[Athen] Justice Department reaches three agreements with universities regarding electronic book readers

[Ron Stewart]

Now this is more like it!

Ron Stewart
8300 W. Weller St
Yorktown, IN 47396

(609) 213-2190


On Jan 13, 2010, at 14:51, "Pratik Patel" <pratikp1 at gmail.com> wrote:


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> FOR IMMEDIATE  

> RELEASE  

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> WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13,  

> 2010                                                               (202) 514-2007

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> WWW.JUSTICE.GOV  

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> TDD (202) 514-1888

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> JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REACHES THREE SETTLEMENTS UNDER THE AMERICANS  

> WITH DISABILITIES ACT REGARDING THE USE OF ELECTRONIC BOOK READERS

>

>         WASHINGTON –  The Justice Department today announced separat 

> e agreements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Ca 

> se Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Pace University in New Y 

> ork City  and Reed College in Portland, Ore., regarding the use in a 

>  classroom setting of the electronic book reader, the Kindle DX, a h 

> and-held technological device that simulates the experience of readi 

> ng a book.

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>         Under the agreements reached today, the universities  

> generally will not purchase, recommend or promote use of the Kindle  

> DX, or any other dedicated electronic book reader, unless the  

> devices are fully accessible to students who are blind and have low  

> vision.  The universities agree that if they use dedicated  

> electronic book readers, they will ensure that students with vision  

> disabilities are able to access and acquire the same materials and  

> information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same  

> services as sighted students with substantially equivalent ease of  

> use.  The agreements that the Justice Department reached with these  

> universities extend beyond the Kindle DX to any dedicated electronic  

> reading device.

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>         These agreements follow the Jan. 11, 2010 agreement between  

> the Justice Department, Arizona State University, the National  

> Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind  

> concerning the use of electronic book readers.

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>         “Advancing technology is systematically changing the way uni 

> versities approach education, but we must be sure that emerging tech 

> nologies offer individuals with disabilities the same opportunities  

> as other students,” said Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez. 

>   “These agreements underscore the importance of full and equal educ 

> ational opportunities for everyone.”

>

>         A handful of universities participated in a pilot project in  

> cooperation with Amazon.com Inc. to test the viability of the Kindle  

> DX in a classroom setting.  The terms of the Justice Department’s ag 

> reement with each university become effective at the end of the pilo 

> t projects.

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>         The current model of  the Kindle DX has the capability to  

> read texts aloud, so that the materials would be accessible to blind  

> individuals, but the device does not include a similar text-to- 

> speech function for the menu and navigational controls.  Without  

> access to the menus, students who are blind have no way to know  

> which book they have selected or how to access the Kindle DX Web  

> browser or its other functions.  The technological “know how” to  

> make navigational controls or menu selections accessible is available.

>

>         Other universities, such as Syracuse University and the  

> University of Wisconsin at Madison, also examined the utility of the  

> Kindle DX as a teaching device and decided that they would not use  

> the Kindle DX until it is accessible to blind individuals.

>

>         In passing the ADA and the recent ADA Amendments Act,  

> Congress found that individuals with disabilities were uniquely  

> disadvantaged in critical areas, including education.  It is a core  

> priority of the Civil Rights Division to strengthen and expand the  

> educational opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

>

>         The ADA prohibits discrimination by public accommodations on  

> the basis of disability, including discrimination in private post- 

> secondary institutions.  Those interested in finding out more about  

> these agreements or seeking information about and how to comply with  

> the ADA can call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information  

> Line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA We 

> b site at http://www.ada.gov .

>

> ###

>

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