[blindLaw] Tackling Inaccessible Government PDF Forms: Employer Accommodations vs. Seeking Assistance from Responsible Government Agency

[Michal Nowicki]

Greetings,

 

I may have mentioned in a previous thread on this list regarding
inaccessible government forms that nearly all PDF forms I have encountered
on state public utility commission (PUC) websites are not sufficiently
accessible for me to fill out on my own. These forms range from simple
filings like telephone company name change or authorized representative
designation forms, to registration forms to provide telecom services in a
state, or applications for related licenses. Almost all of these forms, even
if fillable electronically, are not properly labeled for screen readers.
Thus far, when I have been asked to fill out such forms from clients, I have
been generally relying on the assistance of support staff at my firm;
occasionally, I've been able to hand off the assignment to another attorney
in exchange for other work.

 

Have any of you in this situation sought assistance from the responsible
government agency instead of, or in addition to, requesting internal
support? For example, have you contacted the government agency explaining
the access barriers and tried to schedule a call to fill out the form over
the phone with the help of an agency representative? If so, I would love to
hear how doing so turned out for you.

 

I would also appreciate your input on the potential ethical implications of
this approach. For example, before asking a state PUC to help me fill out a
form for a client, would I need to obtain the client's informed consent in
order not to violate my professional duty of confidentiality?

 

I am exploring the potential viability of the government agency assistance
approach because if permissible and effective, it might speed up long
overdue accessibility improvements to these forms. That is, each time the
issue is brought to an agency's attention, the need to make these forms
accessible is reinforced and communicated to the agency.

 

Thank you in advance for your observations and recommendations.

 

Best,

 

Michal Nowicki