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<DIV dir=ltr class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Freeh, Jessica
[mailto:JFreeh@nfb.org]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, April 13, 2011 10:16
AM<BR><B>To:</B> Alpidio Rolon; Amy Buresh; Art Schreiber; Beth Rival; Bill
Packee; Bob Kresmer; Carl Jacobsen; Cassandra McNabb; Cathy Jackson; Charlene
Smyth; Christine G. Hall; Dan Hicks; Daniel Burke; Don Galloway; Donna Wood;
Elsie Dickerson; Frank Lee; Franklin Shiner; Fred Schroeder; Garrick Scott; Gary
Ray; Gary Wunder; Grace Pires; J.W. Smith; James Antonacci; Jennelle Bichler;
Jennifer Dunnam; Joe Ruffalo; John Batron; John Fritz; Joy Harris; Joyce
Scanlan; Ken Rollman; Kim Williams; Kimberly Flores; Larry Posont; Lynn
Majewski; Mary Willows; Melissa Riccobono; Michael Barber; Michael Freeman; Mika
Pyyhkala; Nani Fife; Pam Allen; Parnell Diggs; Patti Chang; Rena Smith; Ron
Brown; Gardner, Ron; Sam Gleese; Scott LaBarre; Selena Sundling-Crawford; Terry
Sheeler<BR><B>Subject:</B> Montgomery County Discriminates Against Blind
Employee<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<H1 style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT
face=Arial>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H1>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Chris Danielsen<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Director of Public Relations<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">National Federation of the
Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A
href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<H1 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt" align=center><FONT
face=Arial><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Montgomery</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></SPAN></st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"> Discriminates Against Blind
Employee<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></H1>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p> </o:p></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Rockville,
Maryland (April 13, 2011):</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> With the
assistance of the National Federation of the Blind, a blind woman who was until
recently employed as an information specialist with Montgomery County’s
Department of Health and Human Services has filed suit against the County for
unlawful discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The suit arises from the County’s
purchase of an inaccessible database program that employees of its new 311 call
center must use to complete their tasks.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Yasmin Reyazuddin worked in the call center of the County’s Department of
Health and Human Services: Division of Aging and Disability Services until the
County consolidated that call center and others into its new Montgomery County
311 Call Center.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ms. Reyazuddin had
been using screen access software, which converts information on a computer
screen into synthesized speech or into Braille that can be displayed on a device
known as a refreshable Braille display, to access the computer programs with
which she needed to interact in order to provide accurate information to
callers, keep records of calls, and perform other tasks necessary for resolving
the concerns of callers.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When she
learned that her agency’s call center would be consolidated into the County’s
new 311 call center, she repeatedly inquired of County officials whether the
software for the new call center would be accessible with screen access
technology and provided information to the County about accessible
solutions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For the new call center,
the County ultimately procured a database system from Oracle known as Seibel
Customer Relationship Management (CRM).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>According to its manufacturer, this software can be configured to work
with screen access software, but the County installed a custom configuration of
the software that is not accessible to blind employees.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN>Ms. Reyazuddin
was originally scheduled to be transferred to the new call center with other
information specialists, but was not allowed to be transferred when she raised
concerns about the accessibility of the </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">CRM program.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Ms. Reyazuddin has not been allowed to test the software for
accessibility, and although Oracle provided the County with documentation
describing how the software could be made accessible, the County has not
implemented an accessible configuration of the software.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ms. Reyazuddin has been downgraded from
an information specialist to a support staff position at the County Department
of Health and Human Services, and she is only given duties that fill
approximately half of an eight-hour work day.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She has been informed that her pay will
also be cut because the County claims that her multilingual skills are no longer
being used in her new assignment.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation
of the Blind, said: “Yasmin Reyazuddin has been treated shamefully and with
deliberate disregard for her legal and civil rights by <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Montgomery</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Instead of taking the steps necessary to
make the database program used by employees of the Montgomery County 311 Call
Center accessible, the County has reassigned her to a lower-paying job in which
her skills are not being used.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We
cannot and will not tolerate this discrimination against her and other blind
County employees.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Ms. Reyazuddin said: “Despite my ten years of service
to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Montgomery</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, I am now being
shifted to a lower-paying position with little to do.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I could do all of my former job duties
if the County would follow Oracle’s guidelines for making CRM accessible, but
instead I am largely relegated to idleness.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The situation has caused me considerable
emotional distress.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I did not want
to resort to litigation but I feel that I have no choice if I am to once again
be a productive employee of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Montgomery</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The plaintiff is represented with the assistance of
the National Federation of the Blind by Joseph B. Espo and Timothy R. Elder of
the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:City></st1:place>
firm Brown, Goldstein & Levy.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText3
align=left><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">About the National Federation of
the Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText3
align=left><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in center 3.0in right 6.0in"
class=MsoHeader><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">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 <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The NFB improves blind people’s
lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs
encouraging independence and self-confidence.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is the leading force in the blindness
field today and the voice of the nation's blind.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In January 2004 the NFB opened the
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and
training center in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region> for the blind led by the
blind.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>