[nfb-talk] Fw: [Nfb-announce] Law Schools Discriminate Against Blind Applicants

Wed May 5 15:21:46 UTC 2010

Hi -- haven't see this on this list yet so I'm forwarding it, with some 
comments.
I am not an aspiring law student, but I did apply for some online courses at 
National American University last week.  I was in touch with a person at 
applications who was telling me whaat to fill out.  The site was mostly 
accessible but I ran into a problem on one page about 3/4 the way through 
the application that finally required me to let her (the woman in the 
applications office) to take my password and finish the forms.  Of course 
this opened up access to my SSN and date of birth and credit card number. 
Now I know this info is available to many organizations we deal with every 
day, but I felt my privacy was invaded. Not only that, but I went back to 
change my password, and discovered that that would not be possible until I 
complete the application, which involved signing and faxing an authorization 
to transmit my info as needed over the internet to get my old grade 
transcripts and whatever else. So that means I gave someone my password 
granting access to all that information and she wants my signature and 
authorization to use it before I can have my password back.
Now I do think the odds are good that she is an honest employee doing what 
she has to do, but I am wondering how persons on this list deal with similar 
situations. Have you ever been faced with a site that requires sighted 
assistance to enter sensitive info?
Help!
I need to resolve this today and will probably fax, but I want your opinion. 
Since the NFB is coming down on law schools for similar barriers, could it 
put pressure on other schools to provide barrier free websites?
Now as for entering sensitive information, it is certainly true that when 
you enter it online in any way, someone will have access to it, whether 
someone helps you or not, so you aren't really safe.  But there shouldn't be 
a different process for blind and sighted students.
Thanks for any thoughts.
--le

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Freeh,Jessica (by way of David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)" 
<JFreeh at nfb.org>
To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 9:12 AM
Subject: [Nfb-announce] Law Schools Discriminate Against Blind Applicants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen

Director of Public Relations

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org

Law Schools Discriminate Against Blind Applicants

National Federation of the Blind Files Complaints Against Nine Law Schools

Baltimore, Maryland (May 5, 2010): The National Federation of the
Blind (NFB), the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind
people, announced today that it has filed complaints with the United
States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, requesting
investigations of nine prominent law schools for violating the civil
rights of blind and other print-disabled law school applicants.  The
NFB filed the complaints because the law schools require applicants
who wish to have the convenience of applying online to use a
centralized Internet-based application process provided by the Law
School Admissions Council (LSAC) through its Web site (www.lsac.org)
that is inaccessible to blind law school applicants.  While sighted
law school applicants can use the LSAC system to submit multiple law
school applications at once, blind students must seek sighted
assistance to use the LSAC system.  Title III of the Americans with
Disabilities Act requires these law schools to offer equal access to
their programs and services.  The nine law schools named in the
complaints are The University of Chicago Law School, Yeshiva
University's Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Atlanta's John
Marshall Law School, University of Denver's Sturm College of Law,
Washington and Lee University School of Law, University of Miami
School of Law, William Mitchell College of Law, Gonzaga University
School of Law, and Northeastern University School of Law.  The
complaints ask the Justice Department to require these law schools to
suspend use of the LSAC application system until it is accessible to
blind and other print-disabled students and to require each law
school to provide the same application process in a format available
to all students. The NFB already has a lawsuit pending against the
LSAC for violating <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />California law by
maintaining an inaccessible Web site.

Blind people access Web sites on computers equipped with screen
access software that converts what is on the screen into synthesized
speech or Braille.  The keyboard is used instead of a mouse to
navigate the Web site and click on selected links or buttons.  If a

Web site is improperly coded, however, blind computer users cannot
access or interact with the site.  The LSAC application process does
not present information to screen access software and thus requires
blind users to resort to sighted assistance.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
said: "The National Federation of the Blind expects those who control
admission to the practice of law to obey the law.  Forcing blind law
school applicants to use a separate and inherently unequal
application process violates both the letter and the spirit of the
Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation
Act.  Accessibility standards for Web-based forms like those used in
the Law School Admissions Council's application system have been in
place for years and have been successfully implemented by many other
Web sites, so there is no reason why the LSAC cannot make its
application service available to blind law school applicants.  That
is why we have asked the United States Department of Justice to act
swiftly and decisively to ensure that blind law school applicants are
treated the same as their sighted peers."

The National Federation of the Blind is represented in this matter by
Daniel F. Goldstein and Mehgan Sidhu of the Baltimore firm Brown,
Goldstein, and Levy; Laurence W. Paradis, Anna Levine, and Karla
Gilbride of the Berkley firm Disability Rights Advocates; and Scott
C. LaBarre of the Denver firm LaBarre Law Offices.

###

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.

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