[il-talk] FW: [NFB of Nebraska Announce] McCarran Internatio?nal Airport Discrimina?tes Against Blind Passengers

[Robert A.Hansen]

-----Original Message-----
From: "Roberthansen1970 at gmail.com" <roberthansen1970 at gmail.com>
Sent: Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:56:45 Pacific Daylight Time
To: roberthansen33 at yahoo.com
Subject: FW: [NFB of Nebraska Announce] McCarran Internatio?nal Airport Discrimina?tes Against Blind Passengers









-----Original Message-----

From: "NFB of Nebraska" <info at ne.nfb.org>

Sent: Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:56:38 Pacific Daylight Time

To: roberthansen1970 at gmail.com

Subject: [NFB of Nebraska Announce] McCarran Internatio?nal Airport Discrimina?tes Against Blind Passengers



-------- MCCARRAN INTERNATIO?NAL AIRPORT DISCRIMINA?TES AGAINST BLIND

         PASSENGERS ----------------------------------------------------------



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 mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org



McCarran International Airport Discriminates Against Blind Passengers



National Federation of the Blind Files Suit Over Inaccessible Kiosks



Las Vegas, Nevada (March 30, 2011): The National Federation of the Blind and  

four blind individuals?Alan and Billie Ruth Schlank, Joyce Pratt, and Mark  

Adreon?who frequently fly or plan to fly to and from Las Vegas through  

McCarran International Airport, have filed a class-action lawsuit in the  

United States District Court for the District of Nevada against Clark County,  

Nevada; the Clark County Board of Commissioners; and the Clark County  

Department of Aviation, which administers McCarran International Airport.  

McCarran uses common-use self-service (CUSS) ticketing kiosks that employ a  

visual touchscreen interface without any auxiliary aids, such as a voice  

guidance program, and therefore cannot be used by blind passengers.  

Passengers who are able to use the kiosks can access information about  

flights, check in for flights, print tickets and boarding passes, select  

seats, upgrade to business or first-class cabins, check baggage, and perform  

other transactions relevant to their air travel plans. CUSS kiosks are unique  

because they are owned or controlled by the airport instead of by individual  

airlines and allow passengers to access most of the airlines operating at  

McCarran from any machine. The suit alleges that the defendants are violating  

the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973  

because the benefits provided to travelers through these kiosks are not  

available to blind visitors to the airport. McCarran could easily add an  

audio interface, a tactile keypad, or interactive screen reader technology  

that works with touchscreens to its kiosks, or purchase kiosks with these  

features, but has neglected to do so. McCarran has also refused to respond to  

the plaintiffs? offer to work collaboratively on implementing available  

technological solutions.



Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:  

?Blind passengers have always experienced discrimination in air travel, but  

the fact that airports like McCarran are now deploying inaccessible  

technology to perform routine travel functions is the greatest threat to the  

privacy and independence of blind air travelers that we have seen. Airports  

and airlines are engaging in this blatant discrimination even though the  

technology to make kiosks accessible is readily available, has been deployed  

by others, and involves little cost. Instead of enjoying the features and  

convenience of these kiosks, including a quicker and more convenient check-in  

process, blind passengers must either wait in long lines at the ticket  

counter or share personal information with strangers in order to use the  

kiosks. We will not tolerate a separate and unequal experience for blind  

travelers and demand that the defendants cease their discrimination against  

us as soon as practicable.?



Plaintiffs are represented in this matter by Daniel F. Goldstein, Gregory P.  

Care, and Timothy P. Elder of the Baltimore firm Brown, Goldstein, and Levy;  

Laurence W. Paradis, Karla Gilbride, and Kevin Knestrick of the Berkeley firm  

Disability Rights Advocates; and Eric Taylor of the Las Vegas firm Alverson,  

Taylor, Mortenson & Sanders.



###



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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