[NFBWV-Talk] Fwd: [State-Affiliate-Leadership-List] Blind Woman Files Employment Discrimination Suit against Amazon.com

Tue Sep 3 19:48:58 UTC 2019

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Danielsen, Chris via State-Affiliate-Leadership-List <
state-affiliate-leadership-list at nfbnet.org>
Date: Tue, Sep 3, 2019 at 3:30 PM
Subject: [State-Affiliate-Leadership-List] Blind Woman Files Employment
Discrimination Suit against Amazon.com
To: Danielsen, Chris <CDanielsen at nfb.org>
CC: Danielsen, Chris <CDanielsen at nfb.org>

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

*Blind Woman Files Employment Discrimination Suit against Amazon.com*

*Detroit (September 3, 2019):* Maryann Murad, a blind Howell resident, and
the National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s oldest and largest
organization of blind Americans, have filed suit in the Federal District
Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against Amazon.com for
employment discrimination. Amazon is the world’s largest Internet retailer
and currently employs more than 647,000 people worldwide. In the first
quarter of 2019 it earned approximately $59.7 billion in revenue.

In 2017, Ms. Murad tried to apply for a virtual customer service position
with Amazon but could not complete the online assessment on Amazon’s
proprietary customer service platform because the platform is inaccessible.
The platform designed by Amazon is incompatible with Voiceover, the Apple
text-to-speech screen-reading software that Murad uses to complete tasks on
her computer. When she brought the problem to Amazon’s attention, a
representative of the company confirmed that the site was inaccessible and
said that Ms. Murad should apply for another “appropriate” job. Subsequent
efforts by the National Federation of the Blind to work with Amazon to
resolve the issue were unsuccessful. The lawsuit alleges violations of the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Michigan Persons with
Disabilities Civil Rights Act.

“At this time of year, we celebrate American workers, but too many blind
people who want to work face systemic discrimination,” said Mark Riccobono,
President of the National Federation of the Blind. “Technology can enhance
employment opportunities for the blind and other Americans with
disabilities when it is accessible to us. When it is not, it exacerbates
lack of opportunity and imperils our ability to compete in the economy and
society of the twenty-first century. Amazon is fully capable of creating
and deploying accessible technology and could be a leader in employing the
blind. Having tried to persuade Amazon to do those things to no avail, we
are now pursuing a remedy for Ms. Murad and other blind workers in court.”

*###*

*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.

*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

This press release is also available at:
https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/blind-woman-files-employment-discrimination-suit-against-amazoncom

Christopher S. Danielsen, J.D.

Director of Public Relations

200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
<https://www.google.com/maps/search/200+East+Wells+Street,+Baltimore,+MD+21230?entry=gmail&source=g>

(410) 659-9314, Ext. 2330 | cdanielsen at nfb.org

Twitter: @rlawyer

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

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<https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind>

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
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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-- 
Sheri Koch, President
National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia
304-993-5103