[NFBOH-Cleveland] FW: [Nfbnet-members-list] Blind Employee Sues Los Angeles County for Discrimination

[Ali Benmerzouga]

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBNet-Members-List <nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf
Of Danielsen, Chris via NFBNet-Members-List
Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2019 1:59 PM
To: Danielsen, Chris <CDanielsen at nfb.org>
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Blind Employee Sues Los Angeles County for
Discrimination


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Blind Employee Sues Los Angeles County for Discrimination

National Federation of the Blind Supports Sharon Watson in Fight for Her
Legal Rights

Los Angeles (May 16, 2019): For Sharon Watson, a blind licensed clinical
social worker with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health since
2004, it was bad enough that the county deployed software - the Integrated
Behavioral Health Information System ("IBHIS") - that wouldn't work with her
text-to-speech screen reader in 2014. The department has made matters even
worse by refusing to provide Dr. Watson with a dedicated, qualified reader
to help her complete the administrative tasks that she can no longer
accomplish independently. And to add insult to injury, Ms. Watson has faced
discriminatory accusations related to her job performance, even though her
alleged low productivity has been caused by the county's failures to
accommodate her disability.

After trying to resolve the situation with the county for the past five
years, Ms. Watson filed suit this week in the United States District Court
for the Central District of California. Her lawsuit alleges violations of
the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973, and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. Ms. Watson
seeks a court order requiring the county to provide her with a qualified
reader with the sole or prioritized task of assisting her, declaring that
the county has violated state and federal law by deploying the inaccessible
IBHIS system, and awarding her compensatory and punitive damages as well as
attorneys' fees. She is being represented by Anna R. Levine and Timothy R.
Elder of the TRE Legal Practice, with the support of the National Federation
of the Blind.

"The National Federation of the Blind is dedicated to promoting accessible
technology in the workplace and beyond, and to fighting for the legal rights
of blind employees," said Mark Riccobono, President of the National
Federation of the Blind. "We will not tolerate a situation in which Los
Angeles County deploys inaccessible technology, refuses to accommodate a
blind employee affected by that unlawful decision, and then threatens her
career and livelihood by blaming her for problems of its own making."

###

About the National Federation of the Blind The National Federation of the
Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, is the oldest and largest
nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded in 1940, the NFB
consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states,
Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB defends the rights of blind people
of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind
children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. We believe in the
hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into
reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at
www.nfb.org<http://www.nfb.org>.

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<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>








Christopher S. Danielsen, J.D.
Director of Public Relations
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314, Ext. 2330 | cdanielsen at nfb.org
Twitter: @rlawyer

[National Federation of the Blind]<https://nfb.org/>

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who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day we work
together to help blind people live the lives they want.

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