[nabs-l] [Blindtlk] Fw: [Travelandtourism] Spirit Airlines isno longeraccessible using speech [Incident: 120307-000422]

Mon May 14 22:41:10 UTC 2012

What if if sighted people couldn't access the site? Would they worry then? This is concerning and we must advocate laws preventing this discrimination.

Sent from my iPhone

On May 14, 2012, at 10:39 AM, "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Did they ever make the site accessible?
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: Chris Nusbaum
> Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 4:54 PM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List ; NFB NABS list ; NFB Talk List
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] [Blindtlk] Fw: [Travelandtourism] Spirit Airlines isno longeraccessible using speech [Incident: 120307-000422]
> 
> Reese,
> 
> Great advocacy on your part!! Good for you!! It appears as though
> Spirit Airlines is trying to make some kind of excuse for their
> inaccessible Web site, and are politely dismissing the complaints
> which you have filed with them as having no real legal backing.
> After all, blind people can't possibly know the law, right?
> Spirit Airlines has people to investigate this; just trust them!
> But the problem is that these legal "experts" work for the very
> company which is the subject of your complaints.  So it is only
> natural that they will try to find some law or regulation to
> cover their you-know-what's.  Maybe the DOT doesn't require them
> to make their Web site accessible to us, but a law that
> supercedes any DOT regulation, the ADA (passed by Congress and
> signed into law by the then-President in 1990,) that does.  In
> short, this response by Michelle of Spirit Airlines, in my
> opinion, boils down to this: "The DOT doesn't require us to make
> our Web site accessible, and therefore your complaint has no
> legal precedent.  As far as we can tell, we're following the law,
> so screw all you blind people!"
> 
> Chris Nusbaum
> 
> "For we walk by faith, not by sight."
> 2 Corinthians 5:7
> 
> Sent from my BrailleNote
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Reese" <atlanticstar1 at gmail.com
> To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> sent: Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:55:57 -0400
> Subject: [Blindtlk] Fw: [Travelandtourism] Spirit Airlines is no
> longeraccessible using speech [Incident: 120307-000422]
> 
> Please circulate this message where ever you feel its
> appropriate.
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> 
> Hello list:
> 
> Here's the final word from Spirit Airlines regarding there
> inaccessible
> website.  It will follow my final reply to them.  Again the US
> Department of
> Transportation has dropped the ball on this one just like they
> did with the
> accessible airport boarding.
> 
> Reese
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peachtreetravel.net" <reservations at peachtreetravel.net
> To: "Spirit Airlines" <spiritair at mailnj.custhelp.com
> Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 1:35 PM
> Subject: Re: [Travelandtourism] Spirit Airlines is no longer
> accessible
> using speech [Incident: 120307-000422]
> 
> 
> Dear Michelle:
> 
> First I want to thank you for researching this serious matter
> both for me
> and all of the members of my Organization.   Regretfully I'll
> have to inform
> the 50,000 members of my organization to do business else where
> until Spirit
> Airlines website is accessible once again.  For this is the only
> way to
> achieve fare and equal access.
> 
> I will check back from time to time to see if true access ever
> returns to
> spirit Airlines and will keep my members up to date.  It has been
> good doing
> business with you and hopefully we
> can resume doing business again in the future.
> 
> Sincerely yours,
> 
> Maurice P Shackelford
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Spirit Airlines" <spiritair at mailnj.custhelp.com
> To: <reservations at peachtreetravel.net
> Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 9:38 AM
> Subject: [Travelandtourism] Spirit Airlines is no longer
> accessible using
> speech [Incident: 120307-000422]
> 
> 
> 
> Subject
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> [Travelandtourism] Spirit Airlines is no longer accessible using
> speech
> 
> 
> Discussion Thread
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> (Michelle 62611) - 03/27/2012 09:38 AM
> Dear Mr.  Shackelford,
> 
> Thank you for your patience as we investigated this matter
> thoroughly.
> 
> We sincerely regret that you are unable to access the check box
> for the $9
> Fare Club membership and or the check box at the end of the
> booking.
> However, this is not a violation of DOT's disability rule.
> Please be advised
> that airlines are governed under the Department of Transportation
> and their
> disability rule, 14 CFR 382, and are under no legal obligation to
> provide an
> accessible website.  We are required, under 14 CFR 382.31(c), to
> disclose
> web-based discount fares to any prospective passenger who
> contacts the
> carrier via other normal channels for inquiring about fares,
> making a
> reservation, or purchasing transportation (e.g.  telephone
> reservation line,
> airport ticket counter) and states that he or she has a visual
> impairment
> and is unable to use the website.  The carrier must sell a
> web-based discount fare to such a person if his or her itinerary
> qualifies
> for the fare as it is offered on the web (e.g., same cities and
> dates).
> 
> Our IT Department has reviewed your claim and they have informed
> me that
> they changed the boxes on our booking path to styled check boxes
> which don't
> work in the browser types you've attempted to use.  The change
> was made
> nearly a year ago and this has been the first complaint brought
> to their
> attention on the matter.  They are reviewing options to allow
> these types of
> browsers to work with the needed functionality for our customers
> with visual
> impairments.
> 
> I regret that I cannot offer more information on the matter, but
> thank you
> for bringing this to our attention.
> 
> Please note, if you ever encounter problems when traveling with
> us, feel
> free to ask our Spirit Airlines customer service personnel for a
> Complaint
> Resolution Official (CRO).  Our CROs have been specially trained
> and are
> aware of applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and
> Department of
> Transportation (DOT) disability regulations.  Our CROs are
> available at all
> airport locations and will be glad to respond to your concerns.
> 
> We trust we have addressed you concerns in a satisfactory manner;
> however,
> if you choose to pursue enforcement action, you have the right to
> contact
> the Department of Transportation, in accordance with ACAA and DOT
> rule 14
> CFR Part 382.
> 
> Please feel free to contact me if you ever require assistance.
> We know you
> have a choice in air travel and are grateful you choose Spirit
> Airlines.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Michelle 62611
> Disability Specialist/
> Corporate Escalation Officer
> Spirit Airlines
> 
> 
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