[stylist] Update on blind law student's fight to use Jaws on Barexam

Donna Hill penatwork at epix.net
Wed Dec 1 01:17:44 UTC 2010 

Judith,
You think you're frustrated. Imagine being my friend Jeanne Marie Moore, 
who fought for accessible exams in California back in the '80s. There 
was a law passed and everything, and still here we go. I think the 
answer to your question is that yes, we still have to proove blind 
people are human.
Donna

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On 11/30/2010 5:24 PM, Judith Bron wrote:
> Donna, Situations like this totally baffle me.  We learned decades ago 
> that just because someone has a different skin color, they are people 
> first.  In a PC world you can't deny a qualified person a position 
> because they have a handicap unrelated to the position.  For example, 
> you can't deny a blind or whealchair bound person equal access to the 
> bar exam.  Are we still fighting for equal rights?  Do we still have 
> to prove that just because a person is a member of a minority we first 
> have to prove that he or she is also a human being?  Now that we've 
> concluded that all of this is BS, why is a US court wasting time 
> deciding if a blind student can use adaptive equipment in order to 
> complete the exam?  Give her a computer devoid of anything except the 
> exam, give her earphones, wish her luck and let her fill out the exam. 
> Judith
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 4:51 PM
> Subject: Re: [stylist] Update on blind law student's fight to use Jaws 
> on Barexam
>
>
>> Ah, Judith, but this is for the Bar exam. Surely the people involved 
>> are aware of the law. Maybe employing a judge and lawyers is the 
>> point. Just being facitious, as I am really at a loss to explain how 
>> things like this still happen.
>> Donna
>>
>> Read Donna's articles on
>> Suite 101:
>> www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/donna_hill
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>> http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=D._W._Hill
>> American Chronicle:
>> www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3885
>>
>> Connect with Donna on
>> Twitter:
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>> www.linkedin.com/in/dwh99
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>> www.facebook.com/donna.w.hill.
>>
>> Hear clips from "The Last Straw" at:
>> cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
>> Apple I-Tunes
>> phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=259244374 
>>
>>
>> Check out the "Sound in Sight" CD project
>> Donna is Head of Media Relations for the nonprofit
>> Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind:
>> www.padnfb.org
>>
>>
>> On 11/30/2010 3:17 PM, Judith Bron wrote:
>>> Sean, I disagree with you.  If a person can't walk, giving them a 
>>> whealchair makes sense.  Helping them find a home where everything 
>>> is on one floor and they have easy access to the house or apartment 
>>> makes perfect sense.  If someone is deaf then helping them get a car 
>>> adapted for a deaf person makes sense.  If a person is blind and 
>>> can't read a written exam but knows how to work on adaptive 
>>> equipment allowing them to take their exam on that equipment using a 
>>> headset makes perfect sense. True, people who aren't handicapped 
>>> don't want to think about the possibility, but in the back of their 
>>> mind they know these things exist and can happen to anyone because 
>>> of accident or illness.  My complaint with this whole court thing is 
>>> that using common sense you can solve the problem, the woman can 
>>> take her bar exam using adaptive equipment and life goes on without 
>>> employing a judge and jury.  Judith
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jacobson, Shawn D" 
>>> <Shawn.D.Jacobson at hud.gov>
>>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 2:53 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Update on blind law student's fight to use 
>>> Jaws on Barexam
>>>
>>>
>>>> Judith
>>>>
>>>> You are right, all of this just makes common sense to a blind 
>>>> person. To a sighted person, nothing about blindness makes common 
>>>> sense because in order for it to make common sense you have to 
>>>> think about it and the last thing a sighted person wants to do is 
>>>> to think about blindness.
>>>>
>>>> Shawn
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org 
>>>> [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Judith Bron
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 2:31 PM
>>>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Update on blind law student's fight to use 
>>>> Jaws on Bar exam
>>>>
>>>> Situations like this are so common sense that one has to wonder why 
>>>> they
>>>> made it into the courts at all.  Give the person using a screen 
>>>> reader a
>>>> headset and let them take their test be it a final exam for 
>>>> elementary or
>>>> high school,  College exams or a professional licensing exam.  
>>>> Aren't we
>>>> taught as sighted children that we have to look both ways before 
>>>> crossing
>>>> the street?  Aren' the sight impaired taught to listen for cars?  
>>>> Now we
>>>> have to go to court to impress on them that the blind have to hear 
>>>> a car or
>>>> risk being struck down.  I can' be the only one who craves common 
>>>> sense in a
>>>> system where it seems we have to go to court to be given the right to
>>>> breathe.  We certainly can't go to the airports for rights.  Judith
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
>>>> To: <stylist at nfbnet.org>; "nfbp-talk" <nfbp-talk at yahoogroups.com>;
>>>> "Performing Arts Division list" <perform-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 1:55 PM
>>>> Subject: [stylist] Update on blind law student's fight to use Jaws 
>>>> on Bar
>>>> exam
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hi Friends,
>>>> Just came across the following article on the San Fransisco Lighthouse
>>>> site and thought some of you might be interested. I'm copying the
>>>> article after the URL.
>>>> Donna
>>>>
>>>> ***
>>>> Blindness Civil Rights Advocacy Alert
>>>> http://www.lighthouse-sf.org/blog/blindness-civil-rights-advocacy-alert/ 
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> San Francisco continues to be a legal crucible for blindness civil
>>>> rights and on Monday, December 6, 2010, the next chapter in our long
>>>> struggle will take
>>>> place in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. If you want to witness how
>>>> civil rights are won one step at a time, please consider attending 
>>>> this
>>>> hearing and
>>>> lending your support.
>>>>
>>>> The following is an announcement from Stephanie Enyart's legal team:
>>>> "The blind community is encouraged to rally behind Ms. Stephanie 
>>>> Enyart
>>>> as her case
>>>> is argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
>>>> Ms. Enyart is a blind law school graduate seeking admission to the
>>>> California Bar.
>>>> She has requested to use JAWS on the Bar Exam. The testing entity 
>>>> denied
>>>> her request citing security concerns. It is important for the 
>>>> court, the
>>>> press
>>>> and other interested parties to understand that the blind community
>>>> cares about this issue. Blind students should be able to take
>>>> standardized tests using
>>>> their assistive technology. It is no longer acceptable that all blind
>>>> test-takers should be required to use only human readers when their
>>>> preferred method
>>>> of accessing print may be through another method such as computer 
>>>> screen
>>>> review programs. Members of the blind community are encouraged to 
>>>> attend
>>>> the public
>>>> hearing on December 6 to show their support for Ms. Enyart's 
>>>> position."
>>>>
>>>> Attendees will need a government-issued photo ID to enter the 
>>>> courtroom.
>>>>
>>>> When: Monday, December 2010, 1:00 p.m.
>>>>
>>>> Where: John R. Browning U.S. Courthouse, United States Court of 
>>>> Appeals
>>>> - 9th Circuit, Courtroom 3, 3rd Floor
>>>>
>>>> Address: 95 Seventh Street, San Francisco, California 94103
>>>>
>>>> Please share this with your contacts to ensure a strong turnout in
>>>> support of Ms. Enyart and blindness civil rights.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -- 
>>>> Read Donna's articles on
>>>> Suite 101:
>>>> www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/donna_hill
>>>> Ezine Articles:
>>>> http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=D._W._Hill
>>>> American Chronicle:
>>>> www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3885
>>>>
>>>> Connect with Donna on
>>>> Twitter:
>>>> www.twitter.com/dewhill
>>>> LinkedIn:
>>>> www.linkedin.com/in/dwh99
>>>> FaceBook:
>>>> www.facebook.com/donna.w.hill.
>>>>
>>>> Hear clips from "The Last Straw" at:
>>>> cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
>>>> Apple I-Tunes
>>>> phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=259244374 
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Check out the "Sound in Sight" CD project
>>>> Donna is Head of Media Relations for the nonprofit
>>>> Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind:
>>>> www.padnfb.org
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
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>
>
>
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