[nabs-l] did anyone hear about the FSU lawsuit?

[Joshua Lester]

Wow!
Jamie Principato?
I hope they're successful.
The FSU and other universities need to stop discriminating against us.
I just heard this, from this list.
Blessings, Joshua

On 7/1/11, Beth <thebluesisloose at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi, guys.  I thought I might ask you Florida students or any
> students out there if you've heard that two of my friends are
> suing FSU, my old university.  They're suing because of the math
> department and the way the faculty has been treating them.  For
> more, here's a clip of the article.
>
> Blind Students Sue Florida State University for Discrimination
> 6/29/2011
>
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> 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
>
> Blind Students Sue Florida State University for Discrimination
> National Federation of the Blind Outraged at University's Actions
> Baltimore, Maryland (June 29, 2011): With the assistance of the
> National
> Federation of the Blind, two blind students-Christopher Shane
> Toth and Jamie
> Ann Principato-filed suit today against Florida State University
> (FSU) and
> its board of trustees.  The suit alleges that FSU's Department of
> Mathematics discriminated against Mr. Toth and Ms. Principato by
> failing to
> provide them with proper accommodations so that they could
> successfully
> complete required math courses for their respective degree
> programs.  The
> violations include requiring the students to use an inaccessible
> Web-based
> application to complete homework assignments, tests, and quizzes;
> requiring
> the use of clickers that cannot be used by a blind person to
> respond to
> in-class questions and obtain bonus credit; failing to provide
> Braille
> versions of the required textbooks in violation of agreed-upon
> accommodation
> plans; and engaging in retaliatory actions when the students
> complained of
> these violations.  In all cases, faculty members in the
> Department of
> Mathematics were generally uncooperative, unhelpful, and even
> hostile, and
> did not provide meaningful alternative methods for Mr. Toth and
> Ms.
> Principato to successfully complete the required courses.  As a
> result, both
> students are currently unable to continue their degree programs
> and find
> their careers indefinitely on hold.
>
> Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the
> Blind, said:
> "Discrimination against blind students is all too common, but it
> rarely
> stems from actual animus towards the students.  This case,
> however, involves
> the repeated, deliberate, and intentional disregard of the rights
> of these
> two students, whose academic records have now suffered
> irreparable damage
> and who have suffered lost opportunities, emotional distress,
> embarrassment,
> humiliation, and retaliation by university officials.  The
> National
> Federation of the Blind will not stand for this outrageous
> treatment of
> blind students and we will continue to support this lawsuit as
> fully as
> necessary in order to ensure that these young people are
> compensated for the
> egregious conduct of faculty and staff in FSU's Department of
> Mathematics."
>
> The plaintiffs are represented in this matter by Daniel F.
> Goldstein, Sharon
> Krevor-Weisbaum, and Brooke E. Lierman of the Baltimore firm
> Brown,
> Goldstein, and Levy; and Matthew Dietz of the Miami firm Law
> Offices of
> Matthew W. Dietz, P.L.
>
> Beth Taurasi
> Sent from my BrailleNote Apex
>
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