[Fabs] Fwd: [nabs-l] Fw: National Federation of the Blind and Law School Admissions Council Agree to Settlement

Tue Apr 26 16:32:23 UTC 2011

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Scott C. LaBarre" <slabarre at labarrelaw.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:15:10 -0600
Subject: [nabs-l] Fw: National Federation of the Blind and Law School
Admissions Council Agree to Settlement
To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Cc: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>

FYI

Please distribute this far and wide.  We are particularly interested
in hearing about the experience of those who will be applying to law
school through LSAC.  Everything should now be accessible, or at least
starting in the fall.
----- Original Message -----
From: Freeh, Jessica
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2011 8:08 AM
Subject: National Federation of the Blind and Law School Admissions
Council Agree to Settlement

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 and
Law School Admissions Council Agree to Settlement
LSAC Will Make its Web Site Fully Accessible to the Blind

Baltimore, Maryland (April 26, 2011): The National Federation of the
Blind (NFB) today announced that it has settled a lawsuit with the Law
School Admissions Council, Inc. (LSAC) regarding access to the LSAC
Web site (www.lsac.org) by blind people.  As part of the settlement,
LSAC will provide full and equal access to its Web site for blind
users by September 1, 2011.  Changes will be made to the LSAC Web site
that will allow blind users utilizing screen access technology, which
converts what is on the computer screen into synthesized speech or
Braille, to read and interact with it.  The accessibility requirements
extend to all parts of the Web site on which services or products are
made available to prospective law school applicants or to LSAT and
Credential Assembly Service registrants, including, but not limited
to, the process of applying to law schools through lsac.org and the
documents and practice tests LSAC makes available online.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
said: "Access to Web sites is critical to the full and equal
participation of blind people in all aspects of modern life.  In this
instance, access is especially critical, since without it blind people
experience significant barriers to entering the legal profession.  The
National Federation of the Blind is pleased to have reached a
settlement with the Law School Admissions Council and we look forward
to working with its officials and technical staff in the coming
months.  It is our sincere hope that other educational entities and
credentialing organizations that provide vital services over the
Internet will follow LSAC's example and take affirmative steps to
provide full access to their Web sites by blind consumers."

Deepa Goraya, a named plaintiff in the suit, said: "As someone who has
gone through the law school application process and struggled to use
the Law School Admission Council's Web site, I am pleased to see that
the Web site will be made fully accessible and the process of gaining
admission to law school will now be easier for all blind people who
are interested in entering this noble profession."

Under the settlement, the National Federation of the Blind will
perform semi-annual accessibility testing of the LSAC Web site until
September 1, 2012.

The National Federation of the Blind is represented in this matter by
Daniel F. Goldstein of the Baltimore firm Brown, Goldstein, and Levy;
Laurence W. Paradis, Anna Levine, and Karla Gilbride of the Berkley
firm Disability Rights Advocates; and Scott C. LaBarre of the Denver
firm LaBarre Law Offices.

###

About the National Federation of the Blind

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

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