[Blindtlk] National Federation of the Blind Secures Court Ruling Against Cardtronics

[Chris Nusbaum]

A press release from the national office:




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen at nfb.org


National Federation of the Blind Secures
 Court Ruling Against Cardtronics


Company Must Make ATMs Accessible or Face Sanctions


Baltimore, Maryland (December 19, 2011): A federal court has 
found that
Cardtronics, Inc., has failed to comply with the terms of a 
settlement
and subsequent remediation plan reached with the National 
Federation of
the Blind (NFB) and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to make all 
of the
automated teller machines owned by Cardtronics accessible to the 
blind.
In an order dated December 15, 2011, the Honorable Nathaniel M.  
Gorton
of the United States District Court for the District of 
Massachusetts
found that Cardtronics had not complied with the terms of the 
settlement
agreement or remediation plan and that civil contempt was 
therefore
appropriate.  Judge Gorton ordered Cardtronics to comply with the
remaining terms by March 15, 2012, or face monetary sanctions of 
$50 per
month for each ATM that remained inaccessible to blind 
users-giving the
company the "Shakespearean warning" to "beware the ides of 
March."

"Instead of admitting their non-compliance and promising better 
effort,
defendants disingenuously claim they have complied in spite of a
plethora of evidence to the contrary," Judge Gorton wrote in his
memorandum opinion.  "The deadlines they have consistently missed 
were,
ironically, the ones they proposed in the first place."

Dr.  Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the 
Blind,
said: "It is critical that blind Americans have access to all of 
the
technologies that are now a part of everyday life in the 
twenty-first
century if we are to achieve full and equal integration into 
society,
and this includes the technology necessary to handle our 
finances.
Toward that end, we reached an agreement with Cardtronics to make 
its
ATMs accessible, and when problems arose and initial deadlines 
were
missed, we worked in good faith with the company to come up with 
a
workable remediation plan.  Sadly, however, Cardtronics has not 
complied
with the agreed terms of the remediation plan.  We are therefore 
pleased
with the court's decision requiring Cardtronics to meet its legal
obligations."


###

About the National Federation of the Blind
With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the 
Blind is
the largest and most influential membership organization of blind 
people
in the United States.  The NFB improves blind people's lives 
through
advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs 
encouraging
independence and self-confidence.  It is the leading force in the
blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind.  In 
January
2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan
Institute, the first research and training center in the United 
States
for the blind led by the blind.  Please visit our Web site: 
www.nfb.org
<http://www.nfb.org/> .


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