[nfbmi-talk] Fw: National Federation of the Blind and Blind StudentFile Suit Against Maricopa Community College District

Jordyn Castor jordyn2493 at gmail.com
Wed May 23 01:05:28 UTC 2012


I haven't seen this one either.
I'm glad the NFB is willing to help out like this! :)
I'm wondering why he's filing suit after he's graduated though? I'm not 
trying to be rude or anything, I'm just curious.
Hopefully this discrimination doesn't stop him from attending another 
college or pursuing his career goals!
I can't believe the amount of hardships some college students face VS. 
the smooth college experience some of us have. It's crazy!
Jordyn
On 5/22/2012 8:48 PM, Evelyn Weckerly wrote:
> Elizabeth,
>
> Some releases are sent to all lists; some are not. I had not seen this 
> one until sent to this list.
>
> Evelyn
>
> At 08:30 PM 5/22/2012, you wrote:
>> I believe these press releases are already being sent out to everyone 
>> who wishes to receive them. Therefore, I do not believe there is a 
>> need to cross post all of them.
>>
>> Although, it is nice to know the NFB is willing to help some college 
>> students fight this kind of discrimination, but not all of them. It 
>> just does not seem fair to me that some receive help while others are 
>> left to fend for themselves and have their college career ruined as a 
>> result.
>>
>> Elizabeth
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> From: "Mary Ann Robinson" <brightsmile1953 at comcast.net>
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 7:10 PM
>> To: "NFB of Michigan List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Fw: National Federation of the Blind and Blind 
>> StudentFile Suit Against Maricopa Community College District
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 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
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> National Federation of the Blind and Blind Student File Suit
>>> Against Maricopa Community College District
>>> Complaint Alleges Mesa Community College Student Experienced 
>>> Discrimination
>>>
>>>
>>> Phoenix, Arizona (May 22, 2012): The National Federation of the 
>>> Blind, the nation's leading advocate for the equal education of 
>>> blind students, and Sebastian Ibanez, a blind student who recently 
>>> graduated from Mesa Community College, have filed suit (Case No.: CV 
>>> 12-907-PHX-NVW) against the college and the Maricopa Community 
>>> College District, alleging discrimination against Mr. Ibanez and 
>>> other blind students. The complaint alleges that Mr. Ibanez, as a 
>>> blind student, could not register for his classes, complete online 
>>> courses and assignments, access student services, or actively 
>>> participate in his classes because of inaccessible technology 
>>> purchased or deployed by the Maricopa Community College District and 
>>> Mesa Community College. Among other things, college and third-party 
>>> Web sites and software applications used for coursework and student 
>>> services do not work with text-to-speech screen reading software, 
>>> and "clickers" that are used to respond to questions in class cannot 
>>> be operated independently by blind students. Most egregious of all, 
>>> Mr. Ibanez was deliberately excluded from a class solely on the 
>>> basis of his blindness. He attended the class but was told by the 
>>> instructor that she did not feel comfortable teaching a blind 
>>> student, and was subsequently electronically "dropped" from the 
>>> class without his knowledge or consent.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, 
>>> said: "Despite clear mandates for the equal education of students 
>>> with disabilities contained in the Americans with Disabilities Act 
>>> and the Rehabilitation Act, we continue to find that higher 
>>> education institutions are not accommodating their blind students as 
>>> required by federal law. As in too many other cases, this instance 
>>> involves the needless and unlawful purchase and deployment of 
>>> inaccessible technology. Worse yet, the case demonstrates again the 
>>> deliberate disregard by some college faculty and staff for the 
>>> rights of blind students. The National Federation of the Blind is 
>>> once again forced to devote considerable time and resources to 
>>> rectifying this discrimination. We will continue to do so until the 
>>> day when battles like this one are no longer necessary. We cannot 
>>> and will not tolerate unlawful discrimination against blind 
>>> students, and we insist that they receive an education equal to that 
>>> received by their sighted peers."
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The plaintiffs are represented in this matter by Joseph B. Espo of 
>>> the Baltimore firm Brown, Goldstein, & Levy, LLP, and J.J. Rico of 
>>> the Arizona Center for Disability Law.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ###
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> About the National Federation of the Blind
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 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 United States. 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 United States for the blind led by the blind.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> No virus found in this message.
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>>> 05/22/12
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>>
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>>
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