[Nfbv-announce] Blind New York State Employee Unable to Perform Job Due to Inaccessible Software

[Fredric Schroeder]

 ---- Original Message ------
From: "Freeh, Jessica" <JFreeh at nfb.org
Subject: Blind New York State Employee Unable to Perform Job Due 
to Inaccessible Software
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:15:57 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen

Public Relations Specialist

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen at nfb.org <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org


Blind New York State Employee Unable to Perform
 Job Due to Inaccessible Software


National Federation of the Blind Assisting In Litigation
 Against State Crime Victims Board




New York, New York (November 13, 2008): Dawn Whitfield, a blind 
woman
who has worked for the New York State Crime Victims Board for 
over
twenty years, filed suit today in federal court because she is no 
longer
able to perform the functions of her job.  The State Crime 
Victims Board
has purchased and implemented software that cannot be used by a 
blind
person and is therefore in violation of the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973,
a federal law which requires that entities receiving federal 
funds must
have information technology in place that is accessible to blind
employees.  Because of the new software, which is manufactured by 
a
company called Emerging Soft, Ms.  Whitfield has been unable to 
perform
the functions of her job since May of 2008.  The National 
Federation of
the Blind, the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind 
people,
is assisting in the litigation.



Dr.  Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the 
Blind,
said: "Like all workers in the twenty-first century, blind people 
must
have access to information technology in order to do their jobs
effectively.  Without access to information technology in the 
workplace,
Ms.  Whitfield does not have meaningful access to her workplace 
and is
therefore experiencing discrimination under the Rehabilitation 
Act.  The
National Federation of the Blind will do everything we can to 
assist her
in seeking a remedy for this deplorable situation."



Carl Jacobsen, president of the National Federation of the Blind 
of New
York, said: "The National Federation of the Blind of New York 
will not
tolerate a situation in which hard-working blind state employees 
are
relegated to second-class status because the agencies they work 
for
refuse to follow the law and purchase software that is accessible 
to
them.  We are committed to ensuring that Dawn Whitfield and all 
blind
New Yorkers employed by this state have full and equal access to
information technology in the workplace."



Dawn Whitfield said: "It is extremely frustrating that I cannot 
do my
job effectively because my agency did not take my needs into
consideration when purchasing new computer software, even though 
I made
it clear to my supervisors that I had specific needs as a blind 
employee
and the agency was well aware of the potential problems with this 
new
software.  I hope that this situation can be resolved quickly so 
that I
can go back to assisting crime victims in the state of New York 
with
their claims for compensation as I have for over twenty years.  I 
enjoy
my work but lately it has become a nightmare; I look forward to 
being a
productive employee of this agency once again."



###



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.  Please visit our Web site: 
www.nfb.org
<http://www.nfb.org/> .