[Athen] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Laurie Vasquez]

*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



*National Federation of the Blind and Two Blind Students Resolve Complaint
Against Atlantic Cape Community College*




*ACCC to Make Technology Accessible to Blind Students and Take Other
Measures to Address Alleged Discrimination*



*Trenton, New Jersey (June 1, 2015):* The National Federation of the Blind
<http://www.nfb.org/> and two blind students, Anthony Lanzilotti and
Mitchell Cossaboon, have entered into a consent decree
<https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/accc_consent_decree.pdf> with
Atlantic Cape Community College (ACCC). The consent decree, which resolves
allegations by Mr. Lanzilotti and Mr. Cossaboon of discrimination on the
basis of disability, has been filed in the United States District Court for
the District of New Jersey (Case No. *1:33-av-00001*) and is subject to
court approval. ACCC denies the allegations of discrimination and has
admitted no wrongdoing. The agreement requires ACCC to work with a
third-party consultant and the National Federation of the Blind to take
steps to improve the educational experience of students with disabilities
and to prevent discrimination against these students, including:



·         Conducting a technology audit and, based on the audit results,
developing a plan to make all student-facing electronic and information
technology used by ACCC accessible to students with disabilities no later
than three years from the completion of the technology accessibility audit;

·         Making ACCC’s websites accessible to blind students within 240
days of the execution of the consent decree;

·         Making ACCC’s integrated library system and its website fully
accessible to blind students;

·         Developing a plan to provide accessible instructional materials,
including textbooks, course materials, and tactile graphics, to blind
students and to other students with disabilities at the same time that
these materials are made available to students without disabilities, and to
implement this plan no later than three years from the effective date of
the consent decree;

·         Requiring cooperation among faculty, staff, and ACCC’s Disability
Support Services office to handle accommodation requests made by students
with disabilities;

·         Reviewing and revising ACCC’s policies and procedures for
accommodating students with disabilities and for processing and resolving
grievances brought by students with disabilities, including requiring
ACCC’s Disability Support Services office to self-report any failure to
resolve a student’s complaint or accommodation request, triggering an
automatic grievance procedure; and

·         Requiring training of all personnel on the Americans with
Disabilities Act and on ACCC’s policies for accommodating students with
disabilities, as well as training for such students on their rights and the
procedures available to them to enforce those rights.



Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
“We commend Atlantic Cape Community College for its willingness to engage
in a comprehensive program to ensure that all of its students, including
the blind, receive a truly equal education. It is especially significant
that ACCC has agreed to make all of its technology and content accessible
within three years, and to give its office serving students with
disabilities real power and authority to enforce the institution’s policies
and resolve student complaints. The National Federation of the Blind looks
forward to working with ACCC, and we hope and believe that this
institution’s new approach to serving its blind students will be a model
for other institutions of higher education.”
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