[nfbmi-talk] nfb files suit in l.a.

Fri Apr 4 19:28:21 UTC 2014

Shoot BSBP can't even get a staff directory out without a FOIA. They need to 
be sued on multiple counts for multiple violations of our individual and 
collective civil rights.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Terry D. Eagle" <terrydeagle at yahoo.com>
To: "'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, April 04, 2014 3:16 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] nfb files suit in l.a.


> This is a good step forward by the NFB.  Seems as though many employed to
> serve the blind don't care, and only respond to legal action and paying
> attorney fees.
>
> Actually, this sounds so much like the BS4BP and the BEP, whereby vending
> cash and credit card systems are TOTALLY INACCESSIBLE to the blind, and
> require use of a sighted person to manage the cash in a vending facility,
> allegedly reserved for operation by a blind person!  Imagine a sighted
> person controlling your business cash system!  Must be the justification 
> by
> Rob Essenberg, now a BS4BP BADP director, and former blind vendor, for
> boosting his sighted manager's wage from $15 to $20 per hour, upon his
> departure from a BEP TOTALLY INACCESSIBLE vending facility operation.
> Ironically, that sighted manager is now once again working, as a state
> employee,  for none other than Rob Essenberg in BADP.  What does that say
> about how state employment is obtained?  The state employment hiring plot 
> is
> thicker than this with regard to Essenberg and BS4Bp.  What does it say
> about the skills of blindness by certain blind BS4BP employees?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbmi-talk [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of joe
> harcz Comcast
> Sent: Friday, April 04, 2014 12:18 PM
> To: nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] nfb files suit in l.a.
>
> National Federation of the Blind and Four Blind People File Suit Against
> RideCharge, Inc. and Three Taxicab Companies in California
>
>
>
>
>
> LOS ANGELES, April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/--
>
> The National Federation of the Blind
>
> (NFB), the oldest and largest organization of blind people in the United
> States, and four blind people residing in California-Rick Boggs, Geraldine
> Croom,
>
> Rochelle Houston, and Tina Thomas -filed suit today (case number:
> 2:14-cv-02490) in the United States District Court for the Central 
> District
> of California
>
> against RideCharge, Inc. and three entities that manage taxicab fleets in
> Southern California:  Administrative Services Cooperative, Inc., LA Taxi
> Cooperative,
>
> Inc., and South Bay Yellow Cab Cooperative, Inc.  The taxicab cooperatives
> have deployed RideCharge's self-service, touchscreen payment terminals,
> which
>
> are inaccessible to blind taxicab riders, in taxicabs throughout Southern
> California.  The complaint alleges violations of the Americans with
> Disabilities
>
> Act (ADA), the California Unruh Civil Rights Act, and the California
> Disabled Persons Act.
>
>
>
> The self-service terminals utilize an entirely visual, touchscreen 
> interface
> mounted on the back of the front passenger seat that allows sighted 
> taxicab
>
> riders to access information and services privately and independently.
> Among other features, sighted passengers are able to review trip and fare
> information,
>
> privately pay fares with a credit card, and select tip amounts without
> interacting with the driver. The exclusively visual interface lacks common
> accessibility
>
> features for blind riders.  Many other transportation service providers 
> have
> installed text-to-speech output and tactile controls on their self-service
>
> terminals that allow blind riders to operate them independently.  As a
> result of RideCharge's failure to include these common alternative access
> features
>
> on its terminals, blind riders are unable to access the information and
> services offered on these devices.
>
>
>
> Dr. Marc Maurer,
>
> President of
>
> the National Federation of the Blind,
>
> said: "The ability to travel safely and independently is central to the
> ability of blind people to live independent, productive lives.  Taxis are 
> a
> valuable
>
> mode of transportation for blind people, particularly in places like
> Southern California where public transit is not always available.  Our 
> right
> to independent
>
> travel is unjustly jeopardized when we enter a taxi that has critical
> features that cannot be independently accessed by the blind.  The laws of
> the United
>
> States and the state of California require, and blind Americans demand, 
> that
> RideCharge and taxicab companies make all of their self-service terminals
>
> accessible to blind taxi riders."
>
>
>
> The National Federation of the Blind and the individual plaintiffs are
> represented in this matter by Laurence Paradis, Stuart Seaborn, Michael
> Nunez, and
>
> Haben Girma of the Berkeley firm Disability Rights Advocates; Scott 
> LaBarre
> of the Denver firm LaBarre Law Offices; and Timothy Elder of the Fremont,
> California
>
> firm
>
> TRE Legal Practice.
>
>
>
> About the National Federation of the Blind
>
>
>
> The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest, largest, and 
> most
> influential nationwide membership organization of blind people in the 
> United
>
> States.  Founded in 1940, the NFB advocates for the civil rights and
> equality of blind Americans, and develops innovative education, 
> technology,
> and training
>
> programs to provide the blind and those who are losing vision with the 
> tools
> they need to become independent and successful.
>
>
>
> Logo -
>
> http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120815/MM57966LOGO
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfbmi-talk mailing list
> nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nfbmi-talk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/terrydeagle%40yahoo.
> com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfbmi-talk mailing list
> nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nfbmi-talk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/joeharcz%40comcast.net