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From: MisterAdvocate@aol.com<BR>To: repcodds@aol.com<BR>Sent: 2/5/2010 2:05:01
P.M. Eastern Standard Time<BR>Subj: Fwd: FW: [ADA Expertise] JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT REACHES THREE SETTLEMENTS UNDER <BR></DIV>
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From: Phyllis.Dill@dbs.fldoe.org<BR>To: bgrzesik@cfl.rr.com,
brianj@advocacycenter.org, Brokerbruc@aol.com, dawn.saunders@fldoe.org,
misteradvocate@aol.com, ab4zq@juno.com, jnaiman@bellsouth.net,
jesusg@logisticare.com, jodinkeith@cox.net, lammj@mail.okaloosa.k12.fl.us,
jbmini@comcast.net, Daniel.O'Connor@dbs.fldoe.org,
paul.edwards@mdc.edu, edwpaul@bellsouth.net, pkaminsky@bellsouth.net,
robert@conklincenter.org, rufbrown19@verizon.net,
RehabMgr@tampalighthouse.org, hullted@verizon.net,
ctownsend24@cfl.rr.com<BR>Sent: 2/4/2010 9:18:41 A.M. Eastern Standard
Time<BR>Subj: FW: [ADA Expertise] JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REACHES THREE
SETTLEMENTS UNDER THE A<BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=4><SPAN class=265481314-04022010>FYI Please refer to the following email and
attachments. The attachments are in a pdf file plus text. Dawn
provided the information.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REACHES
THREE SETTLEMENTS UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT REGARDING THE
USE OF ELECTRONIC BOOK READERS</SPAN></FONT> <o:p></o:p></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">T</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">his
sends a strong message to public entities that they need to insist on
accessibility of new technologies.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><IMG SRC="cid:X.MA1.1265399674@aol.com" height=79 alt="Picture (Device Independent Bitmap)" width=79 border=0 DATASIZE="3063" ID="MA1.1265399674" ><IMG SRC="cid:X.MA2.1265399674@aol.com" height=74 alt="Picture (Device Independent Bitmap)" width=373 border=0 DATASIZE="1060" ID="MA2.1265399674" ></SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">_______________________________________________________________________________
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
CRT <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13,
2010
(202) 514-2007 <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A title=http://www.justice.gov/ href="http://www.justice.gov/">WWW.JUSTICE.GOV</A>
TDD (202) 514-1888 <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><U><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REACHES THREE
SETTLEMENTS UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT REGARDING THE USE OF
ELECTRONIC BOOK READERS</SPAN></FONT></U></B> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
WASHINGTON </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Tahoma><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">–</SPAN></FONT> The Justice Department
today announced separate agreements under the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) with Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Pace University
in New York City and Reed College in Portland, Ore., regarding the use
in a classroom setting of the electronic book reader, the Kindle DX, a
hand-held technological device that simulates the experience of reading a
book. <o:p></o:p></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> Under the
agreements reached today, the universities generally will not purchase,
recommend or promote use of the Kindle DX, or any other dedicated electronic
book reader, unless the devices are fully accessible to students who are
blind and have low vision. The universities agree that if they use
dedicated electronic book readers, they will ensure that students with
vision disabilities are able to access and acquire the same materials and
information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as
sighted students with substantially equivalent ease of use. The
agreements that the Justice Department reached with these universities
extend beyond the Kindle DX to any dedicated electronic reading device.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> These
agreements follow the Jan. 11, 2010 agreement between the Justice
Department, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Arizona</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, the National Federation of
the Blind and the American Council of the Blind concerning the use of
electronic book readers. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
“Advancing technology is systematically changing the way universities
approach education, but we must be sure that emerging technologies offer
individuals with disabilities the same opportunities as other students,”
said Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez. “These agreements
underscore the importance of full and equal educational opportunities for
everyone.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> A handful
of universities participated in a pilot project in cooperation with
Amazon.com Inc. to test the viability of the Kindle DX in a classroom
setting. The terms of the Justice Department’s agreement with each
university become effective at the end of the pilot projects.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> The
current model of the Kindle DX has the capability to read texts aloud,
so that the materials would be accessible to blind individuals, but the
device does not include a similar text-to-speech function for the menu and
navigational controls. Without access to the menus, students who are
blind have no way to know which book they have selected or how to access the
Kindle DX Web browser or its other functions. The technological “know
how” to make navigational controls or menu selections accessible is
available. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> Other
universities, such as <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Syracuse</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> and the <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Wisconsin</st1:PlaceName> at <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:City>, also examined the utility of the
Kindle DX as a teaching device and decided that they would not use the
Kindle DX until it is accessible to blind individuals.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> In
passing the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">ADA</st1:place></st1:City> and the recent ADA Amendments Act,
Congress found that individuals with disabilities were uniquely
disadvantaged in critical areas, including education. It is a core
priority of the Civil Rights Division to strengthen and expand the
educational opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> The
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">ADA</st1:place></st1:City>
prohibits discrimination by public accommodations on the basis of
disability, including discrimination in private post-secondary
institutions. Those interested in finding out more about these
agreements or seeking information about and how to comply with the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">ADA</st1:place></st1:City> can call the
Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 or
(800) 514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA Web site at <A title=http://www.ada.gov/ href="http://www.ada.gov/">http://www.ada.gov</A>
. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">### <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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