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<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br><br>
<br><br>
CONTACT:<br><br>
</b>Chris Danielsen<br><br>
Director of Public Relations<br><br>
National Federation of the Blind<br><br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br><br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br>
<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a><br><br>
<div align="center"><h1><b>National Federation of the Blind and<br>
Law School Admissions Council Agree to Settlement<br><br>
<br>
LSAC Will Make its Web Site Fully Accessible to the
Blind</i></b></h1></div>
<br><br>
<b>Baltimore, Maryland (April 26, 2011):</b> The National Federation of
the Blind (NFB) today announced that it has settled a lawsuit with the
Law School Admissions Council, Inc. (LSAC) regarding access to the LSAC
Web site (<a href="http://www.lsac.org/">www.lsac.org</a>) by blind
people. As part of the settlement, LSAC will provide full and equal
access to its Web site for blind users by September 1, 2011.
Changes will be made to the LSAC Web site that will allow blind users
utilizing screen access technology, which converts what is on the
computer screen into synthesized speech or Braille, to read and interact
with it. The accessibility requirements extend to all parts of the
Web site on which services or products are made available to prospective
law school applicants or to LSAT and Credential Assembly Service
registrants, including, but not limited to, the process of applying to
law schools through lsac.org and the documents and practice tests LSAC
makes available online.<br><br>
<br><br>
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
“Access to Web sites is critical to the full and equal participation of
blind people in all aspects of modern life. In this instance,
access is especially critical, since without it blind people experience
significant barriers to entering the legal profession. The National
Federation of the Blind is pleased to have reached a settlement with the
Law School Admissions Council and we look forward to working with its
officials and technical staff in the coming months. It is our
sincere hope that other educational entities and credentialing
organizations that provide vital services over the Internet will follow
LSAC’s example and take affirmative steps to provide full access to their
Web sites by blind consumers.”<br><br>
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Deepa Goraya, a named plaintiff in the suit, said: “As someone who has
gone through the law school application process and struggled to use the
Law School Admission Council’s Web site, I am pleased to see that the Web
site will be made fully accessible and the process of gaining admission
to law school will now be easier for all blind people who are interested
in entering this noble profession.”<br><br>
<br><br>
Under the settlement, the National Federation of the Blind will perform
semi-annual accessibility testing of the LSAC Web site until September 1,
2012. <br><br>
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The National Federation of the Blind is represented in this matter by
Daniel F. Goldstein of the Baltimore firm Brown, Goldstein, and Levy;
Laurence W. Paradis, Anna Levine, and Karla Gilbride of the Berkley firm
Disability Rights Advocates; and Scott C. LaBarre of the Denver firm
LaBarre Law Offices.<br><br>
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<h2><b>About the National Federation of the Blind</b></h2> <br><br>
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. <br><br>
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