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<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br>
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CONTACT:<br>
</b>Chris Danielsen<br>
Director of Public Relations<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<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 Applauds
Settlement<br>
with Free Library of Philadelphia<br><br>
<br>
</b></h1><h2><b>Lawsuit by Four Blind Patrons Over Inaccessible E-readers
Resolved</i></b></h2></div>
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<b>Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (October 23, 2012):</b>
<a href="http://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-assists-litigation-against-philadelphia-free-library">
A lawsuit against the Free Library of Philadelphia</a> filed in May with
the assistance of the <a href="http://www.nfb.org">National Federation of
the Blind</a> by four blind patronsDenice Brown, Karen Comorato,
Patricia Grebloski, and Antoinette Whaleyhas been resolved by the
parties. The blind plaintiffs filed suit because the library began
lending NOOK Simple Touch e-readers, which are manufactured and sold by
Barnes & Noble, to patrons over fifty. Unlike some other
portable e-readers that use text-to-speech technology and/or Braille to
allow blind people to read e-books,
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CNQCrowbUI&feature=plcp">the
NOOK devices are completely inaccessible to patrons who are blind. </a>
Under the terms of the settlement, the library will purchase ten
accessible e-readers to supplement the devices it has already purchased,
and within four years will use only accessible e-reading devices. The
library will also incorporate an accessibility requirement into its
technology procurement contracts. The settlement brings the
library’s policies and practices into compliance with
<a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-ebook-faq-201105.html">
guidance issued by the United States Department of Education.</a>
The library’s commitment is also in line with a resolution passed in 2009
by the American Library Association entitled Purchasing of Accessible
Electronic Resources, which urged “all libraries purchasing, procuring,
using, maintaining and contracting for electronic resources and services”
to “require vendors to guarantee that products and services comply with
Section 508 regulations, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, or
other applicable accessibility standards and guidelines.”<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.nfb.org/marc-maurer-bio">Dr. Marc Maurer</a>,
President of the
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NationalFederationoftheBlind">National
Federation of the Blind</a>, said: “We applaud today’s settlement and the
commitment of the Free Library of Philadelphia to create an e-reader
lending program that will serve all of its patrons, including those who
are blind or who cannot read print for other reasons. The library’s
commitment to procure accessible technology means that vendors of
e-reading technology and content will have to make their products
accessible in order to sell them to the Free Library of
Philadelphia. We hope that other libraries, educational
institutions, and other entities with legal obligations to serve people
with disabilities will emulate the approach being adopted by the Free
Library of Philadelphia. If they do, we believe that all e-book
content will ultimately be accessible to the blind, giving us equal
access to the printed word.”<br>
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<b>About the National Federation of the Blind<br>
</b>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. We need your support. To make a
donation, please go to <a href="http://www.nfb.org">www.nfb.org</a>.<br>
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