[NFB_of_Georgia] Fwd: [State-Affiliate-Leadership-List] Federal Court Rules in Favor of Blind Students

[Dorothy Griffin]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Danielsen, Chris via State-Affiliate-Leadership-List <
state-affiliate-leadership-list at nfbnet.org>
Date: Wed, Aug 21, 2019 at 2:34 PM
Subject: [State-Affiliate-Leadership-List] Federal Court Rules in Favor of
Blind Students
To: Danielsen, Chris <CDanielsen at nfb.org>
Cc: Danielsen, Chris <CDanielsen at nfb.org>




*NEWS BRIEF*


*Federal Court Rules in Favor of Blind Students*

*Finds that Los Angeles Community College District Violated Disability Laws*



*Los Angeles (August 21, 2019):* The National Federation of the Blind, its
California affiliate, and two blind students, Roy Payan and Portia Mason,
have won their disability discrimination lawsuit against the Los Angeles
Community College District (LACCD). The Federal District Court for the
Central District of California Found that LACCD violated the students’
rights under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by, among other things, failing to
provide them with accessible documents and course materials, failing to
provide equal access to library resources, procuring and using inaccessible
educational technology, and maintaining an inaccessible website. The court
specifically criticized the use of the Pearson MyMathLab product, finding
that Los Angeles Community College failed “to provide [Roy] Payan with
meaningful access to his course materials in the math classes in which
Payan enrolled, either through the MyMathLab software program or via
equivalent accessible assignments from a math textbook in a timely manner.”
The court’s final order requires, among other things, that LACCD appoint or
designate a dean of educational technology for Los Angeles Community
College, with responsibility for enforcing accessibility policies;
remediate its website to make it accessible; and evaluate educational
technology for accessibility prior to procuring it.



“The court in this case has forcefully affirmed the longstanding legal
obligations that institutions of higher education have to their blind
students,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the
Blind. “This judgment is a victory not only for the students who brought
this case, but for current and future blind students in the Los Angeles
Community College system.”



*###*



*About the National Federation of the Blind *

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, is
the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded
in 1940, the NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the
fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB defends the rights of
blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families
with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. We
believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to
transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and
initiatives at www.nfb.org.



*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

















Christopher S. Danielsen, J.D.

Director of Public Relations

200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230

(410) 659-9314, Ext. 2330 | cdanielsen at nfb.org

Twitter: @rlawyer



[image: National Federation of the Blind] <https://nfb.org/>



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The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we
work together to help blind people live the lives they want.




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-- 
Dorothy Griffin - President
National Federation of the Blind of Georgia
dgriffin at nfbga.org
770-374-4832

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.