hard-fought. As fully detailed in the Preliminary Approval Order, this complex case involved numerous dispositive motions, voluminous document discovery and several significant discovery-related motions. II. Summary of the Settlement After an all-day mediation on April 9, 2007, and following further negotiations over the course of more than two months, the parties executed the Settlement Agreement on June 21, 2007. In summary, the settlement requires: All Cardtronics-Owned ATMs will be voice-guided by the end of this year, with two exceptions: a set of approximately 1,600 machines that already have voice-guidance, but do not have, as otherwise required by the Settlement Agreement, audible verification of all of the inputs by the ATM user; and a set of no more than 177 machines will be voice-guided by mid-2008. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.1.) As of April 9, 2007 and going forward, Cardtronics will only install Cardtronics-Owned ATMs that are voice-guided. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.1) As of April 9, 2007 and going forward, Cardtronics will only sell or make available to merchants ATMs that are voice-guided. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.2.1.) Cardtronics will identify the smallest subset of Merchant-Owned ATMs without voice guidance that collectively account for 80% of transactions at Merchant-Owned ATMs (“High Volume Merchants”) and will, within ninety (90) days of approval, offer those merchants that have Upgradeable ATMs the opportunity to upgrade to add voice guidance at no cost, and will offer those merchants whose machines are not upgradeable the opportunity to purchase a voice-guided machine at Cardtronics’s wholesale cost. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.2.2.) Regardless of the outcome of this marketing plan, Cardtronics will ensure that, by July 1, 2010, at least ninety (90) percent of all transactions on the ATMs covered by the settlement occur on voice-guided ATMs. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.3.) After July 1, 2010, Cardtronics will not add or renew any merchant-owned ATMs that are not voice-guided, so that any remaining ATMs constituting less than 10% of transaction volume that are not yet voice-guided will either become so or be eliminated. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.3.2.) Any additional functions that are added to ATMs covered by the settlement will be accessible to blind patrons within ninety (90) days unless Cardtronics believes doing so would not be technically feasible without causing undue burden or delay, in which case the parties are to meet and confer to attempt to eliminate the obstructions to adding such new functions. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.7.) Cardtronics-owned ATMs acquired after final approval of the settlement agreement shall be voice-guided within two (2) years; after-acquired Merchant-owned ATMs that are Merchant-Owned by High Volume Merchants will receive the upgrade or replacement offers described above. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.6.) Cardtronics will provide web-based information and signage to assist blind patrons in identifying which of its ATMs are voice-guided. (Settlement Agreement, ¶¶ 4.1, 4.2.) Cardtronics will report to Class Counsel throughout the term of the Settlement Agreement concerning the number of voice-guided ATMs and the percentage of transactions occurring on such ATMs, and that progress will be verified by Cardtronics and monitored by the NFB. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 4.4.) Cardtronics must comply with any future regulatory requirements that impose additional requirements, but if regulations require less than the Settlement Agreement, the Settlement Agreement controls. (Settlement Agreement ¶5.1) Class members will release claims for injunctive relief and attorneys’ fees under Title III of the ADA, the MPAA, the MERA, and any other claims held by the named plaintiffs to the extent such claims relate to the accessibility of ATMs to blind people. Class members also release claims for injunctive relief under state law to the extent it incorporates or is equivalent to Title III. (Settlement Agreement, ¶¶ 7.1, 7.2.) Class members (excepting the named plaintiffs) do not release claims for damages. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 7.1.3.) Cardtronics will pay $900,000 in attorneys’ fees to the NFB and make a contribution of $100,000 to the local consumer aid fund of the Massachusetts Attorney General. (Settlement Agreement, ¶¶ 9.1, 9.2.) Because the Settlement Agreement applies to all Cardtronics ATMs -- including former E*TRADE ATMs -- it supercedes the earlier PSA among E*TRADE, the Commonwealth, and the NFB. Although E*TRADE is not a party to the Settlement Agreement, that agreement concludes this litigation and calls for the dismissal with prejudice of all claims in this case against all Defendants. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 2.7(c).) The implementation of voice guidance on the ATMs makes it unnecessary for E*TRADE Bank to change its policies as sought in the lawsuit. In the Settlement Agreement, the parties agreed that the Court should retain jurisdiction of this case for purposes of the interpretation, administration, implementation, effectuation, and enforcement of this Agreement. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 2.7(d).) In addition, Defendants have withdrawn their opposition to Plaintiffs’ motion for leave to file a Fourth Amended Complaint (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 2.1) and the Court has granted the parties’ joint motion for certification of a settlement class, which includes all persons who are Blind patrons of ATMs covered by the Settlement Agreement. III. Preliminary Approval As mentioned, on July 26, 2007, this Court granted Plaintiffs’ Unopposed Motion for Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement and scheduled a Fairness Hearing on the proposed settlement for December 4, 2007. In the Preliminary Approval Order, the Court approved the parties’ proposed plan for notifying class member of the settlement, as well as the form of the notice to be utilized for this purpose (“Notice”). IV. Notice to the Class The Court finds that the Notice approved in the Court’s Preliminary Approval Order was made available on Cardtronics’s website from approximately August 23, 2007 to November 1, 2007 and that a copy of the Notice was also available on the NFB’s website during that same period. The Court also finds that a copy of the Notice was mailed to a list of over 900 organizations, including a number composed of, and/or focused on the issues of, blind people. Of those mailings, 36 were returned due to incorrect addresses. The correct addresses were ascertained for 11 of those returned mailings and the Notice was then sent to those correct addresses. In addition, the Notice was emailed to 1,036 email addresses relating to the organizations referenced above, with a cover letter requesting that the recipient post and forward the Notice. Of those emails, 186 were returned as undeliverable. Fifteen organizations to whom the Notice was emailed notified class counsel that they had forwarded the Notice to other individuals or lists of individuals thought to be class members. Another ten organizations notified class counsel that they had posted the Notice on their websites. The NFB sent the Notice to over 50 email lists of blind individuals, including lists of blind lawyers, students, and travelers. In each of these paper and electronic mailings, counsel for the class offered to provide Braille versions of the Notice and/or the Settlement Agreement. Class counsel ultimately received and honored six requests for Braille documentation. The Court finds further that the Notice was published in the August/September edition of the Braille Monitor, which is the publication of the NFB and is regularly sent to its approximately 50,000 members, among others. The Notice was also published in the September, 2007, edition of the Braille Forum, as well as in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and USA Today on August 28, 2007. In addition, the Court finds that there has been only one objection to the proposed settlement. This objection purports to be on behalf of Mason P. James, of Loveland, Texas, and states only that “[m]e wish to object to the proposed settlement.” See Objection by Mason P. James (Sept. 27, 2007, Paper No. 270). DISCUSSION I. The Settlement Agreement is Granted Final Approval. A court may approve the settlement of a class action only upon finding that it is “fair, reasonable, and adequate.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(e)(1)(C); see also City P’ship Co. v. Atlantic Acquisition Ltd. P’ship, 100 F.3d 1041, 1043 (1st Cir. 1996) (same). The First Circuit has recognized a clear policy of encouraging settlements in class action cases, and has stated that “[w]hen sufficient discovery has been provided and the parties have bargained at arms-length, there is a presumption in favor of the settlement.” City P’ship, 100 F.3d at 1043. In determining the fairness, reasonableness and adequacy of a proposed class action settlement, several courts in this district have looked to the following factors set forth in City of Detroit v. Grinnell Corp., 495 F.2d 448, 463 (2d Cir. 1974), overruled on other grounds by Missouri v. Jenkins, 491 U.S. 274 (1989): (1) the complexity, expense and likely duration of the litigation; (2) the reaction of the class to the settlement; (3) the stage of the proceedings and the amount of discovery completed; (4) the risks of establishing liability; (5) the risks of establishing damages; (6) the risks of maintaining the class action through the trial; (7) the ability of the defendants to withstand a greater judgment; (8) the range of reasonableness of the settlement fund in light of the best possible recovery; (9) the range of reasonableness of the settlement fund to a possible recovery in light of all the attendant risks of litigation. For all of the reasons set forth in the Court’s Preliminary Approval Order, an analysis of these factors strongly supports this Court’s final approval of the Settlement Agreement as fair, reasonable and adequate. In addition, this Court overrules the single objection to the proposed settlement, as no reasons were provided for that objection as required by the Notice approved by the Court. Therefore, this Court also finds that all class members are bound by the Settlement Agreement, including its release provisions. II. Notice to the Class Rule 23(e) states that “notice of the proposed dismissal or compromise shall be given to all members of the class in such manner as the court directs.” The notice must satisfy Rule 23, as well as due process requirements. Cf. Besinga v. United States, 923 F.2d 133, 136-37 (9th Cir. 1991) (requirements of due process and Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(c)(2)(B) are similar). “‘[I]t is the court’s duty to ensure that the notice ordered is reasonably calculated to reach the absent class members.” Reppert v. Marvin Lumber and Cedar Co., 359 F.3d 53, 56 (1st Cir. 2004) (citations omitted). “When individual notice is infeasible, notice by publication in a newspaper of national circulation . . . is an acceptable substitute.” Mirfasihi v. Fleet Mortgage Corp., 356 F.3d 781, 786 (7th Cir. 2004). This Court finds that the notice program approved in its Preliminary Approval Order and now implemented by the parties was the best notice practicable under the circumstances and satisfied the requirements of due process and Fed. R. Civ. P. 23. The parties represented that there was no readily accessible list of the potential class members in this case and that such a list likely could not be created without enormous effort and expenditure. Notice here involved a combination of individual mailing -- through the Braille Monitor and Braille Forum to tens of thousands of blind people -- and publication in three newspapers of national circulation: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today. Under these circumstances, individual notice was not required in order to satisfy the requirements of due process and Fed. R. Civ. P. 23. III. Attorneys’ Fees and Costs Class counsel have submitted an Unopposed Petition for an Award of Attorneys’ Fees and Costs, pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(h) and 54(d)(2). Specifically, class counsel request that the Court approve an award of attorneys’ fees and costs by Defendants to the NFB in the amount of $900,000, the amount agreed to by the parties as part of the class action settlement. The ADA provides that courts may award the prevailing party its “reasonable attorney’s fee, including litigation expenses, and costs.” 42 U.S.C. § 12205. Rules 23(h)(1) and (2) require that notice and an opportunity to object be provided. In this case, the Notice sent pursuant to the Preliminary Approval Order included the amount of the fees and provided an opportunity to object and no class member has objected to the proposed fee award. In evaluating a fee petition in a case such as this, the Court is to consider “the reasonableness of the hours spent and the hourly rate sought.” Weinberger v. Great Northern Nekoosa Corp., 925 F.2d 518, 529 (1st Cir. 1991) (quoting In re Spillance, 884 F.2d 642, 647 (1st Cir. 1989)). After due consideration of the filings of class counsel and the relevant case law cited therein, this Court finds that a fee award in the amount of $900,000 is well within the bounds of reasonableness under the circumstances of this case. The time spent by class counsel in litigating this complex case clearly was justified. In addition, the lodestar amount – calculated by multiplying these hours by reasonable prevailing rates – is almost twice the amount agreed upon in the settlement. The Court finds that the hourly rates charged by class counsel are commensurate with the rates charged by Boston attorneys of comparable experience in comparable matters and that the rates actually billed to the NFB were below those rates. In addition, the award sought is well below the actual amount of fees and costs paid by the NFB in connection with this litigation. For these reasons, the Court approves the fee award agreed to by the parties as part of the Settlement Agreement. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED THAT: 1. This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this lawsuit and over all of the parties to the lawsuit, including the named Plaintiffs, all members of the class, and Defendants. 2. The Court adopts and incorporates the findings of the Preliminary Approval Order and hereby approves the Settlement Agreement as fair, reasonable and adequate in all respects. This is especially so in view of the complexity, expense and probable duration of further litigation, the risks of establishing liability, the intensive arm’s length negotiations of experienced counsel and the reasonableness of the relief obtained, considering the range of possible outcomes and the attendant risks of litigation. 3. The Court overrules the single objection to the settlement and finds that each class member is bound by the Settlement Agreement, including its release. 4. The Court finds that the Notice published to the class satisfies the requirements of due process and Fed. R. Civ. P. 23. 5. The Court finds that the attorneys’ fees and costs sought by class counsel are reasonable and approves an award of fees and costs, in the amount of $900,000, as agreed to by the parties. 6. The Court dismisses this lawsuit on the merits and with prejudice as to all claims in the lawsuit against all Defendants. 7. The Court attaches hereto as Exhibit 1 and incorporates into this Final Order and Judgment the terms of the Settlement Agreement. 8. The Court retains jurisdiction of all matters relating to the interpretation, administration, implementation, effectuation and enforcement of the Settlement Agreement. It is so ordered. Dated: _________________________ U.S.D.J. 397837 [1] On or about June 2, 2004, Cardtronics LP acquired Access’s ATM business. David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920 From dandrews at visi.com Mon May 31 23:12:32 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 18:12:32 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] 2010 NFB Convention Agenda Now Available Message-ID: Below is the text of the agenda for the 2010 NFB national convention. You can also download a fully-formatted Word version from the link below. Dave http://www.nfb.org/nfb/National_Convention.asp THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF TEXAS WELCOME YOU TO THE 70th ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND Marc Maurer, President National Federation of the Blind 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place Baltimore, Maryland 21230 Mary Ellen Jernigan Executive Director for Operations and Chairwoman, Convention Organization and Activities Angela Wolf, President National Federation of the Blind of Texas 314 East Highland Mall Blvd., Suite 353 Austin, Texas 78752 Hilton Anatole Hotel 2201 Stemmons Freeway Dallas, Texas 75207 (214) 748-1200 The 70th annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind is being held in Dallas at the Hilton Anatole Hotel. As usual, our hotel rates are very good: singles and doubles are $62; triples and quads are $67. In addition to the room rates, there is a fifteen percent occupancy tax. There is no charge for children under sixteen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is required. Proof of convention registration is necessary, including the showing of an NFB registration badge if requested. Otherwise, regular hotel rates must be paid. The Hilton Anatole is a non-smoking hotel; smoking is permitted only on the Gossip patio and fifteen feet from any outside entrance. HILTON ANATOLE GEOGRAPHY The Hilton Anatole consists of two main sections—the Atrium and the Tower. The Atrium section is further divided into Atrium I and Atrium II. At the lobby and mezzanine levels Atrium I, Atrium II, and the Tower are connected so that you can walk from Atrium I at the far east end of the hotel through Atrium II into the Tower at the far west end of the hotel as if it were one building. During the time of our convention the entire central area of Atrium II at the lobby level will be undergoing substantial renovation. This renovation will not impact our convention operation in any significant way since there will be a well-defined passageway linking Atrium I with the Tower. This passageway will run east and west along the south side of Atrium II at the lobby level. At levels above the mezzanine, Atrium I and Atrium II are contiguous with each other but not with the Tower—that is, to reach the sleeping rooms, you must use either the Atrium elevators or the Tower elevators, depending on which section your room is located in. The Tower sleeping room elevators do not stop at the mezzanine level. The Atrium sleeping room elevators stop at the mezzanine level, and you can reach the mezzanine level meeting rooms above the Atrium I lobby, the Atrium II lobby, and the Tower lobby. However, a flight of six or eight steps links the Atrium II mezzanine and the Tower mezzanine. If these steps are a problem, you can take a separate, single elevator that goes from the Tower lobby to the Tower mezzanine level. This elevator is located just west of the business center in the Tower lobby. At the west end of the Tower mezzanine is a stairway that leads to the Tower lobby. When you come down this stairway, you are facing east, and the Chantilly Ballroom is slightly ahead and on your right. Atrium I is the farthest-east section of the hotel and sits slightly south of Atrium II. Think of the entire hotel as a high-top tennis shoe lying on its side with the sole running along the north side, the toe pointing west, and the open top to the south. The right angle formed where the back of the shoe meets the sole in the hotel’s architecture is actually cut on the diagonal so that, when entering the hotel on that diagonal, you are facing southwest. Atrium I is much shorter in its north-south dimension than are Atrium II and the Tower on the east-west axis. After you step into the main entrance, a left turn takes you towards the check-in desk and Atrium I. If you stand with your back to the check-in desk, you are facing west. Atrium I is on your left, and Atrium II is slightly to your right and straight ahead. The Atrium elevators and stairway and escalators to the mezzanine-level meeting rooms are located just across from the Atrium front desk and main entrance in the general area where the two Atria join. Access to the temporary passageway between Atrium I and the Tower will be located here also. The lobby level of Atrium I and the area south of the temporary Atrium II passageway contains several meeting rooms, a brand new restaurant called the Media Grill & Bar, and the Grand Ballroom, which is located on the south side of Atrium II. The Khmer Pavilion is located roughly above the Grand Ballroom. The point at which the Atrium II lobby joins the Tower lobby is located just beyond the west end of the Grand Ballroom foyer. The exact configuration of this juncture is unknown at the time of this writing because of the renovations in progress. If any steps still remain by the time we arrive, there will be a ramp in place for wheelchair access. HOTEL FOOD SERVICE Breakfast will be available from 6:00 to 11:00 am in three locations: Common Ground in Atrium 1, serving grab-and-go continental breakfasts and ala carte items including hot breakfast sandwiches; The Terrace in Atrium 1 serving full hot breakfasts; and Gossips (beginning at 6:30 am) in the Tower serving specialty coffees and ala carte items. Lunch will be available from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Common Ground serving soups, salads, deli and hot sandwiches, quick grab-and-go bag lunches, and other ala carte items; in The Terrace from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm serving a quick hot “blue plate” special each day; in Gossips from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm serving deli sandwiches and ala carte items; and in the Media Grill & Bar (located on the south side of Atrium II between the Atrium escalators and the Grand Ballroom) from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm offering a full-scale lunch and dinner menu. Dinner will be available in the Media Grill & Bar until 10:00 pm, with “deep-night” bar and selected food service continuing until 2:00 am; in the Rathskeller (accessed from the Tower lobby across from the potpourri shop), serving a typical sports bar menu; and in Nana, the five-star restaurant located on the twenty-seventh floor of the Tower, from 6:30 to 10:30 pm. In addition, sushi will be available in Gossips until 2:00 am; a variety of hot and cold lite fare will be available in the bar at Nana from 4:30 pm to 12:30 am; and room service is available on a twenty-four-hour basis. TEXAS-STYLE BARBEQUE AND LIVE MUSIC IN ANATOLE PARK Continue the excitement of convention opening day by enjoying a delicious Texas-style barbeque with family and friends under the stars in Anatole Park. Listen to the great acoustical sounds of one of Texas’ top performing singers and songwriters, Brian Burns, with friends Tommy Alverson and Davin James, who bring Texas and American country music back to the heart of the matter. All hosted by the NFB of Texas and all happening on Tuesday, July 6, starting at 6:00 pm. Tickets (while they last) are $45 per person and can be purchased in the registration area. ROOKIE ROUNDUP All first-time convention attendees are cordially invited to attend a reception from 8:00 to 10:00 pm on Saturday, July 3, in the Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby. President Maurer and other Federation leaders will be on hand to welcome you to the convention and preview the week’s activities. Veteran conventioneers should urge all first-timers to attend this special event. Also, first-time rookies are invited to join an informal, fun gathering on Monday, July 5, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm in the Affiliate Action Suite 2372. REGISTRATION & PREREGISTRATION Registration activities take place in the upper Chantilly foyer, Tower lobby beginning at 9:00 am on Sunday, July 4; at 8:30 am on Monday, July 5; and at other times as listed throughout the week. The fee for registration at convention is $20 per person (if you preregistered before May 31, the fee was $15), and all those attending the convention (both local and outoftown people) are asked to register. Convention registration is a requirement for door prize eligibility and a number of other convention activities. We condition rates for hotel rooms on proof of registration, including the showing of an NFB registration badge if requested. Therefore, please register as soon as possible after arrival. EXHIBITS Exhibits (excluding the NFB Independence Market) are on display in the Khmer Pavilion, Atrium third level. Exhibit hall hours are: Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday Noon to 1:45 pm; Sponsors only from 7:00-10:00 pm Wednesday Noon to 1:45 pm and 7:00 to 10:00 pm There is a special event for sponsor-level exhibitors only on Tuesday, July 6, from 7:00 to 10:00 pm (see “Special Attention” section and agenda listing for more information). Sign up for NFB-NEWSLINE® at the NEWSLINE table. Any alterations in the general session schedule which may occur during the convention will result in conforming shifts in the exhibit schedule and will be announced in the exhibit areas. A number of affiliated NFB divisions and committees have tables. INDEPENDENCE MARKET & SHOWROOM OF INNOVATION The Independence Market and the Showroom of Innovation will be located in the Grand Ballroom, Atrium lobby. NFB publications, products, devices, canes, Louis Braille commemorative coins, jewelry, and other items will be available. Also in the Showroom of Innovation you can preview the nonvisual interface technology that might empower driving and other advanced applications. Put your hands on the wheel, touch the first generation blind driver challenge vehicle, and glimpse into the future. Be part of the revolution as we Race for Independence. Hours of operation for the Market and the Showroom are: Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday Noon to 1:45 pm Wednesday Noon to 1:45 pm—Note: Final time slot to visit Independence Market and Showroom of Innovation. MEETINGS General sessions of the convention convene at 9:00 am in the Chantilly Ballroom, Tower lobby on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The convention adjourns promptly at 5:00 pm on Thursday, July 8. Please note that all requests for announcements by Dr. Maurer during general sessions must be submitted in Braille. BANQUET AND BANQUET TICKET EXCHANGE The banquet is being held in the Chantilly Ballroom, Tower lobby at 7:00 pm, Thursday, July 8. Banquet tickets purchased at convention are $45.00 (the cost was $40 if purchased before May 31) and are on sale during registration on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Banquet tickets will not be available for purchase after Tuesday at 2:00 pm. It will be necessary to have your banquet ticket with you to attend the banquet; it will be collected at the banquet table. Arrangements should be made for reserved table assignments by taking the ticket(s) you purchase to the Banquet Exchange Table in the Chantilly lobby area, where you may exchange either an individual ticket or a group of tickets for reserved seating. Banquet tables seat ten people. RELIGIOUS SERVICES AND DEVOTIONS On Sunday, July 4, Fr. Gregory Paul, C.P., will celebrate a Roman Catholic Mass at 6:30 am in the Wedgwood Room, Tower lobby. Also on Sunday at 11:45 am services for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be held in the Wedgwood Room, Tower lobby. Devotional services will be held in the Sapphire Room, Tower lobby at 8:00 am on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Services are nonsectarian and will end at least fifteen minutes prior to morning convention sessions. Coordinated by the National Association of the Blind in Communities of Faith Division; Tom Anderson, President. K-NFB’S BLIO READER MAKING BOOKS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Printed books are becoming digital and accessible. Blio is free e-reader software designed for presentation of digital media. Developed and distributed by K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc., shop at the online Blio bookstore with access to over one million free books. Read wherever you are by syncing your digital library to your mobile device. To learn more, visit the demonstration sessions listed in the agenda on Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday. SPECIAL ATTENTION IS CALLED TO THE FOLLOWING ITEMS • A Federation Information Desk will be in the registration area from Sunday morning, July 4, through Thursday, July 8, if you have questions or need assistance. The Texas affiliate will also maintain a table near the hotel checkin desk in the main lobby to provide assistance and hospitality during much of the convention. • When you register, you will be given a name badge. Please wear it at all times during the convention. • The room number for the Presidential Suite is 2572. Someone will be on hand in the Presidential Suite throughout most of the convention to greet you and make appointments for you with the President or anyone else you wish to see. The Presidential Suite will not be open during the business sessions of the convention, the Monday morning Board of Directors meeting, or the Thursday evening banquet. Come to the Presidential Suite. You will be most welcome. • The room number for Mary Ellen Jernigan, Chairwoman of Convention Organization and Activities, is 2472. Questions concerning hotel rooms, meeting rooms, banquet, scheduling, registration, and other matters dealing with convention arrangements should be referred to the Chairwoman of Convention Organization and Activities. • Individuals needing to conduct business with the NFB Treasurer may do so by going to the Opal Room, Tower lobby on Tuesday, July 6, between 5:30 and 7:30 pm, or on Wednesday, July 7, between 12:00 noon and 2:00 pm. • The Texas Suite (Angela Wolf, President) is 2272. • The Affiliate Action and Rookie Activities Suite (Joanne Wilson and Pam Allen, Coordinators) is 2372. • Child-care services for children between the ages of six weeks and ten years are available during convention sessions, most meetings, and the banquet. Preregistration and payment by June 15 were required for child-care. Child-care is organized and supervised by Carla McQuillan, the executive director of Main Street Montessori Association. Alison McQuillan serves as the activities and staff coordinator. Please note that child-care provides morning and afternoon snacks, but parents are required to provide lunch for their child(ren) every day. Times listed are the opening and closing times for child-care. A late fee of $10 per quarter-hour per child will be assessed for all late pickups. Child-care hours are: Saturday, 7/3 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 to 5:30 pm Sunday, 7/4 Closed Monday, 7/5 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 to 5:30 pm Tuesday, 7/6 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 to 5:30 pm Wednesday, 7/7 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 to 5:30 pm Thursday, 7/8 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 to 5:30 pm Banquet 7/8 6:30 pm to 30 minutes after banquet ends • A Special Evening for Sponsor-Level Exhibitors: Again this year, the exhibit hall will reopen from 7:00 to 10:00 pm on Tuesday, July 6, for a very special evening dedicated solely to Sponsor-Level Exhibitors. Come and bring a guest to say “thank you” to our sponsors and to enjoy their interesting offers and demonstrations. • The always popular Showcase of Talent is back again at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, July 7, presented by the Performing Arts Division. Admission price is $5.00. If you would like to participate in the Showcase, make sure to sign up early by contacting a Performing Arts Division board member at the convention. • Raffle tickets will not be sold in the registration area, and no raffles or other such drawings will take place during convention sessions or at the banquet. The single exception to this rule will be that national divisions may (if they request it in advance) conduct such drawings during the convention or at the banquet. The Sapphire Room, Tower lobby will be set aside at 12:00 noon on Thursday, July 8, for all other drawings. Any group or affiliate wishing to conduct drawings at this time (or any person wishing to know the winners) may go at noon on Thursday to the Sapphire Room. AFFILIATED DIVISIONS, COMMITTEES, AND GROUPS The Federation carries on its business through divisions, committees, and groups. The meetings of some of these have been scheduled for particular times and are listed in the agenda. Others have not been formally scheduled but will meet at the call of their chairpersons or presidents. If you have matters that you would like to discuss with any of the following divisions, committees, or groups, you should contact: Divisions: • Agriculture and Equestrian: Fred Chambers, President; • Assistive Technology Trainers: Michael Barber, President; • Classics, Antiques, and Rods or Special Interest Vehicles (CARS): Joseph B. Naulty, President; • Deaf-Blind: Burnell Brown, President; • Diabetes Action Network for the Blind: Michael Freeman, President; • Human Services: David Stayer, President; • National Association of the Blind in Communities of Faith: Tom Anderson, President; • National Association of Blind Entrepreneurs: James R. Bonerbo, President; • National Association of Blind Lawyers: Scott LaBarre, President; • National Association of Blind Merchants: Kevan Worley, President; • National Association of Blind Office Professionals: Lisa Hall, President; • National Association of Blind Piano Technicians: Don Mitchell, President; • National Association of Blind Rehabilitation Professionals: Melody Lindsey, President; • National Association of Blind Students: Arielle Silverman, President; • National Association of Blind Veterans: Dwight Sayer, President; • National Association of Guide Dog Users: Marion Gwizdala, President; • National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB): Nadine Jacobson, President; Divisions, Continued: • National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science: Curtis Chong, President; • National Federation of the Blind Krafters: Joyce Kane, President; • National Federation of the Blind Seniors: Judy Sanders, President; • National Organization of Blind Educators: Sheila Koenig, President; • National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC): Carol Castellano, President; • Performing Arts: Dennis H.R. Sumlin, President; • Public Employees: Ivan Weich, President; • Science and Engineering: John Miller, President; • Sports and Recreation: Lisamaria Martinez, President; • Travel and Tourism: Don Gillmore, President; • Writers: Robert Leslie Newman, President. Committees: • Ambassadors: Angela Wolf, Chairperson; • Blind Educator of the Year Award: David Ticchi, Chairperson; • Committee on Assistive Technology (COAT): Curtis Chong, Chairperson; • Committee on Automobile and Pedestrian Safety (CAPS): Deborah Kent Stein, Chairperson; • Committee to Empower Underserved Populations (CEUP): Ron Brown, Chairperson; • Cultural Exchange and International Program: Diane McGeorge, Chairperson; • Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award: Cathy Jackson, Chairperson; • Employment: Buna Dahal, Chairperson; • Genetic Education: Barbara Pierce, Chairperson; • Imagination Fund: Parnell Diggs, Chairperson; • Jacobus tenBroek Award: Ramona Walhof, Chairperson; • Jacobus tenBroek Memorial Fund: Tami Jones, Chairperson; • Kenneth Jernigan Fund: Allen Harris, Chairperson; • Library Services: David Hyde, Chairperson; • Loan Fund: Donald C. Capps, Chairperson; • Membership: Ron Gardner, Chairperson; • Newel Perry Award: Allen Harris, Chairperson; • Newsletter Publications: Norma Crosby, Chairperson; • NFB-NEWSLINE® Steering: David DeNotaris, Chairperson; • PAC Plan: Scott LaBarre, Chairperson; • Planned Giving: John Halverson, Chairperson; • Promotion, Evaluation, and Advancement of Technology: Gary Wunder, Chairperson; Committees, Continued: • Public Relations: Christopher Danielsen, Chairperson; • Research and Development: Curtis Chong, Chairperson; • Resolutions: Sharon Maneki, Chairperson; • Scholarship: Anil Lewis, Chairperson; • Shares Unlimited in NFB (SUN): Sandy Halverson, Chairperson; • Spanish Translation: Norman Gardner, Chairperson; • White Cane and Affiliate Finance: Alpidio Rolón, Chairperson. Groups: • Blind Musicians: Linda Mentink, Chairperson; • Blind Parents: Deborah Kent Stein, Chairperson; • Blind Professional Journalists: Elizabeth Campbell and Bryan Bashin, Co-Chairpersons; • Educators of Blind Children: Gail Wagner, Chairperson; • Geordi's Engineers: Lorraine Rovig, Chairperson; • Legislative Initiatives Discussion: Don Burns, Coordinator; • Living History: Michael Freholm, Chairperson; • NFB Ham Radio: D. Curtis Willoughby, Chairperson; • NFB in Judaism: David Stayer, Chairperson; • NFB Lions: Ramona Walhof and Milton Ota, Co-Chairpersons; • Orientation and Mobility: Edward C. Bell, Chairperson; • Professionals in Blindness Education: Heather Field, Chairperson • Webmasters: Gary Wunder, Chairperson. CONVENTION AGENDA SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010 7:30 - 8:45 am—HAM RADIO GROUP EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS Milan Room, Tower mezzanine Discuss convention frequencies, hotel architectural features, and distributing special FM receivers for the hearing-impaired and Spanish-speaking attendees. D. Curtis Willoughby (ka0vba), Chairperson 7:30 am - 6:30 pm—EDUCATION: TOP DOWN AND BOTTOM UP Parent, Teacher, Rehabilitation, and Orientation & Mobility Joint Conference for Families and Rehabilitation Professionals (7:30 to 8:45 am—Registration; 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm—NBPCB Awards Luncheon in Morocco Room) Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby NOPBC Fees: Adults $30; Youth (13-18) $20; Children (5-12) $10 NBPCB Fees (includes lunch): Students $75; Professionals $100 Note: Conference admission included with either registration above. Sponsors: National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC); National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB); National Association of Blind Rehabilitation Professionals (NABRP); and the Professional Development & Research Institute on Blindness (PDRIB) at the Louisiana Tech University. Chairpersons: Carol Castellano and Edward Bell 8:30 am—CHILD-CARE (Preregistration by June 15 was required) Batik A & B and Cardinal A & B Rooms, Atrium Mezzanine Please see “Special Attention” section of agenda for further information. 8:30 - 11:30 am—WHAT’S NEW IN JAWS 11 AND A FIRST LOOK AT JAWS 12—FREEDOM SCIENTIFIC, INC. Senators Lecture Hall, Tower lobby Join Eric Damery, JAWS Product Manager, for an exciting and informative session covering the new details surrounding JAWS development during the past year. In addition to many demonstrations of JAWS 11 with Research It, this will also be the first look at JAWS 12 scheduled for public beta in August 2010. 9:00 am - 12:00 noon—GW MICRO: SENSE NOTETAKER AND BOOKSENSE TRAINING (Registration: $10; refreshments provided) Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine The Braille Sense Plus and other Sense notetakers are exciting devices in Braille notetaker technology. Learn new features, including the GW Sense Navigation GPS. See the BookSense in action; play your books and audio files with ease. Raul Gallegos and Jeremy Curry. To register, call 260-489-3671. SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued 9:00 am - 5:00 pm—NFB JERNIGAN INSTITUTE’S ACCESS TECHNOLOGY SEMINARS Governors Lecture Hall, Tower lobby 9:00 - 11:30 am—Apple’s Mac system, iPod series, iPhone, and iPad 1:00 - 2:00 pm—Ebay’s accessibility improvements 2:15 - 3:30 pm—Blackboard Learn, the online platform for education 3:45 - 5:00 pm—Accessing e-Books rapidly expanding market 9:00 am - 5:00 pm—EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE SEMINAR Rosetta Room, Atrium mezzanine 9:00 am–Registration; 9:30 am–Seminar begins Staying on the cutting edge—what does it take? If you are seeking a job or focused on career advancement, don't miss this excellent opportunity to explore the building blocks of evolutionary employment. Buna Dahal, Chairperson 9:30 am - 2:30 pm—SENIORS SEMINAR: INTRO TO BLINDNESS SKILLS Sapphire Room, Tower lobby Please note—attendance is limited to around thirty-five people, so arrive promptly. Blind instructors introduce seniors to basic blindness skills: Braille, use of the long white cane, games, etc. Co-chaired by Ruth Sager and Ramona Walhof; Judy Sanders, President, NFB Seniors Division 10:30 am - 12:00 noon—“WHERE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE COME TOGETHER”—NFB YOUTH TRACK (AGES 11 TO 18) Wyeth Room, Atrium mezzanine Kick off this year’s Youth Track activities with fun icebreakers and meet new friends. This is also a time for youth to debate the age-old issues of blindness while putting a fresh new spin on them for today. All Youth Track activities are sponsored by the NFB Jernigan Institute; Mary Jo Hartle, Coordinator 12:45 - 1:45 pm—WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? NFB JERNIGAN INSTITUTE DISCUSSIONS—SESSION ONE (Session Two: Sunday at 5:30 pm; Session Three: Monday at 7:30 pm) Wyeth Room, Atrium mezzanine Session One covers research, history, and our literature. Moderated by Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued 1:00 - 3:00 pm—FREEDOM SCIENTIFIC; OPENBOOK 9 AND PEARL PORTABLE READING SOLUTION Senators Lecture Hall, Tower lobby Have lightning fast OCR with OpenBook in a portable solution that folds up. Connect via a USB port and scan documents. Have them read aloud using Eloquence voices or any of Real Speak Solo Direct human-sounding voices now available on OpenBook. Magnify work, write under the camera, and reformat text. 1:00 - 5:00 pm—HUMANWARE PRODUCT SHOWCASE AND USER GROUPS Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine Sessions: 1:00 Breeze; 2:00 Portable Devices; 3:00 Stream; 4:00 BrailleNote Join HumanWare to learn about recent updates and share product tips. Give us your suggestions or ask questions about your favorite HumanWare product. Door Prizes for every session! 1:00 - 6:00 pm—KRAFTERS DIVISION CRAFT SHOW Topaz Room, Tower lobby If you are interested in crafts and appreciate hand-made items, this is the place to be! Come and meet some very talented Federation crafters and purchase their beautiful items for sale. Joyce Kane, President 1:30 - 2:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Presented by James Gashel. 2:00 - 3:00 pm—NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS The Conquest of Independence Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Helpful strategies for raising and working with a young blind child. Instructor: Carla McQuillan The Blind Student in Science Class Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Tools and techniques to include blind students in all aspects of science. Instructors: Cary Supalo, Dr. Lillian Rankel, Marilyn Winograd, and Dr. Andrew Greenberg SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS, Cont’d. Braille Reading Rates Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine Your child can become a Braille-reading speed demon! Instructors: Jerry Whittle and Dr. Eric Vasiliauskas Let Your Child Grow Up! Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine When is the right time to begin stepping back as a parent? Instructors: Rosy Carranza and Andrea Beasley 2:00 - 5:00 pm—GOAL BALL; SPORTS & REC DIVISION Gym, Verandah area Lisamaria Martinez, President 2:00 - 5:00 pm—GW MICRO: WINDOW-EYES TRAINING (Registration: $10; refreshments provided) Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine Explore the power of Window-Eyes with advanced scripting support, Office 2010, Windows 7, and much more. Come to see support for the Internet and scripting provided by a screen reader. Presenters: Jeremy Curry and Raul Gallegos. To register, call 260-489-3671. 2:00 - 5:00 pm—YOUTH TRACK CONCURRENT WORKSHOP SESSIONS Preparing for the Future: Wyeth Room, Atrium mezzanine 2:00 - 3:30 pm—High School Readiness (ages 11-14) 3:30 - 5:00 pm—College Readiness (ages 14-18) Working Out Workouts: Travertine Room, Atrium mezzanine 2:00 - 3:30 pm—For ages 14-18 3:30 - 5:00 pm—For ages 11-14 Looking Good without Looking: Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine 2:00 - 3:30 pm—For ages 14-18 3:30 - 5:00 pm—For ages 11-14 SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued 3:00 - 4:30 pm—TEACHER RECRUITMENT INITIATIVE Affiliate Action Suite 2372 If you are interested in improving the education of blind students, please join us. Learn how to contact universities in your area, put on recruitment presentations, and spread the word about this rewarding career. Hosted by the NFB Affiliate Action Team 3:00 - 4:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Presented by James Gashel. 3:15 - 4:15 pm—NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS ABC and 1, 2, 3 Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Early literacy and number understanding at home and at school. Instructors: Heather Field and Stephanie Kieszak-Holloway I Survived Math Class Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Tips to ensure your child understands, keeps up with, and even learns to love math. Social Skills Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine Strategies for fostering the development of age-appropriate social skills. Instructors: Denise Mackenstadt and Angela Frederick Low Vision: Focus on Success Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine Prepare your low vision child for success in school, at home, and in social life. Instructors: Marla Palmer and Mark Riccobono 4:30 - 5:30 pm—NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS Get Your Child Going! Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine Enhance and promote independent movement in the young or delayed child. Instructor: Denise Mackenstadt SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS, Cont’d. Technology Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Available technology; hear from students on how they employ it. Instructors: Richard Holloway and blind students Behavior: From Control to Support in Five Easy Lessons Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Steps to turn problem behavior into positive behavior. Instructor: Dr. Jerry Petroff Is Your Child Job Ready? Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine Learn how your child can gain experience and skills. 5:00 - 7:00 pm—SPANISH SEMINAR Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Blindness is blindness, no matter what the language. Meet new and old friends; learn about Federation philosophy and the truth about blindness—in Spanish. Moderator: Alpidio Rolón 5:00 - 8:00 pm—MIX-AND-MINGLE RECEPTION FOR PARENTS AND REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS Morocco Room, Tower mezzanine 6:00 - 10:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GUIDE DOG USERS (NAGDU) BUSINESS MEETING Emerald Room, Tower lobby 6:00 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Meeting begins Find out about legal cases that NAGDU and NFB are involved in; learn about the work and development of affiliate divisions; celebrate the launch of the NAGDU Education and Advocacy Hotline; elect your division leaders. Marion Gwizdala, President SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued 6:30 - 10:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND OFFICE PROFESSIONALS Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine 6:30 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Meeting begins Learn about new technology and how blind telephone operators, receptionists, customer service reps, Braille transcribers and proofreaders, and other office workers solve problems and challenges in the office setting. Lisa Hall, President 7:00 - 8:30 pm—LIVING HISTORY GROUP Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Dedicated to recording, preserving, and appreciating Federation history. Michael Freholm, Chairperson 7:00 - 9:00 pm—NOPBC FAMILY HOSPITALITY NIGHT Miro Room, Tower mezzanine Relax and chat in an informal atmosphere. This is a great opportunity for new families to meet and connect with others. Veteran parents will be on hand to welcome and provide information. 7:00 - 10:00 pm—INDEPENDENCE SCIENCE, LLC FOCUS GROUP ONE Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine (Preregistration by May 15 was required to attend.) Independence Science LLC, in collaboration with Purdue University researchers, is collecting feedback on a new portable handheld data collection device for blind students to use in high school science laboratories. (Focus Group Two meets Monday at 7:00 pm) 7:30 - 9:00 pm—knfbReader MOBILE USERS MEETING Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine Conducted by Michael Hingson 7:30 - 11:00 pm—SALSA DANCE LESSIONS AND LATIN DANCE PARTY Metropolitan Ballroom, Tower mezzanine Get into the “rhythm” of the convention—learn the salsa! Group and individual instructions provided at any level of proficiency. Fee of $5.00 benefits the NFB Spanish Translation Committee. Add salsa dancing to your repertoire; people will be impressed. SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued 8:00 - 9:00 pm—WHITE CANE AND AFFILIATE FINANCE COMMITTEE Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Alpidio Rolón, Chairperson 8:00 - 10:00 pm—NFB LIONS GROUP Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine NFB members who would like to join a Lions Club or are already Lions are urged to meet to share ideas and experiences. Please wear your shirts or vests for a photo. Co-Chairpersons: Ramona Walhof and Milton Ota 8:00 - 10:00 pm—ROOKIE ROUNDUP RECEPTION Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby First-time convention attendees—don’t miss this event! President Maurer and former rookies will be on hand to welcome you and answer questions about the week’s activities. Casual dress. Coordinator: Pam Allen, Director of the Louisiana Center for the Blind and President of the NFB of Louisiana 8:00 pm - midnight—KARAOKE NIGHT?? (Admission: $5.00) Peacock Terrace, West Wing Enjoy music, door prizes, and a cash bar; meet BLIND, Incorporated’s students and alumni and share their experiences from training. Here’s your chance to sing like a rock star; Braille song lists are available. Hosted by BLIND, Inc. 9:00 - 10:00 pm—NFB AMBASSADORS COMMITTEE MEETING Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine Angela Wolf, Chairperson SUNDAY, JULY 4, 2010 6:30 - 7:30 am—ROMAN CATHOLIC MASS Wedgwood Room, Tower lobby Father Gregory Paul, C.P., Celebrant 9:00 am - 5:00 pm—REGISTRATION ($20); BANQUET AND BARBEQUE TICKET SALES ($45 EACH); Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby 9:00 am - 5:00 pm—INDEPENDENCE MARKET AND SHOWROOM OF INNOVATION—Grand Ballroom, Atrium lobby 9:00 am 5:00 pm—EXHIBITS—Khmer Pavilion, Atrium, third level 11:45 am - 1:15 pm—CHURCH SERVICES FOR THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Wedgwood Room, Tower lobby 1:00 - 2:00 pm—BLIND MUSICIANS GROUP Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Share ideas and tips and network with other blind musicians. Linda Mentink, Chairperson 1:00 - 5:00 pm—SELF-DEFENSE CLASS; SPORTS & REC DIVISION De Soto A & B Rooms, West Wing Lisamaria Martinez, President 1:00 - 5:00 pm—AUTO SHOW (CLASSICS, ANTIQUES, AND SPECIAL INTEREST VEHICLES) Clock Tower Parking Lot Presented by the NFB CARS Division; Joe Naulty, President 1:00 - 5:00 pm—NATIONAL CERTIFICATION IN LITERARY BRAILLE (NCLB) OFFICIAL EXAMINATION—SECTIONS ONE AND TWO Governors Lecture Hall, Tower lobby Participants must have preregistered. Exam sections three and four are on Monday at 1:00 pm. Sponsored by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board SUNDAY, JULY 4, Continued 1:00 - 6:30 pm—PROFESSIONALS IN BLINDNESS EDUCATION Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Heather Field, Chairperson 1:30 pm—RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE Coronado Ballroom, West Wing Sharon Maneki, Chairperson 1:30 - 2:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Presented by James Gashel 2:00 - 4:30 pm—OPEN BRAILLE INITIATIVE Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine To make access to Braille easier, a group of prominent Braille device manufacturers have come together to develop and maintain an Open Standard for communications between screen readers and Braille displays. Do you want to know more? Join us for the OpenBraille initiative presentation. 2:30 - 5:30 pm—TRAVEL AND TOURISM DIVISION Milan Room, Tower mezzanine Don Gillmore, President 3:00 - 4:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Presented by James Gashel 3:00 - 5:00 pm—WHAT’S NEW WITH NFB-NEWSLINE® Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine Learn about the NFB’s free audible newspaper service for the blind and visually impaired. Topics cover Podable News, the new voices, the new on-demand article request feature, and more. Sign up for NFB-NEWSLINE® at its exhibit hall table. 4:00 - 5:30 pm—SLATE MATES—NFB YOUTH TRACK (Ages 11-18) Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Pair up with members of the NFB Writers Division to learn the tricks of the trade to become a good writer. Bring your questions, and put your interests to work. SUNDAY, JULY 4, Continued 4:00 - 6:00 pm—FEDERATION REGENERATION Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine Learn how to develop quality programs for youth in your state while regenerating your Federation spirit. Presented by the NFB Jernigan Institute Education Team 4:30 - 6:00 pm—THIRTEENTH ANNUAL MOCK TRIAL—National Association of Blind Lawyers; Scott LaBarre, President Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby Admission: $5.00. Federation lawyers are pitted against each other reenacting an old Federation case with the audience serving as the jury. Although the subject matter is very serious, the courtroom portrayers are very entertaining. 5:30 - 6:30 pm—WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? NFB JERNIGAN INSTITUTE DISCUSSIONS—SESSION TWO (Session Three: Monday at 7:30) Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine Session Two covers access technology and product development. Moderated by Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute 5:30 - 8:00 pm—NEWSLETTER PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine Annual meeting and workshop for affiliate newsletter editors. Norma Crosby, Chairperson 6:00 - 8:00 pm—STORY TIME IDOL—NFB WRITERS DIVISION Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Tell and/or listen to tall and scary stories. Cost is $5.00 at the door and $1.00 to tell a story. Idol winners share in the take! Robert Leslie Newman, President 6:00 - 10:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND STUDENTS (NABS) Wedgwood Room, Tower lobby 6:00 pm–Registration ($5.00); 7:00 pm–Meeting Students, young professionals, parents, teachers, and anyone interested in learning about issues affecting blind students are welcome to attend. Arielle Silverman, President SUNDAY, JULY 4, Continued 6:30 - 8:00 pm—NFB AFFILIATE PRESIDENTS AND TREASURERS SEMINAR Rosetta Room, Atrium mezzanine All affiliate presidents and treasurers are asked to attend this session. Topics include internal controls, state charitable registrations, end-of-year preparations, and discussing individual state issues with facilitators Charlie Brown, Ron Gardner, Bridgid Burke, and Nick Lambright 7:00 - 8:30 pm—MEET THE BLIND MONTH ACTIVITIES AND OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS SEMINAR: PLANS AND ACTION EQUAL SUCCESS Manchester Room, Tower mezzanine October is “Meet the Blind Month.” Come and brainstorm with us as we look for fresh ideas for Meet the Blind Month! Learn new fundraising ideas, and get your chapter ready to change public perceptions of blindness. Karen Zakhnini, NFB Jernigan Institute 7:00 - 8:30 pm—PUBLIC EMPLOYEES DIVISION Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Ivan Weich, President 7:00 - 10:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND VETERANS Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine Discussing plans to increase our division membership in the coming year and holding elections. Dwight Sayer, President 7:30 - 9:30 pm—MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: FINDING, ATTRACTING, AND KEEPING NEW MEMBERS IN OUR CHAPTERS AND AFFILIATES Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine Success only comes before work in the dictionary. Let’s discuss creative ideas to increase our membership. Ron Gardner, Chairperson 7:30 - 9:30 pm—LIBRARY SERVICES COMMITTEE Milan Room, Tower mezzanine David Hyde, Chairperson 7:30 - 9:30 pm—BLIND PARENTS GROUP Travertine Room, Atrium mezzanine Deborah Kent Stein, Chairperson SUNDAY, JULY 4, Continued 8:00 - 9:00 pm—JUDAISM MEETING Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine David Stayer, Chairperson, NFB in Judaism Group 8:00 - 9:30 pm—WEBMASTERS MEETING Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine A meeting for all NFB affiliate and division Webmasters to discuss the importance of an informative, accessible, and visually attractive Website. Gary Wunder, Chairperson, Webmasters Group 9:00 - 10:00 pm—SPANISH TRANSLATION COMMITTEE Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Norman Gardner, Chairperson MONDAY, JULY 5, 2010 8:30 am - 5:00 pm—INDEPENDENCE MARKET AND SHOWCASE OF INNOVATION—Grand Ballroom, Atrium lobby 8:30 am 5:00 pm—EXHIBITS—Khmer Pavilion, Atrium, third level 8:30 am - 5:00 pm—REGISTRATION ($20); BANQUET AND BARBEQUE TICKET SALES ($45 EACH); Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby 9:00 11:30 am—NFB BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING (Open to all) Chantilly Ballroom, Tower lobby 12:00 noon - 1:15 pm—THE DIVISION FOR ME—NFB YOUTH TRACK Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine Meet-and-greet with division representatives to discover the NFB’s dynamic and diverse divisions. Chat with knowledgeable reps about what’s happening now in their divisions and what’s in the works for the future. Our divisions are progressive—join up and join in the fun. 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm—FIRST-TIME NFB CONVENTION ATTENDEES Affiliate Action Suite 2372 Is this your first National Federation of the Blind convention? If so, please bring your own lunch and participate in a fun gathering; meet some friendly people and have your convention questions answered by experienced Federationists. 12:30 - 5:00 pm—DIABETES ACTION NETWORK (DAN) SEMINAR Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine 12:30 pm–Registration; 1:00 pm–Meeting begins Learn about research updates on the use of insulin pens by Dr. Ann Williams, strategies to get medical insurance providers to cover diabetes management equipment accessible to the blind, and more. Mike Freeman, President 12:30 - 5:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND LAWYERS (NABL) L’Entrecote Room, Atrium lobby 12:30 pm - Registration; 1:00 pm - Meeting begins Examine laws affecting blind people and others with disabilities; address ongoing struggles to gain equal access to Web sites, employment, legal texts and exams. Scott LaBarre, President MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 12:30 - 5:00 pm—NFB IN COMPUTER SCIENCE Rosetta Room, Atrium mezzanine 12:30 pm–Registration; 1:00 pm–Meeting begins Some of the topics include: the Macintosh as a productivity tool for the blind; Solona, a CAPTCHA-solving service; Association of Information Technology Professionals presentation; accessibility to Microsoft’s products by its director of accessibility, Rob Sinclair; elections; and much more. Curtis Chong, President 12:30 - 5:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND IN COMMUNITIES OF FAITH Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine 12:30 pm–Registration; 1:00 pm–Meeting begins The theme is “Meeting Challenges: Gaining Opportunities.” Speakers tell how their faith has helped them face and overcome challenges; also hear representatives from various faith-based libraries and publishing houses describe what their organizations do. Tom Anderson, President 12:30 - 5:00 pm—SPORTS AND RECREATION DIVISION ANNUAL MEETING Coronado Ballroom, West Wing 12:30 pm–Registration; 1:00 pm–Meeting begins Wear your sweats and come ready for hands-on presentations, audible darts, and more! Lisamaria Martinez, President 1:00 3:00 pm—PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING & SEMINAR Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine Don't wait for the media to discover you—come and share ideas and strategies on how to harness the power of the media! Topics: crafting press releases, pitching stories, and giving informative interviews. Chris Danielsen, Chairperson 1:00 - 4:00 pm—PERFORMING ARTS DIVISION Travertine Room, Atrium mezzanine General meeting with elections, an introduction to our new state divisions, and speakers. Dennis H.R. Sumlin, President 1:00 - 4:15 pm—NOPBC DIVISION ANNUAL MEETING: ISSUES AND ADVANCES IN EDUCATION Sapphire Room, Tower lobby Carol Castellano, President MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 1:00 - 4:30 pm—NOPBC ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLERS 1:00 - 2:30 pm—Diggin’ Into Science (ages 11-14) Miro Room, Tower mezzanine Hands-on science fun with instant snow, magnets, volcanoes, etc. Instructors: Dr. Lillian A. Rankel and Marilyn Winograd, with assistance from chemists Cary Supalo and Dr. Andrew Greenberg 3:00 - 4:30 pm—Peer-to-Peer Technology (ages 11-18) Milan Room, Tower mezzanine Calling all geeks to expound on technology you love and love to hate. Moderators: Jeremiah Beasley and John Fritz 3:00 - 4:30 pm—The Future Is Here in Science (ages 14-18) Miro Room, Tower mezzanine Hands-on chemistry activities; understanding chemical phenomena. Instructors: Dr. Lillian A. Rankel, Marilyn Winograd, Cary Supalo, and Dr. Andrew Greenberg 1:00 - 4:30 pm—NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF BLIND EDUCATORS Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine 1:00 pm–Registration; 1:30 pm–Meeting begins Blind teachers discuss techniques they use in their classrooms; participants also meet in groups specific to grade level and content areas of interest to create a network of mentors. If you teach or are considering a career in teaching at any level, please join us. Sheila Koenig, President 1:00 5:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND MERCHANTS REVOLUTIONIZING RANDOLPH-SHEPPARD: CREATING NEW, ROBUST, AND DIVERSE SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE BLIND De La Salle Room, West Wing 1:00 pm–Registration; 1:30 pm–Meeting begins The title says it all. Let’s continue to protect and defend the Randolph-Sheppard Program. The need to expand business opportunities and to develop new business initiatives for the blind of America is pressing. At Your Service, Kevan Worley, President MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 1:00 - 5:00 pm—NATIONAL CERTIFICATION IN LITERARY BRAILLE (NCLB) OFFICIAL EXAMINATION—SECTIONS THREE AND FOUR Governors Lecture Hall, Tower lobby Participants must have preregistered. Sponsored by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board 1:00 - 5:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS Madrid Room, Tower mezzanine 1:00 pm–Registration; 2:00 pm–Meeting begins Network, share mutual interests, find placement strategies, and examine and discuss concerns and current issues. Melody Lindsey, President 1:00 - 5:00 pm—“SENIORS IN CHARGE”—NFB SENIORS DIVISION MEETING AND (SOMEWHAT) SILENT AUCTION Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine Join us to hear enthusiastic seniors share ideas about what they are doing; find out ways to spread our message of hope to seniors who have recently become blind. And then, of course, we are also having our very popular not-so-silent auction. Judy Sanders, President 1:00 - 6:00 pm—HUMAN SERVICES DIVISION Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine 1:00–Registration; 2:00–Meeting begins; 5:00—Mingle and network Psychologists; social workers; counselors; and music, art, or dance therapists meet to discuss topics and network. David Stayer, President 1:30 3:00 pm—CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM COMMITTEE Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine Diane McGeorge, Chairperson 1:30 - 4:30 pm—WRITERS DIVISION BUSINESS MEETING Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Update members on division business, announce the 2010 winners of the youth and adult writing contests, visit with a published author and member of the NFB, and plan for the future. Robert Leslie Newman, President MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 3:00 - 5:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND PIANO TECHNICIANS Wedgwood Room, Tower lobby Piano tuning has long been considered one of the stereotypical career choices for the blind. Is this true? What can we do about it? Don Mitchell, President 5:00 - 6:30 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND LAWYERS (NABL) RECEPTION L’Entrecote Room, Atrium lobby For NABL members and seminar participants only to promote networking and fellowship within our membership. Hors d'oeuvres and cash bar available. Scott LaBarre, President 5:00 - 7:00 pm—BRAILLE BOOK FLEA MARKET De Soto A & B Rooms, West Wing A book lover’s dream! Browse tables of new and used Braille and print/Braille books. UPS volunteers will ship the books to your home free of charge. Donations requested to support the Braille Readers are Leaders program. Cosponsored by NOPBC and NAPUB. Coordinator: Peggy Chong 5:30 - 7:00 pm—KURZWEIL 1000 USERS’ CONTINGENT Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine Join the Kurzweil 1000 Users’ Contingent! Meet with Steve Baum, Vice President of Engineering, and share some Kurzweil 1000 experiences. Kurzweil 1000 is our state-of-the-art, text-to-speech and life navigation software for blind and visually impaired readers. 6:00 - 9:00 pm—INDOOR ROWING; SPORTS & REC DIVISION Coronado Ballroom, West Wing Lisamaria Martinez, President 6:00 - 10:00 pm—BACK TO BASICS: FOUNDATIONS IN MEMBERSHIP AND CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT Sapphire Room, Tower lobby Topics: running a purposeful chapter meeting, building membership, community projects and chapter fundraising, working with youth, and weaving Federation philosophy into local meetings. Presented by the NFB Affiliate Action Team MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 6:00 - 10:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GUIDE DOG USERS (NAGDU) SILVER ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND SEMINAR Emerald Room, Tower lobby 6:00 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Seminar begins Join us in celebrating twenty-five years of education and advocacy on behalf of guide dog users, recognize our founders and past leaders, initiate future projects, and “test drive” a guide dog! Marion Gwizdala, President 6:30 - 9:30 pm—SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DIVISION Wyeth Room, Atrium mezzanine 6:30 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Meeting begins John Miller, President 6:30 - 10:00 pm—ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TRAINERS DIVISION Manchester Room, Tower mezzanine 6:30 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Meeting begins Topics: determining the right note taker for your student; plunging without fear into Windows 7 with Cathyanne Murtha of Access Technology Institute; Jsay Pro; and teaching the Mac. Michael Barber, President 7:00 - 8:30 pm—“BROKEN-HEARTED RIVER TO FREEDOM” a play by Jerry Whittle (Admission: $5.00; Second Performance is at 9:00 pm) Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby A man loses his sight during the Civil War, returns home, and learns to deal with his blindness and family. The play is performed by the Louisiana Center for the Blind Players; proceeds go to the Louisiana Center for the Blind’s summer training program for blind children. 7:00 - 9:00 pm—CLASSICS, ANTIQUES, AND RODS (CARS) DIVISION SEMINAR AND BUSINESS MEETING Obelisk B Room, Atrium mezzanine Come and hear speakers from automobile clubs talk about their activities and participate in the division business meeting. Joseph B. Naulty, President 7:00 - 9:00 pm—COMMITTEE TO EMPOWER UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine Ron Brown, Chairperson MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 7:00 - 9:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION TO PROMOTE THE USE OF BRAILLE (NAPUB) SEMINAR Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine Hear about the remaining commemorative Louis Braille silver dollars and how to get one, NFB Share Braille Website, and more. Nadine Jacobson, President 7:00 - 10:00 pm—INDEPENDENCE SCIENCE FOCUS GROUP TWO Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine (Preregistration by May 15 was required to attend.) Independence Science LLC, in collaboration with Purdue University researchers, is collecting feedback on a new portable handheld data collection device for blind students to use in high school science laboratories. 7:30 - 8:30 pm—ME AND THE GOSSIP GIRLS—NFB YOUTH TRACK Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine–Ages 11-14 Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine–Ages 14-18 Girls—bring your questions and thoughts about makeup, dating, or how to get more involved in your school. Discussions will be led by blind mentors. Parents, please respect this is for teens only! 7:30 - 8:30 pm— ME AND THE GUYS—NFB YOUTH TRACK Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine–Ages 11-14 Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine–Ages 14-18 Guys—talk about cars, dating, school, or how to nail that perfect job to make a little extra money. Discussions will be led by blind mentors. Parents, please respect this is for teens only! 7:30 - 8:45 pm—WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? NFB JERNIGAN INSTITUTE DISCUSSIONS—SESSION THREE Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine Session Three covers education programs. Moderated by Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute 7:30 - 10:00 pm—COMMITTEE FOR THE PROMOTION, EVALUATION, AND ADVANCEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY Travertine Room, Atrium mezzanine Hear exhibitors explain briefly what they are exhibiting and where they are located in the exhibit hall. We will also evaluate the effectiveness of what our Committee is doing now and consider programs for the coming year. Gary Wunder, Chairperson MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 8:00 - 9:00 pm—FRIENDS OF RECOVERY MEETING Library Room, Tower mezzanine All convention delegates involved in or interested in twelve-step recovery programs are invited to attend. A second Friends of Recovery meeting will be on Wednesday at 8:00 pm. Coordinator: Gary Ray 9:00 - 10:30 pm—“BROKEN-HEARTED RIVER TO FREEDOM” a play by Jerry Whittle (Admission: $5.00) Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby A man loses his sight during the Civil War, returns home, and learns to deal with his blindness and family. The play is performed by the Louisiana Center for the Blind Players; proceeds go to the Louisiana Center for the Blind’s summer training program for blind children. TUESDAY, JULY 6, 2010 8:00 - 8:45 am—DEVOTIONS Sapphire Room, Tower lobby 8:15 8:45 am—REGISTRATION ($20); BANQUET AND BARBEQUE TICKET SALES ($45 EACH)—Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby OPENING GENERAL SESSION 9:00 am INVOCATION 9:35 am WELCOMING CEREMONIES 9:55 am CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM: VETERANS RECOGNIZED Dwight Sayer, President, National Association of Blind Veterans, National Federation of the Blind; Winter Gardens, Florida 10:05 am A DEFENSE DEPARTMENT PRIORITY FOR BLIND WOUNDED WARRIORS Colonel Donald Gagliano, M.D., Executive Director, Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs Vision Center of Excellence; Washington, D.C. 10:20 am ROLL CALL OF STATES AND APPOINTMENT OF NOMINATING COMMITTEE 11:45 am REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS 12:00 pm ADJOURN 12:00 noon 12:30 pm and 1:30 - 2:00 pm—REGISTRATION ($20); FINAL BANQUET TICKET SALES ($45)—Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby 12:00 noon - 1:45 pm—INDEPENDENCE MARKET AND SHOWROOM OF INNOVATION—Grand Ballroom, Atrium lobby TUESDAY, JULY 6, Continued 12:00 noon 1:45 pm—EXHIBITS—Khmer Pavilion, Atrium, third level 12:15 - 1:45 pm—LOUISIANA CENTER FOR THE BLIND ALUMNI LUNCHEON; Pam Allen, Director Peacock Terrace, West Wing GENERAL SESSION 2:00 pm CALL TO ORDER 2:05 pm PRESIDENTIAL REPORT, Marc Maurer 3:00 pm THE FEDERATION IN THE WORLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE BLIND CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER AND SENATOR IN THAILAND Monthian Buntan, Senator; Bangkok, Thailand 3:20 pm THE BLIND DRIVER OPERATING A VEHICLE AT SPEED: CREATING THE TECHNOLOGY THAT PUTS THE CONTROLS UNDER OUR HANDS Parnell Diggs, Esq., Coordinator, Race for Independence; President, National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina; Garden City, South Carolina 3:35 pm SWEP AND THE BARS OF OUR PRISON Scott LaBarre, Esq., LaBarre Law Offices; President, National Federation of the Blind of Colorado; Denver, Colorado 3:50 pm THE XAVIER SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND: SERVING THE BLIND SINCE 1900 Father John R. Sheehan, S.J., Chairman, Board of Directors, Xavier Society for the Blind; New York, New York 4:05 pm ONE MILLION BOOKS FOR THE PRINT DISABLED AND MORE TO COME Brewster Kahle, Digital Librarian; San Francisco, California TUESDAY, JULY 6, Continued 4:20 pm NOT JUST SURVIVING THE DISASTER OF SEPTEMBER 11 BUT PROVIDING LEADERSHIP IN A DEADLY EMERGENCY Michael Hingson, President, Michael Hingson Group; Novato, California 4:35 pm REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS 5:00 pm ADJOURN 5:30 - 6:30 pm—NOMINATING COMMITTEE De La Salle Room, West Wing 5:30 - 6:30 pm—NFB-LINK, OUR ONLINE MENTORING PROGRAM Affiliate Action Suite 2372 Come help us honor the over 250 mentors that are a part of NFB-LINK and learn how you can become a mentor, too. NFB-LINK is our online mentoring program, and by becoming a mentor, you will see how a little time on the computer can make a huge difference. Current and future mentors, please attend! 6:00 pm—NFB OF TEXAS BARBEQUE AND LIVE MUSIC Anatole Park Enjoy eating a delicious Texas-style barbeque with all of the trimmings while listening to the music of singer/songwriter/guitarist Brian Burns, with friends Tommy Alverson and Davin James. 6:00 - 8:00 pm—AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND INTRODUCES AccessWorld EVERY MONTH AND NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY RESOURCES Peacock Terrace, West Wing You are invited to our informational reception. Announcing AFB AccessWorld, every month—more authors, more information, more often. CareerConnect, FamilyConnect, and SeniorSite offer newly-expanded opportunities. Network with families, seniors, and successful mentors. We look forward to meeting you. TUESDAY, JULY 6, Continued 6:00 - 9:00 pm—DEAFBLIND DIVISION BUSINESS MEETING & ELECTIONS Obelisk B Room, Atrium mezzanine 6:00 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Meeting begins Burnell Brown, President 6:30 - 8:00 pm—MUSIC TECH WORKSHOP Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine Conducted by Cameron Strife; presented by the NFB Performing Arts Division 6:30 - 9:00 pm—COLORADO CENTER FOR THE BLIND OPEN HOUSE Topaz Room, Tower lobby Discover how good training can change your life. Julie Deden, Director 7:00 - 8:00 pm—ASTRONOMY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS (Ages 6-14) Morocco Room, Tower mezzanine Fun-filled astronomy-related activities in an out-of-this-world workshop! Instructor: Noreen Grice 7:00 - 8:30 pm—BOOKSHARE AT NFB MEMBER PARTY Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine Enjoy snacks and refreshments while meeting the Bookshare staff. This is your opportunity to talk with us and share your ideas; we’re here to listen. Plan to have fun with contests, drawings, and interacting with your fellow members. We look forward to seeing you. 7:00 - 8:30 pm—NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS IEP Workshop for Beginners Madrid Room, Tower mezzanine Focusing on evaluations, goals, strategies, and the law. Instructor: Carlton Walker Getting to Yes Manchester Room, Tower mezzanine Getting the team to work together so that it benefits your child. Instructor: Dan Frye Tactile Maps and the Development of Spatial Awareness Milan Room, Tower mezzanine Exploring ways to promote the development of spatial awareness. Instructor: Debbie Kent Stein TUESDAY, JULY 6, Continued 7:00 - 9:00 pm—NFB KRAFTERS DIVISION BUSINESS MEETING Fleur-de-lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine Unveiling new craft initiatives, including discussion on classes available via telephone conference and information on our Monday night nationwide chats. We are seeking teachers and students for crafting classes. Joyce Kane, President 7:00 - 9:00 pm—LEGISLATIVE STRATEGIES SEMINAR: MOVING LEGISLATION ON THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine Each affiliate should send one representative. Learn the best methods of increasing support for our legislative priorities. Changing lives through laws is our business. Led by Jesse Hartle, Lauren McLarney, and Ronza Othman 7:00 - 10:00 pm—A SPECIAL EVENING FOR SPONSOR-LEVEL EXHIBITORS Khmer Pavilion, Atrium, Third Level The exhibit hall reopens for an evening dedicated solely to sponsor-level exhibitors. Come and bring a guest to say “thank you” to our sponsors and to enjoy their interesting offers and demonstrations. Our convention sponsors are: Title: Deque Systems, Inc.; Platinum: HumanWare and UPS; Gold: Freedom Scientific and Oracle; Silver: Adobe; Bronze: National Industries for the Blind (NIB); and Exhibit Hall: En-Vision America, GW Micro, Inc., Independence Science, LLC, Independent Living Aids (ILA), Intel Corporation, Olympus, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D), Sendero Group, and Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 7:00 - 10:00 pm—THE BEST THROWBACK PARTY AND DANCE EVER! NFB YOUTH TRACK (Ages 14-18) Metropolitan Ballroom, Tower mezzanine Choose your favorite decade and come dressed in your best digs. Compete in hula hoop contests, learn the “YMCA,” or show us your best moon walk while dressed as the late Michael Jackson in the 80’s. Prizes will be given to the best-dressed or most creative throwback participants. 8:00 - 9:00 pm—BEP: U.S. CURRENCY IDENTIFICATION FOCUS GROUP Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine Representatives of the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and the Office of Product Development provide an update on BEP’s progress to provide blind individuals with access to U.S. currency and discuss concepts it is currently testing. (Session Two: Wednesday at 7:00 pm.) TUESDAY, JULY 6, Continued 8:00 - 9:00 pm—PERFORMING ARTS DIVISION SEMINAR Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine A seminar on division development; discuss the future of the Performing Arts Division and ways to make it even better. Conducted by division board member, Jordy Stringer. Dennis H.R. Sumlin, President 8:30 - 9:30 pm—HOW TO HOLD A VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE IN SIX EASY STEPS Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Learn how to plan and host a voter registration drive that will attract new members to your chapter and serve your local community. Coordinator: Lou Ann Blake, NFB Jernigan Institute 8:30 - 10:00 pm—NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS IEP Workshop for Veteran Parents Madrid Room, Tower mezzanine Instructor: Carlton Walker Testing and Accommodations Manchester Room, Tower mezzanine Instructors: Barbara Mathews and a representative of the College Board Adapting and Creating Useable Materials for Students Milan Room, Tower mezzanine Instructor: Pat Renfranz WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2010 8:00 - 8:45 am—DEVOTIONS Sapphire Room, Tower lobby 8:15 8:45 am—REGISTRATION ($20)—Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby GENERAL SESSION 9:00 am INVOCATION 9:05 am ELECTIONS 9:50 am THE APEX AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS AT HUMANWARE Gilles Pepin, Chief Executive Officer, HumanWare; Drummondville, Canada 10:10 am THE FAILURE OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE BLIND MARK RICCOBONO, Moderator; Executive Director, National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute; Baltimore, Maryland SHEILA AMATO, Ed.D., University Teacher Trainer; Massapequa Park, New York NOREEN GRICE, Founder and President of You Can Do Astronomy, LLC; New Britain, Connecticut LAURA WEBBER, Secretary, National Organization of Parents of Blind Children; Houston, Texas ERIC VASILIAUSKAS, M.D., parent and advocate; Los Angeles, California 11:10 am ASSURING INTERNET ACCESSIBILITY Preety Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Deque Systems, Inc.; Reston, Virginia WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, Continued 11:30 am REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS 12:00 pm ADJOURN 12:00 noon 12:30 pm and 1:30 - 2:00 pm—REGISTRATION ($20) Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby 12:00 noon - 1:45 pm—INDEPENDENCE MARKET AND SHOWROOM OF INNOVATION (Final time period to be open)—Grand Ballroom, Atrium lobby 12:00 noon 1:45 pm—EXHIBITS—Khmer Pavilion, Atrium, third level GENERAL SESSION 2:00 pm CALL TO ORDER 2:05 pm FINANCIAL REPORT 3:05 pm STRATEGIC INITIATIVES REPORT John Paré, Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives, National Federation of the Blind; Baltimore, Maryland Jesse Hartle, Governmental Affairs Specialist, National Federation of the Blind; Baltimore, Maryland Lauren McLarney, Governmental Affairs Specialist, National Federation of the Blind; Baltimore, Maryland 3:35 pm REPORTS, RESOLUTIONS, AND OTHER BUSINESS 5:00 pm ADJOURN WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, Continued 7:00 - 8:00 pm—BEP: U.S. CURRENCY IDENTIFICATION FOCUS GROUP Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine Representatives of the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and the Office of Product Development provide an update on BEP’s progress to provide blind individuals with access to U.S. currency and discuss concepts it is currently testing. 7:00 - 8:15 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Presented by James Gashel 7:00 - 8:30 pm—NFB IMAGINATION FUND GRANT-WRITING SEMINAR Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine Each affiliate should send at least one representative to this seminar. Learn to plan, write, and submit a strong grant application; discover key points and strategies about how to identify appropriate funders and submit a winning proposal. Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute 7:00 - 9:00 pm—WHAT’S NEW WITH NFB-NEWSLINE® Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine Learn about the NFB’s free audible newspaper service for the blind and visually impaired. Topics cover Podable News, the new voices, the new on-demand article request feature, and more. Sign up for NFB-NEWSLINE® at its exhibit hall table. 7:00 9:00 pm—“SOCIAL SECURITY AND SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME: WHAT APPLICANTS, ADVOCATES, AND RECIPIENTS SHOULD KNOW” SEMINAR Sapphire Room, Tower lobby Topics: Social Security and SSI benefits, including eligibility criteria, the application process, reporting obligations, and appeals process. Also get information on the Medicare prescription drug benefit income subsidy program. Presenter: Ronza Othman WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, Continued 7:00 10:00 pm—EXHIBITS—Khmer Pavilion, Atrium third level 7:00 - 11:00 pm—TENTH ANNUAL SHOWCASE OF TALENT—Fee: $5.00 Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby Register early by contacting Performing Arts Division leaders at the convention by Tuesday. Proceeds benefit the division’s scholarship program and other programs. Sponsored by the Performing Arts Division; Dennis H.R. Sumlin, President 7:00 - 11:00 pm—NON 24-HOUR SLEEP WAKE DISORDER SEMINAR Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine Circadian rhythm sleep disorders in totally blind people. Total loss of light perception prevents synchronization of circadian body clock rhythms to the 24-hour day, leading to cyclic insomnia and daytime napping. The causes of this sleep disorder and possible treatment options will be presented and discussed. 7:30 - 9:00 pm—INTRODUCTION TO ORACLE SIEBEL CALL CENTER Obelisk B Room, Atrium mezzanine Don Mauck, Accessibility Evangelist at Oracle, will demonstrate the accessibility features built into the Oracle Siebel Call Center. Oracle CRM products are used by more than 4,000 enterprises and more than 4.6 million business users; these enterprises represent potential employment opportunities for the blind. 8:00 - 9:00 pm—FRIENDS OF RECOVERY MEETING Library Room, Tower mezzanine All convention delegates involved in or interested in twelve-step recovery programs are invited to attend. Gary Ray, Coordinator 8:00 - 10:00 pm—COMMITTEE ON AUTOMOBILE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY (CAPS); Deborah Kent Stein, Chairperson Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine 8:00 - 10:00 pm—COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Rosetta Room, Atrium mezzanine For the most part, technological developments tend to exclude blind people. Developers must change the ways future technologies are designed. Join us—perhaps you can suggest a technology or approach that nobody else has considered. Curtis Chong, Chairperson WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, Continued 8:00 - 11:30 pm—MONTE CARLO NIGHT Metropolitan Ballroom, Tower mezzanine Try your luck at any of the usual card games found on a casino floor. Sponsored by the National Association of Blind Students 8:30 - 9:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Presented by James Gashel THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010 8:00 - 8:45 am—DEVOTIONS Sapphire Room, Tower lobby 8:15 8:45 am—REGISTRATION ($20)—Final opportunity to register. Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby GENERAL SESSION 9:00 am INVOCATION 9:05 am BUYING AND SELLING ONLINE: EBAY BUILDS ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE BLIND INTO ITS PLATFORM Dane Glasgow, Vice President, Buyer Experience Product Management, Ebay, Inc.; San Jose, California 9:20 am BRAILLE IS LITERACY Deane Blazie, Inventor; Hobe Sound, Florida 9:35 am EIGHTY-FOUR LANGUAGES AND GROWING Frank Kurt Cylke, Director, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress; Washington, D.C. David Fernandez-Barrial, Foreign Language Librarian, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress; Washington, D.C. 9:55 am QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION 10:00 am EDUCATING BLIND CHILDREN: CHANGING THE PARADIGM Fredric K. Schroeder, Ph.D.; Research Professor; San Diego State University; Vienna, Virginia 10:20 am TOWARD FULL EMPLOYMENT FOR BLIND AMERICANS Lynnae Ruttledge, Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration, United States Department of Education; Washington, D.C. THURSDAY, JULY 8, Continued 10:35 am ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION FOR ALL, INCLUDING THE BLIND: MEETING THE STANDARD Jessica Finnefrock, Senior Vice President, Product Development, Blackboard; Washington, D.C. 10:50 am ACCESSIBLE DESIGN, A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE Steve Eastman, President, Target.com; Minneapolis, Minnesota 11:05 am LOCATION-BASED SERVICES USING BUS STOP AND GEOCODED MEDIA CONTENT Mike May, Chief Executive Officer, Sendero Group; Davis, California 11:20 am BLIND CAR BUILDER? WE’RE HERE TO TELL YOU! Marcus Simmons, Chief Executive Officer, Simmons BOSS CREATIONS; Southfield, Michigan 11:35 am REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS 12:00 pm ADJOURN 12:00 noon - 1:45 pm—HAM RADIO GROUP BUSINESS MEETING Milan Room, Tower mezzanine D. Curtis Willoughby (ka0vba), Chairperson 12:00 noon - 1:45 pm—RAFFLES AND DRAWINGS Sapphire Room, Tower lobby 12:15 - 1:45 pm—EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NLS Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine A question-and-answer session with Frank Kurt Cylke, Director, and staff of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. THURSDAY, JULY 8, Continued GENERAL SESSION 2:00 pm CALL TO ORDER 2:05 pm COPYRIGHT AND THE RIGHT TO READ Marybeth Peters, Esq., Register of Copyrights, Library of Congress, Copyright Office; Washington, D.C. 2:20 pm THE FUTURE OF BOOKS AND BEYOND Ray Kurzweil, President and Chief Executive Officer, K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc.; Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts 2:40 pm CALLING ALL DRIVERS: ADVANCING LEADERSHIP, COLLECTIVE ACTION, AND THE BOUNDARIES OF INDEPENDENCE Mark Riccobono, Executive Director, National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute; Baltimore, Maryland 3:00 pm THE INTERFACE THAT TOUCHES THE MIND: ADVANCING BEYOND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES Dennis Hong, Ph.D., Director, Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute; Blacksburg, Virginia 3:15 pm A PRACTICING BLIND PHYSICIAN Timothy Cordes M.D./Ph.D., Resident in Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics; Madison, Wisconsin 3:30 pm DR. JACOB BOLOTIN AWARD Gary Wunder, Chairperson, Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Committee, and Secretary, National Federation of the Blind; Columbia, Missouri 4:10 pm DISABILITY POLICY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President on Disability Policy; Washington, D.C. 4:25 pm REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS THURSDAY, JULY 8, Continued 5:00 pm ADJOURN 7:00 pm—BANQUET Chantilly Ballroom, Tower lobby INVOCATION MASTER OF CEREMONIES: Fredric K. Schroeder INTRODUCTIONS AND PRESENTATIONS BANQUET ADDRESS: Marc Maurer SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS 11:00 pm—SCIENCE FICTION MEETING All persons interested in science fiction and fantasy are welcome to join in an open discussion. Please contact Ed Meskys for room location. Thank You... The National Federation of the Blind acknowledges with gratitude our Title, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Exhibit Hall Convention Sponsors below. Their messages follow. Title Sponsor: Deque Systems, Inc. Platinum Sponsors: HumanWare UPS Gold Sponsors: Freedom Scientific Oracle Silver Sponsor: Adobe Bronze Sponsor: National Industries for the Blind (NIB) Exhibit Hall Sponsors: En-Vision America GW Micro, Inc. Independence Science, LLC Independent Living Aids (ILA) Intel Corporation Olympus Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) Sendero Group Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920 From rob.tabor at sbcglobal.net Sat May 1 04:20:05 2010 From: rob.tabor at sbcglobal.net ( Rob Tabor) Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:20:05 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT References: <09189708FA5D4854B1A5625B8DFFE44F@14bd0130080a469> <880414F1285B4040A9E05ACE331D84EA@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: Good evening Tom and list. Perhaps the law school testing agencies need to be instructed on the recent court case against the Cal state board of bar examiners. If they are smart, they will read the hand writing on the wall. best regards Rob Tabor ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: ; "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 3:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I > have heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to > state exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely > not get it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing > and what might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have > suggested that I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to > double time, more breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. > This may cause the need to appeal, but may get things that should be > available to everybody. It doesn't seem right that every blind person > trying to take the test should go through these same hoops, over and over > again. It also doesn't seem like a level playing field when blind people > need to take the test in a manner that introduces an additional > distraction and more stress. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Cathryn Bonnette" > To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM > Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT > > >> In response to Tom- >> >> >> >> I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer >> sheet >> needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form >> properly. >> When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the >> form >> also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading >> the >> questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I >> was >> granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra >> breaks >> due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the >> testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, you >> will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My reader >> was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. >> >> Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel >> free >> to contact me off list if you wish. >> >> >> >> >> >> Cathryn >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rob.tabor%40sbcglobal.net From tom at tomladis.com Sat May 1 15:28:48 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 10:28:48 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT References: <09189708FA5D4854B1A5625B8DFFE44F@14bd0130080a469><880414F1285B4040A9E05ACE331D84EA@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <823160CD9315460B96A44BE69BFD9183@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Hello all. Yes, they have been in trouble with accommodation issues and need to step into the twenty-first century. Computers are cheap now and they should make the testing environment reflect current standard and adaptive technologies for everyone. Tom . ----- Original Message ----- From: " Rob Tabor" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 11:20 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > Good evening Tom and list. > Perhaps the law school testing agencies need to be instructed on the > recent court case against the Cal state board of bar examiners. If they > are smart, they will read the hand writing on the wall. > best regards > Rob Tabor > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Tom Ladis" > To: ; "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 3:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > > >> Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I >> have heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to >> state exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely >> not get it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing >> and what might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have >> suggested that I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to >> double time, more breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. >> This may cause the need to appeal, but may get things that should be >> available to everybody. It doesn't seem right that every blind person >> trying to take the test should go through these same hoops, over and over >> again. It also doesn't seem like a level playing field when blind people >> need to take the test in a manner that introduces an additional >> distraction and more stress. >> >> >> >> Tom >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Cathryn Bonnette" >> To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" >> Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM >> Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT >> >> >>> In response to Tom- >>> >>> >>> >>> I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer >>> sheet >>> needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form >>> properly. >>> When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the >>> form >>> also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading >>> the >>> questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I >>> was >>> granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra >>> breaks >>> due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the >>> testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, >>> you >>> will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My >>> reader >>> was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. >>> >>> Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel >>> free >>> to contact me off list if you wish. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Cathryn >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> blindlaw mailing list >>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >>> blindlaw: >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rob.tabor%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > From tom at tomladis.com Sat May 1 15:36:03 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 10:36:03 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT References: <2FC1DDB64A1D4DBF93216B2DCE35ECDF@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: Sure, but I would guess that most people would be able to utilize something more advanced and accessible than paper and pencil. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ramsey" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 6:28 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > Hi Tom, > While your concerns are valid, each test and each blind test taker are > different and as I have stated time and again, the examiners do not read > our > minds, so if you don't ask, they are not obligated to deliver. Test > preparation is paramount when applying for law school. > John > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Tom Ladis > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 4:15 PM > To: cathrynisfinally at verizon.net; NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > > > Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I > have > > heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to state > exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely not get > it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing and what > might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have suggested > that > > I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to double time, > more > breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. This may cause the > need > > to appeal, but may get things that should be available to everybody. It > doesn't seem right that every blind person trying to take the test should > go > > through these same hoops, over and over again. It also doesn't seem like > a > level playing field when blind people need to take the test in a manner > that > > introduces an additional distraction and more stress. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Cathryn Bonnette" > To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM > Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT > > >> In response to Tom- >> >> >> >> I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer >> sheet >> needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form >> properly. >> When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the >> form >> also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading >> the >> questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I >> was >> granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra >> breaks >> due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the >> testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, you >> will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My reader >> was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. >> >> Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel >> free >> to contact me off list if you wish. >> >> >> >> >> >> Cathryn >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > From va57 at law.georgetown.edu Sat May 1 18:28:51 2010 From: va57 at law.georgetown.edu (Vikram Agarwal) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 14:28:51 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] blindlaw Digest, Vol 72, Issue 1 LSAT In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <84C7DE89EC13B74E90BC22E82A3DA17E969AE2@law-be2.law.georgetown.edu> I was able to request an electronic format, the use of Jaws or Kurzweil and the use of Excel for the logic games. I also was able to receive extended time and extra breaks. As others have noted, it is imperative to begin the process of requesting accommodations well in advance to ensure you receive everything you need before the exam. You will still need a scribe to input answers, however, I also used Excel to keep track of my answers as I went. I took the exam in 2007. Feel free to contact me off line to discuss further. Vikram -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of blindlaw-request at nfbnet.org Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 1:00 PM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: blindlaw Digest, Vol 72, Issue 1 Send blindlaw mailing list submissions to blindlaw at nfbnet.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to blindlaw-request at nfbnet.org You can reach the person managing the list at blindlaw-owner at nfbnet.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of blindlaw digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Introduction (Jordan Richardson) 2. Re: LSAT (Tom Ladis) 3. Re: LSAT (John Ramsey) 4. Re: LSAT ( Rob Tabor) 5. Re: LSAT (Tom Ladis) 6. Re: LSAT (Tom Ladis) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:46:50 -0500 From: Jordan Richardson To: National Association of Blind Lawyers List Subject: [blindlaw] Introduction Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Hello all, My name is Jordan Richardson and I am currently a freshman at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities majoring in political science and planning to minor in philosophy. After my undergraduate degree I plan to attend law school specializing in Constitutional law. My plan is to practice law and then become a judge. I actually have some questions regarding blind judges: What non-visual techniques would a blind judge use on the bench during a trial? How would one deal with looking at evidence? Would the bailiff describe/read any pictures/texts, or would you simply have each attorney be descriptive? Thank you, Jordan Richardson 2nd Vice President, Minnesota Association of Blind Students -- Jordan Richardson 2nd Vice President, Minnesota Association of Blind Students lilrichie411 at gmail.com ?It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.? --Dalai Lama ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:15:03 -0500 From: "Tom Ladis" To: , "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Message-ID: <880414F1285B4040A9E05ACE331D84EA at TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I have heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to state exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely not get it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing and what might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have suggested that I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to double time, more breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. This may cause the need to appeal, but may get things that should be available to everybody. It doesn't seem right that every blind person trying to take the test should go through these same hoops, over and over again. It also doesn't seem like a level playing field when blind people need to take the test in a manner that introduces an additional distraction and more stress. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathryn Bonnette" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT > In response to Tom- > > > > I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer > sheet > needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form > properly. > When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the > form > also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading > the > questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I > was > granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra > breaks > due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the > testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, you > will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My reader > was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. > > Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel > free > to contact me off list if you wish. > > > > > > Cathryn > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com > ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:28:26 -0400 From: "John Ramsey" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Message-ID: <2FC1DDB64A1D4DBF93216B2DCE35ECDF at noneeb869fea9a> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi Tom, While your concerns are valid, each test and each blind test taker are different and as I have stated time and again, the examiners do not read our minds, so if you don't ask, they are not obligated to deliver. Test preparation is paramount when applying for law school. John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tom Ladis Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 4:15 PM To: cathrynisfinally at verizon.net; NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I have heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to state exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely not get it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing and what might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have suggested that I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to double time, more breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. This may cause the need to appeal, but may get things that should be available to everybody. It doesn't seem right that every blind person trying to take the test should go through these same hoops, over and over again. It also doesn't seem like a level playing field when blind people need to take the test in a manner that introduces an additional distraction and more stress. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathryn Bonnette" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT > In response to Tom- > > > > I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer > sheet > needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form > properly. > When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the > form > also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading > the > questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I > was > granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra > breaks > due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the > testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, you > will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My reader > was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. > > Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel > free > to contact me off list if you wish. > > > > > > Cathryn > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox .net ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:20:05 -0500 From: " Rob Tabor" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response Good evening Tom and list. Perhaps the law school testing agencies need to be instructed on the recent court case against the Cal state board of bar examiners. If they are smart, they will read the hand writing on the wall. best regards Rob Tabor ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: ; "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 3:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I > have heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to > state exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely > not get it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing > and what might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have > suggested that I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to > double time, more breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. > This may cause the need to appeal, but may get things that should be > available to everybody. It doesn't seem right that every blind person > trying to take the test should go through these same hoops, over and over > again. It also doesn't seem like a level playing field when blind people > need to take the test in a manner that introduces an additional > distraction and more stress. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Cathryn Bonnette" > To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM > Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT > > >> In response to Tom- >> >> >> >> I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer >> sheet >> needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form >> properly. >> When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the >> form >> also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading >> the >> questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I >> was >> granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra >> breaks >> due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the >> testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, you >> will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My reader >> was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. >> >> Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel >> free >> to contact me off list if you wish. >> >> >> >> >> >> Cathryn >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com >> > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rob.tabor%40sb cglobal.net ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 10:28:48 -0500 From: "Tom Ladis" To: "Rob Tabor" , "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Message-ID: <823160CD9315460B96A44BE69BFD9183 at TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response Hello all. Yes, they have been in trouble with accommodation issues and need to step into the twenty-first century. Computers are cheap now and they should make the testing environment reflect current standard and adaptive technologies for everyone. Tom . ----- Original Message ----- From: " Rob Tabor" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 11:20 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > Good evening Tom and list. > Perhaps the law school testing agencies need to be instructed on the > recent court case against the Cal state board of bar examiners. If they > are smart, they will read the hand writing on the wall. > best regards > Rob Tabor > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Tom Ladis" > To: ; "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 3:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > > >> Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I >> have heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to >> state exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely >> not get it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing >> and what might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have >> suggested that I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to >> double time, more breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. >> This may cause the need to appeal, but may get things that should be >> available to everybody. It doesn't seem right that every blind person >> trying to take the test should go through these same hoops, over and over >> again. It also doesn't seem like a level playing field when blind people >> need to take the test in a manner that introduces an additional >> distraction and more stress. >> >> >> >> Tom >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Cathryn Bonnette" >> To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" >> Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM >> Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT >> >> >>> In response to Tom- >>> >>> >>> >>> I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer >>> sheet >>> needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form >>> properly. >>> When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the >>> form >>> also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading >>> the >>> questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I >>> was >>> granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra >>> breaks >>> due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the >>> testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, >>> you >>> will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My >>> reader >>> was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. >>> >>> Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel >>> free >>> to contact me off list if you wish. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Cathryn >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> blindlaw mailing list >>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >>> blindlaw: >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rob.tabor%40sb cglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com > ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 10:36:03 -0500 From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Sure, but I would guess that most people would be able to utilize something more advanced and accessible than paper and pencil. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ramsey" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 6:28 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > Hi Tom, > While your concerns are valid, each test and each blind test taker are > different and as I have stated time and again, the examiners do not read > our > minds, so if you don't ask, they are not obligated to deliver. Test > preparation is paramount when applying for law school. > John > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Tom Ladis > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 4:15 PM > To: cathrynisfinally at verizon.net; NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT > > > Thank you. LSAC makes getting appropriate accommodations very hard. I > have > > heard stories similar to yours, and was told by a contact at LSAC to state > exactly what I want because if it is not listed I will definitely not get > it. They were also not willing to discuss computer based testing and what > might be appropriate for blind test takers. Some people have suggested > that > > I ask for the test in an electronic format in addition to double time, > more > breaks, and Word to take notes for the Logic Games. This may cause the > need > > to appeal, but may get things that should be available to everybody. It > doesn't seem right that every blind person trying to take the test should > go > > through these same hoops, over and over again. It also doesn't seem like > a > level playing field when blind people need to take the test in a manner > that > > introduces an additional distraction and more stress. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Cathryn Bonnette" > To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" > Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 9:42 AM > Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT > > >> In response to Tom- >> >> >> >> I don't believe the LSAT takers are permitted to use JAWS. The answer >> sheet >> needs to be completed by a scribe to fill in the computerized form >> properly. >> When I took the test, the person who read questions to me filled in the >> form >> also. There was no other interaction during the test except for reading >> the >> questions out loud. Regulations were extremely rigid. For example, I >> was >> granted double time due to disability, but I forgot to request extra >> breaks >> due to extended hours of examination, and thus breaks were denied by the >> testing service! Unless they have drastically changed their approach, you >> will get farther in demanding a qualified reader for the exam. My reader >> was a practicing attorney, competent to handle the material. >> >> Perhaps others have had different experiences, but that was mine. Feel >> free >> to contact me off list if you wish. >> >> >> >> >> >> Cathryn >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com >> > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox .net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis .com > ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org End of blindlaw Digest, Vol 72, Issue 1 *************************************** From m_b_gilmore at yahoo.com Sat May 1 23:47:20 2010 From: m_b_gilmore at yahoo.com (Mike Gilmore) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 16:47:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? Message-ID: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Hi everybody,   I've been thinking about 508 compliance and maybe something NFB could push at the state level. I love how pretty much any document has to be 508-compliant on federal web sites (and I'm guessing state as well. Anyone know?) This is nice when you're trying to view a PDF. Unfortunately, there's a lot of web sites 9Barbri is one of them) who scan their PDF's onto the web site which JAWS will tell you the document is empty. So, we print the document out so we can read it. Has anyone thought of some kind of legislation or working with various web sites that post PDF's by scanning them in to make them 508 compliant, but on the private level? (What I mean is get a private 508 compliant law.)   I bring this up because as a federal worker, I've been e-mailed PDF's that have been scanned in and I've had to ask for the original Word document so I could read it. OF course, every PDF form they put up there is 508-compliant before it's released. (A couple of weeks ago, there was something that wasn't compliant--it was for internal office use. I was able to obtain the Word version and one of the supervisors sent the PDF to the tech folks and told them to make it 508 compliant. That was nice of her, but we can't always expect there to be the Word version still lying around or for folks to not scan the document into Adobe.)   Any thoughts?   Mike From joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com Sun May 2 00:15:11 2010 From: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com (RJ Sandefur) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 20:15:11 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> I'm having a problem with the same thing. I am unable to access this file. RJ -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Standefur Informed Choice.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 39474 bytes Desc: not available URL: From dandrews at visi.com Sun May 2 01:08:55 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Sat, 01 May 2010 20:08:55 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? In-Reply-To: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Things are moving in that direction, but we don't get there all at once. We have Section 508, which applies to Federal sites, at least in theory. Several states, including here in Minnesota, have passed legislation that extend 508 and/or WCAG 2.0 to the state level. While the ADA was passed prior to the web as we know it, some entities would fall under it, as far as the web goes, in terms of access to programs and services. The Justice Department seems to be making noise like they will officially extend the ADA to the web. In MN we just saw a law passed that requires accessibility in terms of all public records. So, step by step things are getting covered. Dave At 06:47 PM 5/1/2010, you wrote: >Hi everybody, > >I've been thinking about 508 compliance and maybe something NFB >could push at the state level. I love how pretty much any document >has to be 508-compliant on federal web sites (and I'm guessing state >as well. Anyone know?) This is nice when you're trying to view a >PDF. Unfortunately, there's a lot of web sites 9Barbri is one of >them) who scan their PDF's onto the web site which JAWS will tell >you the document is empty. So, we print the document out so we can >read it. Has anyone thought of some kind of legislation or working >with various web sites that post PDF's by scanning them in to make >them 508 compliant, but on the private level? (What I mean is get a >private 508 compliant law.) > >I bring this up because as a federal worker, I've been e-mailed >PDF's that have been scanned in and I've had to ask for the original >Word document so I could read it. OF course, every PDF form they put >up there is 508-compliant before it's released. (A couple of weeks >ago, there was something that wasn't compliant--it was for internal >office use. I was able to obtain the Word version and one of the >supervisors sent the PDF to the tech folks and told them to make it >508 compliant. That was nice of her, but we can't always expect >there to be the Word version still lying around or for folks to not >scan the document into Adobe.) > >Any thoughts? > >Mike From tom at tomladis.com Sun May 2 01:43:21 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 20:43:21 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> <7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> Message-ID: <2FDADB9B381844B1A38F2AF9A17B9A14@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Hello. I used OpenBook to OCR the file and saved it as a Word file for you. Maybe the process could be automated, somehow. I'll have to give it some thought. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "RJ Sandefur" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 7:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > I'm having a problem with the same thing. I am unable to access this file. > RJ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Document1.DOC Type: application/msword Size: 9216 bytes Desc: not available URL: From darlene.olsen at gmail.com Sun May 2 01:55:40 2010 From: darlene.olsen at gmail.com (Darlene Olsen) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 18:55:40 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> <7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> Message-ID: <7425F4B439CD44A8ADEEE587EEDF3A43@DarleneOlsen> Hi RJ, I am slightly confused, I opened the attached file and JAWS read it fine. Thank You for the valuable information. Respectfully, Darlene Olsen ----- Original Message ----- From: "RJ Sandefur" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 5:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > I'm having a problem with the same thing. I am unable to access this file. > RJ > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 5078 (20100501) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/darlene.olsen%40gmail.com > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 5078 (20100501) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5078 (20100501) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 2 03:28:05 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 20:28:05 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? In-Reply-To: <7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> <7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> Message-ID: The file was scanned in to a PDF document. When I ran it through Kurzweil it was read properly. If you need it I can send it back to you saved as a Word file. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "RJ Sandefur" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 5:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > I'm having a problem with the same thing. I am unable to access this file. > RJ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 2 03:30:16 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 20:30:16 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? In-Reply-To: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <27042B34739E4849AA8A924A0CB9E5B6@spike> To a certain extent depending on the quality of the scan they can be made accessible if you are using Kurzweil or Open Book software. However, any attempt to require the accessibility of documents is worth a try. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Gilmore" To: Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 4:47 PM Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? Hi everybody, I've been thinking about 508 compliance and maybe something NFB could push at the state level. I love how pretty much any document has to be 508-compliant on federal web sites (and I'm guessing state as well. Anyone know?) This is nice when you're trying to view a PDF. Unfortunately, there's a lot of web sites 9Barbri is one of them) who scan their PDF's onto the web site which JAWS will tell you the document is empty. So, we print the document out so we can read it. Has anyone thought of some kind of legislation or working with various web sites that post PDF's by scanning them in to make them 508 compliant, but on the private level? (What I mean is get a private 508 compliant law.) I bring this up because as a federal worker, I've been e-mailed PDF's that have been scanned in and I've had to ask for the original Word document so I could read it. OF course, every PDF form they put up there is 508-compliant before it's released. (A couple of weeks ago, there was something that wasn't compliant--it was for internal office use. I was able to obtain the Word version and one of the supervisors sent the PDF to the tech folks and told them to make it 508 compliant. That was nice of her, but we can't always expect there to be the Word version still lying around or for folks to not scan the document into Adobe.) Any thoughts? Mike _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com Sun May 2 03:48:57 2010 From: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com (RJ Sandefur) Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 23:48:57 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com><7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> <2FDADB9B381844B1A38F2AF9A17B9A14@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: Thank you. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 9:43 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > Hello. I used OpenBook to OCR the file and saved it as a Word file > for you. Maybe the process could be automated, somehow. I'll have to > give > it some thought. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "RJ Sandefur" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 7:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > > >> I'm having a problem with the same thing. I am unable to access this >> file. >> RJ > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joltingjacksandefur%40gmail.com > From joramsey at cox.net Sun May 2 12:12:25 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Sun, 2 May 2010 08:12:25 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <5FB3E0CD817849BF94D32C8940EDC868@noneeb869fea9a> Hi Dave, What is the cite for the section 508 you are talking about? Thanks, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David Andrews Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 9:09 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? Things are moving in that direction, but we don't get there all at once. We have Section 508, which applies to Federal sites, at least in theory. Several states, including here in Minnesota, have passed legislation that extend 508 and/or WCAG 2.0 to the state level. While the ADA was passed prior to the web as we know it, some entities would fall under it, as far as the web goes, in terms of access to programs and services. The Justice Department seems to be making noise like they will officially extend the ADA to the web. In MN we just saw a law passed that requires accessibility in terms of all public records. So, step by step things are getting covered. Dave At 06:47 PM 5/1/2010, you wrote: >Hi everybody, > >I've been thinking about 508 compliance and maybe something NFB >could push at the state level. I love how pretty much any document >has to be 508-compliant on federal web sites (and I'm guessing state >as well. Anyone know?) This is nice when you're trying to view a >PDF. Unfortunately, there's a lot of web sites 9Barbri is one of >them) who scan their PDF's onto the web site which JAWS will tell >you the document is empty. So, we print the document out so we can >read it. Has anyone thought of some kind of legislation or working >with various web sites that post PDF's by scanning them in to make >them 508 compliant, but on the private level? (What I mean is get a >private 508 compliant law.) > >I bring this up because as a federal worker, I've been e-mailed >PDF's that have been scanned in and I've had to ask for the original >Word document so I could read it. OF course, every PDF form they put >up there is 508-compliant before it's released. (A couple of weeks >ago, there was something that wasn't compliant--it was for internal >office use. I was able to obtain the Word version and one of the >supervisors sent the PDF to the tech folks and told them to make it >508 compliant. That was nice of her, but we can't always expect >there to be the Word version still lying around or for folks to not >scan the document into Adobe.) > >Any thoughts? > >Mike _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From tom at tomladis.com Sun May 2 14:19:23 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Sun, 2 May 2010 09:19:23 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? References: <797028.44550.qm@web112412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com><7BCFF65A3A9F43B286E48EC0CD0FB7BD@hometwxakonvzn> <7425F4B439CD44A8ADEEE587EEDF3A43@DarleneOlsen> Message-ID: <9AA460E364E444ACBF9FD859BBD10DB1@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Hi Darlene, I apologize. I may have caused the confusion. I converted the file and sent it back in my earlier response. I probably should have asked if that was useful within the scope of the conversation before trying to be helpful. If you want to look at the initial file, I believe you can get it from the initial post. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Darlene Olsen" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 8:55 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > Hi RJ, > > I am slightly confused, I opened the attached file and JAWS read it > fine. > Thank You for the valuable information. > Respectfully, > Darlene Olsen > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "RJ Sandefur" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 5:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > > >> I'm having a problem with the same thing. I am unable to access this >> file. RJ >> >> >> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus >> signature database 5078 (20100501) __________ >> >> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. >> >> http://www.eset.com >> >> > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/darlene.olsen%40gmail.com >> >> >> >> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus >> signature database 5078 (20100501) __________ >> >> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. >> >> http://www.eset.com >> >> > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 5078 (20100501) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > From dandrews at visi.com Sun May 2 23:29:18 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Sun, 02 May 2010 18:29:18 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? In-Reply-To: <5FB3E0CD817849BF94D32C8940EDC868@noneeb869fea9a> References: <5FB3E0CD817849BF94D32C8940EDC868@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: Section 508 is actually "Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended." You can go to http://www.section508.gov to get started. Dave At 07:12 AM 5/2/2010, you wrote: >Hi Dave, >What is the cite for the section 508 you are talking about? >Thanks, >John > >John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > >P.O. Box 6063 > >Gainesville, FL 32627 > >Phone: (352) 505-6642 > >Fax: (352) 240-6453 > >This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or >legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or >entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in >error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed >materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be >aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this >communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or >civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, >John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are >uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to >communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) >505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email >messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our >control. Thank you. > > > > > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On >Behalf Of David Andrews >Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 9:09 PM >To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List >Subject: Re: [blindlaw] 508 compliance clone? > > >Things are moving in that direction, but we don't get there all at >once. We have Section 508, which applies to Federal sites, at least >in theory. Several states, including here in Minnesota, have passed >legislation that extend 508 and/or WCAG 2.0 to the state >level. While the ADA was passed prior to the web as we know it, some >entities would fall under it, as far as the web goes, in terms of >access to programs and services. The Justice Department seems to be >making noise like they will officially extend the ADA to the web. > >In MN we just saw a law passed that requires accessibility in terms >of all public records. So, step by step things are getting covered. > >Dave > >At 06:47 PM 5/1/2010, you wrote: > >Hi everybody, > > > >I've been thinking about 508 compliance and maybe something NFB > >could push at the state level. I love how pretty much any document > >has to be 508-compliant on federal web sites (and I'm guessing state > >as well. Anyone know?) This is nice when you're trying to view a > >PDF. Unfortunately, there's a lot of web sites 9Barbri is one of > >them) who scan their PDF's onto the web site which JAWS will tell > >you the document is empty. So, we print the document out so we can > >read it. Has anyone thought of some kind of legislation or working > >with various web sites that post PDF's by scanning them in to make > >them 508 compliant, but on the private level? (What I mean is get a > >private 508 compliant law.) > > > >I bring this up because as a federal worker, I've been e-mailed > >PDF's that have been scanned in and I've had to ask for the original > >Word document so I could read it. OF course, every PDF form they put > >up there is 508-compliant before it's released. (A couple of weeks > >ago, there was something that wasn't compliant--it was for internal > >office use. I was able to obtain the Word version and one of the > >supervisors sent the PDF to the tech folks and told them to make it > >508 compliant. That was nice of her, but we can't always expect > >there to be the Word version still lying around or for folks to not > >scan the document into Adobe.) > > > >Any thoughts? > > > >Mike From APrevost at Sidley.com Mon May 3 13:33:51 2010 From: APrevost at Sidley.com (Prevost, Ann Marie) Date: Mon, 3 May 2010 09:33:51 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question In-Reply-To: <4aad3478.c5c2f10a.4f27.ffffc008@mx.google.com> References: <0F04FCD67AD04E50BBCEFBE88B18640C@spike> <004b01ca2fe4$f14bdc10$d3e39430$@com> <4aa591c9.02c3f10a.3629.ffffe495@mx.google.com><83CAA5A591B34E90A1FDC671C640EE6F@spike> <005801ca33d4$0fc62e50$2f528af0$@com><26DF3ADC32444453B7B53D64E4A9B4E8@spike> <4aacc4aa.85c2f10a.5b99.ffffc132@mx.google.com> <019501ca348f$b42742c0$1c75c840$@com> <4aad3478.c5c2f10a.4f27.ffffc008@mx.google.com> Message-ID: <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> If an organization wanted to give out tickets for theater performances to visually impaired children at a discounted price, would there be some sort of legal reason why the organization could not ask for some proof of status such as an IEP or registration with the Commission for the Blind? Ann Marie Prevost Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue New York, New York 10019 aprevost at sidley.com 212-839-5408 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To comply with certain U.S. Treasury regulations, we inform you that, unless expressly stated otherwise, any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments, was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may be imposed on such taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if any such tax advice is used or referred to by other parties in promoting, marketing or recommending any partnership or other entity, investment plan or arrangement, then (i) the advice should be construed as written in connection with the promotion or marketing by others of the transaction(s) or matter(s) addressed in this communication and (ii) the taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer's particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. **************************************************************************************************** This e-mail is sent by a law firm and may contain information that is privileged or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the e-mail and any attachments and notify us immediately. **************************************************************************************************** From slabarre at labarrelaw.com Mon May 3 15:50:01 2010 From: slabarre at labarrelaw.com (Scott C. LaBarre) Date: Mon, 3 May 2010 09:50:01 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question References: <0F04FCD67AD04E50BBCEFBE88B18640C@spike> <004b01ca2fe4$f14bdc10$d3e39430$@com> <4aa591c9.02c3f10a.3629.ffffe495@mx.google.com><83CAA5A591B34E90A1FDC671C640EE6F@spike> <005801ca33d4$0fc62e50$2f528af0$@com><26DF3ADC32444453B7B53D64E4A9B4E8@spike> <4aacc4aa.85c2f10a.5b99.ffffc132@mx.google.com> <019501ca348f$b42742c0$1c75c840$@com><4aad3478.c5c2f10a.4f27.ffffc008@mx.google.com> <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> Message-ID: <317AE2AD3D5C4D08A3DD185F763522F5@labarre> No reason at all. Scott C. LaBarre, Esq. LaBarre Law Offices P.C. 1660 South Albion Street, Ste. 918 Denver, Colorado 80222 303 504-5979 (voice) 303 757-3640 (fax) slabarre at labarrelaw.com (e-mail) www.labarrelaw.com (website) CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the designated recipient, you may not read, copy, distribute or retain this message. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender at 303) 504-5979 or slabarre at labarrelaw.com, and destroy and delete it from your system. This message and any attachments are covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Prevost, Ann Marie" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 7:33 AM Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question > If an organization wanted to give out tickets for theater performances > to visually impaired children at a discounted price, would there be some > sort of legal reason why the organization could not ask for some proof > of status such as an IEP or registration with the Commission for the > Blind? > > > Ann Marie Prevost > Sidley Austin LLP > 787 Seventh Avenue > New York, New York 10019 > aprevost at sidley.com > 212-839-5408 > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To comply with certain U.S. Treasury > regulations, we inform you > that, unless expressly stated otherwise, any U.S. federal tax advice > contained in this > communication, including attachments, was not intended or written to be > used, and cannot be > used, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may > be imposed on such > taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if any such tax > advice is used or referred > to by other parties in promoting, marketing or recommending any > partnership or other entity, > investment plan or arrangement, then (i) the advice should be construed as > written in connection > with the promotion or marketing by others of the transaction(s) or > matter(s) addressed in this > communication and (ii) the taxpayer should seek advice based on the > taxpayer's particular > circumstances from an independent tax advisor. > **************************************************************************************************** > This e-mail is sent by a law firm and may contain information that is > privileged or confidential. > If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the e-mail and any > attachments and notify us > immediately. > **************************************************************************************************** > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/slabarre%40labarrelaw.com > From APrevost at Sidley.com Mon May 3 16:36:02 2010 From: APrevost at Sidley.com (Prevost, Ann Marie) Date: Mon, 3 May 2010 12:36:02 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question In-Reply-To: <317AE2AD3D5C4D08A3DD185F763522F5@labarre> References: <0F04FCD67AD04E50BBCEFBE88B18640C@spike> <004b01ca2fe4$f14bdc10$d3e39430$@com> <4aa591c9.02c3f10a.3629.ffffe495@mx.google.com><83CAA5A591B34E90A1FDC671C640EE6F@spike> <005801ca33d4$0fc62e50$2f528af0$@com><26DF3ADC32444453B7B53D64E4A9B4E8@spike> <4aacc4aa.85c2f10a.5b99.ffffc132@mx.google.com> <019501ca348f$b42742c0$1c75c840$@com><4aad3478.c5c2f10a.4f27.ffffc008@mx.google.com><04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> <317AE2AD3D5C4D08A3DD185F763522F5@labarre> Message-ID: <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBBFF@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> Thank you! -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Scott C. LaBarre Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 11:50 AM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question No reason at all. Scott C. LaBarre, Esq. LaBarre Law Offices P.C. 1660 South Albion Street, Ste. 918 Denver, Colorado 80222 303 504-5979 (voice) 303 757-3640 (fax) slabarre at labarrelaw.com (e-mail) www.labarrelaw.com (website) CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the designated recipient, you may not read, copy, distribute or retain this message. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender at 303) 504-5979 or slabarre at labarrelaw.com, and destroy and delete it from your system. This message and any attachments are covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Prevost, Ann Marie" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 7:33 AM Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question > If an organization wanted to give out tickets for theater performances > to visually impaired children at a discounted price, would there be some > sort of legal reason why the organization could not ask for some proof > of status such as an IEP or registration with the Commission for the > Blind? > > > Ann Marie Prevost > Sidley Austin LLP > 787 Seventh Avenue > New York, New York 10019 > aprevost at sidley.com > 212-839-5408 > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To comply with certain U.S. Treasury > regulations, we inform you > that, unless expressly stated otherwise, any U.S. federal tax advice > contained in this > communication, including attachments, was not intended or written to be > used, and cannot be > used, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may > be imposed on such > taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if any such tax > advice is used or referred > to by other parties in promoting, marketing or recommending any > partnership or other entity, > investment plan or arrangement, then (i) the advice should be construed as > written in connection > with the promotion or marketing by others of the transaction(s) or > matter(s) addressed in this > communication and (ii) the taxpayer should seek advice based on the > taxpayer's particular > circumstances from an independent tax advisor. > **************************************************************************************************** > This e-mail is sent by a law firm and may contain information that is > privileged or confidential. > If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the e-mail and any > attachments and notify us > immediately. > **************************************************************************************************** > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/slabarre%40labarrelaw.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/aprevost%40sidley.com From johnrsheehan at yahoo.com Mon May 3 17:03:20 2010 From: johnrsheehan at yahoo.com (John Sheehan) Date: Mon, 3 May 2010 10:03:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question In-Reply-To: <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> References: <0F04FCD67AD04E50BBCEFBE88B18640C@spike> <004b01ca2fe4$f14bdc10$d3e39430$@com> <4aa591c9.02c3f10a.3629.ffffe495@mx.google.com><83CAA5A591B34E90A1FDC671C640EE6F@spike> <005801ca33d4$0fc62e50$2f528af0$@com><26DF3ADC32444453B7B53D64E4A9B4E8@spike> <4aacc4aa.85c2f10a.5b99.ffffc132@mx.google.com> <019501ca348f$b42742c0$1c75c840$@com> <4aad3478.c5c2f10a.4f27.ffffc008@mx.google.com> <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> Message-ID: <507955.55215.qm@web53807.mail.re2.yahoo.com> We provide our services for free to people who establish the need - blindness or low vision, or some other situation that makes it impossible for them to deal with traditional print. The gift or service in the question you ask is restricted - it is reasonable to ascertain that the qualification to receive the gift is met.   Fr. John R. Sheehan, SJ Chairman Xavier Society for the Blind Web Site: www.xaviersocietyfortheblind.org OnLine Auction: www.biddingforgood.com/xaviersociety 154 E. 23rd St NYC 10010 212 473-7800, ext 119 Help us raise money for the Xavier Society for the Blind just by searching the Internet or shopping online with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo! Free for you - and money for us! Thank you.   Residence: 53 E 83rd St New York, NY 10028 Room Phone: 212 606-3420 Cell: 646 853-1820 Blog: www.frjohnsj.blogspot.com ________________________________ From: "Prevost, Ann Marie" To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Sent: Mon, May 3, 2010 9:33:51 AM Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question If an organization wanted to give out tickets for theater performances to visually impaired children at a discounted price, would there be some sort of legal reason why the organization could not ask for some proof of status such as an IEP or registration with the Commission for the Blind? Ann Marie Prevost Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue New York, New York 10019 aprevost at sidley.com 212-839-5408 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To comply with certain U.S. Treasury regulations, we inform you that, unless expressly stated otherwise, any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments, was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may be imposed on such taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if any such tax advice is used or referred to by other parties in promoting, marketing or recommending any partnership or other entity, investment plan or arrangement, then (i) the advice should be construed as written in connection with the promotion or marketing by others of the transaction(s) or matter(s) addressed in this communication and (ii) the taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer's particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. **************************************************************************************************** This e-mail is sent by a law firm and may contain information that is privileged or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the e-mail and any attachments and notify us immediately. **************************************************************************************************** _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/johnrsheehan%40yahoo.com From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Tue May 4 09:02:32 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Tue, 4 May 2010 02:02:32 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question In-Reply-To: <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> References: <0F04FCD67AD04E50BBCEFBE88B18640C@spike> <004b01ca2fe4$f14bdc10$d3e39430$@com> <4aa591c9.02c3f10a.3629.ffffe495@mx.google.com><83CAA5A591B34E90A1FDC671C640EE6F@spike> <005801ca33d4$0fc62e50$2f528af0$@com><26DF3ADC32444453B7B53D64E4A9B4E8@spike> <4aacc4aa.85c2f10a.5b99.ffffc132@mx.google.com> <019501ca348f$b42742c0$1c75c840$@com><4aad3478.c5c2f10a.4f27.ffffc008@mx.google.com> <04D7F07F78695B4FA599744131A726A88DBB0D@NYEXMB01.sidley.com> Message-ID: <62943244EA534B7192A4A9D60006FE19@spike> This type of criteria or similar is done all the time by nonprofit organizations with various populations. The recipient of the ticket or in this the child's guardian has the choice to provide the information as a condition of receiving the ticket. Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal 1237 P Street Fresno ca 93721 559-266-9237 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Prevost, Ann Marie" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 6:33 AM Subject: [blindlaw] Theoretical Question > If an organization wanted to give out tickets for theater performances > to visually impaired children at a discounted price, would there be some > sort of legal reason why the organization could not ask for some proof > of status such as an IEP or registration with the Commission for the > Blind? > > > Ann Marie Prevost > Sidley Austin LLP > 787 Seventh Avenue > New York, New York 10019 > aprevost at sidley.com > 212-839-5408 > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To comply with certain U.S. Treasury > regulations, we inform you > that, unless expressly stated otherwise, any U.S. federal tax advice > contained in this > communication, including attachments, was not intended or written to be > used, and cannot be > used, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may > be imposed on such > taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if any such tax > advice is used or referred > to by other parties in promoting, marketing or recommending any > partnership or other entity, > investment plan or arrangement, then (i) the advice should be construed as > written in connection > with the promotion or marketing by others of the transaction(s) or > matter(s) addressed in this > communication and (ii) the taxpayer should seek advice based on the > taxpayer's particular > circumstances from an independent tax advisor. > **************************************************************************************************** > This e-mail is sent by a law firm and may contain information that is > privileged or confidential. > If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the e-mail and any > attachments and notify us > immediately. > **************************************************************************************************** > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Tue May 4 16:48:56 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Tue, 4 May 2010 11:48:56 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession: A Pledge for Change, WSBA Bar News, March 2010 Message-ID: Link: http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/mar10-diversity.htm Text: Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession: A Pledge for Change by Emily Cooper Pura January 18, 2010, marked the 27th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations in this county. It was President Ronald Reagan who signed the holiday into law in 1983 to honor Dr. King for his nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement. One of Dr. King's most powerful statements was, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." This is a principle that attorneys can identify with as we seek to promote all that is good and lasting in the justice system. That is why the ABA's most recent efforts to contribute to diversity efforts in the practice of law is so profound: it affects every one of us and the judicial system, even if we do not individually identify as having a disability. In 2009, the ABA hosted the Second National Conference on the Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities. Out of this groundbreaking conference also came "A Report from the American Bar Association to the Legal Profession." This report has far-reaching diversity implications affecting retention efforts of attorneys with disabilities practicing law, as well as employers and even law students with disabilities. The report includes information on the following topics: * The status of lawyers and law students with disabilities, including statistics and surveys, and why we need lawyers with disabilities in the profession * How to make the transition from law school to the workplace with a disability * How and why you should recruit, hire, retain, and promote lawyers with disabilities * Practical tips on how to make your place of employment both welcoming and legally compliant for those with disabilities * Personal stories and anecdotes from lawyers with disabilities, including the first blind U.S. Supreme Court clerk, an associate general counsel, and an official from President Obama's White House staff Another pivotal issue that came out of the conference and the subsequent report was the Pledge for Change. One of the primary purposes of the Conference was to encourage legal employers, including law firms and corporate counsels, to sign the "Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession: A Pledge for Change" (Pledge), in order to support disability diversity in the legal profession. In furthering its commitment to disability diversity in the legal profession, the ABA Commission is currently promoting the Pledge, a one-page commitment statement for legal employers to sign. The Pledge affirms the signatory's commitment to diversity, specifically disability diversity, and recognizes that diversity is in the best interest of the profession, those the profession serves, and the organization making the commitment. The Pledge also announces that the signatory will encourage others in the legal industry to make this commitment. It is this pledge that I, as an attorney with a disability who works at Disability Rights Washington, ask each employer and law school to consider in the next year. The ABA is hoping to have all signatures gathered by 2011. The Pledge for Change was created in response to the lack of lawyers with disabilities in the profession, and was the centerpiece of the Second ABA National Conference on the Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities held in June 2009. The ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law will be leading the effort to have legal employers sign the Pledge for Change. If you are interested in collaborating with the Commission in having your employer or others sign the Pledge for Change, please contact William Phelan at: ABA Pledge for Change c/o William J. Phelan, IV, Esq. 740 15th Street, NW, 9th Floor Washington, DC 20005-1022 phelanw at staff.abanet.org 202-662-1576 (phone) 202-442-3439 (fax) You may also review the Pledge for Change by going to www.abanet.org/disability/pledge. In the time since the ABA issued its call to employers and universities to sign the Pledge for Change, nearly 50 (including several from Washington state) have signed the Pledge, showing their commitment to diversifying their workforces, specifically for lawyers with disabilities. Association of Corporate Counsel ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firms Division ABA Individual Rights and Responsibilities Section ABA Section of Family Law Adorno Yoss Caley Dehkhoda & Qadri Arnall Golden Gregory LLP Arnold & Porter LLP Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC Ballard Spahr LLP Bar Association of San Francisco Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund Disability Rights Washington Florida Costal School of Law Fordham University School of Law Frank Law Office, P.C. The Goitia Law Firm, PL Golden Gate University School of Law Howard University School of Law Ice Miller LLP Kirkland & Ellis LLP Learning Rights Law Center Liberty University School of Law Michigan State University College of Law Morrison & Forster LLP Phoenix School of Law Quarles & Brady LLP Schiff Hardin LLP Schreiner Law Group PC State Bar of Arizona Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc. Temple University Beasley School of Law Texas Tech University School of Law Towe, Ball, Enright, Mackey & Sommerfeld, P.L.L.P. UCLA School of Law Ulmer & Berne LLP University of Buffalo Law School University of Miami School of Law University of New Mexico School of Law University of North Carolina School of Law University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law University of South Dakota School of Law University of Tulsa College of Law University of Washington School of Law Western New England College School of Law Washington state has made important strides to support and increase diversity in the legal profession. In 2007, the WSBA Board of Governors adopted five Guiding Principles, one of which is to "advance and promote diversity, equality, and cultural understanding throughout the legal community." This commitment has been made possible through significant efforts by WSBA leadership in partnership with the various Minority Bar Associations, the WSBA Committee for Diversity, the Board of Governors Diversity Committee, and other stakeholders in the legal community and community at large. This commitment would be strengthened if more Washington state employers were to sign the Pledge. Please take a look at the Pledge and talk to your colleagues and your employer about committing to support disability diversity in the legal field by signing this one-page pledge. Pledging to change the diversity of the legal profession ultimately upholds Dr. King's statement that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Emily Cooper Pura is a graduate of Seattle University School of Law. She has spent her legal career practicing in areas of public interest focusing on state and federal benefits law, as well as addressing the issues impacting individuals with disabilities. She works at Disability Rights Washington and also serves as a pro bono attorney with KCBA Volunteer Attorney for People with AIDS. Professional activities include serving on WSBA Committee for Diversity and Q-Law. Wilberforce Agyekum and Assistant Attorney General Maureen Mannix provided edits to this column. From JFreeh at nfb.org Wed May 5 14:12:37 2010 From: JFreeh at nfb.org (Freeh, Jessica) Date: Wed, 05 May 2010 09:12:37 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Law Schools Discriminate Against Blind Applicants Message-ID: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 (410) 262-1281 (Cell) cdanielsen at nfb.org Law Schools Discriminate Against Blind Applicants National Federation of the Blind Files Complaints Against Nine Law Schools Baltimore, Maryland (May 5, 2010): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind people, announced today that it has filed complaints with the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, requesting investigations of nine prominent law schools for violating the civil rights of blind and other print-disabled law school applicants. The NFB filed the complaints because the law schools require applicants who wish to have the convenience of applying online to use a centralized Internet-based application process provided by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) through its Web site (www.lsac.org) that is inaccessible to blind law school applicants. While sighted law school applicants can use the LSAC system to submit multiple law school applications at once, blind students must seek sighted assistance to use the LSAC system. Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires these law schools to offer equal access to their programs and services. The nine law schools named in the complaints are The University of Chicago Law School, Yeshiva University's Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Atlanta's John Marshall Law School, University of Denver's Sturm College of Law, Washington and Lee University School of Law, University of Miami School of Law, William Mitchell College of Law, Gonzaga University School of Law, and Northeastern University School of Law. The complaints ask the Justice Department to require these law schools to suspend use of the LSAC application system until it is accessible to blind and other print-disabled students and to require each law school to provide the same application process in a format available to all students. The NFB already has a lawsuit pending against the LSAC for violating California law by maintaining an inaccessible Web site. Blind people access Web sites on computers equipped with screen access software that converts what is on the screen into synthesized speech or Braille. The keyboard is used instead of a mouse to navigate the Web site and click on selected links or buttons. If a Web site is improperly coded, however, blind computer users cannot access or interact with the site. The LSAC application process does not present information to screen access software and thus requires blind users to resort to sighted assistance. Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The National Federation of the Blind expects those who control admission to the practice of law to obey the law. Forcing blind law school applicants to use a separate and inherently unequal application process violates both the letter and the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Accessibility standards for Web-based forms like those used in the Law School Admissions Council's application system have been in place for years and have been successfully implemented by many other Web sites, so there is no reason why the LSAC cannot make its application service available to blind law school applicants. That is why we have asked the United States Department of Justice to act swiftly and decisively to ensure that blind law school applicants are treated the same as their sighted peers." The National Federation of the Blind is represented in this matter by Daniel F. Goldstein and Mehgan Sidhu of the Baltimore firm Brown, Goldstein, and Levy; Laurence W. Paradis, Anna Levine, and Karla Gilbride of the Berkley firm Disability Rights Advocates; and Scott C. LaBarre of the Denver firm LaBarre Law Offices. ### About the National Federation of the Blind With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind. From info at michaelhingson.com Thu May 6 00:29:25 2010 From: info at michaelhingson.com (Michael Hingson) Date: Wed, 05 May 2010 19:29:25 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader Mobile At NFB National Convention Message-ID: Hello everyone, Once again this year the NFB and The Michael Hingson Group, Inc. will be selling the KnfbReader Mobile at our National convention. We want to help you with your purchase should you wish to buy a Reader at the convention. First, we will have plenty of KnfbReader Mobile systems available with either the Nokia N82 or the N86 hardware. Second, all systems will be configured and ready to activate. We will be happy to activate software for you in the exhibit hall when you purchase your KnfbReader Mobile. Third, once again we shall be utilizing the NFB %3 low interest technology loan as a way to help you buy a KnfbReader Mobile should you not wish to use cash or a credit card to make your purchase directly at the convention. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to approve and fund loans at the convention. The chair of the Loan Fund committee has told me that due to time constraints the committee will not be able to meet and approve loans during the convention. If you may be planning on using the loan fund to purchase a KnfbReader at the convention I would like to urge you to complete an application now rather than waiting until July. If your application is approved you can simply order the Reader from us for delivery at the convention which will save shipping charges. A link to the online loan application is available at http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com near the bottom of the page. In the field asking for the name of your dealer simply enter the words "NFB convention" should you plan to pick up your Reader at the convention. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of completing the application now should you wish to use the loan fund to purchase a KnfbReader Mobile. Curtis Chong, chair of the Loan Fund Committee tells me that any applications completed by late May should be funded by the convention. The sooner you complete the application the faster your loan will be completed. We cannot provide Readers to anyone who has not gone through the entire loan process and had their loan funded. We shall be ready to help anyone complete an application at the convention, but there will be a delay in you receiving your KnfbReader Mobile. Fourth, we will again be ready to answer any support questions of current users as well as helping you with any issues you may have. Representatives of KNFB Technologies will also be on hand to answer your questions. Finally, we are presently working on having a Reader users meeting sometime early in the convention. More details will follow on this when they become available. If anyone has any questions or wishes more information about the Reader please call me at (415) 827-4084 or email me at info at michaelhingson.com. Please tell your friends and anyone you know about how they can see this great technology at the NFB convention. All of us on the KnfbReader team look forward to serving you. Thank you for your support. Best, Michael Hingson The Michael Hingson Group, INC. "Speaking with Vision" Michael Hingson, President (415) 827-4084 info at michaelhingson.com www.michaelhingson.com for info on the new KNFB Reader Mobile, visit: http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com http://michaelhingson.com/images/knfbReader-michael_hingson.jpg __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 5089 (20100505) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Thu May 6 16:01:35 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Thu, 6 May 2010 11:01:35 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: New Job Announcements for the Civil Rights Division Message-ID: From: jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Maurer, Patricia Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 12:41 PM To: jobs at nfbnet.org Subject: [Jobs] FW: New Job Announcements for the Civil Rights Division ________________________________ From: Special Programs Vacancies [mailto:CRT.SpecProgVacancies at usdoj.gov] Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 2:28 PM To: Petrie, Diane E (CRT) Cc: Jin, Les (CRT); Johnson, Linda (CRT) Subject: New Job Announcements for the Civil Rights Division The Civil Rights Division (Division) would like to thank each of you for participating in our efforts to increase outreach to lawyers interested in working for the Division. By agreeing to receive our attorney job announcements, you are helping to make sure we have the best lawyers we can find. The application period for several of our lawyer positions will be closing within a week; and several others will close in the next few weeks. If you have a convenient way to remind your constituents of the looming deadline, we would very much appreciate it. The Division hopes to attract a broad and diverse pool of qualified applicants, and, to that end, encourages you to forward this information to any qualified applicants, including qualified applicants with disabilities, who may be interested in working for the Division. For your convenience, all current Division job announcements are listed below. Please also remind members of your organization that all our lawyer job announcements can always be found on the Division's homepage, http://www.justice.gov/crt/recruit.php. In addition, if you know of other organizations that might want to receive our job announcements, please let them know the process is very simple. They just need to send an email to CRT.SpecProgVacancies at usdoj.gov. There are no elaborate forms to fill out - just an email indicating that the organization wishes to receive future job listings and the e-mail address for us to contact them. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have suggestions on how we can improve our outreach efforts. Thank you. Employment Opportunities The chart below includes the Civil Rights Division job opportunities currently available. Individuals interested in applying for these positions should comply with the applications procedures and closing dates in the vacancy announcement. Position Section Grade Salary Closing Date Attorney Advisor Coordination and Review GS-13/15 $89,033 - $155,500 5/7/2010 New Lead Accessibility Specialist Disability Rights GS-13 $89,033 - $115,742 5/11/2010 New Accessibility Specialist Disability Rights GS-11/12 $62,467 - $97,333 5/11/2010 New Paralegal Specialist Appellate GS-7/11 $42,409 - $81,204 5/13/2010 New Supervisory Accessibility Specialist Disability Rights GS-14 $105,211 - $136,771 5/14/2010 New Chief Special Litigation ES-0905-00/00 $119,554 - $179,700 5/18/2010 New Deputy Chief Special Litigation GS-15 $123,578 - $155,500 5/18/2010 New Deputy Chief Voting GS-15 $123,758 - $155,500 5/19/2010 Student Volunteer Professional Development Office volunteer n/a open until filled Student Volunteer Office of the Assistant Attorney General volunteer n/a open until filled In addition, please direct your law school and undergraduate contacts to the Division's new Volunteer Internship Opportunities page, http://www.justice.gov/crt/vol_intern_opps.php, for information on available internships for the fall 2010 term. -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ Jobs mailing list Jobs at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/jobs_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Jobs: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/jobs_nfbnet.org/noel.nightingale%40ed.gov From slabarre at labarrelaw.com Thu May 6 12:41:12 2010 From: slabarre at labarrelaw.com (Scott C. LaBarre) Date: Thu, 6 May 2010 06:41:12 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] your help is needed Message-ID: Greetings: We are interested in talking to any blind/visually impaired college students who wish or plan to go to law school and who will be taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). However, our needs are even more specific than that. The student needs to be a California resident and planning to attend a California law school. Secondarily, we would like to talk to students who may not be a California resident but do wish/plan to attend a California law school. Please contact me at the below information. Thanks, Scott C. LaBarre, Esq. LaBarre Law Offices P.C. 1660 South Albion Street, Ste. 918 Denver, Colorado 80222 303 504-5979 (voice) 303 757-3640 (fax) slabarre at labarrelaw.com (e-mail) www.labarrelaw.com (website) CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the designated recipient, you may not read, copy, distribute or retain this message. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender at 303) 504-5979 or slabarre at labarrelaw.com, and destroy and delete it from your system. This message and any attachments are covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521. From rogerbaccus at gmail.com Fri May 7 00:36:06 2010 From: rogerbaccus at gmail.com (Roger Baccus) Date: Thu, 6 May 2010 20:36:06 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Message-ID: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? http://www.rogerbaccus.com From dandrews at visi.com Fri May 7 03:18:42 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Thu, 06 May 2010 22:18:42 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] =?iso-8859-1?q?_Statement_of_Daniel_Goldstein=2C_Befor?= =?iso-8859-1?q?e_Congress=2C_Achieving_the_Promise_of__the_Americans_with?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_Disabilities_Act_in_the_Digital_Age_=96_Current_Issues=2C?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_Challenges=2C_and_Opportunities?= Message-ID: Statement of Daniel F. Goldstein, Esq. Partner, Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP Before the United States House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties on Achieving the Promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the Digital Age – Current Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities Thursday April 22, 2010 Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me here today. As a partner in the Baltimore, Maryland law firm of Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP, I have been engaged in disability rights law, principally on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind (“NFB”), since 1986. In 1999, the NFB asked me to assist it in devising a strategy to promote the accessibility of digital information through education, negotiation and litigation. I have devoted much of the last 11 years to that effort. The ADA has played a valuable role in that undertaking, as we have worked to make websites, workplace software applications, ATMs, voting machines, cell phones and e-book reading devices accessible to people with vision and print disabilities. The challenge is immense. Digital information is everywhere, from consumer electronics and home appliances to the internet, computer screens and mobile devices to ticket kiosks and ATMs. It is difficult to identify an activity in modern American life in which digital information does not play a role. Because digital information is composed of zeros and ones, it is not inherently visual, aural or tactile but can be presented in any one or all of those modes with equivalent facility. Thus, the ubiquitous use of digital information should be great news for those who cannot access print because of a disability – whether it’s a vision disability, a learning disability, an intellectual disability, or a manual impairment or spinal cord injury. Similarly, digital information that was traditionally presented as speech can now produce mainstream accessibility for those with hearing impairments. Sadly, however, the potential for the disability community to have mainstream and therefore equal access has not been realized. So much electronic information is presented so that it is accessible only to one sense, resulting in persons with disabilities having unequal access and therefore being denied the opportunity for equal participation in all spheres of life. Thus, to give you a homely example, something as simple as setting the thermostat in one’s house, which a blind person could formerly do by adding tactile markings to the dial that controlled the thermostat, is now an inaccessible activity. Even though digital temperature controls could communicate both visually and audibly, most provide only visual information, leaving blind people worse off than before. A. The ADA and Public Accommodation Websites The ADA is key to unlocking these doors. Title III of the ADA applies to public accommodations, defined as 12 categories of commercial entities that interact with the public. We believe both the intent and the language of the ADA cover websites and other digital information and services provided by those covered entities, regardless of whether those entities also operate brick-and-mortar locations. In 1999, on behalf of the NFB, I filed suit in federal court in Massachusetts against America Online for violating Title III of the ADA by failing to make its service accessible to the blind. The First Circuit had held in the context of insurance services that a public accommodation may be covered under Title III of the ADA without the activity being linked to a physical place of public accommodation. We were anxious to follow that case law to its logical conclusion that websites that offer the services of a public accommodation, as delineated in Title III, are likewise covered by the ADA. However, AOL quickly decided to make its website fully accessible, so the matter was settled without creating any judicial precedent. In 2006, we filed suit against the Target Corporation over the inaccessibility of its website. After the federal court in San Francisco ruled that the portions of the website that had a nexus to the physical stores were covered by the ADA,[1] Target settled and has since made its website fully accessible.[2] Opponents of the application of Title III to commercial and educational websites might argue that some federal case law supports the proposition that e-commerce is outside the scope of the ADA. There is a line of reasoning adopted in some circuits that a place of public accommodation, within the meaning of Title III, must be an “actual, physical” place.[3] These courts have held that to state a claim under Title III, the plaintiff must allege either that there has been discrimination in a physical place, or that there is a “nexus” between the challenged act of discrimination and a physical place of public accommodation. This approach stands in stark contrast to the more commonsense view adopted by several other circuits that the phrase “public accommodation” encompasses more than just physical structures.[4] Most cases addressing the “place” argument have been in the context of insurance, considering whether the ADA’s non-discrimination requirements govern the substance of insurance policies. None of the circuit courts adopting the “physical place” line of reasoning have addressed the precise question of whether public accommodations that operate through the internet or its websites are places of public accommodation under Title III. So we do not currently know what conclusion these circuits would reach on that issue. In today’s increasingly online society, limiting the ADA (or any civil rights law) to only those businesses that operate in physical facilities would undermine the fundamental goals of civil rights. Given that one of the essential purposes of Title III is to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities in the basic, day-to-day activities that are a fundamental part of living and functioning in a community, it is hard to imagine that coverage would depend on whether a covered entity offers its services and goods in a physical location, door-to-door, by phone, or online. In an age where hundreds of millions of Americans are increasingly using the internet every day to shop for groceries, plan their travel, conduct business, do their banking, attend college classes, and socialize with friends and family, it is undeniable that these websites are an indispensable part of basic, day-to-day life in the community. Despite this obvious reality of life in the internet era, one district court, in Access Now v. Southwest Airlines Co. has erroneously extended the “physical place” line of reasoning to conclude that it would not apply Title III to prohibit discriminatory access to Southwest’s website where the plaintiff had failed to allege a “nexus” between the site and a physical, brick-and-mortar place.[5] I have no doubt that the district court’s interpretation of Title III in the Southwest case was incorrect, and that a federal Court of Appeals squarely presented with the issue should reach the conclusion that Title III applies to goods and services provided over the internet. But the fact that the district court strayed so far from Title III’s fundamental purpose was troubling, and is one of the reasons that I applaud the Committee’s decision to hold this hearing. In light of Assistant Attorney General Perez’s affirmation last week that the Department of Justice continues to believe that public accommodations are covered by Title III even when they reach the public only via websites, it seems to me that the time has come to test this proposition in the courts as well as through the development of regulations by the Department of Justice. Court cases aside, in the years since the internet has become a mainstay of American life, some advocates and covered entities have reached agreements about accessibility of internet sites. Among the websites that have reached such agreements, variously, with the NFB, the American Council of the Blind and the New York and Massachusetts Offices of Attorney General are: Amazon.com, Apple’s iTunes, Major League Baseball, CVS, Radio Shack, Rite Aid, Staples, Ramada Hotels, and Priceline.com. Other companies with commercial websites have reached out proactively to secure certification from the NFB that their websites are accessible, including both large companies like G.E. and NewEgg and small businesses like my law firm. These agreements and the Target case have had a positive impact in increasing website accessibility across the commercial industry. A study of the top thirty-two online retailers’ websites that analyzed the websites’ accessibility one year before the Target decision and one year following the decision found a significant improvement in overall accessibility.[6] Using the standards and tools provided by the ADA, we are seeing voice-guided ATMs and Accessible Point-of-Sale Machines. In the case of the former, with the recent announcement by Bank of America that all of its ATMs now have voice-guidance and my settlement with the largest nonbank deployer of ATMs, Cardtronics, inaccessible ATMs are becoming the exception rather than the rule. ATMs, however, provide an important lesson. The technology to make ATMs accessible is older than the technology to make ATMs and the additional cost of accessibility in manufacturing and deploying ATMs is marginal. However, delay by banks and other deployers of ATMs to comply with the ADA until the national fleet of ATMs was mature led to a tremendous and unnecessary increase in costs in retrofitting or replacing functioning inaccessible ATMs. It also needlessly delayed the blind from having this convenience that so many rely on. When new technologies find acceptance in the marketplace, their adoption and improvement often occurs with dizzying speed. When accessibility is not built in from the outset, however, the disability community suffers significant competitive disadvantages whose later correction may come only as that technology is being replaced by something newer or better. When a Microsoft offers first Windows Vista and then Windows 7 that were accessible from the day each went on the market, or Apple develops, as it has, a technology that allows the controls of its iPad to be accessible to the blind, this is cause for celebration. The list of other technologies that have been accessible from their entry into the market, however, remains far too short. Gratuitous barriers to accessibility are still the rule, not the exception. Improved clarity about the application of the ADA to public accommodations operating over the internet will help. As is demonstrated by the experience of educational institutions, once the purchasers of technology understand their obligations and insist on accessibility by their suppliers, accessibility becomes mainstreamed. B. Inaccessible Digital Information in Education Nowhere is the impact of digital information felt more than in the field of education. The impact is pronounced here, perhaps more than in any other sphere because digital information and electronic technology have the potential to change the game for students with print disabilities. However, educational institutions are not meeting that potential. For example, a 2008 study that examined the accessibility of postsecondary education web pages found that 97% of the institutions in its sample contained significant accessibility barriers.[7] The study examined only top or home pages of university websites, suggesting that the significant barriers are even more deeply entrenched than indicated by the study. That the vast majority of educational institutions fail to recognize their obligations under the ADA to make their website information accessible is only the tip of the iceberg. Reliance on online education is steeply increasing, with online enrollments growing substantially faster than overall higher education enrollments in the past six years.[8] Meanwhile, digital books, course management systems, and other educational technologies have become an integral part of post-secondary education. Many of these technologies are completely – and gratuitously – inaccessible to students and others with print disabilities. While universities and institutions have often failed to appreciate their obligations under the ADA and their commercial power as consumers of educational technology, some positive examples of success demonstrate the kind of impact institutions can have if their obligations under the ADA are made clear and enforceable. i. Universities and Amazon’s Kindle DX In February 2009, the Kindle 2 was introduced with a read-out-loud feature, but with on-screen navigation that was not voiced and was therefore inaccessible to the blind. The Association of American Publishers and the Authors Guild sought to have Amazon terminate this feature. In response, the Reading Rights Coalition was formed, thirty-two nonprofits representing the print-disability community­including, among others, the blind, people with dyslexia and other learning disabilities, those with cerebral palsy, and those with upper spinal cord injuries. The Coalition worked on one hand to protect the inclusion of Text-to-Speech while fighting to have Amazon allow its menus to talk and thus make the device accessible. In May 2009, Amazon announced the launch of its Kindle DX e-book reader, which it had designed for educational use. Because Amazon failed to include accessible navigational controls, the device was inaccessible to the blind. Six colleges and universities simultaneously announced they would be deploying the Kindle DX during the 2009 – 2010 academic year. The National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind filed a complaint in federal court against Arizona State University and filed complaints with the Department of Justice and Department of Education against the remaining schools (Pace University, Case Western Reserve University, Reed College, Princeton University, and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business). These complaints alleged that by deploying the inaccessible Kindle, the colleges and universities violated their obligations under Titles II and III of the ADA to provide equal access to their services. While sighted students would benefit from the instant access, notetaking, and other services of the Kindle, blind students would be left behind, forced to rely on separate methods of access that are significantly inferior to even the print textbook experience. The complaint against the University of Virginia is still pending with the Department of Education, but the NFB, the ACB and the Department of Justice secured settlements with the other five schools under which those schools agreed, after the end of this semester, not to deploy inaccessible e-book readers. While those complaints were pending, other universities stepped forward to publicly pledge they would not adopt e-book technologies on their campus – including the Kindle – unless and until they were accessible. Those universities included Syracuse University, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Illinois. In response to this pressure, Amazon announced that it would release a fully accessible Kindle in the summer of 2010. And on March 9, 2010, the Reading Rights Coalition, the Association of American Publishers and the Authors Guild issued a joint statement, released on the White House blog, supporting mainstream accessibility when books are issued in formats other than print, such as e-books and audio books.[9] ii. Libraries and Adobe Digital Editions Adobe Digital Editions is the leading commercial e-book format used by libraries and also the format that can be read on the inaccessible Sony e-book reader. Until March 2009, Adobe e-books had been accessible to those who require speech to access text and who downloaded those books to a PC. In March 2009, however, Adobe stopped support of that accessible system and switched to a new, inaccessible e-book platform, called Adobe Digital Editions. As a result, numerous public library patrons with disabilities could no longer access their libraries’ digital collections. Advocacy from the Burton Blatt Institute and the Reading Rights Coalition prompted the American Library Association to adopt a resolution strongly recommending that libraries ensure that all electronic resources they procure are accessible to people with disabilities.[10] Shortly thereafter, the Los Angeles Public Library, responding to a letter from the Reading Rights Coalition, agreed to suspend future procurement of Adobe Digital Editions books until they are fully accessible.[11] In response, Adobe announced that it would release an accessible Adobe Digital Editions in 2010.[12] Thus, when institutional customers of technology, like libraries, act on their obligations under the ADA, the developers of those technologies find strong economic motivation to remove the barriers to accessibility. iii. California State University and BlackBoard California State University succeeded in moving one of the leading course-management software systems, BlackBoard Learn, toward accessibility. In the late-1990’s, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights launched an investigation into California State University campuses’ compliance with, among other statutes, Title II of the ADA. In response, the Cal State system revamped its approach to providing access to students with disabilities and has become a leader and model for educational institutions to follow. Specifically, rather than delegating accessibility obligations to an isolated Disability Student Services office, as most universities do, Cal State established a system-wide, coordinated approach to accessibility. Under this approach, accessibility experts work closely with the University’s information officers to ensure that the technology the university employs is accessible. Through this arrangement, Cal State requires that new technologies it procures be accessible to its students. When Cal State put out a request for proposals for new course management software, it turned down BlackBoard – the leading purveyor of course management software – because it did not meet Cal State’s accessibility requirements. Since that time, BlackBoard has issued two new releases of its software that greatly enhance its accessibility.[13] C. The Next Steps to Access to Technology We are not even halfway there on making the internet accessible and in making accessible the technologies used in the workplace and offered through public accommodations, like educational institutions. And, of course, new technologies continue to develop and flourish with astonishing speed. The barriers to accessibility, however, are not the result, for the most part, of intractable technological issues and need not (and as a practical matter, would not) slow down innovation. The biggest contributor to the growing accessibility gap continues to be a lack of commitment to making technology accessible. The ADA was a tremendous normative statement of the importance we attach as a nation to equal opportunity without regard to disability. But while the disability community has the responsibility to use the ADA and the other tools offered by federal and state laws, government must continue to make clear its commitment to that promise as well. The National Broadband Plan, for example, states as one of its goals that “every American should have affordable access to robust broadband service, and the means and skills to subscribe if they so choose.”[14] It envisions, among other things “improvements in public education through e-learning and online content” and improvements in health care through the expansion of “e-care.”[15] Without concrete steps to build in accessibility at every stage and level, this promise to “every American” will not be realized. Recognizing this, the National Broadband Plan specifically states that “hardware, software, services and digital content must be accessible and assistive technologies must be affordable.”[16] The Plan calls on the federal government to be a model of accessibility, to specifically support innovation in accessibility, and to clarify and modernize its accessibility laws, enforcement efforts, and subsidy programs. In that respect, the federal government has a long way to go, as it has failed to monitor and enforce the provisions of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The National Education Technology Plan, currently in draft form, addresses to some degree the need for Education Technology to be designed for mainstream accessibility for those with disabilities and we hope the final draft will be more robust. However, recent draft rules regarding Health Information Technology fail to wholeheartedly incorporate accessibility. Again, the federal government must make sure that the execution follows the good intentions. Our milestones under the ADA thus far have been significant, but we remain far behind where we ought to be in an era that relies so intrinsically upon digital information. The near future will only expedite the transition to digital information in critical sectors – including education, employment, health care, commerce and social life. If we do not ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to digital information, they face exclusion from participation in our society. The commitment we have already seen from the Department of Justice will take us nearer that goal. The Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, General Services Administration, Federal Communications Commission, and others have important opportunities to advance accessible technology as well. There are good reasons to believe that the disability community, acting for itself and with the support of governmental entities, can make great strides toward the day that it no longer must settle for separate and unequal access to technology, but will have, instead, the same access to mainstream technology and thus an equal opportunity to participate in the educational, economic and social life of this country. Thank you [1] Nat’l Fed’n of the Blind v. Target Corp., 452 F.Supp.2d 946 (N.D. Cal 2006). [2] Nat’l Fed’n of the Blind, v. Target Corp., No. 3:06-cv-01802-MHP Doc. 210 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 9, 2008) (final judgment and order approving settlement and dismissing claims). [3] See Weyer v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., 198 F.3d 1104, 1114 (9th Cir. 2000) (concluding that places of public accommodation are “actual, physical places.”); see also Ford v. Schering-Plough Corp., 145 F.3d 601, 612–13 (3d Cir. 1998) (holding that plaintiff failed to allege a nexus between the place of public accommodation and the insurance benefits offered by the employer); Stoutenborough v. National Football League, 59 F.3d 580, 583–84 (6th Cir. 1995) (affirming the dismissal of a claim under Title III because the challenged service, the live telecast of a football game, was not offered by a place of public accommodation, the stadium). [4] See Carparts Distribution Ctr., Inc. v. Automotive Wholesalers Assoc. of New England, Inc., 37 F.3d 12, 19–20 (1st Cir. 1994) (holding that “public accommodations” encompasses more than actual physical structures and includes the defendant insurance company); Doe v. Mutual of Omaha Ins. Co., 179 F.3d 557, 559 (7th Cir. 1999) (noting that a “place of public accommodation” encompasses facilities open to the public in both physical and electronic space, including websites). [5] Access Now, Inc. v. Southwest Airlines Co., 227 F.Supp.2d 1312 (2002). On appeal, the 11th Circuit dismissed the appeal without reaching the merits of the case, so the 11th Circuit has not yet addressed the issue. See Access Now, Inc. v. Southwest Airlines Co., 385 F. 3d 1324 (11th Cir. 2004). [6] Jonathan Frank, "Web Accessibility for the Blind: Corporate Social Responsibility? or Litigation Avoidance?," pp.284, Proceedings of the 41st Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2008), 2008. [7] Project GOALS Evaluates 100 Pages in Higher Education for Accessibility Against Section 508 Standard, NCDAE Newsletter, April 2008. Retrieved: http://ncdae.org/community/newsletter/april2008/ [8] I. Elaine Allen and Jeff Seaman, Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United States, 2009, Babson Survey Research Group, January 2010. Retrieved at: http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/pdf/learningondemand.pdf [9] http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/03/09/one-step-closer-full-access [10] Purchasing of Accessible Electronic Resources Resolution, American Library Association, July 15, 2009. Retrieved at: http://bbi.syr.edu/events/2009/docs/Purchasing_Accessible_ Electronic_Resources_Resolution_revised_52.doc. [11] Letter to Eve Hill from Martin Gomez, August 31, 2009. http://www.readingrights.org/477 [12] Bill McCoy, Adobe eBooks - Update on Accessibility Support, October 8, 2009. http://blogs.adobe.com/billmccoy/2009/10/adobe-ebooks--.html [13] National Federation of the Blind and Blackboard to Demonstrate New Accessibility Features at CSUN, March 25, 2010. http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=566 [14] http://www.broadband.gov/plan/executive-summary/ (“National Broadband Plan”). [15] Id. [16] National Broadband Plan at 181 (“Addressing Issues of Accessibility for Broadband Adoption and Utilization”). From joramsey at cox.net Fri May 7 07:13:13 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 03:13:13 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader Mobile At NFB National Convention In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <0E0714D8BF3E42109D2E4D699C892191@noneeb869fea9a> Hello, Does anyone know a vendor who still sells the WayFinder GPS Software? If so, please send me the contact information. Cordially, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michael Hingson (by way of David Andrews) Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 8:29 PM To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader Mobile At NFB National Convention Hello everyone, Once again this year the NFB and The Michael Hingson Group, Inc. will be selling the KnfbReader Mobile at our National convention. We want to help you with your purchase should you wish to buy a Reader at the convention. First, we will have plenty of KnfbReader Mobile systems available with either the Nokia N82 or the N86 hardware. Second, all systems will be configured and ready to activate. We will be happy to activate software for you in the exhibit hall when you purchase your KnfbReader Mobile. Third, once again we shall be utilizing the NFB %3 low interest technology loan as a way to help you buy a KnfbReader Mobile should you not wish to use cash or a credit card to make your purchase directly at the convention. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to approve and fund loans at the convention. The chair of the Loan Fund committee has told me that due to time constraints the committee will not be able to meet and approve loans during the convention. If you may be planning on using the loan fund to purchase a KnfbReader at the convention I would like to urge you to complete an application now rather than waiting until July. If your application is approved you can simply order the Reader from us for delivery at the convention which will save shipping charges. A link to the online loan application is available at http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com near the bottom of the page. In the field asking for the name of your dealer simply enter the words "NFB convention" should you plan to pick up your Reader at the convention. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of completing the application now should you wish to use the loan fund to purchase a KnfbReader Mobile. Curtis Chong, chair of the Loan Fund Committee tells me that any applications completed by late May should be funded by the convention. The sooner you complete the application the faster your loan will be completed. We cannot provide Readers to anyone who has not gone through the entire loan process and had their loan funded. We shall be ready to help anyone complete an application at the convention, but there will be a delay in you receiving your KnfbReader Mobile. Fourth, we will again be ready to answer any support questions of current users as well as helping you with any issues you may have. Representatives of KNFB Technologies will also be on hand to answer your questions. Finally, we are presently working on having a Reader users meeting sometime early in the convention. More details will follow on this when they become available. If anyone has any questions or wishes more information about the Reader please call me at (415) 827-4084 or email me at info at michaelhingson.com. Please tell your friends and anyone you know about how they can see this great technology at the NFB convention. All of us on the KnfbReader team look forward to serving you. Thank you for your support. Best, Michael Hingson The Michael Hingson Group, INC. "Speaking with Vision" Michael Hingson, President (415) 827-4084 info at michaelhingson.com www.michaelhingson.com for info on the new KNFB Reader Mobile, visit: http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com http://michaelhingson.com/images/knfbReader-michael_hingson.jpg __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 5089 (20100505) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From goldflash9 at sbcglobal.net Fri May 7 12:48:35 2010 From: goldflash9 at sbcglobal.net (Sarah Clark) Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 05:48:35 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> Message-ID: <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> Hi Roger, The KNFB Reader is quite effective. I have the mobile version, and expected that it would be useful, but its accuracy surprised me. In my experience, at least in so far as reading letters and other similar documents which contain paragraphs of text, it seems to be every bit as accurate as the regular Kurzweil or Abbyy OCR software. Soon after I received it, I was reading something with it and my husband walked into the room, overheard it reading, and was blown away on how well it had recognized the text. I've also used it to read receipts and check cooking directions on packages. Other than that, I haven't had much extensive use with it, so can't comment on how it would handle tables and other things that are specially formmatted. But if its OCR with letters, etc is any indication, it would seem that it would handle the specially formatted items as well as Kursweil does. Sarah ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Baccus" To: Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:36 PM Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like > it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? > > > http://www.rogerbaccus.com > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/goldflash9%40sbcglobal.net From mike.sandi at att.net Fri May 7 14:52:06 2010 From: mike.sandi at att.net (Michael Groat) Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 07:52:06 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> Message-ID: <4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> Roger, I have a KNFB Reader along with two of my friends. We all enjoy using it. There is a slight learning curve, but the rewards are well worth it. I have used it to read documents, restaurant menus, etc. I demonstrated it to my Low Vision Specialist. She gave me a small box, about 1 by 3 inches with very small writing on it. She was totally surprised that it was able to read the very small lettering. Michael -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sarah Clark Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 5:49 AM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hi Roger, The KNFB Reader is quite effective. I have the mobile version, and expected that it would be useful, but its accuracy surprised me. In my experience, at least in so far as reading letters and other similar documents which contain paragraphs of text, it seems to be every bit as accurate as the regular Kurzweil or Abbyy OCR software. Soon after I received it, I was reading something with it and my husband walked into the room, overheard it reading, and was blown away on how well it had recognized the text. I've also used it to read receipts and check cooking directions on packages. Other than that, I haven't had much extensive use with it, so can't comment on how it would handle tables and other things that are specially formmatted. But if its OCR with letters, etc is any indication, it would seem that it would handle the specially formatted items as well as Kursweil does. Sarah ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Baccus" To: Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:36 PM Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like > it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? > > http://www.rogerbaccus.com > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/goldflash9%40sbcgl obal.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mike.sandi%40att.n et From garymelc at msn.com Fri May 7 20:03:24 2010 From: garymelc at msn.com (gary melconian) Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 13:03:24 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] your help is needed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hello scot, how are you doing. I will be looking at law school for the 2011 or 2012 year in California. I may either look at either online or traditional since I am already in my area of profession and I just need to have law as more enhancement to my areas of expertise in accounting and fiannce. I have contacted you at your office but I did not get an answer so I left a voice mail. I look forward to being able to help out. Sincerely Yours: Gary Melconian, MBA Cell: 818-731-3949 -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Scott C. LaBarre Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:41 AM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list; NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: [blindlaw] your help is needed Greetings: We are interested in talking to any blind/visually impaired college students who wish or plan to go to law school and who will be taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). However, our needs are even more specific than that. The student needs to be a California resident and planning to attend a California law school. Secondarily, we would like to talk to students who may not be a California resident but do wish/plan to attend a California law school. Please contact me at the below information. Thanks, Scott C. LaBarre, Esq. LaBarre Law Offices P.C. 1660 South Albion Street, Ste. 918 Denver, Colorado 80222 303 504-5979 (voice) 303 757-3640 (fax) slabarre at labarrelaw.com (e-mail) www.labarrelaw.com (website) CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the designated recipient, you may not read, copy, distribute or retain this message. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender at 303) 504-5979 or slabarre at labarrelaw.com, and destroy and delete it from your system. This message and any attachments are covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521. _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/garymelc%40msn.com From stevep.deeley at insightbb.com Fri May 7 22:39:11 2010 From: stevep.deeley at insightbb.com (Steve P. Deeley) Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 18:39:11 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> <4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> Message-ID: What is the cost of the device? Steve ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Groat" To: "'Roger Baccus'" ; "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 10:52 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Roger, > I have a KNFB Reader along with two of my friends. We all enjoy using it. > There is a slight learning curve, but the rewards are well worth it. I > have > used it to read documents, restaurant menus, etc. > > I demonstrated it to my Low Vision Specialist. She gave me a small box, > about 1 by 3 inches with very small writing on it. She was totally > surprised that it was able to read the very small lettering. > > Michael > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Sarah Clark > Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 5:49 AM > To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > Hi Roger, > The KNFB Reader is quite effective. I have the mobile version, and > expected > > that it would be useful, but its accuracy surprised me. In my experience, > at least in so far as reading letters and other similar documents which > contain paragraphs of text, it seems to be every bit as accurate as the > regular Kurzweil or Abbyy OCR software. Soon after I received it, I was > reading something with it and my husband walked into the room, overheard > it > reading, and was blown away on how well it had recognized the text. I've > also used it to read receipts and check cooking directions on packages. > Other than that, I haven't had much extensive use with it, so can't > comment > on how it would handle tables and other things that are specially > formmatted. But if its OCR with letters, etc is any indication, it would > seem that it would handle the specially formatted items as well as > Kursweil > does. > > Sarah > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Roger Baccus" > To: > Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:36 PM > Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > >> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like >> it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >> >> > http://www.rogerbaccus.com >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/goldflash9%40sbcgl > obal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mike.sandi%40att.n > et > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/stevep.deeley%40insightbb.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2859 - Release Date: 05/07/10 02:26:00 -------------- next part -------------- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2859 - Release Date: 05/07/10 02:26:00 From ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com Sun May 9 01:12:43 2010 From: ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com (Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.) Date: Sat, 8 May 2010 19:12:43 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus><00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2><4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> Message-ID: Steve, the KNFB Reader for the Symbian phones is $995; occasionally, special prices are offered. Some folks sell theirs on the blindness-related buy and sell mailing lists for a lot less. The price given above DOES NOT include the cost of the phone on which you can use the reader. If you add the phone's cost, you can expect to pay close to $1,300 or a bit more. Sincerely, Olusegun Denver, Colorado From dandrews at visi.com Sun May 9 03:06:05 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Sat, 08 May 2010 22:06:05 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader Mobile At NFB National Convention In-Reply-To: <0E0714D8BF3E42109D2E4D699C892191@noneeb869fea9a> References: <0E0714D8BF3E42109D2E4D699C892191@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: Even if you can still buy it, it is doubtful as to whether or not you would want to. The maker has announced they are discontinuing support in the near future. There are those who are negotiating to have the product continued in some manner, but the jury is still out. For most people, Points of Interest stopped working a couple weeks ago, and for me, as of a couple days ago, everything stopped working. So, it may already be gone! Dave At 02:13 AM 5/7/2010, you wrote: >Hello, >Does anyone know a vendor who still sells the WayFinder GPS Software? If so, >please send me the contact information. >Cordially, >John From rogerbaccus at gmail.com Sun May 9 10:35:26 2010 From: rogerbaccus at gmail.com (Roger Baccus) Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 06:35:26 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> Message-ID: <0EA994957C3047858C9CE30A70854F93@rogerbaccus> My counselor feels that it is a good thing to have. However, she does not see it as essential for my job. I can't come up with impelling reasons to justify it. I am sure that Although I don't possess OpenBook or equivalent, I do have access to scan material at work. Here is the response from rehab. *** Roger, I appreciate your request for a KNFB Reader but I'm still not clear on what print would need to be read while you are at a conference or other venue. Would you be given new printed material without explanation? Do you have a scanner and software (like Open Book) that you are using now at ULVA and/or at home to access printed material? Also, if you are at a conference and given information (such as would be on a business card or brochure) could you keep it to scan at the office? If someone is giving you information at a conference you can put it right into the MPower including contact names and phone numbers or you could save their business card to scan and save later at work right? If you are listening to a presentation at a conference you can record the notes in the MPower. The hand-outs at conferences are usually the same information that is presented verbally and could be scanned and saved when back at the office. I agree that shopping without access to print is a little more challenging but we have to relate it to a work need. I'm trying to figure out if using the Mpower and existing equipment if you can find a way to accommodate. Can you give me more explanation? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah Clark" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 8:48 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Hi Roger, > The KNFB Reader is quite effective. I have the mobile version, and > expected that it would be useful, but its accuracy surprised me. In my > experience, at least in so far as reading letters and other similar > documents which contain paragraphs of text, it seems to be every bit as > accurate as the regular Kurzweil or Abbyy OCR software. Soon after I > received it, I was reading something with it and my husband walked into > the room, overheard it reading, and was blown away on how well it had > recognized the text. I've also used it to read receipts and check cooking > directions on packages. > Other than that, I haven't had much extensive use with it, so can't > comment on how it would handle tables and other things that are specially > formmatted. But if its OCR with letters, etc is any indication, it would > seem that it would handle the specially formatted items as well as > Kursweil does. > > Sarah > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Roger Baccus" > To: > Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:36 PM > Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > >> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like >> it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >> >> >> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/goldflash9%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rogerbaccus%40gmail.com From r.g.munro at gmail.com Sun May 9 14:42:42 2010 From: r.g.munro at gmail.com (Robert Munro) Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 10:42:42 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <0EA994957C3047858C9CE30A70854F93@rogerbaccus> References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> <0EA994957C3047858C9CE30A70854F93@rogerbaccus> Message-ID: <2DE10DA9-E1E3-4963-935C-41B652068185@gmail.com> How about being handed documents at the last minute in court or at a negotiation or board meeting? Also, meeting with a client who has not prepaired in advance: having the KNFB Reader would let you read any documents the client had quickly, rather than having the client read them or having to wait until you got back to the office. On May 9, 2010, at 6:35 AM, Roger Baccus wrote: > My counselor feels that it is a good thing to have. However, she does not see it as essential for my job. I can't come up with impelling reasons to justify it. I am sure that Although I don't possess OpenBook or equivalent, I do have access to scan material at work. > > Here is the response from rehab. > > *** > > Roger, > > > > I appreciate your request for a KNFB Reader but I'm still not clear on what print would need to be read while you are at a conference or other venue. Would you be given new printed material without explanation? Do you have a scanner and software (like Open Book) that you are using now at ULVA and/or at home to access printed material? Also, if you are at a conference and given information (such as would be on a business card or brochure) could you keep it to scan at the office? If someone is giving you information at a conference you can put it right into the MPower including contact names and phone numbers or you could save their business card to scan and save later at work right? If you are listening to a presentation at a conference you can record the notes in the MPower. The hand-outs at conferences are usually the same information that is presented verbally and could be scanned and saved when back at the office. I agree that shopping without access to print is a little more challenging but we have to relate it to a work need. I'm trying to figure out if using the Mpower and existing equipment if you can find a way to accommodate. Can you give me more explanation? > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah Clark" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 8:48 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > >> Hi Roger, >> The KNFB Reader is quite effective. I have the mobile version, and expected that it would be useful, but its accuracy surprised me. In my experience, at least in so far as reading letters and other similar documents which contain paragraphs of text, it seems to be every bit as accurate as the regular Kurzweil or Abbyy OCR software. Soon after I received it, I was reading something with it and my husband walked into the room, overheard it reading, and was blown away on how well it had recognized the text. I've also used it to read receipts and check cooking directions on packages. >> Other than that, I haven't had much extensive use with it, so can't comment on how it would handle tables and other things that are specially formmatted. But if its OCR with letters, etc is any indication, it would seem that it would handle the specially formatted items as well as Kursweil does. >> >> Sarah >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Baccus" >> To: >> Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:36 PM >> Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? >> >> >>> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >>> >>> >>> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >>> _______________________________________________ >>> blindlaw mailing list >>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/goldflash9%40sbcglobal.net >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rogerbaccus%40gmail.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/r.g.munro%40gmail.com From stevep.deeley at insightbb.com Sun May 9 16:07:54 2010 From: stevep.deeley at insightbb.com (Steve P. Deeley) Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 12:07:54 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> <00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2> <4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> Message-ID: <94BBA24812EA4974A560B27B9EBEA173@StevePC> Thank you. That sounds reasonable. What cell phone service can you use with this reader? Steve Steve ----- Original Message ----- From: "Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc." To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 9:12 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Steve, the KNFB Reader for the Symbian phones is $995; occasionally, > special > prices are offered. Some folks sell theirs on the blindness-related buy > and > sell mailing lists for a lot less. > > The price given above DOES NOT include the cost of the phone on which you > can use the reader. If you add the phone's cost, you can expect to pay > close to $1,300 or a bit more. > > Sincerely, > Olusegun > Denver, Colorado > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/stevep.deeley%40insightbb.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2861 - Release Date: 05/08/10 02:26:00 -------------- next part -------------- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2861 - Release Date: 05/08/10 02:26:00 From cathrynisfinally at verizon.net Sun May 9 20:26:23 2010 From: cathrynisfinally at verizon.net (Cathryn Bonnette) Date: Sun, 09 May 2010 16:26:23 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus><00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2><4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> Message-ID: <5CC2A076997A4D1881D8CA9299D7E820@14bd0130080a469> Hello- I'm Cathryn, and I'm just figuring out that I sort of skipped the introduction phase and just started on this list. Anyway, however belatedly, I lost the last of my eye sight about 4 years ago, close to completing grad school. I'm still figuring out all of the consequences of living in a very different world. I had experienced partial sight previously, and began working with guide dogs years ago. My current partner is a 50 lb. shepherd who transitioned beautifully from being an easy going "California girl" to dealing with grid lock at rush hour in Washington DC. I definitely used every bit of vision I had as long as possible. Relearning everything is a challenge, and slow going. OK, sorry if this is too long. I'm just wondering what "blindness-related buy and sell mailing lists" are (?) Could someone provide some examples. I would consider getting one of these readers if the price was lower. Thanks in advance for responding. Cathryn (& Abby) -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc. Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 9:13 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Steve, the KNFB Reader for the Symbian phones is $995; occasionally, special prices are offered. Some folks sell theirs on the blindness-related buy and sell mailing lists for a lot less. The price given above DOES NOT include the cost of the phone on which you can use the reader. If you add the phone's cost, you can expect to pay close to $1,300 or a bit more. Sincerely, Olusegun Denver, Colorado _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathrynisfinally%4 0verizon.net No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2859 - Release Date: 05/08/10 18:26:00 From dravant at ameritech.net Sun May 9 22:55:37 2010 From: dravant at ameritech.net (denise avant) Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 17:55:37 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Message-ID: <001001caefca$bd903fa0$38b0bee0$@net> Hello, I have a knfb reader. Sometimes, when you go to conferences, there are unexpected handouts that need to be read. If you had a reader, you could snap the picture, and have it in real time along with your sighted colleagues. If you're traveling to a hotel because of a conference, and don't have sighted assistance in your room, you use the mobile reader to find out what print materials are there. These are job related activities. Why should you have to hunt down someone to read to you on the spot if there is a portable solution that can help? The braillenote, which I have is good, but it cannot substitute when you need material read to you on the spot. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Roger Baccus Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 5:35 AM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Cc: R B Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? My counselor feels that it is a good thing to have. However, she does not see it as essential for my job. I can't come up with impelling reasons to justify it. I am sure that Although I don't possess OpenBook or equivalent, I do have access to scan material at work. Here is the response from rehab. *** Roger, I appreciate your request for a KNFB Reader but I'm still not clear on what print would need to be read while you are at a conference or other venue. Would you be given new printed material without explanation? Do you have a scanner and software (like Open Book) that you are using now at ULVA and/or at home to access printed material? Also, if you are at a conference and given information (such as would be on a business card or brochure) could you keep it to scan at the office? If someone is giving you information at a conference you can put it right into the MPower including contact names and phone numbers or you could save their business card to scan and save later at work right? If you are listening to a presentation at a conference you can record the notes in the MPower. The hand-outs at conferences are usually the same information that is presented verbally and could be scanned and saved when back at the office. I agree that shopping without access to print is a little more challenging but we have to relate it to a work need. I'm trying to figure out if using the Mpower and existing equipment if you can find a way to accommodate. Can you give me more explanation? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah Clark" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 8:48 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Hi Roger, > The KNFB Reader is quite effective. I have the mobile version, and > expected that it would be useful, but its accuracy surprised me. In my > experience, at least in so far as reading letters and other similar > documents which contain paragraphs of text, it seems to be every bit as > accurate as the regular Kurzweil or Abbyy OCR software. Soon after I > received it, I was reading something with it and my husband walked into > the room, overheard it reading, and was blown away on how well it had > recognized the text. I've also used it to read receipts and check cooking > directions on packages. > Other than that, I haven't had much extensive use with it, so can't > comment on how it would handle tables and other things that are specially > formmatted. But if its OCR with letters, etc is any indication, it would > seem that it would handle the specially formatted items as well as > Kursweil does. > > Sarah > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Roger Baccus" > To: > Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 5:36 PM > Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > >> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like >> it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >> >> >> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/goldflash9%40sbcgl obal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rogerbaccus%40gmai l.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dravant%40ameritec h.net From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 9 23:33:47 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 16:33:47 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <5CC2A076997A4D1881D8CA9299D7E820@14bd0130080a469> References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus><00be01caede3$9b91e770$6701a8c0@computer2><4E514A47A73F47B788DF3C71CC579BD8@PUTTPUTT> <5CC2A076997A4D1881D8CA9299D7E820@14bd0130080a469> Message-ID: <31973121CB5B4120A13629FCD3569C14@spike> Actually while the price of the KNFB reader is high there are ways to finance it through the NFB so you don't have to run up credit card bills. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathryn Bonnette" To: "'Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.'" ; "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 1:26 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Hello- > I'm Cathryn, and I'm just figuring out that I sort of skipped the > introduction phase and just started on this list. Anyway, however > belatedly, I lost the last of my eye sight about 4 years ago, close to > completing grad school. I'm still figuring out all of the consequences of > living in a very different world. I had experienced partial sight > previously, and began working with guide dogs years ago. My current > partner > is a 50 lb. shepherd who transitioned beautifully from being an easy going > "California girl" to dealing with grid lock at rush hour in Washington DC. > I > definitely used every bit of vision I had as long as possible. Relearning > everything is a challenge, and slow going. > OK, sorry if this is too long. I'm just wondering what "blindness-related > buy and sell mailing lists" are (?) Could someone provide some examples. > I > would consider getting one of these readers if the price was lower. > > Thanks in advance for responding. > > Cathryn (& Abby) > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc. > Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 9:13 PM > To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > Steve, the KNFB Reader for the Symbian phones is $995; occasionally, > special > > prices are offered. Some folks sell theirs on the blindness-related buy > and > > sell mailing lists for a lot less. > > The price given above DOES NOT include the cost of the phone on which you > can use the reader. If you add the phone's cost, you can expect to pay > close to $1,300 or a bit more. > > Sincerely, > Olusegun > Denver, Colorado > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathrynisfinally%4 > 0verizon.net > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2859 - Release Date: 05/08/10 > 18:26:00 > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 9 23:52:29 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 16:52:29 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Department of Labor releases on line tool to understand nondiscrimination under disability laws Message-ID: US Labor Department helps employers understand responsibilities under disability nondiscrimination laws News Release OASP News Release: [05/04/2010] Contact Name: Lina Garcia Phone Number: (202) 693-4661 Release Number: 10-0562-NAT New online tool helps further equality and full access for people with disabilities WASHINGTON ?? The U.S. Department of Labor today unveiled a new tool to help America's employers ensure their employment policies and practices do not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities. "Today, we made it easier for employers of all sizes to access the talents of the 36 million Americans with disabilities, " said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez. "By providing this interactive and easy-to-use online tool, both workers and employers can readily access and understand their rights and responsibilities under our federal disability nondiscrimination laws." The online Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor, available at http://www.dol.gov/elaws/ odep.htm, helps employers quickly and simply determine which federal disability nondiscrimination laws apply to their business or organization and their responsibilities under them. It asks users to answer a few relevant questions in order to take into account relevant variables, such as nature of organization, size of staff and whether the business or organization receives federal financial assistance. Based on the responses provided, the advisor then generates a customized list of federal disability nondiscrimination laws that likely apply, along with easy-to-understand information about employers' responsibilities under them. The laws addressed by the Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor include: Titles I and II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (as it pertains to federal financial assistance) Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended The Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended The advisor also can help employees, job applicants and people applying for or participating in federally funded programs learn more about their rights under these laws. In addition, it includes a Guide on Employing People with Disabilities that outlines resources available to help employers comply with disability nondiscrimination laws. The Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor is one of a series of Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses, or "elaws," Advisors developed by the Labor Department's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, working with other department agencies, to help employers and employees understand federal employment laws. To access this set of advisors, visit the elaws website at http://www.dol.gov/elaws/. To learn more about the Labor Department's efforts to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities, visit http://www.dol. gov/odep. From joramsey at cox.net Mon May 10 06:26:05 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 02:26:05 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <5CC2A076997A4D1881D8CA9299D7E820@14bd0130080a469> Message-ID: <1FDE88FD52684712B77832AD1743F582@noneeb869fea9a> Hi Katherine, There is a blind assistive aids site called blind attic If that is not correct maybe someone on the list will be able to correct me. Also, thank you for the introduction. What program are you doing in grad school? Take care, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cathryn Bonnette Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 4:26 PM To: 'Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.'; 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List' Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hello- I'm Cathryn, and I'm just figuring out that I sort of skipped the introduction phase and just started on this list. Anyway, however belatedly, I lost the last of my eye sight about 4 years ago, close to completing grad school. I'm still figuring out all of the consequences of living in a very different world. I had experienced partial sight previously, and began working with guide dogs years ago. My current partner is a 50 lb. shepherd who transitioned beautifully from being an easy going "California girl" to dealing with grid lock at rush hour in Washington DC. I definitely used every bit of vision I had as long as possible. Relearning everything is a challenge, and slow going. OK, sorry if this is too long. I'm just wondering what "blindness-related buy and sell mailing lists" are (?) Could someone provide some examples. I would consider getting one of these readers if the price was lower. Thanks in advance for responding. Cathryn (& Abby) -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc. Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 9:13 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Steve, the KNFB Reader for the Symbian phones is $995; occasionally, special prices are offered. Some folks sell theirs on the blindness-related buy and sell mailing lists for a lot less. The price given above DOES NOT include the cost of the phone on which you can use the reader. If you add the phone's cost, you can expect to pay close to $1,300 or a bit more. Sincerely, Olusegun Denver, Colorado _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathrynisfinally%4 0verizon.net No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2859 - Release Date: 05/08/10 18:26:00 _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From mtarley at gmail.com Mon May 10 18:49:14 2010 From: mtarley at gmail.com (M T) Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 14:49:14 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> References: <653168BEBE7242AA918820C3F87047FE@rogerbaccus> Message-ID: Hello Roger, I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have my own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB Reader in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them while in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It offers another level of independence and shows others that there is nothing that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you can adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish you luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, perhaps in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would be glad to help you. Best of luck. Michelle On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus wrote: > How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? > > > http://www.rogerbaccus.com > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gmail.com > -- Michelle Tarley, Esq. Attorney At Law "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing” -- Helen Keller From ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com Mon May 10 19:35:17 2010 From: ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com (Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.) Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 13:35:17 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <1FDE88FD52684712B77832AD1743F582@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: <49B2BA65C58D41BA8677B567B2BE0902@valtd> Hello Roger: If you are at a conference and there is a need for you to be able to identify paper money, it is my understanding that the KNFB Reader will work for this purpose as well. I don't have the reader and as such I can't put it through its paces in this regard. However, I've read on other mailing lists that folks have been able to use it to identify paper money and even their hotel room numbers. There are other similar technologies competing with the KNFB Reader. One is the BeyoCBS Reader from Britain. I've NOT READ ANY GOOD REVIEWS on it though. I don't recall the name of the third competitor, but, I do recall that it is a reader that sends info to a server of some kind. In that wise, it is NOT AS ROBUST as the KNFB Reader me thinks. Sincerely, Olusegun Denver, Coloradodo From joramsey at cox.net Tue May 11 09:58:05 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 05:58:05 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Hello Michelle, Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to get one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am very interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and awkward when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software package please let me know. Cordially, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of M T Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hello Roger, I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have my own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB Reader in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them while in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It offers another level of independence and shows others that there is nothing that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you can adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish you luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, perhaps in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would be glad to help you. Best of luck. Michelle On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus wrote: > How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I > like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? > > > http://www.rogerbaccus.com > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm > ail.com > -- Michelle Tarley, Esq. Attorney At Law "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" -- Helen Keller _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From dravant at ameritech.net Tue May 11 12:29:42 2010 From: dravant at ameritech.net (denise avant) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 07:29:42 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: <002a01caf105$a242d5a0$e6c880e0$@net> Hello, The wayfinder access gps software is no longer being supported. So you may want to rethink that one. For example, do you have a braillenote or a pacmate. Both have gps solutions. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of John Ramsey Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 4:58 AM To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List' Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hello Michelle, Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to get one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am very interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and awkward when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software package please let me know. Cordially, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of M T Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hello Roger, I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have my own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB Reader in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them while in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It offers another level of independence and shows others that there is nothing that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you can adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish you luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, perhaps in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would be glad to help you. Best of luck. Michelle On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus wrote: > How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I > like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? > > > http://www.rogerbaccus.com > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm > ail.com > -- Michelle Tarley, Esq. Attorney At Law "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" -- Helen Keller _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dravant%40ameritec h.net From mike.sandi at att.net Tue May 11 15:11:19 2010 From: mike.sandi at att.net (Michael Groat) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 08:11:19 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: <0CDBE9912BDC442E86B3D3E86BA96D1C@PUTTPUTT> John, I would suggest contacting Michael at: http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com/ He should be able to give you some assistance Michael -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of John Ramsey Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 2:58 AM To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List' Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hello Michelle, Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to get one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am very interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and awkward when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software package please let me know. Cordially, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of M T Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? Hello Roger, I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have my own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB Reader in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them while in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It offers another level of independence and shows others that there is nothing that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you can adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish you luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, perhaps in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would be glad to help you. Best of luck. Michelle On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus wrote: > How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I > like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? > > > http://www.rogerbaccus.com > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm > ail.com > -- Michelle Tarley, Esq. Attorney At Law "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" -- Helen Keller _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mike.sandi%40att.n et From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Tue May 11 15:19:46 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 08:19:46 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: the Wayfinder has been discontinued and is no longer supported as its manufacturer was bought out by another company. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ramsey" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 2:58 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Hello Michelle, > Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to get > one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a > vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am very > interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and awkward > when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. > I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional > appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of > these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software > package please let me know. > Cordially, > John > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of M T > Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM > To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > > Hello Roger, > I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in > everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have > my > own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the > barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and > giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB > Reader > in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then > and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. > This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more > efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is > extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take > saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them > while > in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It > offers another level of independence and shows others that there is > nothing > that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you > can > adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information > faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that > the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge > difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish > you > luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, > perhaps > in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would > be > glad to help you. Best of luck. > > Michelle > > > On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus > wrote: >> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I >> like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >> >> >> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm >> ail.com >> > > > > -- > Michelle Tarley, Esq. > Attorney At Law > > "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" > -- Helen Keller > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Tue May 11 15:48:28 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 10:48:28 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Attorney Vacancies at the U.S. Department of Justice Message-ID: From: jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Maurer, Patricia Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 10:14 AM To: jobs at nfbnet.org Subject: [Jobs] FW: Attorney Vacancies at the U.S. Department of Justice ________________________________ From: Ross, Rae N [mailto:raeross at usdoj.gov] Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 11:54 AM To: 'nedy at wyjlaw.com'; 'newmedia at ja.org'; 'Neysas at dnfsb.gov'; Maurer, Patricia; 'nijc at aol.com'; 'nlove at opd.state.md.us'; 'nmcconnell at jackscamp.com'; 'noconnell at tabinc.org'; 'noryrp at cox.net'; 'nromulus at gmail.com'; 'ntb at boglechang.com'; 'nwpatton at law.stanford.edu'; 'ocaaba at cox.net'; 'omanager at lawyerscomm.org'; 'palsd at hotmail.com'; 'patel at fr.com'; 'pchanster at yahoo.com'; 'pchapman at koonz.com'; 'pgrewal at daycasebeer.com'; 'pkim at lordbissell.com'; Maurer, Patricia; 'pmorrison at state.wv.us'; 'poppy.johnston at unlv.edu'; 'president at abaw.org' Subject: Attorney Vacancies at the U.S. Department of Justice To learn more about our attorneys and what they like most about working at DOJ, please visit our attorney profiles at, http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/arm/profiles.htm, and the video clips of our attorneys and interns available at https://www.avuedigitalservices.com/ads/jobsatdojoarm/index.jsp We encourage you to share this email with interested colleagues and peers. If you no longer wish to receive these periodic email announcements, please respond to this email address and ask to be removed from our mailing list. Thank you. Current Department of Justice Attorney Vacancies The purpose of this email is to advise potential interested persons of employment opportunities at the Department of Justice. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of this information. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information. Current Department of Justice Attorney Vacancies * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA ALEXANDRIA OFFICE 10-EDVA-10 Positions are open until filled, but resumes must be received by May 17, 2010. Date posted: 05-07-2010 * U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION, VOTING SECTION DEPUTY CHIEF, GS-15 CLOSING DATE: May 19, 2010 10-ATT-016 CLOSING DATE: May 19, 2010 Date posted: 05-07-2010 * SPECIAL ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WESTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN GRAND RAPIDS OFFICE Your cover letter and resume must be received in our office by 5:00 p.m. June 1, 2010. Date posted: 05-07-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DISTRICT OF NEVADA ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 10-NV-07-AUSA OPENS: 05/07/2010 CLOSES: 05/21/2010 Date posted: 05-07-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK BROOKLYN, NEW YORK Position(s) open until filled. Date posted: 05-06-2010 * U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR U.S. TRUSTEES WASHINGTON, D.C. (6) EXPERIENCED TRIAL ATTORNEYS, (SPECIAL LITIGATION) CIVIL ENFORCEMENT, GS-905-13/14/15 ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 10-19-14002 Applications must be postmarked by the closing date of May 21, 2010. Date posted: 05-06-2010 * U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR U.S. TRUSTEES WASHINGTON, D.C. (3) EXPERIENCED TRIAL ATTORNEYS, (SPECIAL LITIGATION) CHAPTER 11, GS-905-13/14/15 ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 10-19-14001 Applications must be postmarked by the closing date of May 21, 2010. Date posted: 05-06-2010 * U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS INDIAN, VIOLENT, AND CYBER CRIME STAFF ATTORNEY-ADVISOR, GS-0905-15 VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NO:10-EOUSA-12 Open: 5/6/2010 Close: 5/21/2010 Date posted: 05-06-2010 * SUPERVISORY ATTORNEY ADVISOR (EEO) EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR IMMIGRATION REVIEW (Falls Church, VA) VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: EOIR-10-0111 Applications received after June 02, 2010 will not be considered. Date posted: 05-06-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA 10-GAN-AUSA-02 Applications must be received by May 19, 2010. Date posted: 05-06-2010 * ATTORNEY VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: 10-SDMS-02(AUSA) MAY 5, 2010 All applications/resumes should be postmarked no later than May 12, 2010. Date posted: 05-05-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY (CRIMINAL) UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DISTRICT OF WYOMING LANDER, WYOMING VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 10-WY-003 Applications must be postmarked or hand-delivered by 5:00 p.m., Mountain Time, on Friday, May 28, 2010. Date posted: 05-05-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 10-SDTX-06 The position is open until filled. The initial cutoff date for receipt of applications is May 21, 2010. 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Date posted: 04-30-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS Our hiring process is open and continuous. Date posted: 04-30-2010 * U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ACCESS TO JUSTICE INITIATIVE DEPUTY COUNSELOR FOR ACCESS TO JUSTICE, GS-0905-15 ANNOUNCEMENT: A2J ATY-0110 The position will remain open until filled, but applications must be submitted no later than May 5, 2010. Date posted: 04-30-2010 * U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CRIMINAL DIVISION ASSET FORFEITURE AND MONEY LAUNDERING SECTION EXPERIENCED TRIAL ATTORNEY, GS-15 ANNOUNCEMENT # 10-CRM-AFMLS-023 All applications must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time, May 25, 2010. Applications received after that date will not be considered for the first cut off. Should the position not be filled during the first cut-off a second cut-off will occur at 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time, June 25, 2010. Date posted: 04-30-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA 10-EDVA-09 Positions are open until filled, but resumes must be received by May 12, 2010. Date posted: 04-29-2010 * U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION & PRIVACY ACT STAFF ATTORNEY-ADVISOR, GS-0905-14/15 VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NO: 10-EOUSA-14 Open: April 29, 2010 Close: May 20, 2010 Date posted: 04-29-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON SEATTLE, WASHINGTON VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: 10-WDWA-AUSA-08 (CRIMINAL) Applications will be accepted through May 13, 2010. Date posted: 04-29-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON SEATTLE, WASHINGTON VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: 10-WDWA-AUSA-07 (CRIMINAL) Applications will be accepted through May 13, 2010. Date posted: 04-29-2010 * DEPUTY CHIEF, ES-905 APPELLATE SECTION CRIMINAL DIVISION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON, DC ANNOUNCEMENT #: 10-CRM-SES-05 All applications (including Mailed applications) MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM EST on May 25, 2010. Date posted: 04-29-2010 * ATTORNEY-ADVISOR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL WASHINGTON, D.C. Application Deadline is May 21, 2010 Date posted: 04-28-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA 10-WDVA-AUSA-02 TERM APPOINTMENT: NOT TO EXCEED ONE YEAR Applications must be received by 5:00PM Tuesday, May 4, 2010. Date posted: 04-28-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA ALEXANDRIA OFFICE 10-EDVA-08 Positions are open until filled, but resumes must be received by May 7, 2010. Date posted: 04-28-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WESTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK 10-WDNY-011 Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, with a first cut-off date of May 12, 2010. Date posted: 04-27-2010 * U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS GENERAL COUNSEL'S OFFICE ATTORNEY ADVISOR, GS-0905-15 VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NO: 10-EOUSA-010 OPEN: 04/27/2010 CLOSE: 05/11/2010 Date posted: 04-27-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA RICHMOND OFFICE 10-EDVA-07 Positions are open until filled, but resumes must be received by May 7, 2010. Date posted: 04-26-2010 * ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA ALEXANDRIA OFFICE 10-EDVA-06 Positions are open until filled, but resumes must be received by May 7, 2010. Date posted: 04-26-2010 * UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ACCESS TO JUSTICE INITIATIVE ATTORNEY ADVISOR, GS-0905-13 to GS-15 ANNOUNCEMENT: A2J ATY-0310 The position will remain open until filled, but applications must be submitted no later than May 1, 2010. Date posted: 04-26-2010 -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ Jobs mailing list Jobs at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/jobs_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Jobs: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/jobs_nfbnet.org/noel.nightingale%40ed.gov From stevep.deeley at insightbb.com Tue May 11 16:56:12 2010 From: stevep.deeley at insightbb.com (Steve P. Deeley) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 12:56:12 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: <6D5233236BA340F493940D9C2C935580@StevePC> If you buy the reader, does it come with a cell phone or is that separate? Steve ----- Original Message ----- From: To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 11:19 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > the Wayfinder has been discontinued and is no longer supported as its > manufacturer was bought out by another company. > Chuck > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Ramsey" > To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" > Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 2:58 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > >> Hello Michelle, >> Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to >> get >> one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a >> vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am >> very >> interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and >> awkward >> when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. >> I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional >> appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of >> these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software >> package please let me know. >> Cordially, >> John >> >> John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. >> >> P.O. Box 6063 >> >> Gainesville, FL 32627 >> >> Phone: (352) 505-6642 >> >> Fax: (352) 240-6453 >> >> This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or >> legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or >> entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication >> in >> error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated >> printed >> materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be >> aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this >> communication or the information it contains may result in criminal >> and/or >> civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, >> John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are >> uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to >> communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) >> 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that >> email >> messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our >> control. Thank you. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On >> Behalf Of M T >> Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM >> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List >> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? >> >> >> Hello Roger, >> I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in >> everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have >> my >> own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the >> barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and >> giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB >> Reader >> in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then >> and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite >> impressed. >> This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more >> efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is >> extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take >> saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them >> while >> in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It >> offers another level of independence and shows others that there is >> nothing >> that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you >> can >> adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information >> faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that >> the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge >> difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish >> you >> luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, >> perhaps >> in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would >> be >> glad to help you. Best of luck. >> >> Michelle >> >> >> On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus >> wrote: >>> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I >>> like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >>> >>> >>> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >>> _______________________________________________ >>> blindlaw mailing list >>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >>> blindlaw: >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm >>> ail.com >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> Michelle Tarley, Esq. >> Attorney At Law >> >> "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" >> -- Helen Keller >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/stevep.deeley%40insightbb.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2867 - Release Date: 05/11/10 02:26:00 -------------- next part -------------- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2867 - Release Date: 05/11/10 02:26:00 From mtarley at gmail.com Tue May 11 18:23:38 2010 From: mtarley at gmail.com (M T) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 14:23:38 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: Hi John, I use the KNFB reader mobile with the N82 Nokia. It works great. However my new phone plan does not support that cell phone so I just use it as a reader only, not a cell. It works just the same and carrying that and a cell phone is not cumbersome because the N82 is not large at all. It has been such an invaluable piece of equipment and has not only increased my accessibility to written material but my efficiency at practicing law. There is software that you can put on the N82 for free that allows it to be used as a GPS. Check out the website KNFBreader.com. It has all the downloads and the info on the reader and phone. Good luck and I hope you prevail at acquiring one. Let me know if I can do anything to assist you. Michelle On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 5:58 AM, John Ramsey wrote: > Hello Michelle, > Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to get > one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a > vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am very > interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and awkward > when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. > I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional > appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of > these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software > package please let me know. > Cordially, > John > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure.  If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey.  Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email.  You must also be aware that email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control.  Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of M T > Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM > To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > > Hello Roger, > I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in > everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have my > own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the > barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and > giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB Reader > in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then > and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. > This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more > efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is > extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take > saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them while > in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It > offers another level of independence and shows others that there is nothing > that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you can > adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information > faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that > the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge > difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish you > luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, perhaps > in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would be > glad to help you. Best of luck. > > Michelle > > > On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus wrote: >> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I >> like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >> >> >> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm >> ail.com >> > > > > -- > Michelle Tarley, Esq. > Attorney At Law > >  "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" >                                               -- Helen Keller > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gmail.com > -- Michelle Tarley, Esq. Attorney At Law "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing” -- Helen Keller From joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com Tue May 11 19:13:55 2010 From: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com (RJ Sandefur) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 15:13:55 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> <0CDBE9912BDC442E86B3D3E86BA96D1C@PUTTPUTT> Message-ID: John, What does P.A stand for? RJ From joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com Tue May 11 19:22:43 2010 From: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com (RJ Sandefur) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 15:22:43 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> <0CDBE9912BDC442E86B3D3E86BA96D1C@PUTTPUTT> Message-ID: <72519E27D8B140CAB9B94B2304D01DC2@hometwxakonvzn> John, Do you practice law in reguards to a fair hearing before the Florida division of admenastrative hearings? If not, Do you know any one who does? Please email me off list, and let me know. RJ Sandefur. email is: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Groat" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 11:11 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > John, > I would suggest contacting Michael at: > http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com/ > > He should be able to give you some assistance > Michael > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of John Ramsey > Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 2:58 AM > To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List' > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > Hello Michelle, > Which phone do you have the KNFB reader on? I am currently approved to get > one and am looking toward the N86. I asked the list if anyone knows of a > vendor with a license for the Wayfinder GPS but nobody answered. I am very > interested in a GPS but devices like the treker are cumbersome and awkward > when trying to go through courthouse security on a daily basis. > I have tried to explain to my counselor that maintaining a professional > appearance is essential to practicing law and am not interested in one of > these devices. If you or anyone knows of the Wayfinder or a GPS software > package please let me know. > Cordially, > John > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of M T > Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:49 PM > To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > > > Hello Roger, > I too use the KNFB Reader and have found it to be an invaluable tool in > everyday reading situations and in the practice of law. I currently have > my > own practice, therefore I have to go out to meet clients and one of the > barriers I had to deal with was reading perspective client paperwork and > giving them a legal opinion right then and there. When I use the KNFB > Reader > in front of them and show them that I can read their paperwork right then > and there and render them a preliminary opinion, they are quite impressed. > This little device has been extremely helpful in allowing me to more > efficiently practice law. Other lawyers are impressed as well. It is > extremely accurate at reading not only documents and books but I can take > saved documents that I have on my PC and load them and listen to them > while > in transport. It doubles as a cell phone as well which is convenient. It > offers another level of independence and shows others that there is > nothing > that blind and low vision individuals cannot accomplish. Also since you > can > adjust the speed settings, I am able to read and assimilate information > faster than the average person. So far there has not been a document that > the KNFB Reader has not been able to process. This device has made a huge > difference in my life and I am confident it will fit your needs. I wish > you > luck in your endeavor to acquire one and if you need any assistance, > perhaps > in composing a letter to your counselor justifying this purchase, I would > be > glad to help you. Best of luck. > > Michelle > > > On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 8:36 PM, Roger Baccus > wrote: >> How effective is the KNFB Reader in everyday reading situations? I >> like it. How can I justify getting State Rehab to buy one? >> >> >> http://www.rogerbaccus.com >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mtarley%40gm >> ail.com >> > > > > -- > Michelle Tarley, Esq. > Attorney At Law > > "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" > -- Helen Keller > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mike.sandi%40att.n > et > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joltingjacksandefur%40gmail.com From ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com Tue May 11 19:52:02 2010 From: ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com (Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 13:52:02 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: Hello John: On other lists, I've read about the demise of the Wayfinder; it is NO LONGER available because VodaPhone WILL NOT produce them anymore. Current users, as I understand it, can continue to use it until around October or so. An alternative to consider is the MobileGEO from CodeFactory, the developers of MobileSpeak and its many variants. The MobileGeo ONLY WORKS on phones using the Windows Mobile Operating system. A good example would be the HTC Pro or the HTC Ozone. If you go with a phone using the Windows Mobile Operating system, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE to use the KNFB Reader as it has not yet been ported over to that platform. There are dealers who carry the MobileGeo. One such dealer is: www.atguys.com I bought my MobileSpeak from a guy based in Canada. He is Aman Singer, and his EMail address is: aman.singer at gmail.com I don't know if he sells the MobileGeo, but he gave me a pretty good price for the MobileSpeak I bought through him and that's why I am recommending him for a possible contact. One other product I've heard about is called Loadstone GPS. I don't know much about it, but their website is: www.loadstone-gps.com There appears to be quite a number of blind folks using it. It works on phones like Nokia running on the Symbian Operating System. In that wise, the Nokia N86 will be a great candidate for the Loadstone application. I am thinking of giving it a spin too, it is free if memory serves. Sincerely, Olusegun Denver, Colorado From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Tue May 11 21:22:09 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 16:22:09 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Special 2-hour Webinar on Section 508 rule-making! Message-ID: -----Original Message----- From: Distribution list for EASI Web Conferences, Podcasts and News [mailto:ITD-JNL at LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG] On Behalf Of Prof Norm Coombs Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 1:46 PM To: ITD-JNL at LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG Subject: Special 2-hour Webinar on Section 508 rule-making! Free Webinar: Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Section 508 2 hours: Monday, May 24 combining 90-minutes of panel and 30-minutes of Q & A Pacific time: 11-1 Mountain time: 12-2 Central time: 1-3 Eastern time: 2-4 Presenters: Susan Mazrui, Larry Goldberg, Jim Tobias and Gregg Vanderheiden The Webinar will be captioned thanks to the kindness of AT&T Sections 255 and 508 are the federal regulations that require accessible information and communication technologies (ICT). They are currently being revised, and the time is ripe for public comment before they are finalized. This webinar will go over the current environment, changes to the technical provisions, and how we all can participate in the process to make sure that the final regulations will provide the access needed by users to both current and emerging ICT. Besides outlining the proposed rules, the panel will explore ideas to make the government and others adopt a new commitment to following these rules. This is a timely topic, and you should register in advance to reserve a spot in the online Webinar room. Late registrations may not receive login instructions in time to join the Webinar. Go to the EASI Webinar page at: http://easi.cc/clinic.htm Look for the May 24 508 Webinar and follow the registration link. You'll receive info on joining the live Webinar 2 days in advance. Norm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Once you choose hope, anything's possible. Christopher Reeve Norman Coombs norm.coombs at gmail.com CEO EASI Equal Access to Software and Information phone (949) 855-4852 (NOTE pacific time zone) ****READ ABOUT THE DICK BANKS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: http://easi.cc/scholarship.htm ----------------------- Check out EASI's New Synchronous Clinics: http://easi.cc/clinic.htm EASI Home Page http://www.rit.edu/~easi Online Courses and Clinics http://easi.cc/workshop.htm To sign off this list send e-mail to listserv at listserv.icors.org saying signoff itd-jnl From ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com Tue May 11 22:23:50 2010 From: ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com (Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 16:23:50 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> <6D5233236BA340F493940D9C2C935580@StevePC> Message-ID: <2454F270032C460D94AF77A90C495B8B@valtd> Hi Steve: The KNFB Reader itself is $995. Generally, the phone, say the N86 for example, could cost you about $400. Most dealers also like to add the price for Talks or MobileSpeak. Expect to spend close to about $1,600 for the entire package unless there is a special running. Personally, I'd buy my phone elsewhere and only worry about getting the KNFB Reader from one of its many dealers. Sincerely, Olusegun Denver, Colorado From JFreeh at nfb.org Wed May 12 00:20:44 2010 From: JFreeh at nfb.org (Freeh, Jessica) Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 19:20:44 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] NFB President Marc Maurer to Receive Honorary Doctorate from University of Notre Dame Message-ID: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 (410) 262-1281 (Cell) cdanielsen at nfb.org NFB President Marc Maurer to Receive Honorary Doctorate from University of Notre Dame Baltimore, Maryland (May 11, 2010): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the largest organization of blind people in the United States, today announced that its president, Dr. Marc Maurer, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Notre Dame at the 2010 commencement ceremony on May 16, 2010. Maurer is a 1974 graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "I am pleased and privileged to receive an honorary degree from my alma mater. As president of the largest organization of blind people in the United States, I have been fortunate to play a role in many exciting and life-changing developments for blind people in America. While we have made much progress, there is still more to be done. Only 10 percent of blind children are learning Braille in this country, and this directly contributes to a 70 percent unemployment rate among blind people in the United States. I humbly accept this honor on behalf of blind Americans and pledge to work harder than ever to ensure that the blind are not left behind in today's society." Maurer earned his law degree from Indiana University in 1977 and began focusing on representing blind individuals in the courts. A member of the Bar in Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, Maryland, and the Bar of the Supreme Court, Maurer is one of the most experienced lawyers in the field of civil rights and discrimination against the blind. Maurer has been president of the National Federation of the Blind since 1986. In that capacity, he has joined President George W. Bush in the Oval Office in 2001 to celebrate the organization's Everest Expedition, and was present for Bush's signing into law the Help America Vote Act of 2002. He has promoted new technology for the blind, including the knfbReader Mobile (a revolutionary cell phone application that scans and reads aloud most printed material) and the prototype vehicle for the Blind Driver Challenge. He has overseen the visionary expansion of the NFB Jernigan Institute, the first training and research institute for the blind, led by the blind. He has also previously served as president of the North America/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union. In November 2009, Dr. Maurer was awarded the Rev. John J. Cavanaugh, C.S.C., Award for outstanding contributions in the field of public service from the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association. For more information about the National Federation of the Blind, please visit www.nfb.org. ### About the National Federation of the Blind With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind. From joramsey at cox.net Wed May 12 07:16:53 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 03:16:53 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: P.A. stands for Professional Association and this is the designation that my firm has for incorporation purposes. John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of RJ Sandefur Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 3:14 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? John, What does P.A stand for? RJ _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From stevep.deeley at insightbb.com Wed May 12 09:14:04 2010 From: stevep.deeley at insightbb.com (Steve P. Deeley) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 05:14:04 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <2454F270032C460D94AF77A90C495B8B@valtd> References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> <6D5233236BA340F493940D9C2C935580@StevePC> <2454F270032C460D94AF77A90C495B8B@valtd> Message-ID: <457FCB87878E4344A6EA37FF30434F0B@StevePC> Thanks. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc." To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 6:23 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? > Hi Steve: > > The KNFB Reader itself is $995. Generally, the phone, say the N86 for > example, could cost you about $400. Most dealers also like to add the > price > for Talks or MobileSpeak. Expect to spend close to about $1,600 for the > entire package unless there is a special running. > > Personally, I'd buy my phone elsewhere and only worry about getting the > KNFB > Reader from one of its many dealers. > > Sincerely, > Olusegun > Denver, Colorado > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/stevep.deeley%40insightbb.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2867 - Release Date: 05/11/10 02:26:00 -------------- next part -------------- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2867 - Release Date: 05/11/10 02:26:00 From dandrews at visi.com Wed May 12 10:16:55 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 05:16:55 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB READER, AnyoneUsingIt? In-Reply-To: <6D5233236BA340F493940D9C2C935580@StevePC> References: <32F8801F4BD844579320432CA20FD997@noneeb869fea9a> <6D5233236BA340F493940D9C2C935580@StevePC> Message-ID: You can buy the reader software separately, for $995. Most dealers will also sell you a cell phone if you wish, and can also sell you a screen reader for that phone. Most, if not all dealers will install and configure everything -- which is worth something unless you have some comfort level with technical matters. They generally charge a little more for the phone -- then you could get from Amazon.com or another company -- but for most it is worth it for the convenience. Dave At 11:56 AM 5/11/2010, you wrote: >If you buy the reader, does it come with a cell phone or is that separate? >Steve David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920 From tom at tomladis.com Wed May 12 14:18:51 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 09:18:51 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Message-ID: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Hello All. I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able to provide anything besides the PDF files. Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word document? In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe for the practice tests? Thanks, Tom From attorney at alcidonislaw.com Wed May 12 15:32:24 2010 From: attorney at alcidonislaw.com (Rod Alcidonis, Esquire.) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 11:32:24 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC> Tom Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan has demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying with the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a constructive dialog with them. Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law Alcidonis Law Office, LLC 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl Philadelphia, PA 19111 Tel: (215) 305-8085 Fax: (215) 525-0999 Attorney at alcidonislaw.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney Alcidonis at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete this message from your system. This communication is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. -------------------------------------------------- From: "Tom Ladis" Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > Hello All. > > I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in > a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. > > I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able > to provide anything besides the PDF files. > > Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word > document? > > In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe > for the practice tests? > > > Thanks, > Tom > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Wed May 12 15:53:19 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 08:53:19 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: Message-ID: <695329.44175.qm@web30906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Tom, do not use Kaplan test prep and admissions! I used them for preparing to take the GRE in 2009. I have had the same problems of inaccessible course material, as well as an inability to utilize the online component. I was told that they were working on improving there services and were aware that there material was inaccessible and not usable to blind people. I also had inaccessible material with written computer language in the PDFS that needed formatting. This was never done and I never received adequate course materials. They had no problem taking my credit card info for course registration and fees of up to $2500. Instead of preparing for the GRE in 5 weeks, it took me five months since I was working with private readers, and a understanding Kaplan tutor. The only compensation from Kaplan was to offer me free tutoring sessions in late November and early December since I felt I was not ready to take the GRE. Kaplan has reports on ri-poffreport and the major consumer complaints websites. Kaplan is a perfect example of Corporate Americas Greed. William E. Bets is a disability accommodations attorney who requires a $500.00 retainer fee. I did not pay this since I did not have this available at this time. I posted the following to the list last year. The below information involves my experiences while studying for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). I want to make all reading this aware of a major problem with Kaplan Test prep. To those who are blind or visually impaired who want or are taking the prep courses for the GRE. Take the prep courses on your own with a private tutor. Do not take a class through Kaplan. You and any one supporting you will not get the $1100.00 you paid for since both the website is inaccessible and you are not given proper accessible course material in alternative formats usable to a screen-reader or screen magnification program in a timely manor. The course requires individuals to utilize the textbook and internet resources in an interactive classroom setting where the instructor demonstrates concepts and the students read or openly discuss specific examples from the text in the textbook. Even working through the representatives of the local Kaplan centers, the issues fall back on Kaplan as a corporation since you are lead to believe that you are the first blind or visually in pared person that Kaplan has come across. With a founding some 50+ years ago, I believe that Kaplan has had more than one visually impaired or blind person register for its courses. Kaplan has a refund policy which clearly states that one is not able to get a full refund after the third course session. The initial diagnostic examination counts as the first course. Kaplan is more than willing to make standard accommodations to those who require them for this. When one chooses to obtain help through representatives from Kaplan for there accessibility issues, the representatives will diligently work with you once one has completed two consecutive class sessions. This means that the deadline for any refunds has passed. Regarding the kaptest.com website, do not be mislead. The main page is completely accessible. The accessibility issues come up once you register and are able to create a student account. A student account can only be completed once one has authorized either a classroom instruction or tutoring session with a major credit card. The accessibility issues result from the personal student portals being formatted to support flash content and the lack of Kaplan integrating the website accessibility standards referred to as the W3c.org/waiweb access initiative and /TR technical reference pages through adobe systems. Unless one has there own personal equipment to utilize, one is not able to utilize there local Kaplan center’s equipment since none of the centers have any accessible screen magnifications or screen reading software on sight. In addition, for those who choose to study and prepare for the GRE through there local colleges or universities, those individuals would have the same problems since the teachings and course related material is still channeled through Kaplan and not the local colleges or University. Kaplan out sources itself within local colleges and universities to offer there programs since Kaplan is a monopoly as a service provider. Kaplan’s main headquarters are located in New York City, a place so diverse yet so segregated to those few who possess special personal corporate interests or political clout. . I hope this information is helpful to you. From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Wed May 12 16:59:48 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 09:59:48 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: In-Reply-To: <695329.44175.qm@web30906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <195285.55062.qm@web30908.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Please note: I am not soliciting or endorsing any person or service. Understand the mention of MR. Betz was for informational purposes only. Thank you. --- On Wed, 5/12/10, William ODonnell wrote: > From: William ODonnell > Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 11:53 AM > Tom, do not use Kaplan test prep and > admissions!  I used them for preparing to take the GRE > in 2009.  I have had the same problems of inaccessible > course material, as well as an inability to utilize the > online component.  I was told that they were working on > improving there services and were aware that there material > was inaccessible and not usable to blind people.  I > also had inaccessible material with written computer > language in the PDFS that needed formatting.  This was > never done and I never received adequate course > materials.  They had no problem taking my credit card > info for course registration and fees of up to $2500.  > Instead of preparing for the GRE in 5 weeks, it took me five > months since I was working with private readers, and a > understanding Kaplan tutor.  The only compensation from > Kaplan was to offer me free tutoring sessions in late > November and early December since I felt I was not ready to > take the GRE.  Kaplan has reports on > ri-poffreport and the major consumer complaints > websites.  Kaplan is a perfect example of Corporate > Americas Greed.  William E. Bets is a disability > accommodations attorney who requires a $500.00 retainer > fee.  I did not pay this since I did not have this > available at this time.  I posted the following to the > list last year.  > The below information involves my experiences while > studying for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).  I > want to make all reading this aware of a major problem with > Kaplan Test prep. > To those who are blind or visually impaired who want or are > taking the prep courses for the GRE.  Take the prep > courses on your own with a private tutor.  Do not take > a class through Kaplan.  You and any one supporting you > will not get the $1100.00 you paid for since both the > website is inaccessible and you are not given proper > accessible course material in alternative formats usable to > a screen-reader or screen magnification program in a timely > manor.  > The course requires individuals to utilize the textbook and > internet resources in an interactive classroom setting where > the instructor demonstrates concepts and the students read > or openly discuss specific examples from the text in the > textbook.    > Even working through the representatives of the local > Kaplan centers, the issues fall back on Kaplan as a > corporation since you are lead to believe that you are the > first blind or visually in pared person that Kaplan has come > across.  With a founding some 50+ years ago, I believe > that Kaplan has had more than one visually impaired or blind > person register for its courses.  > Kaplan has a refund policy which clearly states that one is > not able to get a full refund after the third course > session.  The initial diagnostic examination counts as > the first course.  Kaplan is more than willing to make > standard accommodations to those who require them for > this.  When one chooses to obtain help through > representatives from Kaplan for there accessibility issues, > the representatives will diligently work with you once one > has completed two consecutive class sessions.  This > means that the deadline for any refunds has passed.  > Regarding the kaptest.com website, do not be mislead.  > The main page is completely accessible.  The > accessibility issues come up once you register and are able > to create a student account.  A student account can > only be completed once one has authorized either a classroom > instruction or tutoring session with a major credit > card.  The accessibility issues result from the > personal student portals being formatted to support flash > content and the lack of Kaplan integrating the website > accessibility standards referred to as the W3c.org/waiweb > access initiative and /TR technical reference pages through > adobe systems. > Unless one has there own personal equipment to utilize, one > is not able to utilize there local Kaplan center’s > equipment since none of the centers have any accessible > screen magnifications or screen reading software on sight. > In addition, for those who choose to study and prepare for > the GRE through there local colleges or universities, those > individuals would have the same problems since the teachings > and course related material is still channeled through > Kaplan and not the local colleges or University.  > Kaplan out sources itself within local colleges and > universities to offer there programs since Kaplan is a > monopoly as a service provider. > Kaplan’s main headquarters are located in New York City, > a place so diverse yet so segregated to those few who > possess special personal corporate interests or political > clout.  .  > I hope this information is helpful to you. > > > >       > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > From rjaquiss at earthlink.net Wed May 12 17:17:35 2010 From: rjaquiss at earthlink.net (Robert Jaquiss) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 12:17:35 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Converting PDF files {was Re: In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions:} References: <695329.44175.qm@web30906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <4B96A8FDB00348E6A6F018162E7CE680@D3DTZP41> Hello: The way I usually convert a big pdf file is to use Kurzweil K1000. K1000 will get the text from the file or if it is images, do OCR on the images. I understand the OpenBook from Freedom Scientific can do the same thing. Demos of this software are available, so it is possible to try before you buy. Hope this helps. Regards, Robert Jaquiss From tom at tomladis.com Wed May 12 18:09:45 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 13:09:45 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> <7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC> Message-ID: <26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but the class has started and I am falling behind. It took them a month to get me the PDF files just 3 days before the class started. My fault for starting late and I have not been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to deal with getting me the materials in a JAWS friendly format. I was finally able to get OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not the greatest solution either. Thanks for your thoughts, Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Tom Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan has demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying with the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a constructive dialog with them. Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law Alcidonis Law Office, LLC 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl Philadelphia, PA 19111 Tel: (215) 305-8085 Fax: (215) 525-0999 Attorney at alcidonislaw.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney Alcidonis at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete this message from your system. This communication is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. -------------------------------------------------- From: "Tom Ladis" Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > Hello All. > > I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in > a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. > > I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able > to provide anything besides the PDF files. > > Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word > document? > > In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe > for the practice tests? > > > Thanks, > Tom > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com From tom at tomladis.com Wed May 12 18:18:14 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 13:18:14 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: References: <695329.44175.qm@web30906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2B8770DE96E345C1A9F79A8FBCB0C717@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Yes, it is difficult to get the right accommodations. The instructors are very sympathetic to the situation, but it is pretty difficult to get anyone who can help to become involved. Kaplan was suggested by another partially sighted candidate, but he was able to use ZoomText to get past the hurdles. I have a completely different set of issues. I feel pretty confident that I can do well on the test without them by reading books and practicing, but wanted the extra help and tricks that they offer. The Bureau of Blind Services, here in Chicago, paid the tab for the class, but I hate to waste their money. It will work out, but I may not be ready by June 7. I will consider it all a learning process and practice for the next test if I do not score well enough. Thanks, Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "William ODonnell" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:53 AM Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: > Tom, do not use Kaplan test prep and admissions! I used them for > preparing to take the GRE in 2009. I have had the same problems of > inaccessible course material, as well as an inability to utilize the > online component. I was told that they were working on improving there > services and were aware that there material was inaccessible and not > usable to blind people. I also had inaccessible material with written > computer language in the PDFS that needed formatting. This was never done > and I never received adequate course materials. They had no problem > taking my credit card info for course registration and fees of up to > $2500. Instead of preparing for the GRE in 5 weeks, it took me five > months since I was working with private readers, and a understanding > Kaplan tutor. The only compensation from Kaplan was to offer me free > tutoring sessions in late November and early December since I felt I was > not ready to take the GRE. Kaplan has reports on > ri-poffreport and the major consumer complaints websites. Kaplan is a > perfect example of Corporate Americas Greed. William E. Bets is a > disability accommodations attorney who requires a $500.00 retainer fee. I > did not pay this since I did not have this available at this time. I > posted the following to the list last year. > The below information involves my experiences while studying for the > Graduate Record Examination (GRE). I want to make all reading this aware > of a major problem with Kaplan Test prep. > To those who are blind or visually impaired who want or are taking the > prep courses for the GRE. Take the prep courses on your own with a > private tutor. Do not take a class through Kaplan. You and any one > supporting you will not get the $1100.00 you paid for since both the > website is inaccessible and you are not given proper accessible course > material in alternative formats usable to a screen-reader or screen > magnification program in a timely manor. > The course requires individuals to utilize the textbook and internet > resources in an interactive classroom setting where the instructor > demonstrates concepts and the students read or openly discuss specific > examples from the text in the textbook. > Even working through the representatives of the local Kaplan centers, the > issues fall back on Kaplan as a corporation since you are lead to believe > that you are the first blind or visually in pared person that Kaplan has > come across. With a founding some 50+ years ago, I believe that Kaplan > has had more than one visually impaired or blind person register for its > courses. > Kaplan has a refund policy which clearly states that one is not able to > get a full refund after the third course session. The initial diagnostic > examination counts as the first course. Kaplan is more than willing to > make standard accommodations to those who require them for this. When one > chooses to obtain help through representatives from Kaplan for there > accessibility issues, the representatives will diligently work with you > once one has completed two consecutive class sessions. This means that > the deadline for any refunds has passed. > Regarding the kaptest.com website, do not be mislead. The main page is > completely accessible. The accessibility issues come up once you register > and are able to create a student account. A student account can only be > completed once one has authorized either a classroom instruction or > tutoring session with a major credit card. The accessibility issues > result from the personal student portals being formatted to support flash > content and the lack of Kaplan integrating the website accessibility > standards referred to as the W3c.org/waiweb access initiative and /TR > technical reference pages through adobe systems. > Unless one has there own personal equipment to utilize, one is not able to > utilize there local Kaplan center’s equipment since none of the centers > have any accessible screen magnifications or screen reading software on > sight. > In addition, for those who choose to study and prepare for the GRE through > there local colleges or universities, those individuals would have the > same problems since the teachings and course related material is still > channeled through Kaplan and not the local colleges or University. Kaplan > out sources itself within local colleges and universities to offer there > programs since Kaplan is a monopoly as a service provider. > Kaplan’s main headquarters are located in New York City, a place so > diverse yet so segregated to those few who possess special personal > corporate interests or political clout. . > I hope this information is helpful to you. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > From tom at tomladis.com Wed May 12 19:15:02 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 14:15:02 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Converting PDF files {was Re: In regard to Kaplan testprep and admissions:} References: <695329.44175.qm@web30906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <4B96A8FDB00348E6A6F018162E7CE680@D3DTZP41> Message-ID: <96F5DE8A73A54112B8BDEC5D745AFB21@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Robert, I was finally able to read the text using OpenBook. It looks like the table of contents and page numbers do not match up right, so I will ask a sighted friend to help me figure out where things are off. Kaplan says that they sent what they provide as ADA accommodations, but it seems that there are extra pages for the Mastery series that knock the page numbering off. It did not seem to bother her that the page numbers did not match the numbers used in the class , but as I explained that the class is referencing things by page numbers, my page numbers will be off. This is not a perfect world, but they could do better than this for people who are getting an unknown product and expecting them to be able to figure things out on their own and keep up with the rest of the class. Thank you very much, Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Jaquiss" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 12:17 PM Subject: [blindlaw] Converting PDF files {was Re: In regard to Kaplan testprep and admissions:} > Hello: > > The way I usually convert a big pdf file is to use Kurzweil K1000. > K1000 will get the text from the file or if it is images, do OCR on the > images. I understand the OpenBook from Freedom Scientific can do the same > thing. Demos of this software are available, so it is possible to try > before you buy. Hope this helps. > > Regards, > > Robert Jaquiss > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > From dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net Wed May 12 19:23:04 2010 From: dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net (Dennis Clark) Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 12:23:04 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: References: <695329.44175.qm@web30906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <2B8770DE96E345C1A9F79A8FBCB0C717@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <00b501caf208$8b5da230$6601a8c0@server> Hello Tom, My advice is not to take the LSAT until you are scoring as high as you are capable of scoring. You will know when you have reached that point. I think this is what you meant, and that you did not plan to simply take the LSAT and then just see how it goes. Many people sighted and blind do this with the LSAT banking on the notion that they will simply take it again if their score is not high enough. That is a very bad plan since the schools will be notified that the LSAT was taken several times. If I were on the admissions committee I would admit the students first who got acceptable scores on the first try, and then look at those who did not if there were any slots remaining. Likewise, I want a lawyer representing me who gets it right the first time and a surgeon who gets it right the first time. Real life provides very few do-overs on important matters like those on which lawyers work each day. Again, I think this is what you were saying but as a fellow (former) Chicagoian, I wanted to give you my 2 cents worth. Best, Dennis ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 11:18 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: > Yes, it is difficult to get the right accommodations. The instructors are > very sympathetic to the situation, but it is pretty difficult to get > anyone who can help to become involved. > > Kaplan was suggested by another partially sighted candidate, but he was > able to use ZoomText to get past the hurdles. I have a completely > different set of issues. > > I feel pretty confident that I can do well on the test without them by > reading books and practicing, but wanted the extra help and tricks that > they offer. The Bureau of Blind Services, here in Chicago, paid the tab > for the class, but I hate to waste their money. It will work out, but I > may not be ready by June 7. I will consider it all a learning process and > practice for the next test if I do not score well enough. > > > Thanks, > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "William ODonnell" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:53 AM > Subject: [blindlaw] In regard to Kaplan test prep and admissions: > > >> Tom, do not use Kaplan test prep and admissions! I used them for >> preparing to take the GRE in 2009. I have had the same problems of >> inaccessible course material, as well as an inability to utilize the >> online component. I was told that they were working on improving there >> services and were aware that there material was inaccessible and not >> usable to blind people. I also had inaccessible material with written >> computer language in the PDFS that needed formatting. This was never >> done and I never received adequate course materials. They had no problem >> taking my credit card info for course registration and fees of up to >> $2500. Instead of preparing for the GRE in 5 weeks, it took me five >> months since I was working with private readers, and a understanding >> Kaplan tutor. The only compensation from Kaplan was to offer me free >> tutoring sessions in late November and early December since I felt I was >> not ready to take the GRE. Kaplan has reports on >> ri-poffreport and the major consumer complaints websites. Kaplan is a >> perfect example of Corporate Americas Greed. William E. Bets is a >> disability accommodations attorney who requires a $500.00 retainer fee. >> I did not pay this since I did not have this available at this time. I >> posted the following to the list last year. >> The below information involves my experiences while studying for the >> Graduate Record Examination (GRE). I want to make all reading this aware >> of a major problem with Kaplan Test prep. >> To those who are blind or visually impaired who want or are taking the >> prep courses for the GRE. Take the prep courses on your own with a >> private tutor. Do not take a class through Kaplan. You and any one >> supporting you will not get the $1100.00 you paid for since both the >> website is inaccessible and you are not given proper accessible course >> material in alternative formats usable to a screen-reader or screen >> magnification program in a timely manor. >> The course requires individuals to utilize the textbook and internet >> resources in an interactive classroom setting where the instructor >> demonstrates concepts and the students read or openly discuss specific >> examples from the text in the textbook. >> Even working through the representatives of the local Kaplan centers, the >> issues fall back on Kaplan as a corporation since you are lead to believe >> that you are the first blind or visually in pared person that Kaplan has >> come across. With a founding some 50+ years ago, I believe that Kaplan >> has had more than one visually impaired or blind person register for its >> courses. >> Kaplan has a refund policy which clearly states that one is not able to >> get a full refund after the third course session. The initial diagnostic >> examination counts as the first course. Kaplan is more than willing to >> make standard accommodations to those who require them for this. When >> one chooses to obtain help through representatives from Kaplan for there >> accessibility issues, the representatives will diligently work with you >> once one has completed two consecutive class sessions. This means that >> the deadline for any refunds has passed. >> Regarding the kaptest.com website, do not be mislead. The main page is >> completely accessible. The accessibility issues come up once you >> register and are able to create a student account. A student account can >> only be completed once one has authorized either a classroom instruction >> or tutoring session with a major credit card. The accessibility issues >> result from the personal student portals being formatted to support flash >> content and the lack of Kaplan integrating the website accessibility >> standards referred to as the W3c.org/waiweb access initiative and /TR >> technical reference pages through adobe systems. >> Unless one has there own personal equipment to utilize, one is not able >> to utilize there local Kaplan center’s equipment since none of the >> centers have any accessible screen magnifications or screen reading >> software on sight. >> In addition, for those who choose to study and prepare for the GRE >> through there local colleges or universities, those individuals would >> have the same problems since the teachings and course related material is >> still channeled through Kaplan and not the local colleges or University. >> Kaplan out sources itself within local colleges and universities to offer >> there programs since Kaplan is a monopoly as a service provider. >> Kaplan’s main headquarters are located in New York City, a place so >> diverse yet so segregated to those few who possess special personal >> corporate interests or political clout. . >> I hope this information is helpful to you. >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > From attorney at alcidonislaw.com Thu May 13 16:58:58 2010 From: attorney at alcidonislaw.com (Rod Alcidonis, Esquire.) Date: Thu, 13 May 2010 12:58:58 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Written recommendation needed from a lawyer user of the KNFB Reader Message-ID: <830ED89E9F024A2984FDABA7008A040C@LawOfficePC> Colleagues: Can you please write me off-list for further info if you can help. I am in need of a written recommendation from a lawyer for purchasing the KNFB Reader for my practice. Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law Alcidonis Law Office, LLC 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl Philadelphia, PA 19111 Tel: (215) 305-8085 Fax: (215) 525-0999 Attorney at alcidonislaw.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney Alcidonis at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete this message from your system. This communication is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. From CDanielsen at nfb.org Thu May 13 19:58:52 2010 From: CDanielsen at nfb.org (Danielsen, Chris) Date: Thu, 13 May 2010 14:58:52 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Please post on all NFB list-serves Message-ID: The 2009 National Federation of the Blind Annual Report is Now Available! Take a look back on all of the accomplishments of the National Federation of the Blind in 2009 by reading the newest Annual Report! The 2009 Annual Report is available online as an accessible PDF file (http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/2009%20Annual%20Report_Accessible.pdf) or a BRF file (http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/brf/2009_NFB_Annual_Report.BRF). Print copies are also available for order from the Independence Market; call (410) 659-9314, extension 2216 now to order your copy. From dwilson.lists at gmail.com Fri May 14 14:25:34 2010 From: dwilson.lists at gmail.com (Derek Wilson) Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 23:25:34 +0900 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> <7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC> <26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: Hi Tom, I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine was online and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions of the study materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the PDF files with ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe were flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much less accessible, as the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor jumbped around the screen at random. In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through LSAC. Kaplan had nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the LSAT in Tokyo last September and again last December. One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to prepare for the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on test day. I prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 options by LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test book, or 2. a human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print difficult for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able to read only 14 or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short periods of time. To make a long story short, my test day score was 15 points lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons aside, the nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge factor in my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a human reader to help me study, my options were limited. I don't what the implications are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge you to meet with them in person prior to test day and assess their reading skills at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, competent, and have the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for them to meet with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening and acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem them unfit for the task. After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last year, I asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a computer using Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not possible at this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a computer-based alternative in the future, and the representative repeated flatly "No, not at this time." I have since learned that two of my acquaintances in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to write on test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. I would not go so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their accommodation decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is clear to me that the playing field is far from level. I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in some way, and I wish you the best of luck on test day! Regards, Derek Wilson www.twitter.com/culturemate http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but the class has started > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to get me the PDF files just > 3 days before the class started. My fault for starting late and I have not > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to deal with getting me > the materials in a JAWS friendly format. I was finally able to get > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not the greatest solution > either. > > Thanks for your thoughts, > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Tom > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan has > demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying with > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a > constructive dialog with them. > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may > contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by > attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. > > If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney Alcidonis > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete > this message from your system. This communication is covered by the > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Tom Ladis" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > >> Hello All. >> >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in >> a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. >> >> I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. >> >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word >> document? >> >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe >> for the practice tests? >> >> >> Thanks, >> Tom >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Fri May 14 20:50:19 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 15:50:19 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Eleventh Circuit Title Two Decision: American Association of People with Disabilities v. Harris Message-ID: From: CMPDL's Disability Discussion Docket (3D) [mailto:CMPDL-3D at MAIL.ABANET.ORG] On Behalf Of Lissner, Scott Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 11:12 AM To: CMPDL-3D at MAIL.ABANET.ORG Subject: Eleventh Circuit Title Two Decision: American Association of People with Disabilities v. Harris Your are invited to participate in Ohio's ADA Report Card In American Association of People with Disabilities v. Harris the Eleventh Circuit dismissed a lawsuit challenging Florida's Duval County's lack of voting machines for disabled individuals. Relying on Alexander v. Sandoval (532 US 275, 121 S. Ct. 1511) the Eleventh Circuit concluded that there was not private right to sue under Title II of the ADA extending the reasoning in Sandoval beyond legislation rooted in the Spending Clause and to the Fourteenth Amendment legislation. For more read "Federal Appeals Court Decision Undercuts Effectiveness of ADA" in The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy Blog By Michael R. Masinter, Professor of Law, Shepard Broad Law Center, Nova Southeastern University. L. Scott Lissner, University ADA Coordinator, Office Of The Provost, The Ohio State University Associate, John Glenn School of Public Affairs Lecturer, Knowlton School of Architecture, Moritz College of Law & Disability Studies Chair, Public Policy & Government Relations Committee, Association on Higher Education And Disability Chair, ADA-OHIO Board Member, Ohio Governor's Council For People With Disabilities Member, Columbus Advisory Council on Disability Issues & Board of ADA-OHIO --------- Going to respond to this message? Be sure to hit "Reply All" when doing so. [cid:~WRD000.jpg] Disability Discussion Docket (3D) ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law http://www.abanet.org/disability --------- Material distributed over 3D is for educational and informational purposes only. The contents of any e-mail, including any statements that may be construed as legal advice or referral, are solely the responsibility of the e-mail?s author. In no event shall any contents be the responsibility of and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Bar Association, its officers, employees, agents or the Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law. --------- To leave this list at any time, please send a message to listserv at mail.abanet.org. In the body of the message type "sign off cmpdl-3d." If you have any questions about 3D or the CMPDL in general, please contact William Phelan at phelanw at staff.abanet.org. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ~WRD000.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 823 bytes Desc: ~WRD000.jpg URL: From joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com Fri May 14 21:38:43 2010 From: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com (RJ Sandefur) Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 17:38:43 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Eleventh Circuit Title Two Decision: American Association of People with Disabilities v. Harris References: Message-ID: I hope these people appeal this piece of trash! I hope the United States supreme court will hear this case! RJ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nightingale, Noel" To: Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 4:50 PM Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Eleventh Circuit Title Two Decision: American Association of People with Disabilities v. Harris > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joltingjacksandefur%40gmail.com > From emrene at earthlink.net Sat May 15 17:53:56 2010 From: emrene at earthlink.net (Elizabeth Rene) Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 10:53:56 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Federal Employment Message-ID: <686E30261DD1443D8B6F0E86D1E2BE0F@elizabethrene> I want to return to the practice of Law after a long hiatus, and want to pursue Federal employment under the Obama administration. Does anyone out there work for a Federal agency who would like to comment about your route to employment there, your experience of the work environment, your ease or difficulty in getting needed accommodations, what you like most and least about Federal employment, or about what you might have done differently as a blind Federal job seeker or new employee, had you known then what you know now? Are there any Federal magistrates, arbitrators, mediators, administrative law judges, or other hearing officers out there who would be willing to share your insights? Does anyone practice in the circuit courts or before the courts of appeals? I practiced for nine years as an assistant city prosecutor doing daily trial and appellate advocacy, for three years as municipal advisory counsel to elected and appointed department heads, working in labor law, city governance, public disclosure litigation, and information systems development, for nearly two years as a professional licensing attorney enforcing my state's version of the Uniform Disciplinary Act, and for two more years as a state excise tax judge. I went to seminary after that, and worked as a hospital chaplain, becoming fascinated by Medicine, clinical ethics, the support and discipline of troubled healthcare workers, and the rights of patients to self-determination. I am applying for admission to an LL.M. program in Health Law at my state university. I'd love to hear from any of you. Thanks, Elizabeth From AZNOR99 at aol.com Sat May 15 19:17:23 2010 From: AZNOR99 at aol.com (AZNOR99 at aol.com) Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 15:17:23 EDT Subject: [blindlaw] Federal Employment Message-ID: Elizabeth, I worked in the Obama Administration for the Department of Homeland Security and now work for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under HHS. Feel free to email me off-list to discuss some of the aspects you mention. _aznor99 at aol.com_ (mailto:aznor99 at aol.com) Regards, Ronza In a message dated 5/15/2010 2:16:44 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, emrene at earthlink.net writes: I want to return to the practice of Law after a long hiatus, and want to pursue Federal employment under the Obama administration. Does anyone out there work for a Federal agency who would like to comment about your route to employment there, your experience of the work environment, your ease or difficulty in getting needed accommodations, what you like most and least about Federal employment, or about what you might have done differently as a blind Federal job seeker or new employee, had you known then what you know now? Are there any Federal magistrates, arbitrators, mediators, administrative law judges, or other hearing officers out there who would be willing to share your insights? Does anyone practice in the circuit courts or before the courts of appeals? I practiced for nine years as an assistant city prosecutor doing daily trial and appellate advocacy, for three years as municipal advisory counsel to elected and appointed department heads, working in labor law, city governance, public disclosure litigation, and information systems development, for nearly two years as a professional licensing attorney enforcing my state's version of the Uniform Disciplinary Act, and for two more years as a state excise tax judge. I went to seminary after that, and worked as a hospital chaplain, becoming fascinated by Medicine, clinical ethics, the support and discipline of troubled healthcare workers, and the rights of patients to self-determination. I am applying for admission to an LL.M. program in Health Law at my state university. I'd love to hear from any of you. Thanks, Elizabeth _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/aznor99%40aol.com From emrene at earthlink.net Sat May 15 20:23:15 2010 From: emrene at earthlink.net (Elizabeth Rene) Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 13:23:15 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology Message-ID: <08978F571998447981311AD806DEC611@elizabethrene> In an earlier post today, I've asked blind lawyers to comment on their experience as Federal attorneys. I mentioned there that I hadn't practiced for a while, pursuing instead post-graduate study and other interests outside the Law. When I left my last legal position, Windows was barely accessible, most of my computer work was done in MS Dos, I scrutinized contracts with a CCT, and I hunted for case law and Shepherdized opinions with an 8X magnifying glass. Today on my laptop I use Windows XP with Service Pack Three, JAWS, and Kurzweil 1000. But I've never used any of the legal databases such as Lexis. Any ad hoc legal research I do these days, I do through Google. Does anyone have suggestions on how I might finally haul myself into the 21st century? Which computer-based research tools work best for you, and how have you learned to use them? Thanks, Elizabeth From mruniverse08 at gmail.com Sat May 15 20:52:11 2010 From: mruniverse08 at gmail.com (WB) Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 15:52:11 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology In-Reply-To: <08978F571998447981311AD806DEC611@elizabethrene> References: <08978F571998447981311AD806DEC611@elizabethrene> Message-ID: <003a01caf470$7e876f40$7b964dc0$@com> Hi there. I'm not an attorney but a paralegal. Since I've been out of work, I've still tried using the various research tools online. I have Jaws 9 and it seems to work pretty well with the online research tools, although they most often have to be the mobile version such as m.westlaw.com. It works very well because it takes away all the graphics that Jaws cannot read. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Rene Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 3:23 PM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology In an earlier post today, I've asked blind lawyers to comment on their experience as Federal attorneys. I mentioned there that I hadn't practiced for a while, pursuing instead post-graduate study and other interests outside the Law. When I left my last legal position, Windows was barely accessible, most of my computer work was done in MS Dos, I scrutinized contracts with a CCT, and I hunted for case law and Shepherdized opinions with an 8X magnifying glass. Today on my laptop I use Windows XP with Service Pack Three, JAWS, and Kurzweil 1000. But I've never used any of the legal databases such as Lexis. Any ad hoc legal research I do these days, I do through Google. Does anyone have suggestions on how I might finally haul myself into the 21st century? Which computer-based research tools work best for you, and how have you learned to use them? Thanks, Elizabeth _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mruniverse08%40gma il.com From tom at tomladis.com Sun May 16 01:15:26 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 20:15:26 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1><7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC><26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very difficult to work with to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email instead of human interaction. They are not willing to give much information over the phone, and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter in PDF files for me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see them add some more check boxes to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations advisors to people who are blind. Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended Kaplan, but it appears that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText and when you need to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files all seem to have formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke with Freedom Scientific about the problem and their conclusion is that the files are not formatted to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF files using OpenBook and saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of junk in the file because of their multi column structure and the books being for the Premier classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to keep up with a class when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded in the test is a problem. It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just trying to level the playing field for blind people who are already in or trying to get into the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the playing field leveled and attorney fees paid are welcome. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Hi Tom, I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine was online and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions of the study materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the PDF files with ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe were flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much less accessible, as the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor jumbped around the screen at random. In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through LSAC. Kaplan had nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the LSAT in Tokyo last September and again last December. One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to prepare for the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on test day. I prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 options by LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test book, or 2. a human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print difficult for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able to read only 14 or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short periods of time. To make a long story short, my test day score was 15 points lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons aside, the nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge factor in my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a human reader to help me study, my options were limited. I don't what the implications are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge you to meet with them in person prior to test day and assess their reading skills at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, competent, and have the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for them to meet with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening and acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem them unfit for the task. After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last year, I asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a computer using Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not possible at this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a computer-based alternative in the future, and the representative repeated flatly "No, not at this time." I have since learned that two of my acquaintances in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to write on test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. I would not go so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their accommodation decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is clear to me that the playing field is far from level. I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in some way, and I wish you the best of luck on test day! Regards, Derek Wilson www.twitter.com/culturemate http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but the class has > started > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to get me the PDF files > just > 3 days before the class started. My fault for starting late and I have > not > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to deal with getting me > the materials in a JAWS friendly format. I was finally able to get > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not the greatest > solution > either. > > Thanks for your thoughts, > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Tom > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan > has > demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying > with > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a > constructive dialog with them. > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may > contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by > attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. > > If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney > Alcidonis > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete > this message from your system. This communication is covered by the > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Tom Ladis" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > >> Hello All. >> >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in >> a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. >> >> I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. >> >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word >> document? >> >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe >> for the practice tests? >> >> >> Thanks, >> Tom >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com From dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net Sun May 16 05:07:29 2010 From: dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net (Dennis Clark) Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 22:07:29 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1><7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC><26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <039f01caf4b5$af28e030$6601a8c0@server> Hello Tom, I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for about 20 years now since I graduated from law school and I have had some success over the years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to convert the PDF's that Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you can do with Open Book. The files are too large to be sent as email attachments but if we can talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file transfer service that I use. I would also like to talk with you about the legal problems raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. Over the years I have taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was accessible, but my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. However, the ADA has been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they get their act together and provide complete course accessibility. Please give me a call if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am located in California, but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I look forward to talking with you. Warmest regards, Dennis Clark ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very difficult to work with to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email instead of human interaction. They are not willing to give much information over the phone, and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter in PDF files for me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see them add some more check boxes to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations advisors to people who are blind. Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended Kaplan, but it appears that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText and when you need to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files all seem to have formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke with Freedom Scientific about the problem and their conclusion is that the files are not formatted to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF files using OpenBook and saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of junk in the file because of their multi column structure and the books being for the Premier classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to keep up with a class when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded in the test is a problem. It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just trying to level the playing field for blind people who are already in or trying to get into the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the playing field leveled and attorney fees paid are welcome. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Hi Tom, I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine was online and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions of the study materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the PDF files with ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe were flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much less accessible, as the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor jumbped around the screen at random. In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through LSAC. Kaplan had nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the LSAT in Tokyo last September and again last December. One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to prepare for the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on test day. I prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 options by LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test book, or 2. a human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print difficult for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able to read only 14 or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short periods of time. To make a long story short, my test day score was 15 points lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons aside, the nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge factor in my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a human reader to help me study, my options were limited. I don't what the implications are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge you to meet with them in person prior to test day and assess their reading skills at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, competent, and have the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for them to meet with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening and acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem them unfit for the task. After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last year, I asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a computer using Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not possible at this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a computer-based alternative in the future, and the representative repeated flatly "No, not at this time." I have since learned that two of my acquaintances in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to write on test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. I would not go so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their accommodation decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is clear to me that the playing field is far from level. I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in some way, and I wish you the best of luck on test day! Regards, Derek Wilson www.twitter.com/culturemate http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but the class has > started > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to get me the PDF files > just > 3 days before the class started. My fault for starting late and I have > not > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to deal with getting me > the materials in a JAWS friendly format. I was finally able to get > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not the greatest > solution > either. > > Thanks for your thoughts, > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Tom > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan > has > demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying > with > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a > constructive dialog with them. > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may > contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by > attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. > > If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney > Alcidonis > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete > this message from your system. This communication is covered by the > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Tom Ladis" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > >> Hello All. >> >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in >> a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. >> >> I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. >> >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word >> document? >> >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe >> for the practice tests? >> >> >> Thanks, >> Tom >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net From joramsey at cox.net Sun May 16 19:02:57 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 15:02:57 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology In-Reply-To: <08978F571998447981311AD806DEC611@elizabethrene> Message-ID: <73E98B101B344E30A796AD886B29CD06@noneeb869fea9a> Elizabeth: Many of us use JFW with the text version of Westlaw but it is possible to navigate Lexis and the full version of Westlaw once you familiarize yourself with the respective page layouts. Personally, I have used the text only version of Westlaw since 2003 and love it. Cordially, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Rene Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 4:23 PM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology In an earlier post today, I've asked blind lawyers to comment on their experience as Federal attorneys. I mentioned there that I hadn't practiced for a while, pursuing instead post-graduate study and other interests outside the Law. When I left my last legal position, Windows was barely accessible, most of my computer work was done in MS Dos, I scrutinized contracts with a CCT, and I hunted for case law and Shepherdized opinions with an 8X magnifying glass. Today on my laptop I use Windows XP with Service Pack Three, JAWS, and Kurzweil 1000. But I've never used any of the legal databases such as Lexis. Any ad hoc legal research I do these days, I do through Google. Does anyone have suggestions on how I might finally haul myself into the 21st century? Which computer-based research tools work best for you, and how have you learned to use them? Thanks, Elizabeth _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 16 19:27:59 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 12:27:59 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology In-Reply-To: <08978F571998447981311AD806DEC611@elizabethrene> References: <08978F571998447981311AD806DEC611@elizabethrene> Message-ID: <63182674C9DE4ADF8DF281CD481F9CF9@spike> Westlaw and Lexis are both accessible and as a paralegal doing research I have used both. While both are accessible I prefer Westlaw based on the layout and content. I know that Westlaw has staff that are trained to work with screen reader clients to provide training although I haven't availed myself of it. Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal 1237 P Street Fresno ca 93721 559-266-9237 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Elizabeth Rene" To: Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 1:23 PM Subject: [blindlaw] Legal research technology > In an earlier post today, I've asked blind lawyers to comment on their > experience as Federal attorneys. I mentioned there that I hadn't > practiced for a while, pursuing instead post-graduate study and other > interests outside the Law. > > When I left my last legal position, Windows was barely accessible, most of > my computer work was done in MS Dos, I scrutinized contracts with a CC, > and I hunted for case law and Shepherdized opinions with an 8X magnifying > glass. > > Today on my laptop I use Windows XP with Service Pack Three, JAWS, and > Kurzweil 1000. But I've never used any of the legal databases such as > Lexis. Any ad hoc legal research I do these days, I do through Google. > > Does anyone have suggestions on how I might finally haul myself into the > 21st century? > > Which computer-based research tools work best for you, and how have you > learned to use them? > > Thanks, > > Elizabeth > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 16 20:07:12 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 13:07:12 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <039f01caf4b5$af28e030$6601a8c0@server> References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1><7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC><26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> <039f01caf4b5$af28e030$6601a8c0@server> Message-ID: <49302C1FD97A497DBA07BE1B93619A7C@spike> Hi Dennis, While I did not have a truly negative experience I had an experience dealing with a Kaplan affiliate that being Concord Law School as I was inquiring about on line school about a year and a half ago. I found that the live features of the on line site which involved live chat were not accessible during an on line introductory seminar. While I could listen I could not participate in the on line chat totally when using JAWS. As a result I did not pursue that as an option. Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal 1237 P Street Fresno ca 93721 559-266-9237 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 10:07 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Hello Tom, I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for about 20 years now since I graduated from law school and I have had some success over the years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to convert the PDF's that Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you can do with Open Book. The files are too large to be sent as email attachments but if we can talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file transfer service that I use. I would also like to talk with you about the legal problems raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. Over the years I have taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was accessible, but my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. However, the ADA has been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they get their act together and provide complete course accessibility. Please give me a call if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am located in California, but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I look forward to talking with you. Warmest regards, Dennis Clark ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very difficult to work with to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email instead of human interaction. They are not willing to give much information over the phone, and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter in PDF files for me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see them add some more check boxes to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations advisors to people who are blind. Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended Kaplan, but it appears that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText and when you need to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files all seem to have formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke with Freedom Scientific about the problem and their conclusion is that the files are not formatted to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF files using OpenBook and saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of junk in the file because of their multi column structure and the books being for the Premier classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to keep up with a class when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded in the test is a problem. It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just trying to level the playing field for blind people who are already in or trying to get into the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the playing field leveled and attorney fees paid are welcome. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Hi Tom, I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine was online and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions of the study materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the PDF files with ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe were flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much less accessible, as the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor jumbped around the screen at random. In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through LSAC. Kaplan had nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the LSAT in Tokyo last September and again last December. One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to prepare for the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on test day. I prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 options by LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test book, or 2. a human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print difficult for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able to read only 14 or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short periods of time. To make a long story short, my test day score was 15 points lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons aside, the nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge factor in my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a human reader to help me study, my options were limited. I don't what the implications are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge you to meet with them in person prior to test day and assess their reading skills at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, competent, and have the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for them to meet with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening and acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem them unfit for the task. After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last year, I asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a computer using Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not possible at this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a computer-based alternative in the future, and the representative repeated flatly "No, not at this time." I have since learned that two of my acquaintances in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to write on test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. I would not go so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their accommodation decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is clear to me that the playing field is far from level. I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in some way, and I wish you the best of luck on test day! Regards, Derek Wilson www.twitter.com/culturemate http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but the class has > started > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to get me the PDF files > just > 3 days before the class started. My fault for starting late and I have > not > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to deal with getting me > the materials in a JAWS friendly format. I was finally able to get > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not the greatest > solution > either. > > Thanks for your thoughts, > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Tom > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan > has > demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying > with > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a > constructive dialog with them. > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may > contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by > attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. > > If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney > Alcidonis > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete > this message from your system. This communication is covered by the > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Tom Ladis" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > >> Hello All. >> >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in >> a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. >> >> I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. >> >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word >> document? >> >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe >> for the practice tests? >> >> >> Thanks, >> Tom >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Sun May 16 21:04:37 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 14:04:37 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <49302C1FD97A497DBA07BE1B93619A7C@spike> Message-ID: <141163.35846.qm@web30901.mail.mud.yahoo.com> I have posted something to the list a week ago with some helpful information on resourses, as well as my issues with Kaplan when practicing for a GRE. I spoke with someone last week who told me that they have not made any changes to there flash content site or "accessible material." So, in essence, they have not made the changes they said they would have for "future blind students." The person declined to give a name. I have all emails saved for reference if anyone wants names and contacts. I hope this helps. -William- --- On Sun, 5/16/10, ckrugman at sbcglobal.net wrote: > From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Sunday, May 16, 2010, 4:07 PM > Hi Dennis, > > While I did not have a truly negative experience I had an > experience dealing with a Kaplan affiliate that being > Concord Law School as I was inquiring about on line school > about a year and a half ago. I found that the live features > of the on line site which involved live chat were not > accessible during an on line introductory seminar. While I > could listen I could not participate in the on line chat > totally when using JAWS. As a result I did not pursue that > as an option. > Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal > 1237 P Street > Fresno ca 93721 > 559-266-9237 > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 10:07 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated  from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC.  I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book.  The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use.  I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course.  > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA.  > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility.  > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244.  I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois.  I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info.  LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date.  They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much  > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view.  Funny, huh?  I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different.  The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged.  I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the  > files are not formatted > to be accessible.  They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes.  Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession.  Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced.  Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well.  I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes.  They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC.  Kaplan had > nothing to do with this.  I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day.  I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font.  I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time.  To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance.  As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited.  I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level.  They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours.  LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time."  I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology.  > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind.  It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started.  My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format.   I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > >  This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format.  They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files.  Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >>  I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable.   Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sun May 16 22:43:17 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 15:43:17 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <141163.35846.qm@web30901.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <141163.35846.qm@web30901.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <68FDA431A2804C2B9ED0722D92252314@spike> This seems like it is an issue of great enough significance that NFB and its attorneys might want to start investigating this. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "William ODonnell" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 2:04 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support I have posted something to the list a week ago with some helpful information on resourses, as well as my issues with Kaplan when practicing for a GRE. I spoke with someone last week who told me that they have not made any changes to there flash content site or "accessible material." So, in essence, they have not made the changes they said they would have for "future blind students." The person declined to give a name. I have all emails saved for reference if anyone wants names and contacts. I hope this helps. -William- --- On Sun, 5/16/10, ckrugman at sbcglobal.net wrote: > From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Sunday, May 16, 2010, 4:07 PM > Hi Dennis, > > While I did not have a truly negative experience I had an > experience dealing with a Kaplan affiliate that being > Concord Law School as I was inquiring about on line school > about a year and a half ago. I found that the live features > of the on line site which involved live chat were not > accessible during an on line introductory seminar. While I > could listen I could not participate in the on line chat > totally when using JAWS. As a result I did not pursue that > as an option. > Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal > 1237 P Street > Fresno ca 93721 > 559-266-9237 > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 10:07 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility. > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the > files are not formatted > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC. Kaplan had > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day. I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time. To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time." I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format. I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format. They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable. Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From womankind at earthlink.net Mon May 17 12:15:40 2010 From: womankind at earthlink.net (Stephanie Ortoleva) Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 08:15:40 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] using footnotes in MS Word with Window Eyes In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear all, Does anyone have good guidance or instructions on using footnotes in MS Word with Window Eyes? I'd really apreciate it. Stephanie From emrene at earthlink.net Mon May 17 18:41:51 2010 From: emrene at earthlink.net (Elizabeth Rene) Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 11:41:51 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you Message-ID: Thanks to all of you who have sent your comments about using Westlaw and Lexis with screen reader software. I'm very grateful to you. And please, if there's anyone who hasn't written yet about research technology and techniques for blind lawyers, keep writing! Here's some more grist for the mill. Does anyone know of a Braille or electronic version of the Uniform System of Citation? What about the Restatements of the Law? How do you Shepherdize? How do you draft legislation and review bills in progress? How do you mark clerks papers on appeal? How do you prepare trial notebooks? What have been your best techniques for organizing and presenting oral argument on appeal? I'm speaking of the use of technology re all of this. When I practiced, I didn't have any blind lawyers to talk to, so I winged it a lot. I tried cases at all levels of state court, and argued regularly before my state's court of appeals and supreme court. I also conducted hearings and settlement conferences, and wrote formal opinions. So I'll share my experience and advice too, for what it's worth. Thanks, Elizabeth From rwayne1 at nyc.rr.com Tue May 18 02:03:38 2010 From: rwayne1 at nyc.rr.com (ray wayne) Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 21:03:38 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <20100518020338.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> We discussed some of this at our NABLIND meeting immediately following the tenBroek Syposium in Baltimore last month. We will do so again this summer in Dallas at our annual meeting. I hope you can make it to Dallas, and that you will come to our meeting. See agenda for time and location. Ray Wayne Secretary, National Assoc��ation of Blind Lawyers ----- Original Message ----- From: "Elizabeth Rene" To: Date: Monday, May 17, 2010 14:54:01 Subject: [bllaw] Re Research Technology �� thank you > > > Thanks to all of you who have sent your comments about using Westlaw and > Lexis with screen reader software. > > I'm very grateful to you. > > And please, if there's anyone who hasn't written yet about research > technology and techniques for blind lawyers, keep writing! > > Here's some more grist for the mill. > > Does anyone know of a Braille or electronic version of the Uniform System of > Citation? > > What about the Restatements of the Law? > > How do you Shepherdize? > > How do you draft legislation and review bills in progress? > > How do you mark clerks papers on appeal? > > How do you prepare trial notebooks? > > What have been your best techniques for organizing and presenting oral > argument on appeal? > > I'm speaking of the use of technology re all of this. > > When I practiced, I didn't have any blind lawyers to talk to, so I winged it > a lot. I tried cases at all levels of state court, and argued regularly > before my state's court of appeals and supreme court. I also conducted > hearings and settlement conferences, and wrote formal opinions. > > So I'll share my experience and advice too, for what it's worth. > > Thanks, > > Elizabeth > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > bllaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for bllaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com From joramsey at cox.net Tue May 18 11:11:55 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 07:11:55 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Message-ID: Hello: I believe it was Michelle who was well versed in drafting letters or proposals for the KNFB Reader. If so, pleas contact me off list. Also, I would like to get some of your input on the best course of action in challenging DBS for denial of services. Should I contact some of the Advocacy centers or go through the Administrative Hearing process? Noel Probably knows a lot about this on the federal level. Finally, do any of you know the appropriate process for removing the case from the administrative hearing phase to the civil court phase? Cordially, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. From attorney at alcidonislaw.com Tue May 18 13:30:30 2010 From: attorney at alcidonislaw.com (Rod Alcidonis, Esquire.) Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 09:30:30 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <81DDBFB2E7754C4AB77FB52BFE81165C@LawOfficePC> I am in need of a similar letter for the KNFB Reader. I would appreciate any assistance from a felow blind attorney, off-line please. Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law Alcidonis Law Office, LLC 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl Philadelphia, PA 19111 Tel: (215) 305-8085 Fax: (215) 525-0999 Attorney at alcidonislaw.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney Alcidonis at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete this message from your system. This communication is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. -------------------------------------------------- From: "John Ramsey" Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 7:11 AM To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB > Hello: > I believe it was Michelle who was well versed in drafting letters or > proposals for the KNFB Reader. If so, pleas contact me off list. > Also, I would like to get some of your input on the best course of action > in > challenging DBS for denial of services. Should I contact some of the > Advocacy centers or go through the Administrative Hearing process? Noel > Probably knows a lot about this on the federal level. > Finally, do any of you know the appropriate process for removing the case > from the administrative hearing phase to the civil court phase? > > Cordially, > John > > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com From slabarre at labarrelaw.com Tue May 18 17:38:52 2010 From: slabarre at labarrelaw.com (Scott C. LaBarre) Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 11:38:52 -0600 Subject: [blindlaw] Fw: ABA GPSolo Diversity Fellowships Program - Extended to May 31, 2010 Message-ID: <26E2A299ACEC47D28B889B97772ADD2A@labarre> For those who are solos or in small practices, this is an excellent way to get involved in the GP Solo Division of the ABA. Expenses are paid to the various meetings etc. Scott C. LaBarre, Esq. ----- Original Message ----- From: ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division To: GP-LEADERSHIP at MAIL.ABANET.ORG Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 10:43 AM Subject: ABA GPSolo Diversity Fellowships Program - Extended to May 31, 2010 Call for Diversity Fellowship Nomination Extended to May 31, 2010: The ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division is pleased to announce the sponsorship of four Diversity fellowships in the Division during the 2010-2011 bar year. The program is designed to promote diversity within the Division and the ABA, while providing leadership development opportunities within the Division for women, attorneys of color, and those with disabilities and persons of differing sexual orientations and gender identities. Nomination applications deadline is extended to May 31, 2010. For further any information on the Division's fellowship programs please contact:the GPSolo Division at (312) 988-5648, (312) 988-5711 or genpractice at abanet.org. Visit our website at www.abanet.org/genpractice or download a DiversityFellowshipApplication1011.doc. Mail, fax or email completed applications and nominations to: American Bar Association GPSolo and Small Firm Division (Diversity or Young Lawyers) Fellowship Program Dee C. Lee, Finance and Committees Coordinator 321 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL 60654 Fax (312) 988-5711 Email: genpractice at abanet.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To remove yourself from this listserv, please click here http://www.abanet.org/abanet/common/email/listserv/listcommands.cfm?parm=unsubscribe&listgroup=gp-leadership -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: attad214.gif Type: image/gif Size: 5270 bytes Desc: not available URL: From milicatrpevska at aol.com Wed May 19 18:29:14 2010 From: milicatrpevska at aol.com (Milica Trpevska) Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 14:29:14 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] New to the list LSAT? Message-ID: <8CCC598513B2D0E-17E0-256C@webmail-d026.sysops.aol.com> Hello folks I am Mimi - short for Milica - from Macedonia. I am almost totally blind since birth and have just graduated from college with two majors in journalism and political science. I've spent four wonderful years at the American University in Bulgaria and they ended just as wonderfully with a great commencement and a senior prom. Now that I graduated, I started thinking about preparing for the long and cumbersome process of applying for a law school position. I registered for LSAT in October in Bulgaria and am about to apply for accommodated testing. I've read some blogposts and papers on accommodated testing but will need some pieces of advice from fellow blind peers who personally experienced the process. I'd like to use a computer in the analytical section: 0 this will be the most convenient method for me to to sort out and solve the problems in this section. I don't know, however, whether LSAC permits such use and, if yes, which is the best way to approach them regarding this issue. I am aware that some fellows, among them Ms. Stephanie Enyart, put together a succinct guide that would be much helpful to first-time applicants like myself. I would greatly appreciate if someone would send it my way for which I thank you all in advance. I will also appreciate any and all advices regarding accommodated testing as well as practicing for LSAT. Most of you are probably professional lawyers or law students who do not have as much spare time, but I would appreciate if someone wants to have a short chat about it on skype, MSN or AIM. My corresponding screen names are provided below: skype: go-getter87, MSN: milica.trpevska at gmail.com, AIM: milicatrpevska at aol.com . When adding me on either of them, please let me know that you are a member of the Blind Law mailing list. Last but not least, I hope I will become a contributing member of the list and I look forward to getting to know some of you and to hearing some useful advices about LSAT and, hopefully, about the application process as I go along. Best, Milica Trpevska From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Wed May 19 20:56:06 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 13:56:06 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you In-Reply-To: <20100518020338.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> References: <20100518020338.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> Message-ID: <1CF8D9DA85304DF3BFE2F74956559B24@spike> Was this meeting recorded and will the Dallas meeting be broadcast or recorded for those who might not be able to attend. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "ray wayne" To: Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 7:03 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you > We discussed some of this at our NABLIND meeting immediately following the > tenBroek Syposium in Baltimore last month. We will do so again this summer > in Dallas at our annual meeting. I hope you can make it to Dallas, and > that you will come to our meeting. See agenda for time and location. > > Ray Wayne > Secretary, National Assocíation of Blind Lawyers > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Elizabeth Rene" > To: > Date: Monday, May 17, 2010 14:54:01 > Subject: [bllaw] Re Research Technology - thank you > >> >> >> Thanks to all of you who have sent your comments about using Westlaw and >> Lexis with screen reader software. >> >> I'm very grateful to you. >> >> And please, if there's anyone who hasn't written yet about research >> technology and techniques for blind lawyers, keep writing! >> >> Here's some more grist for the mill. >> >> Does anyone know of a Braille or electronic version of the Uniform System >> of >> Citation? >> >> What about the Restatements of the Law? >> >> How do you Shepherdize? >> >> How do you draft legislation and review bills in progress? >> >> How do you mark clerks papers on appeal? >> >> How do you prepare trial notebooks? >> >> What have been your best techniques for organizing and presenting oral >> argument on appeal? >> >> I'm speaking of the use of technology re all of this. >> >> When I practiced, I didn't have any blind lawyers to talk to, so I winged >> it >> a lot. I tried cases at all levels of state court, and argued regularly >> before my state's court of appeals and supreme court. I also conducted >> hearings and settlement conferences, and wrote formal opinions. >> >> So I'll share my experience and advice too, for what it's worth. >> >> Thanks, >> >> Elizabeth >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> bllaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> bllaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > From JFreeh at nfb.org Thu May 20 10:51:08 2010 From: JFreeh at nfb.org (Freeh, Jessica) Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 05:51:08 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Key Stakeholders Agree on Measures to Protect Blind Pedestrians from Silent Cars Message-ID: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 (410) 262-1281 (Cell) cdanielsen at nfb.org Key Stakeholders Agree on Measures to Protect Blind Pedestrians from Silent Cars Urge Passage as Part of Motor Vehicle Safety Act Baltimore, Maryland (May 19, 2010): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the American Council of the Blind (ACB), the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM), and the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) announced today that they have agreed on proposed legislative language that will protect blind pedestrians and others from the danger posed by silent vehicle technology. The four organizations are urging Congress to adopt and pass the language as part of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010­which is currently pending in both houses of Congress­as quickly as possible. The proposed language would require the Department of Transportation to promulgate a motor vehicle safety standard requiring automobiles to emit a minimum level of sound to alert the blind and other pedestrians. Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The National Federation of the Blind commends the automobile industry for its leadership on this issue and for its genuine concern for the safety of blind Americans, cyclists, runners, small children, and other pedestrians. We look forward to working with the parties to this agreement, the United States Congress, and the Department of Transportation to ensure that America’s streets remain safe, both for those who drive and for those who do not.” "Good policy is a collaborative effort, and this is a good approach for pedestrians and automakers," said Dave McCurdy, President and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Because blind pedestrians cannot locate and evaluate traffic using their vision, they must listen to traffic to discern its speed, direction, and other attributes in order to travel safely and independently. Other people, including pedestrians who are not blind, cyclists, runners, seniors, and small children, also benefit from hearing the sound of vehicle engines. New vehicles that employ hybrid or electric engine technology can be silent, rendering them extremely dangerous in situations where vehicles and pedestrians come into proximity with each other. A recent report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that hybrid and electric vehicles are nearly twice as likely to be involved in accidents with pedestrians as vehicles with internal combustion engines. ### About the National Federation of the Blind With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind. From rwayne1 at nyc.rr.com Fri May 21 02:27:58 2010 From: rwayne1 at nyc.rr.com (ray wayne) Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 21:27:58 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you In-Reply-To: <1CF8D9DA85304DF3BFE2F74956559B24@spike> References: <20100518020338.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> <1CF8D9DA85304DF3BFE2F74956559B24@spike> Message-ID: <20100521022758.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> It was not recorded. We have not, to my recollection, recorded our annual meetings either, though our Mock Trials are available on CD. Call me a stick in the mud, but I think these things need to be interactive. That's not to say we wouldn't record the meetings in the future, but that's up to our Board to decide. I don't know your situation, but I think you should think seriously about coming to convention. You can listen to the presidential report and the banquet address online, but you can't get the interpersonal interaction unless you are there! Ray Wayne ----- Original Message ----- From: unknown To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 16:49:21 Subject: Re: [bllaw] Re Research Technology �� thank you > > > Was this meeting recorded and will the Dallas meeting be broadcast or > recorded for those who might not be able to attend. > Chuck > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "ray wayne" > To: > Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 7:03 PM > Subject: Re: [bllaw] Re Research Technology �� thank you > > > > We discussed some of this at our NABLIND meeting immediately following the > > tenBroek Syposium in Baltimore last month. We will do so again this summer > > in Dallas at our annual meeting. I hope you can make it to Dallas, and > > that you will come to our meeting. See agenda for time and location. > > > > Ray Wayne > > Secretary, National Assoc��ation of Blind Lawyers > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Elizabeth Rene" > > To: > > Date: Monday, May 17, 2010 14:54:01 > > Subject: [bllaw] Re Research Technology �� thank you > > > >ar > >ar > >ar Thanks to all of you who have sent your comments about using Westlaw and > >ar Lexis with screen reader software. > >ar > >ar I'm very grateful to you. > >ar > >ar And please, if there's anyone who hasn't written yet about research > >ar technology and techniques for blind lawyers, keep writing! > >ar > >ar Here's some more grist for the mill. > >ar > >ar Does anyone know of a Braille or electronic version of the Uniform System > >ar of > >ar Citation? > >ar > >ar What about the Restatements of the Law? > >ar > >ar How do you Shepherdize? > >ar > >ar How do you draft legislation and review bills in progress? > >ar > >ar How do you mark clerks papers on appeal? > >ar > >ar How do you prepare trial notebooks? > >ar > >ar What have been your best techniques for organizing and presenting oral > >ar argument on appeal? > >ar > >ar I'm speaking of the use of technology re all of this. > >ar > >ar When I practiced, I didn't have any blind lawyers to talk to, so I winged > >ar it > >ar a lot. I tried cases at all levels of state court, and argued regularly > >ar before my state's court of appeals and supreme court. I also conducted > >ar hearings and settlement conferences, and wrote formal opinions. > >ar > >ar So I'll share my experience and advice too, for what it's worth. > >ar > >ar Thanks, > >ar > >ar Elizabeth > >ar > >ar > >ar > >ar > >ar > >ar > >ar _______________________________________________ > >ar bllaw mailing list > >ar blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >ar http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >ar To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > >ar bllaw: > >ar http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > _______________________________________________ > > bllaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > > bllaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > > > > > _______________________________________________ > bllaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for bllaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Fri May 21 17:43:30 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 12:43:30 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: USA JOBS --- SES Enforcement Directors Message-ID: From: CMPDL's Disability Discussion Docket (3D) [mailto:CMPDL-3D at MAIL.ABANET.ORG] On Behalf Of Phelan, William Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 4:44 AM To: CMPDL-3D at MAIL.ABANET.ORG Subject: FW: USA JOBS --- SES Enforcement Directors Two job postings below for DC. William J. Phelan, IV, Esq. Special Projects and Technology Coordinator Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law American Bar Association phelanw at staff.abanet.org www.abanet.org/disability ________________________________ From: Mobley, Mary Lou [mailto:Mary.Lou.Mobley at ed.gov] Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 5:16 PM To: Phelan, William Subject: FW: USA JOBS --- SES Enforcement Directors Bill, Can you please post the announcement, below, on your listserv? Hope all is well... Take care, -Mary Lou The Office for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Education is advertising for two SES positions (Enforcement Directors), to be stationed in Washington, DC. Please help us distribute these announcements to all qualified applicants who may be interested. This link is for the 905 (attorney series) http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88155885&JobTitle=Enforcement+Director&q=Enforcement+director&where=Washington%2c+DC&brd=3876&vw=b&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&x=66&y=10&AVSDM=2010-05-17+14%3a51%3a00 This link is for the 360 (non-attorney series) http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88156145&JobTitle=Enforcement+Director&q=Enforcement+director&where=Washington%2c+DC&brd=3876&vw=b&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&x=66&y=10&AVSDM=2010-05-17+14%3a57%3a00 Thank you! --------- Going to respond to this message? Be sure to hit "Reply All" when doing so. [cid:~WRD008.jpg] Disability Discussion Docket (3D) ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law http://www.abanet.org/disability --------- Material distributed over 3D is for educational and informational purposes only. The contents of any e-mail, including any statements that may be construed as legal advice or referral, are solely the responsibility of the e-mail?s author. In no event shall any contents be the responsibility of and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Bar Association, its officers, employees, agents or the Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law. --------- To leave this list at any time, please send a message to listserv at mail.abanet.org. In the body of the message type "sign off cmpdl-3d." If you have any questions about 3D or the CMPDL in general, please contact William Phelan at phelanw at staff.abanet.org. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ~WRD008.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 823 bytes Desc: ~WRD008.jpg URL: From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Sat May 22 02:45:31 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 19:45:31 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you In-Reply-To: <20100521022758.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> References: <20100518020338.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com><1CF8D9DA85304DF3BFE2F74956559B24@spike> <20100521022758.rwayne1@nyc.rr.com> Message-ID: Being a self employed freelance paralegal there are lots of conventions that I ought to attend but as I need to promote my business which comes first there are many that I don't attend. In today's society there are other ways of being interactive than having to spend several hundred dollars in air fare and be unavailable to my clients for several days while attending a convention. I am still uncertain about whether I will be attending the convention in Dallas for these reasons. As my business activities do not involve a predominance of work with the blind I need to weigh all factors very carefully. Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal 1237 P Street Fresno ca 93721 559-266-9237 ----- Original Message ----- From: "ray wayne" To: Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 7:27 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Re Research Technology - thank you > It was not recorded. We have not, to my recollection, recorded our annual > meetings either, though our Mock Trials are available on CD. Call me a > stick in the mud, but I think these things need to be interactive. That's > not to say we wouldn't record the meetings in the future, but that's up to > our Board to decide. > > I don't know your situation, but I think you should think seriously about > coming to convention. You can listen to the presidential report and the > banquet address online, but you can't get the interpersonal interaction > unless you are there! > > Ray Wayne > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: unknown > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 16:49:21 > Subject: Re: [bllaw] Re Research Technology - thank you > >> >> >> Was this meeting recorded and will the Dallas meeting be broadcast or >> recorded for those who might not be able to attend. >> Chuck >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "ray wayne" >> To: >> Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 7:03 PM >> Subject: Re: [bllaw] Re Research Technology - thank you >> >> >> > We discussed some of this at our NABLIND meeting immediately following >> > the >> > tenBroek Syposium in Baltimore last month. We will do so again this >> > summer >> > in Dallas at our annual meeting. I hope you can make it to Dallas, and >> > that you will come to our meeting. See agenda for time and location. >> > >> > Ray Wayne >> > Secretary, National Assocíation of Blind Lawyers >> > >> > >> > ----- Original Message ----- >> > From: "Elizabeth Rene" >> > To: >> > Date: Monday, May 17, 2010 14:54:01 >> > Subject: [bllaw] Re Research Technology - thank you >> > >> >ar >> >ar >> >ar Thanks to all of you who have sent your comments about using Westlaw >> >and >> >ar Lexis with screen reader software. >> >ar >> >ar I'm very grateful to you. >> >ar >> >ar And please, if there's anyone who hasn't written yet about research >> >ar technology and techniques for blind lawyers, keep writing! >> >ar >> >ar Here's some more grist for the mill. >> >ar >> >ar Does anyone know of a Braille or electronic version of the Uniform >> >System >> >ar of >> >ar Citation? >> >ar >> >ar What about the Restatements of the Law? >> >ar >> >ar How do you Shepherdize? >> >ar >> >ar How do you draft legislation and review bills in progress? >> >ar >> >ar How do you mark clerks papers on appeal? >> >ar >> >ar How do you prepare trial notebooks? >> >ar >> >ar What have been your best techniques for organizing and presenting >> >oral >> >ar argument on appeal? >> >ar >> >ar I'm speaking of the use of technology re all of this. >> >ar >> >ar When I practiced, I didn't have any blind lawyers to talk to, so I >> >winged >> >ar it >> >ar a lot. I tried cases at all levels of state court, and argued >> >regularly >> >ar before my state's court of appeals and supreme court. I also >> >conducted >> >ar hearings and settlement conferences, and wrote formal opinions. >> >ar >> >ar So I'll share my experience and advice too, for what it's worth. >> >ar >> >ar Thanks, >> >ar >> >ar Elizabeth >> >ar >> >ar >> >ar >> >ar >> >ar >> >ar >> >ar _______________________________________________ >> >ar bllaw mailing list >> >ar blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> >ar http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> >ar To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> >ar bllaw: >> >ar >> >http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com >> > >> > >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> >> > _______________________________________________ >> > bllaw mailing list >> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> > bllaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net >> > >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> bllaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> bllaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net > From b75205 at gmail.com Sat May 22 15:05:58 2010 From: b75205 at gmail.com (James Pepper) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 10:05:58 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 Message-ID: Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday Google put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet Explorer 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign document, and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it into the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up in the press as an internet threat. The game is still up. Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going to demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but I did not have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely drowning out the noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who was making off hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never had that happen before. The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. Anyway have you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an extreme moment? James From joramsey at cox.net Sat May 22 16:44:15 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 12:44:15 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <3C9CC3DD79C34C3AA61CB34ED9481532@noneeb869fea9a> Hello James: Fortunately I have not had that happen but I have noticed that the former page www.google.com/ie is now an advertisement for IE 8. It used to be a wonderful scaled down version of their search engine without all of the descriptions and graphics in the results. Take care, John John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of James Pepper Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 11:06 AM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday Google put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet Explorer 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign document, and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it into the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up in the press as an internet threat. The game is still up. Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going to demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but I did not have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely drowning out the noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who was making off hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never had that happen before. The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. Anyway have you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an extreme moment? James _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From k7uij at panix.com Sat May 22 17:25:47 2010 From: k7uij at panix.com (Mike Freeman) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 10:25:47 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 References: <3C9CC3DD79C34C3AA61CB34ED9481532@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: IMO no great loss as the stripped-down version didn't have any headers to skip between search results. (grin) Mike ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ramsey" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 9:44 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > Hello James: > Fortunately I have not had that happen but I have noticed that the former > page www.google.com/ie is now an advertisement for IE 8. It used to be a > wonderful scaled down version of their search engine without all of the > descriptions and graphics in the results. > Take care, > John > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of James Pepper > Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 11:06 AM > To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org > Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > > > Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday > Google > put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet > Explorer > 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use > Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign > document, > and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it > into > the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it > slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just > annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got > slow. > I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly like a > virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up in the > press as an internet threat. > > The game is still up. > > Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going to > demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but I did > not > have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this > thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely drowning out the > noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy > people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who was making > off > hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never > had > that happen before. > > The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept > droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. Anyway > have > you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an extreme moment? > > James > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/k7uij%40panix.com From b.schulz at sbcglobal.net Sat May 22 17:51:16 2010 From: b.schulz at sbcglobal.net (Bryan Schulz) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 12:51:16 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 References: Message-ID: <1934EE7ED2854827B29AA59A8789B673@HP8730notebook> hi, relax, it was a one day 30th anniversary celebration of the release of the pacman game. hopefully it will disappear soon. if you are good, you can jump to the search box quickly and type in your search and start getting results before the game automatically starts. you could have also used yahoo instead. Bryan Schulz ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Pepper" To: Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 10:05 AM Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday > Google > put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet > Explorer > 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use > Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign > document, > and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it > into > the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it > slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just > annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got > slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly > like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up > in > the press as an internet threat. > > The game is still up. > > Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going to > demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but I did > not > have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this > thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely drowning out the > noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy > people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who was making > off > hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never > had > that happen before. > > The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept > droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. Anyway > have > you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an extreme moment? > > James > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/b.schulz%40sbcglobal.net From joramsey at cox.net Sat May 22 19:15:40 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 15:15:40 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: <1934EE7ED2854827B29AA59A8789B673@HP8730notebook> Message-ID: <121263641E0B49D1A52FDF4A1E09D554@noneeb869fea9a> Does anyone know of a text based search site? John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bryan Schulz Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 1:51 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 hi, relax, it was a one day 30th anniversary celebration of the release of the pacman game. hopefully it will disappear soon. if you are good, you can jump to the search box quickly and type in your search and start getting results before the game automatically starts. you could have also used yahoo instead. Bryan Schulz ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Pepper" To: Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 10:05 AM Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday > Google > put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet > Explorer > 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use > Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign > document, > and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it > into > the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it > slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just > annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got > slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly > like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up > in > the press as an internet threat. > > The game is still up. > > Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going > to demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but > I did not have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that > I had this thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely > drowning out the noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see > how it would annoy people. I turned it off but it was a matter of > one guy who was making off > hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never > had > that happen before. > > The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it > kept droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. > Anyway have you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an > extreme moment? > > James > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/b.schulz%40sbcglob al.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net Sat May 22 20:09:50 2010 From: dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net (Dennis Clark) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 13:09:50 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 References: <121263641E0B49D1A52FDF4A1E09D554@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: <00a901caf9ea$bc82c270$6601a8c0@server> Hi John, Gail posted a modified google option yesterday and it looks pretty good. It is similar to the old one which ended with /IE. The new address is: http://labs.google.com/accessible/ Actually it looks a little better then our old one because this gives a line or so of text from the site. Let me know what you think. Best, Dennis ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ramsey" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 12:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > Does anyone know of a text based search site? > > John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. > > P.O. Box 6063 > > Gainesville, FL 32627 > > Phone: (352) 505-6642 > > Fax: (352) 240-6453 > > This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or > legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or > entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication > in > error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed > materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be > aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this > communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or > civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, > John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are > uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to > communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) > 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that > email > messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our > control. Thank you. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Bryan Schulz > Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 1:51 PM > To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > > > hi, > > relax, it was a one day 30th anniversary celebration of the release of the > pacman game. > hopefully it will disappear soon. > if you are good, you can jump to the search box quickly and type in your > search and start getting results before the game automatically starts. you > could have also used yahoo instead. > > Bryan Schulz > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "James Pepper" > To: > Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 10:05 AM > Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > > >> Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday >> Google >> put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet >> Explorer >> 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use >> Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign >> document, >> and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it >> into >> the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it >> slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just >> annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got >> slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly >> like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up >> in >> the press as an internet threat. >> >> The game is still up. >> >> Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going >> to demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but >> I did not have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that >> I had this thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely >> drowning out the noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see >> how it would annoy people. I turned it off but it was a matter of >> one guy who was making off >> hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never >> had >> that happen before. >> >> The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it >> kept droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. >> Anyway have you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an >> extreme moment? >> >> James >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/b.schulz%40sbcglob > al.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net From dandrews at visi.com Sat May 22 21:00:19 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 16:00:19 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: <121263641E0B49D1A52FDF4A1E09D554@noneeb869fea9a> References: <1934EE7ED2854827B29AA59A8789B673@HP8730notebook> <121263641E0B49D1A52FDF4A1E09D554@noneeb869fea9a> Message-ID: By definition virtually all search sites are text-based. I suspect you are asking a different question? Dave At 02:15 PM 5/22/2010, you wrote: >Does anyone know of a text based search site? David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920 From joramsey at cox.net Sat May 22 21:38:39 2010 From: joramsey at cox.net (John Ramsey) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 17:38:39 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <94D57D2D51CF4250B9A9E0CFAFB65B70@noneeb869fea9a> Yes Dave, I was not trying to get too technical. I believe Dennis has answered my question. John A. Ramsey Jr., P.A. P.O. Box 6063 Gainesville, FL 32627 Phone: (352) 505-6642 Fax: (352) 240-6453 This communication contains information that may be confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please call us at (352) 505-6642 and destroy any associated printed materials and delete the electronic material from any computer. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, use or publication of this communication or the information it contains may result in criminal and/or civil liability. Due to this message being transmitted over the Internet, John Ramsey cannot assure that the messages are secure. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use email to communicate with John Ramsey. Please contact us immediately at (352) 505-6642 if you decide not to use email. You must also be aware that email messages may be delayed or undelivered through circumstances beyond our control. Thank you. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David Andrews Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 5:00 PM To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 By definition virtually all search sites are text-based. I suspect you are asking a different question? Dave At 02:15 PM 5/22/2010, you wrote: >Does anyone know of a text based search site? David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920 _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/joramsey%40cox.net From emrene at earthlink.net Sat May 22 22:46:28 2010 From: emrene at earthlink.net (Elizabeth Rene) Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 15:46:28 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] SES Enforcement Directors Message-ID: <61DD3B690570462B96FD3C2740DF3B48@elizabethrene> What is the SES? Elizabeth From LBlake at nfb.org Mon May 24 12:28:31 2010 From: LBlake at nfb.org (Blake, Lou Ann) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 08:28:31 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] 2010 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium Message-ID: <7638A85981599142811F69FBB9508B6B028D178D@FPNTEXCBE01.services.local> Dear Blindlaw list members: Links to recordings of the plenary sessions and keynote addresses from the 2010 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium are now available on the symposium Web page. Go to http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Law_Symposium.asp to hear: Theme Keynote Address Tony Coelho, Chairman of the Board, American Association of People with Disabilities Panel I--Changing the Game Presenter: Richard Brown, Chief Judge, Wisconsin Court of Appeals Presenter: David Ferleger, Esquire, Law Office of David Ferleger 2010 Keynote Address Thomas Perez, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice Panel II--Education Plenary Session Presenter: Leslie Seid Margolis, Managing Attorney, Education Unit, Maryland Disability Law Center Presenter: Mark Weber, Vincent dePaul Professor of Law, DePaul University College of Law Panel III--Caucus/Open Discussion Facilitator: Andrew Imparato, President and CEO, American Association of People with Disabilities Panel IV--Access to Technology Plenary Session Presenter: Dan Goldstein, Partner, Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP Presenter: Mehgan Sidhu, Esquire, Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP Panel V--Medical Treatment/Ethics Plenary Session Presenter: Adrienne Asch, Director, Center for Ethics, Yeshiva University Presenter, Dan Brock, Director, Division of Medical Ethics, Harvard Medical School Lou Ann Blake, J.D. Law Symposium Coordinator Jacobus tenBroek Library Jernigan Institute NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place Baltimore, MD 21230 Telephone: (410) 659-9314, ext. 2221 Fax: (410) 659-5129 E-mail: lblake at nfb.org Web site: www.nfb.org From cathrynisfinally at verizon.net Mon May 24 15:12:35 2010 From: cathrynisfinally at verizon.net (Cathryn Bonnette) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 11:12:35 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] SES Enforcement Directors In-Reply-To: <61DD3B690570462B96FD3C2740DF3B48@elizabethrene> References: <61DD3B690570462B96FD3C2740DF3B48@elizabethrene> Message-ID: <2F5F354494254F899E03219978F8A112@14bd0130080a469> Elizabeth- and all, SES stands for Senior Executive Service" and is at grade level 15 or above. -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Rene Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 6:46 PM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] SES Enforcement Directors What is the SES? Elizabeth _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathrynisfinally%4 0verizon.net No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2891 - Release Date: 05/23/10 06:26:00 From dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net Mon May 24 15:27:44 2010 From: dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net (dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 10:27:44 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] SES Enforcement Directors References: <61DD3B690570462B96FD3C2740DF3B48@elizabethrene> <2F5F354494254F899E03219978F8A112@14bd0130080a469> Message-ID: <6614034C21EC4D6EA6F20B837D600271@DANELLIEVANDAWN> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathryn Bonnette" To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 10:12 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] SES Enforcement Directors > Elizabeth- and all, > > SES stands for Senior Executive Service" and is at grade level 15 or > above. > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Elizabeth Rene > Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 6:46 PM > To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org > Subject: [blindlaw] SES Enforcement Directors > > What is the SES? > > Elizabeth > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathrynisfinally%4 > 0verizon.net > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2891 - Release Date: 05/23/10 > 06:26:00 > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dlmlaw%40sbcglobal.net From dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net Mon May 24 15:35:32 2010 From: dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net (dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 10:35:32 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options Message-ID: <615C943FB3C4428D8C2A769BFC60DDF8@DANELLIEVANDAWN> I am a user of JAWS for accessibility to computers. Yesterday, a friend gave me a short demonstration of the Universal Accessibility program on his Apple McIntosh. I am, also, aware that Windows Vista and 07 come with similar programs called Windows Narrator. Is there anyone out there that is utilizing said programs in lieu of JAWS. I would appreciate your input regarding said programs. Dan McBride, Attorney Fort Worth, Texas From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Mon May 24 18:42:47 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 11:42:47 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options In-Reply-To: <615C943FB3C4428D8C2A769BFC60DDF8@DANELLIEVANDAWN> Message-ID: <186150.2276.qm@web30903.mail.mud.yahoo.com> The programs on windows require a use of a mouse. Therefore, they are not accessible to individuals who do not use a mouse. --- On Mon, 5/24/10, dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net wrote: > From: dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net > Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Monday, May 24, 2010, 11:35 AM > I am a user of JAWS for accessibility > to computers.  Yesterday, a friend gave me a short > demonstration of the Universal Accessibility program on his > Apple McIntosh.  I am, also, aware that Windows Vista > and 07 come with similar programs called Windows Narrator. > > Is there anyone out there that is utilizing said programs > in lieu of JAWS.  I would appreciate your input > regarding said programs. > > Dan McBride, Attorney > Fort Worth, Texas > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Mon May 24 18:42:57 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 11:42:57 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options In-Reply-To: <615C943FB3C4428D8C2A769BFC60DDF8@DANELLIEVANDAWN> Message-ID: <904984.29624.qm@web30904.mail.mud.yahoo.com> The programs on windows require a use of a mouse. Therefore, they are not accessible to individuals who do not use a mouse. --- On Mon, 5/24/10, dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net wrote: > From: dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net > Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Monday, May 24, 2010, 11:35 AM > I am a user of JAWS for accessibility > to computers.  Yesterday, a friend gave me a short > demonstration of the Universal Accessibility program on his > Apple McIntosh.  I am, also, aware that Windows Vista > and 07 come with similar programs called Windows Narrator. > > Is there anyone out there that is utilizing said programs > in lieu of JAWS.  I would appreciate your input > regarding said programs. > > Dan McBride, Attorney > Fort Worth, Texas > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > From dravant at ameritech.net Mon May 24 19:09:51 2010 From: dravant at ameritech.net (denise avant) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 12:09:51 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options In-Reply-To: <615C943FB3C4428D8C2A769BFC60DDF8@DANELLIEVANDAWN> Message-ID: <115360.83766.qm@web81908.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Hello, narrator is not an option in windows. you only want to use that when you're without jfw for whatever reason to inspect the screen. as for apple's voiceover, there is a list, and if you're contimeplating getting an appel, go to www.maccessibility.net, and look for the link regarding the mac, and signing up on the macvisionaries list. also, if you're attending the nfb convention this year in dallas, apple reps will be there. f--- On Mon, 5/24/10, dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net wrote: From: dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Date: Monday, May 24, 2010, 10:35 AM I am a user of JAWS for accessibility to computers.  Yesterday, a friend gave me a short demonstration of the Universal Accessibility program on his Apple McIntosh.  I am, also, aware that Windows Vista and 07 come with similar programs called Windows Narrator. Is there anyone out there that is utilizing said programs in lieu of JAWS.  I would appreciate your input regarding said programs. Dan McBride, Attorney Fort Worth, Texas _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dravant%40ameritech.net From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Mon May 24 21:46:20 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 14:46:20 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options In-Reply-To: <615C943FB3C4428D8C2A769BFC60DDF8@DANELLIEVANDAWN> References: <615C943FB3C4428D8C2A769BFC60DDF8@DANELLIEVANDAWN> Message-ID: <9F94A8D053E44A38AA439A2883D2D78C@spike> The functionality of those programs is rudimentary at best. You do not have the same degree of control of reading functions such as spped and delivery that you would have with an actual screen reader like JAWS. They work well for trouble shooting or at times when JAWS is disabled for some reason. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 8:35 AM Subject: [blindlaw] accessibility options >I am a user of JAWS for accessibility to computers. Yesterday, a friend >gave me a short demonstration of the Universal Accessibility program on his >Apple McIntosh. I am, also, aware that Windows Vista and 07 come with >similar programs called Windows Narrator. > > Is there anyone out there that is utilizing said programs in lieu of JAWS. > I would appreciate your input regarding said programs. > > Dan McBride, Attorney > Fort Worth, Texas > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From cathrynisfinally at verizon.net Mon May 24 22:16:18 2010 From: cathrynisfinally at verizon.net (Cathryn Bonnette) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 18:16:18 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: James, I've had similar experiences in government agency meetings regardless of the volume level. For people who are not used to hearing the computer voice, the effect is annoying. Cathryn -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of James Pepper Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 11:06 AM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday Google put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet Explorer 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign document, and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it into the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up in the press as an internet threat. The game is still up. Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going to demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but I did not have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely drowning out the noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who was making off hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never had that happen before. The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. Anyway have you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an extreme moment? James _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathrynisfinally%4 0verizon.net No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2887 - Release Date: 05/22/10 06:26:00 From jsorozco at gmail.com Mon May 24 22:40:35 2010 From: jsorozco at gmail.com (Joe Orozco) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 18:40:35 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <3D05BE5B61DA41B1A24B3035988F2A24@Rufus> Frankly, even as a blind person who understands a screen reader, I would find a chattering computer more than distracting, perhaps even more so because I could understand the chattering. In cases where I am taking notes at a meeting I simply use an earpiece to comfortably take notes and participate in the meeting in progress. Joe "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cathryn Bonnette Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 6:16 PM To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List' Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 James, I've had similar experiences in government agency meetings regardless of the volume level. For people who are not used to hearing the computer voice, the effect is annoying. Cathryn -----Original Message----- From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of James Pepper Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 11:06 AM To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and yesterday Google put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze Internet Explorer 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my InDesign document, and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just loaded it into the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is invasive and it slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game but it just annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect was exactly like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it didn't show up in the press as an internet threat. The game is still up. Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen reader going to demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant but I did not have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely drowning out the noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who was making off hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit extreme. Never had that happen before. The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. Anyway have you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an extreme moment? James _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathry nisfinally%4 0verizon.net No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2887 - Release Date: 05/22/10 06:26:00 _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/jsoroz co%40gmail.com From DFrye at nfb.org Mon May 24 22:54:51 2010 From: DFrye at nfb.org (Frye, Dan) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 18:54:51 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Rod of Philadelphia Message-ID: <7638A85981599142811F69FBB9508B6B028D1C6C@FPNTEXCBE01.services.local> Rod: I need to find you, the attorney licensed in Pennsylvania and New jersey. If you remain on this list, please contact me off list using the detail below in my signature block. Thank you. With Kind Regards, *********************** Daniel B. Frye, J.D. Editor The Braille Monitor National Federation of the Blind Office of the President 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place Baltimore, Maryland 21230 Telephone: (410) 659-9314 Ext. 2208 Mobile: (410) 241-7006 Fax: (410) 685-5653 Email: DFrye at nfb.org Web Address: www.nfb.org "Voice of the Nation's Blind" From dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net Tue May 25 01:45:15 2010 From: dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net (Dennis Clark) Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 18:45:15 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Rod of Philadelphia References: <7638A85981599142811F69FBB9508B6B028D1C6C@FPNTEXCBE01.services.local> Message-ID: <00d201cafbab$ec56a080$6601a8c0@server> Hi Dan, I am pretty sure that Rod's email address is: Attorney at alcidonislaw.com He posted on the list within the past couple of weeks. All the best, Dennis ----- Original Message ----- From: "Frye, Dan" To: Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 3:54 PM Subject: [blindlaw] Rod of Philadelphia > Rod: > > I need to find you, the attorney licensed in Pennsylvania and New > jersey. If you remain on this list, please contact me off list using the > detail below in my signature block. Thank you. > > With Kind Regards, > > *********************** > Daniel B. Frye, J.D. > Editor > The Braille Monitor > National Federation of the Blind > Office of the President > 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place > Baltimore, Maryland 21230 > Telephone: (410) 659-9314 Ext. 2208 > Mobile: (410) 241-7006 > Fax: (410) 685-5653 > Email: DFrye at nfb.org > Web Address: www.nfb.org > "Voice of the Nation's Blind" > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net From attorney at alcidonislaw.com Tue May 25 13:57:30 2010 From: attorney at alcidonislaw.com (Rod Alcidonis, Esquire.) Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 09:57:30 -0400 Subject: [blindlaw] Rod of Philadelphia In-Reply-To: <00d201cafbab$ec56a080$6601a8c0@server> References: <7638A85981599142811F69FBB9508B6B028D1C6C@FPNTEXCBE01.services.local> <00d201cafbab$ec56a080$6601a8c0@server> Message-ID: <905492B877F14B36A339E2C1BE09BA23@LawOfficePC> Hello friends: I have replied to Dan off-list as he requested. Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law Alcidonis Law Office, LLC 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl Philadelphia, PA 19111 Tel: (215) 305-8085 Fax: (215) 525-0999 Attorney at alcidonislaw.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney Alcidonis at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete this message from your system. This communication is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. -------------------------------------------------- From: "Dennis Clark" Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 9:45 PM To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Rod of Philadelphia > Hi Dan, > I am pretty sure that Rod's email address is: > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > He posted on the list within the past couple of weeks. > All the best, > Dennis > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Frye, Dan" > To: > Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 3:54 PM > Subject: [blindlaw] Rod of Philadelphia > > >> Rod: >> >> I need to find you, the attorney licensed in Pennsylvania and New >> jersey. If you remain on this list, please contact me off list using the >> detail below in my signature block. Thank you. >> >> With Kind Regards, >> >> *********************** >> Daniel B. Frye, J.D. >> Editor >> The Braille Monitor >> National Federation of the Blind >> Office of the President >> 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place >> Baltimore, Maryland 21230 >> Telephone: (410) 659-9314 Ext. 2208 >> Mobile: (410) 241-7006 >> Fax: (410) 685-5653 >> Email: DFrye at nfb.org >> Web Address: www.nfb.org >> "Voice of the Nation's Blind" >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com From tom at tomladis.com Tue May 25 17:01:24 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 12:01:24 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Pomaro to host meeting for blind lawyers Message-ID: Pomaro to host meeting for blind lawyers By Maria Kantzavelos Law Bulletin staff writer Nicholas T. Pomaro is well aware of the difficulties associated with a tight job market for lawyers looking for work in the current economic climate. But those problems, he said, "are tenfold for a blind person." "This is not sour grapes. This is just a reality," said Pomaro, a retired Cook County associate judge and former prosecutor who is blind. "Blind people, in general, have difficulty in finding work because, if they are able to do the work, the natural fears that sighted people have of blind people - the assumption is, they can't do certain things." Pomaro, who has been blind since age six, was told by a school administrator during law school that he could never be a trial attorney because he couldn't see facial expressions of witnesses and jurors. He graduated from The John Marshall Law School in 1964 and for about a decade before he rose to the bench, Pomaro worked as an assistant Cook County state's attorney prosecuting criminal felony cases. "It's true. I can't see facial expressions; I can't see body language. But a well-dressed, beautiful woman isn't necessarily truthful," Pomaro said. "I think I get much more out of voice inflections than other people do. . You learn to compensate. I lack sight, but I think I've developed other instincts." Pomaro retired from the bench in 2005. Today, he runs the Kane Legal Clinic located at The Chicago Lighthouse, 1850 W. Roosevelt Road. The clinic provides free legal services to blind or visually impaired people on low-incomes who seek representation in matters such as those related to job discrimination, social security, tax issues, and other civil matters, as well as assistance in criminal defense. But beginning at 1:30 p.m. on June 3, the clinic is scheduled to be the place where visually impaired and blind lawyers in the Chicago area are to meet in an effort to share mutual concerns, as well as to gauge support for forming a local association of blind attorneys and blind people interested in pursuing careers in law. Pomaro is serving as the meeting's host. "The thought was, there are a number of blind attorneys in the Chicagoland area," he said. "I think many attorneys nowadays are struggling because of the economy. And I know there are people who are visually impaired and thinking of the law as a profession. I thought it might be a good idea to get visually impaired people who are lawyers, or interested in the law, to discuss problems or issues that are unique to the visually impaired community and, with those discussions, see if we can help people." The gathering will serve as a brainstorming session, Pomaro said, to explore ideas of how local blind lawyers could network and help one another. For example, "I don't know how good of an idea it is, but I have never heard of a law firm made up of blind attorneys," Pomaro said. "Usually attorneys have specialties, and maybe you can find three, four or five who have particular skills in particular areas of the law, and they can form a loose association and refer cases to each other, or help each other out, or form a law firm." The former judge also hopes the forum will provide inspiration to newer attorneys who are blind, or to blind people interested in pursuing a career in law. When Pomaro was starting out, he said, "It was very helpful to me to know that other blind people succeeded in other fields." By late last week, Pomaro said, about 20 visually impaired and blind law students and attorneys responded to his call for a meeting, including several veteran attorneys. "Letting people know that it can be done, that these are blind people who have made it in these various areas of the law, I think, is helpful to them," Pomaro said. "We're trying to give people hope. It was important to me, and I think it's important to everyone to have hope." Pomaro pointed out the existence of the National Association of Blind Lawyers, a membership organization of blind attorneys, law students, judges and others in the law field that provides support and information regarding employment, techniques used by the blind, advocacy, laws affecting the blind and other issues for blind lawyers. But he said he is not aware of an association for lawyers in the Chicago area. Anthony J. Thomas, an assistant Cook County public defender in the Felony Trial Division, serves as an officer in the National Association of Blind Lawyers. A local association for blind and visually impaired lawyers to share resources and expertise, he said, sounds like a good idea. "Attorneys who are blind have different kinds of issues with which to deal than does a sighted attorney," Thomas said. "And, other blind attorneys who have gone through the process of going to school and getting an education, and dealing with the job market and how people respond to you in the practice of law - all those things come into play. And sometimes people can share information in terms of how to problem solve when certain situations arise." Assistant U.S. Attorney Yusef A. Dale, who was legally blind at birth and became totally blind at age 23, said there are plenty "tricks of the trade" that could be shared via a local association of blind lawyers. "There are blind lawyers who are practicing successfully out here," Dale said. "That's one of the reasons this organization is needed - to bridge that gap and exchange ideas of how best to bridge that gap." Blind lawyers, Dale said, generally have a disproportionate difficulty in getting hired, "Particularly because it's commonly believed, incorrectly so, that sight is paramount to being a good lawyer because it is so print driven." The federal prosecutor who serves in the financial crimes and special prosecutions unit in Chicago said being prepared with "all your tools in your tool box" is key to making it work. Those tools, he said, could be the technology tools such as computers with Braille keyboards and special screen reading software, as well as human resources. Thomas counts himself among the fortunate ones in that he was hired for the one job for which he applied after law school. He has been serving in the public defender's office since 1986. "My situation is not typical of most people," he said. "Most people I have talked to have told stories about how they've interviewed at dozens of places and have been shut out." Thomas has been totally blind since he was 8. Born with glaucoma and no sight in his left eye and limited sight in his right eye, he was totally blinded when he was struck in the right eye while wrestling with another boy. As a trial lawyer who appears each day in the Criminal Courts Building at 26th Street and California Avenue, Thomas has an assistant who has been hired by the county to read and write for him. The assistant also accompanies him to court, as well as to investigations of crime scenes and to interviews with clients and witnesses. "One of the things that I've experienced in my practice is that many people who are surprised when they meet me and discover I'm blind, after they talk to me for a few minutes, whatever feelings of trepidation they might have had dissipated," Thomas said. Thomas said he has mentored many blind people interested in practicing law. He often finds himself offering this advice: "If you believe in yourself and if you project a positive, confident demeanor and image to your client, your client will not see you as a blind lawyer, your client will see you as their lawyer." "What you are doing for the client starts in your mind," Thomas said. "The client has to believe in you. And the client cannot believe in you if you don't believe in yourself." For more information about the upcoming meeting for blind lawyers and students, call Pomaro at (312) 666-1331, ext. 3112. From dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net Tue May 25 20:13:36 2010 From: dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net (Dennis Clark) Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 13:13:36 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Law Firm Management Software Message-ID: <019901cafc46$c2013610$6601a8c0@server> Hello Everyone, Has anyone had any success using jaws or WindowEyes with any of the law firm management packages? In particular I am thinking of Time Slips or Amicus Attorney but I am willing to purchase which ever management package is most accessible. I am currently using Jaws but if WindowEyes will work better with a law firm management package I will go that direction. Thanks in advance for your assistance. Warmest regards, Dennis From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov Tue May 25 21:34:27 2010 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel) Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 16:34:27 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] FW: 2010-2011 ABA Division for Public Services Clerkship Message-ID: From: CMPDL's Disability Discussion Docket (3D) [mailto:CMPDL-3D at MAIL.ABANET.ORG] On Behalf Of Phelan, William Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 7:38 AM To: CMPDL-3D at MAIL.ABANET.ORG Subject: 2010-2011 ABA Division for Public Services Clerkship Please see the attached. For law students at ABA-accredited law schools only. The Commission is under the ABA Division for Public Services. William J. Phelan, IV, Esq. Special Projects and Technology Coordinator Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law American Bar Association 740 15th Street, NW, 9th Floor Washington, DC 20005-1022 T: 202.662.1576 F: 202.442.3439 phelanw at staff.abanet.org www.abanet.org/disability --------- Going to respond to this message? Be sure to hit "Reply All" when doing so. [cid:~WRD267.jpg] Disability Discussion Docket (3D) ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law http://www.abanet.org/disability --------- Material distributed over 3D is for educational and informational purposes only. The contents of any e-mail, including any statements that may be construed as legal advice or referral, are solely the responsibility of the e-mail's author. In no event shall any contents be the responsibility of and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Bar Association, its officers, employees, agents or the Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law. --------- To leave this list at any time, please send a message to listserv at mail.abanet.org. In the body of the message type "sign off cmpdl-3d." If you have any questions about 3D or the CMPDL in general, please contact William Phelan at phelanw at staff.abanet.org. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ~WRD267.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 823 bytes Desc: ~WRD267.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 1011psd_clerkship_flyer_cmd.pdf Type: application/octet-stream Size: 116566 bytes Desc: 1011psd_clerkship_flyer_cmd.pdf URL: From tom at tomladis.com Wed May 26 12:11:01 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 07:11:01 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <24D20B6AA8B64BED847930DA4BB1FEC0@TMLDELLLAPTOP1><7BDC17BBA47C498092CB7780D10E1811@LawOfficePC><26DF25C22D2743008FCE6CA89C81EF8E@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> <039f01caf4b5$af28e030$6601a8c0@server> Message-ID: <6539E4A36B6140989C419787B8560DC7@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Hello Dennis and All, Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been trying to catch up with the reading that I have been able to do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF files that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what they have sent me but not reading the stuff that has formatting issues due to table conversion issues. I have also not done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue all of these issues with Kaplan. At this point, I was able to find a friend who was willing to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, I was able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I have not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being administered on a computer starting this year. If that is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction that will put everyone into the same ball park. They are still going to provide my test in a printed format along with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are not able to administer the test with JAWS or another screen reader application. She reported that people did not like the computer format because it did not allow them to do their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is how Kaplan trains test takers. More later as I try to get another practice exam or three done before the actual test. Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any better luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the question text that got jumbled during conversion, and appreciate your offer of support. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Hello Tom, I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for about 20 years now since I graduated from law school and I have had some success over the years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to convert the PDF's that Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you can do with Open Book. The files are too large to be sent as email attachments but if we can talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file transfer service that I use. I would also like to talk with you about the legal problems raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. Over the years I have taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was accessible, but my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. However, the ADA has been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they get their act together and provide complete course accessibility. Please give me a call if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am located in California, but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I look forward to talking with you. Warmest regards, Dennis Clark ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very difficult to work with to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email instead of human interaction. They are not willing to give much information over the phone, and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter in PDF files for me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see them add some more check boxes to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations advisors to people who are blind. Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended Kaplan, but it appears that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText and when you need to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files all seem to have formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke with Freedom Scientific about the problem and their conclusion is that the files are not formatted to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF files using OpenBook and saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of junk in the file because of their multi column structure and the books being for the Premier classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to keep up with a class when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded in the test is a problem. It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just trying to level the playing field for blind people who are already in or trying to get into the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the playing field leveled and attorney fees paid are welcome. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Hi Tom, I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine was online and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions of the study materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the PDF files with ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe were flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much less accessible, as the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor jumbped around the screen at random. In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through LSAC. Kaplan had nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the LSAT in Tokyo last September and again last December. One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to prepare for the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on test day. I prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 options by LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test book, or 2. a human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print difficult for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able to read only 14 or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short periods of time. To make a long story short, my test day score was 15 points lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons aside, the nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge factor in my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a human reader to help me study, my options were limited. I don't what the implications are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge you to meet with them in person prior to test day and assess their reading skills at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, competent, and have the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for them to meet with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening and acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem them unfit for the task. After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last year, I asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a computer using Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not possible at this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a computer-based alternative in the future, and the representative repeated flatly "No, not at this time." I have since learned that two of my acquaintances in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to write on test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. I would not go so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their accommodation decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is clear to me that the playing field is far from level. I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in some way, and I wish you the best of luck on test day! Regards, Derek Wilson www.twitter.com/culturemate http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but the class has > started > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to get me the PDF files > just > 3 days before the class started. My fault for starting late and I have > not > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to deal with getting me > the materials in a JAWS friendly format. I was finally able to get > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not the greatest > solution > either. > > Thanks for your thoughts, > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Tom > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you need and why. Kaplan > has > demonstrated to me times and again that they are committed to complying > with > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the SAT, LSAT, and Bar > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be perfect. Have a > constructive dialog with them. > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being sent by a lawyer and may > contain privileged and confidential information and may be protected by > attorney client and work product privileges. If you are not the intended > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. > > If you have received this communication in error, notify Attorney > Alcidonis > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, and permanently delete > this message from your system. This communication is covered by the > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2521. > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Tom Ladis" > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > >> Hello All. >> >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested the course material in >> a digital format. They sent the material on a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not manageable by JAWS. >> >> I got what I asked for, but it is not usable. Kaplan has not been able >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. >> >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 megabyte ? PDF to a Word >> document? >> >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for providing a reader and scribe >> for the practice tests? >> >> >> Thanks, >> Tom >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Wed May 26 15:35:47 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 08:35:47 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <6539E4A36B6140989C419787B8560DC7@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <553176.44406.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" and online exercises. I outsourced and used readers who were from local agencies who volunteered there time. I would start to make consumer complaints since you are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > From: Tom Ladis > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM > Hello Dennis and All, > > Sorry to have dropped off for a while.  I have been > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been able to > do.  Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF files > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what they > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has formatting > issues due to table conversion issues.  I have also not > done any of their online exercises.  Once I am able to > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue all of > these issues with Kaplan. > > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was willing > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice > exam.  To my amazement, after using the Princeton > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, I was > able to score a 137.  Not great or high enough to get > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. > > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I have > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being > administered on a computer starting this year.  If that > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction that > will put everyone into the same ball park.  They are > still going to provide my test in a printed format along > with a reader and scribe.  This tells me that they are > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another screen > reader application.  She reported that people did not > like the computer format because it did not allow them to do > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is how > Kaplan trains test takers. > > More later as I try to get another practice exam or three > done before the actual test. > > Dennis.  I will call you today to try to arrange > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any better > luck with the tables.  I have just been avoiding the > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and > appreciate your offer of support. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated  from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC.  I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book.  The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use.  I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course.  > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA.  > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility.  > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244.  I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois.  I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info.  LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date.  They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much  > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view.  Funny, huh?  I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different.  The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged.  I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the  > files are not formatted > to be accessible.  They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes.  Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession.  Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced.  Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well.  I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes.  They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC.  Kaplan had > nothing to do with this.  I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day.  I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font.  I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time.  To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance.  As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited.  I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level.  They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours.  LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time."  I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology.  > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind.  It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started.  My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format.   I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > >  This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format.  They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files.  Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >>  I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable.   Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > From b75205 at gmail.com Wed May 26 19:58:34 2010 From: b75205 at gmail.com (James Pepper) Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 14:58:34 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 In-Reply-To: <3D05BE5B61DA41B1A24B3035988F2A24@Rufus> References: <3D05BE5B61DA41B1A24B3035988F2A24@Rufus> Message-ID: Well I was demonstrating my process of accessibility and it was only for a minute and I was closing it down when these people arrived and got very hot and heavy in a short period of time. It was an immediate effect. On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 5:40 PM, Joe Orozco wrote: > Frankly, even as a blind person who understands a screen reader, I would > find a chattering computer more than distracting, perhaps even more so > because I could understand the chattering. In cases where I am taking > notes > at a meeting I simply use an earpiece to comfortably take notes and > participate in the meeting in progress. > > Joe > > "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, > some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org > [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cathryn Bonnette > Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 6:16 PM > To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List' > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > > James, > > I've had similar experiences in government agency meetings > regardless of the > volume level. For people who are not used to hearing the > computer voice, the > effect is annoying. > > Cathryn > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org > [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of James Pepper > Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 11:06 AM > To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org > Subject: [blindlaw] Google home page is wrecking IE 7 > > Hello, I used Internet Explorer 7 because I have JAWS 8 and > yesterday Google > put a game on its main page which was pacman. This froze > Internet Explorer > 7, I had to upgrade to IE 8 to get work done. Not only that but I use > Adobe InDesign and it placed an image of the game into my > InDesign document, > and that image was not on th epage I was working on, it just > loaded it into > the document. It was lucky I found it. So this thing is > invasive and it > slows down the Internet. So everyone seemed to like the game > but it just > annihilated productivity and it disabled the computer, everything got > slow. I kno wit was Google who did this, but to me the effect > was exactly > like a virus. But everyone was happy with the game so it > didn't show up in > the press as an internet threat. > > The game is still up. > > Also I was in a restaurant the other day and had a screen > reader going to > demonstrate a process and it was a bit noisy in the restaurant > but I did not > have the volume up that much but people were infuriated that I had this > thing going. It was not that loud, people were definitely > drowning out the > noise but it as continuously speaking and I can see how it would annoy > people. I turned it off but it was a matter of one guy who > was making off > hand remarks about beating me up that I thought was a bit > extreme. Never had > that happen before. > > The screen reader was going along speaking continuously and yes it kept > droning on about the page contents, well you know what they do. > Anyway have > you all encountered anything like this, or was this ust an > extreme moment? > > James > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cathry > nisfinally%4 > 0verizon.net > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2887 - Release Date: 05/22/10 > 06:26:00 > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account > info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/jsoroz > co%40gmail.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/b75205%40gmail.com > From JHartle at nfb.org Thu May 27 02:48:00 2010 From: JHartle at nfb.org (Hartle, Jesse) Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 21:48:00 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Legislative Alert - Motor Vehicle Safety Act Message-ID: Dear Fellow Federationists: I am writing to report that all of our hard work on the issue of silent cars is paying off. Language that will protect the blind and others from the danger posed by silent hybrid and electric vehicles has been favorably reported to the United States House of Representatives by the Committee on Energy and Commerce as part of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010 (H.R. 5381). This legislation, which is a comprehensive bill to address numerous vehicle safety issues raised by the recent Toyota recalls, now includes language agreed to by the National Federation of the Blind, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, and the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers. If passed by the House of Representatives and adopted by the Senate, this language will require the Department of Transportation to issue regulations requiring a minimum sound standard for hybrid and electric automobiles. This victory is a product of our hard work and the cooperation of the automobile industry, but we will need to remain vigilant to make sure this bill becomes law. We will keep you apprised of developments and let you know if action needs to be taken to secure this victory. Thank you again for all you do. Sincerely, Jesse M. Hartle Government Programs Specialist NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND Telephone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2233 E-mail: jhartle at nfb.org -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Legislative Alert 05-26-2010-.doc Type: application/msword Size: 25600 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tom at tomladis.com Thu May 27 14:20:18 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 09:20:18 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <553176.44406.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> This has all been a big drag. Luckily, Equipped For Equality is concerned and will be representing me to get things straightened out and wake them up a little bit. If they are not able to get them to do something under a cooperative agreement it may go to the next level. It may take litigation to get them to make permanent changes, but we will take it one step at a time. Either way, Kaplan and LSAC are both out of touch with the spirit of the ADA legislation and need blind people to keep whacking at them until they can level things off for the next guy. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "William ODonnell" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:35 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" and online exercises. I outsourced and used readers who were from local agencies who volunteered there time. I would start to make consumer complaints since you are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > From: Tom Ladis > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM > Hello Dennis and All, > > Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been able to > do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF files > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what they > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has formatting > issues due to table conversion issues. I have also not > done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue all of > these issues with Kaplan. > > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was willing > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice > exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, I was > able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. > > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I have > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being > administered on a computer starting this year. If that > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction that > will put everyone into the same ball park. They are > still going to provide my test in a printed format along > with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another screen > reader application. She reported that people did not > like the computer format because it did not allow them to do > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is how > Kaplan trains test takers. > > More later as I try to get another practice exam or three > done before the actual test. > > Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any better > luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and > appreciate your offer of support. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility. > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the > files are not formatted > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC. Kaplan had > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day. I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time. To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time." I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format. I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format. They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable. Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com From squierr at comcast.net Thu May 27 17:09:30 2010 From: squierr at comcast.net (Renee Squier) Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 10:09:30 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <553176.44406.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <14ec01cafdbf$5f1a2410$6701a8c0@BECKY> Hi Tom and all, I to am studying for the LSAT in June. Tom could you please contact me off list at squierr at comcast.net. Thank you all for some of the most interesting conversations. Renee ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 7:20 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support This has all been a big drag. Luckily, Equipped For Equality is concerned and will be representing me to get things straightened out and wake them up a little bit. If they are not able to get them to do something under a cooperative agreement it may go to the next level. It may take litigation to get them to make permanent changes, but we will take it one step at a time. Either way, Kaplan and LSAC are both out of touch with the spirit of the ADA legislation and need blind people to keep whacking at them until they can level things off for the next guy. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "William ODonnell" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:35 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" and online exercises. I outsourced and used readers who were from local agencies who volunteered there time. I would start to make consumer complaints since you are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > From: Tom Ladis > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM > Hello Dennis and All, > > Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been able to > do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF files > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what they > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has formatting > issues due to table conversion issues. I have also not > done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue all of > these issues with Kaplan. > > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was willing > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice > exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, I was > able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. > > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I have > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being > administered on a computer starting this year. If that > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction that > will put everyone into the same ball park. They are > still going to provide my test in a printed format along > with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another screen > reader application. She reported that people did not > like the computer format because it did not allow them to do > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is how > Kaplan trains test takers. > > More later as I try to get another practice exam or three > done before the actual test. > > Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any better > luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and > appreciate your offer of support. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility. > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the > files are not formatted > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC. Kaplan had > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day. I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time. To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time." I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format. I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format. They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable. Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/squierr%40comcast.net From william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com Thu May 27 21:01:34 2010 From: william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com (William ODonnell) Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 14:01:34 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <912239.25343.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Agreed. Let me know what I can do to help when or if needed. --- On Thu, 5/27/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > From: Tom Ladis > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010, 10:20 AM > This has all been a big drag.  > Luckily, Equipped For Equality is concerned > and will be representing me to get things straightened out > and wake them up > a little bit.  If they are not able to get them to do > something under a > cooperative agreement it may go to the next level.  It > may take litigation > to get them to make permanent changes, but we will take it > one step at a > time. > > > Either way, Kaplan and LSAC are both out of touch with the > spirit of the ADA > legislation and need blind people to keep whacking at them > until they can > level things off for the next guy. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "William ODonnell" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:35 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" > and online > exercises.  I outsourced and used readers who were > from local agencies who > volunteered there time.  I would start to make > consumer complaints since you > are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom > Ladis > > wrote: > > > From: Tom Ladis > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM > > Hello Dennis and All, > > > > Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been > > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been > able to > > do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF > files > > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what > they > > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has > formatting > > issues due to table conversion issues. I have also > not > > done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to > > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue > all of > > these issues with Kaplan. > > > > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was > willing > > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice > > exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton > > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, > I was > > able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get > > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. > > > > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I > have > > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being > > administered on a computer starting this year. If > that > > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction > that > > will put everyone into the same ball park. They are > > still going to provide my test in a printed format > along > > with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are > > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another > screen > > reader application. She reported that people did not > > like the computer format because it did not allow them > to do > > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is > how > > Kaplan trains test takers. > > > > More later as I try to get another practice exam or > three > > done before the actual test. > > > > Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange > > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any > better > > luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the > > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and > > appreciate your offer of support. > > > > > > > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > > > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Hello Tom, > > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled > for > > about 20 years now > > since I graduated from law school and I have had some > > success over the > > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to > > convert the PDF's that > > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than > you > > can do with Open > > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email > > attachments but if we can > > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a > file > > transfer service > > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about > > the legal problems > > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. > > Over the years I have > > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither > was > > accessible, but > > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. > > However, the ADA has > > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that > they > > get their act > > together and provide complete course accessibility. > > Please give me a call > > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am > > located in California, > > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I > > look forward to > > talking with you. > > Warmest regards, > > Dennis Clark > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very > > difficult to work with > > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email > > instead of human > > interaction. They are not willing to give much > > information over the phone, > > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation > letter > > in PDF files for > > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see > > them add some more check boxes > > to their accommodations forms to assign > accommodations > > advisors to people > > who are blind. > > > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > > Kaplan, but it appears > > that taking the course when you are able to use > ZoomText > > and when you need > > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files > > all seem to have > > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke > > with Freedom Scientific > > about the problem and their conclusion is that the > > files are not formatted > > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF > > files using OpenBook and > > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all > sort of > > junk in the file > > because of their multi column structure and the books > being > > for the Premier > > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to > > keep up with a class > > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk > embedded > > in the test is a > > problem. > > > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time > just > > trying to level > > the playing field for blind people who are already in > or > > trying to get into > > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the > > playing field leveled and > > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > > > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > > > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Hi Tom, > > > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though > mine > > was online > > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > > of the study > > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the > > PDF files with > > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I > believe > > were > > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much > > less accessible, as > > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading > cursor > > jumbped > > around the screen at random. > > > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > > LSAC. Kaplan had > > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the > > LSAT in Tokyo > > last September and again last December. > > > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best > to > > prepare for > > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write > on > > test day. I > > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given > only 2 > > options by > > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print > test > > book, or 2. a > > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large > print > > difficult > > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able > > to read only 14 > > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for > short > > periods of > > time. To make a long story short, my test day score > > was 15 points > > lower than my timed practice test score. Other > reasons > > aside, the > > nature of my interaction with the test material was a > huge > > factor in > > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a > > human reader to > > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what > > the implications > > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your > attention. > > > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly > urge > > you to meet > > with them in person prior to test day and assess > their > > reading skills > > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, > > competent, and have > > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for > > them to meet > > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of > screening > > and > > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you > deem > > them unfit > > for the task. > > > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of > last > > year, I > > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > > computer using > > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is > not > > possible at > > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > > computer-based > > alternative in the future, and the representative > repeated > > flatly "No, > > not at this time." I have since learned that two of > > my acquaintances > > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were > able to > > write on > > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. > > I would not go > > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > > accommodation > > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but > it is > > clear to me > > that the playing field is far from level. > > > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful > in > > some way, > > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > > > Regards, > > Derek Wilson > > www.twitter.com/culturemate > > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > > wrote: > > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, > but > > the class has started > > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to > > get me the PDF files just > > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for > > starting late and I have not > > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how > to > > deal with getting me > > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > > format. I was finally able to get > > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that > is not > > the greatest solution > > > either. > > > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > > Tom > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > > > > Tom > > > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what > you > > need and why. Kaplan has > > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > > committed to complying with > > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for > the > > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not > be > > perfect. Have a > > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > > sent by a lawyer and may > > > contain privileged and confidential information > and > > may be protected by > > > attorney client and work product privileges. If > you > > are not the intended > > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any > retention, > > dissemination, > > > reading, or copying of this communication is > strictly > > prohibited. > > > > > > If you have received this communication in > error, > > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > > and permanently delete > > > this message from your system. This communication > is > > covered by the > > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. > § > > 2510-2521. > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > >> Hello All. > > >> > > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and > requested > > the course material in > > >> a digital format. They sent the material on > > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, > and not > > manageable by JAWS. > > >> > > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not > > usable. Kaplan has not been able > > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > > >> > > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > > >> document? > > >> > > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > > providing a reader and scribe > > >> for the practice tests? > > >> > > >> > > >> Thanks, > > >> Tom > > >> > _______________________________________________ > > >> blindlaw mailing list > > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or > get > > your account info for > > >> blindlaw: > > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > blindlaw mailing list > > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your > > account info for > > > blindlaw: > > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > blindlaw mailing list > > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your > > account info for > > > blindlaw: > > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > > account info for blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > > account info for blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > From dwilson.lists at gmail.com Fri May 28 00:59:12 2010 From: dwilson.lists at gmail.com (Derek Wilson) Date: Fri, 28 May 2010 09:59:12 +0900 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <912239.25343.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> <912239.25343.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: You can count on me for support as well, if and when it is needed. Derek On 5/28/10, William ODonnell wrote: > Agreed. Let me know what I can do to help when or if needed. > > > --- On Thu, 5/27/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > >> From: Tom Ladis >> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010, 10:20 AM >> This has all been a big drag. >> Luckily, Equipped For Equality is concerned >> and will be representing me to get things straightened out >> and wake them up >> a little bit.  If they are not able to get them to do >> something under a >> cooperative agreement it may go to the next level.  It >> may take litigation >> to get them to make permanent changes, but we will take it >> one step at a >> time. >> >> >> Either way, Kaplan and LSAC are both out of touch with the >> spirit of the ADA >> legislation and need blind people to keep whacking at them >> until they can >> level things off for the next guy. >> >> >> Tom >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "William ODonnell" >> To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:35 AM >> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> >> >> You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" >> and online >> exercises.  I outsourced and used readers who were >> from local agencies who >> volunteered there time.  I would start to make >> consumer complaints since you >> are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom >> Ladis >> >> wrote: >> >> > From: Tom Ladis >> > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM >> > Hello Dennis and All, >> > >> > Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been >> > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been >> able to >> > do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF >> files >> > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what >> they >> > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has >> formatting >> > issues due to table conversion issues. I have also >> not >> > done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to >> > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue >> all of >> > these issues with Kaplan. >> > >> > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was >> willing >> > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice >> > exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton >> > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, >> I was >> > able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get >> > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. >> > >> > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I >> have >> > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being >> > administered on a computer starting this year. If >> that >> > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction >> that >> > will put everyone into the same ball park. They are >> > still going to provide my test in a printed format >> along >> > with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are >> > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another >> screen >> > reader application. She reported that people did not >> > like the computer format because it did not allow them >> to do >> > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is >> how >> > Kaplan trains test takers. >> > >> > More later as I try to get another practice exam or >> three >> > done before the actual test. >> > >> > Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange >> > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any >> better >> > luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the >> > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and >> > appreciate your offer of support. >> > >> > >> > >> > Tom >> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" >> > >> > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM >> > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> > >> > >> > Hello Tom, >> > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled >> for >> > about 20 years now >> > since I graduated from law school and I have had some >> > success over the >> > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to >> > convert the PDF's that >> > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than >> you >> > can do with Open >> > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email >> > attachments but if we can >> > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a >> file >> > transfer service >> > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about >> > the legal problems >> > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. >> > Over the years I have >> > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither >> was >> > accessible, but >> > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. >> > However, the ADA has >> > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that >> they >> > get their act >> > together and provide complete course accessibility. >> > Please give me a call >> > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am >> > located in California, >> > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I >> > look forward to >> > talking with you. >> > Warmest regards, >> > Dennis Clark >> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" >> > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM >> > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> > >> > >> > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very >> > difficult to work with >> > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email >> > instead of human >> > interaction. They are not willing to give much >> > information over the phone, >> > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation >> letter >> > in PDF files for >> > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see >> > them add some more check boxes >> > to their accommodations forms to assign >> accommodations >> > advisors to people >> > who are blind. >> > >> > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended >> > Kaplan, but it appears >> > that taking the course when you are able to use >> ZoomText >> > and when you need >> > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files >> > all seem to have >> > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke >> > with Freedom Scientific >> > about the problem and their conclusion is that the >> > files are not formatted >> > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF >> > files using OpenBook and >> > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all >> sort of >> > junk in the file >> > because of their multi column structure and the books >> being >> > for the Premier >> > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to >> > keep up with a class >> > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk >> embedded >> > in the test is a >> > problem. >> > >> > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time >> just >> > trying to level >> > the playing field for blind people who are already in >> or >> > trying to get into >> > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the >> > playing field leveled and >> > attorney fees paid are welcome. >> > >> > >> > Tom >> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" >> > >> > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM >> > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> > >> > >> > Hi Tom, >> > >> > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though >> mine >> > was online >> > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions >> > of the study >> > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the >> > PDF files with >> > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I >> believe >> > were >> > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much >> > less accessible, as >> > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading >> cursor >> > jumbped >> > around the screen at random. >> > >> > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through >> > LSAC. Kaplan had >> > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the >> > LSAT in Tokyo >> > last September and again last December. >> > >> > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best >> to >> > prepare for >> > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write >> on >> > test day. I >> > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given >> only 2 >> > options by >> > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print >> test >> > book, or 2. a >> > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large >> print >> > difficult >> > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able >> > to read only 14 >> > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for >> short >> > periods of >> > time. To make a long story short, my test day score >> > was 15 points >> > lower than my timed practice test score. Other >> reasons >> > aside, the >> > nature of my interaction with the test material was a >> huge >> > factor in >> > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a >> > human reader to >> > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what >> > the implications >> > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your >> attention. >> > >> > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly >> urge >> > you to meet >> > with them in person prior to test day and assess >> their >> > reading skills >> > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, >> > competent, and have >> > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for >> > them to meet >> > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of >> screening >> > and >> > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you >> deem >> > them unfit >> > for the task. >> > >> > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of >> last >> > year, I >> > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a >> > computer using >> > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is >> not >> > possible at >> > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a >> > computer-based >> > alternative in the future, and the representative >> repeated >> > flatly "No, >> > not at this time." I have since learned that two of >> > my acquaintances >> > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were >> able to >> > write on >> > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. >> > I would not go >> > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their >> > accommodation >> > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but >> it is >> > clear to me >> > that the playing field is far from level. >> > >> > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful >> in >> > some way, >> > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! >> > >> > Regards, >> > Derek Wilson >> > www.twitter.com/culturemate >> > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate >> > >> > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis >> > wrote: >> > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, >> but >> > the class has started >> > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to >> > get me the PDF files just >> > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for >> > starting late and I have not >> > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how >> to >> > deal with getting me >> > > the materials in a JAWS friendly >> > format. I was finally able to get >> > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that >> is not >> > the greatest solution >> > > either. >> > > >> > > Thanks for your thoughts, >> > > Tom >> > > ----- Original Message ----- >> > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." >> > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM >> > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> > > >> > > >> > > Tom >> > > >> > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what >> you >> > need and why. Kaplan has >> > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are >> > committed to complying with >> > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for >> the >> > SAT, LSAT, and Bar >> > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not >> be >> > perfect. Have a >> > > constructive dialog with them. >> > > >> > > >> > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law >> > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC >> > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl >> > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 >> > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 >> > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 >> > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com >> > > >> > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: >> > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being >> > sent by a lawyer and may >> > > contain privileged and confidential information >> and >> > may be protected by >> > > attorney client and work product privileges. If >> you >> > are not the intended >> > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any >> retention, >> > dissemination, >> > > reading, or copying of this communication is >> strictly >> > prohibited. >> > > >> > > If you have received this communication in >> error, >> > notify Attorney Alcidonis >> > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, >> > and permanently delete >> > > this message from your system. This communication >> is >> > covered by the >> > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. >> § >> > 2510-2521. >> > > >> > > >> > > >> -------------------------------------------------- >> > > From: "Tom Ladis" >> > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM >> > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" >> > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support >> > > >> > >> Hello All. >> > >> >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and >> requested >> > the course material in >> > >> a digital format. They sent the material on >> > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some >> > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, >> and not >> > manageable by JAWS. >> > >> >> > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not >> > usable. Kaplan has not been able >> > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. >> > >> >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 >> > megabyte ? PDF to a Word >> > >> document? >> > >> >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for >> > providing a reader and scribe >> > >> for the practice tests? >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> Thanks, >> > >> Tom >> > >> >> _______________________________________________ >> > >> blindlaw mailing list >> > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or >> get >> > your account info for >> > >> blindlaw: >> > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com >> > > >> > > >> > > _______________________________________________ >> > > blindlaw mailing list >> > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get >> your >> > account info for >> > > blindlaw: >> > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > > >> > > >> > > _______________________________________________ >> > > blindlaw mailing list >> > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get >> your >> > account info for >> > > blindlaw: >> > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com >> > > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > blindlaw mailing list >> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your >> > account info for >> > blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > blindlaw mailing list >> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your >> > account info for >> > blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > blindlaw mailing list >> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your >> > account info for blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > blindlaw mailing list >> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your >> > account info for blindlaw: >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com >> > >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your >> account info for >> blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> blindlaw mailing list >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your >> account info for blindlaw: >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com >> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > From ckrugman at sbcglobal.net Fri May 28 23:54:51 2010 From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net (ckrugman at sbcglobal.net) Date: Fri, 28 May 2010 16:54:51 -0700 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support In-Reply-To: <9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> References: <553176.44406.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Message-ID: <13D984E984064DCB9CCA292729313310@spike> Congratulations, This is the type of action that needs to occur when organizations or companies blatantly fail to comply with ADA and other legislation. SWhat is Equipped for Equality as I'm not familiar with that organization? Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 7:20 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support This has all been a big drag. Luckily, Equipped For Equality is concerned and will be representing me to get things straightened out and wake them up a little bit. If they are not able to get them to do something under a cooperative agreement it may go to the next level. It may take litigation to get them to make permanent changes, but we will take it one step at a time. Either way, Kaplan and LSAC are both out of touch with the spirit of the ADA legislation and need blind people to keep whacking at them until they can level things off for the next guy. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "William ODonnell" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:35 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" and online exercises. I outsourced and used readers who were from local agencies who volunteered there time. I would start to make consumer complaints since you are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > From: Tom Ladis > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM > Hello Dennis and All, > > Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been able to > do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF files > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what they > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has formatting > issues due to table conversion issues. I have also not > done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue all of > these issues with Kaplan. > > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was willing > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice > exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, I was > able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. > > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I have > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being > administered on a computer starting this year. If that > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction that > will put everyone into the same ball park. They are > still going to provide my test in a printed format along > with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another screen > reader application. She reported that people did not > like the computer format because it did not allow them to do > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is how > Kaplan trains test takers. > > More later as I try to get another practice exam or three > done before the actual test. > > Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any better > luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and > appreciate your offer of support. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility. > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the > files are not formatted > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC. Kaplan had > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day. I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time. To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time." I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format. I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format. They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable. Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net From tom at tomladis.com Sun May 30 03:02:58 2010 From: tom at tomladis.com (Tom Ladis) Date: Sat, 29 May 2010 22:02:58 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support References: <553176.44406.qm@web30902.mail.mud.yahoo.com><9720AC68866B42FBA15B9D082F15B171@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> <13D984E984064DCB9CCA292729313310@spike> Message-ID: <646AE84A233C42FC980F0FE546FA1BF6@TMLDELLLAPTOP1> Thanks. Equipped For Equality is a law firm in Chicago that takes on issues that help to level the playing field for people with disabilities. They seem to have their hands in things from Education to Online Banking to Workplace equality issues. I was not able to find a web site for them, but will get a phone number or web address from them and publish it here if they allow. Maybe I can get someone from their firm to publish their mission statement or something like that to this list. I will get back with more info. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Friday, May 28, 2010 6:54 PM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support Congratulations, This is the type of action that needs to occur when organizations or companies blatantly fail to comply with ADA and other legislation. SWhat is Equipped for Equality as I'm not familiar with that organization? Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 7:20 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support This has all been a big drag. Luckily, Equipped For Equality is concerned and will be representing me to get things straightened out and wake them up a little bit. If they are not able to get them to do something under a cooperative agreement it may go to the next level. It may take litigation to get them to make permanent changes, but we will take it one step at a time. Either way, Kaplan and LSAC are both out of touch with the spirit of the ADA legislation and need blind people to keep whacking at them until they can level things off for the next guy. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "William ODonnell" To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:35 AM Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support You will not be able to utilize there "accessible software" and online exercises. I outsourced and used readers who were from local agencies who volunteered there time. I would start to make consumer complaints since you are not getting what you paid for.--- On Wed, 5/26/10, Tom Ladis wrote: > From: Tom Ladis > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 8:11 AM > Hello Dennis and All, > > Sorry to have dropped off for a while. I have been > trying to catch up with the reading that I have been able to > do. Kaplan has not yet provided the books in PDF files > that are tagged correctly, and I have been using what they > have sent me but not reading the stuff that has formatting > issues due to table conversion issues. I have also not > done any of their online exercises. Once I am able to > take the LSAT in June I will have more time to pursue all of > these issues with Kaplan. > > At this point, I was able to find a friend who was willing > to act as a reader / scribe for my first practice > exam. To my amazement, after using the Princeton > Review method of guessing on the Logic Games section, I was > able to score a 137. Not great or high enough to get > into many schools, but probably a good first attempt. > > I was also told by an employee at Kaplan, although I have > not verified her statement, that the LSAT is being > administered on a computer starting this year. If that > is true, it looks like they are moving in a direction that > will put everyone into the same ball park. They are > still going to provide my test in a printed format along > with a reader and scribe. This tells me that they are > not able to administer the test with JAWS or another screen > reader application. She reported that people did not > like the computer format because it did not allow them to do > their roadmaps and notation on the booklet, which is how > Kaplan trains test takers. > > More later as I try to get another practice exam or three > done before the actual test. > > Dennis. I will call you today to try to arrange > sending the Lesson Book PDF to see if you have any better > luck with the tables. I have just been avoiding the > question text that got jumbled during conversion, and > appreciate your offer of support. > > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Clark" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 12:07 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hello Tom, > I have been trying to get the playing field leveled for > about 20 years now > since I graduated from law school and I have had some > success over the > years dealing with the LSAC. I would be happy to > convert the PDF's that > Kaplan gave you into possibly more accurate files than you > can do with Open > Book. The files are too large to be sent as email > attachments but if we can > talk by phone I can help you send them to me using a file > transfer service > that I use. I would also like to talk with you about > the legal problems > raised by the inaccessibility of the Kaplan course. > Over the years I have > taken Kaplan courses for the GRE and LSAT, and neither was > accessible, but > my Kaplan experience preceded the passage of the ADA. > However, the ADA has > been in effect now for 18 years and it is time that they > get their act > together and provide complete course accessibility. > Please give me a call > if you would like to talk at (310) 285-0244. I am > located in California, > but I am also licensed to practice law in Illinois. I > look forward to > talking with you. > Warmest regards, > Dennis Clark > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Ladis" > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Thanks for all of the great info. LSAC has been very > difficult to work with > to date. They seem to prefer doing things by email > instead of human > interaction. They are not willing to give much > information over the phone, > and have posted a scanned image of an accommodation letter > in PDF files for > me to view. Funny, huh? I would like to see > them add some more check boxes > to their accommodations forms to assign accommodations > advisors to people > who are blind. > > Regarding Kaplan, a fellow blind student recommended > Kaplan, but it appears > that taking the course when you are able to use ZoomText > and when you need > to use JAWS are quite a bit different. The PDF files > all seem to have > formatting issues, even if they are tagged. I spoke > with Freedom Scientific > about the problem and their conclusion is that the > files are not formatted > to be accessible. They suggested scanning the PDF > files using OpenBook and > saving it to a Word file, but even that leaves all sort of > junk in the file > because of their multi column structure and the books being > for the Premier > classes instead of the Standard classes. Trying to > keep up with a class > when you have the wrong books and distracting junk embedded > in the test is a > problem. > > It seems that a law firm could spend all of their time just > trying to level > the playing field for blind people who are already in or > trying to get into > the legal profession. Any ideas on how to get the > playing field leveled and > attorney fees paid are welcome. > > > Tom > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Wilson" > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:25 AM > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > Hi Tom, > > I also took an LSAT prep course with Kaplan, though mine > was online > and self-paced. Kaplan provided me with PDF versions > of the study > materials as well. I had no difficulty accessing the > PDF files with > ZoomText, but I did have some trouble with what I believe > were > flash-based tutorials and quizzes. They were much > less accessible, as > the text did not appear to be tagged so the reading cursor > jumbped > around the screen at random. > > In my case, I needed to arrange for a reader through > LSAC. Kaplan had > nothing to do with this. I am a Canadian who took the > LSAT in Tokyo > last September and again last December. > > One word of caution, you would be wise to do your best to > prepare for > the LSAT under the same conditions as you will write on > test day. I > prepared online with a screen-reader, but was given only 2 > options by > LSAC in the way of accommodation: 1. a large-print test > book, or 2. a > human reader. The nature of my disability makes large print > difficult > for me to read, as it is an 18-point font. I am able > to read only 14 > or 16-point font, and only with great difficulty for short > periods of > time. To make a long story short, my test day score > was 15 points > lower than my timed practice test score. Other reasons > aside, the > nature of my interaction with the test material was a huge > factor in > my performance. As I was not in a position to pay a > human reader to > help me study, my options were limited. I don't what > the implications > are for you, but I wanted to bring this to your attention. > > If you decide to go with a human reader, I strongly urge > you to meet > with them in person prior to test day and assess their > reading skills > at this level. They will need to be quick, clear, > competent, and have > the stamina to last for many hours. LSAC will pay for > them to meet > with you for up to 3 hours for the purposes of screening > and > acquaintance, and you have the right of refusal if you deem > them unfit > for the task. > > After my first time writing the LSAT in September of last > year, I > asked LSAC point blank if I could take the test on a > computer using > Access Technology, and they flat out said "No, that is not > possible at > this time." I asked if LSAC was planning to offer a > computer-based > alternative in the future, and the representative repeated > flatly "No, > not at this time." I have since learned that two of > my acquaintances > in Canada, both of whom are visually impaired, were able to > write on > test day with the use of a PC and Access Technology. > I would not go > so far as to say that LSAC is arbitrary in their > accommodation > decisions, since I do not have all of the facts, but it is > clear to me > that the playing field is far from level. > > I sincerely hope that you find this information useful in > some way, > and I wish you the best of luck on test day! > > Regards, > Derek Wilson > www.twitter.com/culturemate > http://jp.linkedin.com/in/culturemate > > On 5/13/10, Tom Ladis > wrote: > > I am pretty sure that it will all get worked out, but > the class has started > > and I am falling behind. It took them a month to > get me the PDF files just > > 3 days before the class started. My fault for > starting late and I have not > > been able to find anyone at Kaplan that knows how to > deal with getting me > > the materials in a JAWS friendly > format. I was finally able to get > > OpenBook to read the PDF this morning, but that is not > the greatest solution > > either. > > > > Thanks for your thoughts, > > Tom > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rod Alcidonis, Esquire." > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:32 AM > > Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > > > > Tom > > > > Kaplan will work with you. Just tell them what you > need and why. Kaplan has > > demonstrated to me times and again that they are > committed to complying with > > the ADA. This was when I signed up with them for the > SAT, LSAT, and Bar > > Prep. They will find a solution even it may not be > perfect. Have a > > constructive dialog with them. > > > > > > Rod Alcidonis, Attorney and Counselor at Law > > Alcidonis Law Office, LLC > > 6907B Rising Sun Ave., 1st Fl > > Philadelphia, PA 19111 > > Tel: (215) 305-8085 > > Fax: (215) 525-0999 > > Attorney at alcidonislaw.com > > > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: > > This message and/or its attachment(s) is being > sent by a lawyer and may > > contain privileged and confidential information and > may be protected by > > attorney client and work product privileges. If you > are not the intended > > recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, > dissemination, > > reading, or copying of this communication is strictly > prohibited. > > > > If you have received this communication in error, > notify Attorney Alcidonis > > at (215) 305-8085 or at Attorney at alcidonislaw.com, > and permanently delete > > this message from your system. This communication is > covered by the > > Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § > 2510-2521. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > From: "Tom Ladis" > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:18 AM > > To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" > > Subject: [blindlaw] Kaplan LSAT Support > > > >> Hello All. > >> > >> I have started the Kaplan LSAT class and requested > the course material in > >> a digital format. They sent the material on > a CD-ROM in PDF files. Some > >> of the files are HUGE, as in 30 megabytes, and not > manageable by JAWS. > >> > >> I got what I asked for, but it is not > usable. Kaplan has not been able > >> to provide anything besides the PDF files. > >> > >> Does anybody have the ability to save a 30 > megabyte ? PDF to a Word > >> document? > >> > >> In addition, isn't Kaplan responsible for > providing a reader and scribe > >> for the practice tests? > >> > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Tom > >> _______________________________________________ > >> blindlaw mailing list > >> blindlaw at nfbnet.org > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get > your account info for > >> blindlaw: > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > blindlaw mailing list > > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > > blindlaw: > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dwilson.lists%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for > blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dennisgclark%40sbcglobal.net > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com > > > _______________________________________________ > blindlaw mailing list > blindlaw at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your > account info for blindlaw: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/william.odonnell1%40yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net _______________________________________________ blindlaw mailing list blindlaw at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tom%40tomladis.com From dandrews at visi.com Mon May 31 22:42:14 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 17:42:14 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] Cardtronics Settlement Message-ID: I have been asked to circulate the materials below. David Andrews The Proposed Remediation Plan provides as follows: (1) All Cardtronics-owned ATMs in Massachusetts will be Voice-guided no later than June 30, 2010. (2) By December 31, 2010, at least ninety percent (90%) of all transactions at covered ATMs occurring within the borders of Massachusetts will occur on ATMs that are Voice-guided. (3) All Cardtronics-owned ATMs nationally will be Voice-guided no later than December 31, 2010, with the exception of Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores which will be Voice-guided no later than March 31, 2011. (4) By March 31, 2011, at least ninety percent (90%) of all transactions at covered ATMs nationally will occur on ATMs that are Voice-guided. (5) With the assistance of the NFB, Cardtronics has developed enhanced scripts for the great majority of the ATMs it owns. With the exception of Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores, on or before December 31, 2010 Cardtronics will install enhanced scripts on all Cardtronics-owned ATMs, except where it is not technologically feasible to do so, in which cases, on or before December 31, 2010, Cardtronics shall either (i) replace such ATMs with ATMs on which an enhanced script can and will be installed, or (ii) remove such ATMs from the Cardtronics-owned fleet. Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores will be Voice-guided no later than March 31, 2011. Any script on any Cardtronics-owned ATM, including the enhanced scripts, shall meet the requirements set forth in the definition of “Voice-guided” and “Voice-Guidance” set forth in the Final Order[1] and as supplemented in paragraph 6 of this Order. (6) With the exception of Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores, by December 31, 2010, all Cardtronics-owned Voice-guided ATMs and those merchant-owned, Voice-guided ATMs that Cardtronics designates as making up a portion of the ninety percent (90%) transaction requirements of paragraphs 2 and 4 above, will have tactilely discernible controls, that is, operating mechanisms used in conjunction with speech output that can be located and operated by feel. When a numeric keypad is part of the tactilely discernible controls, all function keys will be mapped to the numeric keypad and, except for those remaining Wincor ATMs installed in Target stores prior to June 2007, the numeric keypad will have an “echo” effect such that the user’s numeric entries (other than the entry of a personal identification number) are repeated in voice form. All tactilely discernible controls will otherwise comply with applicable regulations. All Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores will meet these requirements no later than March 31, 2011. (7) With the exception of Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores, by December 31, 2010, all Cardtronics-owned ATMs will have appropriate signage as identified in the Final Order Ex. 1.[2] All Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores will meet these requirements no later than March 31, 2011. By December 31, 2010, Cardtronics will send such signage to each of its Merchant-owned customers that operate a Voice-guided ATM (with the exception of those customers for whom Cardtronics physically placed Braille signage on each of the customer’s Voice-guided ATMs after April 9, 2007) requesting that those customers install such signage on their Voice-guided ATMs. Cardtronics will include a letter from the NFB describing the importance of such signage with its request. On or before February 1, 2011, Cardtronics will provide the NFB with the approximate date on which it placed signage on each of the Merchant-owned Voice-guided ATMs or sent the appropriate signage by mail. (8) By December 31, 2012, Cardtronics will cause to have inspected all Cardtronics-owned, non-branded ATMs to ensure that the Voice-guided features of these ATMs are in working condition. Approximately 10,000 of these inspections shall take place in calendar years 2010 and 2011, with the balance taking place in calendar year 2012. To the extent Cardtronics can demonstrate to Class counsel that within the first two years of conducting such inspections the Voice-guided features are in compliance with the definition of Voice-guidance, the parties shall meet to discuss the results of these inspections and may agree in writing that Cardtronics shall cause to have inspected a minimum of 1,000 Cardtronics-owned, non-branded ATMs each year for the remainder of the term of the Agreement. These inspections will be documented in a manner showing that the person conducting the inspection used headphones to listen to the voice script on the ATM. Similarly, in the course of conducting its routine inspections of Cardtronics-owned, branded ATMs, such inspections shall be documented in a manner showing that the person conducting the inspection used headphones to listen to the voice script on the ATM. On a monthly basis, Cardtronics shall report the results of all inspections required by this paragraph to Class counsel. (9) In addition to the reporting requirements identified in the Final Order,[3] Cardtronics will report monthly between June 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011. For the period between June 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011, Cardtronics will add to the information it is currently reporting for each Cardtronics-owned ATM whether the enhanced script has been installed on the ATM, as well as the month and year of such installation. No later than October 31, 2010, for each Cardtronics-owned ATM on which it is not technologically feasible to install an enhanced script, Cardtronics will indicate whether it will replace such ATM with a Voice-guided ATM or remove the ATM from the fleet. (10) Cardtronics will keep its ATM locator on its website up to date as to whether a covered ATM is equipped with Voice-guidance. (11) Notice of the Proposed Remediation Plan will be provided to the Class in the manner described below. (12) In addition to the testing costs set forth in Final Order Ex. 1, Cardtronics will pay $60,000 to the NFB to be used for interim testing and other compliance monitoring by the NFB taking place in 2010 and the first quarter of 2011. The NFB shall provide Cardtronics with invoices as testing is completed, to be payable by Cardtronics within 30 days of receipt of each invoice. (13) Cardtronics will pay the NFB $145,000 for the reasonable fees and costs incurred by the NFB as a result of Cardtronics’ failure to comply with the Final Order. This amount includes attorneys’ fees and testing costs that the NFB incurred due to the failure of Cardtronics to comply with the Final Order and shall be paid in two equal installments of $72,500, one upon the effective date of this Court’s final approval of the Proposed Remediation Plan and the second 60 days thereafter. (14) The requirements set forth in Final Order Ex. 1 shall remain in effect, in whole or in part, for eight years from the date of this Court’s final approval of the Proposed Remediation Plan. The Parties may agree in writing to extend the requirements of Final Order Ex. 1 further or the Court may so order in connection with paragraph 13.3. Notwithstanding any expiration of Final Order Ex. 1, paragraphs 6, 7 and 13 of Final Order Ex. 1 shall continue to remain in effect in perpetuity. (15) To the extent that the requirements set forth herein are inconsistent with any provision of Final Order Ex. 1, this Order controls. All other terms and requirements of the Final Order, including Final Order Ex. 1, will remain in full force and effect. [1] Final Order Ex. 1 at 4. [2] See Final Order Ex. 1 at ¶ 4.2. [3] See id. at ¶ 4.4.1. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, et al., Plaintiffs, v. CARDTRONICS, INC., et al., Defendants. ) Civil Action No. 03-11206-MEL ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) NOTICE OF PROPOSED REMEDIATION PLAN CONCERNING FINAL ORDER RELATING TO CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND HEARING TO BE HELD ON September 15, 2010 @ 2:30pm TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE NATIONWIDE CLASS CERTIFIED BY THIS COURT TO INCLUDE BLIND PATRONS OF AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINES (“ATMs”) OWNED OR OPERATED BY EITHER CARDTRONICS, INC. OR CARDTRONICS USA, INC. (collectively, “Cardtronics”) On December 4, 2007, this Court granted final approval of a class action settlement agreement entered into between Plaintiffs, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the National Federation of the Blind (“NFB”), and several individual blind persons, and Defendants, Cardtronics, Inc. and Cardtronics, LP (now Cardtronics USA, Inc.) (collectively “Cardtronics”) concerning, among other things, the accessibility of ATMs owned or operated by Cardtronics to blind patrons under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and Massachusetts state laws. DUE TO CARDTRONICS’ INABILITY TO MEET A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS OF THIS COURT’S FINAL ORDER OF DECEMBER 4, 2007, THE PARTIES HAVE REACHED AGREEMENT ON A PROPOSED REMEDIATION PLAN, SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY THIS COURT, THAT REQUIRES CARDTRONICS TO MEET ALL OF THEIR PRIOR OBLIGATIONS WITH EXTENSIONS OF TIME TO DO SO, PLUS ADDITIONAL OBLIGATIONS INTENDED TO ENSURE THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS ENJOY THE BENEFITS SET FORTH IN THE ORIGINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND FINAL COURT ORDER. Cardtronics has agreed to a remediation plan that includes, among other actions, ensuring that with the exception of Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores, all ATMs owned by Cardtronics will offer voice guidance through a standard headphone jack located on the face of the ATM by no later than December 31, 2010; Cardtronics-owned ATMs located in 7-Eleven stores will offer voice guidance through a standard headphone jack located on the face of the ATM by no later than March 31, 2011, and that by March 31, 2011, at least ninety percent (90%) of all Transactions at Covered ATMs shall occur on ATMs that are Voice-guided or otherwise accessible to Blind people. Cardtronics has agreed to develop improved voice-guided scripts for all Cardtronics-owned ATMs to ensure that blind customers can easily access all ATM functions. Cardtronics has also agreed to institute an inspection program intended to ensure that voice-guided ATMs remain operational for blind customers. A full copy of the proposed remediation plan is available on the NFB’s website: www.nfb.org and on the Cardtronics’ website: www.cardtronics.net/news/nfb_remediationplan.asp. The locations of the existing ATMs covered by the Final Order and by the proposed remediation plan, with designation of voice-guidance status, can be obtained through Cardtronics’ ATM locator feature, available at www.cardtronics.net/about/atmlocator.asp. As part of the proposed remediation plan and subject to Court approval, Cardtronics has agreed to pay the amount of $145,000 in attorneys’ fees to the attorneys representing the class. These amounts will not detract from Cardtronics duties to provide accessible ATMs to the class. The Court will conduct a hearing on the motion of class counsel for their attorneys’ fees at the date and time set forth in the following paragraph. Cardtronics has also agreed to pay an additional $60,000 to the NFB for testing that the NFB will conduct to ensure compliance with the remediation plan requirements. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and an Order of the Court dated May 18, 2010, and as thereafter amended that a Final Approval Hearing will be held on September 15, 2010, at 2:30pm, before that Court in the United States Courthouse, One Courthouse Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. The purpose of this Final Approval Hearing is to determine whether the proposed remediation plan should be approved by the Court as fair, reasonable and adequate and whether the application for award of attorneys’ fees and reimbursement for expenses should be approved. Class Members who wish to object to the proposed settlement must provide notice of and explanation of their objection in writing to the Court at the address above, with copies to Counsel at the addresses provided below, no later than Monday, August 30, 2010. Only Class Members filing timely objections may request to present their objections at the Final Approval Hearing. Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General Attn: Maura Healey, Esq. 100 Cambridge Street 11TH floor Boston, MA 02108 Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP Attn: Sharon Krevor-Weisbaum, Esq. 120 E. Baltimore Street Suite 1700 Baltimore, MD 21202 Joseph Kociubes, Esq. Bingham McCutchen LLP 150 Federal Street Boston, MA 02110-1726 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, VISIT www.cardtronics.net/news/ OR CONTACT COUNSEL FOR THE PLAINTIFFS: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of Attorney General Disability Rights Project (617) 727-2200 www.mass.gov/ago OR Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP (410) 962-1030 www.browngold.com EXCEPT AS INSTRUCTED IN THE NOTICE, PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT. Dated: May 18, 2010 By Order of the United States District Court For the District of Massachusetts UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, et al., Plaintiffs v. E*TRADE ACCESS, INC., et al., Defendants CIVIL ACTION NO. 03-11206-MEL FINAL ORDER AND JUDGMENT Plaintiffs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, National Federation of the Blind, Inc. (“NFB”), Adrienne Asch, Jennifer Bose, Norma Crosby, Dwight Sayer, Robert Crowley, Jr., Raymond Wayne, Terri Uttermohlen, and Bryan Bashin, seek final approval of the class action settlement that was approved preliminarily by this Court on July 26, 2007. See Memorandum and Order Granting Unopposed Motion for Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement and for Fairness Hearing (“Preliminary Approval Order”). Specifically, Plaintiffs have moved the Court for an Order: (1) finding that the class action Settlement Agreement between Plaintiffs and Defendants, Cardtronics, LP, and Cardtronics, Inc. (collectively “Cardtronics”), is a fair, reasonable and adequate settlement of all of the claims of the class against Defendants, overruling the single objection to the proposed settlement and finding that each class member shall be bound by the Settlement Agreement, including its release; (2) finding that the Notice published to the class satisfies the requirements of due process and Fed. R. Civ. P. 23; (3) approving an award of attorneys’ fees and costs by Defendants to Plaintiff, NFB, in the amount of $900,000, as agreed to by the parties; (4) dismissing this lawsuit on the merits and with prejudice as to all claims in the lawsuit against all Defendants; (5) attaching and incorporating by reference the terms of the Settlement Agreement; and (6) retaining jurisdiction of all matters relating to the interpretation, administration, implementation, effectuation and enforcement of the Settlement Agreement. I. Background A. Plaintiffs’ Claims Cardtronics currently owns and/or operates at least 23,300 ATMs throughout the United States, including approximately 15,000 ATMs formerly owned and/or operated by Defendant E*TRADE Access, Inc. (“Access”).[1] Approximately half of these ATMs are owned by independent merchants who are customers of Cardtronics (“Merchant-Owned ATMs”). This litigation concerns Plaintiffs’ request that Cardtronics’s fleet of ATMs be made accessible to and independently useable by blind people through the use of voice-guidance technology. Some of the ATMs in the Cardtronics fleet already have voice guidance. Those ATMs that are not currently voice-guided vary in their capacity to be made voice-guided. Many newer machines have the capacity to be upgraded to provide voice-guidance through a straightforward retrofit process (“Upgradeable ATMs”). Other, older, machines are not able to be upgraded and must be replaced completely in order to make voice guidance available. Plaintiffs’ Fourth Amended and Supplemental Class Action Complaint (“Fourth Amended Complaint”) alleges that Cardtronics has failed to make all of the ATMs it owns and/or operates accessible to blind individuals in violation of Title III of the ADA, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12181 et seq., and Section 4.34.5 of the Department of Justice Standards for Accessible Design, 28 C.F.R. pt. 36, app. A (“Standards”) (requiring that ATMs be “accessible to and independently useable by persons with vision impairments”). Title III is enforceable through a private right of action for injunctive relief and prevailing plaintiffs are entitled to attorneys’ fees. See 42 U.S.C. §§ 12188(a)(1), (2) and 12205. Plaintiffs have also alleged violations of the Massachusetts Public Accommodations Act (“MPAA”), Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 272, §§ 92A and 98, and the Massachusetts Equal Rights Act (“MERA”), Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93, § 103. Although numerous procedural and substantive disputes have arisen throughout this litigation, the case turns primarily on the vigorously contested issues of whether Defendants’ ATMs are in violation of the Standards and, if they are, whether Plaintiffs are entitled to an injunction that would require Cardtronics to install voice-guidance capabilities on all ATMs it owns and/or operates, including Merchant-Owned ATMs. The lawsuit also includes claims against Defendant E*TRADE Bank, Inc. concerning its banking policies applicable to consumers’ use of the Cardtronics ATMs. These claims are derivative of the claims addressing the accessibility of the Cardtronics ATMs. B. Pre-Filing Settlement Negotiations On June 9, 2003, after lengthy negotiations, the Commonwealth and the NFB entered into a Partial Settlement Agreement (“PSA”) with Defendants Access and E*TRADE Bank, Inc. (collectively “E*TRADE”), pursuant to which Access agreed to equip the ATMs it owned with voice guidance over a period of two and one-half years. The parties were not able to reach agreement with respect to Merchant-Owned ATMs. C. Litigation On June 23, 2003, the Commonwealth and the NFB, along with several individual blind people and the NFB’s Massachusetts affiliate, filed the present suit against E*TRADE. From its inception, this litigation has been hard-fought. As fully detailed in the Preliminary Approval Order, this complex case involved numerous dispositive motions, voluminous document discovery and several significant discovery-related motions. II. Summary of the Settlement After an all-day mediation on April 9, 2007, and following further negotiations over the course of more than two months, the parties executed the Settlement Agreement on June 21, 2007. In summary, the settlement requires: All Cardtronics-Owned ATMs will be voice-guided by the end of this year, with two exceptions: a set of approximately 1,600 machines that already have voice-guidance, but do not have, as otherwise required by the Settlement Agreement, audible verification of all of the inputs by the ATM user; and a set of no more than 177 machines will be voice-guided by mid-2008. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.1.) As of April 9, 2007 and going forward, Cardtronics will only install Cardtronics-Owned ATMs that are voice-guided. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.1) As of April 9, 2007 and going forward, Cardtronics will only sell or make available to merchants ATMs that are voice-guided. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.2.1.) Cardtronics will identify the smallest subset of Merchant-Owned ATMs without voice guidance that collectively account for 80% of transactions at Merchant-Owned ATMs (“High Volume Merchants”) and will, within ninety (90) days of approval, offer those merchants that have Upgradeable ATMs the opportunity to upgrade to add voice guidance at no cost, and will offer those merchants whose machines are not upgradeable the opportunity to purchase a voice-guided machine at Cardtronics’s wholesale cost. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.2.2.) Regardless of the outcome of this marketing plan, Cardtronics will ensure that, by July 1, 2010, at least ninety (90) percent of all transactions on the ATMs covered by the settlement occur on voice-guided ATMs. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.3.) After July 1, 2010, Cardtronics will not add or renew any merchant-owned ATMs that are not voice-guided, so that any remaining ATMs constituting less than 10% of transaction volume that are not yet voice-guided will either become so or be eliminated. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.3.2.) Any additional functions that are added to ATMs covered by the settlement will be accessible to blind patrons within ninety (90) days unless Cardtronics believes doing so would not be technically feasible without causing undue burden or delay, in which case the parties are to meet and confer to attempt to eliminate the obstructions to adding such new functions. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.7.) Cardtronics-owned ATMs acquired after final approval of the settlement agreement shall be voice-guided within two (2) years; after-acquired Merchant-owned ATMs that are Merchant-Owned by High Volume Merchants will receive the upgrade or replacement offers described above. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 3.6.) Cardtronics will provide web-based information and signage to assist blind patrons in identifying which of its ATMs are voice-guided. (Settlement Agreement, ¶¶ 4.1, 4.2.) Cardtronics will report to Class Counsel throughout the term of the Settlement Agreement concerning the number of voice-guided ATMs and the percentage of transactions occurring on such ATMs, and that progress will be verified by Cardtronics and monitored by the NFB. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 4.4.) Cardtronics must comply with any future regulatory requirements that impose additional requirements, but if regulations require less than the Settlement Agreement, the Settlement Agreement controls. (Settlement Agreement ¶5.1) Class members will release claims for injunctive relief and attorneys’ fees under Title III of the ADA, the MPAA, the MERA, and any other claims held by the named plaintiffs to the extent such claims relate to the accessibility of ATMs to blind people. Class members also release claims for injunctive relief under state law to the extent it incorporates or is equivalent to Title III. (Settlement Agreement, ¶¶ 7.1, 7.2.) Class members (excepting the named plaintiffs) do not release claims for damages. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 7.1.3.) Cardtronics will pay $900,000 in attorneys’ fees to the NFB and make a contribution of $100,000 to the local consumer aid fund of the Massachusetts Attorney General. (Settlement Agreement, ¶¶ 9.1, 9.2.) Because the Settlement Agreement applies to all Cardtronics ATMs -- including former E*TRADE ATMs -- it supercedes the earlier PSA among E*TRADE, the Commonwealth, and the NFB. Although E*TRADE is not a party to the Settlement Agreement, that agreement concludes this litigation and calls for the dismissal with prejudice of all claims in this case against all Defendants. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 2.7(c).) The implementation of voice guidance on the ATMs makes it unnecessary for E*TRADE Bank to change its policies as sought in the lawsuit. In the Settlement Agreement, the parties agreed that the Court should retain jurisdiction of this case for purposes of the interpretation, administration, implementation, effectuation, and enforcement of this Agreement. (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 2.7(d).) In addition, Defendants have withdrawn their opposition to Plaintiffs’ motion for leave to file a Fourth Amended Complaint (Settlement Agreement, ¶ 2.1) and the Court has granted the parties’ joint motion for certification of a settlement class, which includes all persons who are Blind patrons of ATMs covered by the Settlement Agreement. III. Preliminary Approval As mentioned, on July 26, 2007, this Court granted Plaintiffs’ Unopposed Motion for Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement and scheduled a Fairness Hearing on the proposed settlement for December 4, 2007. In the Preliminary Approval Order, the Court approved the parties’ proposed plan for notifying class member of the settlement, as well as the form of the notice to be utilized for this purpose (“Notice”). IV. Notice to the Class The Court finds that the Notice approved in the Court’s Preliminary Approval Order was made available on Cardtronics’s website from approximately August 23, 2007 to November 1, 2007 and that a copy of the Notice was also available on the NFB’s website during that same period. The Court also finds that a copy of the Notice was mailed to a list of over 900 organizations, including a number composed of, and/or focused on the issues of, blind people. Of those mailings, 36 were returned due to incorrect addresses. The correct addresses were ascertained for 11 of those returned mailings and the Notice was then sent to those correct addresses. In addition, the Notice was emailed to 1,036 email addresses relating to the organizations referenced above, with a cover letter requesting that the recipient post and forward the Notice. Of those emails, 186 were returned as undeliverable. Fifteen organizations to whom the Notice was emailed notified class counsel that they had forwarded the Notice to other individuals or lists of individuals thought to be class members. Another ten organizations notified class counsel that they had posted the Notice on their websites. The NFB sent the Notice to over 50 email lists of blind individuals, including lists of blind lawyers, students, and travelers. In each of these paper and electronic mailings, counsel for the class offered to provide Braille versions of the Notice and/or the Settlement Agreement. Class counsel ultimately received and honored six requests for Braille documentation. The Court finds further that the Notice was published in the August/September edition of the Braille Monitor, which is the publication of the NFB and is regularly sent to its approximately 50,000 members, among others. The Notice was also published in the September, 2007, edition of the Braille Forum, as well as in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and USA Today on August 28, 2007. In addition, the Court finds that there has been only one objection to the proposed settlement. This objection purports to be on behalf of Mason P. James, of Loveland, Texas, and states only that “[m]e wish to object to the proposed settlement.” See Objection by Mason P. James (Sept. 27, 2007, Paper No. 270). DISCUSSION I. The Settlement Agreement is Granted Final Approval. A court may approve the settlement of a class action only upon finding that it is “fair, reasonable, and adequate.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(e)(1)(C); see also City P’ship Co. v. Atlantic Acquisition Ltd. P’ship, 100 F.3d 1041, 1043 (1st Cir. 1996) (same). The First Circuit has recognized a clear policy of encouraging settlements in class action cases, and has stated that “[w]hen sufficient discovery has been provided and the parties have bargained at arms-length, there is a presumption in favor of the settlement.” City P’ship, 100 F.3d at 1043. In determining the fairness, reasonableness and adequacy of a proposed class action settlement, several courts in this district have looked to the following factors set forth in City of Detroit v. Grinnell Corp., 495 F.2d 448, 463 (2d Cir. 1974), overruled on other grounds by Missouri v. Jenkins, 491 U.S. 274 (1989): (1) the complexity, expense and likely duration of the litigation; (2) the reaction of the class to the settlement; (3) the stage of the proceedings and the amount of discovery completed; (4) the risks of establishing liability; (5) the risks of establishing damages; (6) the risks of maintaining the class action through the trial; (7) the ability of the defendants to withstand a greater judgment; (8) the range of reasonableness of the settlement fund in light of the best possible recovery; (9) the range of reasonableness of the settlement fund to a possible recovery in light of all the attendant risks of litigation. For all of the reasons set forth in the Court’s Preliminary Approval Order, an analysis of these factors strongly supports this Court’s final approval of the Settlement Agreement as fair, reasonable and adequate. In addition, this Court overrules the single objection to the proposed settlement, as no reasons were provided for that objection as required by the Notice approved by the Court. Therefore, this Court also finds that all class members are bound by the Settlement Agreement, including its release provisions. II. Notice to the Class Rule 23(e) states that “notice of the proposed dismissal or compromise shall be given to all members of the class in such manner as the court directs.” The notice must satisfy Rule 23, as well as due process requirements. Cf. Besinga v. United States, 923 F.2d 133, 136-37 (9th Cir. 1991) (requirements of due process and Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(c)(2)(B) are similar). “‘[I]t is the court’s duty to ensure that the notice ordered is reasonably calculated to reach the absent class members.” Reppert v. Marvin Lumber and Cedar Co., 359 F.3d 53, 56 (1st Cir. 2004) (citations omitted). “When individual notice is infeasible, notice by publication in a newspaper of national circulation . . . is an acceptable substitute.” Mirfasihi v. Fleet Mortgage Corp., 356 F.3d 781, 786 (7th Cir. 2004). This Court finds that the notice program approved in its Preliminary Approval Order and now implemented by the parties was the best notice practicable under the circumstances and satisfied the requirements of due process and Fed. R. Civ. P. 23. The parties represented that there was no readily accessible list of the potential class members in this case and that such a list likely could not be created without enormous effort and expenditure. Notice here involved a combination of individual mailing -- through the Braille Monitor and Braille Forum to tens of thousands of blind people -- and publication in three newspapers of national circulation: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today. Under these circumstances, individual notice was not required in order to satisfy the requirements of due process and Fed. R. Civ. P. 23. III. Attorneys’ Fees and Costs Class counsel have submitted an Unopposed Petition for an Award of Attorneys’ Fees and Costs, pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(h) and 54(d)(2). Specifically, class counsel request that the Court approve an award of attorneys’ fees and costs by Defendants to the NFB in the amount of $900,000, the amount agreed to by the parties as part of the class action settlement. The ADA provides that courts may award the prevailing party its “reasonable attorney’s fee, including litigation expenses, and costs.” 42 U.S.C. § 12205. Rules 23(h)(1) and (2) require that notice and an opportunity to object be provided. In this case, the Notice sent pursuant to the Preliminary Approval Order included the amount of the fees and provided an opportunity to object and no class member has objected to the proposed fee award. In evaluating a fee petition in a case such as this, the Court is to consider “the reasonableness of the hours spent and the hourly rate sought.” Weinberger v. Great Northern Nekoosa Corp., 925 F.2d 518, 529 (1st Cir. 1991) (quoting In re Spillance, 884 F.2d 642, 647 (1st Cir. 1989)). After due consideration of the filings of class counsel and the relevant case law cited therein, this Court finds that a fee award in the amount of $900,000 is well within the bounds of reasonableness under the circumstances of this case. The time spent by class counsel in litigating this complex case clearly was justified. In addition, the lodestar amount – calculated by multiplying these hours by reasonable prevailing rates – is almost twice the amount agreed upon in the settlement. The Court finds that the hourly rates charged by class counsel are commensurate with the rates charged by Boston attorneys of comparable experience in comparable matters and that the rates actually billed to the NFB were below those rates. In addition, the award sought is well below the actual amount of fees and costs paid by the NFB in connection with this litigation. For these reasons, the Court approves the fee award agreed to by the parties as part of the Settlement Agreement. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED THAT: 1. This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this lawsuit and over all of the parties to the lawsuit, including the named Plaintiffs, all members of the class, and Defendants. 2. The Court adopts and incorporates the findings of the Preliminary Approval Order and hereby approves the Settlement Agreement as fair, reasonable and adequate in all respects. This is especially so in view of the complexity, expense and probable duration of further litigation, the risks of establishing liability, the intensive arm’s length negotiations of experienced counsel and the reasonableness of the relief obtained, considering the range of possible outcomes and the attendant risks of litigation. 3. The Court overrules the single objection to the settlement and finds that each class member is bound by the Settlement Agreement, including its release. 4. The Court finds that the Notice published to the class satisfies the requirements of due process and Fed. R. Civ. P. 23. 5. The Court finds that the attorneys’ fees and costs sought by class counsel are reasonable and approves an award of fees and costs, in the amount of $900,000, as agreed to by the parties. 6. The Court dismisses this lawsuit on the merits and with prejudice as to all claims in the lawsuit against all Defendants. 7. The Court attaches hereto as Exhibit 1 and incorporates into this Final Order and Judgment the terms of the Settlement Agreement. 8. The Court retains jurisdiction of all matters relating to the interpretation, administration, implementation, effectuation and enforcement of the Settlement Agreement. It is so ordered. Dated: _________________________ U.S.D.J. 397837 [1] On or about June 2, 2004, Cardtronics LP acquired Access’s ATM business. David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920 From dandrews at visi.com Mon May 31 23:12:32 2010 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 18:12:32 -0500 Subject: [blindlaw] 2010 NFB Convention Agenda Now Available Message-ID: Below is the text of the agenda for the 2010 NFB national convention. You can also download a fully-formatted Word version from the link below. Dave http://www.nfb.org/nfb/National_Convention.asp THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF TEXAS WELCOME YOU TO THE 70th ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND Marc Maurer, President National Federation of the Blind 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place Baltimore, Maryland 21230 Mary Ellen Jernigan Executive Director for Operations and Chairwoman, Convention Organization and Activities Angela Wolf, President National Federation of the Blind of Texas 314 East Highland Mall Blvd., Suite 353 Austin, Texas 78752 Hilton Anatole Hotel 2201 Stemmons Freeway Dallas, Texas 75207 (214) 748-1200 The 70th annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind is being held in Dallas at the Hilton Anatole Hotel. As usual, our hotel rates are very good: singles and doubles are $62; triples and quads are $67. In addition to the room rates, there is a fifteen percent occupancy tax. There is no charge for children under sixteen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is required. Proof of convention registration is necessary, including the showing of an NFB registration badge if requested. Otherwise, regular hotel rates must be paid. The Hilton Anatole is a non-smoking hotel; smoking is permitted only on the Gossip patio and fifteen feet from any outside entrance. HILTON ANATOLE GEOGRAPHY The Hilton Anatole consists of two main sections—the Atrium and the Tower. The Atrium section is further divided into Atrium I and Atrium II. At the lobby and mezzanine levels Atrium I, Atrium II, and the Tower are connected so that you can walk from Atrium I at the far east end of the hotel through Atrium II into the Tower at the far west end of the hotel as if it were one building. During the time of our convention the entire central area of Atrium II at the lobby level will be undergoing substantial renovation. This renovation will not impact our convention operation in any significant way since there will be a well-defined passageway linking Atrium I with the Tower. This passageway will run east and west along the south side of Atrium II at the lobby level. At levels above the mezzanine, Atrium I and Atrium II are contiguous with each other but not with the Tower—that is, to reach the sleeping rooms, you must use either the Atrium elevators or the Tower elevators, depending on which section your room is located in. The Tower sleeping room elevators do not stop at the mezzanine level. The Atrium sleeping room elevators stop at the mezzanine level, and you can reach the mezzanine level meeting rooms above the Atrium I lobby, the Atrium II lobby, and the Tower lobby. However, a flight of six or eight steps links the Atrium II mezzanine and the Tower mezzanine. If these steps are a problem, you can take a separate, single elevator that goes from the Tower lobby to the Tower mezzanine level. This elevator is located just west of the business center in the Tower lobby. At the west end of the Tower mezzanine is a stairway that leads to the Tower lobby. When you come down this stairway, you are facing east, and the Chantilly Ballroom is slightly ahead and on your right. Atrium I is the farthest-east section of the hotel and sits slightly south of Atrium II. Think of the entire hotel as a high-top tennis shoe lying on its side with the sole running along the north side, the toe pointing west, and the open top to the south. The right angle formed where the back of the shoe meets the sole in the hotel’s architecture is actually cut on the diagonal so that, when entering the hotel on that diagonal, you are facing southwest. Atrium I is much shorter in its north-south dimension than are Atrium II and the Tower on the east-west axis. After you step into the main entrance, a left turn takes you towards the check-in desk and Atrium I. If you stand with your back to the check-in desk, you are facing west. Atrium I is on your left, and Atrium II is slightly to your right and straight ahead. The Atrium elevators and stairway and escalators to the mezzanine-level meeting rooms are located just across from the Atrium front desk and main entrance in the general area where the two Atria join. Access to the temporary passageway between Atrium I and the Tower will be located here also. The lobby level of Atrium I and the area south of the temporary Atrium II passageway contains several meeting rooms, a brand new restaurant called the Media Grill & Bar, and the Grand Ballroom, which is located on the south side of Atrium II. The Khmer Pavilion is located roughly above the Grand Ballroom. The point at which the Atrium II lobby joins the Tower lobby is located just beyond the west end of the Grand Ballroom foyer. The exact configuration of this juncture is unknown at the time of this writing because of the renovations in progress. If any steps still remain by the time we arrive, there will be a ramp in place for wheelchair access. HOTEL FOOD SERVICE Breakfast will be available from 6:00 to 11:00 am in three locations: Common Ground in Atrium 1, serving grab-and-go continental breakfasts and ala carte items including hot breakfast sandwiches; The Terrace in Atrium 1 serving full hot breakfasts; and Gossips (beginning at 6:30 am) in the Tower serving specialty coffees and ala carte items. Lunch will be available from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Common Ground serving soups, salads, deli and hot sandwiches, quick grab-and-go bag lunches, and other ala carte items; in The Terrace from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm serving a quick hot “blue plate” special each day; in Gossips from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm serving deli sandwiches and ala carte items; and in the Media Grill & Bar (located on the south side of Atrium II between the Atrium escalators and the Grand Ballroom) from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm offering a full-scale lunch and dinner menu. Dinner will be available in the Media Grill & Bar until 10:00 pm, with “deep-night” bar and selected food service continuing until 2:00 am; in the Rathskeller (accessed from the Tower lobby across from the potpourri shop), serving a typical sports bar menu; and in Nana, the five-star restaurant located on the twenty-seventh floor of the Tower, from 6:30 to 10:30 pm. In addition, sushi will be available in Gossips until 2:00 am; a variety of hot and cold lite fare will be available in the bar at Nana from 4:30 pm to 12:30 am; and room service is available on a twenty-four-hour basis. TEXAS-STYLE BARBEQUE AND LIVE MUSIC IN ANATOLE PARK Continue the excitement of convention opening day by enjoying a delicious Texas-style barbeque with family and friends under the stars in Anatole Park. Listen to the great acoustical sounds of one of Texas’ top performing singers and songwriters, Brian Burns, with friends Tommy Alverson and Davin James, who bring Texas and American country music back to the heart of the matter. All hosted by the NFB of Texas and all happening on Tuesday, July 6, starting at 6:00 pm. Tickets (while they last) are $45 per person and can be purchased in the registration area. ROOKIE ROUNDUP All first-time convention attendees are cordially invited to attend a reception from 8:00 to 10:00 pm on Saturday, July 3, in the Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby. President Maurer and other Federation leaders will be on hand to welcome you to the convention and preview the week’s activities. Veteran conventioneers should urge all first-timers to attend this special event. Also, first-time rookies are invited to join an informal, fun gathering on Monday, July 5, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm in the Affiliate Action Suite 2372. REGISTRATION & PREREGISTRATION Registration activities take place in the upper Chantilly foyer, Tower lobby beginning at 9:00 am on Sunday, July 4; at 8:30 am on Monday, July 5; and at other times as listed throughout the week. The fee for registration at convention is $20 per person (if you preregistered before May 31, the fee was $15), and all those attending the convention (both local and outoftown people) are asked to register. Convention registration is a requirement for door prize eligibility and a number of other convention activities. We condition rates for hotel rooms on proof of registration, including the showing of an NFB registration badge if requested. Therefore, please register as soon as possible after arrival. EXHIBITS Exhibits (excluding the NFB Independence Market) are on display in the Khmer Pavilion, Atrium third level. Exhibit hall hours are: Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday Noon to 1:45 pm; Sponsors only from 7:00-10:00 pm Wednesday Noon to 1:45 pm and 7:00 to 10:00 pm There is a special event for sponsor-level exhibitors only on Tuesday, July 6, from 7:00 to 10:00 pm (see “Special Attention” section and agenda listing for more information). Sign up for NFB-NEWSLINE® at the NEWSLINE table. Any alterations in the general session schedule which may occur during the convention will result in conforming shifts in the exhibit schedule and will be announced in the exhibit areas. A number of affiliated NFB divisions and committees have tables. INDEPENDENCE MARKET & SHOWROOM OF INNOVATION The Independence Market and the Showroom of Innovation will be located in the Grand Ballroom, Atrium lobby. NFB publications, products, devices, canes, Louis Braille commemorative coins, jewelry, and other items will be available. Also in the Showroom of Innovation you can preview the nonvisual interface technology that might empower driving and other advanced applications. Put your hands on the wheel, touch the first generation blind driver challenge vehicle, and glimpse into the future. Be part of the revolution as we Race for Independence. Hours of operation for the Market and the Showroom are: Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday Noon to 1:45 pm Wednesday Noon to 1:45 pm—Note: Final time slot to visit Independence Market and Showroom of Innovation. MEETINGS General sessions of the convention convene at 9:00 am in the Chantilly Ballroom, Tower lobby on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The convention adjourns promptly at 5:00 pm on Thursday, July 8. Please note that all requests for announcements by Dr. Maurer during general sessions must be submitted in Braille. BANQUET AND BANQUET TICKET EXCHANGE The banquet is being held in the Chantilly Ballroom, Tower lobby at 7:00 pm, Thursday, July 8. Banquet tickets purchased at convention are $45.00 (the cost was $40 if purchased before May 31) and are on sale during registration on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Banquet tickets will not be available for purchase after Tuesday at 2:00 pm. It will be necessary to have your banquet ticket with you to attend the banquet; it will be collected at the banquet table. Arrangements should be made for reserved table assignments by taking the ticket(s) you purchase to the Banquet Exchange Table in the Chantilly lobby area, where you may exchange either an individual ticket or a group of tickets for reserved seating. Banquet tables seat ten people. RELIGIOUS SERVICES AND DEVOTIONS On Sunday, July 4, Fr. Gregory Paul, C.P., will celebrate a Roman Catholic Mass at 6:30 am in the Wedgwood Room, Tower lobby. Also on Sunday at 11:45 am services for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be held in the Wedgwood Room, Tower lobby. Devotional services will be held in the Sapphire Room, Tower lobby at 8:00 am on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Services are nonsectarian and will end at least fifteen minutes prior to morning convention sessions. Coordinated by the National Association of the Blind in Communities of Faith Division; Tom Anderson, President. K-NFB’S BLIO READER MAKING BOOKS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Printed books are becoming digital and accessible. Blio is free e-reader software designed for presentation of digital media. Developed and distributed by K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc., shop at the online Blio bookstore with access to over one million free books. Read wherever you are by syncing your digital library to your mobile device. To learn more, visit the demonstration sessions listed in the agenda on Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday. SPECIAL ATTENTION IS CALLED TO THE FOLLOWING ITEMS • A Federation Information Desk will be in the registration area from Sunday morning, July 4, through Thursday, July 8, if you have questions or need assistance. The Texas affiliate will also maintain a table near the hotel checkin desk in the main lobby to provide assistance and hospitality during much of the convention. • When you register, you will be given a name badge. Please wear it at all times during the convention. • The room number for the Presidential Suite is 2572. Someone will be on hand in the Presidential Suite throughout most of the convention to greet you and make appointments for you with the President or anyone else you wish to see. The Presidential Suite will not be open during the business sessions of the convention, the Monday morning Board of Directors meeting, or the Thursday evening banquet. Come to the Presidential Suite. You will be most welcome. • The room number for Mary Ellen Jernigan, Chairwoman of Convention Organization and Activities, is 2472. Questions concerning hotel rooms, meeting rooms, banquet, scheduling, registration, and other matters dealing with convention arrangements should be referred to the Chairwoman of Convention Organization and Activities. • Individuals needing to conduct business with the NFB Treasurer may do so by going to the Opal Room, Tower lobby on Tuesday, July 6, between 5:30 and 7:30 pm, or on Wednesday, July 7, between 12:00 noon and 2:00 pm. • The Texas Suite (Angela Wolf, President) is 2272. • The Affiliate Action and Rookie Activities Suite (Joanne Wilson and Pam Allen, Coordinators) is 2372. • Child-care services for children between the ages of six weeks and ten years are available during convention sessions, most meetings, and the banquet. Preregistration and payment by June 15 were required for child-care. Child-care is organized and supervised by Carla McQuillan, the executive director of Main Street Montessori Association. Alison McQuillan serves as the activities and staff coordinator. Please note that child-care provides morning and afternoon snacks, but parents are required to provide lunch for their child(ren) every day. Times listed are the opening and closing times for child-care. A late fee of $10 per quarter-hour per child will be assessed for all late pickups. Child-care hours are: Saturday, 7/3 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 to 5:30 pm Sunday, 7/4 Closed Monday, 7/5 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 to 5:30 pm Tuesday, 7/6 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 to 5:30 pm Wednesday, 7/7 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 to 5:30 pm Thursday, 7/8 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 to 5:30 pm Banquet 7/8 6:30 pm to 30 minutes after banquet ends • A Special Evening for Sponsor-Level Exhibitors: Again this year, the exhibit hall will reopen from 7:00 to 10:00 pm on Tuesday, July 6, for a very special evening dedicated solely to Sponsor-Level Exhibitors. Come and bring a guest to say “thank you” to our sponsors and to enjoy their interesting offers and demonstrations. • The always popular Showcase of Talent is back again at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, July 7, presented by the Performing Arts Division. Admission price is $5.00. If you would like to participate in the Showcase, make sure to sign up early by contacting a Performing Arts Division board member at the convention. • Raffle tickets will not be sold in the registration area, and no raffles or other such drawings will take place during convention sessions or at the banquet. The single exception to this rule will be that national divisions may (if they request it in advance) conduct such drawings during the convention or at the banquet. The Sapphire Room, Tower lobby will be set aside at 12:00 noon on Thursday, July 8, for all other drawings. Any group or affiliate wishing to conduct drawings at this time (or any person wishing to know the winners) may go at noon on Thursday to the Sapphire Room. AFFILIATED DIVISIONS, COMMITTEES, AND GROUPS The Federation carries on its business through divisions, committees, and groups. The meetings of some of these have been scheduled for particular times and are listed in the agenda. Others have not been formally scheduled but will meet at the call of their chairpersons or presidents. If you have matters that you would like to discuss with any of the following divisions, committees, or groups, you should contact: Divisions: • Agriculture and Equestrian: Fred Chambers, President; • Assistive Technology Trainers: Michael Barber, President; • Classics, Antiques, and Rods or Special Interest Vehicles (CARS): Joseph B. Naulty, President; • Deaf-Blind: Burnell Brown, President; • Diabetes Action Network for the Blind: Michael Freeman, President; • Human Services: David Stayer, President; • National Association of the Blind in Communities of Faith: Tom Anderson, President; • National Association of Blind Entrepreneurs: James R. Bonerbo, President; • National Association of Blind Lawyers: Scott LaBarre, President; • National Association of Blind Merchants: Kevan Worley, President; • National Association of Blind Office Professionals: Lisa Hall, President; • National Association of Blind Piano Technicians: Don Mitchell, President; • National Association of Blind Rehabilitation Professionals: Melody Lindsey, President; • National Association of Blind Students: Arielle Silverman, President; • National Association of Blind Veterans: Dwight Sayer, President; • National Association of Guide Dog Users: Marion Gwizdala, President; • National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB): Nadine Jacobson, President; Divisions, Continued: • National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science: Curtis Chong, President; • National Federation of the Blind Krafters: Joyce Kane, President; • National Federation of the Blind Seniors: Judy Sanders, President; • National Organization of Blind Educators: Sheila Koenig, President; • National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC): Carol Castellano, President; • Performing Arts: Dennis H.R. Sumlin, President; • Public Employees: Ivan Weich, President; • Science and Engineering: John Miller, President; • Sports and Recreation: Lisamaria Martinez, President; • Travel and Tourism: Don Gillmore, President; • Writers: Robert Leslie Newman, President. Committees: • Ambassadors: Angela Wolf, Chairperson; • Blind Educator of the Year Award: David Ticchi, Chairperson; • Committee on Assistive Technology (COAT): Curtis Chong, Chairperson; • Committee on Automobile and Pedestrian Safety (CAPS): Deborah Kent Stein, Chairperson; • Committee to Empower Underserved Populations (CEUP): Ron Brown, Chairperson; • Cultural Exchange and International Program: Diane McGeorge, Chairperson; • Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award: Cathy Jackson, Chairperson; • Employment: Buna Dahal, Chairperson; • Genetic Education: Barbara Pierce, Chairperson; • Imagination Fund: Parnell Diggs, Chairperson; • Jacobus tenBroek Award: Ramona Walhof, Chairperson; • Jacobus tenBroek Memorial Fund: Tami Jones, Chairperson; • Kenneth Jernigan Fund: Allen Harris, Chairperson; • Library Services: David Hyde, Chairperson; • Loan Fund: Donald C. Capps, Chairperson; • Membership: Ron Gardner, Chairperson; • Newel Perry Award: Allen Harris, Chairperson; • Newsletter Publications: Norma Crosby, Chairperson; • NFB-NEWSLINE® Steering: David DeNotaris, Chairperson; • PAC Plan: Scott LaBarre, Chairperson; • Planned Giving: John Halverson, Chairperson; • Promotion, Evaluation, and Advancement of Technology: Gary Wunder, Chairperson; Committees, Continued: • Public Relations: Christopher Danielsen, Chairperson; • Research and Development: Curtis Chong, Chairperson; • Resolutions: Sharon Maneki, Chairperson; • Scholarship: Anil Lewis, Chairperson; • Shares Unlimited in NFB (SUN): Sandy Halverson, Chairperson; • Spanish Translation: Norman Gardner, Chairperson; • White Cane and Affiliate Finance: Alpidio Rolón, Chairperson. Groups: • Blind Musicians: Linda Mentink, Chairperson; • Blind Parents: Deborah Kent Stein, Chairperson; • Blind Professional Journalists: Elizabeth Campbell and Bryan Bashin, Co-Chairpersons; • Educators of Blind Children: Gail Wagner, Chairperson; • Geordi's Engineers: Lorraine Rovig, Chairperson; • Legislative Initiatives Discussion: Don Burns, Coordinator; • Living History: Michael Freholm, Chairperson; • NFB Ham Radio: D. Curtis Willoughby, Chairperson; • NFB in Judaism: David Stayer, Chairperson; • NFB Lions: Ramona Walhof and Milton Ota, Co-Chairpersons; • Orientation and Mobility: Edward C. Bell, Chairperson; • Professionals in Blindness Education: Heather Field, Chairperson • Webmasters: Gary Wunder, Chairperson. CONVENTION AGENDA SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010 7:30 - 8:45 am—HAM RADIO GROUP EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS Milan Room, Tower mezzanine Discuss convention frequencies, hotel architectural features, and distributing special FM receivers for the hearing-impaired and Spanish-speaking attendees. D. Curtis Willoughby (ka0vba), Chairperson 7:30 am - 6:30 pm—EDUCATION: TOP DOWN AND BOTTOM UP Parent, Teacher, Rehabilitation, and Orientation & Mobility Joint Conference for Families and Rehabilitation Professionals (7:30 to 8:45 am—Registration; 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm—NBPCB Awards Luncheon in Morocco Room) Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby NOPBC Fees: Adults $30; Youth (13-18) $20; Children (5-12) $10 NBPCB Fees (includes lunch): Students $75; Professionals $100 Note: Conference admission included with either registration above. Sponsors: National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC); National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB); National Association of Blind Rehabilitation Professionals (NABRP); and the Professional Development & Research Institute on Blindness (PDRIB) at the Louisiana Tech University. Chairpersons: Carol Castellano and Edward Bell 8:30 am—CHILD-CARE (Preregistration by June 15 was required) Batik A & B and Cardinal A & B Rooms, Atrium Mezzanine Please see “Special Attention” section of agenda for further information. 8:30 - 11:30 am—WHAT’S NEW IN JAWS 11 AND A FIRST LOOK AT JAWS 12—FREEDOM SCIENTIFIC, INC. Senators Lecture Hall, Tower lobby Join Eric Damery, JAWS Product Manager, for an exciting and informative session covering the new details surrounding JAWS development during the past year. In addition to many demonstrations of JAWS 11 with Research It, this will also be the first look at JAWS 12 scheduled for public beta in August 2010. 9:00 am - 12:00 noon—GW MICRO: SENSE NOTETAKER AND BOOKSENSE TRAINING (Registration: $10; refreshments provided) Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine The Braille Sense Plus and other Sense notetakers are exciting devices in Braille notetaker technology. Learn new features, including the GW Sense Navigation GPS. See the BookSense in action; play your books and audio files with ease. Raul Gallegos and Jeremy Curry. To register, call 260-489-3671. SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued 9:00 am - 5:00 pm—NFB JERNIGAN INSTITUTE’S ACCESS TECHNOLOGY SEMINARS Governors Lecture Hall, Tower lobby 9:00 - 11:30 am—Apple’s Mac system, iPod series, iPhone, and iPad 1:00 - 2:00 pm—Ebay’s accessibility improvements 2:15 - 3:30 pm—Blackboard Learn, the online platform for education 3:45 - 5:00 pm—Accessing e-Books rapidly expanding market 9:00 am - 5:00 pm—EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE SEMINAR Rosetta Room, Atrium mezzanine 9:00 am–Registration; 9:30 am–Seminar begins Staying on the cutting edge—what does it take? If you are seeking a job or focused on career advancement, don't miss this excellent opportunity to explore the building blocks of evolutionary employment. Buna Dahal, Chairperson 9:30 am - 2:30 pm—SENIORS SEMINAR: INTRO TO BLINDNESS SKILLS Sapphire Room, Tower lobby Please note—attendance is limited to around thirty-five people, so arrive promptly. Blind instructors introduce seniors to basic blindness skills: Braille, use of the long white cane, games, etc. Co-chaired by Ruth Sager and Ramona Walhof; Judy Sanders, President, NFB Seniors Division 10:30 am - 12:00 noon—“WHERE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE COME TOGETHER”—NFB YOUTH TRACK (AGES 11 TO 18) Wyeth Room, Atrium mezzanine Kick off this year’s Youth Track activities with fun icebreakers and meet new friends. This is also a time for youth to debate the age-old issues of blindness while putting a fresh new spin on them for today. All Youth Track activities are sponsored by the NFB Jernigan Institute; Mary Jo Hartle, Coordinator 12:45 - 1:45 pm—WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? NFB JERNIGAN INSTITUTE DISCUSSIONS—SESSION ONE (Session Two: Sunday at 5:30 pm; Session Three: Monday at 7:30 pm) Wyeth Room, Atrium mezzanine Session One covers research, history, and our literature. Moderated by Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued 1:00 - 3:00 pm—FREEDOM SCIENTIFIC; OPENBOOK 9 AND PEARL PORTABLE READING SOLUTION Senators Lecture Hall, Tower lobby Have lightning fast OCR with OpenBook in a portable solution that folds up. Connect via a USB port and scan documents. Have them read aloud using Eloquence voices or any of Real Speak Solo Direct human-sounding voices now available on OpenBook. Magnify work, write under the camera, and reformat text. 1:00 - 5:00 pm—HUMANWARE PRODUCT SHOWCASE AND USER GROUPS Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine Sessions: 1:00 Breeze; 2:00 Portable Devices; 3:00 Stream; 4:00 BrailleNote Join HumanWare to learn about recent updates and share product tips. Give us your suggestions or ask questions about your favorite HumanWare product. Door Prizes for every session! 1:00 - 6:00 pm—KRAFTERS DIVISION CRAFT SHOW Topaz Room, Tower lobby If you are interested in crafts and appreciate hand-made items, this is the place to be! Come and meet some very talented Federation crafters and purchase their beautiful items for sale. Joyce Kane, President 1:30 - 2:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Presented by James Gashel. 2:00 - 3:00 pm—NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS The Conquest of Independence Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Helpful strategies for raising and working with a young blind child. Instructor: Carla McQuillan The Blind Student in Science Class Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Tools and techniques to include blind students in all aspects of science. Instructors: Cary Supalo, Dr. Lillian Rankel, Marilyn Winograd, and Dr. Andrew Greenberg SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS, Cont’d. Braille Reading Rates Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine Your child can become a Braille-reading speed demon! Instructors: Jerry Whittle and Dr. Eric Vasiliauskas Let Your Child Grow Up! Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine When is the right time to begin stepping back as a parent? Instructors: Rosy Carranza and Andrea Beasley 2:00 - 5:00 pm—GOAL BALL; SPORTS & REC DIVISION Gym, Verandah area Lisamaria Martinez, President 2:00 - 5:00 pm—GW MICRO: WINDOW-EYES TRAINING (Registration: $10; refreshments provided) Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine Explore the power of Window-Eyes with advanced scripting support, Office 2010, Windows 7, and much more. Come to see support for the Internet and scripting provided by a screen reader. Presenters: Jeremy Curry and Raul Gallegos. To register, call 260-489-3671. 2:00 - 5:00 pm—YOUTH TRACK CONCURRENT WORKSHOP SESSIONS Preparing for the Future: Wyeth Room, Atrium mezzanine 2:00 - 3:30 pm—High School Readiness (ages 11-14) 3:30 - 5:00 pm—College Readiness (ages 14-18) Working Out Workouts: Travertine Room, Atrium mezzanine 2:00 - 3:30 pm—For ages 14-18 3:30 - 5:00 pm—For ages 11-14 Looking Good without Looking: Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine 2:00 - 3:30 pm—For ages 14-18 3:30 - 5:00 pm—For ages 11-14 SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued 3:00 - 4:30 pm—TEACHER RECRUITMENT INITIATIVE Affiliate Action Suite 2372 If you are interested in improving the education of blind students, please join us. Learn how to contact universities in your area, put on recruitment presentations, and spread the word about this rewarding career. Hosted by the NFB Affiliate Action Team 3:00 - 4:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Presented by James Gashel. 3:15 - 4:15 pm—NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS ABC and 1, 2, 3 Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Early literacy and number understanding at home and at school. Instructors: Heather Field and Stephanie Kieszak-Holloway I Survived Math Class Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Tips to ensure your child understands, keeps up with, and even learns to love math. Social Skills Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine Strategies for fostering the development of age-appropriate social skills. Instructors: Denise Mackenstadt and Angela Frederick Low Vision: Focus on Success Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine Prepare your low vision child for success in school, at home, and in social life. Instructors: Marla Palmer and Mark Riccobono 4:30 - 5:30 pm—NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS Get Your Child Going! Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine Enhance and promote independent movement in the young or delayed child. Instructor: Denise Mackenstadt SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS, Cont’d. Technology Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Available technology; hear from students on how they employ it. Instructors: Richard Holloway and blind students Behavior: From Control to Support in Five Easy Lessons Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Steps to turn problem behavior into positive behavior. Instructor: Dr. Jerry Petroff Is Your Child Job Ready? Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine Learn how your child can gain experience and skills. 5:00 - 7:00 pm—SPANISH SEMINAR Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Blindness is blindness, no matter what the language. Meet new and old friends; learn about Federation philosophy and the truth about blindness—in Spanish. Moderator: Alpidio Rolón 5:00 - 8:00 pm—MIX-AND-MINGLE RECEPTION FOR PARENTS AND REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS Morocco Room, Tower mezzanine 6:00 - 10:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GUIDE DOG USERS (NAGDU) BUSINESS MEETING Emerald Room, Tower lobby 6:00 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Meeting begins Find out about legal cases that NAGDU and NFB are involved in; learn about the work and development of affiliate divisions; celebrate the launch of the NAGDU Education and Advocacy Hotline; elect your division leaders. Marion Gwizdala, President SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued 6:30 - 10:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND OFFICE PROFESSIONALS Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine 6:30 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Meeting begins Learn about new technology and how blind telephone operators, receptionists, customer service reps, Braille transcribers and proofreaders, and other office workers solve problems and challenges in the office setting. Lisa Hall, President 7:00 - 8:30 pm—LIVING HISTORY GROUP Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Dedicated to recording, preserving, and appreciating Federation history. Michael Freholm, Chairperson 7:00 - 9:00 pm—NOPBC FAMILY HOSPITALITY NIGHT Miro Room, Tower mezzanine Relax and chat in an informal atmosphere. This is a great opportunity for new families to meet and connect with others. Veteran parents will be on hand to welcome and provide information. 7:00 - 10:00 pm—INDEPENDENCE SCIENCE, LLC FOCUS GROUP ONE Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine (Preregistration by May 15 was required to attend.) Independence Science LLC, in collaboration with Purdue University researchers, is collecting feedback on a new portable handheld data collection device for blind students to use in high school science laboratories. (Focus Group Two meets Monday at 7:00 pm) 7:30 - 9:00 pm—knfbReader MOBILE USERS MEETING Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine Conducted by Michael Hingson 7:30 - 11:00 pm—SALSA DANCE LESSIONS AND LATIN DANCE PARTY Metropolitan Ballroom, Tower mezzanine Get into the “rhythm” of the convention—learn the salsa! Group and individual instructions provided at any level of proficiency. Fee of $5.00 benefits the NFB Spanish Translation Committee. Add salsa dancing to your repertoire; people will be impressed. SATURDAY, JULY 3, Continued 8:00 - 9:00 pm—WHITE CANE AND AFFILIATE FINANCE COMMITTEE Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Alpidio Rolón, Chairperson 8:00 - 10:00 pm—NFB LIONS GROUP Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine NFB members who would like to join a Lions Club or are already Lions are urged to meet to share ideas and experiences. Please wear your shirts or vests for a photo. Co-Chairpersons: Ramona Walhof and Milton Ota 8:00 - 10:00 pm—ROOKIE ROUNDUP RECEPTION Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby First-time convention attendees—don’t miss this event! President Maurer and former rookies will be on hand to welcome you and answer questions about the week’s activities. Casual dress. Coordinator: Pam Allen, Director of the Louisiana Center for the Blind and President of the NFB of Louisiana 8:00 pm - midnight—KARAOKE NIGHT?? (Admission: $5.00) Peacock Terrace, West Wing Enjoy music, door prizes, and a cash bar; meet BLIND, Incorporated’s students and alumni and share their experiences from training. Here’s your chance to sing like a rock star; Braille song lists are available. Hosted by BLIND, Inc. 9:00 - 10:00 pm—NFB AMBASSADORS COMMITTEE MEETING Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine Angela Wolf, Chairperson SUNDAY, JULY 4, 2010 6:30 - 7:30 am—ROMAN CATHOLIC MASS Wedgwood Room, Tower lobby Father Gregory Paul, C.P., Celebrant 9:00 am - 5:00 pm—REGISTRATION ($20); BANQUET AND BARBEQUE TICKET SALES ($45 EACH); Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby 9:00 am - 5:00 pm—INDEPENDENCE MARKET AND SHOWROOM OF INNOVATION—Grand Ballroom, Atrium lobby 9:00 am 5:00 pm—EXHIBITS—Khmer Pavilion, Atrium, third level 11:45 am - 1:15 pm—CHURCH SERVICES FOR THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Wedgwood Room, Tower lobby 1:00 - 2:00 pm—BLIND MUSICIANS GROUP Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Share ideas and tips and network with other blind musicians. Linda Mentink, Chairperson 1:00 - 5:00 pm—SELF-DEFENSE CLASS; SPORTS & REC DIVISION De Soto A & B Rooms, West Wing Lisamaria Martinez, President 1:00 - 5:00 pm—AUTO SHOW (CLASSICS, ANTIQUES, AND SPECIAL INTEREST VEHICLES) Clock Tower Parking Lot Presented by the NFB CARS Division; Joe Naulty, President 1:00 - 5:00 pm—NATIONAL CERTIFICATION IN LITERARY BRAILLE (NCLB) OFFICIAL EXAMINATION—SECTIONS ONE AND TWO Governors Lecture Hall, Tower lobby Participants must have preregistered. Exam sections three and four are on Monday at 1:00 pm. Sponsored by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board SUNDAY, JULY 4, Continued 1:00 - 6:30 pm—PROFESSIONALS IN BLINDNESS EDUCATION Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Heather Field, Chairperson 1:30 pm—RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE Coronado Ballroom, West Wing Sharon Maneki, Chairperson 1:30 - 2:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Presented by James Gashel 2:00 - 4:30 pm—OPEN BRAILLE INITIATIVE Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine To make access to Braille easier, a group of prominent Braille device manufacturers have come together to develop and maintain an Open Standard for communications between screen readers and Braille displays. Do you want to know more? Join us for the OpenBraille initiative presentation. 2:30 - 5:30 pm—TRAVEL AND TOURISM DIVISION Milan Room, Tower mezzanine Don Gillmore, President 3:00 - 4:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Presented by James Gashel 3:00 - 5:00 pm—WHAT’S NEW WITH NFB-NEWSLINE® Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine Learn about the NFB’s free audible newspaper service for the blind and visually impaired. Topics cover Podable News, the new voices, the new on-demand article request feature, and more. Sign up for NFB-NEWSLINE® at its exhibit hall table. 4:00 - 5:30 pm—SLATE MATES—NFB YOUTH TRACK (Ages 11-18) Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Pair up with members of the NFB Writers Division to learn the tricks of the trade to become a good writer. Bring your questions, and put your interests to work. SUNDAY, JULY 4, Continued 4:00 - 6:00 pm—FEDERATION REGENERATION Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine Learn how to develop quality programs for youth in your state while regenerating your Federation spirit. Presented by the NFB Jernigan Institute Education Team 4:30 - 6:00 pm—THIRTEENTH ANNUAL MOCK TRIAL—National Association of Blind Lawyers; Scott LaBarre, President Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby Admission: $5.00. Federation lawyers are pitted against each other reenacting an old Federation case with the audience serving as the jury. Although the subject matter is very serious, the courtroom portrayers are very entertaining. 5:30 - 6:30 pm—WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? NFB JERNIGAN INSTITUTE DISCUSSIONS—SESSION TWO (Session Three: Monday at 7:30) Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine Session Two covers access technology and product development. Moderated by Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute 5:30 - 8:00 pm—NEWSLETTER PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine Annual meeting and workshop for affiliate newsletter editors. Norma Crosby, Chairperson 6:00 - 8:00 pm—STORY TIME IDOL—NFB WRITERS DIVISION Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Tell and/or listen to tall and scary stories. Cost is $5.00 at the door and $1.00 to tell a story. Idol winners share in the take! Robert Leslie Newman, President 6:00 - 10:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND STUDENTS (NABS) Wedgwood Room, Tower lobby 6:00 pm–Registration ($5.00); 7:00 pm–Meeting Students, young professionals, parents, teachers, and anyone interested in learning about issues affecting blind students are welcome to attend. Arielle Silverman, President SUNDAY, JULY 4, Continued 6:30 - 8:00 pm—NFB AFFILIATE PRESIDENTS AND TREASURERS SEMINAR Rosetta Room, Atrium mezzanine All affiliate presidents and treasurers are asked to attend this session. Topics include internal controls, state charitable registrations, end-of-year preparations, and discussing individual state issues with facilitators Charlie Brown, Ron Gardner, Bridgid Burke, and Nick Lambright 7:00 - 8:30 pm—MEET THE BLIND MONTH ACTIVITIES AND OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS SEMINAR: PLANS AND ACTION EQUAL SUCCESS Manchester Room, Tower mezzanine October is “Meet the Blind Month.” Come and brainstorm with us as we look for fresh ideas for Meet the Blind Month! Learn new fundraising ideas, and get your chapter ready to change public perceptions of blindness. Karen Zakhnini, NFB Jernigan Institute 7:00 - 8:30 pm—PUBLIC EMPLOYEES DIVISION Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Ivan Weich, President 7:00 - 10:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND VETERANS Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine Discussing plans to increase our division membership in the coming year and holding elections. Dwight Sayer, President 7:30 - 9:30 pm—MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: FINDING, ATTRACTING, AND KEEPING NEW MEMBERS IN OUR CHAPTERS AND AFFILIATES Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine Success only comes before work in the dictionary. Let’s discuss creative ideas to increase our membership. Ron Gardner, Chairperson 7:30 - 9:30 pm—LIBRARY SERVICES COMMITTEE Milan Room, Tower mezzanine David Hyde, Chairperson 7:30 - 9:30 pm—BLIND PARENTS GROUP Travertine Room, Atrium mezzanine Deborah Kent Stein, Chairperson SUNDAY, JULY 4, Continued 8:00 - 9:00 pm—JUDAISM MEETING Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine David Stayer, Chairperson, NFB in Judaism Group 8:00 - 9:30 pm—WEBMASTERS MEETING Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine A meeting for all NFB affiliate and division Webmasters to discuss the importance of an informative, accessible, and visually attractive Website. Gary Wunder, Chairperson, Webmasters Group 9:00 - 10:00 pm—SPANISH TRANSLATION COMMITTEE Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine Norman Gardner, Chairperson MONDAY, JULY 5, 2010 8:30 am - 5:00 pm—INDEPENDENCE MARKET AND SHOWCASE OF INNOVATION—Grand Ballroom, Atrium lobby 8:30 am 5:00 pm—EXHIBITS—Khmer Pavilion, Atrium, third level 8:30 am - 5:00 pm—REGISTRATION ($20); BANQUET AND BARBEQUE TICKET SALES ($45 EACH); Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby 9:00 11:30 am—NFB BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING (Open to all) Chantilly Ballroom, Tower lobby 12:00 noon - 1:15 pm—THE DIVISION FOR ME—NFB YOUTH TRACK Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine Meet-and-greet with division representatives to discover the NFB’s dynamic and diverse divisions. Chat with knowledgeable reps about what’s happening now in their divisions and what’s in the works for the future. Our divisions are progressive—join up and join in the fun. 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm—FIRST-TIME NFB CONVENTION ATTENDEES Affiliate Action Suite 2372 Is this your first National Federation of the Blind convention? If so, please bring your own lunch and participate in a fun gathering; meet some friendly people and have your convention questions answered by experienced Federationists. 12:30 - 5:00 pm—DIABETES ACTION NETWORK (DAN) SEMINAR Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine 12:30 pm–Registration; 1:00 pm–Meeting begins Learn about research updates on the use of insulin pens by Dr. Ann Williams, strategies to get medical insurance providers to cover diabetes management equipment accessible to the blind, and more. Mike Freeman, President 12:30 - 5:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND LAWYERS (NABL) L’Entrecote Room, Atrium lobby 12:30 pm - Registration; 1:00 pm - Meeting begins Examine laws affecting blind people and others with disabilities; address ongoing struggles to gain equal access to Web sites, employment, legal texts and exams. Scott LaBarre, President MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 12:30 - 5:00 pm—NFB IN COMPUTER SCIENCE Rosetta Room, Atrium mezzanine 12:30 pm–Registration; 1:00 pm–Meeting begins Some of the topics include: the Macintosh as a productivity tool for the blind; Solona, a CAPTCHA-solving service; Association of Information Technology Professionals presentation; accessibility to Microsoft’s products by its director of accessibility, Rob Sinclair; elections; and much more. Curtis Chong, President 12:30 - 5:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND IN COMMUNITIES OF FAITH Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine 12:30 pm–Registration; 1:00 pm–Meeting begins The theme is “Meeting Challenges: Gaining Opportunities.” Speakers tell how their faith has helped them face and overcome challenges; also hear representatives from various faith-based libraries and publishing houses describe what their organizations do. Tom Anderson, President 12:30 - 5:00 pm—SPORTS AND RECREATION DIVISION ANNUAL MEETING Coronado Ballroom, West Wing 12:30 pm–Registration; 1:00 pm–Meeting begins Wear your sweats and come ready for hands-on presentations, audible darts, and more! Lisamaria Martinez, President 1:00 3:00 pm—PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING & SEMINAR Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine Don't wait for the media to discover you—come and share ideas and strategies on how to harness the power of the media! Topics: crafting press releases, pitching stories, and giving informative interviews. Chris Danielsen, Chairperson 1:00 - 4:00 pm—PERFORMING ARTS DIVISION Travertine Room, Atrium mezzanine General meeting with elections, an introduction to our new state divisions, and speakers. Dennis H.R. Sumlin, President 1:00 - 4:15 pm—NOPBC DIVISION ANNUAL MEETING: ISSUES AND ADVANCES IN EDUCATION Sapphire Room, Tower lobby Carol Castellano, President MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 1:00 - 4:30 pm—NOPBC ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLERS 1:00 - 2:30 pm—Diggin’ Into Science (ages 11-14) Miro Room, Tower mezzanine Hands-on science fun with instant snow, magnets, volcanoes, etc. Instructors: Dr. Lillian A. Rankel and Marilyn Winograd, with assistance from chemists Cary Supalo and Dr. Andrew Greenberg 3:00 - 4:30 pm—Peer-to-Peer Technology (ages 11-18) Milan Room, Tower mezzanine Calling all geeks to expound on technology you love and love to hate. Moderators: Jeremiah Beasley and John Fritz 3:00 - 4:30 pm—The Future Is Here in Science (ages 14-18) Miro Room, Tower mezzanine Hands-on chemistry activities; understanding chemical phenomena. Instructors: Dr. Lillian A. Rankel, Marilyn Winograd, Cary Supalo, and Dr. Andrew Greenberg 1:00 - 4:30 pm—NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF BLIND EDUCATORS Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine 1:00 pm–Registration; 1:30 pm–Meeting begins Blind teachers discuss techniques they use in their classrooms; participants also meet in groups specific to grade level and content areas of interest to create a network of mentors. If you teach or are considering a career in teaching at any level, please join us. Sheila Koenig, President 1:00 5:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND MERCHANTS REVOLUTIONIZING RANDOLPH-SHEPPARD: CREATING NEW, ROBUST, AND DIVERSE SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE BLIND De La Salle Room, West Wing 1:00 pm–Registration; 1:30 pm–Meeting begins The title says it all. Let’s continue to protect and defend the Randolph-Sheppard Program. The need to expand business opportunities and to develop new business initiatives for the blind of America is pressing. At Your Service, Kevan Worley, President MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 1:00 - 5:00 pm—NATIONAL CERTIFICATION IN LITERARY BRAILLE (NCLB) OFFICIAL EXAMINATION—SECTIONS THREE AND FOUR Governors Lecture Hall, Tower lobby Participants must have preregistered. Sponsored by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board 1:00 - 5:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS Madrid Room, Tower mezzanine 1:00 pm–Registration; 2:00 pm–Meeting begins Network, share mutual interests, find placement strategies, and examine and discuss concerns and current issues. Melody Lindsey, President 1:00 - 5:00 pm—“SENIORS IN CHARGE”—NFB SENIORS DIVISION MEETING AND (SOMEWHAT) SILENT AUCTION Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine Join us to hear enthusiastic seniors share ideas about what they are doing; find out ways to spread our message of hope to seniors who have recently become blind. And then, of course, we are also having our very popular not-so-silent auction. Judy Sanders, President 1:00 - 6:00 pm—HUMAN SERVICES DIVISION Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine 1:00–Registration; 2:00–Meeting begins; 5:00—Mingle and network Psychologists; social workers; counselors; and music, art, or dance therapists meet to discuss topics and network. David Stayer, President 1:30 3:00 pm—CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM COMMITTEE Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine Diane McGeorge, Chairperson 1:30 - 4:30 pm—WRITERS DIVISION BUSINESS MEETING Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Update members on division business, announce the 2010 winners of the youth and adult writing contests, visit with a published author and member of the NFB, and plan for the future. Robert Leslie Newman, President MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 3:00 - 5:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND PIANO TECHNICIANS Wedgwood Room, Tower lobby Piano tuning has long been considered one of the stereotypical career choices for the blind. Is this true? What can we do about it? Don Mitchell, President 5:00 - 6:30 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND LAWYERS (NABL) RECEPTION L’Entrecote Room, Atrium lobby For NABL members and seminar participants only to promote networking and fellowship within our membership. Hors d'oeuvres and cash bar available. Scott LaBarre, President 5:00 - 7:00 pm—BRAILLE BOOK FLEA MARKET De Soto A & B Rooms, West Wing A book lover’s dream! Browse tables of new and used Braille and print/Braille books. UPS volunteers will ship the books to your home free of charge. Donations requested to support the Braille Readers are Leaders program. Cosponsored by NOPBC and NAPUB. Coordinator: Peggy Chong 5:30 - 7:00 pm—KURZWEIL 1000 USERS’ CONTINGENT Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine Join the Kurzweil 1000 Users’ Contingent! Meet with Steve Baum, Vice President of Engineering, and share some Kurzweil 1000 experiences. Kurzweil 1000 is our state-of-the-art, text-to-speech and life navigation software for blind and visually impaired readers. 6:00 - 9:00 pm—INDOOR ROWING; SPORTS & REC DIVISION Coronado Ballroom, West Wing Lisamaria Martinez, President 6:00 - 10:00 pm—BACK TO BASICS: FOUNDATIONS IN MEMBERSHIP AND CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT Sapphire Room, Tower lobby Topics: running a purposeful chapter meeting, building membership, community projects and chapter fundraising, working with youth, and weaving Federation philosophy into local meetings. Presented by the NFB Affiliate Action Team MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 6:00 - 10:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GUIDE DOG USERS (NAGDU) SILVER ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND SEMINAR Emerald Room, Tower lobby 6:00 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Seminar begins Join us in celebrating twenty-five years of education and advocacy on behalf of guide dog users, recognize our founders and past leaders, initiate future projects, and “test drive” a guide dog! Marion Gwizdala, President 6:30 - 9:30 pm—SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DIVISION Wyeth Room, Atrium mezzanine 6:30 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Meeting begins John Miller, President 6:30 - 10:00 pm—ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TRAINERS DIVISION Manchester Room, Tower mezzanine 6:30 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Meeting begins Topics: determining the right note taker for your student; plunging without fear into Windows 7 with Cathyanne Murtha of Access Technology Institute; Jsay Pro; and teaching the Mac. Michael Barber, President 7:00 - 8:30 pm—“BROKEN-HEARTED RIVER TO FREEDOM” a play by Jerry Whittle (Admission: $5.00; Second Performance is at 9:00 pm) Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby A man loses his sight during the Civil War, returns home, and learns to deal with his blindness and family. The play is performed by the Louisiana Center for the Blind Players; proceeds go to the Louisiana Center for the Blind’s summer training program for blind children. 7:00 - 9:00 pm—CLASSICS, ANTIQUES, AND RODS (CARS) DIVISION SEMINAR AND BUSINESS MEETING Obelisk B Room, Atrium mezzanine Come and hear speakers from automobile clubs talk about their activities and participate in the division business meeting. Joseph B. Naulty, President 7:00 - 9:00 pm—COMMITTEE TO EMPOWER UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine Ron Brown, Chairperson MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 7:00 - 9:00 pm—NATIONAL ASSOCIATION TO PROMOTE THE USE OF BRAILLE (NAPUB) SEMINAR Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine Hear about the remaining commemorative Louis Braille silver dollars and how to get one, NFB Share Braille Website, and more. Nadine Jacobson, President 7:00 - 10:00 pm—INDEPENDENCE SCIENCE FOCUS GROUP TWO Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine (Preregistration by May 15 was required to attend.) Independence Science LLC, in collaboration with Purdue University researchers, is collecting feedback on a new portable handheld data collection device for blind students to use in high school science laboratories. 7:30 - 8:30 pm—ME AND THE GOSSIP GIRLS—NFB YOUTH TRACK Dardenelles Room, Atrium mezzanine–Ages 11-14 Inverness Room, Atrium mezzanine–Ages 14-18 Girls—bring your questions and thoughts about makeup, dating, or how to get more involved in your school. Discussions will be led by blind mentors. Parents, please respect this is for teens only! 7:30 - 8:30 pm— ME AND THE GUYS—NFB YOUTH TRACK Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine–Ages 11-14 Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine–Ages 14-18 Guys—talk about cars, dating, school, or how to nail that perfect job to make a little extra money. Discussions will be led by blind mentors. Parents, please respect this is for teens only! 7:30 - 8:45 pm—WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? NFB JERNIGAN INSTITUTE DISCUSSIONS—SESSION THREE Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine Session Three covers education programs. Moderated by Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute 7:30 - 10:00 pm—COMMITTEE FOR THE PROMOTION, EVALUATION, AND ADVANCEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY Travertine Room, Atrium mezzanine Hear exhibitors explain briefly what they are exhibiting and where they are located in the exhibit hall. We will also evaluate the effectiveness of what our Committee is doing now and consider programs for the coming year. Gary Wunder, Chairperson MONDAY, JULY 5, Continued 8:00 - 9:00 pm—FRIENDS OF RECOVERY MEETING Library Room, Tower mezzanine All convention delegates involved in or interested in twelve-step recovery programs are invited to attend. A second Friends of Recovery meeting will be on Wednesday at 8:00 pm. Coordinator: Gary Ray 9:00 - 10:30 pm—“BROKEN-HEARTED RIVER TO FREEDOM” a play by Jerry Whittle (Admission: $5.00) Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby A man loses his sight during the Civil War, returns home, and learns to deal with his blindness and family. The play is performed by the Louisiana Center for the Blind Players; proceeds go to the Louisiana Center for the Blind’s summer training program for blind children. TUESDAY, JULY 6, 2010 8:00 - 8:45 am—DEVOTIONS Sapphire Room, Tower lobby 8:15 8:45 am—REGISTRATION ($20); BANQUET AND BARBEQUE TICKET SALES ($45 EACH)—Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby OPENING GENERAL SESSION 9:00 am INVOCATION 9:35 am WELCOMING CEREMONIES 9:55 am CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM: VETERANS RECOGNIZED Dwight Sayer, President, National Association of Blind Veterans, National Federation of the Blind; Winter Gardens, Florida 10:05 am A DEFENSE DEPARTMENT PRIORITY FOR BLIND WOUNDED WARRIORS Colonel Donald Gagliano, M.D., Executive Director, Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs Vision Center of Excellence; Washington, D.C. 10:20 am ROLL CALL OF STATES AND APPOINTMENT OF NOMINATING COMMITTEE 11:45 am REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS 12:00 pm ADJOURN 12:00 noon 12:30 pm and 1:30 - 2:00 pm—REGISTRATION ($20); FINAL BANQUET TICKET SALES ($45)—Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby 12:00 noon - 1:45 pm—INDEPENDENCE MARKET AND SHOWROOM OF INNOVATION—Grand Ballroom, Atrium lobby TUESDAY, JULY 6, Continued 12:00 noon 1:45 pm—EXHIBITS—Khmer Pavilion, Atrium, third level 12:15 - 1:45 pm—LOUISIANA CENTER FOR THE BLIND ALUMNI LUNCHEON; Pam Allen, Director Peacock Terrace, West Wing GENERAL SESSION 2:00 pm CALL TO ORDER 2:05 pm PRESIDENTIAL REPORT, Marc Maurer 3:00 pm THE FEDERATION IN THE WORLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE BLIND CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER AND SENATOR IN THAILAND Monthian Buntan, Senator; Bangkok, Thailand 3:20 pm THE BLIND DRIVER OPERATING A VEHICLE AT SPEED: CREATING THE TECHNOLOGY THAT PUTS THE CONTROLS UNDER OUR HANDS Parnell Diggs, Esq., Coordinator, Race for Independence; President, National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina; Garden City, South Carolina 3:35 pm SWEP AND THE BARS OF OUR PRISON Scott LaBarre, Esq., LaBarre Law Offices; President, National Federation of the Blind of Colorado; Denver, Colorado 3:50 pm THE XAVIER SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND: SERVING THE BLIND SINCE 1900 Father John R. Sheehan, S.J., Chairman, Board of Directors, Xavier Society for the Blind; New York, New York 4:05 pm ONE MILLION BOOKS FOR THE PRINT DISABLED AND MORE TO COME Brewster Kahle, Digital Librarian; San Francisco, California TUESDAY, JULY 6, Continued 4:20 pm NOT JUST SURVIVING THE DISASTER OF SEPTEMBER 11 BUT PROVIDING LEADERSHIP IN A DEADLY EMERGENCY Michael Hingson, President, Michael Hingson Group; Novato, California 4:35 pm REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS 5:00 pm ADJOURN 5:30 - 6:30 pm—NOMINATING COMMITTEE De La Salle Room, West Wing 5:30 - 6:30 pm—NFB-LINK, OUR ONLINE MENTORING PROGRAM Affiliate Action Suite 2372 Come help us honor the over 250 mentors that are a part of NFB-LINK and learn how you can become a mentor, too. NFB-LINK is our online mentoring program, and by becoming a mentor, you will see how a little time on the computer can make a huge difference. Current and future mentors, please attend! 6:00 pm—NFB OF TEXAS BARBEQUE AND LIVE MUSIC Anatole Park Enjoy eating a delicious Texas-style barbeque with all of the trimmings while listening to the music of singer/songwriter/guitarist Brian Burns, with friends Tommy Alverson and Davin James. 6:00 - 8:00 pm—AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND INTRODUCES AccessWorld EVERY MONTH AND NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY RESOURCES Peacock Terrace, West Wing You are invited to our informational reception. Announcing AFB AccessWorld, every month—more authors, more information, more often. CareerConnect, FamilyConnect, and SeniorSite offer newly-expanded opportunities. Network with families, seniors, and successful mentors. We look forward to meeting you. TUESDAY, JULY 6, Continued 6:00 - 9:00 pm—DEAFBLIND DIVISION BUSINESS MEETING & ELECTIONS Obelisk B Room, Atrium mezzanine 6:00 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Meeting begins Burnell Brown, President 6:30 - 8:00 pm—MUSIC TECH WORKSHOP Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine Conducted by Cameron Strife; presented by the NFB Performing Arts Division 6:30 - 9:00 pm—COLORADO CENTER FOR THE BLIND OPEN HOUSE Topaz Room, Tower lobby Discover how good training can change your life. Julie Deden, Director 7:00 - 8:00 pm—ASTRONOMY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS (Ages 6-14) Morocco Room, Tower mezzanine Fun-filled astronomy-related activities in an out-of-this-world workshop! Instructor: Noreen Grice 7:00 - 8:30 pm—BOOKSHARE AT NFB MEMBER PARTY Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine Enjoy snacks and refreshments while meeting the Bookshare staff. This is your opportunity to talk with us and share your ideas; we’re here to listen. Plan to have fun with contests, drawings, and interacting with your fellow members. We look forward to seeing you. 7:00 - 8:30 pm—NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS IEP Workshop for Beginners Madrid Room, Tower mezzanine Focusing on evaluations, goals, strategies, and the law. Instructor: Carlton Walker Getting to Yes Manchester Room, Tower mezzanine Getting the team to work together so that it benefits your child. Instructor: Dan Frye Tactile Maps and the Development of Spatial Awareness Milan Room, Tower mezzanine Exploring ways to promote the development of spatial awareness. Instructor: Debbie Kent Stein TUESDAY, JULY 6, Continued 7:00 - 9:00 pm—NFB KRAFTERS DIVISION BUSINESS MEETING Fleur-de-lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine Unveiling new craft initiatives, including discussion on classes available via telephone conference and information on our Monday night nationwide chats. We are seeking teachers and students for crafting classes. Joyce Kane, President 7:00 - 9:00 pm—LEGISLATIVE STRATEGIES SEMINAR: MOVING LEGISLATION ON THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine Each affiliate should send one representative. Learn the best methods of increasing support for our legislative priorities. Changing lives through laws is our business. Led by Jesse Hartle, Lauren McLarney, and Ronza Othman 7:00 - 10:00 pm—A SPECIAL EVENING FOR SPONSOR-LEVEL EXHIBITORS Khmer Pavilion, Atrium, Third Level The exhibit hall reopens for an evening dedicated solely to sponsor-level exhibitors. Come and bring a guest to say “thank you” to our sponsors and to enjoy their interesting offers and demonstrations. Our convention sponsors are: Title: Deque Systems, Inc.; Platinum: HumanWare and UPS; Gold: Freedom Scientific and Oracle; Silver: Adobe; Bronze: National Industries for the Blind (NIB); and Exhibit Hall: En-Vision America, GW Micro, Inc., Independence Science, LLC, Independent Living Aids (ILA), Intel Corporation, Olympus, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D), Sendero Group, and Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 7:00 - 10:00 pm—THE BEST THROWBACK PARTY AND DANCE EVER! NFB YOUTH TRACK (Ages 14-18) Metropolitan Ballroom, Tower mezzanine Choose your favorite decade and come dressed in your best digs. Compete in hula hoop contests, learn the “YMCA,” or show us your best moon walk while dressed as the late Michael Jackson in the 80’s. Prizes will be given to the best-dressed or most creative throwback participants. 8:00 - 9:00 pm—BEP: U.S. CURRENCY IDENTIFICATION FOCUS GROUP Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine Representatives of the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and the Office of Product Development provide an update on BEP’s progress to provide blind individuals with access to U.S. currency and discuss concepts it is currently testing. (Session Two: Wednesday at 7:00 pm.) TUESDAY, JULY 6, Continued 8:00 - 9:00 pm—PERFORMING ARTS DIVISION SEMINAR Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine A seminar on division development; discuss the future of the Performing Arts Division and ways to make it even better. Conducted by division board member, Jordy Stringer. Dennis H.R. Sumlin, President 8:30 - 9:30 pm—HOW TO HOLD A VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE IN SIX EASY STEPS Edelweiss Room, Atrium mezzanine Learn how to plan and host a voter registration drive that will attract new members to your chapter and serve your local community. Coordinator: Lou Ann Blake, NFB Jernigan Institute 8:30 - 10:00 pm—NOPBC CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOR PARENTS IEP Workshop for Veteran Parents Madrid Room, Tower mezzanine Instructor: Carlton Walker Testing and Accommodations Manchester Room, Tower mezzanine Instructors: Barbara Mathews and a representative of the College Board Adapting and Creating Useable Materials for Students Milan Room, Tower mezzanine Instructor: Pat Renfranz WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2010 8:00 - 8:45 am—DEVOTIONS Sapphire Room, Tower lobby 8:15 8:45 am—REGISTRATION ($20)—Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby GENERAL SESSION 9:00 am INVOCATION 9:05 am ELECTIONS 9:50 am THE APEX AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS AT HUMANWARE Gilles Pepin, Chief Executive Officer, HumanWare; Drummondville, Canada 10:10 am THE FAILURE OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE BLIND MARK RICCOBONO, Moderator; Executive Director, National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute; Baltimore, Maryland SHEILA AMATO, Ed.D., University Teacher Trainer; Massapequa Park, New York NOREEN GRICE, Founder and President of You Can Do Astronomy, LLC; New Britain, Connecticut LAURA WEBBER, Secretary, National Organization of Parents of Blind Children; Houston, Texas ERIC VASILIAUSKAS, M.D., parent and advocate; Los Angeles, California 11:10 am ASSURING INTERNET ACCESSIBILITY Preety Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Deque Systems, Inc.; Reston, Virginia WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, Continued 11:30 am REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS 12:00 pm ADJOURN 12:00 noon 12:30 pm and 1:30 - 2:00 pm—REGISTRATION ($20) Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby 12:00 noon - 1:45 pm—INDEPENDENCE MARKET AND SHOWROOM OF INNOVATION (Final time period to be open)—Grand Ballroom, Atrium lobby 12:00 noon 1:45 pm—EXHIBITS—Khmer Pavilion, Atrium, third level GENERAL SESSION 2:00 pm CALL TO ORDER 2:05 pm FINANCIAL REPORT 3:05 pm STRATEGIC INITIATIVES REPORT John Paré, Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives, National Federation of the Blind; Baltimore, Maryland Jesse Hartle, Governmental Affairs Specialist, National Federation of the Blind; Baltimore, Maryland Lauren McLarney, Governmental Affairs Specialist, National Federation of the Blind; Baltimore, Maryland 3:35 pm REPORTS, RESOLUTIONS, AND OTHER BUSINESS 5:00 pm ADJOURN WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, Continued 7:00 - 8:00 pm—BEP: U.S. CURRENCY IDENTIFICATION FOCUS GROUP Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine Representatives of the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and the Office of Product Development provide an update on BEP’s progress to provide blind individuals with access to U.S. currency and discuss concepts it is currently testing. 7:00 - 8:15 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Presented by James Gashel 7:00 - 8:30 pm—NFB IMAGINATION FUND GRANT-WRITING SEMINAR Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine Each affiliate should send at least one representative to this seminar. Learn to plan, write, and submit a strong grant application; discover key points and strategies about how to identify appropriate funders and submit a winning proposal. Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute 7:00 - 9:00 pm—WHAT’S NEW WITH NFB-NEWSLINE® Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine Learn about the NFB’s free audible newspaper service for the blind and visually impaired. Topics cover Podable News, the new voices, the new on-demand article request feature, and more. Sign up for NFB-NEWSLINE® at its exhibit hall table. 7:00 9:00 pm—“SOCIAL SECURITY AND SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME: WHAT APPLICANTS, ADVOCATES, AND RECIPIENTS SHOULD KNOW” SEMINAR Sapphire Room, Tower lobby Topics: Social Security and SSI benefits, including eligibility criteria, the application process, reporting obligations, and appeals process. Also get information on the Medicare prescription drug benefit income subsidy program. Presenter: Ronza Othman WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, Continued 7:00 10:00 pm—EXHIBITS—Khmer Pavilion, Atrium third level 7:00 - 11:00 pm—TENTH ANNUAL SHOWCASE OF TALENT—Fee: $5.00 Stemmons Auditorium, Atrium lobby Register early by contacting Performing Arts Division leaders at the convention by Tuesday. Proceeds benefit the division’s scholarship program and other programs. Sponsored by the Performing Arts Division; Dennis H.R. Sumlin, President 7:00 - 11:00 pm—NON 24-HOUR SLEEP WAKE DISORDER SEMINAR Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine Circadian rhythm sleep disorders in totally blind people. Total loss of light perception prevents synchronization of circadian body clock rhythms to the 24-hour day, leading to cyclic insomnia and daytime napping. The causes of this sleep disorder and possible treatment options will be presented and discussed. 7:30 - 9:00 pm—INTRODUCTION TO ORACLE SIEBEL CALL CENTER Obelisk B Room, Atrium mezzanine Don Mauck, Accessibility Evangelist at Oracle, will demonstrate the accessibility features built into the Oracle Siebel Call Center. Oracle CRM products are used by more than 4,000 enterprises and more than 4.6 million business users; these enterprises represent potential employment opportunities for the blind. 8:00 - 9:00 pm—FRIENDS OF RECOVERY MEETING Library Room, Tower mezzanine All convention delegates involved in or interested in twelve-step recovery programs are invited to attend. Gary Ray, Coordinator 8:00 - 10:00 pm—COMMITTEE ON AUTOMOBILE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY (CAPS); Deborah Kent Stein, Chairperson Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine 8:00 - 10:00 pm—COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Rosetta Room, Atrium mezzanine For the most part, technological developments tend to exclude blind people. Developers must change the ways future technologies are designed. Join us—perhaps you can suggest a technology or approach that nobody else has considered. Curtis Chong, Chairperson WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, Continued 8:00 - 11:30 pm—MONTE CARLO NIGHT Metropolitan Ballroom, Tower mezzanine Try your luck at any of the usual card games found on a casino floor. Sponsored by the National Association of Blind Students 8:30 - 9:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE! Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine Presented by James Gashel THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010 8:00 - 8:45 am—DEVOTIONS Sapphire Room, Tower lobby 8:15 8:45 am—REGISTRATION ($20)—Final opportunity to register. Chantilly Foyer Area, Tower lobby GENERAL SESSION 9:00 am INVOCATION 9:05 am BUYING AND SELLING ONLINE: EBAY BUILDS ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE BLIND INTO ITS PLATFORM Dane Glasgow, Vice President, Buyer Experience Product Management, Ebay, Inc.; San Jose, California 9:20 am BRAILLE IS LITERACY Deane Blazie, Inventor; Hobe Sound, Florida 9:35 am EIGHTY-FOUR LANGUAGES AND GROWING Frank Kurt Cylke, Director, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress; Washington, D.C. David Fernandez-Barrial, Foreign Language Librarian, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress; Washington, D.C. 9:55 am QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION 10:00 am EDUCATING BLIND CHILDREN: CHANGING THE PARADIGM Fredric K. Schroeder, Ph.D.; Research Professor; San Diego State University; Vienna, Virginia 10:20 am TOWARD FULL EMPLOYMENT FOR BLIND AMERICANS Lynnae Ruttledge, Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration, United States Department of Education; Washington, D.C. THURSDAY, JULY 8, Continued 10:35 am ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION FOR ALL, INCLUDING THE BLIND: MEETING THE STANDARD Jessica Finnefrock, Senior Vice President, Product Development, Blackboard; Washington, D.C. 10:50 am ACCESSIBLE DESIGN, A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE Steve Eastman, President, Target.com; Minneapolis, Minnesota 11:05 am LOCATION-BASED SERVICES USING BUS STOP AND GEOCODED MEDIA CONTENT Mike May, Chief Executive Officer, Sendero Group; Davis, California 11:20 am BLIND CAR BUILDER? WE’RE HERE TO TELL YOU! Marcus Simmons, Chief Executive Officer, Simmons BOSS CREATIONS; Southfield, Michigan 11:35 am REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS 12:00 pm ADJOURN 12:00 noon - 1:45 pm—HAM RADIO GROUP BUSINESS MEETING Milan Room, Tower mezzanine D. Curtis Willoughby (ka0vba), Chairperson 12:00 noon - 1:45 pm—RAFFLES AND DRAWINGS Sapphire Room, Tower lobby 12:15 - 1:45 pm—EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NLS Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine A question-and-answer session with Frank Kurt Cylke, Director, and staff of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. THURSDAY, JULY 8, Continued GENERAL SESSION 2:00 pm CALL TO ORDER 2:05 pm COPYRIGHT AND THE RIGHT TO READ Marybeth Peters, Esq., Register of Copyrights, Library of Congress, Copyright Office; Washington, D.C. 2:20 pm THE FUTURE OF BOOKS AND BEYOND Ray Kurzweil, President and Chief Executive Officer, K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc.; Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts 2:40 pm CALLING ALL DRIVERS: ADVANCING LEADERSHIP, COLLECTIVE ACTION, AND THE BOUNDARIES OF INDEPENDENCE Mark Riccobono, Executive Director, National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute; Baltimore, Maryland 3:00 pm THE INTERFACE THAT TOUCHES THE MIND: ADVANCING BEYOND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES Dennis Hong, Ph.D., Director, Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute; Blacksburg, Virginia 3:15 pm A PRACTICING BLIND PHYSICIAN Timothy Cordes M.D./Ph.D., Resident in Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics; Madison, Wisconsin 3:30 pm DR. JACOB BOLOTIN AWARD Gary Wunder, Chairperson, Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Committee, and Secretary, National Federation of the Blind; Columbia, Missouri 4:10 pm DISABILITY POLICY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President on Disability Policy; Washington, D.C. 4:25 pm REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS THURSDAY, JULY 8, Continued 5:00 pm ADJOURN 7:00 pm—BANQUET Chantilly Ballroom, Tower lobby INVOCATION MASTER OF CEREMONIES: Fredric K. Schroeder INTRODUCTIONS AND PRESENTATIONS BANQUET ADDRESS: Marc Maurer SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS 11:00 pm—SCIENCE FICTION MEETING All persons interested in science fiction and fantasy are welcome to join in an open discussion. Please contact Ed Meskys for room location. Thank You... The National Federation of the Blind acknowledges with gratitude our Title, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Exhibit Hall Convention Sponsors below. Their messages follow. Title Sponsor: Deque Systems, Inc. Platinum Sponsors: HumanWare UPS Gold Sponsors: Freedom Scientific Oracle Silver Sponsor: Adobe Bronze Sponsor: National Industries for the Blind (NIB) Exhibit Hall Sponsors: En-Vision America GW Micro, Inc. Independence Science, LLC Independent Living Aids (ILA) Intel Corporation Olympus Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) Sendero Group Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920