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

Tue Nov 30 22:24:20 UTC 2010

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
>
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>
> 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
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>>> http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=D._W._Hill
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>>>
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>>> Twitter:
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>>>
>>> Hear clips from "The Last Straw" at:
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>>> 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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