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<DIV><SPAN class=171303823-03052012><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>Lots
of good stuff. Read below.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=171303823-03052012><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=171303823-03052012><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial>Cathy</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<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, May 02, 2012 2:52
PM<BR><B>To:</B> Adelmo Vigil; Alpidio Rolon; Amy Buresh; Beth Rival; Bill
Packee; Bob Kresmer; Carl Jacobsen; Cassandra McNabb; Cathy Jackson; Charlene
Smyth; Christine G. Hall; Dan Hicks; Daniel Burke; Donna Wood; Duane Iverson;
Elsie Dickerson; Frank Lee; Franklin Shiner; Fred Schroeder; Garrick Scott; Gary
Ray; Gary Wunder; Grace Pires; J.W. Smith; James Antonacci; James Brown; Jeannie
Massay; Jennifer Dunnam; Joe Ruffalo; John Batron; John Fritz; Joy Harris; Joyce
Scanlan; Ken Rollman; Kimberly Flores; Larry Posont; Lynn Majewski; Mary
Willows; Melissa Riccobono; Michael Barber; Michael Freeman; Mika Pyyhkala; Nani
Fife; Pam Allen; Parnell Diggs; Patti Chang; Patty Estes; Rena Smith; Ron Brown;
Gardner, Ron; Sam Gleese; Scott LaBarre; Shawn Callaway; Terry
Sheeler<BR><B>Subject:</B> CORRECTED: National Federation of the Blind Assists
in Litigation Against Free Library of Philadelphia<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></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">cdanielsen@nfb.org<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<H1 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt" align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face=Arial>National Federation of the Blind
Assists in Litigation<BR><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Against
Free Library of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H1>
<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><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (May 2,
2012):</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> With the assistance of the <A
href="http://www.nfb.org/">National Federation of the Blind</A>, four blind
patrons of the Free Library of Philadelphia—<SPAN style="COLOR: black">Denice
Brown, Karen Comorato, Patricia Grebloski, and Antoinette Whaley—</SPAN>have
filed suit (case number: 12-2373) against the library because they cannot access
one of the library’s programs for which they are eligible. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Free Library of Philadelphia has
instituted and announced plans to expand a program in which free NOOK Simple
Touch e-readers, which are manufactured and sold by Barnes & Noble, are
loaned to patrons over the age of fifty. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Unlike some other portable e-readers that
use text-to-speech technology and/or Braille to allow blind people to read
e-books, the NOOK devices are completely inaccessible to patrons who are blind.
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The library’s conduct violates
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><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 Free Library of Philadelphia is aware that the
NOOK devices are inaccessible, and library personnel have openly discouraged two
of the blind plaintiffs from even attempting to check out one of the devices.
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The library is also aware that it
is violating federal laws, having been so advised by the United States
Department of Education, which has issued both a <A
href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-20100629.html">Dear
Colleague letter</A> and a subsequent <A
href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-ebook-faq-201105.html">Frequently
Asked Questions</A> document regarding the obligation of federally funded
institutions to purchase accessible e-book readers and other technologies. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Free Library of Philadelphia does
have a branch that lends Braille and audio books from the National Library
Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress to
blind patrons, but the selection of books is limited, and books are not
available in these formats until months or years after they are released to the
general public.<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: “The technology to make e-books accessible exists, allowing
blind people for the first time to buy or borrow books as soon as they are
released. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Too many e-book platforms
and devices, however, remain needlessly inaccessible to the blind and others who
cannot read print. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Libraries have a
legal obligation to serve their blind and print-disabled patrons and to not
discriminate against them. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They
should be purchasing accessible e-book reading devices and demanding that their
vendors provide them, not perpetuating the status quo by purchasing inaccessible
technology and needlessly relegating their blind and print-disabled patrons to
separate and unequal service. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This
is the standard to which we intend to hold the Free Library of Philadelphia and
any other public library that chooses to flout the law by purchasing and lending
inaccessible e-book technology.”<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">Denice Brown, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit,
said: “I am disappointed and frustrated that I cannot use the exciting new
e-book technology being offered by my local library.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Worse yet, I was treated like a
second-class citizen when I visited the library and asked about this new
technology, with library personnel initially refusing even to help me fill out a
form so that I could check out a NOOK Simple Touch. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I hope that the Free Library of
Philadelphia, of which I am a patron, will make a strong commitment to
accessibility and cease its discrimination against me and other blind
patrons.”<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">For further illustration of this important issue,
please view <A
href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CNQCrowbUI&feature=plcp">this video
comparing the NOOK Simple Touch with accessible e-book
technology.</A><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 plaintiffs are represented in this matter by
Daniel F. Goldstein, <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Sharon
Krevor-Weisbaum</st1:PersonName>, and Daniel A. Ross of the <st1:City
w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:City> firm Brown, Goldstein, and Levy; and David
Rudovsky of the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:City> firm <SPAN class=copyboldlg><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing &
Feinberg</SPAN></SPAN>.<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"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></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"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"
class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>About the National Federation of the Blind </SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>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:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region></st1:place>. 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 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region></st1:place> for the blind led by the
blind.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>