From paul.sullivan416 at gmail.com  Fri Jan  2 14:03:26 2015
From: paul.sullivan416 at gmail.com (Paul Sullivan)
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2015 09:03:26 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessible Videoconferencing Platform
Message-ID: <CAC4Hya2y2JKvJfysteCNekRVyKgKk2sRQdG2Sz0YNn8Gdrm6Aw@mail.gmail.com>

Hello all,

Does anyone have a suggestion for an accessible web videoconferencing service?

Thanks,
Paul

-- 
Paul R. Sullivan, Jr.
100 Fifth Avenue
Suite 503
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 456-2200
paul at paulsullivanlegal.com
www.paulsullivanlegal.com


From gerard.sadlier at gmail.com  Fri Jan  2 16:15:18 2015
From: gerard.sadlier at gmail.com (Gerard Sadlier)
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2015 16:15:18 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessible Videoconferencing Platform
In-Reply-To: <CAC4Hya2y2JKvJfysteCNekRVyKgKk2sRQdG2Sz0YNn8Gdrm6Aw@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CAC4Hya2y2JKvJfysteCNekRVyKgKk2sRQdG2Sz0YNn8Gdrm6Aw@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <CAGZitzK-MXLosdkOFYwxwqeKhSOy+5xSko4JGeAu7zcY=VKA3g@mail.gmail.com>

Skype?

On 1/2/15, Paul Sullivan via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Does anyone have a suggestion for an accessible web videoconferencing
> service?
>
> Thanks,
> Paul
>
> --
> Paul R. Sullivan, Jr.
> 100 Fifth Avenue
> Suite 503
> Pittsburgh, PA 15222
> (412) 456-2200
> paul at paulsullivanlegal.com
> www.paulsullivanlegal.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/gerard.sadlier%40gmail.com
>


From slabarre at labarrelaw.com  Fri Jan  2 20:35:50 2015
From: slabarre at labarrelaw.com (Scott C. LaBarre)
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2015 13:35:50 -0700
Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Attorney Vacancies at the U.S. Department of Justice
In-Reply-To: <A2C9FB40BD72F846A5E5CF700AEFDB5D1CDA102E@DPRC-EXCH-P01.JCONMAIL.doj.gov>
References: <A2C9FB40BD72F846A5E5CF700AEFDB5D1CDA102E@DPRC-EXCH-P01.JCONMAIL.doj.gov>
Message-ID: <005f01d026cb$b2876a60$17963f20$@labarrelaw.com>

FYI

 

From: DOJlawjobs (JMD) [mailto:DOJlawjobs at usdoj.gov] 
Sent: Friday, January 2, 2015 11:44 AM
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Attorney Vacancies at the U.S. Department of Justice

 

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Attorney Recruitment and
Management is updating our outreach list for the distribution of attorney
vacancy announcements.  If you would like to continue receiving vacancy
announcements and other recruitment related information from the Department
of Justice please take the time to reply with  the following information:

 

 

SCHOOL OR ORGANIZATION: 

NAME:                   

TITLE:  

PHONE:  

EMAIL:  

WEBSITE:        

 

Below is a list of current attorney vacancies at the United States
Department of Justice. We encourage all interested applicants to apply;

 

To learn more about Justice and our legal careers, please visit our website:
www.justice.gov/careers/legal/ <http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/> . 

In addition, every year over 1,800 volunteer legal interns serve in DOJ
components and U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country. If you know
any law students who may be interested in a DOJ volunteer internship, please
encourage them to review the many opportunities featured at
www.justice.gov/careers/legal/volunteer-intern.html
<http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/volunteer-intern.html> .  

 

 


USAO District of Columbia 

 
<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/assistant-united-states-attorney-1
03> Assistant United States Attorney 

DC 

01/02/2015 


USAO Eastern District of Texas 

 
<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/assistant-united-states-attorney-1
02> Assistant United States Attorney 

TX 

12/24/2014 


Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 

 <http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/general-attorney-4> General
Attorney 

DC 

12/24/2014

 


From slabarre at labarrelaw.com  Mon Jan  5 16:36:19 2015
From: slabarre at labarrelaw.com (Scott C. LaBarre)
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2015 09:36:19 -0700
Subject: [blindlaw] {Disarmed} FW: Registration Now Open for the 2015
	Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium!
In-Reply-To: <20150105163025.A9FCD2C5AA9@lx-web.nfb.org>
References: <20150105163025.A9FCD2C5AA9@lx-web.nfb.org>
Message-ID: <00d601d02905$bc602fe0$35208fa0$@labarrelaw.com>

fyi

 

From: Lou Ann Blake [mailto:lblake at nfb.org] 
Sent: Monday, January 5, 2015 9:30 AM
To: slabarre at labarrelaw.com
Subject: Registration Now Open for the 2015 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium!

 

 Registration is Now Open!  

for the  

2015 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium

The ADA at Fifty: The Future of Disability Law and the Right to Live in the World

March 26-27, 2015
at the
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute
Baltimore, Maryland

 

Join leading disability rights advocates from throughout the United States in celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act by looking ahead to the next twenty-five years. The 2015 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium will consist of plenary sessions and workshops facilitated by distinguished law professors, practitioners, and advocates who will discuss topics such as: the future of disability, how to enable the participation of people with disabilities in court proceedings, the unique challenges faced by criminal suspects and offenders with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and a vision for the next twenty-five years to improve and augment the ADA, Rehabilitation Act, and IDEA. Presenters include: 

*         Judge Richard S. Brown, Wisconsin Court of Appeals

*         Leigh Ann Davis, program manager, Justice Initiatives, The Arc

*         Robert Dinerstein, professor of law, American University Washington College of Law

*         David Ferleger, Esquire, Law Office of David Ferleger

*         Beverly Frantz, criminal justice project director, Institute on Disabilities, Temple University

*         Daniel F. Goldstein, partner, Brown, Goldstein and Levy

*         Christine M. Griffin, executive director, Disability Law Center of Massachusetts

*         Arlene S. Kanter; Bond, Schoeneck, and King Distinguished Professor; Syracuse University College of Law

*         Marc Maurer, immediate past president, National Federation of the Blind

*         Arlene B. Mayerson, directing attorney, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund

*         Ari Ne'eman, co-founder and president, Autistic Self Advocacy Network

*         Laurence Paradis, executive director and co-director of litigation, Disability Rights Advocates

*         Mark Riccobono, president , National Federation of the Blind

*         Howard A. Rosenblum, chief executive officer, National Association of the Deaf

*         Fredric K. Schroeder, research professor, San Diego State University; first vice president, World Blind Union

*         Anita Silvers, professor and chair of Philosophy, San Francisco State University

*         Christopher Slobogin; Milton R. Underwood Chair in Law; director, Criminal Justice Program, Vanderbilt University Law School; professor of psychiatry; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

*         Judge Richard B. Teitelman, Supreme Court of Missouri

*         Kathryn Walker, criminal justice fellow, The Arc

*         Michael Waterstone, visiting professor of law, Northwestern University School of Law; J. Howard Ziemann Fellow and professor of law, Loyola Law School Los Angeles 

Documentation for CLE credits will be provided. 

Registration fee: $175
Student registration fee: $25

 

For more information about the symposium, hotel accommodations, and symposium sponsorship opportunities, please visit https://nfb.org/law-symposium <http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4034&qid=692285> .  

You can register online by going to: https://nfb.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1 <http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4035&qid=692285> &id=49. 

 

You may also download from the symposium website a registration form to mail or fax. 

For additional information, contact:

Lou Ann Blake, JD
Law Symposium Coordinator
Jernigan Institute
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street
      at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
Telephone: 410-659-9314, ext. 2221
Email: lblake at nfb.org <mailto:lblake at nfb.org> 

 

National Federation of the Blind 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place, Baltimore, MD 21230 


Unsubscribe <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=1428&qid=692285&h=dc6e436d4029057d>  

200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
United States

  <http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/open.php?q=692285> 


From mnowicki4 at icloud.com  Mon Jan  5 18:07:57 2015
From: mnowicki4 at icloud.com (Michal Nowicki)
Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 12:07:57 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from
	the Publisher
Message-ID: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>

Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,

 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for
2015.

 

I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses
from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know that
you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know
that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities
textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or
through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in which
case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To
satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such materials
in PDF format.

 

That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me
some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and
other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA
accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully
accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for
headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this
actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you
recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?  Also,
do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?

 

I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received all
materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always
converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw the
publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.  Looking
ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion staff
the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated
efficiently using assistive technology.

 

Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based on
the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law
students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is about
to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority
registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they
take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if applicable, to
scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do
publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a request
for electronic copies of the books?

 

Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward to
reading your responses.

 

Best,

 

Michal


From theweird1 at mediacombb.net  Mon Jan  5 18:25:33 2015
From: theweird1 at mediacombb.net (Loren Wakefield)
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2015 12:25:33 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
	from	the Publisher
In-Reply-To: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
References: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <000001d02914$fe3bc8c0$fab35a40$@mediacombb.net>

I have had good luck with my first year books.  Now granted, I have had to
learn, sometimes by accident, how to move around.  But so far, things seems
to be going fairly well.  

Let me say though that the pdf came from the ada office.  

Loren Wakefield



-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 12:08 PM
To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from
the Publisher

Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,

 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for
2015.

 

I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses
from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know that
you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know
that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities
textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or
through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in which
case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To
satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such materials
in PDF format.

 

That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me
some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and
other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA
accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully
accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for
headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this
actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you
recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?  Also,
do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?

 

I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received all
materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always
converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw the
publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.  Looking
ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion staff
the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated
efficiently using assistive technology.

 

Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based on
the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law
students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is about
to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority
registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they
take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if applicable, to
scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do
publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a request
for electronic copies of the books?

 

Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward to
reading your responses.

 

Best,

 

Michal

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/theweird1%40mediacombb
.net



From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov  Mon Jan  5 18:47:36 2015
From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel)
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2015 12:47:36 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
 from	the Publisher
In-Reply-To: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
References: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <04F1893C93758F4AA7CB436BB26750660136CCADBAF0@EDUPTCEXMB02.ed.gov>

Michal,

Yes, you can ask the law school to give you priority registration as a disability-related accommodation.

To my knowledge, it is not the publisher that has the legal obligation to provide an accessible copy of  textbooks.  It is the university's responsibility to make its programs and activities accessible to you.  I think others on this list are better equipped to answer how best to interface directly with publishers that are providing textbooks directly to students in an accessible format and whether publishers have gotten on board with a uniform publishing standard.  The other option is to go through the university's disability services office, which may have a relationship with publishers that allows them access to electronic files of publishers.  

Noel Nightingale


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 10:08 AM
To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from the Publisher

Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,

 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for 2015.

 

I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know that you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in which case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such materials in PDF format.

 

That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?  Also, do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?

 

I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received all materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw the publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.  Looking ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion staff the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated efficiently using assistive technology.

 

Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based on the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is about to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if applicable, to scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a request for electronic copies of the books?

 

Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward to reading your responses.

 

Best,

 

Michal

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/noel.nightingale%40ed.gov


From mnowicki4 at icloud.com  Mon Jan  5 19:22:53 2015
From: mnowicki4 at icloud.com (Michal Nowicki)
Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 13:22:53 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
 Offered to Post-Secondary Students
Message-ID: <007f01d0291d$01900330$04b00990$@icloud.com>

Dear Fellow Federationist,

 

Are you currently enrolled at (or have you recently graduated from) an
institution of higher education?  If so, have you received reasonable
accommodations through the school's office for students with disabilities?
Can you provide information about the quality of these services?  If you
answered "Yes" to the above questions, please read on.

 

I'm sure you know that besides researching the academic programs, cost of
attendance/financial aid opportunities, and the location of colleges and
universities, we blind people must also look at the services for students
with disabilities that are available to us.  To that end, most schools help
us in this endeavor by providing policies, procedures, FAQs, and other
meaningful information about requesting and receiving ADA accommodations,
through their website.  Unfortunately, though, we must not forget that the
same institutions may sometimes deliberately conceal negative information
from prospective applicants.  After all, they want to attract qualified
applicants, not discourage them from applying.

 

That being said, a visually impaired prospective law student from North
Carolina is putting together a database of colleges' and universities'
accommodation record to assist students with disabilities in making informed
decisions about where they want to get their degree(s), and I am helping her
by gathering information.  The database will obviously not contain any
confidential information; it will only explain what services students may
count on at a given school, as well as warnings about potential
discrimination a student may face in the event he/she chooses to enroll at a
college or university that is known to exhibit such behavior.  Its content
will come from student feedback, as well as from complaints on file with the
U.S.  Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

 

On that note, please share with me the experiences you have had while
working with the disability office at your school, both positive and
negative.  Please use the following questions as a guide:

1.        How many people work for the office for students with
disabilities?  Do people specialize in specific tasks (e.g.  document
conversion, setting up accommodations, exam proctoring, etc.), or does
everyone assume a universal role?

2.       Does the office handle document conversion requests in a timely
manner?  In what alternate formats are textbooks and other course materials
provided?  If your textbooks were scanned, were they disassembled in the
process?  Does the school offer institutional Bookshare.org and LearningAlly
memberships?  Is it part of the AccessText network?

3.       Is there an assistive technology specialist who is available for
training, installation, and troubleshooting purposes?

4.       Does the office arrange for human note takers as an accommodation?

5.       Is exam proctoring offered?

6.       Is the school's website, including Blackboard, webmail, class
registration, and any other online tools fully accessible?  If not, which
areas are inaccessible?

 

We are also looking for information specific to accommodations for graduate
and professional students.  In particular, please let us know if you believe
that the school has attempted to "mold" you into a specific role against
your will.  Likewise, please let us know if you feel that faculty members
tried to "weed" you out of an advanced degree program, either because they
didn't think you would survive, because they didn't think you would find a
job or otherwise contribute to the profession, or simply because of your
disability.  Please be sure to discuss the specific tactics that were
employed to accomplish this.

 

Please send your evaluations to me off-list at mnowicki4 at iCloud.com
<mailto:mnowicki4 at iCloud.com> , and I will pass them on.  You may send them
in the message body or as attachments in Word or Rich Text Format (.RTF).  I
look forward to hearing from you and, most important, to learning more about
ADA accommodations offered to post-secondary students across the country.

 

Best Wishes,

 

Michal


From samarositz at gmail.com  Mon Jan  5 22:03:12 2015
From: samarositz at gmail.com (Stephen Alexander Marositz)
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2015 14:03:12 -0800
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained
	Directly	from	the Publisher
In-Reply-To: <000001d02914$fe3bc8c0$fab35a40$@mediacombb.net>
References: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
	<000001d02914$fe3bc8c0$fab35a40$@mediacombb.net>
Message-ID: <029601d02933$67247da0$356d78e0$@gmail.com>

Hi Michal and All

I am both a law student and an accessibility service professional (my
official title is assistive technology specialist) at a public college in
California who uses a screen-reader.  I was responsible for providing
materials like textbooks to students in alternative formats for about three
years.  I have dealt with a lot of publisher files.  Whether or not
publishers are required to provide electronic files to you directly is, I
think,   an open question.  Whether or not you can use them depends greatly
on your needs.  For instance, I would never provide a publisher file to a
student who is blind and uses a screenreader but I may if the student has
low vision and reads visually.  It is impossible to rely on publisher files
exclusively because their accessibility is not consistent.  For instance,
some have page numbers while some do not or some are divided in to chapters,
while some are not.  It is important to keep in mind Publisher files are
generally for printing, they are not tagged with headings, bookmarks, tables
and the like although most of them these days are OCRed.  

I hope this helps.

Alex

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Loren
Wakefield via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 10:26 AM
To: 'Michal Nowicki'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
from the Publisher

I have had good luck with my first year books.  Now granted, I have had to
learn, sometimes by accident, how to move around.  But so far, things seems
to be going fairly well.  

Let me say though that the pdf came from the ada office.  

Loren Wakefield



-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 12:08 PM
To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from
the Publisher

Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,

 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for
2015.

 

I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses
from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know that
you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know
that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities
textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or
through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in which
case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To
satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such materials
in PDF format.

 

That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me
some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and
other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA
accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully
accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for
headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this
actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you
recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?  Also,
do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?

 

I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received all
materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always
converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw the
publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.  Looking
ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion staff
the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated
efficiently using assistive technology.

 

Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based on
the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law
students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is about
to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority
registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they
take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if applicable, to
scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do
publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a request
for electronic copies of the books?

 

Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward to
reading your responses.

 

Best,

 

Michal

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/theweird1%40mediacombb
.net


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/samarositz%40gmail.com



From mnowicki4 at icloud.com  Mon Jan  5 22:13:45 2015
From: mnowicki4 at icloud.com (Michal Nowicki)
Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 16:13:45 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks
	Obtained	Directly	from	the Publisher
In-Reply-To: <029601d02933$67247da0$356d78e0$@gmail.com>
References: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
	<000001d02914$fe3bc8c0$fab35a40$@mediacombb.net>
	<029601d02933$67247da0$356d78e0$@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <000001d02934$dfb1e400$9f15ac00$@icloud.com>

Dear Alex,

Thank you for this information.  It is exactly the kind of response I was
hoping to get.

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Stephen
Alexander Marositz via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 5, 2015 4:03 PM
To: 'Loren Wakefield'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
from the Publisher

Hi Michal and All

I am both a law student and an accessibility service professional (my
official title is assistive technology specialist) at a public college in
California who uses a screen-reader.  I was responsible for providing
materials like textbooks to students in alternative formats for about three
years.  I have dealt with a lot of publisher files.  Whether or not
publishers are required to provide electronic files to you directly is, I
think,   an open question.  Whether or not you can use them depends greatly
on your needs.  For instance, I would never provide a publisher file to a
student who is blind and uses a screenreader but I may if the student has
low vision and reads visually.  It is impossible to rely on publisher files
exclusively because their accessibility is not consistent.  For instance,
some have page numbers while some do not or some are divided in to chapters,
while some are not.  It is important to keep in mind Publisher files are
generally for printing, they are not tagged with headings, bookmarks, tables
and the like although most of them these days are OCRed.  

I hope this helps.

Alex

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Loren
Wakefield via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 10:26 AM
To: 'Michal Nowicki'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
from the Publisher

I have had good luck with my first year books.  Now granted, I have had to
learn, sometimes by accident, how to move around.  But so far, things seems
to be going fairly well.  

Let me say though that the pdf came from the ada office.  

Loren Wakefield



-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 12:08 PM
To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from
the Publisher

Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,

 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for
2015.

 

I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses
from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know that
you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know
that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities
textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or
through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in which
case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To
satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such materials
in PDF format.

 

That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me
some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and
other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA
accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully
accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for
headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this
actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you
recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?  Also,
do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?

 

I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received all
materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always
converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw the
publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.  Looking
ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion staff
the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated
efficiently using assistive technology.

 

Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based on
the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law
students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is about
to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority
registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they
take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if applicable, to
scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do
publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a request
for electronic copies of the books?

 

Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward to
reading your responses.

 

Best,

 

Michal

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/theweird1%40mediacombb
.net


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/samarositz%40gmail.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com



From al.elia at aol.com  Mon Jan  5 23:15:16 2015
From: al.elia at aol.com (ALBERT ELIA)
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2015 18:15:16 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks
	Obtained	Directly	from	the Publisher
In-Reply-To: <000001d02934$dfb1e400$9f15ac00$@icloud.com>
References: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
	<000001d02914$fe3bc8c0$fab35a40$@mediacombb.net>
	<029601d02933$67247da0$356d78e0$@gmail.com>
	<000001d02934$dfb1e400$9f15ac00$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <20890C07-3FB9-4DA7-AC32-C4FA882256F1@aol.com>

I just graduated from law school in May 2014. I did extremely well, using nothing but publisher-provided pdfs and electronic copies of handouts/slides. I am both totally blind and a screenreader user. I would like to point out that  while we blind students are entitled to equal access to materials in our education, we are not entitled to employment upon earning advanced degrees, and no non-governmental employer is going to provide fully re-formatted word versions of PDF files to a blind employee. My advice is to work with the PDFs, as that's what you're going to have to work with after you graduate.

That said, if you receive a PDF from a publisher that is not accessible ( which has happened from time to time), raise hell and get the accessible version you're entitled to, but I would strongly advise you to try to work with the PDFs before you go asking for an alternative.

As for your earlier question about pre-registering, your school should be able to tell you what section/professors you'll have in advance, even if other students don't find out until registration.

Have you already been accepted into a particular law school, or are you currently considering several schools? You might want to speak with the disability coordinator (or whatever each school calls the person who handles accommodation requests from law students) at each school you're considering to find out what the policies and procedures are for students having accommodations in classrooms, during exams, etc.

Best of luck. Feel free to contact me off-list if you would like to discuss this further: 617.874.6359. 

Æ

On Jan 5, 2015, at 5:13 PM, Michal Nowicki via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Dear Alex,
> 
> Thank you for this information.  It is exactly the kind of response I was
> hoping to get.
> 
> Michal
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Stephen
> Alexander Marositz via blindlaw
> Sent: Monday, January 5, 2015 4:03 PM
> To: 'Loren Wakefield'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
> from the Publisher
> 
> Hi Michal and All
> 
> I am both a law student and an accessibility service professional (my
> official title is assistive technology specialist) at a public college in
> California who uses a screen-reader.  I was responsible for providing
> materials like textbooks to students in alternative formats for about three
> years.  I have dealt with a lot of publisher files.  Whether or not
> publishers are required to provide electronic files to you directly is, I
> think,   an open question.  Whether or not you can use them depends greatly
> on your needs.  For instance, I would never provide a publisher file to a
> student who is blind and uses a screenreader but I may if the student has
> low vision and reads visually.  It is impossible to rely on publisher files
> exclusively because their accessibility is not consistent.  For instance,
> some have page numbers while some do not or some are divided in to chapters,
> while some are not.  It is important to keep in mind Publisher files are
> generally for printing, they are not tagged with headings, bookmarks, tables
> and the like although most of them these days are OCRed.  
> 
> I hope this helps.
> 
> Alex
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Loren
> Wakefield via blindlaw
> Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 10:26 AM
> To: 'Michal Nowicki'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
> from the Publisher
> 
> I have had good luck with my first year books.  Now granted, I have had to
> learn, sometimes by accident, how to move around.  But so far, things seems
> to be going fairly well.  
> 
> Let me say though that the pdf came from the ada office.  
> 
> Loren Wakefield
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
> Nowicki via blindlaw
> Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 12:08 PM
> To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from
> the Publisher
> 
> Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,
> 
> 
> 
> I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for
> 2015.
> 
> 
> 
> I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses
> from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know that
> you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know
> that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities
> textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
> This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or
> through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in which
> case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To
> satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such materials
> in PDF format.
> 
> 
> 
> That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me
> some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and
> other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA
> accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully
> accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for
> headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this
> actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you
> recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?  Also,
> do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?
> 
> 
> 
> I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received all
> materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
> That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always
> converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw the
> publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.  Looking
> ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion staff
> the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated
> efficiently using assistive technology.
> 
> 
> 
> Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based on
> the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law
> students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is about
> to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority
> registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they
> take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if applicable, to
> scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do
> publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a request
> for electronic copies of the books?
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward to
> reading your responses.
> 
> 
> 
> Best,
> 
> 
> 
> Michal
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/theweird1%40mediacombb
> .net
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/samarositz%40gmail.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/al.elia%40aol.com



From sy.hoekstra at gmail.com  Tue Jan  6 04:24:45 2015
From: sy.hoekstra at gmail.com (Sy Hoekstra)
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2015 23:24:45 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF
	Textbooks	Obtained	Directly	from	the Publisher
In-Reply-To: <20890C07-3FB9-4DA7-AC32-C4FA882256F1@aol.com>
References: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>	<000001d02914$fe3bc8c0$fab35a40$@mediacombb.net>	<029601d02933$67247da0$356d78e0$@gmail.com>	<000001d02934$dfb1e400$9f15ac00$@icloud.com>
	<20890C07-3FB9-4DA7-AC32-C4FA882256F1@aol.com>
Message-ID: <006c01d02968$b3df2e30$1b9d8a90$@gmail.com>

I just graduated in May as well.  I went to two law schools, and neither was
able to give me advanced registration as an accommodation.  It was never an
issue, even though I was used to it because I had it all of undergrad. The
main law textbook publishers were always very quick to respond to requests
from the disability offices I worked with, and the pdf's I got were easily
converted using Kurzweil 1000 or the software that is auto-installed in
Windows 8/8.1 which allows accessible pdf's to be opened in Word. Generally,
the pdf's I received were one giant file, but it was no trouble if I created
a KES file after converting the whole book once. I never needed the
disability office to scan anything, as Kurzweil could handle it all. If you
don't personally have Kurzweil, most disability offices do at this point I
believe, and they can run it for you and create a word file very easily. It
does not require much work at all on their part, since it can just run in
the background.

On a side note, I think it counts as a reasonable accommodation to get your
employer to purchase Kurzweil if they will frequently have you working with
low-accessibility documents. Mine did anyway. 

Sy

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of ALBERT ELIA
via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 5, 2015 6:15 PM
To: Michal Nowicki; Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
from the Publisher

I just graduated from law school in May 2014. I did extremely well, using
nothing but publisher-provided pdfs and electronic copies of
handouts/slides. I am both totally blind and a screenreader user. I would
like to point out that  while we blind students are entitled to equal access
to materials in our education, we are not entitled to employment upon
earning advanced degrees, and no non-governmental employer is going to
provide fully re-formatted word versions of PDF files to a blind employee.
My advice is to work with the PDFs, as that's what you're going to have to
work with after you graduate.

That said, if you receive a PDF from a publisher that is not accessible (
which has happened from time to time), raise hell and get the accessible
version you're entitled to, but I would strongly advise you to try to work
with the PDFs before you go asking for an alternative.

As for your earlier question about pre-registering, your school should be
able to tell you what section/professors you'll have in advance, even if
other students don't find out until registration.

Have you already been accepted into a particular law school, or are you
currently considering several schools? You might want to speak with the
disability coordinator (or whatever each school calls the person who handles
accommodation requests from law students) at each school you're considering
to find out what the policies and procedures are for students having
accommodations in classrooms, during exams, etc.

Best of luck. Feel free to contact me off-list if you would like to discuss
this further: 617.874.6359. 

Æ

On Jan 5, 2015, at 5:13 PM, Michal Nowicki via blindlaw
<blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Dear Alex,
> 
> Thank you for this information.  It is exactly the kind of response I was
> hoping to get.
> 
> Michal
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Stephen
> Alexander Marositz via blindlaw
> Sent: Monday, January 5, 2015 4:03 PM
> To: 'Loren Wakefield'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
> from the Publisher
> 
> Hi Michal and All
> 
> I am both a law student and an accessibility service professional (my
> official title is assistive technology specialist) at a public college in
> California who uses a screen-reader.  I was responsible for providing
> materials like textbooks to students in alternative formats for about
three
> years.  I have dealt with a lot of publisher files.  Whether or not
> publishers are required to provide electronic files to you directly is, I
> think,   an open question.  Whether or not you can use them depends
greatly
> on your needs.  For instance, I would never provide a publisher file to a
> student who is blind and uses a screenreader but I may if the student has
> low vision and reads visually.  It is impossible to rely on publisher
files
> exclusively because their accessibility is not consistent.  For instance,
> some have page numbers while some do not or some are divided in to
chapters,
> while some are not.  It is important to keep in mind Publisher files are
> generally for printing, they are not tagged with headings, bookmarks,
tables
> and the like although most of them these days are OCRed.  
> 
> I hope this helps.
> 
> Alex
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Loren
> Wakefield via blindlaw
> Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 10:26 AM
> To: 'Michal Nowicki'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
> from the Publisher
> 
> I have had good luck with my first year books.  Now granted, I have had to
> learn, sometimes by accident, how to move around.  But so far, things
seems
> to be going fairly well.  
> 
> Let me say though that the pdf came from the ada office.  
> 
> Loren Wakefield
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
> Nowicki via blindlaw
> Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 12:08 PM
> To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing
List'
> Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from
> the Publisher
> 
> Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,
> 
> 
> 
> I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for
> 2015.
> 
> 
> 
> I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses
> from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know that
> you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know
> that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities
> textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
> This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or
> through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in which
> case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To
> satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such
materials
> in PDF format.
> 
> 
> 
> That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me
> some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and
> other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA
> accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully
> accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for
> headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this
> actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you
> recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?
Also,
> do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?
> 
> 
> 
> I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received
all
> materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
> That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always
> converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw the
> publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.
Looking
> ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion
staff
> the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated
> efficiently using assistive technology.
> 
> 
> 
> Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based
on
> the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law
> students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is about
> to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority
> registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they
> take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if applicable,
to
> scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do
> publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a request
> for electronic copies of the books?
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward
to
> reading your responses.
> 
> 
> 
> Best,
> 
> 
> 
> Michal
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/theweird1%40mediacombb
> .net
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/samarositz%40gmail.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/al.elia%40aol.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/sy.hoekstra%40gmail.co
m



From helga.schreiber26 at gmail.com  Tue Jan  6 05:54:22 2015
From: helga.schreiber26 at gmail.com (Helga Schreiber)
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2015 00:54:22 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
	Offered to Post-Secondary Students
In-Reply-To: <007f01d0291d$01900330$04b00990$@icloud.com>
References: <007f01d0291d$01900330$04b00990$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <EEF9CDA7-5556-4F5F-ABC2-0AB11DE6AFAA@gmail.com>

Hi Michal, this is Helga. How are you? I just wanted to ask you, are you talking about data basis about Law schools or Colleges and Universities? I'm just wondering. I'm currently enrolled right now in a college where I need to fight constantly for my accommodations rights of my classess. In other words, I need to push my Dsability advisor to put my College Materials in Braille  since she actually does not want to do them. My office with dissabilities is actually ans small department. I still have issues with my advisor. I will give you more detail if you want later. or you are free to call me. Also, I think Anita talk about that Many Law schools discriminate or or sabottage visually impaired or blind students, I just wanted to ask you, are Harvard, Nova, and Miami Universities Law schools work very well with visually impaired or blind law students? I'm just wondering since I'm thinking in applying to these Law schools in the future. Hope to hear form you soon. Thanks so much and God bless! 

Helga Schreiber

Fundraiser Coordinator for Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Delta Iota chapter.
Member of National Federation of the Blind and Florida Association of Blind Students.
Member of the International Networkers Team (INT).
Independent Entrepreneur of the Company 4Life Research.
Phone:  (561) 706-5950 
Email: helga.schreiber26 at gmail.com 
Skype: helga.schreiber26 
4Life Website: http://helgaschreiber.my4life.com/1/default.aspx 
INT Website: http://int4life.com/ 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 
Sent from my iPhone 

> On Jan 5, 2015, at 2:22 PM, Michal Nowicki via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Dear Fellow Federationist,
> 
> 
> 
> Are you currently enrolled at (or have you recently graduated from) an
> institution of higher education?  If so, have you received reasonable
> accommodations through the school's office for students with disabilities?
> Can you provide information about the quality of these services?  If you
> answered "Yes" to the above questions, please read on.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sure you know that besides researching the academic programs, cost of
> attendance/financial aid opportunities, and the location of colleges and
> universities, we blind people must also look at the services for students
> with disabilities that are available to us.  To that end, most schools help
> us in this endeavor by providing policies, procedures, FAQs, and other
> meaningful information about requesting and receiving ADA accommodations,
> through their website.  Unfortunately, though, we must not forget that the
> same institutions may sometimes deliberately conceal negative information
> from prospective applicants.  After all, they want to attract qualified
> applicants, not discourage them from applying.
> 
> 
> 
> That being said, a visually impaired prospective law student from North
> Carolina is putting together a database of colleges' and universities'
> accommodation record to assist students with disabilities in making informed
> decisions about where they want to get their degree(s), and I am helping her
> by gathering information.  The database will obviously not contain any
> confidential information; it will only explain what services students may
> count on at a given school, as well as warnings about potential
> discrimination a student may face in the event he/she chooses to enroll at a
> college or university that is known to exhibit such behavior.  Its content
> will come from student feedback, as well as from complaints on file with the
> U.S.  Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
> 
> 
> 
> On that note, please share with me the experiences you have had while
> working with the disability office at your school, both positive and
> negative.  Please use the following questions as a guide:
> 
> 1.        How many people work for the office for students with
> disabilities?  Do people specialize in specific tasks (e.g.  document
> conversion, setting up accommodations, exam proctoring, etc.), or does
> everyone assume a universal role?
> 
> 2.       Does the office handle document conversion requests in a timely
> manner?  In what alternate formats are textbooks and other course materials
> provided?  If your textbooks were scanned, were they disassembled in the
> process?  Does the school offer institutional Bookshare.org and LearningAlly
> memberships?  Is it part of the AccessText network?
> 
> 3.       Is there an assistive technology specialist who is available for
> training, installation, and troubleshooting purposes?
> 
> 4.       Does the office arrange for human note takers as an accommodation?
> 
> 5.       Is exam proctoring offered?
> 
> 6.       Is the school's website, including Blackboard, webmail, class
> registration, and any other online tools fully accessible?  If not, which
> areas are inaccessible?
> 
> 
> 
> We are also looking for information specific to accommodations for graduate
> and professional students.  In particular, please let us know if you believe
> that the school has attempted to "mold" you into a specific role against
> your will.  Likewise, please let us know if you feel that faculty members
> tried to "weed" you out of an advanced degree program, either because they
> didn't think you would survive, because they didn't think you would find a
> job or otherwise contribute to the profession, or simply because of your
> disability.  Please be sure to discuss the specific tactics that were
> employed to accomplish this.
> 
> 
> 
> Please send your evaluations to me off-list at mnowicki4 at iCloud.com
> <mailto:mnowicki4 at iCloud.com> , and I will pass them on.  You may send them
> in the message body or as attachments in Word or Rich Text Format (.RTF).  I
> look forward to hearing from you and, most important, to learning more about
> ADA accommodations offered to post-secondary students across the country.
> 
> 
> 
> Best Wishes,
> 
> 
> 
> Michal
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/helga.schreiber26%40gmail.com

From Yasmin.Reyazuddin at montgomerycountymd.gov  Tue Jan  6 13:06:48 2015
From: Yasmin.Reyazuddin at montgomerycountymd.gov (Reyazuddin, Yasmin)
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2015 13:06:48 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
 Offered to Post-Secondary Students
In-Reply-To: <007f01d0291d$01900330$04b00990$@icloud.com>
References: <007f01d0291d$01900330$04b00990$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <CY1PR09MB0282D84316B4D795FCD5B2C382590@CY1PR09MB0282.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>

Hi Michal, 
I responded to your email to your email address. It came back as undeliverable. 
If there is a better email address, please provide it to the list. I have forwarded your inquiry to two friends and they may have to add some comments. 
Yasmin Reyazuddin 
Aging & Disability Services 
Montgomery County Government 
Department of Health & Human Services 
401 Hungerford Drive (3rd floor) 
Rockville MD 20850 
240-777-0311 (MC311) 
240-777-1556 (personal) 
240-777-1495 (fax) 
office hours 8:30 am 5:00 pm 
Languages English, Hindi, Urdu, Braille 


This message may contain protected health information or other information that is confidential or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by return mail and destroy any copies of this material. 

Thank you.


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 2:23 PM
To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations Offered to Post-Secondary Students

Dear Fellow Federationist,

 

Are you currently enrolled at (or have you recently graduated from) an institution of higher education?  If so, have you received reasonable accommodations through the school's office for students with disabilities?
Can you provide information about the quality of these services?  If you answered "Yes" to the above questions, please read on.

 

I'm sure you know that besides researching the academic programs, cost of attendance/financial aid opportunities, and the location of colleges and universities, we blind people must also look at the services for students with disabilities that are available to us.  To that end, most schools help us in this endeavor by providing policies, procedures, FAQs, and other meaningful information about requesting and receiving ADA accommodations, through their website.  Unfortunately, though, we must not forget that the same institutions may sometimes deliberately conceal negative information from prospective applicants.  After all, they want to attract qualified applicants, not discourage them from applying.

 

That being said, a visually impaired prospective law student from North Carolina is putting together a database of colleges' and universities'
accommodation record to assist students with disabilities in making informed decisions about where they want to get their degree(s), and I am helping her by gathering information.  The database will obviously not contain any confidential information; it will only explain what services students may count on at a given school, as well as warnings about potential discrimination a student may face in the event he/she chooses to enroll at a college or university that is known to exhibit such behavior.  Its content will come from student feedback, as well as from complaints on file with the U.S.  Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

 

On that note, please share with me the experiences you have had while working with the disability office at your school, both positive and negative.  Please use the following questions as a guide:

1.        How many people work for the office for students with
disabilities?  Do people specialize in specific tasks (e.g.  document conversion, setting up accommodations, exam proctoring, etc.), or does everyone assume a universal role?

2.       Does the office handle document conversion requests in a timely
manner?  In what alternate formats are textbooks and other course materials provided?  If your textbooks were scanned, were they disassembled in the process?  Does the school offer institutional Bookshare.org and LearningAlly memberships?  Is it part of the Access Text network?

3.       Is there an assistive technology specialist who is available for
training, installation, and troubleshooting purposes?

4.       Does the office arrange for human note takers as an accommodation?

5.       Is exam proctoring offered?

6.       Is the school's website, including Blackboard, webmail, class
registration, and any other online tools fully accessible?  If not, which areas are inaccessible?

 

We are also looking for information specific to accommodations for graduate and professional students.  In particular, please let us know if you believe that the school has attempted to "mold" you into a specific role against your will.  Likewise, please let us know if you feel that faculty members tried to "weed" you out of an advanced degree program, either because they didn't think you would survive, because they didn't think you would find a job or otherwise contribute to the profession, or simply because of your disability.  Please be sure to discuss the specific tactics that were employed to accomplish this.

 

Please send your evaluations to me off-list at mnowicki4 at iCloud.com <mailto:mnowicki4 at iCloud.com> , and I will pass them on.  You may send them in the message body or as attachments in Word or Rich Text Format (.RTF).  I look forward to hearing from you and, most important, to learning more about ADA accommodations offered to post-secondary students across the country.

 

Best Wishes,

 

Michal

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/yasmin.reyazuddin%40montgomerycountymd.gov


From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov  Tue Jan  6 16:46:12 2015
From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel)
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2015 10:46:12 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Title IX and ADA deputy coordinator University of
	Washington
Message-ID: <04F1893C93758F4AA7CB436BB26750660136CCADBC10@EDUPTCEXMB02.ed.gov>


Job Opening - UW Deputy Title IX/ADA Coordinator
kate0425, 1/5/2015

Job Opening - UW Deputy Title IX/ADA Coordinator
kate0425, 1/5/2015 1:26 pm
          Please check UW Hires for more detail on the following new position at the University of Washington -
The University of Washington (UW) is proud to be one of the nation's premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. Our staff not only enjoys outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities, but also an environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

The Office of Risk Management has an outstanding opportunity for a full time Deputy TITLE IX/ADA Coordinator.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Grow and maintain a model Compliance Support Program to support all University of Washington academic
and administrative units and coordinate compliance with TITLE IX, ADA, and safety of minors in all areas
covered by the relevant laws, regulations and best practices.
Under the general direction of the University's TITLE IX/ADA Coordinator, this position's primary role
involves ensuring that University of Washington programs and personnel comply with TITLE IX, ADA, and
safety of minors laws and regulations. As a result, this position includes high-level compliance and
coordination responsibilities relating to University-wide planning and monitoring, grievance processes,
consulting and outreach, and information and reporting. It requires an understanding of TITLE IX, ADA,
safety of minors, and related regulations as well as the agencies that enforce those laws and
regulations. It also requires expertise in applying those laws and regulations within a university
setting and to existing and emerging situations.
The Deputy TITLE IX/ADA Coordinator will have University-wide visibility and responsibility for
supporting TITLE IX, ADA and safety of minors awareness and compliance and will represent the
University in interactions with regulatory agencies. The scope of ADA responsibilities includes faculty,
staff, and student employment, as well as student and public access to programs and facilities.

REQUIREMENTS:
*Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Public Administration, Psychology, Education or related field and at
least five years of demonstrated success working in or advising a similarly complex environment

*Comprehensive knowledge of TITLE IX, ADA, safety of minors and other civil rights laws and regulations

*Excellent oral and written communication skills
*Strong ability to develop community and lead discussion to consensus
*Demonstrated ability to conduct neutral intake, investigation and resolution activities

*Ability to develop and deliver appropriate curricula to various audiences
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

DESIRED:
*Juris Doctor degree or Master's degree in Social Work, Public Administration, Psychology, Education or
related field
*TITLE IX Coordinator Certification or ability and commitment to obtain certification within one year of hiring

*Increasingly responsible experience in designing, implementing and managing an effective, full-scope compliance program for TITLE IX and/or ADA

*Strong project management skills
*Desired educational requirements may be met with an equivalent combination of education and experience

Condition of Employment:
Appointment to this position is contingent upon obtaining satisfactory results from a criminal background check.

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Workforce Authorization, Criminal Conviction History, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select "Apply to this position". Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your "My Jobs" page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.
https://uwhires.admin.washington.edu/eng/candidates/default.cfm?szCategory=jobprofile&szOrderID=115311&szCandidateID=0&szSearchWords=title OR IX&szReturnToSearch=1



From mnowicki4 at icloud.com  Tue Jan  6 17:04:05 2015
From: mnowicki4 at icloud.com (Michal Nowicki)
Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 11:04:05 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
 Offered to Post-Secondary Students
In-Reply-To: <CY1PR09MB0282D84316B4D795FCD5B2C382590@CY1PR09MB0282.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>
References: <007f01d0291d$01900330$04b00990$@icloud.com>
	<CY1PR09MB0282D84316B4D795FCD5B2C382590@CY1PR09MB0282.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>
Message-ID: <000b01d029d2$c833bfd0$589b3f70$@icloud.com>

Dear Yasmin and All,

I realize that the way screen readers pronounce my e-mail address may cause
recipients to overlook the letter "m" that appears at the beginning of the
address.  Since screen readers offer the ability to navigate by character,
however, I didn't think this would be a problem.  Nevertheless, to prevent
undeliverable error messages in the future, I am providing my e-mail address
again below, first the way it needs to be entered, and then spaced out so
that JAWS and other assistive technology read it correctly:
Mnowicki4 at iCloud.com
M n o w i c k i 4 @ i C l o u d .com

Also, for your information, this is the e-mail account I use for all posts
to NFB mailing lists.  Therefore, if you are using an e-mail client such as
Outlook, feel free to take advantage of the "reply directly to sender"
hotkey.

-----Original Message-----
From: Reyazuddin, Yasmin [mailto:Yasmin.Reyazuddin at montgomerycountymd.gov] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 7:07 AM
To: Michal Nowicki; Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
Offered to Post-Secondary Students

Hi Michal, 
I responded to your email to your email address. It came back as
undeliverable. 
If there is a better email address, please provide it to the list. I have
forwarded your inquiry to two friends and they may have to add some
comments. 
Yasmin Reyazuddin 
Aging & Disability Services 
Montgomery County Government 
Department of Health & Human Services 
401 Hungerford Drive (3rd floor) 
Rockville MD 20850 
240-777-0311 (MC311) 
240-777-1556 (personal) 
240-777-1495 (fax) 
office hours 8:30 am 5:00 pm 
Languages English, Hindi, Urdu, Braille 


This message may contain protected health information or other information
that is confidential or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient,
please contact the sender by return mail and destroy any copies of this
material. 

Thank you.


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 2:23 PM
To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
Offered to Post-Secondary Students

Dear Fellow Federationist,

 

Are you currently enrolled at (or have you recently graduated from) an
institution of higher education?  If so, have you received reasonable
accommodations through the school's office for students with disabilities?
Can you provide information about the quality of these services?  If you
answered "Yes" to the above questions, please read on.

 

I'm sure you know that besides researching the academic programs, cost of
attendance/financial aid opportunities, and the location of colleges and
universities, we blind people must also look at the services for students
with disabilities that are available to us.  To that end, most schools help
us in this endeavor by providing policies, procedures, FAQs, and other
meaningful information about requesting and receiving ADA accommodations,
through their website.  Unfortunately, though, we must not forget that the
same institutions may sometimes deliberately conceal negative information
from prospective applicants.  After all, they want to attract qualified
applicants, not discourage them from applying.

 

That being said, a visually impaired prospective law student from North
Carolina is putting together a database of colleges' and universities'
accommodation record to assist students with disabilities in making informed
decisions about where they want to get their degree(s), and I am helping her
by gathering information.  The database will obviously not contain any
confidential information; it will only explain what services students may
count on at a given school, as well as warnings about potential
discrimination a student may face in the event he/she chooses to enroll at a
college or university that is known to exhibit such behavior.  Its content
will come from student feedback, as well as from complaints on file with the
U.S.  Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

 

On that note, please share with me the experiences you have had while
working with the disability office at your school, both positive and
negative.  Please use the following questions as a guide:

1.        How many people work for the office for students with
disabilities?  Do people specialize in specific tasks (e.g.  document
conversion, setting up accommodations, exam proctoring, etc.), or does
everyone assume a universal role?

2.       Does the office handle document conversion requests in a timely
manner?  In what alternate formats are textbooks and other course materials
provided?  If your textbooks were scanned, were they disassembled in the
process?  Does the school offer institutional Bookshare.org and LearningAlly
memberships?  Is it part of the Access Text network?

3.       Is there an assistive technology specialist who is available for
training, installation, and troubleshooting purposes?

4.       Does the office arrange for human note takers as an accommodation?

5.       Is exam proctoring offered?

6.       Is the school's website, including Blackboard, webmail, class
registration, and any other online tools fully accessible?  If not, which
areas are inaccessible?

 

We are also looking for information specific to accommodations for graduate
and professional students.  In particular, please let us know if you believe
that the school has attempted to "mold" you into a specific role against
your will.  Likewise, please let us know if you feel that faculty members
tried to "weed" you out of an advanced degree program, either because they
didn't think you would survive, because they didn't think you would find a
job or otherwise contribute to the profession, or simply because of your
disability.  Please be sure to discuss the specific tactics that were
employed to accomplish this.

 

Please send your evaluations to me off-list at mnowicki4 at iCloud.com
<mailto:mnowicki4 at iCloud.com> , and I will pass them on.  You may send them
in the message body or as attachments in Word or Rich Text Format (.RTF).  I
look forward to hearing from you and, most important, to learning more about
ADA accommodations offered to post-secondary students across the country.

 

Best Wishes,

 

Michal

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/yasmin.reyazuddin%40mo
ntgomerycountymd.gov



From anitakeithfoust at gmail.com  Tue Jan  6 18:32:51 2015
From: anitakeithfoust at gmail.com (Anita Keith-Foust)
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2015 13:32:51 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Copy of Sabotaged Email and the Need for the Database
Message-ID: <000001d029df$2f09c680$8d1d5380$@gmail.com>

Happy New Year Everyone!

 

I thank Michal for all that he does and all of you for hanging tough. It has
been a fast paced new year for me. I am trying to catch up on my emails.

 

Please find attached the email that I was talking about during the Christmas
holiday where a student was sabotaged. That student was me. I had to check
before I shared this email and it is fine for me to share.

 

I was shocked by what was written in the email from those North Carolina
Central University School of Law (NCCU) faculty members. Since they teach
law, I took for granted that they knew better than to not comply with the
Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Furthermore, I have high expectations
for NCCU because they are a historically Black university. To me, as an
African American, they should be against discrimination due to the well
documented hardships and civil rights struggles to have access to public
accommodations and etc.

 

Furthermore, I have three degrees from NCCU and am a honor student. I am
very active in the community. The only thing that was missing was a high
LSAT score. I visited various deans beforehand, but not Donald Corbett, so
they knew I was visually impaired. They encouraged me to apply and said that
they admired my tenacity. They also told me they don't give the LSAT score
higher weight than the other factors. So, when they admitted me to the
Performance Based Program (PBAP), I knew, with accommodations, I was in
without a problem. Little did I know that brewing in the background, there
was a conspiracy to prevent me from having accommodations. I really am hurt.
I won't go into a lot of details right now because the email would be very
long. I will just say that if I knew that I was going to be sabotaged, I
would not have wasted my time applying to the law school.

 

I don't know about what to expect from other law schools and that is why it
is a good idea to have a database with evidence and experiences from other
students. This will be the ultimate networking tool. I have been working on
the case against NCCU, LSAT prep course accommodations issues, and the
database. Any and all information that you are willing to submit is greatly
appreciated. 

 

I am including information accessed from the OCR via the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) so that we can have concrete documentation to refer
to in the database. Imagine this, you will click on a link and have
immediate access to the complaints and findings of the OCR. Additionally,
any experiences from students will be available. I am really motivated to
have this done as fast as I can pull it together. I will give you an update
on the database in a couple of weeks.

 

I also would like to get any feedback from you regarding the attached email.

 

Thank you.

 

Anita Keith-Foust

919-430-1978

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: AK-F Unvelievable Sabotage of Visually Impaired Student Documented - NCCU- 20141223161012864 (3).pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 44682 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150106/7b346b77/attachment-0004.pdf>

From mnowicki4 at icloud.com  Tue Jan  6 18:49:15 2015
From: mnowicki4 at icloud.com (Michal Nowicki)
Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 12:49:15 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Copy of Sabotaged Email and the Need for the Database
In-Reply-To: <000001d029df$2f09c680$8d1d5380$@gmail.com>
References: <000001d029df$2f09c680$8d1d5380$@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <003601d029e1$78e61770$6ab24650$@icloud.com>

Anita,

Does this mean that you wish to limit the contents of the database to law
schools?  I see where you are going with this, but don't forget that
students with disabilities experience discrimination in all fields of study.

Best,

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Anita
Keith-Foust via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 12:33 PM
To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blindlaw] Copy of Sabotaged Email and the Need for the Database

Happy New Year Everyone!

 

I thank Michal for all that he does and all of you for hanging tough. It has
been a fast paced new year for me. I am trying to catch up on my emails.

 

Please find attached the email that I was talking about during the Christmas
holiday where a student was sabotaged. That student was me. I had to check
before I shared this email and it is fine for me to share.

 

I was shocked by what was written in the email from those North Carolina
Central University School of Law (NCCU) faculty members. Since they teach
law, I took for granted that they knew better than to not comply with the
Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Furthermore, I have high expectations
for NCCU because they are a historically Black university. To me, as an
African American, they should be against discrimination due to the well
documented hardships and civil rights struggles to have access to public
accommodations and etc.

 

Furthermore, I have three degrees from NCCU and am a honor student. I am
very active in the community. The only thing that was missing was a high
LSAT score. I visited various deans beforehand, but not Donald Corbett, so
they knew I was visually impaired. They encouraged me to apply and said that
they admired my tenacity. They also told me they don't give the LSAT score
higher weight than the other factors. So, when they admitted me to the
Performance Based Program (PBAP), I knew, with accommodations, I was in
without a problem. Little did I know that brewing in the background, there
was a conspiracy to prevent me from having accommodations. I really am hurt.
I won't go into a lot of details right now because the email would be very
long. I will just say that if I knew that I was going to be sabotaged, I
would not have wasted my time applying to the law school.

 

I don't know about what to expect from other law schools and that is why it
is a good idea to have a database with evidence and experiences from other
students. This will be the ultimate networking tool. I have been working on
the case against NCCU, LSAT prep course accommodations issues, and the
database. Any and all information that you are willing to submit is greatly
appreciated. 

 

I am including information accessed from the OCR via the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) so that we can have concrete documentation to refer
to in the database. Imagine this, you will click on a link and have
immediate access to the complaints and findings of the OCR. Additionally,
any experiences from students will be available. I am really motivated to
have this done as fast as I can pull it together. I will give you an update
on the database in a couple of weeks.

 

I also would like to get any feedback from you regarding the attached email.

 

Thank you.

 

Anita Keith-Foust

919-430-1978

 

 




From cjdavis9193 at gmail.com  Tue Jan  6 18:50:34 2015
From: cjdavis9193 at gmail.com (Cody J. Davis)
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2015 13:50:34 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Attorneys in Raleigh, NC
In-Reply-To: <000b01d029d2$c833bfd0$589b3f70$@icloud.com>
References: <007f01d0291d$01900330$04b00990$@icloud.com>
	<CY1PR09MB0282D84316B4D795FCD5B2C382590@CY1PR09MB0282.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>
	<000b01d029d2$c833bfd0$589b3f70$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <1560A2DF-0ED2-4EEC-9824-3B8C6FA41132@gmail.com>

Happy New Year everyone. 

I'm a law student in Rsleigh and I'm curious if there are any blind /VI lawyers in the area. 

Thanks,
Cody J. Davis

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 6, 2015, at 12:04 PM, Michal Nowicki via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Dear Yasmin and All,
> 
> I realize that the way screen readers pronounce my e-mail address may cause
> recipients to overlook the letter "m" that appears at the beginning of the
> address.  Since screen readers offer the ability to navigate by character,
> however, I didn't think this would be a problem.  Nevertheless, to prevent
> undeliverable error messages in the future, I am providing my e-mail address
> again below, first the way it needs to be entered, and then spaced out so
> that JAWS and other assistive technology read it correctly:
> Mnowicki4 at iCloud.com
> M n o w i c k i 4 @ i C l o u d .com
> 
> Also, for your information, this is the e-mail account I use for all posts
> to NFB mailing lists.  Therefore, if you are using an e-mail client such as
> Outlook, feel free to take advantage of the "reply directly to sender"
> hotkey.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Reyazuddin, Yasmin [mailto:Yasmin.Reyazuddin at montgomerycountymd.gov] 
> Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 7:07 AM
> To: Michal Nowicki; Blind Law Mailing List
> Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
> Offered to Post-Secondary Students
> 
> Hi Michal, 
> I responded to your email to your email address. It came back as
> undeliverable. 
> If there is a better email address, please provide it to the list. I have
> forwarded your inquiry to two friends and they may have to add some
> comments. 
> Yasmin Reyazuddin 
> Aging & Disability Services 
> Montgomery County Government 
> Department of Health & Human Services 
> 401 Hungerford Drive (3rd floor) 
> Rockville MD 20850 
> 240-777-0311 (MC311) 
> 240-777-1556 (personal) 
> 240-777-1495 (fax) 
> office hours 8:30 am 5:00 pm 
> Languages English, Hindi, Urdu, Braille 
> 
> 
> This message may contain protected health information or other information
> that is confidential or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient,
> please contact the sender by return mail and destroy any copies of this
> material. 
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
> Nowicki via blindlaw
> Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 2:23 PM
> To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
> Offered to Post-Secondary Students
> 
> Dear Fellow Federationist,
> 
> 
> 
> Are you currently enrolled at (or have you recently graduated from) an
> institution of higher education?  If so, have you received reasonable
> accommodations through the school's office for students with disabilities?
> Can you provide information about the quality of these services?  If you
> answered "Yes" to the above questions, please read on.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sure you know that besides researching the academic programs, cost of
> attendance/financial aid opportunities, and the location of colleges and
> universities, we blind people must also look at the services for students
> with disabilities that are available to us.  To that end, most schools help
> us in this endeavor by providing policies, procedures, FAQs, and other
> meaningful information about requesting and receiving ADA accommodations,
> through their website.  Unfortunately, though, we must not forget that the
> same institutions may sometimes deliberately conceal negative information
> from prospective applicants.  After all, they want to attract qualified
> applicants, not discourage them from applying.
> 
> 
> 
> That being said, a visually impaired prospective law student from North
> Carolina is putting together a database of colleges' and universities'
> accommodation record to assist students with disabilities in making informed
> decisions about where they want to get their degree(s), and I am helping her
> by gathering information.  The database will obviously not contain any
> confidential information; it will only explain what services students may
> count on at a given school, as well as warnings about potential
> discrimination a student may face in the event he/she chooses to enroll at a
> college or university that is known to exhibit such behavior.  Its content
> will come from student feedback, as well as from complaints on file with the
> U.S.  Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
> 
> 
> 
> On that note, please share with me the experiences you have had while
> working with the disability office at your school, both positive and
> negative.  Please use the following questions as a guide:
> 
> 1.        How many people work for the office for students with
> disabilities?  Do people specialize in specific tasks (e.g.  document
> conversion, setting up accommodations, exam proctoring, etc.), or does
> everyone assume a universal role?
> 
> 2.       Does the office handle document conversion requests in a timely
> manner?  In what alternate formats are textbooks and other course materials
> provided?  If your textbooks were scanned, were they disassembled in the
> process?  Does the school offer institutional Bookshare.org and LearningAlly
> memberships?  Is it part of the Access Text network?
> 
> 3.       Is there an assistive technology specialist who is available for
> training, installation, and troubleshooting purposes?
> 
> 4.       Does the office arrange for human note takers as an accommodation?
> 
> 5.       Is exam proctoring offered?
> 
> 6.       Is the school's website, including Blackboard, webmail, class
> registration, and any other online tools fully accessible?  If not, which
> areas are inaccessible?
> 
> 
> 
> We are also looking for information specific to accommodations for graduate
> and professional students.  In particular, please let us know if you believe
> that the school has attempted to "mold" you into a specific role against
> your will.  Likewise, please let us know if you feel that faculty members
> tried to "weed" you out of an advanced degree program, either because they
> didn't think you would survive, because they didn't think you would find a
> job or otherwise contribute to the profession, or simply because of your
> disability.  Please be sure to discuss the specific tactics that were
> employed to accomplish this.
> 
> 
> 
> Please send your evaluations to me off-list at mnowicki4 at iCloud.com
> <mailto:mnowicki4 at iCloud.com> , and I will pass them on.  You may send them
> in the message body or as attachments in Word or Rich Text Format (.RTF).  I
> look forward to hearing from you and, most important, to learning more about
> ADA accommodations offered to post-secondary students across the country.
> 
> 
> 
> Best Wishes,
> 
> 
> 
> Michal
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/yasmin.reyazuddin%40mo
> ntgomerycountymd.gov
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cjdavis9193%40gmail.com


From rthomas at emplmntattorney.com  Tue Jan  6 19:41:30 2015
From: rthomas at emplmntattorney.com (Russell J. Thomas)
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2015 11:41:30 -0800
Subject: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability
	Accommodations	Offered to Post-Secondary Students
In-Reply-To: <EEF9CDA7-5556-4F5F-ABC2-0AB11DE6AFAA@gmail.com>
References: <007f01d0291d$01900330$04b00990$@icloud.com>
	<EEF9CDA7-5556-4F5F-ABC2-0AB11DE6AFAA@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <002401d029e8$c50b54b0$4f21fe10$@com>


You mentioned Harvard in your email.  I applied and was accepted by Harvard
before the Americans with Disabilities Act. There was no problem with
accommodations. The school approached the issue on an individualized basis.
Unfortunately, now that reasonable accommodation is a legal requirement, the
accommodation process has become unduly formalized and bureaucratic. Beware
the "one glove fits all" approach to accommodation.  We all come to graduate
schools or places of employment with different skill sets and different ways
of accomplishing various tasks.  Treating accommodation as something which
can be looked up in a manual is contrary to the principle of individualized
assessment on the issue of accommodation. 

Respectfully,
Russell J. Thomas, Jr.
emplmntattorney at gmail.com


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Helga
Schreiber via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 9:54 PM
To: Michal Nowicki; Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
Offered to Post-Secondary Students

Hi Michal, this is Helga. How are you? I just wanted to ask you, are you
talking about data basis about Law schools or Colleges and Universities? I'm
just wondering. I'm currently enrolled right now in a college where I need
to fight constantly for my accommodations rights of my classess. In other
words, I need to push my Dsability advisor to put my College Materials in
Braille  since she actually does not want to do them. My office with
dissabilities is actually ans small department. I still have issues with my
advisor. I will give you more detail if you want later. or you are free to
call me. Also, I think Anita talk about that Many Law schools discriminate
or or sabottage visually impaired or blind students, I just wanted to ask
you, are Harvard, Nova, and Miami Universities Law schools work very well
with visually impaired or blind law students? I'm just wondering since I'm
thinking in applying to these Law schools in the future. Hope to hear form
you soon. Thanks so much and God bless! 

Helga Schreiber

Fundraiser Coordinator for Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Delta Iota chapter.
Member of National Federation of the Blind and Florida Association of Blind
Students.
Member of the International Networkers Team (INT).
Independent Entrepreneur of the Company 4Life Research.
Phone:  (561) 706-5950
Email: helga.schreiber26 at gmail.com
Skype: helga.schreiber26
4Life Website: http://helgaschreiber.my4life.com/1/default.aspx
INT Website: http://int4life.com/ 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Sent from
my iPhone 

> On Jan 5, 2015, at 2:22 PM, Michal Nowicki via blindlaw
<blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Dear Fellow Federationist,
> 
> 
> 
> Are you currently enrolled at (or have you recently graduated from) an 
> institution of higher education?  If so, have you received reasonable 
> accommodations through the school's office for students with disabilities?
> Can you provide information about the quality of these services?  If 
> you answered "Yes" to the above questions, please read on.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sure you know that besides researching the academic programs, cost 
> of attendance/financial aid opportunities, and the location of 
> colleges and universities, we blind people must also look at the 
> services for students with disabilities that are available to us.  To 
> that end, most schools help us in this endeavor by providing policies, 
> procedures, FAQs, and other meaningful information about requesting 
> and receiving ADA accommodations, through their website.  
> Unfortunately, though, we must not forget that the same institutions 
> may sometimes deliberately conceal negative information from 
> prospective applicants.  After all, they want to attract qualified
applicants, not discourage them from applying.
> 
> 
> 
> That being said, a visually impaired prospective law student from 
> North Carolina is putting together a database of colleges' and
universities'
> accommodation record to assist students with disabilities in making 
> informed decisions about where they want to get their degree(s), and I 
> am helping her by gathering information.  The database will obviously 
> not contain any confidential information; it will only explain what 
> services students may count on at a given school, as well as warnings 
> about potential discrimination a student may face in the event he/she 
> chooses to enroll at a college or university that is known to exhibit 
> such behavior.  Its content will come from student feedback, as well 
> as from complaints on file with the U.S.  Department of Education Office
for Civil Rights.
> 
> 
> 
> On that note, please share with me the experiences you have had while 
> working with the disability office at your school, both positive and 
> negative.  Please use the following questions as a guide:
> 
> 1.        How many people work for the office for students with
> disabilities?  Do people specialize in specific tasks (e.g.  document 
> conversion, setting up accommodations, exam proctoring, etc.), or does 
> everyone assume a universal role?
> 
> 2.       Does the office handle document conversion requests in a timely
> manner?  In what alternate formats are textbooks and other course 
> materials provided?  If your textbooks were scanned, were they 
> disassembled in the process?  Does the school offer institutional 
> Bookshare.org and LearningAlly memberships?  Is it part of the AccessText
network?
> 
> 3.       Is there an assistive technology specialist who is available for
> training, installation, and troubleshooting purposes?
> 
> 4.       Does the office arrange for human note takers as an
accommodation?
> 
> 5.       Is exam proctoring offered?
> 
> 6.       Is the school's website, including Blackboard, webmail, class
> registration, and any other online tools fully accessible?  If not, 
> which areas are inaccessible?
> 
> 
> 
> We are also looking for information specific to accommodations for 
> graduate and professional students.  In particular, please let us know 
> if you believe that the school has attempted to "mold" you into a 
> specific role against your will.  Likewise, please let us know if you 
> feel that faculty members tried to "weed" you out of an advanced 
> degree program, either because they didn't think you would survive, 
> because they didn't think you would find a job or otherwise contribute 
> to the profession, or simply because of your disability.  Please be 
> sure to discuss the specific tactics that were employed to accomplish
this.
> 
> 
> 
> Please send your evaluations to me off-list at mnowicki4 at iCloud.com 
> <mailto:mnowicki4 at iCloud.com> , and I will pass them on.  You may send 
> them in the message body or as attachments in Word or Rich Text Format 
> (.RTF).  I look forward to hearing from you and, most important, to 
> learning more about ADA accommodations offered to post-secondary students
across the country.
> 
> 
> 
> Best Wishes,
> 
> 
> 
> Michal
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/helga.schreiber2
> 6%40gmail.com
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
ney.com



From mnowicki4 at icloud.com  Tue Jan  6 20:25:36 2015
From: mnowicki4 at icloud.com (Michal Nowicki)
Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 14:25:36 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about
	Disability	Accommodations	Offered to Post-Secondary Students
In-Reply-To: <002401d029e8$c50b54b0$4f21fe10$@com>
References: <007f01d0291d$01900330$04b00990$@icloud.com>
	<EEF9CDA7-5556-4F5F-ABC2-0AB11DE6AFAA@gmail.com>
	<002401d029e8$c50b54b0$4f21fe10$@com>
Message-ID: <000101d029ee$ee84cbe0$cb8e63a0$@icloud.com>

Dear Mr.  Thomas,

I completely agree with your observation that the accommodations process is
highly individualized in nature because we all have different skills and
needs, despite the fact that we have the same disability.  Nonetheless, the
issue isn't as individualized as you present it.

As blind people, we often require similar accommodations to perform certain
tasks.  For example, blind students commonly ask for double time on college
exams and standardized tests.  Likewise, some of us may prefer Braille while
others are more productive with audio, but the bottom line is that we are
all unable to read standard print independently and must thus seek written
information in some alternate format.

That being established, the "manual" Anita is creating with my assistance by
no means "guarantees" receipt of a specific accommodation at a given college
or university.  Instead, its purpose is to help prospective students make
informed decisions during the application process by pointing out which
accommodations are likely to be available to them, as well as how they can
be expected to be treated by faculty and disability staff, and to forewarn
them about any relevant discriminatory tendencies they may face based on
previously documented incidents.  I hope this clarifies the goals of this
initiative.

Best,

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Russell J.
Thomas via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 1:42 PM
To: 'Helga Schreiber'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
Offered to Post-Secondary Students


You mentioned Harvard in your email.  I applied and was accepted by Harvard
before the Americans with Disabilities Act. There was no problem with
accommodations. The school approached the issue on an individualized basis.
Unfortunately, now that reasonable accommodation is a legal requirement, the
accommodation process has become unduly formalized and bureaucratic. Beware
the "one glove fits all" approach to accommodation.  We all come to graduate
schools or places of employment with different skill sets and different ways
of accomplishing various tasks.  Treating accommodation as something which
can be looked up in a manual is contrary to the principle of individualized
assessment on the issue of accommodation. 

Respectfully,
Russell J. Thomas, Jr.
emplmntattorney at gmail.com


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Helga
Schreiber via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 9:54 PM
To: Michal Nowicki; Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
Offered to Post-Secondary Students

Hi Michal, this is Helga. How are you? I just wanted to ask you, are you
talking about data basis about Law schools or Colleges and Universities? I'm
just wondering. I'm currently enrolled right now in a college where I need
to fight constantly for my accommodations rights of my classess. In other
words, I need to push my Dsability advisor to put my College Materials in
Braille  since she actually does not want to do them. My office with
dissabilities is actually ans small department. I still have issues with my
advisor. I will give you more detail if you want later. or you are free to
call me. Also, I think Anita talk about that Many Law schools discriminate
or or sabottage visually impaired or blind students, I just wanted to ask
you, are Harvard, Nova, and Miami Universities Law schools work very well
with visually impaired or blind law students? I'm just wondering since I'm
thinking in applying to these Law schools in the future. Hope to hear form
you soon. Thanks so much and God bless! 

Helga Schreiber

Fundraiser Coordinator for Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Delta Iota chapter.
Member of National Federation of the Blind and Florida Association of Blind
Students.
Member of the International Networkers Team (INT).
Independent Entrepreneur of the Company 4Life Research.
Phone:  (561) 706-5950
Email: helga.schreiber26 at gmail.com
Skype: helga.schreiber26
4Life Website: http://helgaschreiber.my4life.com/1/default.aspx
INT Website: http://int4life.com/ 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Sent from
my iPhone 

> On Jan 5, 2015, at 2:22 PM, Michal Nowicki via blindlaw
<blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Dear Fellow Federationist,
> 
> 
> 
> Are you currently enrolled at (or have you recently graduated from) an 
> institution of higher education?  If so, have you received reasonable 
> accommodations through the school's office for students with disabilities?
> Can you provide information about the quality of these services?  If 
> you answered "Yes" to the above questions, please read on.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sure you know that besides researching the academic programs, cost 
> of attendance/financial aid opportunities, and the location of 
> colleges and universities, we blind people must also look at the 
> services for students with disabilities that are available to us.  To 
> that end, most schools help us in this endeavor by providing policies, 
> procedures, FAQs, and other meaningful information about requesting 
> and receiving ADA accommodations, through their website.  
> Unfortunately, though, we must not forget that the same institutions 
> may sometimes deliberately conceal negative information from 
> prospective applicants.  After all, they want to attract qualified
applicants, not discourage them from applying.
> 
> 
> 
> That being said, a visually impaired prospective law student from 
> North Carolina is putting together a database of colleges' and
universities'
> accommodation record to assist students with disabilities in making 
> informed decisions about where they want to get their degree(s), and I 
> am helping her by gathering information.  The database will obviously 
> not contain any confidential information; it will only explain what 
> services students may count on at a given school, as well as warnings 
> about potential discrimination a student may face in the event he/she 
> chooses to enroll at a college or university that is known to exhibit 
> such behavior.  Its content will come from student feedback, as well 
> as from complaints on file with the U.S.  Department of Education Office
for Civil Rights.
> 
> 
> 
> On that note, please share with me the experiences you have had while 
> working with the disability office at your school, both positive and 
> negative.  Please use the following questions as a guide:
> 
> 1.        How many people work for the office for students with
> disabilities?  Do people specialize in specific tasks (e.g.  document 
> conversion, setting up accommodations, exam proctoring, etc.), or does 
> everyone assume a universal role?
> 
> 2.       Does the office handle document conversion requests in a timely
> manner?  In what alternate formats are textbooks and other course 
> materials provided?  If your textbooks were scanned, were they 
> disassembled in the process?  Does the school offer institutional 
> Bookshare.org and LearningAlly memberships?  Is it part of the AccessText
network?
> 
> 3.       Is there an assistive technology specialist who is available for
> training, installation, and troubleshooting purposes?
> 
> 4.       Does the office arrange for human note takers as an
accommodation?
> 
> 5.       Is exam proctoring offered?
> 
> 6.       Is the school's website, including Blackboard, webmail, class
> registration, and any other online tools fully accessible?  If not, 
> which areas are inaccessible?
> 
> 
> 
> We are also looking for information specific to accommodations for 
> graduate and professional students.  In particular, please let us know 
> if you believe that the school has attempted to "mold" you into a 
> specific role against your will.  Likewise, please let us know if you 
> feel that faculty members tried to "weed" you out of an advanced 
> degree program, either because they didn't think you would survive, 
> because they didn't think you would find a job or otherwise contribute 
> to the profession, or simply because of your disability.  Please be 
> sure to discuss the specific tactics that were employed to accomplish
this.
> 
> 
> 
> Please send your evaluations to me off-list at mnowicki4 at iCloud.com 
> <mailto:mnowicki4 at iCloud.com> , and I will pass them on.  You may send 
> them in the message body or as attachments in Word or Rich Text Format 
> (.RTF).  I look forward to hearing from you and, most important, to 
> learning more about ADA accommodations offered to post-secondary students
across the country.
> 
> 
> 
> Best Wishes,
> 
> 
> 
> Michal
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/helga.schreiber2
> 6%40gmail.com
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
ney.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com



From rthomas at emplmntattorney.com  Tue Jan  6 20:50:03 2015
From: rthomas at emplmntattorney.com (Russell J. Thomas)
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2015 12:50:03 -0800
Subject: [blindlaw] Seeking Information
	about	Disability	Accommodations	Offered to Post-Secondary Students
In-Reply-To: <000101d029ee$ee84cbe0$cb8e63a0$@icloud.com>
References: <007f01d0291d$01900330$04b00990$@icloud.com>	<EEF9CDA7-5556-4F5F-ABC2-0AB11DE6AFAA@gmail.com>	<002401d029e8$c50b54b0$4f21fe10$@com>
	<000101d029ee$ee84cbe0$cb8e63a0$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <006701d029f2$58d96110$0a8c2330$@com>

A worthwhile endeavor indeed!


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2015 12:26 PM
To: 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
Offered to Post-Secondary Students

Dear Mr.  Thomas,

I completely agree with your observation that the accommodations process is
highly individualized in nature because we all have different skills and
needs, despite the fact that we have the same disability.  Nonetheless, the
issue isn't as individualized as you present it.

As blind people, we often require similar accommodations to perform certain
tasks.  For example, blind students commonly ask for double time on college
exams and standardized tests.  Likewise, some of us may prefer Braille while
others are more productive with audio, but the bottom line is that we are
all unable to read standard print independently and must thus seek written
information in some alternate format.

That being established, the "manual" Anita is creating with my assistance by
no means "guarantees" receipt of a specific accommodation at a given college
or university.  Instead, its purpose is to help prospective students make
informed decisions during the application process by pointing out which
accommodations are likely to be available to them, as well as how they can
be expected to be treated by faculty and disability staff, and to forewarn
them about any relevant discriminatory tendencies they may face based on
previously documented incidents.  I hope this clarifies the goals of this
initiative.

Best,

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Russell J.
Thomas via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 1:42 PM
To: 'Helga Schreiber'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
Offered to Post-Secondary Students


You mentioned Harvard in your email.  I applied and was accepted by Harvard
before the Americans with Disabilities Act. There was no problem with
accommodations. The school approached the issue on an individualized basis.
Unfortunately, now that reasonable accommodation is a legal requirement, the
accommodation process has become unduly formalized and bureaucratic. Beware
the "one glove fits all" approach to accommodation.  We all come to graduate
schools or places of employment with different skill sets and different ways
of accomplishing various tasks.  Treating accommodation as something which
can be looked up in a manual is contrary to the principle of individualized
assessment on the issue of accommodation. 

Respectfully,
Russell J. Thomas, Jr.
emplmntattorney at gmail.com


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Helga
Schreiber via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 9:54 PM
To: Michal Nowicki; Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
Offered to Post-Secondary Students

Hi Michal, this is Helga. How are you? I just wanted to ask you, are you
talking about data basis about Law schools or Colleges and Universities? I'm
just wondering. I'm currently enrolled right now in a college where I need
to fight constantly for my accommodations rights of my classess. In other
words, I need to push my Dsability advisor to put my College Materials in
Braille  since she actually does not want to do them. My office with
dissabilities is actually ans small department. I still have issues with my
advisor. I will give you more detail if you want later. or you are free to
call me. Also, I think Anita talk about that Many Law schools discriminate
or or sabottage visually impaired or blind students, I just wanted to ask
you, are Harvard, Nova, and Miami Universities Law schools work very well
with visually impaired or blind law students? I'm just wondering since I'm
thinking in applying to these Law schools in the future. Hope to hear form
you soon. Thanks so much and God bless! 

Helga Schreiber

Fundraiser Coordinator for Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Delta Iota chapter.
Member of National Federation of the Blind and Florida Association of Blind
Students.
Member of the International Networkers Team (INT).
Independent Entrepreneur of the Company 4Life Research.
Phone:  (561) 706-5950
Email: helga.schreiber26 at gmail.com
Skype: helga.schreiber26
4Life Website: http://helgaschreiber.my4life.com/1/default.aspx
INT Website: http://int4life.com/ 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Sent from
my iPhone 

> On Jan 5, 2015, at 2:22 PM, Michal Nowicki via blindlaw
<blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Dear Fellow Federationist,
> 
> 
> 
> Are you currently enrolled at (or have you recently graduated from) an 
> institution of higher education?  If so, have you received reasonable 
> accommodations through the school's office for students with disabilities?
> Can you provide information about the quality of these services?  If 
> you answered "Yes" to the above questions, please read on.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sure you know that besides researching the academic programs, cost 
> of attendance/financial aid opportunities, and the location of 
> colleges and universities, we blind people must also look at the 
> services for students with disabilities that are available to us.  To 
> that end, most schools help us in this endeavor by providing policies, 
> procedures, FAQs, and other meaningful information about requesting 
> and receiving ADA accommodations, through their website.
> Unfortunately, though, we must not forget that the same institutions 
> may sometimes deliberately conceal negative information from 
> prospective applicants.  After all, they want to attract qualified
applicants, not discourage them from applying.
> 
> 
> 
> That being said, a visually impaired prospective law student from 
> North Carolina is putting together a database of colleges' and
universities'
> accommodation record to assist students with disabilities in making 
> informed decisions about where they want to get their degree(s), and I 
> am helping her by gathering information.  The database will obviously 
> not contain any confidential information; it will only explain what 
> services students may count on at a given school, as well as warnings 
> about potential discrimination a student may face in the event he/she 
> chooses to enroll at a college or university that is known to exhibit 
> such behavior.  Its content will come from student feedback, as well 
> as from complaints on file with the U.S.  Department of Education 
> Office
for Civil Rights.
> 
> 
> 
> On that note, please share with me the experiences you have had while 
> working with the disability office at your school, both positive and 
> negative.  Please use the following questions as a guide:
> 
> 1.        How many people work for the office for students with
> disabilities?  Do people specialize in specific tasks (e.g.  document 
> conversion, setting up accommodations, exam proctoring, etc.), or does 
> everyone assume a universal role?
> 
> 2.       Does the office handle document conversion requests in a timely
> manner?  In what alternate formats are textbooks and other course 
> materials provided?  If your textbooks were scanned, were they 
> disassembled in the process?  Does the school offer institutional 
> Bookshare.org and LearningAlly memberships?  Is it part of the 
> AccessText
network?
> 
> 3.       Is there an assistive technology specialist who is available for
> training, installation, and troubleshooting purposes?
> 
> 4.       Does the office arrange for human note takers as an
accommodation?
> 
> 5.       Is exam proctoring offered?
> 
> 6.       Is the school's website, including Blackboard, webmail, class
> registration, and any other online tools fully accessible?  If not, 
> which areas are inaccessible?
> 
> 
> 
> We are also looking for information specific to accommodations for 
> graduate and professional students.  In particular, please let us know 
> if you believe that the school has attempted to "mold" you into a 
> specific role against your will.  Likewise, please let us know if you 
> feel that faculty members tried to "weed" you out of an advanced 
> degree program, either because they didn't think you would survive, 
> because they didn't think you would find a job or otherwise contribute 
> to the profession, or simply because of your disability.  Please be 
> sure to discuss the specific tactics that were employed to accomplish
this.
> 
> 
> 
> Please send your evaluations to me off-list at mnowicki4 at iCloud.com 
> <mailto:mnowicki4 at iCloud.com> , and I will pass them on.  You may send 
> them in the message body or as attachments in Word or Rich Text Format 
> (.RTF).  I look forward to hearing from you and, most important, to 
> learning more about ADA accommodations offered to post-secondary 
> students
across the country.
> 
> 
> 
> Best Wishes,
> 
> 
> 
> Michal
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/helga.schreiber2
> 6%40gmail.com
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
ney.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
ney.com



From rthomas at emplmntattorney.com  Tue Jan  6 20:53:53 2015
From: rthomas at emplmntattorney.com (Russell J. Thomas)
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2015 12:53:53 -0800
Subject: [blindlaw] Seeking Information
	about	Disability	Accommodations	Offered to Post-Secondary Students
In-Reply-To: <000101d029ee$ee84cbe0$cb8e63a0$@icloud.com>
References: <007f01d0291d$01900330$04b00990$@icloud.com>	<EEF9CDA7-5556-4F5F-ABC2-0AB11DE6AFAA@gmail.com>	<002401d029e8$c50b54b0$4f21fe10$@com>
	<000101d029ee$ee84cbe0$cb8e63a0$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <006801d029f2$e205cdc0$a6116940$@com>

One further thought:
Perhaps you might want to add a section on Bar Examination accommodations.


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2015 12:26 PM
To: 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
Offered to Post-Secondary Students

Dear Mr.  Thomas,

I completely agree with your observation that the accommodations process is
highly individualized in nature because we all have different skills and
needs, despite the fact that we have the same disability.  Nonetheless, the
issue isn't as individualized as you present it.

As blind people, we often require similar accommodations to perform certain
tasks.  For example, blind students commonly ask for double time on college
exams and standardized tests.  Likewise, some of us may prefer Braille while
others are more productive with audio, but the bottom line is that we are
all unable to read standard print independently and must thus seek written
information in some alternate format.

That being established, the "manual" Anita is creating with my assistance by
no means "guarantees" receipt of a specific accommodation at a given college
or university.  Instead, its purpose is to help prospective students make
informed decisions during the application process by pointing out which
accommodations are likely to be available to them, as well as how they can
be expected to be treated by faculty and disability staff, and to forewarn
them about any relevant discriminatory tendencies they may face based on
previously documented incidents.  I hope this clarifies the goals of this
initiative.

Best,

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Russell J.
Thomas via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 1:42 PM
To: 'Helga Schreiber'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
Offered to Post-Secondary Students


You mentioned Harvard in your email.  I applied and was accepted by Harvard
before the Americans with Disabilities Act. There was no problem with
accommodations. The school approached the issue on an individualized basis.
Unfortunately, now that reasonable accommodation is a legal requirement, the
accommodation process has become unduly formalized and bureaucratic. Beware
the "one glove fits all" approach to accommodation.  We all come to graduate
schools or places of employment with different skill sets and different ways
of accomplishing various tasks.  Treating accommodation as something which
can be looked up in a manual is contrary to the principle of individualized
assessment on the issue of accommodation. 

Respectfully,
Russell J. Thomas, Jr.
emplmntattorney at gmail.com


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Helga
Schreiber via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 9:54 PM
To: Michal Nowicki; Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations
Offered to Post-Secondary Students

Hi Michal, this is Helga. How are you? I just wanted to ask you, are you
talking about data basis about Law schools or Colleges and Universities? I'm
just wondering. I'm currently enrolled right now in a college where I need
to fight constantly for my accommodations rights of my classess. In other
words, I need to push my Dsability advisor to put my College Materials in
Braille  since she actually does not want to do them. My office with
dissabilities is actually ans small department. I still have issues with my
advisor. I will give you more detail if you want later. or you are free to
call me. Also, I think Anita talk about that Many Law schools discriminate
or or sabottage visually impaired or blind students, I just wanted to ask
you, are Harvard, Nova, and Miami Universities Law schools work very well
with visually impaired or blind law students? I'm just wondering since I'm
thinking in applying to these Law schools in the future. Hope to hear form
you soon. Thanks so much and God bless! 

Helga Schreiber

Fundraiser Coordinator for Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Delta Iota chapter.
Member of National Federation of the Blind and Florida Association of Blind
Students.
Member of the International Networkers Team (INT).
Independent Entrepreneur of the Company 4Life Research.
Phone:  (561) 706-5950
Email: helga.schreiber26 at gmail.com
Skype: helga.schreiber26
4Life Website: http://helgaschreiber.my4life.com/1/default.aspx
INT Website: http://int4life.com/ 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Sent from
my iPhone 

> On Jan 5, 2015, at 2:22 PM, Michal Nowicki via blindlaw
<blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Dear Fellow Federationist,
> 
> 
> 
> Are you currently enrolled at (or have you recently graduated from) an 
> institution of higher education?  If so, have you received reasonable 
> accommodations through the school's office for students with disabilities?
> Can you provide information about the quality of these services?  If 
> you answered "Yes" to the above questions, please read on.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sure you know that besides researching the academic programs, cost 
> of attendance/financial aid opportunities, and the location of 
> colleges and universities, we blind people must also look at the 
> services for students with disabilities that are available to us.  To 
> that end, most schools help us in this endeavor by providing policies, 
> procedures, FAQs, and other meaningful information about requesting 
> and receiving ADA accommodations, through their website.
> Unfortunately, though, we must not forget that the same institutions 
> may sometimes deliberately conceal negative information from 
> prospective applicants.  After all, they want to attract qualified
applicants, not discourage them from applying.
> 
> 
> 
> That being said, a visually impaired prospective law student from 
> North Carolina is putting together a database of colleges' and
universities'
> accommodation record to assist students with disabilities in making 
> informed decisions about where they want to get their degree(s), and I 
> am helping her by gathering information.  The database will obviously 
> not contain any confidential information; it will only explain what 
> services students may count on at a given school, as well as warnings 
> about potential discrimination a student may face in the event he/she 
> chooses to enroll at a college or university that is known to exhibit 
> such behavior.  Its content will come from student feedback, as well 
> as from complaints on file with the U.S.  Department of Education 
> Office
for Civil Rights.
> 
> 
> 
> On that note, please share with me the experiences you have had while 
> working with the disability office at your school, both positive and 
> negative.  Please use the following questions as a guide:
> 
> 1.        How many people work for the office for students with
> disabilities?  Do people specialize in specific tasks (e.g.  document 
> conversion, setting up accommodations, exam proctoring, etc.), or does 
> everyone assume a universal role?
> 
> 2.       Does the office handle document conversion requests in a timely
> manner?  In what alternate formats are textbooks and other course 
> materials provided?  If your textbooks were scanned, were they 
> disassembled in the process?  Does the school offer institutional 
> Bookshare.org and LearningAlly memberships?  Is it part of the 
> AccessText
network?
> 
> 3.       Is there an assistive technology specialist who is available for
> training, installation, and troubleshooting purposes?
> 
> 4.       Does the office arrange for human note takers as an
accommodation?
> 
> 5.       Is exam proctoring offered?
> 
> 6.       Is the school's website, including Blackboard, webmail, class
> registration, and any other online tools fully accessible?  If not, 
> which areas are inaccessible?
> 
> 
> 
> We are also looking for information specific to accommodations for 
> graduate and professional students.  In particular, please let us know 
> if you believe that the school has attempted to "mold" you into a 
> specific role against your will.  Likewise, please let us know if you 
> feel that faculty members tried to "weed" you out of an advanced 
> degree program, either because they didn't think you would survive, 
> because they didn't think you would find a job or otherwise contribute 
> to the profession, or simply because of your disability.  Please be 
> sure to discuss the specific tactics that were employed to accomplish
this.
> 
> 
> 
> Please send your evaluations to me off-list at mnowicki4 at iCloud.com 
> <mailto:mnowicki4 at iCloud.com> , and I will pass them on.  You may send 
> them in the message body or as attachments in Word or Rich Text Format 
> (.RTF).  I look forward to hearing from you and, most important, to 
> learning more about ADA accommodations offered to post-secondary 
> students
across the country.
> 
> 
> 
> Best Wishes,
> 
> 
> 
> Michal
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/helga.schreiber2
> 6%40gmail.com
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
ney.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
ney.com



From laura.wolk at gmail.com  Tue Jan  6 21:46:57 2015
From: laura.wolk at gmail.com (Laura Wolk)
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2015 16:46:57 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] west academic now using "vital source" to distribute
 accessible books--is this platform accessible?
Message-ID: <CAHG6wD4hrP-nuCP2H4c8givDCXd=Zs3e-fHQvD-zuaNj6Jog5Q@mail.gmail.com>

Hello all,

Ironically, given the recent discussion about the ease of using
publisher-distributed textbooks, I've just received an email from West
Academic stating that they no longer send PDF files directly to
students. They instead use a platform called Vital Source. Students
are given a redemption code, told to "click on the cover of the book"
and can view the book from within the website. The instructions I
received also made it seem like you could download an application to
view the book offline, but the wording leads me to believe that again,
this won't give you access to a stand-alone file that can, say, be
parsed out in Kurzweil. Rather, it seems like it just gives you access
ot the same proprietary file.

I cannot test this hypothesis though, because I can't seem to figure
out how to 'redeem" my digital books to see if they're accessible. I
keep clicking on the link but nothing happens. I readily admit I am
not the most computer savvy person in the world, but I am not  a
novice Jaws user either.

Has anyone used Vital Source before? Is it accessible? Does it allow
off-line access to books?

If it does not allow offline access in a way which allows me to alter
the file to suit my own needs, I would also appreciate any information
about options moving forward. i heavily rely on being able to run
things through Kurzweil and to multi-task by keeping books on multiple
computers and my iPhone. I also foresee this will add extra time
constraints to open book exams, etc. If the file is technically
"accessible" but not readily usable, do I have any leg to stand on
regarding insisting that the publisher send me a stand-alone PDF file?

Thank you for any help or information.

Laura

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Laura


From tim at timeldermusic.com  Wed Jan  7 21:01:51 2015
From: tim at timeldermusic.com (Tim Elder)
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2015 13:01:51 -0800
Subject: [blindlaw] west academic now using "vital source" to distribute
	accessible books--is this platform accessible?
In-Reply-To: <CAHG6wD4hrP-nuCP2H4c8givDCXd=Zs3e-fHQvD-zuaNj6Jog5Q@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CAHG6wD4hrP-nuCP2H4c8givDCXd=Zs3e-fHQvD-zuaNj6Jog5Q@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <002901d02abd$2910b250$7b3216f0$@timeldermusic.com>

Laura,

Please let me know if you find an answer to this question.  Using DRM
features to inhibit accessibility for print disabled students is something
we should all be concerned about.  Yet one more reason for the TEACH Act to
pass.  I hope all are supporting this legislation through NFB's Washington
Seminar efforts.



Regards,


-----Original Message-----
From: Laura Wolk [mailto:laura.wolk at gmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2015 1:47 PM
To: Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: [blindlaw] west academic now using "vital source" to distribute
accessible books--is this platform accessible?

Hello all,

Ironically, given the recent discussion about the ease of using
publisher-distributed textbooks, I've just received an email from West
Academic stating that they no longer send PDF files directly to students.
They instead use a platform called Vital Source. Students are given a
redemption code, told to "click on the cover of the book"
and can view the book from within the website. The instructions I received
also made it seem like you could download an application to view the book
offline, but the wording leads me to believe that again, this won't give you
access to a stand-alone file that can, say, be parsed out in Kurzweil.
Rather, it seems like it just gives you access ot the same proprietary file.

I cannot test this hypothesis though, because I can't seem to figure out how
to 'redeem" my digital books to see if they're accessible. I keep clicking
on the link but nothing happens. I readily admit I am not the most computer
savvy person in the world, but I am not  a novice Jaws user either.

Has anyone used Vital Source before? Is it accessible? Does it allow
off-line access to books?

If it does not allow offline access in a way which allows me to alter the
file to suit my own needs, I would also appreciate any information about
options moving forward. i heavily rely on being able to run things through
Kurzweil and to multi-task by keeping books on multiple computers and my
iPhone. I also foresee this will add extra time constraints to open book
exams, etc. If the file is technically "accessible" but not readily usable,
do I have any leg to stand on regarding insisting that the publisher send me
a stand-alone PDF file?

Thank you for any help or information.

Laura

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Laura





From laura.wolk at gmail.com  Thu Jan  8 00:31:50 2015
From: laura.wolk at gmail.com (Laura Wolk)
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2015 19:31:50 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] west academic now using "vital source" to distribute
 accessible books--is this platform accessible?
In-Reply-To: <002901d02abd$2910b250$7b3216f0$@timeldermusic.com>
References: <CAHG6wD4hrP-nuCP2H4c8givDCXd=Zs3e-fHQvD-zuaNj6Jog5Q@mail.gmail.com>
	<002901d02abd$2910b250$7b3216f0$@timeldermusic.com>
Message-ID: <CAHG6wD5u+-qKkrFNk7JgKP+fiY6GNGqCGP8LWre63m6dhJY3wA@mail.gmail.com>

Hello all,

I am happy to report that, after my brief follow-up email explaining
the reasons why I preferred a stand-alone PDF over using their
program, I received the PDF without further comment within 4 hours.
So, kudos where kudos is due.

Thanks for all of the responses.

Laura

On 1/7/15, Tim Elder <tim at timeldermusic.com> wrote:
> Laura,
>
> Please let me know if you find an answer to this question.  Using DRM
> features to inhibit accessibility for print disabled students is something
> we should all be concerned about.  Yet one more reason for the TEACH Act to
> pass.  I hope all are supporting this legislation through NFB's Washington
> Seminar efforts.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Laura Wolk [mailto:laura.wolk at gmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2015 1:47 PM
> To: Blind Law Mailing List
> Subject: [blindlaw] west academic now using "vital source" to distribute
> accessible books--is this platform accessible?
>
> Hello all,
>
> Ironically, given the recent discussion about the ease of using
> publisher-distributed textbooks, I've just received an email from West
> Academic stating that they no longer send PDF files directly to students.
> They instead use a platform called Vital Source. Students are given a
> redemption code, told to "click on the cover of the book"
> and can view the book from within the website. The instructions I received
> also made it seem like you could download an application to view the book
> offline, but the wording leads me to believe that again, this won't give
> you
> access to a stand-alone file that can, say, be parsed out in Kurzweil.
> Rather, it seems like it just gives you access ot the same proprietary
> file.
>
> I cannot test this hypothesis though, because I can't seem to figure out
> how
> to 'redeem" my digital books to see if they're accessible. I keep clicking
> on the link but nothing happens. I readily admit I am not the most computer
> savvy person in the world, but I am not  a novice Jaws user either.
>
> Has anyone used Vital Source before? Is it accessible? Does it allow
> off-line access to books?
>
> If it does not allow offline access in a way which allows me to alter the
> file to suit my own needs, I would also appreciate any information about
> options moving forward. i heavily rely on being able to run things through
> Kurzweil and to multi-task by keeping books on multiple computers and my
> iPhone. I also foresee this will add extra time constraints to open book
> exams, etc. If the file is technically "accessible" but not readily usable,
> do I have any leg to stand on regarding insisting that the publisher send
> me
> a stand-alone PDF file?
>
> Thank you for any help or information.
>
> Laura
>
> Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Laura
>
>
>
>


-- 
Laura Wolk
Notre Dame Law Review
J.D. Candidate, 2016, Notre Dame Law School
(484) 695-8234


From laura.wolk at gmail.com  Thu Jan  8 16:16:10 2015
From: laura.wolk at gmail.com (Laura Wolk)
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2015 11:16:10 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] west academic now using "vital source" to distribute
 accessible books--is this platform accessible?
In-Reply-To: <A0B1F1FEB0B4AB49B01C099CDD8C64BB249229@UQEXMDA2.soe.uq.edu.au>
References: <CAHG6wD4hrP-nuCP2H4c8givDCXd=Zs3e-fHQvD-zuaNj6Jog5Q@mail.gmail.com>
	<A0B1F1FEB0B4AB49B01C099CDD8C64BB249229@UQEXMDA2.soe.uq.edu.au>
Message-ID: <CAHG6wD4xb-K7ctN0KqVz9mdV1Fi-QceYO=Yb1Fdw0GGMdthLxw@mail.gmail.com>

Hi all,

Just a very brief update to say that apparently West responded to my
Disability Service Director, who was copied on the email, saying that
they understood the issues I had raised and wanted to ensure that I
had a fully accessible copy. Just passing htat along because I think
its as important to share progress as well as problems, and I think
that this was a great response and bodes well for any other students
who would rather not use West's new system.

On 1/6/15, Paul Harpur <p.harpur at law.uq.edu.au> wrote:
> I would check your university's and the ABA's policies on what can be taken
> into an openbook exam.  I would be very surprised if they permit students to
> be on-line during an exam.  If the only way you can access the content of
> the textbook is on-line, then you will not be able to take it into the
> exam.
> As for the capacity to redeme tokens - Sounds like it is an image and not
> usable for a person using a screen reader.  While there are possably some
> limitations with forcing publishers to make EBooks accessible, the failure
> to have an disability accessible website is much easier to run.
> While I think publishers should have duties under the ADA, it is much easier
> to go after your university to force them to force the publisher.
> This might be of interest from Peter Blanck, Equality:  The Struggle for Web
> Accessibility by Persons with Cognitive Disabilities (2014) Cambridge
> University Press, chapter 8:
> The NFB and the American Council of the Blind (ACB), along with the U.S. DOJ
> as an  intervening  party, successfully resolved a lawsuit against Arizona
> State University (ASU) in regard to ASU's use of the Kindle DX, Amazon's
> e-book reader.41 The plaintiffs had alleged that because the Kindle was not
> accessible to students with print disabilities, ASU violated the
> Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and ADA title II.42 These laws covered ASU as a
> public university receiving federal funds, with antidiscrimination
> objectives similar in  purpose to those in  ADA title III. NFB and ACB
> alleged that the Kindle menus and controls were displayed
>
>
>
> visually with no audio options and that print disabled and blind students
> were not able to configure the settings, select books, and use the menus
> because they lacked the text to speech option.43 Recall the Redbox
> litigation regarding barriers in the use of touchscreen technologies, which
> raised analogous issues in the commercial setting.
> In  resolving the  dispute,  ASU agreed to offer its educational  materials
> on e-books that were accessible to all students. An acceptable e-book
> device, accord- ing to the parties, was one that blind and students with
> print disabilities may use to enjoy the same educational  information and
> services offered to others without disabilities "with substantially
> equivalent ease of use."[557] Notice that the touch- stone functional
> criterion of "equivalent ease of use" was central to the measure of web
> content equality and not provision of a separate device or segregated means
> for using educational materials.44 The benefits of technology were to accrue
> to individuals with and without disabilities alike, and presumably as
> comparably to those who are blind as to those with learning and reading
> disabilities, physical and manual-dexterity impairments, and those who speak
> English as an additional language.45
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Laura Wolk
> via blindlaw
> Sent: Wednesday, 7 January 2015 7:47 AM
> To: Blind Law Mailing List
> Subject: [blindlaw] west academic now using "vital source" to distribute
> accessible books--is this platform accessible?
>
> Hello all,
>
> Ironically, given the recent discussion about the ease of using
> publisher-distributed textbooks, I've just received an email from West
> Academic stating that they no longer send PDF files directly to students.
> They instead use a platform called Vital Source. Students are given a
> redemption code, told to "click on the cover of the book"
> and can view the book from within the website. The instructions I received
> also made it seem like you could download an application to view the book
> offline, but the wording leads me to believe that again, this won't give you
> access to a stand-alone file that can, say, be parsed out in Kurzweil.
> Rather, it seems like it just gives you access ot the same proprietary
> file.
>
> I cannot test this hypothesis though, because I can't seem to figure out how
> to 'redeem" my digital books to see if they're accessible. I keep clicking
> on the link but nothing happens. I readily admit I am not the most computer
> savvy person in the world, but I am not  a novice Jaws user either.
>
> Has anyone used Vital Source before? Is it accessible? Does it allow
> off-line access to books?
>
> If it does not allow offline access in a way which allows me to alter the
> file to suit my own needs, I would also appreciate any information about
> options moving forward. i heavily rely on being able to run things through
> Kurzweil and to multi-task by keeping books on multiple computers and my
> iPhone. I also foresee this will add extra time constraints to open book
> exams, etc. If the file is technically "accessible" but not readily usable,
> do I have any leg to stand on regarding insisting that the publisher send me
> a stand-alone PDF file?
>
> Thank you for any help or information.
>
> Laura
>
> Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Laura
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/paulharpur%40gmail.com
>


-- 
Laura Wolk
Notre Dame Law Review
J.D. Candidate, 2016, Notre Dame Law School
(484) 695-8234


From anitakeithfoust at gmail.com  Fri Jan  9 19:08:52 2015
From: anitakeithfoust at gmail.com (Anita Keith-Foust)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2015 14:08:52 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
	from the Publisher
In-Reply-To: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
References: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <031901d02c3f$b67c0fd0$23742f70$@gmail.com>

Dear Michal:

You have really revealed a lot of great information about the publishers
responsibilities. I had no clue about this. My poor butchered books! I will
look into this. 

My experience has been extremely negative when it comes to getting textbook
information in advance. As you know, I am working towards to making that
change at my alma mater.

All of your questions are really good and the answers to these research
questions certainly will help all of us.

Thank you.

Anita Keith-Foust
919-430-1978

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 5, 2015 1:08 PM
To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from
the Publisher

Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,

 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for
2015.

 

I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses
from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know that
you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know
that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities
textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or
through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in which
case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To
satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such materials
in PDF format.

 

That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me
some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and
other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA
accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully
accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for
headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this
actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you
recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?  Also,
do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?

 

I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received all
materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always
converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw the
publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.  Looking
ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion staff
the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated
efficiently using assistive technology.

 

Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based on
the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law
students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is about
to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority
registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they
take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if applicable, to
scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do
publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a request
for electronic copies of the books?

 

Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward to
reading your responses.

 

Best,

 

Michal

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/anitakeithfoust%40gmai
l.com



From sbg at sbgaal.com  Fri Jan  9 19:13:50 2015
From: sbg at sbgaal.com (Shannon)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2015 13:13:50 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained
	Directly	from the Publisher
In-Reply-To: <031901d02c3f$b67c0fd0$23742f70$@gmail.com>
References: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
	<031901d02c3f$b67c0fd0$23742f70$@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <00d301d02c40$66be9700$343bc500$@sbgaal.com>

So is it the publishers that are legally required to provide or the schools?
Please provide the regulation or statute imposing this requirement.

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Anita
Keith-Foust via blindlaw
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2015 1:09 PM
To: 'Michal Nowicki'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'; 'Illinois Association of
Blind Students List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
from the Publisher

Dear Michal:

You have really revealed a lot of great information about the publishers
responsibilities. I had no clue about this. My poor butchered books! I will
look into this. 

My experience has been extremely negative when it comes to getting textbook
information in advance. As you know, I am working towards to making that
change at my alma mater.

All of your questions are really good and the answers to these research
questions certainly will help all of us.

Thank you.

Anita Keith-Foust
919-430-1978

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 5, 2015 1:08 PM
To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from
the Publisher

Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,

 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for
2015.

 

I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses
from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know that
you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know
that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities
textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or
through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in which
case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To
satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such materials
in PDF format.

 

That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me
some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and
other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA
accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully
accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for
headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this
actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you
recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?  Also,
do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?

 

I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received all
materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always
converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw the
publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.  Looking
ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion staff
the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated
efficiently using assistive technology.

 

Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based on
the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law
students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is about
to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority
registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they
take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if applicable, to
scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do
publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a request
for electronic copies of the books?

 

Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward to
reading your responses.

 

Best,

 

Michal

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/anitakeithfoust%40gmai
l.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/sbg%40sbgaal.com



From dmanners at jd16.law.harvard.edu  Fri Jan  9 19:14:16 2015
From: dmanners at jd16.law.harvard.edu (Derek Manners)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2015 14:14:16 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
	from the Publisher
In-Reply-To: <031901d02c3f$b67c0fd0$23742f70$@gmail.com>
References: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
	<031901d02c3f$b67c0fd0$23742f70$@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <ED0C4C2B-1815-4776-8179-9ECD9EAC921A@jd16.law.harvard.edu>

As a law student at Harvard, I've only ever received books from the publisher in PDF. I have to say that they are usable but they are by no means perfect.

As far as registration accommodation etc., my experience has been that I always have my textbooks in plenty of time in PDF format. 

Best wishes
Derek Manners

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 9, 2015, at 2:08 PM, Anita Keith-Foust via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Dear Michal:
> 
> You have really revealed a lot of great information about the publishers
> responsibilities. I had no clue about this. My poor butchered books! I will
> look into this. 
> 
> My experience has been extremely negative when it comes to getting textbook
> information in advance. As you know, I am working towards to making that
> change at my alma mater.
> 
> All of your questions are really good and the answers to these research
> questions certainly will help all of us.
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> Anita Keith-Foust
> 919-430-1978
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
> Nowicki via blindlaw
> Sent: Monday, January 5, 2015 1:08 PM
> To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from
> the Publisher
> 
> Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,
> 
> 
> 
> I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for
> 2015.
> 
> 
> 
> I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses
> from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know that
> you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know
> that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities
> textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
> This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or
> through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in which
> case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To
> satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such materials
> in PDF format.
> 
> 
> 
> That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me
> some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and
> other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA
> accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully
> accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for
> headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this
> actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you
> recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?  Also,
> do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?
> 
> 
> 
> I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received all
> materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
> That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always
> converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw the
> publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.  Looking
> ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion staff
> the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated
> efficiently using assistive technology.
> 
> 
> 
> Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based on
> the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law
> students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is about
> to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority
> registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they
> take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if applicable, to
> scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do
> publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a request
> for electronic copies of the books?
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward to
> reading your responses.
> 
> 
> 
> Best,
> 
> 
> 
> Michal
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/anitakeithfoust%40gmai
> l.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dmanners%40jd16.law.harvard.edu


From anitakeithfoust at gmail.com  Fri Jan  9 19:20:11 2015
From: anitakeithfoust at gmail.com (Anita Keith-Foust)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2015 14:20:11 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Copy of Sabotaged Email and the Need for the Database
In-Reply-To: <003601d029e1$78e61770$6ab24650$@icloud.com>
References: <000001d029df$2f09c680$8d1d5380$@gmail.com>
	<003601d029e1$78e61770$6ab24650$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <034501d02c41$4b4d5500$e1e7ff00$@gmail.com>

Dear Michal:

No, I am including all levels of education.

I met with my web master and explained to her what I want to do. I am even
including public school systems as well.

We discussed the various categories, which means, for instance, the law
school category would be a separate category to make the search more
simplified.

Also, I would like to include all disabilities, not just visual. However, I
will focus on law schools and the visually impaired first because that was
the basis for the database.

I am eating this elephant one bite at a time.

Thank you.

Anita Keith-Foust
919-430-1978


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 1:49 PM
To: 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Copy of Sabotaged Email and the Need for the
Database

Anita,

Does this mean that you wish to limit the contents of the database to law
schools?  I see where you are going with this, but don't forget that
students with disabilities experience discrimination in all fields of study.

Best,

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Anita
Keith-Foust via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 12:33 PM
To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blindlaw] Copy of Sabotaged Email and the Need for the Database

Happy New Year Everyone!

 

I thank Michal for all that he does and all of you for hanging tough. It has
been a fast paced new year for me. I am trying to catch up on my emails.

 

Please find attached the email that I was talking about during the Christmas
holiday where a student was sabotaged. That student was me. I had to check
before I shared this email and it is fine for me to share.

 

I was shocked by what was written in the email from those North Carolina
Central University School of Law (NCCU) faculty members. Since they teach
law, I took for granted that they knew better than to not comply with the
Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Furthermore, I have high expectations
for NCCU because they are a historically Black university. To me, as an
African American, they should be against discrimination due to the well
documented hardships and civil rights struggles to have access to public
accommodations and etc.

 

Furthermore, I have three degrees from NCCU and am a honor student. I am
very active in the community. The only thing that was missing was a high
LSAT score. I visited various deans beforehand, but not Donald Corbett, so
they knew I was visually impaired. They encouraged me to apply and said that
they admired my tenacity. They also told me they don't give the LSAT score
higher weight than the other factors. So, when they admitted me to the
Performance Based Program (PBAP), I knew, with accommodations, I was in
without a problem. Little did I know that brewing in the background, there
was a conspiracy to prevent me from having accommodations. I really am hurt.
I won't go into a lot of details right now because the email would be very
long. I will just say that if I knew that I was going to be sabotaged, I
would not have wasted my time applying to the law school.

 

I don't know about what to expect from other law schools and that is why it
is a good idea to have a database with evidence and experiences from other
students. This will be the ultimate networking tool. I have been working on
the case against NCCU, LSAT prep course accommodations issues, and the
database. Any and all information that you are willing to submit is greatly
appreciated. 

 

I am including information accessed from the OCR via the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) so that we can have concrete documentation to refer
to in the database. Imagine this, you will click on a link and have
immediate access to the complaints and findings of the OCR. Additionally,
any experiences from students will be available. I am really motivated to
have this done as fast as I can pull it together. I will give you an update
on the database in a couple of weeks.

 

I also would like to get any feedback from you regarding the attached email.

 

Thank you.

 

Anita Keith-Foust

919-430-1978

 

 



_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/anitakeithfoust%40gmai
l.com



From mnowicki4 at icloud.com  Fri Jan  9 19:26:28 2015
From: mnowicki4 at icloud.com (Michal Nowicki)
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 13:26:28 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks
 Obtained	Directly	from the Publisher
In-Reply-To: <00d301d02c40$66be9700$343bc500$@sbgaal.com>
References: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
	<031901d02c3f$b67c0fd0$23742f70$@gmail.com>
	<00d301d02c40$66be9700$343bc500$@sbgaal.com>
Message-ID: <000601d02c42$2af94fb0$80ebef10$@icloud.com>

Dear all,

I wanted to apologize to all of you for posting potentially misleading
information to this mailing list.  Some time ago, I heard from a counselor
that publishers are required to provide accessible copies of the textbooks
they publish, but I never verified the accuracy of this information.
Instead, I prematurely assumed it to be true.  I didn't mean to cause any
confusion, and I hope that someone on this list can definitively clarify
this issue by citing relevant legislation.

Cordially,

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Shannon via
blindlaw
Sent: Friday, January 9, 2015 1:14 PM
To: 'Anita Keith-Foust'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
from the Publisher

So is it the publishers that are legally required to provide or the schools?
Please provide the regulation or statute imposing this requirement.

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Anita
Keith-Foust via blindlaw
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2015 1:09 PM
To: 'Michal Nowicki'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'; 'Illinois Association of
Blind Students List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
from the Publisher

Dear Michal:

You have really revealed a lot of great information about the publishers
responsibilities. I had no clue about this. My poor butchered books! I will
look into this. 

My experience has been extremely negative when it comes to getting textbook
information in advance. As you know, I am working towards to making that
change at my alma mater.

All of your questions are really good and the answers to these research
questions certainly will help all of us.

Thank you.

Anita Keith-Foust
919-430-1978

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, January 5, 2015 1:08 PM
To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from
the Publisher

Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,

 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for
2015.

 

I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses
from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know that
you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know
that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities
textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or
through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in which
case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To
satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such materials
in PDF format.

 

That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me
some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and
other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA
accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully
accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for
headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this
actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you
recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?  Also,
do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?

 

I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received all
materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always
converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw the
publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.  Looking
ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion staff
the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated
efficiently using assistive technology.

 

Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based on
the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law
students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is about
to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority
registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they
take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if applicable, to
scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do
publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a request
for electronic copies of the books?

 

Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward to
reading your responses.

 

Best,

 

Michal

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/anitakeithfoust%40gmai
l.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/sbg%40sbgaal.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com



From al.elia at aol.com  Fri Jan  9 19:34:20 2015
From: al.elia at aol.com (ALBERT ELIA)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2015 14:34:20 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained
	Directly	from the Publisher
In-Reply-To: <00d301d02c40$66be9700$343bc500$@sbgaal.com>
References: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
	<031901d02c3f$b67c0fd0$23742f70$@gmail.com>
	<00d301d02c40$66be9700$343bc500$@sbgaal.com>
Message-ID: <C4BD1B5D-7CAF-4B79-BFC0-BEE02D1F2822@aol.com>

The burden is on the school: http://www.pacer.org/publications/adaqa/504.asp

However, the publishers often provide the PDF versions of their texts when available. Whether a publisher is required to provide the PDF or not, it is in a publisher's interest to do so because they can contractually control the sharing of the PDF that way (e.g., publisher-provided PDFs can't be shared on bookshare, whereas a student-scanned PDF could be).



On Jan 9, 2015, at 2:13 PM, Shannon via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> So is it the publishers that are legally required to provide or the schools?
> Please provide the regulation or statute imposing this requirement.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Anita
> Keith-Foust via blindlaw
> Sent: Friday, January 09, 2015 1:09 PM
> To: 'Michal Nowicki'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'; 'Illinois Association of
> Blind Students List'
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
> from the Publisher
> 
> Dear Michal:
> 
> You have really revealed a lot of great information about the publishers
> responsibilities. I had no clue about this. My poor butchered books! I will
> look into this. 
> 
> My experience has been extremely negative when it comes to getting textbook
> information in advance. As you know, I am working towards to making that
> change at my alma mater.
> 
> All of your questions are really good and the answers to these research
> questions certainly will help all of us.
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> Anita Keith-Foust
> 919-430-1978
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
> Nowicki via blindlaw
> Sent: Monday, January 5, 2015 1:08 PM
> To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from
> the Publisher
> 
> Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,
> 
> 
> 
> I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for
> 2015.
> 
> 
> 
> I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses
> from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know that
> you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know
> that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities
> textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
> This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or
> through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in which
> case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To
> satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such materials
> in PDF format.
> 
> 
> 
> That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me
> some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and
> other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA
> accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully
> accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for
> headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this
> actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you
> recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?  Also,
> do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?
> 
> 
> 
> I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received all
> materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
> That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always
> converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw the
> publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.  Looking
> ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion staff
> the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated
> efficiently using assistive technology.
> 
> 
> 
> Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based on
> the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law
> students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is about
> to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority
> registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they
> take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if applicable, to
> scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do
> publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a request
> for electronic copies of the books?
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward to
> reading your responses.
> 
> 
> 
> Best,
> 
> 
> 
> Michal
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/anitakeithfoust%40gmai
> l.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/sbg%40sbgaal.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/al.elia%40aol.com



From chrisgriggs0 at gmail.com  Fri Jan  9 19:44:04 2015
From: chrisgriggs0 at gmail.com (Chris Griggs)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2015 13:44:04 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly
 from the Publisher
In-Reply-To: <ED0C4C2B-1815-4776-8179-9ECD9EAC921A@jd16.law.harvard.edu>
References: <004201d02912$897c4fc0$9c74ef40$@icloud.com>
	<031901d02c3f$b67c0fd0$23742f70$@gmail.com>
	<ED0C4C2B-1815-4776-8179-9ECD9EAC921A@jd16.law.harvard.edu>
Message-ID: <CAEu=ibT3R1yczHDHXHmpb302+tRD89hZYm2V-aStWxmE5g1EJw@mail.gmail.com>

I am not fully blind, yet, so I use PDF's regularly, but not with JAWS or
other readers.  I also, usually get them through the disabilities office,
rather than the publishers.  I had a lot of difficulty with what I received
for my first semester of law school and have found that the use of Adobe
Pro allows me to easily modify PDF;s to usable formats, which is especially
useful when you get one in a JPEG format.  It is more work for me to do,
but a few hours once a semester is worth it to me so that I can ensure that
the books are usable for my specific study methods.  i.e. adding bookmarks
where the prof has stressed a particular case   The program was provided by
my VR counselor and simple to use.  I hope this helps youl

On Fri, Jan 9, 2015 at 1:14 PM, Derek Manners via blindlaw <
blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> As a law student at Harvard, I've only ever received books from the
> publisher in PDF. I have to say that they are usable but they are by no
> means perfect.
>
> As far as registration accommodation etc., my experience has been that I
> always have my textbooks in plenty of time in PDF format.
>
> Best wishes
> Derek Manners
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Jan 9, 2015, at 2:08 PM, Anita Keith-Foust via blindlaw <
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >
> > Dear Michal:
> >
> > You have really revealed a lot of great information about the publishers
> > responsibilities. I had no clue about this. My poor butchered books! I
> will
> > look into this.
> >
> > My experience has been extremely negative when it comes to getting
> textbook
> > information in advance. As you know, I am working towards to making that
> > change at my alma mater.
> >
> > All of your questions are really good and the answers to these research
> > questions certainly will help all of us.
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> > Anita Keith-Foust
> > 919-430-1978
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
> > Nowicki via blindlaw
> > Sent: Monday, January 5, 2015 1:08 PM
> > To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'; 'Blind Law Mailing
> List'
> > Subject: [blindlaw] Accessibility of PDF Textbooks Obtained Directly from
> > the Publisher
> >
> > Dear Current Students and Recent Graduates,
> >
> >
> >
> > I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are ready for
> > 2015.
> >
> >
> >
> > I am addressing this message to you directly, though I welcome responses
> > from everyone who is willing and able to provide them, because I know
> that
> > you can give me the most accurate information.  I'm sure many of you know
> > that publishers are required to provide students with print disabilities
> > textbooks in alternate format if the students provide proof of purchase.
> > This obviously applies to books that are not readily accessible online or
> > through a library service like LearningAlly and/or Bookshare.org, in
> which
> > case members may download them without even contacting the publisher.  To
> > satisfy this requirement, most, if not all, publishers offer such
> materials
> > in PDF format.
> >
> >
> >
> > That being established, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give
> me
> > some information as to the navigability of these documents with JAWS and
> > other screen readers.  Since publishers offer this service as an ADA
> > accommodation, I would expect, at least in theory, them to be fully
> > accessible.  That is, I would expect them to be tagged, as well as for
> > headings and other HTML elements to be used properly.  However, is this
> > actually the case?  If not, are the files accessible enough that you
> > recommend using them in an academic environment, such as law school?
> Also,
> > do all publishers seem to follow the same accessibility standards?
> >
> >
> >
> > I am asking you all these questions because as an undergrad, I received
> all
> > materials from the office for students with disabilities in Word format.
> > That is, when the office received PDFs from publishers, they always
> > converted them into Word files for me.  Consequently, I never even saw
> the
> > publisher PDFs, so I don't know anything about their accessibility.
> Looking
> > ahead to law school, though, I would like to spare document conversion
> staff
> > the extra work if it turns out that publisher PDFs can be navigated
> > efficiently using assistive technology.
> >
> >
> >
> > Finally, I have some questions specific to law school case books.  Based
> on
> > the research I have conducted, my understanding is that entering law
> > students are often not assigned to instructors until the semester is
> about
> > to begin.  Is this true?  If so, can such students be granted priority
> > registration as a reasonable accommodation?  If not, what steps can they
> > take to insure that the disability office has enough time, if
> applicable, to
> > scan their textbooks before classes begin?  Finally, how responsive do
> > publishers of law school case books tend to be when they receive a
> request
> > for electronic copies of the books?
> >
> >
> >
> > Thank you in advance for answering my questions.  I eagerly look forward
> to
> > reading your responses.
> >
> >
> >
> > Best,
> >
> >
> >
> > Michal
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > blindlaw mailing list
> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> > blindlaw:
> >
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/anitakeithfoust%40gmai
> > l.com
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > blindlaw mailing list
> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> >
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dmanners%40jd16.law.harvard.edu
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
>
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/chrisgriggs0%40gmail.com
>



-- 
Chris Griggs

From d-benbow at live.com  Fri Jan  9 21:24:00 2015
From: d-benbow at live.com (Dawn Benbow)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2015 16:24:00 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Question about Jaws compatability
Message-ID: <BAY405-EAS25222C44425EBF58E81A8B3F9440@phx.gbl>

Hi everyone,

	I'm starting the last semester of my undergraduate program in Paralegal Studies. I've found an unpaid internship and will be starting that on Monday. One of the classes that I'm taking this semester that is a degree requirement is called "Law office Economics and technology" I don't think I'll have any trouble with the first half of the class as it's reviewing and going into more detail on a weekend class I took with the same instructor on e-discovery. However, in the second half of the semester we are supposed to be working with four different software packages that are used in law offices. I have no idea if any of these are at all accessible with Jaws, and was hoping that some of you may be able to let me know. The software we'll be using in class is Concordance, Case Map, Time Map, and Trial Director/Sanction. 

	Thanks for any assistance,

Dawn

Dawn Benbow,
email: d-benbow at live.com
Twitter: @DAndB_LDS
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DawnAndBaskin
Face Book: www.facebook.com/WinterWarmKnits

From dmanners at jd16.law.harvard.edu  Sat Jan 10 05:47:43 2015
From: dmanners at jd16.law.harvard.edu (Derek Manners)
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 00:47:43 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Question about Jaws compatability
In-Reply-To: <BAY405-EAS25222C44425EBF58E81A8B3F9440@phx.gbl>
References: <BAY405-EAS25222C44425EBF58E81A8B3F9440@phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <F01A9E34-1106-4ECB-AD6F-400A1D4DB274@jd16.law.harvard.edu>

I've only used concordance with zoomtext but it is pretty awful even for those with perfect sight. It may be completely accessible though in that you can use it to the same annoying degree as those with sight. 

Sorry I can't be of more help. I really need to get a copy of jaws so I can test it out on these things. 

Will you keep us posited once you find out if it is off list?  I'd be interested to know.

Best Wishes
Derek Manners

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 9, 2015, at 4:24 PM, Dawn Benbow via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi everyone,
> 
>    I'm starting the last semester of my undergraduate program in Paralegal Studies. I've found an unpaid internship and will be starting that on Monday. One of the classes that I'm taking this semester that is a degree requirement is called "Law office Economics and technology" I don't think I'll have any trouble with the first half of the class as it's reviewing and going into more detail on a weekend class I took with the same instructor on e-discovery. However, in the second half of the semester we are supposed to be working with four different software packages that are used in law offices. I have no idea if any of these are at all accessible with Jaws, and was hoping that some of you may be able to let me know. The software we'll be using in class is Concordance, Case Map, Time Map, and Trial Director/Sanction. 
> 
>    Thanks for any assistance,
> 
> Dawn
> 
> Dawn Benbow,
> email: d-benbow at live.com
> Twitter: @DAndB_LDS
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DawnAndBaskin
> Face Book: www.facebook.com/WinterWarmKnits
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dmanners%40jd16.law.harvard.edu


From sbg at sbgaal.com  Mon Jan 12 02:14:06 2015
From: sbg at sbgaal.com (Shannon)
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 20:14:06 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] time for 1/11/15
Message-ID: <00a101d02e0d$720272c0$56075840$@sbgaal.com>

Acree - review casa report; drafted notes to file - .3

Simpson - review file; reviewed casa report; drafted notes to file - .3

 

Sincerely,

 

Shannon Brady Geihsler

 

Law Office of Shannon Brady Geihsler, PLLC

1001 Main St., Suite 803

Lubbock, Texas 79401

Office:  (806) 763-3999

Mobile:  (806) 781-9296

Fax:  (806) 749-3752

E-Mail:  sbg at sbgaal.com

This email may contain material that is confidential, privileged and/or
attorney work product for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any
review, reliance or distribution by others or forwarding without express
permission is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient,
please contact the sender and delete all copies.

 


From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov  Tue Jan 13 20:34:29 2015
From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel)
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 14:34:29 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Justice Department Reaches Settlement Agreement with
 the National Museum of Crime and Punishment
In-Reply-To: <17354614.715@public.govdelivery.com>
References: <17354614.715@public.govdelivery.com>
Message-ID: <04F1893C93758F4AA7CB436BB26750660136CCBE7192@EDUPTCEXMB02.ed.gov>



From: U.S. Department of Justice [mailto:usdoj at public.govdelivery.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2015 10:10 AM
To: Nightingale, Noel
Subject: Justice Department Reaches Settlement Agreement with the National Museum of Crime and Punishment


The Justice Department announced today<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&100&&&http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-reaches-settlement-national-museum-crime-and-punishment-improve-access> that it has entered into a Settlement Agreement <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&101&&&http://www.ada.gov/crime_punishment_museum/crime_punishment_sa.htm> with the National Museum of Crime and Punishment (Crime Museum). The museum is devoted to exploring the history of crime, law enforcement, forensic science, and crime scene investigation. The agreement resolves the Department's allegations that the museum is not accessible as required by the Americans with Disabiliites Act (ADA) because some of its programs, exhibits, and facilities are not accessible to people with disabilities, including individuals who are blind or have low vision or are deaf or hard of hearing, and individuals who have disabilities affecting manual dexterity.  Under the agreement, the Crime Museum will adopt measures to ensure that users with disabilities are able to fully and equally enjoy all of its programs, exhibits, and facilities by taking measures such as providing staff assistance or pre-recorded audio description of program and exhibit information for patrons who are blind or have low vision, providing a printed coy of program information not available in print, for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing, ensuring that its website conforms to the Level AA Success Criteria and Conformance Requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines ('WCAG") 2.0 level AA, and removing physical barriers such as protruding objects, inaccessible routes, and restroom barriers.

To find out more about this settlement agreement <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&102&&&http://www.ada.gov/crime_punishment_museum/crime_punishment_sa.htm> or the ADA, call the Justice Department's toll-free ADA Information Lin<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&103&&&http://www.ada.gov/contact_drs.htm>e at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA website at http://www.ada.gov/<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&104&&&http://www.ada.gov/>

________________________________
[cid:image001.jpg at 01D02F2D.465BCEC0]<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&105&&&http://www.google.com>  Follow<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&106&&&http://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept> The Department of Justice on Twitter. |   [cid:image001.jpg at 01D02F2D.465BCEC0] <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&107&&&http://facebook.com/DOJ>   Like<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&108&&&http://facebook.com/DOJ> The Department of Justice on Facebook.
________________________________
You have received this e-mail because you have asked to be notified of changes to the U.S. Department of Justice<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&109&&&http://justice.gov> website. GovDelivery is providing this service on behalf of the Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW * Washington, DC 20530 * 202-514-2000 and may not use your subscription information for any other purposes.

Manage your Subscriptions<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&110&&&https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOJ/subscriber/new?preferences=true> | Department of Justice Privacy Policy <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&111&&&http://www.justice.gov/privacy-file.htm>  | GovDelivery Privacy Policy <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTEzLjQwMjI0MzgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExMy40MDIyNDM4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU0NjE0JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&112&&&https://subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com/hc/en-us/articles/200355775-GovDelivery-Privacy-Policy>





-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 335 bytes
Desc: image001.jpg
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150113/59e847f2/attachment-0008.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 332 bytes
Desc: image002.jpg
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150113/59e847f2/attachment-0009.jpg>

From gerard.sadlier at gmail.com  Thu Jan 15 11:45:27 2015
From: gerard.sadlier at gmail.com (Gerard Sadlier)
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:45:27 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] In Control E Discovery Platform
Message-ID: <CAGZitz+tt4bu3Fuzor0HTKW8xdW-BEUSNx9JZA2Z9WsFMz1pow@mail.gmail.com>

Hello all

Has anyone used this with JAWS and if so, can you please give me any
feedback regarding this platform which you may have?

Many thanks

Ger


From tim at timeldermusic.com  Thu Jan 15 21:50:12 2015
From: tim at timeldermusic.com (Tim Elder)
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:50:12 -0800
Subject: [blindlaw] Blind Lawyers Networking in DC
Message-ID: <003a01d0310d$3da936a0$b8fba3e0$@timeldermusic.com>

Hello fellow blind attorneys,

Over the last two years, many of us have gathered for a networking lunch in
Washington D.C at the end of January.  A group of us would like to repeat
the networking event.  Though we cannot do a formal catered lunch this year,
we do plan to informally get together for a dinner on Tuesday evening,
January 27th at the Tortilla Coast Capitol Hill, 400 First Street SE.  We
have a reservation for 10-20 at 6:30 PM.  

R.S.V.P. via email to lkb at labarrelaw.com if you would like to attend.
Please also provide your most permanent email address if you would like to
receive notifications in upcoming years.  I notice that some have changed
employers since we last sent out invitations.  We have limited space given
the informal gathering, but will do our best to include all who respond.
some may arrive late given work commutes.  You will be able to order
directly from the restaurant menu.

All blind attorneys are welcome.  Please share this invitation with your
fellow professionals who will be in the Washington D.C. area.

I look forward to seeing you in Washington,

Regards,

Timothy Elder 
Attorney 
TRE Legal Practice, LLC 
1126 East 36th Street 
Baltimore, MD 21218 
Phone: (410) 415-3493 
Fax: (888) 718-0617 
E-mail: telder at trelegal.com 
www.trelegal.com <http://www.trelegal.com/>  
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
Confidentiality Notice
This e-mail may contain confidential information that may also be legally
privileged and that is intended only for the use of the Addressee(s) named
above. If you are not the intended recipient or an authorized agent of the
recipient, please be advised that any dissemination or copying of this
e-mail, or taking of any action in reliance on the information contained
herein, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error,
please notify me immediately by use of the Reply button, and then delete the
e-mail from your system. Thank you!





Timothy Elder 
Attorney 
TRE Legal Practice, LLC 
4226 Castanos Street 
Fremont, CA 94536 
Phone: (410) 415-3493 
Fax: (888) 718-0617 
E-mail: telder at trelegal.com 
www.trelegal.com <http://www.trelegal.com/>  
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
Confidentiality Notice
This e-mail may contain confidential information that may also be legally
privileged and that is intended only for the use of the Addressee(s) named
above. If you are not the intended recipient or an authorized agent of the
recipient, please be advised that any dissemination or copying of this
e-mail, or taking of any action in reliance on the information contained
herein, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error,
please notify me immediately by use of the Reply button, and then delete the
e-mail from your system. Thank you!





From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov  Thu Jan 15 23:31:28 2015
From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel)
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 17:31:28 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] DOJ Educational Opportunities Section attorney position
 in Washington, D.C.
Message-ID: <04F1893C93758F4AA7CB436BB26750660136CCBE755D@EDUPTCEXMB02.ed.gov>



From: U.S. Department of Justice [mailto:usdoj at public.govdelivery.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2015 2:17 PM
Subject: Attorney Vacancies Update

[cid:image001.jpg at 01D030D8.54A91260]<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTE1LjQwMzUyNjkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExNS40MDM1MjY5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU3NTI3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&100&&&http://justice.gov>


You are subscribed to Attorney Vacancies<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTE1LjQwMzUyNjkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExNS40MDM1MjY5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU3NTI3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&101&&&http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/attorneys-vacancies> for U.S. Department of Justice. This page has recently been updated with the following new information:
Trial Attorney<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTE1LjQwMzUyNjkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExNS40MDM1MjY5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU3NTI3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&102&&&http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/trial-attorney-44>
01/15/2015 01:11 PM EST

Civil Rights Division (CRT)
Educational Opportunities Section
Washington, DC
Announcement #: 15-ATT-003
Application Deadline: February 5, 2015

The incumbent selected for this position will be responsible for investigating complaints of discrimination, including conducting site visits and interviews; conducting legal and factual research; developing legal arguments and drafting memoranda on substantive legal and policy issues; preparing and responding to discovery requests; preparing witnesses and participating in depositions; developing and presenting the government's case in federal court; monitoring and enforcing judgments and agreements to ensure compliance by responding parties; drafting and editing settlement proposals; preparing and participating in settlement negotiations and mediation on behalf of the Division; reviewing and recommending private litigation for amicus participation or intervention; reviewing and contributing to appellate memoranda; analyzing and preparing proposals and recommendations on a variety of legal, policy, regulatory, and legislative documents and guidance; responding to policy inquiries, letters, memoranda, testimony, and other written materials; making public appearances and conducting outreach to educate constituents and stakeholders about the laws that EOS enforces and providing technical assistance on aspects of compliance with those laws.


________________________________
[cid:image002.jpg at 01D030D8.54A91260]<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTE1LjQwMzUyNjkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExNS40MDM1MjY5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU3NTI3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&103&&&http://www.google.com>  Follow<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTE1LjQwMzUyNjkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExNS40MDM1MjY5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU3NTI3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&104&&&http://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept> The Department of Justice on Twitter. |   [cid:image002.jpg at 01D030D8.54A91260] <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTE1LjQwMzUyNjkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExNS40MDM1MjY5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU3NTI3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&105&&&http://facebook.com/DOJ>   Like<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTE1LjQwMzUyNjkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExNS40MDM1MjY5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU3NTI3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&106&&&http://facebook.com/DOJ> The Department of Justice on Facebook.
________________________________
You have received this e-mail because you have asked to be notified of changes to the U.S. Department of Justice<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTE1LjQwMzUyNjkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExNS40MDM1MjY5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU3NTI3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&107&&&http://justice.gov> website. GovDelivery is providing this service on behalf of the Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW * Washington, DC 20530 * 202-514-2000 and may not use your subscription information for any other purposes.

Manage your Subscriptions<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTE1LjQwMzUyNjkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExNS40MDM1MjY5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU3NTI3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&108&&&https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOJ/subscriber/new?preferences=true> | Department of Justice Privacy Policy <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTE1LjQwMzUyNjkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExNS40MDM1MjY5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU3NTI3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&109&&&http://www.justice.gov/privacy-file.htm>  | GovDelivery Privacy Policy <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTE1LjQwMzUyNjkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDExNS40MDM1MjY5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzU3NTI3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&110&&&https://service.govdelivery.com/service/privacy_partner.html?code=USDOJ>





-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 930 bytes
Desc: image001.jpg
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150115/be5f0103/attachment-0012.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 335 bytes
Desc: image002.jpg
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150115/be5f0103/attachment-0013.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image003.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 332 bytes
Desc: image003.jpg
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150115/be5f0103/attachment-0014.jpg>

From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov  Fri Jan 16 18:25:01 2015
From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel)
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 12:25:01 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Opening: DOJ Experienced Attorney - U.S. Attorney's
 Office - Idaho (Boise)
References: <98FD9E295B75F04DA194CE1F76363F2A251458@DPRC-EXCH-P05.JCONMAIL.doj.gov>
	<98FD9E295B75F04DA194CE1F76363F2A3CA07744@DPRC-EXCH-P05.JCONMAIL.doj.gov>
Message-ID: <04F1893C93758F4AA7CB436BB26750660136CCBE7665@EDUPTCEXMB02.ed.gov>

From: Parker, Richard L. (OAAG) [mailto:Richard.L.Parker2 at usdoj.gov]
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2015 9:38 AM
To: 'president at abaw.org'; 'jeff at jefflianglaw.com'; 'edelossantos at trueblueinc.com'; 'samiolaw at aol.com'; 'abigail.daquiz at gmail.com'; 'president at q-law.org'; 'asachs at q-law.org'; 'hbrajcich at lawschool.gonzaga.edu'; 'president at lmba.net'; 'nicole at gaineslawoffice.com'; 'boksulee at yahoo.com'; 'dko at kellerrohrback.com'; 'DavisJK at LanePowell.com'; 'fe.f.lopez at gmail.com'; 'teebah.alsaleh at edifecs.com'; 'bneshghi at gmail.com'; 'damon at damonshadid.com'; 'shaker at ryanlaw.com'; 'miriamayoub at gmail.com'; 'mboulos at trueblueinc.com'; 'milliek at nwjustice.org'; 'efry at sisna.com'; 'pete at araquin.com'; 'lking at byrneskeller.com'; 'amber.penn-roco at klgates.com'; 'lawcareers at seattleu.edu'; 'slara at seattleu.edu'; Swaminathan, Aravind (USAWAW); 'sabawashington at gmail.com'; 'RSarathy at perkinscoie.com'; 'cpld at uw.edu'; 'holly728 at uw.edu'; 'gatespsl at uw.edu'; 'mestorms at uw.edu'; 'nalc at uw.edu'; 'leeperthuynguyen at yahoo.com'; 'dinhS at foster.com'; 'jmishkin at integritylawgroup.net'; 'binh.nguyen at becu.org'; 'jessica.nguyen at avalara.com'; 'michelleqpham at gmail.com'; 'kphu at campicheblue.com'; 'Alice.truong at nordstrom.com'; 'jliutruong at amslaw.net'; 'stuarpix at microsoft.com'; 'Amy.Allbright at americanbar.org'; 'William.Phelan at americanbar.org'; 'chachdw at wsba.org'; 'roberttaylor11 at comcast.net'; 'maureenm1 at atg.wa.gov'; 'slavicbar at gmail.com'; 'KMDas at perkinscoie.com'; Nightingale, Noel; 'cardozo at jewishinseattle.org'; 'asb at bmatlaw.com'; 'aaron at glblaw.com'; 'zanabugaighis at DWT.com'; 'dclarks at co.pierce.wa.us'; 'alison.bettles at nordstrom.com'; 'jeannec at wsba.org'; 'law-careers at uidaho.edu'; 'pafergus at asu.edu'; 'Kelly Simon'; 'Jesse at valdezlehman.com'; 'rcarrion at da.lacounty.gov'; 'joshua.s.williams at co.benton.or.us'; 'Travis.Buchanan at CityofHenderson.com'
Subject: Opening: DOJ Experienced Attorney - U.S. Attorney's Office - Idaho (Boise)

I would like to share with you and ask you to disseminate the following vacancy announcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho is seeking an experienced attorney to fill an opening for an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Civil Division.
Justice seeks to attract, retain, and promote individuals of exceptional ability and talent from all walks of life. The work environment and atmosphere is open, diverse, collegial, and inclusive. There are active affinity groups for African-American; Asian-American; Hispanic; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT); and Native American employees, which are open to all DOJ employees regardless of background. Justice fosters a work environment where people of all backgrounds and experiences may reach their full potential.
Thank you for your help in disseminating this vacancy announcement.  This and other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at: http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/attvacancies.html.
USAO District of Idaho<http://www.justice.gov/usao/id>
Attorney
800 Park Blvd., Ste. 600
Boise, ID 83712
United States
15-ID-AUSA-01

About the Office: The United States Attorney's Office represents the United States in criminal and civil actions in federal district court throughout the state of Idaho. It has offices in Boise, Pocatello, and Coeur d'Alene. The Civil Division has 5-6 attorneys. It is based in Boise. The Criminal Division has approximately 20 attorneys.
This vacancy is in the Civil Division in Boise. The Civil Division defends the United States, its agencies and employees against Federal Tort Claims Act cases, constitutional torts, discrimination claims, Administrative Procedure Act cases, and appeals of Social Security disability claims; and represents the interests of the United States in tax and bankruptcy cases. It also brings affirmative actions to recover money owed to the United States Government and to protect individual civil rights; and intervenes in and prosecutes select qui tam cases.
Job Description: The District has an opening for an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Civil Division. This position is a general civil litigation position. The attorney will represent the United States, its agencies and employees, in a variety of civil cases, both affirmative and defensive.
All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14 month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
Qualifications:
Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S jurisdiction), and have at least 2 years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
Preferred qualifications: Ideally, an applicant will have: a record of academic excellence, demonstrated commitment to public service, experience as a federal law clerk, three to eight years of experience as a civil litigator, a strong desire to practice in Idaho, experience prosecuting or defending civil cases as a first or second chair, experience conducting depositions, and experience planning and executing case strategy. In addition, the ideal applicant will demonstrate superior written and oral communication skills, superior research skills, and a demonstrated ability to work well with others, including support staff, peers, and supervisors.
United States citizenship is required.
Salary: Assistant United States Attorneys' pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $45,027 to $132,849 plus locality pay where authorized.
Travel: Travel is required, both within and outside the District of Idaho.
Application Process: Interested persons should send an original, signed cover letter; detailed resume; writing sample (ideally, edited solely by the applicant and 7-12 pages in length, with substantive legal analysis), and two references who may be called at any time during the hiring process. The signed cover letter should state why the applicant wants to work in the district of Idaho.
Although the “point” system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed.
Applications must be received by January 30, 2015.
Please send your resume to:
Wendy J. Olson, United States Attorney
Attn: Becky Early
United States Attorney's Office
District of Idaho
800 Park Blvd., Ste. 600
Boise, ID 83712
No telephone calls please.
Application Deadline: Friday, January 30, 2015
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be paid.
Number of Positions: 1
Updated January 16, 2015
*         *         *
Department Policies
Equal Employment Opportunity:  The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.  Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a parent, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, on the basis of personal favoritism, or any other non-merit factor.  The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice.
Reasonable Accommodations:  This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency.  Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities:   The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements.  Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority.  Individuals with targeted/severe disabilities are encouraged to register for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Shared List of People with Disabilities (the Bender Disability Employment Registry) by submitting their resume to resume at benderconsult.com<mailto:resume at benderconsult.com>
Email links icon
and referencing "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line.  Additional information about the Bender Registry is available at www.benderconsult.com [external link]<http://www.benderconsult.com/>.  Individuals with disabilities may also contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC).  See list of DPOCs<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/disability-points-contact>.
Suitability and Citizenship:  It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment.  Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys' Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. Citizens are extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements.  Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Veterans:  There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf <http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf> for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his  or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
 *         *         *
 This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/attorneys-vacancies> and Volunteer Legal Internships<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/volunteer-internship-opportunities>. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.


From taiablas at gmail.com  Fri Jan 16 21:13:40 2015
From: taiablas at gmail.com (Tai Tomasi)
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 15:13:40 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Purchasing Accessible Books from Lexis
Message-ID: <07c301d031d1$4d68bce0$e83a36a0$@gmail.com>

Hello all. I recently graduated law school and am wanting to buy an
accessible version of a Lexis textbook. A Kindle version does exist, but my
research suggests that reading textbooks in Kindle format with a braille
display via the iOS app is difficult. How might I go about obtaining an
accessible version directly from Lexis on my own behalf? In the past, Lexis
has required me to go through the disability services office.
 
Thanks.
 
Tai

From davant1958 at gmail.com  Mon Jan 19 18:04:21 2015
From: davant1958 at gmail.com (Denise Avant)
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 12:04:21 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Blind Lawyers Networking in DC
In-Reply-To: <003a01d0310d$3da936a0$b8fba3e0$@timeldermusic.com>
References: <003a01d0310d$3da936a0$b8fba3e0$@timeldermusic.com>
Message-ID: <9F7FF6CC-67D0-4A93-9439-4756CBE59754@gmail.com>

Dear Tim,
Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the dinner on January 27. My State is having its dinner at the same time.

Denise R. Avant
President, National Federation Of The Blind Of Illinois
Live the life you want



> On Jan 15, 2015, at 3:50 PM, Tim Elder via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello fellow blind attorneys,
> 
> Over the last two years, many of us have gathered for a networking lunch in
> Washington D.C at the end of January.  A group of us would like to repeat
> the networking event.  Though we cannot do a formal catered lunch this year,
> we do plan to informally get together for a dinner on Tuesday evening,
> January 27th at the Tortilla Coast Capitol Hill, 400 First Street SE.  We
> have a reservation for 10-20 at 6:30 PM.  
> 
> R.S.V.P. via email to lkb at labarrelaw.com if you would like to attend.
> Please also provide your most permanent email address if you would like to
> receive notifications in upcoming years.  I notice that some have changed
> employers since we last sent out invitations.  We have limited space given
> the informal gathering, but will do our best to include all who respond.
> some may arrive late given work commutes.  You will be able to order
> directly from the restaurant menu.
> 
> All blind attorneys are welcome.  Please share this invitation with your
> fellow professionals who will be in the Washington D.C. area.
> 
> I look forward to seeing you in Washington,
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Timothy Elder 
> Attorney 
> TRE Legal Practice, LLC 
> 1126 East 36th Street 
> Baltimore, MD 21218 
> Phone: (410) 415-3493 
> Fax: (888) 718-0617 
> E-mail: telder at trelegal.com 
> www.trelegal.com <http://www.trelegal.com/>  
> Please consider the environment before printing this email.
> Confidentiality Notice
> This e-mail may contain confidential information that may also be legally
> privileged and that is intended only for the use of the Addressee(s) named
> above. If you are not the intended recipient or an authorized agent of the
> recipient, please be advised that any dissemination or copying of this
> e-mail, or taking of any action in reliance on the information contained
> herein, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error,
> please notify me immediately by use of the Reply button, and then delete the
> e-mail from your system. Thank you!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Timothy Elder 
> Attorney 
> TRE Legal Practice, LLC 
> 4226 Castanos Street 
> Fremont, CA 94536 
> Phone: (410) 415-3493 
> Fax: (888) 718-0617 
> E-mail: telder at trelegal.com 
> www.trelegal.com <http://www.trelegal.com/>  
> Please consider the environment before printing this email.
> Confidentiality Notice
> This e-mail may contain confidential information that may also be legally
> privileged and that is intended only for the use of the Addressee(s) named
> above. If you are not the intended recipient or an authorized agent of the
> recipient, please be advised that any dissemination or copying of this
> e-mail, or taking of any action in reliance on the information contained
> herein, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error,
> please notify me immediately by use of the Reply button, and then delete the
> e-mail from your system. Thank you!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/davant1958%40gmail.com



From Susan.Kelly at pima.gov  Tue Jan 20 17:02:31 2015
From: Susan.Kelly at pima.gov (Susan Kelly)
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 17:02:31 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and
	JAWS
Message-ID: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>

Our court of appeals loads the transcripts for cases to its website, which is becoming increasingly inaccessible, thanks to the use of semi-described images on at least half of its links instead of properly labeled link-boxes.  I can navigate around that, albeit slowly, by continuing to click through each link (they don't list well) until I hear what seems to be the proper link for whatever it is I need to do.  The real problem comes in once I have accessed my case file and try to listen to the transcripts themselves.  Some are PDF, while others are simply .tif or .jpg scans.  On top of that, even the PDF files have not been properly OCRd, or so it seems, as they will not read through continuously despite my settings in Adobe and JAWS.

My assistant has tried to circumvent this issue by downloading the file to our office network.  The problem persists, though, with the narration stopping at then of each page; using a "page down" or "ctrl page down" command is ineffective, as reading starts back up mid-page; I thus have to advance it one line forward (which does not read) and then back up one and start the "read all" command again to read each page.  This is very time-consuming and annoying, and I have to assume that it is, at least in part, the result of the manner in which the court reporter has transcribed the documents.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to tackle this problem?  Also, does anyone know how I would word a polite letter to the reporters / courts to suggest that these documents be better prepared?  Because I work in the juvenile court, our time limits are extremely short and this is a time waste that I really would like to avoid.

Thanks!

From cannona at fireantproductions.com  Tue Jan 20 18:29:52 2015
From: cannona at fireantproductions.com (Aaron Cannon)
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 12:29:52 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
	and JAWS
In-Reply-To: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
References: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
Message-ID: <CAERFoOhMW4zGSTCnJJp0A1z=mu-nnZ67K8MJMBZh20EKqOxxUg@mail.gmail.com>

I have had good luck using ABBYY Finereader on inaccessible PDF files.
You might try that.  If you'd like to send me a couple of example
files, I'd be happy to run them through it and send you back the
result, so you can see if that makes any difference.

Aaron

On 1/20/15, Susan Kelly via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Our court of appeals loads the transcripts for cases to its website, which
> is becoming increasingly inaccessible, thanks to the use of semi-described
> images on at least half of its links instead of properly labeled link-boxes.
>  I can navigate around that, albeit slowly, by continuing to click through
> each link (they don't list well) until I hear what seems to be the proper
> link for whatever it is I need to do.  The real problem comes in once I have
> accessed my case file and try to listen to the transcripts themselves.  Some
> are PDF, while others are simply .tif or .jpg scans.  On top of that, even
> the PDF files have not been properly OCRd, or so it seems, as they will not
> read through continuously despite my settings in Adobe and JAWS.
>
> My assistant has tried to circumvent this issue by downloading the file to
> our office network.  The problem persists, though, with the narration
> stopping at then of each page; using a "page down" or "ctrl page down"
> command is ineffective, as reading starts back up mid-page; I thus have to
> advance it one line forward (which does not read) and then back up one and
> start the "read all" command again to read each page.  This is very
> time-consuming and annoying, and I have to assume that it is, at least in
> part, the result of the manner in which the court reporter has transcribed
> the documents.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions how to tackle this problem?  Also, does
> anyone know how I would word a polite letter to the reporters / courts to
> suggest that these documents be better prepared?  Because I work in the
> juvenile court, our time limits are extremely short and this is a time waste
> that I really would like to avoid.
>
> Thanks!
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cannona%40fireantproductions.com
>


From rjaquiss at earthlink.net  Tue Jan 20 19:17:25 2015
From: rjaquiss at earthlink.net (Robert Jaquiss)
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 11:17:25 -0800
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
	and	JAWS
In-Reply-To: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
References: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
Message-ID: <002601d034e5$b9d8c250$2d8a46f0$@earthlink.net>

Hello:

     An essential thing to know about PDF files is that they can be created
in a variety of ways. MS Word can create a PDF file from a Word file and
these should be quite readable. It is also possible to create PDF files by
scanning printed documents and creating PDF files from the resulting images.
This later type will not be as accessible and will have to be processed with
an OCR package. I would suggest trying to make arrangements to have the
original word processor file emailed to you. I would think that a court's
website would be covered by the ADA.

Regards,

Robert


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kelly
via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 9:03 AM
To: 'blindlaw at nfbnet.org'
Cc: (gui-talk at nfbnet.org)
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and
JAWS

Our court of appeals loads the transcripts for cases to its website, which
is becoming increasingly inaccessible, thanks to the use of semi-described
images on at least half of its links instead of properly labeled link-boxes.
I can navigate around that, albeit slowly, by continuing to click through
each link (they don't list well) until I hear what seems to be the proper
link for whatever it is I need to do.  The real problem comes in once I have
accessed my case file and try to listen to the transcripts themselves.  Some
are PDF, while others are simply .tif or .jpg scans.  On top of that, even
the PDF files have not been properly OCRd, or so it seems, as they will not
read through continuously despite my settings in Adobe and JAWS.

My assistant has tried to circumvent this issue by downloading the file to
our office network.  The problem persists, though, with the narration
stopping at then of each page; using a "page down" or "ctrl page down"
command is ineffective, as reading starts back up mid-page; I thus have to
advance it one line forward (which does not read) and then back up one and
start the "read all" command again to read each page.  This is very
time-consuming and annoying, and I have to assume that it is, at least in
part, the result of the manner in which the court reporter has transcribed
the documents.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to tackle this problem?  Also, does
anyone know how I would word a polite letter to the reporters / courts to
suggest that these documents be better prepared?  Because I work in the
juvenile court, our time limits are extremely short and this is a time waste
that I really would like to avoid.

Thanks!
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rjaquiss%40earthlink.n
et



From Susan.Kelly at pima.gov  Tue Jan 20 20:36:09 2015
From: Susan.Kelly at pima.gov (Susan Kelly)
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 20:36:09 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
 and	JAWS
In-Reply-To: <002601d034e5$b9d8c250$2d8a46f0$@earthlink.net>
References: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
	<002601d034e5$b9d8c250$2d8a46f0$@earthlink.net>
Message-ID: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE28FAE@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>

The court website is technically covered by ADA, but getting compliance has met with puzzled reactions, at least in our county - huge numbers of so-called "professionals" seem to assume that if it is on the web, it is automatically accessible.  (Believe me, I have trouble biting back the sarcastic responses when I am told this.)

I do not know what program the court reporters use to prepare their transcripts...I can say that the transcripts that are prepared from audio recording machines are fairly useable, aside from the frequent notations of "unintelligible" for words that could not be determined based on lack of volume or poor pronunciation, so I assume that those are prepared in Word or Word Perfect.  The problems seem to arise most often with transcripts prepared from the traditional stenograph machine used by human reporters.  From my experience when I could still read things visually, these are much more accurate in terms of contents, but not at all amenable to use with assistive technology when disclosed digitally.  

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Jaquiss [mailto:rjaquiss at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:17 PM
To: Susan Kelly; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS

Hello:

     An essential thing to know about PDF files is that they can be created in a variety of ways. MS Word can create a PDF file from a Word file and these should be quite readable. It is also possible to create PDF files by scanning printed documents and creating PDF files from the resulting images.
This later type will not be as accessible and will have to be processed with an OCR package. I would suggest trying to make arrangements to have the original word processor file emailed to you. I would think that a court's website would be covered by the ADA.

Regards,

Robert


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kelly via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 9:03 AM
To: 'blindlaw at nfbnet.org'
Cc: (gui-talk at nfbnet.org)
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS

Our court of appeals loads the transcripts for cases to its website, which is becoming increasingly inaccessible, thanks to the use of semi-described images on at least half of its links instead of properly labeled link-boxes.
I can navigate around that, albeit slowly, by continuing to click through each link (they don't list well) until I hear what seems to be the proper link for whatever it is I need to do.  The real problem comes in once I have accessed my case file and try to listen to the transcripts themselves.  Some are PDF, while others are simply .tif or .jpg scans.  On top of that, even the PDF files have not been properly OCRd, or so it seems, as they will not read through continuously despite my settings in Adobe and JAWS.

My assistant has tried to circumvent this issue by downloading the file to our office network.  The problem persists, though, with the narration stopping at then of each page; using a "page down" or "ctrl page down"
command is ineffective, as reading starts back up mid-page; I thus have to advance it one line forward (which does not read) and then back up one and start the "read all" command again to read each page.  This is very time-consuming and annoying, and I have to assume that it is, at least in part, the result of the manner in which the court reporter has transcribed the documents.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to tackle this problem?  Also, does anyone know how I would word a polite letter to the reporters / courts to suggest that these documents be better prepared?  Because I work in the juvenile court, our time limits are extremely short and this is a time waste that I really would like to avoid.

Thanks!
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rjaquiss%40earthlink.n
et



From rthomas at emplmntattorney.com  Tue Jan 20 20:41:13 2015
From: rthomas at emplmntattorney.com (Russell J. Thomas)
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 12:41:13 -0800
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
	and	JAWS
In-Reply-To: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE28FAE@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
References: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>	<002601d034e5$b9d8c250$2d8a46f0$@earthlink.net>
	<BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE28FAE@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
Message-ID: <001a01d034f1$6e33de00$4a9b9a00$@com>

This may not be a solution for you, but could you have these transcripts
printed out and then scanned?


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kelly
via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:36 PM
To: 'Robert Jaquiss'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
and JAWS

The court website is technically covered by ADA, but getting compliance has
met with puzzled reactions, at least in our county - huge numbers of
so-called "professionals" seem to assume that if it is on the web, it is
automatically accessible.  (Believe me, I have trouble biting back the
sarcastic responses when I am told this.)

I do not know what program the court reporters use to prepare their
transcripts...I can say that the transcripts that are prepared from audio
recording machines are fairly useable, aside from the frequent notations of
"unintelligible" for words that could not be determined based on lack of
volume or poor pronunciation, so I assume that those are prepared in Word or
Word Perfect.  The problems seem to arise most often with transcripts
prepared from the traditional stenograph machine used by human reporters.
>From my experience when I could still read things visually, these are much
more accurate in terms of contents, but not at all amenable to use with
assistive technology when disclosed digitally.  

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Jaquiss [mailto:rjaquiss at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:17 PM
To: Susan Kelly; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
and JAWS

Hello:

     An essential thing to know about PDF files is that they can be created
in a variety of ways. MS Word can create a PDF file from a Word file and
these should be quite readable. It is also possible to create PDF files by
scanning printed documents and creating PDF files from the resulting images.
This later type will not be as accessible and will have to be processed with
an OCR package. I would suggest trying to make arrangements to have the
original word processor file emailed to you. I would think that a court's
website would be covered by the ADA.

Regards,

Robert


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kelly
via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 9:03 AM
To: 'blindlaw at nfbnet.org'
Cc: (gui-talk at nfbnet.org)
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and
JAWS

Our court of appeals loads the transcripts for cases to its website, which
is becoming increasingly inaccessible, thanks to the use of semi-described
images on at least half of its links instead of properly labeled link-boxes.
I can navigate around that, albeit slowly, by continuing to click through
each link (they don't list well) until I hear what seems to be the proper
link for whatever it is I need to do.  The real problem comes in once I have
accessed my case file and try to listen to the transcripts themselves.  Some
are PDF, while others are simply .tif or .jpg scans.  On top of that, even
the PDF files have not been properly OCRd, or so it seems, as they will not
read through continuously despite my settings in Adobe and JAWS.

My assistant has tried to circumvent this issue by downloading the file to
our office network.  The problem persists, though, with the narration
stopping at then of each page; using a "page down" or "ctrl page down"
command is ineffective, as reading starts back up mid-page; I thus have to
advance it one line forward (which does not read) and then back up one and
start the "read all" command again to read each page.  This is very
time-consuming and annoying, and I have to assume that it is, at least in
part, the result of the manner in which the court reporter has transcribed
the documents.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to tackle this problem?  Also, does
anyone know how I would word a polite letter to the reporters / courts to
suggest that these documents be better prepared?  Because I work in the
juvenile court, our time limits are extremely short and this is a time waste
that I really would like to avoid.

Thanks!
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rjaquiss%40earthlink.n
et


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
ney.com



From Susan.Kelly at pima.gov  Tue Jan 20 21:13:01 2015
From: Susan.Kelly at pima.gov (Susan Kelly)
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 21:13:01 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
 and	JAWS
In-Reply-To: <001a01d034f1$6e33de00$4a9b9a00$@com>
References: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
	<002601d034e5$b9d8c250$2d8a46f0$@earthlink.net>
	<BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE28FAE@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
	<001a01d034f1$6e33de00$4a9b9a00$@com>
Message-ID: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE29105@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>

We have had to resort to that at times, but because of the length of the transcripts, the poor quality of the print / typeface, and the poor quality of the OCR supplied by the County, the results have been similarly bad.

-----Original Message-----
From: Russell J. Thomas [mailto:rthomas at emplmntattorney.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 1:41 PM
To: Susan Kelly; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS

This may not be a solution for you, but could you have these transcripts printed out and then scanned?


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kelly via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:36 PM
To: 'Robert Jaquiss'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS

The court website is technically covered by ADA, but getting compliance has met with puzzled reactions, at least in our county - huge numbers of so-called "professionals" seem to assume that if it is on the web, it is automatically accessible.  (Believe me, I have trouble biting back the sarcastic responses when I am told this.)

I do not know what program the court reporters use to prepare their transcripts...I can say that the transcripts that are prepared from audio recording machines are fairly useable, aside from the frequent notations of "unintelligible" for words that could not be determined based on lack of volume or poor pronunciation, so I assume that those are prepared in Word or Word Perfect.  The problems seem to arise most often with transcripts prepared from the traditional stenograph machine used by human reporters.

>From my experience when I could still read things visually, these are much more accurate in terms of contents, but not at all amenable to use with assistive technology when disclosed digitally.  

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Jaquiss [mailto:rjaquiss at earthlink.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:17 PM
To: Susan Kelly; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS

Hello:

     An essential thing to know about PDF files is that they can be created in a variety of ways. MS Word can create a PDF file from a Word file and these should be quite readable. It is also possible to create PDF files by scanning printed documents and creating PDF files from the resulting images.
This later type will not be as accessible and will have to be processed with an OCR package. I would suggest trying to make arrangements to have the original word processor file emailed to you. I would think that a court's website would be covered by the ADA.

Regards,

Robert


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kelly via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 9:03 AM
To: 'blindlaw at nfbnet.org'
Cc: (gui-talk at nfbnet.org)
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS

Our court of appeals loads the transcripts for cases to its website, which is becoming increasingly inaccessible, thanks to the use of semi-described images on at least half of its links instead of properly labeled link-boxes.
I can navigate around that, albeit slowly, by continuing to click through each link (they don't list well) until I hear what seems to be the proper link for whatever it is I need to do.  The real problem comes in once I have accessed my case file and try to listen to the transcripts themselves.  Some are PDF, while others are simply .tif or .jpg scans.  On top of that, even the PDF files have not been properly OCRd, or so it seems, as they will not read through continuously despite my settings in Adobe and JAWS.

My assistant has tried to circumvent this issue by downloading the file to our office network.  The problem persists, though, with the narration stopping at then of each page; using a "page down" or "ctrl page down"
command is ineffective, as reading starts back up mid-page; I thus have to advance it one line forward (which does not read) and then back up one and start the "read all" command again to read each page.  This is very time-consuming and annoying, and I have to assume that it is, at least in part, the result of the manner in which the court reporter has transcribed the documents.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to tackle this problem?  Also, does anyone know how I would word a polite letter to the reporters / courts to suggest that these documents be better prepared?  Because I work in the juvenile court, our time limits are extremely short and this is a time waste that I really would like to avoid.

Thanks!
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rjaquiss%40earthlink.n
et


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
ney.com



From taiablas at gmail.com  Tue Jan 20 22:05:13 2015
From: taiablas at gmail.com (Tai Blas)
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 16:05:13 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
	and JAWS
In-Reply-To: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE29105@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
References: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
	<002601d034e5$b9d8c250$2d8a46f0$@earthlink.net>
	<BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE28FAE@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
	<001a01d034f1$6e33de00$4a9b9a00$@com>
	<BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE29105@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
Message-ID: <05ACA6D5-A2D9-45C1-B0D6-C3C870A8375D@gmail.com>

What OCR software is the county using? 

Tai Tomasi
J.D. Candidate, December 2014
Email: tai.tomasi8 at gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse my brevity and any grammatical errors.

> On Jan 20, 2015, at 3:13 PM, Susan Kelly via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> We have had to resort to that at times, but because of the length of the transcripts, the poor quality of the print / typeface, and the poor quality of the OCR supplied by the County, the results have been similarly bad.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Russell J. Thomas [mailto:rthomas at emplmntattorney.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 1:41 PM
> To: Susan Kelly; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS
> 
> This may not be a solution for you, but could you have these transcripts printed out and then scanned?
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kelly via blindlaw
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:36 PM
> To: 'Robert Jaquiss'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS
> 
> The court website is technically covered by ADA, but getting compliance has met with puzzled reactions, at least in our county - huge numbers of so-called "professionals" seem to assume that if it is on the web, it is automatically accessible.  (Believe me, I have trouble biting back the sarcastic responses when I am told this.)
> 
> I do not know what program the court reporters use to prepare their transcripts...I can say that the transcripts that are prepared from audio recording machines are fairly useable, aside from the frequent notations of "unintelligible" for words that could not be determined based on lack of volume or poor pronunciation, so I assume that those are prepared in Word or Word Perfect.  The problems seem to arise most often with transcripts prepared from the traditional stenograph machine used by human reporters.
> 
> From my experience when I could still read things visually, these are much more accurate in terms of contents, but not at all amenable to use with assistive technology when disclosed digitally.  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Jaquiss [mailto:rjaquiss at earthlink.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:17 PM
> To: Susan Kelly; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS
> 
> Hello:
> 
>     An essential thing to know about PDF files is that they can be created in a variety of ways. MS Word can create a PDF file from a Word file and these should be quite readable. It is also possible to create PDF files by scanning printed documents and creating PDF files from the resulting images.
> This later type will not be as accessible and will have to be processed with an OCR package. I would suggest trying to make arrangements to have the original word processor file emailed to you. I would think that a court's website would be covered by the ADA.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Robert
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kelly via blindlaw
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 9:03 AM
> To: 'blindlaw at nfbnet.org'
> Cc: (gui-talk at nfbnet.org)
> Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS
> 
> Our court of appeals loads the transcripts for cases to its website, which is becoming increasingly inaccessible, thanks to the use of semi-described images on at least half of its links instead of properly labeled link-boxes.
> I can navigate around that, albeit slowly, by continuing to click through each link (they don't list well) until I hear what seems to be the proper link for whatever it is I need to do.  The real problem comes in once I have accessed my case file and try to listen to the transcripts themselves.  Some are PDF, while others are simply .tif or .jpg scans.  On top of that, even the PDF files have not been properly OCRd, or so it seems, as they will not read through continuously despite my settings in Adobe and JAWS.
> 
> My assistant has tried to circumvent this issue by downloading the file to our office network.  The problem persists, though, with the narration stopping at then of each page; using a "page down" or "ctrl page down"
> command is ineffective, as reading starts back up mid-page; I thus have to advance it one line forward (which does not read) and then back up one and start the "read all" command again to read each page.  This is very time-consuming and annoying, and I have to assume that it is, at least in part, the result of the manner in which the court reporter has transcribed the documents.
> 
> Does anyone have any suggestions how to tackle this problem?  Also, does anyone know how I would word a polite letter to the reporters / courts to suggest that these documents be better prepared?  Because I work in the juvenile court, our time limits are extremely short and this is a time waste that I really would like to avoid.
> 
> Thanks!
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rjaquiss%40earthlink.n
> et
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
> ney.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/taiablas%40gmail.com

From Susan.Kelly at pima.gov  Tue Jan 20 22:14:28 2015
From: Susan.Kelly at pima.gov (Susan Kelly)
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 22:14:28 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
 and JAWS
In-Reply-To: <05ACA6D5-A2D9-45C1-B0D6-C3C870A8375D@gmail.com>
References: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
	<002601d034e5$b9d8c250$2d8a46f0$@earthlink.net>
	<BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE28FAE@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
	<001a01d034f1$6e33de00$4a9b9a00$@com>
	<BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE29105@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
	<05ACA6D5-A2D9-45C1-B0D6-C3C870A8375D@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE29337@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>

An add-in to AdobePro – which only a handful of employees in the office are even allowed to access.  Interestingly, even sighted colleagues have had issues with the results which have prevented effective use of the marking and copying functions in Adobe.

From: Tai Blas [mailto:taiablas at gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 3:05 PM
To: Susan Kelly; Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS

What OCR software is the county using?

Tai Tomasi
J.D. Candidate, December 2014
Email: tai.tomasi8 at gmail.com<mailto:tai.tomasi8 at gmail.com>
Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse my brevity and any grammatical errors.

On Jan 20, 2015, at 3:13 PM, Susan Kelly via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindlaw at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
We have had to resort to that at times, but because of the length of the transcripts, the poor quality of the print / typeface, and the poor quality of the OCR supplied by the County, the results have been similarly bad.

-----Original Message-----
From: Russell J. Thomas [mailto:rthomas at emplmntattorney.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 1:41 PM
To: Susan Kelly; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS

This may not be a solution for you, but could you have these transcripts printed out and then scanned?


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kelly via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:36 PM
To: 'Robert Jaquiss'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS

The court website is technically covered by ADA, but getting compliance has met with puzzled reactions, at least in our county - huge numbers of so-called "professionals" seem to assume that if it is on the web, it is automatically accessible.  (Believe me, I have trouble biting back the sarcastic responses when I am told this.)

I do not know what program the court reporters use to prepare their transcripts...I can say that the transcripts that are prepared from audio recording machines are fairly useable, aside from the frequent notations of "unintelligible" for words that could not be determined based on lack of volume or poor pronunciation, so I assume that those are prepared in Word or Word Perfect.  The problems seem to arise most often with transcripts prepared from the traditional stenograph machine used by human reporters.

From my experience when I could still read things visually, these are much more accurate in terms of contents, but not at all amenable to use with assistive technology when disclosed digitally.

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Jaquiss [mailto:rjaquiss at earthlink.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:17 PM
To: Susan Kelly; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS

Hello:

    An essential thing to know about PDF files is that they can be created in a variety of ways. MS Word can create a PDF file from a Word file and these should be quite readable. It is also possible to create PDF files by scanning printed documents and creating PDF files from the resulting images.
This later type will not be as accessible and will have to be processed with an OCR package. I would suggest trying to make arrangements to have the original word processor file emailed to you. I would think that a court's website would be covered by the ADA.

Regards,

Robert


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kelly via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 9:03 AM
To: 'blindlaw at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindlaw at nfbnet.org>'
Cc: (gui-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:gui-talk at nfbnet.org>)
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and JAWS

Our court of appeals loads the transcripts for cases to its website, which is becoming increasingly inaccessible, thanks to the use of semi-described images on at least half of its links instead of properly labeled link-boxes.
I can navigate around that, albeit slowly, by continuing to click through each link (they don't list well) until I hear what seems to be the proper link for whatever it is I need to do.  The real problem comes in once I have accessed my case file and try to listen to the transcripts themselves.  Some are PDF, while others are simply .tif or .jpg scans.  On top of that, even the PDF files have not been properly OCRd, or so it seems, as they will not read through continuously despite my settings in Adobe and JAWS.

My assistant has tried to circumvent this issue by downloading the file to our office network.  The problem persists, though, with the narration stopping at then of each page; using a "page down" or "ctrl page down"
command is ineffective, as reading starts back up mid-page; I thus have to advance it one line forward (which does not read) and then back up one and start the "read all" command again to read each page.  This is very time-consuming and annoying, and I have to assume that it is, at least in part, the result of the manner in which the court reporter has transcribed the documents.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to tackle this problem?  Also, does anyone know how I would word a polite letter to the reporters / courts to suggest that these documents be better prepared?  Because I work in the juvenile court, our time limits are extremely short and this is a time waste that I really would like to avoid.

Thanks!
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rjaquiss%40earthlink.n
et


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
ney.com<http://ney.com>


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/taiablas%40gmail.com

From cannona at fireantproductions.com  Tue Jan 20 22:55:34 2015
From: cannona at fireantproductions.com (Aaron Cannon)
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 16:55:34 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
	and JAWS
In-Reply-To: <001a01d034f1$6e33de00$4a9b9a00$@com>
References: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
	<002601d034e5$b9d8c250$2d8a46f0$@earthlink.net>
	<BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE28FAE@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
	<001a01d034f1$6e33de00$4a9b9a00$@com>
Message-ID: <CAERFoOg=msLOr9HTpG_qiXdXV3aD-CDjp=peKFKavAX2FuOgyQ@mail.gmail.com>

With a modern OCR application such as Abbyy Finereader, printing and
rescanning a PDF is almost never necessary.  Any modern OCR package
that's worth anything should offer a means to import PDF files
directly.

Aaron

On 1/20/15, Russell J. Thomas via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> This may not be a solution for you, but could you have these transcripts
> printed out and then scanned?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan
> Kelly
> via blindlaw
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:36 PM
> To: 'Robert Jaquiss'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
> and JAWS
>
> The court website is technically covered by ADA, but getting compliance has
> met with puzzled reactions, at least in our county - huge numbers of
> so-called "professionals" seem to assume that if it is on the web, it is
> automatically accessible.  (Believe me, I have trouble biting back the
> sarcastic responses when I am told this.)
>
> I do not know what program the court reporters use to prepare their
> transcripts...I can say that the transcripts that are prepared from audio
> recording machines are fairly useable, aside from the frequent notations of
> "unintelligible" for words that could not be determined based on lack of
> volume or poor pronunciation, so I assume that those are prepared in Word
> or
> Word Perfect.  The problems seem to arise most often with transcripts
> prepared from the traditional stenograph machine used by human reporters.
> From my experience when I could still read things visually, these are much
> more accurate in terms of contents, but not at all amenable to use with
> assistive technology when disclosed digitally.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Jaquiss [mailto:rjaquiss at earthlink.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:17 PM
> To: Susan Kelly; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
> and JAWS
>
> Hello:
>
>      An essential thing to know about PDF files is that they can be created
> in a variety of ways. MS Word can create a PDF file from a Word file and
> these should be quite readable. It is also possible to create PDF files by
> scanning printed documents and creating PDF files from the resulting
> images.
> This later type will not be as accessible and will have to be processed
> with
> an OCR package. I would suggest trying to make arrangements to have the
> original word processor file emailed to you. I would think that a court's
> website would be covered by the ADA.
>
> Regards,
>
> Robert
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan
> Kelly
> via blindlaw
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 9:03 AM
> To: 'blindlaw at nfbnet.org'
> Cc: (gui-talk at nfbnet.org)
> Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and
> JAWS
>
> Our court of appeals loads the transcripts for cases to its website, which
> is becoming increasingly inaccessible, thanks to the use of semi-described
> images on at least half of its links instead of properly labeled
> link-boxes.
> I can navigate around that, albeit slowly, by continuing to click through
> each link (they don't list well) until I hear what seems to be the proper
> link for whatever it is I need to do.  The real problem comes in once I
> have
> accessed my case file and try to listen to the transcripts themselves.
> Some
> are PDF, while others are simply .tif or .jpg scans.  On top of that, even
> the PDF files have not been properly OCRd, or so it seems, as they will not
> read through continuously despite my settings in Adobe and JAWS.
>
> My assistant has tried to circumvent this issue by downloading the file to
> our office network.  The problem persists, though, with the narration
> stopping at then of each page; using a "page down" or "ctrl page down"
> command is ineffective, as reading starts back up mid-page; I thus have to
> advance it one line forward (which does not read) and then back up one and
> start the "read all" command again to read each page.  This is very
> time-consuming and annoying, and I have to assume that it is, at least in
> part, the result of the manner in which the court reporter has transcribed
> the documents.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions how to tackle this problem?  Also, does
> anyone know how I would word a polite letter to the reporters / courts to
> suggest that these documents be better prepared?  Because I work in the
> juvenile court, our time limits are extremely short and this is a time
> waste
> that I really would like to avoid.
>
> Thanks!
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rjaquiss%40earthlink.n
> et
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
> ney.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cannona%40fireantproductions.com
>


From Attorney at alcidonislaw.com  Tue Jan 20 22:57:51 2015
From: Attorney at alcidonislaw.com (Rod Alcidonis, Esquire)
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 17:57:51 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF formatand
	JAWS
In-Reply-To: <CAERFoOg=msLOr9HTpG_qiXdXV3aD-CDjp=peKFKavAX2FuOgyQ@mail.gmail.com>
References: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov><002601d034e5$b9d8c250$2d8a46f0$@earthlink.net><BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE28FAE@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov><001a01d034f1$6e33de00$4a9b9a00$@com>
	<CAERFoOg=msLOr9HTpG_qiXdXV3aD-CDjp=peKFKavAX2FuOgyQ@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <027703F55CA242A083F6F12817208BCD@RodTHINK>

I agree.

Printing and scanning is old school.

Rod Alcidonis

-----Original Message----- 
From: Aaron Cannon via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 5:55 PM
To: Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF formatand 
JAWS

With a modern OCR application such as Abbyy Finereader, printing and
rescanning a PDF is almost never necessary.  Any modern OCR package
that's worth anything should offer a means to import PDF files
directly.

Aaron

On 1/20/15, Russell J. Thomas via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> This may not be a solution for you, but could you have these transcripts
> printed out and then scanned?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan
> Kelly
> via blindlaw
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:36 PM
> To: 'Robert Jaquiss'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
> and JAWS
>
> The court website is technically covered by ADA, but getting compliance 
> has
> met with puzzled reactions, at least in our county - huge numbers of
> so-called "professionals" seem to assume that if it is on the web, it is
> automatically accessible.  (Believe me, I have trouble biting back the
> sarcastic responses when I am told this.)
>
> I do not know what program the court reporters use to prepare their
> transcripts...I can say that the transcripts that are prepared from audio
> recording machines are fairly useable, aside from the frequent notations 
> of
> "unintelligible" for words that could not be determined based on lack of
> volume or poor pronunciation, so I assume that those are prepared in Word
> or
> Word Perfect.  The problems seem to arise most often with transcripts
> prepared from the traditional stenograph machine used by human reporters.
> From my experience when I could still read things visually, these are much
> more accurate in terms of contents, but not at all amenable to use with
> assistive technology when disclosed digitally.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Jaquiss [mailto:rjaquiss at earthlink.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:17 PM
> To: Susan Kelly; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format
> and JAWS
>
> Hello:
>
>      An essential thing to know about PDF files is that they can be 
> created
> in a variety of ways. MS Word can create a PDF file from a Word file and
> these should be quite readable. It is also possible to create PDF files by
> scanning printed documents and creating PDF files from the resulting
> images.
> This later type will not be as accessible and will have to be processed
> with
> an OCR package. I would suggest trying to make arrangements to have the
> original word processor file emailed to you. I would think that a court's
> website would be covered by the ADA.
>
> Regards,
>
> Robert
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan
> Kelly
> via blindlaw
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 9:03 AM
> To: 'blindlaw at nfbnet.org'
> Cc: (gui-talk at nfbnet.org)
> Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format and
> JAWS
>
> Our court of appeals loads the transcripts for cases to its website, which
> is becoming increasingly inaccessible, thanks to the use of semi-described
> images on at least half of its links instead of properly labeled
> link-boxes.
> I can navigate around that, albeit slowly, by continuing to click through
> each link (they don't list well) until I hear what seems to be the proper
> link for whatever it is I need to do.  The real problem comes in once I
> have
> accessed my case file and try to listen to the transcripts themselves.
> Some
> are PDF, while others are simply .tif or .jpg scans.  On top of that, even
> the PDF files have not been properly OCRd, or so it seems, as they will 
> not
> read through continuously despite my settings in Adobe and JAWS.
>
> My assistant has tried to circumvent this issue by downloading the file to
> our office network.  The problem persists, though, with the narration
> stopping at then of each page; using a "page down" or "ctrl page down"
> command is ineffective, as reading starts back up mid-page; I thus have to
> advance it one line forward (which does not read) and then back up one and
> start the "read all" command again to read each page.  This is very
> time-consuming and annoying, and I have to assume that it is, at least in
> part, the result of the manner in which the court reporter has transcribed
> the documents.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions how to tackle this problem?  Also, does
> anyone know how I would word a polite letter to the reporters / courts to
> suggest that these documents be better prepared?  Because I work in the
> juvenile court, our time limits are extremely short and this is a time
> waste
> that I really would like to avoid.
>
> Thanks!
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rjaquiss%40earthlink.n
> et
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
> ney.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cannona%40fireantproductions.com
>

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com 



From Susan.Kelly at pima.gov  Wed Jan 21 14:13:21 2015
From: Susan.Kelly at pima.gov (Susan Kelly)
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 14:13:21 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF
	formatand	JAWS
In-Reply-To: <027703F55CA242A083F6F12817208BCD@RodTHINK>
References: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2883F@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov><002601d034e5$b9d8c250$2d8a46f0$@earthlink.net><BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE28FAE@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov><001a01d034f1$6e33de00$4a9b9a00$@com>
	<CAERFoOg=msLOr9HTpG_qiXdXV3aD-CDjp=peKFKavAX2FuOgyQ@mail.gmail.com>
	<027703F55CA242A083F6F12817208BCD@RodTHINK>
Message-ID: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE299C2@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>

Which pretty much describes most of the equipment in a public defense office, lol!  Thanks for the suggestions - we are trying everything we can.

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rod Alcidonis, Esquire via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 3:58 PM
To: Aaron Cannon; Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF formatand JAWS

I agree.

Printing and scanning is old school.

Rod Alcidonis

-----Original Message-----
From: Aaron Cannon via blindlaw
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 5:55 PM
To: Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF formatand JAWS

With a modern OCR application such as Abbyy Finereader, printing and rescanning a PDF is almost never necessary.  Any modern OCR package that's worth anything should offer a means to import PDF files directly.

Aaron

On 1/20/15, Russell J. Thomas via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> This may not be a solution for you, but could you have these 
> transcripts printed out and then scanned?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan 
> Kelly via blindlaw
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:36 PM
> To: 'Robert Jaquiss'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF 
> format and JAWS
>
> The court website is technically covered by ADA, but getting 
> compliance has met with puzzled reactions, at least in our county - 
> huge numbers of so-called "professionals" seem to assume that if it is 
> on the web, it is automatically accessible.  (Believe me, I have 
> trouble biting back the sarcastic responses when I am told this.)
>
> I do not know what program the court reporters use to prepare their 
> transcripts...I can say that the transcripts that are prepared from 
> audio recording machines are fairly useable, aside from the frequent 
> notations of "unintelligible" for words that could not be determined 
> based on lack of volume or poor pronunciation, so I assume that those 
> are prepared in Word or Word Perfect.  The problems seem to arise most 
> often with transcripts prepared from the traditional stenograph 
> machine used by human reporters.
> From my experience when I could still read things visually, these are 
> much more accurate in terms of contents, but not at all amenable to 
> use with assistive technology when disclosed digitally.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Jaquiss [mailto:rjaquiss at earthlink.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:17 PM
> To: Susan Kelly; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: RE: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF 
> format and JAWS
>
> Hello:
>
>      An essential thing to know about PDF files is that they can be 
> created in a variety of ways. MS Word can create a PDF file from a 
> Word file and these should be quite readable. It is also possible to 
> create PDF files by scanning printed documents and creating PDF files 
> from the resulting images.
> This later type will not be as accessible and will have to be 
> processed with an OCR package. I would suggest trying to make 
> arrangements to have the original word processor file emailed to you. 
> I would think that a court's website would be covered by the ADA.
>
> Regards,
>
> Robert
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan 
> Kelly via blindlaw
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 9:03 AM
> To: 'blindlaw at nfbnet.org'
> Cc: (gui-talk at nfbnet.org)
> Subject: [blindlaw] Difficulties with court transcripts in PDF format 
> and JAWS
>
> Our court of appeals loads the transcripts for cases to its website, 
> which is becoming increasingly inaccessible, thanks to the use of 
> semi-described images on at least half of its links instead of 
> properly labeled link-boxes.
> I can navigate around that, albeit slowly, by continuing to click 
> through each link (they don't list well) until I hear what seems to be 
> the proper link for whatever it is I need to do.  The real problem 
> comes in once I have accessed my case file and try to listen to the 
> transcripts themselves.
> Some
> are PDF, while others are simply .tif or .jpg scans.  On top of that, 
> even the PDF files have not been properly OCRd, or so it seems, as 
> they will not read through continuously despite my settings in Adobe 
> and JAWS.
>
> My assistant has tried to circumvent this issue by downloading the 
> file to our office network.  The problem persists, though, with the 
> narration stopping at then of each page; using a "page down" or "ctrl page down"
> command is ineffective, as reading starts back up mid-page; I thus 
> have to advance it one line forward (which does not read) and then 
> back up one and start the "read all" command again to read each page.  
> This is very time-consuming and annoying, and I have to assume that it 
> is, at least in part, the result of the manner in which the court 
> reporter has transcribed the documents.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions how to tackle this problem?  Also, 
> does anyone know how I would word a polite letter to the reporters / 
> courts to suggest that these documents be better prepared?  Because I 
> work in the juvenile court, our time limits are extremely short and 
> this is a time waste that I really would like to avoid.
>
> Thanks!
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rjaquiss%40earth
> link.n
> et
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmn
> tattor
> ney.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/cannona%40firean
> tproductions.com
>

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attorney%40alcidonislaw.com 


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/susan.kelly%40pima.gov


From LBlake at nfb.org  Wed Jan 21 15:14:53 2015
From: LBlake at nfb.org (Blake, Lou Ann)
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 15:14:53 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] {Disarmed} Agenda is now available for the 2015 Jacobus
 tenBroek Disability Law Symposium!
Message-ID: <DM2PR0701MB7646D3B926BAB6AEEC02B73C9480@DM2PR0701MB764.namprd07.prod.outlook.com>

Agenda is Now Available!

for the

2015 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium

The ADA at Fifty: The Future of Disability Law and the Right to Live in the World

March 26-27, 2015
at the
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute
Baltimore, Maryland

Join leading disability rights advocates from throughout the United States in celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act by looking ahead to the next twenty-five years. The 2015 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium will consist of plenary sessions and workshops facilitated by distinguished law professors, practitioners, and advocates who will discuss topics such as: the future of disability, how to enable the participation of people with disabilities in court proceedings, the unique challenges faced by criminal suspects and offenders with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and a vision for the next twenty-five years to improve and augment the ADA, Rehabilitation Act, and IDEA. Presenters include:

  *   Peter Blanck, University Professor and Chairman, Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University
  *   Chief Judge Richard S. Brown, Wisconsin Court of Appeals
  *   Leigh Ann Davis, Program Manager, National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability, The Arc
  *   Robert Dinerstein, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law
  *   David Ferleger, Esquire, Law Office of David Ferleger
  *   Beverly Frantz, Criminal Justice and Sexuality Project Director, Institute on Disabilities, Temple University
  *   Daniel F. Goldstein, Partner, Brown, Goldstein and Levy
  *   Christine M. Griffin, Executive Director, Disability Law Center of Massachusetts
  *   Arlene S. Kanter; Bond, Schoeneck, and King Distinguished Professor; Syracuse University College of Law
  *   Marc Maurer, Immediate Past President, National Federation of the Blind
  *   Arlene B. Mayerson, Directing Attorney, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
  *   Ari Ne'eman, Co-founder and President, Autistic Self Advocacy Network
  *   Laurence Paradis, Executive Director and Co-director of Litigation, Disability Rights Advocates
  *   Mark Riccobono, President[N1] , National Federation of the Blind
  *   Howard A. Rosenblum, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of the Deaf
  *   Fredric K. Schroeder, Research Professor, San Diego State University Research Foundation; First Vice President, World Blind Union
  *   Anita Silvers, Professor and Chair of Philosophy, San Francisco State University

*       Christopher Slobogin; Milton R. Underwood Chair in Law; Director, Criminal Justice Program, Vanderbilt University Law School; Affiliate Professor of Psychiatry; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

  *   Judge Richard B. Teitelman, Supreme Court of Missouri
  *   Kathryn Walker, Criminal Justice Fellow, The Arc
  *   Michael Waterstone, Visiting Professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law; J. Howard Ziemann Fellow and Professor of Law, Loyola Law School Los Angeles

To view the agenda, or for more information about the symposium, hotel accommodations, and symposium sponsorship opportunities, please visit https://nfb.org/law-symposium.

Registration fee: $175
Student registration fee: $25

You can register online by going to: https://nfb.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=49.

You may also download from the symposium website a registration form to mail or fax.

Documentation for CLE credits will be provided.

For additional information, contact:

Lou Ann Blake, JD
Law Symposium Coordinator
Jernigan Institute
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
Telephone: 410-659-9314, ext. 2221
Email: lblake at nfb.org<mailto:lblake at nfb.org>



Lou Ann Blake, J.D.
HAVA Project Manager and Law Symposium Coordinator
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<mailto:lblake at nfb.org>
Web site: www.nfb.org<http://www.nfb.org/>

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

Make a gift<https://nfb.org/make-gift> to the National Federation of the Blind and help ensure all blind Americans live the lives they want.




________________________________

 [N1]I've made a couple changes to make this section consistent in capitalization, but to avoid any flak you may get for this President deal, you may opt to capitalize everyone's title. Just a suggestion.

From slabarre at labarrelaw.com  Wed Jan 21 15:53:08 2015
From: slabarre at labarrelaw.com (Scott C. LaBarre)
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 08:53:08 -0700
Subject: [blindlaw] {Disarmed} Agenda is now available for the 2015
	Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium!
In-Reply-To: <DM2PR0701MB7646D3B926BAB6AEEC02B73C9480@DM2PR0701MB764.namprd07.prod.outlook.com>
References: <DM2PR0701MB7646D3B926BAB6AEEC02B73C9480@DM2PR0701MB764.namprd07.prod.outlook.com>
Message-ID: <002301d03592$5a65c220$0f314660$@labarrelaw.com>

Hey everyone, the agenda is attached.

Best,
Scott

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Blake, Lou
Ann via blindlaw
Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2015 8:15 AM
To: Blind Law Mailing List (blindlaw at nfbnet.org)
Subject: [blindlaw] {Disarmed} Agenda is now available for the 2015 Jacobus
tenBroek Disability Law Symposium!

Agenda is Now Available!

for the

2015 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium

The ADA at Fifty: The Future of Disability Law and the Right to Live in the
World

March 26-27, 2015
at the
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute Baltimore, Maryland

Join leading disability rights advocates from throughout the United States
in celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act by looking ahead to
the next twenty-five years. The 2015 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law
Symposium will consist of plenary sessions and workshops facilitated by
distinguished law professors, practitioners, and advocates who will discuss
topics such as: the future of disability, how to enable the participation of
people with disabilities in court proceedings, the unique challenges faced
by criminal suspects and offenders with intellectual and developmental
disabilities, and a vision for the next twenty-five years to improve and
augment the ADA, Rehabilitation Act, and IDEA. Presenters include:

  *   Peter Blanck, University Professor and Chairman, Burton Blatt
Institute, Syracuse University
  *   Chief Judge Richard S. Brown, Wisconsin Court of Appeals
  *   Leigh Ann Davis, Program Manager, National Center on Criminal Justice
and Disability, The Arc
  *   Robert Dinerstein, Professor of Law, American University Washington
College of Law
  *   David Ferleger, Esquire, Law Office of David Ferleger
  *   Beverly Frantz, Criminal Justice and Sexuality Project Director,
Institute on Disabilities, Temple University
  *   Daniel F. Goldstein, Partner, Brown, Goldstein and Levy
  *   Christine M. Griffin, Executive Director, Disability Law Center of
Massachusetts
  *   Arlene S. Kanter; Bond, Schoeneck, and King Distinguished Professor;
Syracuse University College of Law
  *   Marc Maurer, Immediate Past President, National Federation of the
Blind
  *   Arlene B. Mayerson, Directing Attorney, Disability Rights Education
and Defense Fund
  *   Ari Ne'eman, Co-founder and President, Autistic Self Advocacy Network
  *   Laurence Paradis, Executive Director and Co-director of Litigation,
Disability Rights Advocates
  *   Mark Riccobono, President[N1] , National Federation of the Blind
  *   Howard A. Rosenblum, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of
the Deaf
  *   Fredric K. Schroeder, Research Professor, San Diego State University
Research Foundation; First Vice President, World Blind Union
  *   Anita Silvers, Professor and Chair of Philosophy, San Francisco State
University

*       Christopher Slobogin; Milton R. Underwood Chair in Law; Director,
Criminal Justice Program, Vanderbilt University Law School; Affiliate
Professor of Psychiatry; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

  *   Judge Richard B. Teitelman, Supreme Court of Missouri
  *   Kathryn Walker, Criminal Justice Fellow, The Arc
  *   Michael Waterstone, Visiting Professor of Law, Northwestern University
School of Law; J. Howard Ziemann Fellow and Professor of Law, Loyola Law
School Los Angeles

To view the agenda, or for more information about the symposium, hotel
accommodations, and symposium sponsorship opportunities, please visit
https://nfb.org/law-symposium.

Registration fee: $175
Student registration fee: $25

You can register online by going to:
https://nfb.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=49.

You may also download from the symposium website a registration form to mail
or fax.

Documentation for CLE credits will be provided.

For additional information, contact:

Lou Ann Blake, JD
Law Symposium Coordinator
Jernigan Institute
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
Telephone: 410-659-9314, ext. 2221
Email: lblake at nfb.org<mailto:lblake at nfb.org>



Lou Ann Blake, J.D.
HAVA Project Manager and Law Symposium Coordinator 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<mailto:lblake at nfb.org>
Web site: www.nfb.org<http://www.nfb.org/>

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

Make a gift<https://nfb.org/make-gift> to the National Federation of the
Blind and help ensure all blind Americans live the lives they want.




________________________________

 [N1]I've made a couple changes to make this section consistent in
capitalization, but to avoid any flak you may get for this President deal,
you may opt to capitalize everyone's title. Just a suggestion.
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/slabarre%40labarrelaw.
com
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Final Agenda 2015 tenBroek Symposium.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 48640 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150121/1be876df/attachment-0004.doc>

From chris.stewart at uky.edu  Thu Jan 22 12:58:46 2015
From: chris.stewart at uky.edu (Stewart, Christopher K)
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 07:58:46 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Firm Management Software
Message-ID: <CAAyF1PBugMSiaFmXunfKfjZikuEs2U+EoQxvKP6CWy6m4oLhpA@mail.gmail.com>

Dear All,

Does anyone know anything about what the most popular firm management
applications are? My firm uses ProLaw, which has been scripted for.
But, to the best of my knowledge, there are only two of us using
Prolaw.

I would appreciate any reports of people's experience with various
firm management platforms. This is also something that would help
blind law students go into interviews with firms armed with more
information.

Best,
Chris


-- 
Chris K. Stewart
University of Kentucky College of Law, J.D. Candidate, 2016
Staff Editor, Kentucky Law Journal
Co-President, American Constitution Society
California Institute of the Arts, B.F.A. 2010
Ph:
(502)457-1757


From Susan.Kelly at pima.gov  Thu Jan 22 16:53:03 2015
From: Susan.Kelly at pima.gov (Susan Kelly)
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 16:53:03 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] reasonable caseloads
Message-ID: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2B198@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>

I am a public defender, and prior to becoming completely dependent on assistive technology, routinely carried open caseloads of over 60 cases when in the appellate section, 120 when in the trial section, and 90 - 100 once I transferred to the juvenile division.  (These numbers represent cases that were currently open at any given time - the yearly cumulative figure was much higher.)  As an additional complication, the vast majority of my clients at the time were non-English speakers.  (I was too busy working through my cases to realize that my co-workers did not tend to carry quite as high of caseloads, as they had the sense to complain.)

Now that I must rely on JAWS and other adaptive means to handle my cases, which itself is complicated by on-going issues with our computer systems in-office and at court, I cannot work nearly as quickly as in the past.  I find myself working non-stop while at the office, not taking lunch, and dragging recordings home to review for several hours each evening and on the weekends.  My current assignment is in the juvenile division, where I handle all of the appeals for the section, the week-day initials, and trial cases.  I will soon be training as the back-up for the juvenile drug court in addition to these tasks.  Does anyone have any idea what might be considered a reasonable caseload under these circumstances?

From dbeitz at wiennergould.com  Thu Jan 22 17:02:26 2015
From: dbeitz at wiennergould.com (Dan Beitz)
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 17:02:26 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] reasonable caseloads
In-Reply-To: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2B198@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
References: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2B198@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
Message-ID: <AA0FA234D2A3A745A64FC025D904D681B147C5@DAGN15a-e6.exg6.exghost.com>

Can you establish precisely how much work the other attorneys are doing?  That would be a good comparison.  Any chance you could stick it out and get promoted to a management position?  People are pretty impressed by a productive blind person, so what do yo think?




Daniel K. Beitz
Wienner & Gould, P.C.
950 University Dr., Ste. 350
Rochester, MI  48307
Phone:  (248) 841-9405
Fax:  (248) 652-2729
dbeitz at wiennergould.com

www.wiennergould.com

This email transmission and any documents, files or previous email messages attached
to it may contain confidential information that is legally privileged.  If you are
not the intended recipient or the individual responsible for delivering this email
to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying,
or distribution or use of any of the information contained herein or attached to
this email is strictly prohibited.  Should you receive this communication in error,
please notify us immediately by replying to the sender of this email or by telephoning
us at (248) 841-9400.


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kelly via blindlaw
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2015 11:53 AM
To: Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: [blindlaw] reasonable caseloads

I am a public defender, and prior to becoming completely dependent on assistive technology, routinely carried open caseloads of over 60 cases when in the appellate section, 120 when in the trial section, and 90 - 100 once I transferred to the juvenile division.  (These numbers represent cases that were currently open at any given time - the yearly cumulative figure was much higher.)  As an additional complication, the vast majority of my clients at the time were non-English speakers.  (I was too busy working through my cases to realize that my co-workers did not tend to carry quite as high of caseloads, as they had the sense to complain.)

Now that I must rely on JAWS and other adaptive means to handle my cases, which itself is complicated by on-going issues with our computer systems in-office and at court, I cannot work nearly as quickly as in the past.  I find myself working non-stop while at the office, not taking lunch, and dragging recordings home to review for several hours each evening and on the weekends.  My current assignment is in the juvenile division, where I handle all of the appeals for the section, the week-day initials, and trial cases.  I will soon be training as the back-up for the juvenile drug court in addition to these tasks.  Does anyone have any idea what might be considered a reasonable caseload under these circumstances?
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dbeitz%40wiennergould.com


From Susan.Kelly at pima.gov  Thu Jan 22 17:15:33 2015
From: Susan.Kelly at pima.gov (Susan Kelly)
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 17:15:33 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] reasonable caseloads
In-Reply-To: <AA0FA234D2A3A745A64FC025D904D681B147C5@DAGN15a-e6.exg6.exghost.com>
References: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2B198@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>
	<AA0FA234D2A3A745A64FC025D904D681B147C5@DAGN15a-e6.exg6.exghost.com>
Message-ID: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE2B2AB@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>

Unfortunately, the only advantage managers have over line attorneys in our office is a slight pay bump for days actually worked (not including paid holidays, vacation days, and sick days) - caseload remains the same.  I will ask my assistant to try to count a couple of the other attorneys open files, though.  (Our current file-management system is inaccessible.)

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Beitz [mailto:dbeitz at wiennergould.com] 
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2015 10:02 AM
To: Susan Kelly; Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: RE: reasonable caseloads

Can you establish precisely how much work the other attorneys are doing?  That would be a good comparison.  Any chance you could stick it out and get promoted to a management position?  People are pretty impressed by a productive blind person, so what do yo think?




Daniel K. Beitz
Wienner & Gould, P.C.
950 University Dr., Ste. 350
Rochester, MI  48307
Phone:  (248) 841-9405
Fax:  (248) 652-2729
dbeitz at wiennergould.com

www.wiennergould.com

This email transmission and any documents, files or previous email messages attached to it may contain confidential information that is legally privileged.  If you are not the intended recipient or the individual responsible for delivering this email to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution or use of any of the information contained herein or attached to this email is strictly prohibited.  Should you receive this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to the sender of this email or by telephoning us at (248) 841-9400.


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kelly via blindlaw
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2015 11:53 AM
To: Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: [blindlaw] reasonable caseloads

I am a public defender, and prior to becoming completely dependent on assistive technology, routinely carried open caseloads of over 60 cases when in the appellate section, 120 when in the trial section, and 90 - 100 once I transferred to the juvenile division.  (These numbers represent cases that were currently open at any given time - the yearly cumulative figure was much higher.)  As an additional complication, the vast majority of my clients at the time were non-English speakers.  (I was too busy working through my cases to realize that my co-workers did not tend to carry quite as high of caseloads, as they had the sense to complain.)

Now that I must rely on JAWS and other adaptive means to handle my cases, which itself is complicated by on-going issues with our computer systems in-office and at court, I cannot work nearly as quickly as in the past.  I find myself working non-stop while at the office, not taking lunch, and dragging recordings home to review for several hours each evening and on the weekends.  My current assignment is in the juvenile division, where I handle all of the appeals for the section, the week-day initials, and trial cases.  I will soon be training as the back-up for the juvenile drug court in addition to these tasks.  Does anyone have any idea what might be considered a reasonable caseload under these circumstances?
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dbeitz%40wiennergould.com


From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov  Fri Jan 23 20:32:14 2015
From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel)
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 14:32:14 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Attorney Vacancies at the U.S. Department of Justice
In-Reply-To: <CO2PR07MB60414E6801B553510D022FCA8360@CO2PR07MB604.namprd07.prod.outlook.com>
References: <A2C9FB40BD72F846A5E5CF700AEFDB5D4A9D06@DPRC-EXCH-B01.JCONMAIL.doj.gov>
	<A2C9FB40BD72F846A5E5CF700AEFDB5D1CDA6D5E@DPRC-EXCH-P01.JCONMAIL.doj.gov>
	<CO2PR07MB60414E6801B553510D022FCA8360@CO2PR07MB604.namprd07.prod.outlook.com>
Message-ID: <04F1893C93758F4AA7CB436BB26750660136CDD83926@EDUPTCEXMB02.ed.gov>



From: Jobs [mailto:jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Maurer, Patricia via Jobs
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2015 11:15 AM
To: jobs at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Jobs] FW: Attorney Vacancies at the U.S. Department of Justice



From: DOJlawjobs (JMD) [mailto:DOJlawjobs at usdoj.gov]
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2015 12:25 PM
Subject: Attorney Vacancies at the U.S. Department of Justice

Below is a list of current attorney and legal internship vacancies at the U.S. Department of Justice.  To learn more about Justice and our legal careers, please visit our website: http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers.

At Justice, diversity extends beyond race and gender.  It includes differences in culture, ethnicity, economics, status as a veteran<http://www.justice.gov/careers/veterans/>, generations, geography, sexual orientation, and includes individuals with disabilities<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/disability-hiring-0>.  We welcome applications from candidates who are interested in positively contributing to Justice, and hope that you will consider joining the dedicated public servants at the Department of Justice.
What's new?  New Mobile App! Get the latest information about legal careers at Justice with our mobile app, DOJ Law Jobs. Users can quickly and easily create personalized job searches based on practice area, geographic preference, and hiring organization.  DOJ Law Jobs is available for free on iTunes for Apple iPhone, and additional versions for iPad and Android devices will be available in the near future.
Criminal Division (CRM)

Chief<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/chief-0>

DC

01/22/2015

Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

Supervisory Attorney Advisor<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/supervisory-attorney-advisor-7>

TX

01/22/2015

National Security Division (NSD)

Experienced Trial Attorney, GS-905-13/14/15<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/experienced-trial-attorney-gs-905-131415>

DC

01/22/2015

Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

Senior Attorney Advisor<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/senior-attorney-advisor-0>

CO

01/22/2015

Criminal Division (CRM)

Resident Legal Advisor - Tirana, Albania <http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/resident-legal-advisor-tirana-albania>

01/22/2015

Criminal Division (CRM)

Intermittent Legal Advisor - Malaysia <http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/intermittent-legal-advisor-malaysia>

01/22/2015

Criminal Division (CRM)

Resident Legal Advisor - Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/resident-legal-advisor-sarajevo-bosnia-herzegovina>

01/22/2015

Office of the Inspector General (OIG)

Attorney Advisor<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/attorney-advisor-36>

DC

01/22/2015

USAO Northern District of Texas

Assistant United States Attorney<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/assistant-united-states-attorney-116>

TX

01/21/2015

USAO Northern District of California

Assistant United States Attorney<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/assistant-united-states-attorney-115>

CA

01/20/2015

USAO Northern District of Georgia

Law Student Volunteer, Summer<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/law-student-volunteer-summer-41>

GA

01/20/2015

USAO District of Alaska

AUSA Term NTE 13 Months<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/ausa-term-nte-13-months>

AK

01/20/2015

Civil Division (CIV)

Trial Attorney<http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/trial-attorney-45>

DC

01/20/2015


The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management, continuously updates its outreach list for the distribution of attorney and legal intern vacancy announcements.  If you would like to continue receiving these emails from the Department of Justice, please respond to this email with UPDATE in the subject line and provide the updated contact information listed below.   If you no longer wish to receive these email notifications, please reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

SCHOOL OR ORGANIZATION:
NAME:
TITLE:
PHONE:
EMAIL:
WEBSITE:

-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
Jobs mailing list
Jobs at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/jobs_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Jobs:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/jobs_nfbnet.org/noel.nightingale%40ed.gov

From mnowicki4 at icloud.com  Sat Jan 24 19:26:13 2015
From: mnowicki4 at icloud.com (Michal Nowicki)
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:26:13 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] JAWS Scripts as a Remedy for Inaccessible Software Used
 in the Workplace
Message-ID: <003501d0380b$9e0b22b0$da216810$@icloud.com>

Dear List Members,

 

The accessibility of software used by law firms has lately been a hot topic
on this mailing list.  I know that some of you have obtained JAWS scripts to
enhance the usability of firm management software.  With that in mind, I
would greatly appreciate it if you could give me some information on the
benefits of such scripts and the process of obtaining them.  Here are some
of the specific questions I have:

*         Can every inaccessible application be made accessible through JAWS
scripting, or are there limitations to creating and effectively using JAWS
scripts?

*         When it is possible to script a program for use with JAWS, what is
the actual power of the scripts?  For instance, can scripts make software
that was previously completely unusable by a blind person fully compatible
with JAWS, or do scripts generally offer only limited support?

*         If I ever find out that I need to use inaccessible software for a
job or summer internship, and if it is impossible/impractical to arrange for
alternate ways of performing the task(s) in question, how can I get JAWS
scripts for the software?  Does FreedomScientific provide any assistance?
How long can it take to write such scripts?

 

Thank you in advance for your responses.

 

All the Best,

 

Michal


From philosopher25 at gmail.com  Sat Jan 24 19:32:08 2015
From: philosopher25 at gmail.com (Sexton, bruce)
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 10:32:08 -0900
Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT study partner
Message-ID: <000601d0380c$720a3920$561eab60$@gmail.com>

Hello List,

I am looking for a motivated  LSAT study partner. Contact me if you are
planning to take the LSAT in June or October 2015. 
I am available Monday, Wednesday and Fridays 
Time: I can be flexible, but these are my core hours 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Pacific time. 

I am aiming for the best score possible. 

Contact me at:

Phone: 907.297.8131
E-mail: brucefsexton at gmail.com

Thanks, and I look forward to working with you,
Bruce 


From mnowicki4 at icloud.com  Sat Jan 24 19:55:32 2015
From: mnowicki4 at icloud.com (Michal Nowicki)
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:55:32 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT study partner
In-Reply-To: <000601d0380c$720a3920$561eab60$@gmail.com>
References: <000601d0380c$720a3920$561eab60$@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <007701d0380f$b7bf3210$273d9630$@icloud.com>

Hi, Bruce,

As you know, I already took the LSAT, but I would still be willing to work
with you.  Let me know exactly what you need, and if I can help.

Best,

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sexton,
bruce via blindlaw
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2015 1:32 PM
To: Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT study partner

Hello List,

I am looking for a motivated  LSAT study partner. Contact me if you are
planning to take the LSAT in June or October 2015. 
I am available Monday, Wednesday and Fridays
Time: I can be flexible, but these are my core hours 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Pacific time. 

I am aiming for the best score possible. 

Contact me at:

Phone: 907.297.8131
E-mail: brucefsexton at gmail.com

Thanks, and I look forward to working with you, Bruce 

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com



From philosopher25 at gmail.com  Sat Jan 24 22:18:50 2015
From: philosopher25 at gmail.com (Sexton, bruce)
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:18:50 -0900
Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT study partner
In-Reply-To: <007701d0380f$b7bf3210$273d9630$@icloud.com>
References: <000601d0380c$720a3920$561eab60$@gmail.com>
	<007701d0380f$b7bf3210$273d9630$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <000801d03823$bbba3d60$332eb820$@gmail.com>

Hi Michal,

I took the test as well, and am looking to improve my score. In a study
partner I am looking for mutual motivation and  tip sharing. Since you've
already finished your LSAT prep, You would be a mentor more than a study
partner.  In that case, I am looking for someone who could go into detail on
certain aspects of the test as questions arise. Something like multi-layered
games could be something I would call to discuss since my methods are
slightly different from yours, and would take a lot to write out. Quick
questions, I would just write in an email. 

I have your email address, so send me your phone number, and I will contact
you when I have questions. I appreciate your offer. 

Also, I am still looking for someone who is currently studying for the test
for mutual motivation and tip sharing while going through the learning
process. 

Thanks,
Bruce 

-----Original Message-----
From: Michal Nowicki [mailto:mnowicki4 at icloud.com] 
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2015 10:56 AM
To: 'Sexton, bruce'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [blindlaw] LSAT study partner

Hi, Bruce,

As you know, I already took the LSAT, but I would still be willing to work
with you.  Let me know exactly what you need, and if I can help.

Best,

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sexton,
bruce via blindlaw
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2015 1:32 PM
To: Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: [blindlaw] LSAT study partner

Hello List,

I am looking for a motivated  LSAT study partner. Contact me if you are
planning to take the LSAT in June or October 2015. 
I am available Monday, Wednesday and Fridays
Time: I can be flexible, but these are my core hours 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Pacific time. 

I am aiming for the best score possible. 

Contact me at:

Phone: 907.297.8131
E-mail: brucefsexton at gmail.com

Thanks, and I look forward to working with you, Bruce 

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com




From emrene at earthlink.net  Sat Jan 24 22:37:13 2015
From: emrene at earthlink.net (Elizabeth Rene)
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 16:37:13 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Re Reasonable Caseloads
Message-ID: <002a01d03826$505031d0$8c0fa8c0@yourpc79505e9b>

My feeling, after several years of public sector practice, is that you shouldn't be skipping lunch and working nights on an everyday basis.  You won't have anything in reserve if a crisis comes at the office or inyyour personal life.  and you truly ought to preserve some reasonable boundaries, whether you use assistive technology or not.

While you check to see if you have a disproportionate caseload--on the quiet, of course--consider updating your resume and creating more breathing space by giving yourself an escape route if you need it.

If you're as productive and have the level of responsibility you describe, you should be allowing yourself room to participate as a member of the bar, and not just an employee of the public defense office.  You should be pro temming on the bench.  You should be looking for more select public defense work--maybe with an appellate defender association, the Innocence Project,or something like that.  Given your work ethic, you would probably be in high demand.  The Federal Public Defender might be a good place to go, possibly offering better accommodations.

Can you delegate some of your work to a paralegal?  Maybe your office is watching to see how you're managing your caseload and available resources.  If there's scut work you're doing, or work that truly doesn't require a lawyer's hand, delegating that without reference to your eyesight might earn you credit as being efficient as well as productive.

I do believe that using assistive technology does take longer than working with good eyesight.  That's how it was for me.  Are there conscientious shortcuts you can take?  using cut-and-paste techniques for writing briefs, skimming through repetitive language in opponents' briefs, creating form documents where appropriate, etc.?Can your secretary help you more than he or she does?

You deserve a work life that leaves you a life of your own. If there's a Lawyer's Assistance Program within your state bar association, you might want to contact them for support.  Overwork and burnout aren't just the province of blind people.  These problems are endemic to the practice of law.  

Good for you for reaching out for support!

And good luck.

Elizabeth Rene,
Seattle, WA

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

From emrene at earthlink.net  Sun Jan 25 21:36:02 2015
From: emrene at earthlink.net (Elizabeth Rene)
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 15:36:02 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Re JAWS scripts as a remedy for inaccessible workplace
	software
Message-ID: <001a01d038e6$ebdae850$8c0fa8c0@yourpc79505e9b>

When dealing with inaccessible workplace software, I wonder whether we lawyers shouldn't be using more than one screen reader tool.  We're always talking about whether JAWS will do this or do that.  What about Apple OSX and iOS?

I find, for example, that working with PDF files in JAWS is a headache, while opening a PDF document in iBooks lets me breeze right through it.  In fact, Apple reads PDFs
better than it does Word documents!  But Apple does something else better than JAWS.  Now I have a tiny, tiny bit of eyesight.  I can read the Apple screen with a 10X magnifying lense.  So if something isn't readable with VoiceOver, I can turn VO off and use the Zoom utilities to enlarge the print as much as I need to, and scroll through text that VO somehow isn't flexible enough to accommodate.  A simple click of the home button allows switching back and forth, or, if you want to, switch back and forth to reverse from white on black to black on white.  And you can flip between portrait and landscape orientations.  No extra software needed!  And you can do all of this at your desk, at a cafe or a pub with something good in front of you, or on your backyard deck with the kids outside.

 For that matter, maybe WindowEyes does some jobs better than JAWS or Apple.

I think we should be skilled in every tool we can find and afford, to make our lives what we want them to be,
and not be held hostage to office programs that one tool can't handle.

And even as I say this, our offices may have a duty to vet their software for accessibility before they buy it.To me, that seems to be part of the "reasonable" in "reasonable accommodation."

Elizabeth Rene




 
  

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

From mnowicki4 at icloud.com  Sun Jan 25 23:12:09 2015
From: mnowicki4 at icloud.com (Michal Nowicki)
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 17:12:09 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] Re JAWS scripts as a remedy for inaccessible
	workplace	software
In-Reply-To: <001a01d038e6$ebdae850$8c0fa8c0@yourpc79505e9b>
References: <001a01d038e6$ebdae850$8c0fa8c0@yourpc79505e9b>
Message-ID: <001201d038f4$5a0bc1c0$0e234540$@icloud.com>

Dear Ms.  Rene,

Thank you for your comments.  I will address each of them in the paragraphs
that follow:

I agree with you 100% that blind people (not just lawyers) should use all
available assistive technology.  In fact, I have come to believe that
ideally, a blind person should have at least 2 screen readers:  a primary
one for everyday use and a secondary one.  That way, when the primary
program fails, there is always a chance that the secondary one will do the
job.  For example, I have observed that NVDA correctly reads some image alt
text tags that JAWS fails to recognize.  However, part of the reason why
JAWS remains so popular in the workplace is because it offers more features
than the competition, including, for instance, the ability to create custom
labels for web elements and the text analyzer, a tool that makes the
proofreading of documents much easier for blind people.

Until a few weeks ago, I too felt reluctant about accessing most PDF
documents using JAWS.  The exception was documents that were tagged for
heading navigation, and those which contained in-page links to other parts
of the document.  After doing some research, though, I discovered a couple
of features that changed my attitude towards JAWS compatibility with Adobe
Reader.  One of these is the ability to create multiple placemarkers in a
PDF document, and the other is the "go to page" function, which, when
accessed by pressing Control plus Shift plus N, causes JAWS to tell you
which page of the document you are currently on.  Additionally, while Adobe
find isn't very accessible, JAWS find works perfectly well for searching
documents.  With that in mind, I am no longer concerned about navigating
PDFs with JAWS, so long as the files aren't scanned images.  Even then,
however, I can use OCR software to make such files accessible, provided that
the image resolution is reasonable.

As for WindowEyes, I must say that as a JAWS user, I hate it.  I've had the
chance to try it out, but, unlike NVDA, with which I haven't had any
trouble, I just can't get used to WindowEyes, no matter how hard I try.  In
fact, sometimes I feel that GW Micro intentionally wrote the software in
such a way that JAWS users wouldn't be able to utilize it efficiently.  I am
not the only JAWS user that despises it, and I know that many WindowEyes
users can't stand JAWS.

I won't say anything about an office's duty to purchase accessible software
because I don't really know anything about the topic.

Best,

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth
Rene via blindlaw
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2015 3:36 PM
To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blindlaw] Re JAWS scripts as a remedy for inaccessible workplace
software

When dealing with inaccessible workplace software, I wonder whether we
lawyers shouldn't be using more than one screen reader tool.  We're always
talking about whether JAWS will do this or do that.  What about Apple OSX
and iOS?

I find, for example, that working with PDF files in JAWS is a headache,
while opening a PDF document in iBooks lets me breeze right through it.  In
fact, Apple reads PDFs better than it does Word documents!  But Apple does
something else better than JAWS.  Now I have a tiny, tiny bit of eyesight.
I can read the Apple screen with a 10X magnifying lense.  So if something
isn't readable with VoiceOver, I can turn VO off and use the Zoom utilities
to enlarge the print as much as I need to, and scroll through text that VO
somehow isn't flexible enough to accommodate.  A simple click of the home
button allows switching back and forth, or, if you want to, switch back and
forth to reverse from white on black to black on white.  And you can flip
between portrait and landscape orientations.  No extra software needed!  And
you can do all of this at your desk, at a cafe or a pub with something good
in front of you, or on your backyard deck with the kids outside.

 For that matter, maybe WindowEyes does some jobs better than JAWS or Apple.

I think we should be skilled in every tool we can find and afford, to make
our lives what we want them to be, and not be held hostage to office
programs that one tool can't handle.

And even as I say this, our offices may have a duty to vet their software
for accessibility before they buy it.To me, that seems to be part of the
"reasonable" in "reasonable accommodation."

Elizabeth Rene




 
  

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus
protection is active.
http://www.avast.com
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com



From dbeitz at wiennergould.com  Mon Jan 26 02:22:34 2015
From: dbeitz at wiennergould.com (Dan Beitz)
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 02:22:34 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] Re JAWS scripts as a remedy for
	inaccessible	workplace	software
In-Reply-To: <001201d038f4$5a0bc1c0$0e234540$@icloud.com>
References: <001a01d038e6$ebdae850$8c0fa8c0@yourpc79505e9b>
	<001201d038f4$5a0bc1c0$0e234540$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <AA0FA234D2A3A745A64FC025D904D681B16F7F@DAGN15c-e6.exg6.exghost.com>

I use Jaws, but I can tell you that the window-eyes mouse, using the number pad, is fabulous.  There are a few programs that I simply couldn't use any other screen reader to read, but where the window-eyes mouse works really well.


Daniel K. Beitz
Wienner & Gould, P.C.
950 University Dr., Ste. 350
Rochester, MI  48307
Phone:  (248) 841-9405
Fax:  (248) 652-2729
dbeitz at wiennergould.com

www.wiennergould.com

This email transmission and any documents, files or previous email messages attached
to it may contain confidential information that is legally privileged.  If you are
not the intended recipient or the individual responsible for delivering this email
to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying,
or distribution or use of any of the information contained herein or attached to
this email is strictly prohibited.  Should you receive this communication in error,
please notify us immediately by replying to the sender of this email or by telephoning
us at (248) 841-9400.

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2015 6:12 PM
To: 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Re JAWS scripts as a remedy for inaccessible workplace software

Dear Ms.  Rene,

Thank you for your comments.  I will address each of them in the paragraphs that follow:

I agree with you 100% that blind people (not just lawyers) should use all available assistive technology.  In fact, I have come to believe that ideally, a blind person should have at least 2 screen readers:  a primary one for everyday use and a secondary one.  That way, when the primary program fails, there is always a chance that the secondary one will do the job.  For example, I have observed that NVDA correctly reads some image alt text tags that JAWS fails to recognize.  However, part of the reason why JAWS remains so popular in the workplace is because it offers more features than the competition, including, for instance, the ability to create custom labels for web elements and the text analyzer, a tool that makes the proofreading of documents much easier for blind people.

Until a few weeks ago, I too felt reluctant about accessing most PDF documents using JAWS.  The exception was documents that were tagged for heading navigation, and those which contained in-page links to other parts of the document.  After doing some research, though, I discovered a couple of features that changed my attitude towards JAWS compatibility with Adobe Reader.  One of these is the ability to create multiple placemarkers in a PDF document, and the other is the "go to page" function, which, when accessed by pressing Control plus Shift plus N, causes JAWS to tell you which page of the document you are currently on.  Additionally, while Adobe find isn't very accessible, JAWS find works perfectly well for searching documents.  With that in mind, I am no longer concerned about navigating PDFs with JAWS, so long as the files aren't scanned images.  Even then, however, I can use OCR software to make such files accessible, provided that the image resolution is reasonable.

As for WindowEyes, I must say that as a JAWS user, I hate it.  I've had the chance to try it out, but, unlike NVDA, with which I haven't had any trouble, I just can't get used to WindowEyes, no matter how hard I try.  In fact, sometimes I feel that GW Micro intentionally wrote the software in such a way that JAWS users wouldn't be able to utilize it efficiently.  I am not the only JAWS user that despises it, and I know that many WindowEyes users can't stand JAWS.

I won't say anything about an office's duty to purchase accessible software because I don't really know anything about the topic.

Best,

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Rene via blindlaw
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2015 3:36 PM
To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blindlaw] Re JAWS scripts as a remedy for inaccessible workplace software

When dealing with inaccessible workplace software, I wonder whether we lawyers shouldn't be using more than one screen reader tool.  We're always talking about whether JAWS will do this or do that.  What about Apple OSX and iOS?

I find, for example, that working with PDF files in JAWS is a headache, while opening a PDF document in iBooks lets me breeze right through it.  In fact, Apple reads PDFs better than it does Word documents!  But Apple does something else better than JAWS.  Now I have a tiny, tiny bit of eyesight.
I can read the Apple screen with a 10X magnifying lense.  So if something isn't readable with VoiceOver, I can turn VO off and use the Zoom utilities to enlarge the print as much as I need to, and scroll through text that VO somehow isn't flexible enough to accommodate.  A simple click of the home button allows switching back and forth, or, if you want to, switch back and forth to reverse from white on black to black on white.  And you can flip between portrait and landscape orientations.  No extra software needed!  And you can do all of this at your desk, at a cafe or a pub with something good in front of you, or on your backyard deck with the kids outside.

 For that matter, maybe WindowEyes does some jobs better than JAWS or Apple.

I think we should be skilled in every tool we can find and afford, to make our lives what we want them to be, and not be held hostage to office programs that one tool can't handle.

And even as I say this, our offices may have a duty to vet their software for accessibility before they buy it.To me, that seems to be part of the "reasonable" in "reasonable accommodation."

Elizabeth Rene




 
  

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dbeitz%40wiennergould.com


From d-benbow at live.com  Mon Jan 26 06:31:13 2015
From: d-benbow at live.com (Dawn Benbow)
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 01:31:13 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Re JAWS scripts as a remedy for inaccessible
	workplace	software
In-Reply-To: <001a01d038e6$ebdae850$8c0fa8c0@yourpc79505e9b>
References: <001a01d038e6$ebdae850$8c0fa8c0@yourpc79505e9b>
Message-ID: <BAY405-EAS267A46CD1B2FC5A9306378EF9350@phx.gbl>

Hi,


I'm someone who much prefers the accessibility and reliability of my Apple products! I'm blessed that I'm able to use them during my internship, I'm dreading having to go back to struggling with Windows again when I get an actual paying job as I've been told that most law offices use Windows.  

In the list of other tools you may also want to look into Non Visual Desktop Access, (NVDA). I haven't used it much myself since I switched to Mac, but it was what I used to use on my Windows laptop 

I totally agree that we need to make use of all the tools we can find!

Dawn

Paralegal Intern at the law offices of David C. Helm, PLLC
Plymouth, MI

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 25, 2015, at 4:36 PM, Elizabeth Rene via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> And even as I say this, our offices may have


From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov  Mon Jan 26 17:29:56 2015
From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel)
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 11:29:56 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Department of Education,
 Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is Hiring a Regional Director to lead
 the OCR Atlanta office
In-Reply-To: <65924200BD268D428A0250B166F79D4BED7FA02B0C@EDUPTCEXMB02.ed.gov>
References: <65924200BD268D428A0250B166F79D4BED7FA02B0C@EDUPTCEXMB02.ed.gov>
Message-ID: <04F1893C93758F4AA7CB436BB26750660136CDD83A24@EDUPTCEXMB02.ed.gov>



From: Windsor, Diedre
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2015 4:22 PM
To: OCR All Users
Subject: Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is Hiring a Regional Director to lead the OCR Atlanta office
Importance: High

Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is hiring!  Please see announcement highlights below.  Prospective candidates can visit www.USAJOBS.Gov<http://www.USAJOBS.Gov> to learn more about the position and apply.
Please share with your respective networks and potential candidates with extensive Civil Rights experience.  Thanking you in advance.
V/r
Diedre L. Windsor
Executive Officer
Director, Resource Management Group
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
202-453-5512 | diedre.windsor at ed.gov<mailto:diedre.windsor at ed.gov>


Announcement Highlights
Link to announcement: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/391486200
Job Title: Supervisory General Attorney (Civil Rights), GS-905-15
Department: Department Of Education
Agency: Office for Civil Rights
Job Announcement Number:ATL-OCR-2015-0004
SALARY RANGE:

$121,234.00 to $157,608.00 / Per Year

OPEN PERIOD:

Tuesday, January 13, 2015 to Wednesday, January 28, 2015

SERIES & GRADE:

GS-0905-15

POSITION INFORMATION:

Full-Time - Permanent

PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 15

DUTY LOCATIONS:

1 vacancy in the following location:
Atlanta, GA View Map<https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/391486200>

WHO MAY APPLY:

This announcement is open to all U.S. citizens.

SECURITY CLEARANCE:

Public Trust - Background Investigation

SUPERVISORY STATUS:

Yes

JOB SUMMARY:
About the Agency <https://jobs.mgsapps.monster.com/edu/vacancy/preview.hms?orgId=1&jnum=62137>
You will serve as a Regional Office Director in the OCR Atlanta, GA Office. As Regional Office Director, you will be responsible for managing the civil rights compliance and enforcement program at a regional office for a geographic region composed of one or more states over which the regional office has jurisdiction that supports the mission of the Department and OCR's Strategic Plan. OCR enforces Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2001, and their respective implementing regulations.
TRAVEL REQUIRED
*        Occasional Travel
*        Some overnight travel required.
RELOCATION AUTHORIZED
*        No
KEY REQUIREMENTS
*        You must be a U.S. Citizen.
*        Some overnight travel is required.
*        Relocation expenses WILL NOT be paid.
________________________________
DUTIES:
Back to top<https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/TopofPage>
The incumbent manages the regional office's enforcement program; makes civil rights compliance determinations and ensures that complaints and proactive enforcement activities are processed in accordance with directives, regulations, policies, case law, and conform to established case-processing procedures; ensures that the work products of the regional office are of high quality, factually accurate and legally sound; implements strategies, including internal controls, to ensure that compliance determinations of the regional office are consistent within regional offices and nationwide; responsible for development and implementation of the regional office's proactive enforcement and technical assistance activities, consistent with the priorities set forth by the Assistant Secretary. Provides leadership and guidance to subordinate managers and staff in planning, developing and carrying out program objectives. Supports a performance culture that emphasizes accountability, efficiency and effectiveness. Provides subordinate managers and staff with advice and information on all aspects of program operations. Establishes and maintains relationships with OCR's Senior Managers, other Regional Office Directors, the Department, government agencies, private organizations, advocacy organizations, elected and appointed officials, the public, Congress and the media in order to plan and manage the enforcement program.


From Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov  Mon Jan 26 20:35:28 2015
From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov (Nightingale, Noel)
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:35:28 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] FW: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest
 regarding Title II Service Animal Regulation
In-Reply-To: <17366359.712@public.govdelivery.com>
References: <17366359.712@public.govdelivery.com>
Message-ID: <04F1893C93758F4AA7CB436BB26750660136CDD83A8C@EDUPTCEXMB02.ed.gov>



From: U.S. Department of Justice [mailto:usdoj at public.govdelivery.com]
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2015 12:30 PM
To: Nightingale, Noel
Subject: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest regarding Title II Service Animal Regulation


The Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest today in Alboniga v. School Board of Broward County, Florida, No. 14-60085 (S. D. Fla.),  to clarify that the Department's title II regulation generally requires public entities, such as schools, to permit individuals with disabilities to use their service animals, subject to specific exceptions. This regulatory framework furthers Congress's intent to honor individuals' choices to be accompanied by their service animals whereever feasible and to respect such individuals' autonomy and self-determination.

To find out more about this Statement of Interest <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTI2LjQwNzQ4ODAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDEyNi40MDc0ODgwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzY2MzU5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&100&&&http://www.ada.gov/briefs/broward_county_school_board_soi.doc> or the ADA, call the Justice Department's ADA Information Line <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTI2LjQwNzQ4ODAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDEyNi40MDc0ODgwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzY2MzU5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&101&&&http://www.ada.gov/contact_drs.htm> at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA website at www.ada.gov<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTI2LjQwNzQ4ODAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDEyNi40MDc0ODgwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzY2MzU5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&102&&&http://www.ada.gov>.

________________________________
[cid:image001.jpg at 01D03964.911A09E0]<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTI2LjQwNzQ4ODAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDEyNi40MDc0ODgwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzY2MzU5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&103&&&http://www.google.com>  Follow<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTI2LjQwNzQ4ODAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDEyNi40MDc0ODgwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzY2MzU5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&104&&&http://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept> The Department of Justice on Twitter. |   [cid:image001.jpg at 01D03964.911A09E0] <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTI2LjQwNzQ4ODAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDEyNi40MDc0ODgwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzY2MzU5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&105&&&http://facebook.com/DOJ>   Like<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTI2LjQwNzQ4ODAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDEyNi40MDc0ODgwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzY2MzU5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&106&&&http://facebook.com/DOJ> The Department of Justice on Facebook.
________________________________
You have received this e-mail because you have asked to be notified of changes to the U.S. Department of Justice<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTI2LjQwNzQ4ODAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDEyNi40MDc0ODgwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzY2MzU5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&107&&&http://justice.gov> website. GovDelivery is providing this service on behalf of the Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW * Washington, DC 20530 * 202-514-2000 and may not use your subscription information for any other purposes.

Manage your Subscriptions<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTI2LjQwNzQ4ODAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDEyNi40MDc0ODgwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzY2MzU5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&108&&&https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOJ/subscriber/new?preferences=true> | Department of Justice Privacy Policy <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTI2LjQwNzQ4ODAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDEyNi40MDc0ODgwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzY2MzU5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&109&&&http://www.justice.gov/privacy-file.htm>  | GovDelivery Privacy Policy <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwMTI2LjQwNzQ4ODAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDEyNi40MDc0ODgwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzY2MzU5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bm9lbC5uaWdodGluZ2FsZUBlZC5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPW5vZWwubmlnaHRpbmdhbGVAZWQuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&110&&&https://subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com/hc/en-us/articles/200355775-GovDelivery-Privacy-Policy>





-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 335 bytes
Desc: image001.jpg
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150126/aa5e51f2/attachment-0008.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 332 bytes
Desc: image002.jpg
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150126/aa5e51f2/attachment-0009.jpg>

From Susan.Kelly at pima.gov  Wed Jan 28 17:57:38 2015
From: Susan.Kelly at pima.gov (Susan Kelly)
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2015 17:57:38 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] Re JAWS scripts as a remedy for inaccessible
 workplace	software
In-Reply-To: <001a01d038e6$ebdae850$8c0fa8c0@yourpc79505e9b>
References: <001a01d038e6$ebdae850$8c0fa8c0@yourpc79505e9b>
Message-ID: <BE4C4D55ED9DAD44AF21164D4915BF725AE30A97@SPEXCHMB01.central.pima.gov>

I totally agree with the greater ease of use for VoiceOver on PDFs...unfortunately, our county  / office IT refuses to even consider using and Apple or Mac products.  I have thus been using (more like abusing) my personal iPad for a great deal of my work and also have downloaded Adobe e-pub's latest reader on the desktop of my office computer in the hopes of something that might work a bit better.  My assistant and I have gone to great lengths on our own to find software to make it easier to re-format the PDFs which court reporters compile in the most bizarre patterns to something that will easily drop into the Adobe e-pub reader program.

As for the requirement that offices vet accessibility before purchasing, it is routinely brought up by my supervisor and ignored by the higher powers.  For those of us in public sector employment, especially in areas that seem to view the ADA as applicable only to disabilities of physical movement, it is a constant battle that usually has to be waged on one's own time, at one's own expense.   

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Rene via blindlaw
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2015 2:36 PM
To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blindlaw] Re JAWS scripts as a remedy for inaccessible workplace software

When dealing with inaccessible workplace software, I wonder whether we lawyers shouldn't be using more than one screen reader tool.  We're always talking about whether JAWS will do this or do that.  What about Apple OSX and iOS?

I find, for example, that working with PDF files in JAWS is a headache, while opening a PDF document in iBooks lets me breeze right through it.  In fact, Apple reads PDFs better than it does Word documents!  But Apple does something else better than JAWS.  Now I have a tiny, tiny bit of eyesight.  I can read the Apple screen with a 10X magnifying lense.  So if something isn't readable with VoiceOver, I can turn VO off and use the Zoom utilities to enlarge the print as much as I need to, and scroll through text that VO somehow isn't flexible enough to accommodate.  A simple click of the home button allows switching back and forth, or, if you want to, switch back and forth to reverse from white on black to black on white.  And you can flip between portrait and landscape orientations.  No extra software needed!  And you can do all of this at your desk, at a cafe or a pub with something good in front of you, or on your backyard deck with the kids outside.

 For that matter, maybe WindowEyes does some jobs better than JAWS or Apple.

I think we should be skilled in every tool we can find and afford, to make our lives what we want them to be, and not be held hostage to office programs that one tool can't handle.

And even as I say this, our offices may have a duty to vet their software for accessibility before they buy it.To me, that seems to be part of the "reasonable" in "reasonable accommodation."

Elizabeth Rene




 
  

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/susan.kelly%40pima.gov


From rahul.bajaj1038 at gmail.com  Wed Jan 28 18:31:10 2015
From: rahul.bajaj1038 at gmail.com (Rahul Bajaj)
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2015 00:01:10 +0530
Subject: [blindlaw] Training for Internships
Message-ID: <CADFycPbe-6ROR_T3-T152T+YyZVOYfjMdfSSGxdha9kthJMK3A@mail.gmail.com>

Hi All,

While this question does not have anything to do directly with
blindness per se, I believe this is a great platform to discuss this
issue and to hear diverse views and perspectives. Most of the
internships that I have pursued thus far have been in areas of law
about which I had very limited knowledge at the time of starting the
internship. This is often a huge disadvantage because I take a
substantially more amount of time to understand the intricacies of
legal propositions for which I am required to find authoritative cases
or commentaries. Generally speaking, I always understand things better
when I can contextualize their relevance and importance in the big
picture. So, what strategies should I adopt for acquiring a functional
understanding of the areas of law that I am slated to work on during
my internship? More specifically, are there any strategies that I can
adopt for effectively predicting the kind of work (legal propositions,
opinions and research notes) that I would be likely to work on during
the internship and to devise strategies for performing these tasks
efficaciously and expeditiously?
Secondly, what substantive steps can I take when I am not interning to
enhance my productivity during my internships? In other words, what
are the kinds of habits that I should seek to develop and promote for
performing tasks such as reading complex cases, digesting complicated
facts, finding out important points for consideration and critically
evaluating any legal document expeditiously? I go to a local community
college where the quality of students and faculty is remarkably low,
so I have to devise my own strategies for learning these critical
skills. Any pointers that would help me in performing the
aforementioned tasks expeditiously and efficaciously would be greatly
appreciated.

Best,
Rahul


From rthomas at emplmntattorney.com  Wed Jan 28 21:01:26 2015
From: rthomas at emplmntattorney.com (Russell J. Thomas)
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2015 13:01:26 -0800
Subject: [blindlaw] Training for Internships
In-Reply-To: <CADFycPbe-6ROR_T3-T152T+YyZVOYfjMdfSSGxdha9kthJMK3A@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CADFycPbe-6ROR_T3-T152T+YyZVOYfjMdfSSGxdha9kthJMK3A@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <002401d03b3d$94f14cb0$bed3e610$@com>

Once you know the area of law, do a few Google searches to locate news
articles which discuss the area of law. If you have access to a legal
research database, do some research to identify some recent cases in the
area of law; read the cases so you have some familiarity with the subject
matter.


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rahul Bajaj
via blindlaw
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2015 10:31 AM
To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blindlaw] Training for Internships

Hi All,

While this question does not have anything to do directly with blindness per
se, I believe this is a great platform to discuss this issue and to hear
diverse views and perspectives. Most of the internships that I have pursued
thus far have been in areas of law about which I had very limited knowledge
at the time of starting the internship. This is often a huge disadvantage
because I take a substantially more amount of time to understand the
intricacies of legal propositions for which I am required to find
authoritative cases or commentaries. Generally speaking, I always understand
things better when I can contextualize their relevance and importance in the
big picture. So, what strategies should I adopt for acquiring a functional
understanding of the areas of law that I am slated to work on during my
internship? More specifically, are there any strategies that I can adopt for
effectively predicting the kind of work (legal propositions, opinions and
research notes) that I would be likely to work on during the internship and
to devise strategies for performing these tasks efficaciously and
expeditiously?
Secondly, what substantive steps can I take when I am not interning to
enhance my productivity during my internships? In other words, what are the
kinds of habits that I should seek to develop and promote for performing
tasks such as reading complex cases, digesting complicated facts, finding
out important points for consideration and critically evaluating any legal
document expeditiously? I go to a local community college where the quality
of students and faculty is remarkably low, so I have to devise my own
strategies for learning these critical skills. Any pointers that would help
me in performing the aforementioned tasks expeditiously and efficaciously
would be greatly appreciated.

Best,
Rahul

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
ney.com



From gerard.sadlier at gmail.com  Thu Jan 29 00:32:46 2015
From: gerard.sadlier at gmail.com (Gerard Sadlier)
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2015 00:32:46 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] Training for Internships
In-Reply-To: <002401d03b3d$94f14cb0$bed3e610$@com>
References: <CADFycPbe-6ROR_T3-T152T+YyZVOYfjMdfSSGxdha9kthJMK3A@mail.gmail.com>
	<002401d03b3d$94f14cb0$bed3e610$@com>
Message-ID: <CAGZitzL_vXT=cQ3VMHhej6ZBZKHLmBKpQzmexdFepnFHkRJvwQ@mail.gmail.com>

Hi Rahul,

The only thing that will make you better and quicker at understanding
law is reading it. The cases and legislation must be read and read
again if not understood.

You should read leading text books and then, where you find a point
unclear follow up by reading cases referred to.

Hopefully you have access to a legal database. Certainly, I know many
legal resources are now freely available.

Kind regards

Ger

On 1/28/15, Russell J. Thomas via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Once you know the area of law, do a few Google searches to locate news
> articles which discuss the area of law. If you have access to a legal
> research database, do some research to identify some recent cases in the
> area of law; read the cases so you have some familiarity with the subject
> matter.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rahul
> Bajaj
> via blindlaw
> Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2015 10:31 AM
> To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [blindlaw] Training for Internships
>
> Hi All,
>
> While this question does not have anything to do directly with blindness
> per
> se, I believe this is a great platform to discuss this issue and to hear
> diverse views and perspectives. Most of the internships that I have pursued
> thus far have been in areas of law about which I had very limited knowledge
> at the time of starting the internship. This is often a huge disadvantage
> because I take a substantially more amount of time to understand the
> intricacies of legal propositions for which I am required to find
> authoritative cases or commentaries. Generally speaking, I always
> understand
> things better when I can contextualize their relevance and importance in
> the
> big picture. So, what strategies should I adopt for acquiring a functional
> understanding of the areas of law that I am slated to work on during my
> internship? More specifically, are there any strategies that I can adopt
> for
> effectively predicting the kind of work (legal propositions, opinions and
> research notes) that I would be likely to work on during the internship and
> to devise strategies for performing these tasks efficaciously and
> expeditiously?
> Secondly, what substantive steps can I take when I am not interning to
> enhance my productivity during my internships? In other words, what are the
> kinds of habits that I should seek to develop and promote for performing
> tasks such as reading complex cases, digesting complicated facts, finding
> out important points for consideration and critically evaluating any legal
> document expeditiously? I go to a local community college where the quality
> of students and faculty is remarkably low, so I have to devise my own
> strategies for learning these critical skills. Any pointers that would help
> me in performing the aforementioned tasks expeditiously and efficaciously
> would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Best,
> Rahul
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
> ney.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/gerard.sadlier%40gmail.com
>


From dmanners at jd16.law.harvard.edu  Thu Jan 29 01:23:03 2015
From: dmanners at jd16.law.harvard.edu (Derek Manners)
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2015 20:23:03 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Training for Internships
In-Reply-To: <CAGZitzL_vXT=cQ3VMHhej6ZBZKHLmBKpQzmexdFepnFHkRJvwQ@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CADFycPbe-6ROR_T3-T152T+YyZVOYfjMdfSSGxdha9kthJMK3A@mail.gmail.com>
	<002401d03b3d$94f14cb0$bed3e610$@com>
	<CAGZitzL_vXT=cQ3VMHhej6ZBZKHLmBKpQzmexdFepnFHkRJvwQ@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <7B3D351B-4315-4574-AA2A-209B457E5BC8@jd16.law.harvard.edu>

The answers given are good so far. I'd add to the first question's answers that asking the person you are going to work for for suggested readings or important cases in the area you are going to work in (just the names, you can google and find them yourself).  I'd also say that you should start reading the news in the area of law you are working in. In this day, there's a specialized news sites for everything. 

To answer question number two, I'd say learn how to write, constantly read, learn computer skills especially excel word, and build your network of contacts in the legal field so you can get mentoring and advice.

Best wishes
Derek Manners

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 28, 2015, at 7:32 PM, Gerard Sadlier via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Rahul,
> 
> The only thing that will make you better and quicker at understanding
> law is reading it. The cases and legislation must be read and read
> again if not understood.
> 
> You should read leading text books and then, where you find a point
> unclear follow up by reading cases referred to.
> 
> Hopefully you have access to a legal database. Certainly, I know many
> legal resources are now freely available.
> 
> Kind regards
> 
> Ger
> 
>> On 1/28/15, Russell J. Thomas via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Once you know the area of law, do a few Google searches to locate news
>> articles which discuss the area of law. If you have access to a legal
>> research database, do some research to identify some recent cases in the
>> area of law; read the cases so you have some familiarity with the subject
>> matter.
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rahul
>> Bajaj
>> via blindlaw
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2015 10:31 AM
>> To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [blindlaw] Training for Internships
>> 
>> Hi All,
>> 
>> While this question does not have anything to do directly with blindness
>> per
>> se, I believe this is a great platform to discuss this issue and to hear
>> diverse views and perspectives. Most of the internships that I have pursued
>> thus far have been in areas of law about which I had very limited knowledge
>> at the time of starting the internship. This is often a huge disadvantage
>> because I take a substantially more amount of time to understand the
>> intricacies of legal propositions for which I am required to find
>> authoritative cases or commentaries. Generally speaking, I always
>> understand
>> things better when I can contextualize their relevance and importance in
>> the
>> big picture. So, what strategies should I adopt for acquiring a functional
>> understanding of the areas of law that I am slated to work on during my
>> internship? More specifically, are there any strategies that I can adopt
>> for
>> effectively predicting the kind of work (legal propositions, opinions and
>> research notes) that I would be likely to work on during the internship and
>> to devise strategies for performing these tasks efficaciously and
>> expeditiously?
>> Secondly, what substantive steps can I take when I am not interning to
>> enhance my productivity during my internships? In other words, what are the
>> kinds of habits that I should seek to develop and promote for performing
>> tasks such as reading complex cases, digesting complicated facts, finding
>> out important points for consideration and critically evaluating any legal
>> document expeditiously? I go to a local community college where the quality
>> of students and faculty is remarkably low, so I have to devise my own
>> strategies for learning these critical skills. Any pointers that would help
>> me in performing the aforementioned tasks expeditiously and efficaciously
>> would be greatly appreciated.
>> 
>> Best,
>> Rahul
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindlaw mailing list
>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindlaw:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
>> ney.com
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindlaw mailing list
>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindlaw:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/gerard.sadlier%40gmail.com
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dmanners%40jd16.law.harvard.edu


From simon.singh at eknoworks.com  Fri Jan 30 17:13:05 2015
From: simon.singh at eknoworks.com (Simon Singh)
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2015 12:13:05 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Bar Exam and MPRE preparation,
	courses and their accesibility
Message-ID: <CANPaO=fNGpOmqD4-QDi+OScO_Ennw_JRAmrxd2eimAmpODZUQQ@mail.gmail.com>

Hi,

I would very much appreciate if you can provide some pointers for preparing
for Bar exam and MPRE exams.

Did you take courses, preparatory classes?
How accessible are these?
Any other advice?

Thanks for your help
Simon

From agtolentino at gmail.com  Fri Jan 30 17:48:53 2015
From: agtolentino at gmail.com (Aser Tolentino)
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2015 09:48:53 -0800
Subject: [blindlaw] Bar Exam and MPRE preparation,
	courses and their accesibility
In-Reply-To: <CANPaO=fNGpOmqD4-QDi+OScO_Ennw_JRAmrxd2eimAmpODZUQQ@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CANPaO=fNGpOmqD4-QDi+OScO_Ennw_JRAmrxd2eimAmpODZUQQ@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <5AEF4537-56E3-49CF-AD6D-6F74648E9380@gmail.com>

I used BarMax to prep for the California bar exam. The app was remarkably accessible at a time when that was a novelty. My advice is not to overexert yourself in studying, just take the time early on to become familiar and comfortable with the material so that it comes naturally when you call it to mind. The schedule any bar prep program gives you is very useful for facilitating this process of deliberate, steady progression. I took a self-study course and very much felt it better suited my learning habits than a physical classroom setting, but your mileage may vary.

Respectfully,
Aser Tolentino, Esq.

> On Jan 30, 2015, at 09:13, Simon Singh via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I would very much appreciate if you can provide some pointers for preparing
> for Bar exam and MPRE exams.
> 
> Did you take courses, preparatory classes?
> How accessible are these?
> Any other advice?
> 
> Thanks for your help
> Simon
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/agtolentino%40gmail.com


From rthomas at emplmntattorney.com  Fri Jan 30 20:32:27 2015
From: rthomas at emplmntattorney.com (Russell J. Thomas)
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2015 12:32:27 -0800
Subject: [blindlaw] Bar Exam and MPRE preparation,
	courses and their accesibility
In-Reply-To: <CANPaO=fNGpOmqD4-QDi+OScO_Ennw_JRAmrxd2eimAmpODZUQQ@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CANPaO=fNGpOmqD4-QDi+OScO_Ennw_JRAmrxd2eimAmpODZUQQ@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <000401d03ccb$de24b680$9a6e2380$@com>

The best Bar Exam preparation will focus on how to answer Bar Exam questions
rather than focusing on learning substantive law. 

I believe there are prep courses in California that provide tape recordings
of classes so that you can study at home rather than sitting in a class
room.


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Simon Singh
via blindlaw
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2015 9:13 AM
To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: [blindlaw] Bar Exam and MPRE preparation, courses and their
accesibility

Hi,

I would very much appreciate if you can provide some pointers for preparing
for Bar exam and MPRE exams.

Did you take courses, preparatory classes?
How accessible are these?
Any other advice?

Thanks for your help
Simon
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
ney.com



From agtolentino at gmail.com  Fri Jan 30 21:03:53 2015
From: agtolentino at gmail.com (Aser Tolentino)
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2015 13:03:53 -0800
Subject: [blindlaw] Bar Exam and MPRE preparation,
	courses and their accesibility
In-Reply-To: <000401d03ccb$de24b680$9a6e2380$@com>
References: <CANPaO=fNGpOmqD4-QDi+OScO_Ennw_JRAmrxd2eimAmpODZUQQ@mail.gmail.com>
	<000401d03ccb$de24b680$9a6e2380$@com>
Message-ID: <AF6FED04-2229-4263-B628-133159721DFA@gmail.com>

Another bit of advice, take practice exams, lots of them. Take a few untimed to let yourself get used to the process of breaking down a prompt and answering every component of the question, then do them while timing yourself. Any program you sign up for should offer sample answers for at least some of the essays and practical exercises. As these are the examples of a perfect answer, you don't have to do nearly that much to achieve a satisfactory result.

> On Jan 30, 2015, at 12:32, Russell J. Thomas via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> The best Bar Exam preparation will focus on how to answer Bar Exam questions
> rather than focusing on learning substantive law. 
> 
> I believe there are prep courses in California that provide tape recordings
> of classes so that you can study at home rather than sitting in a class
> room.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Simon Singh
> via blindlaw
> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2015 9:13 AM
> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
> Subject: [blindlaw] Bar Exam and MPRE preparation, courses and their
> accesibility
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I would very much appreciate if you can provide some pointers for preparing
> for Bar exam and MPRE exams.
> 
> Did you take courses, preparatory classes?
> How accessible are these?
> Any other advice?
> 
> Thanks for your help
> Simon
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rthomas%40emplmntattor
> ney.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/agtolentino%40gmail.com


From shelleyrichards9 at gmail.com  Fri Jan 30 21:07:49 2015
From: shelleyrichards9 at gmail.com (Shelley Richards)
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2015 16:07:49 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] Bar Exam and MPRE preparation,
	courses and their accesibility
In-Reply-To: <CANPaO=fNGpOmqD4-QDi+OScO_Ennw_JRAmrxd2eimAmpODZUQQ@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CANPaO=fNGpOmqD4-QDi+OScO_Ennw_JRAmrxd2eimAmpODZUQQ@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <BAC41BC8-146F-4639-8E91-BF79D1033E66@gmail.com>

I took the New York bar exam twice, the first time I tried Barbri but I did not like it, and a lot of the online aspect of it were not very accessible.  They also used fill in the blank outlines for the lectures which were very difficult for me to use.  They were supposed to send them to meet with everything filled in, but the copies I got from them still had blanks that were not yet filled in.  The second time I took it I used Marino Bar review, it worked out much better for me. All of the lectures were online so I could watch them whenever I needed to and start and stop as I wanted to, that fit my schedule much better. The PDFs that they used were not accessible with any screen reader including voiceover, but I was able to print them and scan them with kurzweil to read them, they offered to send them all to me in a different unprotected PDF format if I needed but it was quicker and easier for me to  just print them myself and scan them since I had a feedthrough scanner. I don't think having them send me the PDFs would have taken a long time but I've started a bit late so I wanted to be able to get them immediately. They also worked with me however I needed to get accommodations done. They also do live tutoring sessions as part of their bar review which were done with FaceTime if you have it or Skype if you do not have FaceTime I have a Nother friend who is blind and also used them and found that they were willing to make whatever accommodations she requested, I don't know exactly what she requested because she can read some print if it is large enough. I also liked that they were cheaper, and that every time I called them a real person answered immediately. I also had personal email addresses for four different people from the company. They were very helpful.  I only took their retake her course however which does not focus on substantive law but focuses on how to answer bar questions and how best to take the bar exam, substantive law mostly came from review lectures that just went over all material very quickly. I don't know how their normal full bar review course is. With the substantive law, but all of their skills workshops would be the same and I found that they were quite useful, especially essay writing and answering MBE  questions workshops  after experiences with both companies I think the best thing to do is figure out what fits your schedule and your learning style and try to find something that is flexible enough for you to do what works best for you and not be forced to much into doing things exactly the way they want you to do them. Also remember to relax a little bit and take some time now and again for yourself. If you push it too hard you're going to be burnt out before the exam even starts. The second time around when I did pass, by quite a bit, I did not study at all the two days right before the exam and gave myself a chance to relax, regroup, and mentally prepare myself for a weeks worth of testing. I did both New York and New Jersey bar exams at the same time and had time and a half, so my testing was spread over five days. Don't let anybody tell you that there was only one way to do it, you need to be flexible and try to do what's going to work best for you. If you don't know what works best for you then try different ways of studying and see what you prefer and what seems to actually work for you to remember and be able to answer better.  I would suggest starting early if you can so that you have an opportunity to figure out what's going to work good luck 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 30, 2015, at 12:13, Simon Singh via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I would very much appreciate if you can provide some pointers for preparing
> for Bar exam and MPRE exams.
> 
> Did you take courses, preparatory classes?
> How accessible are these?
> Any other advice?
> 
> Thanks for your help
> Simon
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/shelleyrichards9%40gmail.com


From mnowicki4 at icloud.com  Fri Jan 30 23:52:14 2015
From: mnowicki4 at icloud.com (Michal Nowicki)
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2015 17:52:14 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99
Message-ID: <000201d03ce7$c65eadf0$531c09d0$@icloud.com>

Hi All,

 

If you haven't yet purchased the KNFB Reader iOS app but are interested in
getting it, now is the time.  For a limited time, the app can be bought for
only $49.99.  I got it myself less than five minutes ago.

 

Best,

 

Michal


From sy.hoekstra at gmail.com  Sat Jan 31 02:31:11 2015
From: sy.hoekstra at gmail.com (Sy Hoekstra)
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2015 21:31:11 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99
In-Reply-To: <000201d03ce7$c65eadf0$531c09d0$@icloud.com>
References: <000201d03ce7$c65eadf0$531c09d0$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <004001d03cfd$fb0055c0$f1010140$@gmail.com>

Thanks for the tip. I was on the fence about buying this.  I just bought it
though. It's great.

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2015 6:52 PM
To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'
Cc: 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99

Hi All,

 

If you haven't yet purchased the KNFB Reader iOS app but are interested in
getting it, now is the time.  For a limited time, the app can be bought for
only $49.99.  I got it myself less than five minutes ago.

 

Best,

 

Michal

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/sy.hoekstra%40gmail.co
m



From gerard.sadlier at gmail.com  Sat Jan 31 18:06:33 2015
From: gerard.sadlier at gmail.com (Gerard Sadlier)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 18:06:33 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99
In-Reply-To: <004001d03cfd$fb0055c0$f1010140$@gmail.com>
References: <000201d03ce7$c65eadf0$531c09d0$@icloud.com>
	<004001d03cfd$fb0055c0$f1010140$@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <CAGZitz+za9mgHQ-BYwz=h0KCyb8MR4_Z_bbz_w99zLquH005dQ@mail.gmail.com>

Can you please give some more details, such as:
1. Are there any further charges apart from the 49.99 cost? e.g. Does
one need to purchase a subscription?
2. How documents are processed (over the net or on the phone) and are
there any security concerns with that, given the need to preserve
confidentiality of legal documents?
3. Is this worth getting as against other OCR software and if so, why?
4. How long is the offer on for (why is the offer being made) and is
there a link to it?
5. I'm outside the US and wonder if this would be applicable to me?

Thanks a mill

Ger

On 1/31/15, Sy Hoekstra via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Thanks for the tip. I was on the fence about buying this.  I just bought it
> though. It's great.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
> Nowicki via blindlaw
> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2015 6:52 PM
> To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'
> Cc: 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99
>
> Hi All,
>
>
>
> If you haven't yet purchased the KNFB Reader iOS app but are interested in
> getting it, now is the time.  For a limited time, the app can be bought for
> only $49.99.  I got it myself less than five minutes ago.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
>
>
> Michal
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/sy.hoekstra%40gmail.co
> m
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/gerard.sadlier%40gmail.com
>


From sy.hoekstra at gmail.com  Sat Jan 31 18:52:32 2015
From: sy.hoekstra at gmail.com (Sy Hoekstra)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 13:52:32 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99
In-Reply-To: <CAGZitz+za9mgHQ-BYwz=h0KCyb8MR4_Z_bbz_w99zLquH005dQ@mail.gmail.com>
References: <000201d03ce7$c65eadf0$531c09d0$@icloud.com>	<004001d03cfd$fb0055c0$f1010140$@gmail.com>
	<CAGZitz+za9mgHQ-BYwz=h0KCyb8MR4_Z_bbz_w99zLquH005dQ@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <000f01d03d87$12dc9670$3895c350$@gmail.com>

There's no other charge. It's just an app you buy on the App store. The KNFB
reader is a really high-quality portable piece of OCR equipment that snaps
pictures of documents or other printed text and turns them into readable
text, but now they have an iPhone app, so your iPhone becomes the hardware
you use instead of some other device you need to purchase.  The app is
normally $100. I can't figure out how long the $49 deal is from some quick
google research. And I'm sorry, I don't know if it is available
internationally. You can just search for it in the app store.

All the reviews I have read say it is superior OCR quality to other iPhone
apps, particularly the free ones. But I have not personally compared them
because I have never used OCR apps on my iPhone before.  I have now used it
in the last 24 hours or so to read a number of printed documents, business
cards, and food labels with remarkable accuracy. It can also do OCR on pdf
or image files you get on your phone in an e-mail attachment or something
like that.

There is no net-based saving of documents or anything like that, though you
do have the option to upload any docs you scan in the app to dropbox if you
want, or just save them in the app itself.  And obviously, if you're a cloud
user, the documents will end up there unless you go and exclude the KNFB
reader from the stuff you have that is saved to the cloud.

Here is a lengthy demo from the apple vis people.
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/demonstration-knfbreader-iphone

Sy

-----Original Message-----
From: Gerard Sadlier [mailto:gerard.sadlier at gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2015 1:07 PM
To: Sy Hoekstra; Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99

Can you please give some more details, such as:
1. Are there any further charges apart from the 49.99 cost? e.g. Does
one need to purchase a subscription?
2. How documents are processed (over the net or on the phone) and are
there any security concerns with that, given the need to preserve
confidentiality of legal documents?
3. Is this worth getting as against other OCR software and if so, why?
4. How long is the offer on for (why is the offer being made) and is
there a link to it?
5. I'm outside the US and wonder if this would be applicable to me?

Thanks a mill

Ger

On 1/31/15, Sy Hoekstra via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Thanks for the tip. I was on the fence about buying this.  I just bought
it
> though. It's great.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
> Nowicki via blindlaw
> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2015 6:52 PM
> To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'
> Cc: 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99
>
> Hi All,
>
>
>
> If you haven't yet purchased the KNFB Reader iOS app but are interested in
> getting it, now is the time.  For a limited time, the app can be bought
for
> only $49.99.  I got it myself less than five minutes ago.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
>
>
> Michal
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/sy.hoekstra%40gmail.co
> m
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/gerard.sadlier%40gmail
.com
>



From mnowicki4 at icloud.com  Sat Jan 31 18:56:33 2015
From: mnowicki4 at icloud.com (Michal Nowicki)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 12:56:33 -0600
Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99
In-Reply-To: <CAGZitz+za9mgHQ-BYwz=h0KCyb8MR4_Z_bbz_w99zLquH005dQ@mail.gmail.com>
References: <000201d03ce7$c65eadf0$531c09d0$@icloud.com>
	<004001d03cfd$fb0055c0$f1010140$@gmail.com>
	<CAGZitz+za9mgHQ-BYwz=h0KCyb8MR4_Z_bbz_w99zLquH005dQ@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <002901d03d87$a26016f0$e72044d0$@icloud.com>

Dear Mr.  Sadlier,

Here are my answers to your questions:
1.  There are no subscriptions.  However, depending on the billing address
associated with your Apple ID, you may have to pay a sales tax.  For
instance, since I live in Illinois, I had to pay approximately $53 for the
app.
2.  As far as I know, the app does not require an Internet connection
because the scanning and OCR functionalities are built into the software
directly.  By default, text is read automatically as soon as it's
recognized.  I don't know anything, though, about whether or not the app is
recommended for use with confidential documents.
3.  Personally, I don't really know how KNFB Reader compares to other OCR
solutions.  However, the blind people I know who use it love its
performance.  Moreover, the app has an overall five-star rating in the App
Store, which is the highest possible.  One thing to keep in mind, though, is
that the accuracy of text recognition depends heavily on the quality of the
picture of the print text.  Consequently, if you have no functional eye
sight, and if you have never taken a photo using your iPhone, you might need
a lot of practice positioning and holding the phone before you can use the
app efficiently in the workplace.
4.  The offer is on for a "limited time," As part of the App Store's "Get
Productive" promotion.  The KNFB Reader iOS website does not provide any
additional information on this discount.
5.  Do you have a U.S.  iTunes Store account?  If so, then you should have
no problems purchasing, downloading, and using the app.  If not, then you
will probably still be able to get it and use it, unless access is
restricted to the United States because of licensing constraints.  Also, the
app supports many foreign languages.

I hope this helps.

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gerard
Sadlier via blindlaw
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2015 12:07 PM
To: Sy Hoekstra; Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99

Can you please give some more details, such as:
1. Are there any further charges apart from the 49.99 cost? e.g. Does one
need to purchase a subscription?
2. How documents are processed (over the net or on the phone) and are there
any security concerns with that, given the need to preserve confidentiality
of legal documents?
3. Is this worth getting as against other OCR software and if so, why?
4. How long is the offer on for (why is the offer being made) and is there a
link to it?
5. I'm outside the US and wonder if this would be applicable to me?

Thanks a mill

Ger

On 1/31/15, Sy Hoekstra via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Thanks for the tip. I was on the fence about buying this.  I just 
> bought it though. It's great.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
> Michal Nowicki via blindlaw
> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2015 6:52 PM
> To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'
> Cc: 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99
>
> Hi All,
>
>
>
> If you haven't yet purchased the KNFB Reader iOS app but are 
> interested in getting it, now is the time.  For a limited time, the 
> app can be bought for only $49.99.  I got it myself less than five minutes
ago.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
>
>
> Michal
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/sy.hoekstra%40gm
> ail.co
> m
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/gerard.sadlier%4
> 0gmail.com
>

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com



From sy.hoekstra at gmail.com  Sat Jan 31 19:15:02 2015
From: sy.hoekstra at gmail.com (Sy Hoekstra)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 14:15:02 -0500
Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99
In-Reply-To: <002901d03d87$a26016f0$e72044d0$@icloud.com>
References: <000201d03ce7$c65eadf0$531c09d0$@icloud.com>	<004001d03cfd$fb0055c0$f1010140$@gmail.com>	<CAGZitz+za9mgHQ-BYwz=h0KCyb8MR4_Z_bbz_w99zLquH005dQ@mail.gmail.com>
	<002901d03d87$a26016f0$e72044d0$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <001101d03d8a$373621a0$a5a264e0$@gmail.com>

The app also has built-in features to help you take good pictures. You can
have it snap a quick photo that does no scanning, and it will tell you
whether all the edges of the document you are scanning are within the
camera's field of view, and whether you need to rotate the camera to get the
document straight up and down, though the OCR compensates for errors in
rotation in the image.  Also, there is a feature you can turn on that makes
the phone vibrate when you are not holding it parallel to the desk, so you
can insure that the tilt of your phone maximizes the image quality as well.

There are a bunch of other features to for multi-page documents and
adjusting what color text and background the app should be looking for in
the image, etc. 

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michal
Nowicki via blindlaw
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2015 1:57 PM
To: 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99

Dear Mr.  Sadlier,

Here are my answers to your questions:
1.  There are no subscriptions.  However, depending on the billing address
associated with your Apple ID, you may have to pay a sales tax.  For
instance, since I live in Illinois, I had to pay approximately $53 for the
app.
2.  As far as I know, the app does not require an Internet connection
because the scanning and OCR functionalities are built into the software
directly.  By default, text is read automatically as soon as it's
recognized.  I don't know anything, though, about whether or not the app is
recommended for use with confidential documents.
3.  Personally, I don't really know how KNFB Reader compares to other OCR
solutions.  However, the blind people I know who use it love its
performance.  Moreover, the app has an overall five-star rating in the App
Store, which is the highest possible.  One thing to keep in mind, though, is
that the accuracy of text recognition depends heavily on the quality of the
picture of the print text.  Consequently, if you have no functional eye
sight, and if you have never taken a photo using your iPhone, you might need
a lot of practice positioning and holding the phone before you can use the
app efficiently in the workplace.
4.  The offer is on for a "limited time," As part of the App Store's "Get
Productive" promotion.  The KNFB Reader iOS website does not provide any
additional information on this discount.
5.  Do you have a U.S.  iTunes Store account?  If so, then you should have
no problems purchasing, downloading, and using the app.  If not, then you
will probably still be able to get it and use it, unless access is
restricted to the United States because of licensing constraints.  Also, the
app supports many foreign languages.

I hope this helps.

Michal

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gerard
Sadlier via blindlaw
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2015 12:07 PM
To: Sy Hoekstra; Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99

Can you please give some more details, such as:
1. Are there any further charges apart from the 49.99 cost? e.g. Does one
need to purchase a subscription?
2. How documents are processed (over the net or on the phone) and are there
any security concerns with that, given the need to preserve confidentiality
of legal documents?
3. Is this worth getting as against other OCR software and if so, why?
4. How long is the offer on for (why is the offer being made) and is there a
link to it?
5. I'm outside the US and wonder if this would be applicable to me?

Thanks a mill

Ger

On 1/31/15, Sy Hoekstra via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Thanks for the tip. I was on the fence about buying this.  I just 
> bought it though. It's great.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
> Michal Nowicki via blindlaw
> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2015 6:52 PM
> To: 'Illinois Association of Blind Students List'
> Cc: 'Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99
>
> Hi All,
>
>
>
> If you haven't yet purchased the KNFB Reader iOS app but are 
> interested in getting it, now is the time.  For a limited time, the 
> app can be bought for only $49.99.  I got it myself less than five minutes
ago.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
>
>
> Michal
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/sy.hoekstra%40gm
> ail.co
> m
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/gerard.sadlier%4
> 0gmail.com
>

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/mnowicki4%40icloud.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/sy.hoekstra%40gmail.co
m



From ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com  Sat Jan 31 18:12:39 2015
From: ukekearuaro at valtdnet.com (Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 11:12:39 -0700
Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99
References: <000201d03ce7$c65eadf0$531c09d0$@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <A52902492917448890B6BA498A665246@victory2>

I've heard lots of good things about the KNFB Reader.  I'd like to grab one, 
but I'm an Android fan boy and, those of us on this platform presumably have 
either an inaccessible or a not-so-accessible OS in our hands!  But I'll 
keep drinking from the Android river and hope that soon and very soon, the 
KNFB app will be ported over to us!

At $49.99 for the IOS, I wonder how much we Android fan boys will have to 
SHELL OUT to grab this app when we get it!  Small market?  Not enough niche? 
High cost of R&D?  I've heard it all i guess!  The price to be paid for 
accessibility to anything makes a few souls feel guilty for being blind or 
otherwise disabled!  A guy in U.K. was going to write scripts for my wee, 
small company to use with a POS program; these would have been Window-Eyes 
scripts!  How much does he want?  $18,190 for a 20-day job or $30,303 for a 
40-day one!  As lawyers, I'd be curious to know how many of us make that 
much in 20 or 40 days if you're not negotiating contracts for NFL and NBA 
players?  If you are, perhaps you can share a few secrets; I'm too far 
behind the times I surmise.

Sincerely,
Olusegun
Denver, Colorado 


---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com



From gerard.sadlier at gmail.com  Sat Jan 31 20:40:44 2015
From: gerard.sadlier at gmail.com (Gerard Sadlier)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 20:40:44 +0000
Subject: [blindlaw] KNFB Reader iOS App Now Available for Only $49.99
In-Reply-To: <A52902492917448890B6BA498A665246@victory2>
References: <000201d03ce7$c65eadf0$531c09d0$@icloud.com>
	<A52902492917448890B6BA498A665246@victory2>
Message-ID: <CAGZitzKKAd6C3GVJ=QkbEcM2z4eWMJyznejYbPvjZn0MEZs7ew@mail.gmail.com>

Dear Sy, Mitchell,

Thank you both very much for your very valuable comments on this software!!

Ger

On 1/31/15, Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc. via blindlaw
<blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> I've heard lots of good things about the KNFB Reader.  I'd like to grab one,
>
> but I'm an Android fan boy and, those of us on this platform presumably have
>
> either an inaccessible or a not-so-accessible OS in our hands!  But I'll
> keep drinking from the Android river and hope that soon and very soon, the
> KNFB app will be ported over to us!
>
> At $49.99 for the IOS, I wonder how much we Android fan boys will have to
> SHELL OUT to grab this app when we get it!  Small market?  Not enough niche?
>
> High cost of R&D?  I've heard it all i guess!  The price to be paid for
> accessibility to anything makes a few souls feel guilty for being blind or
> otherwise disabled!  A guy in U.K. was going to write scripts for my wee,
> small company to use with a POS program; these would have been Window-Eyes
> scripts!  How much does he want?  $18,190 for a 20-day job or $30,303 for a
>
> 40-day one!  As lawyers, I'd be curious to know how many of us make that
> much in 20 or 40 days if you're not negotiating contracts for NFL and NBA
> players?  If you are, perhaps you can share a few secrets; I'm too far
> behind the times I surmise.
>
> Sincerely,
> Olusegun
> Denver, Colorado
>
>
> ---
> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> http://www.avast.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/gerard.sadlier%40gmail.com
>