<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div>Now this is more like it!<br><br>Ron Stewart<div>8300 W. Weller St</div><div>Yorktown, IN 47396</div><div><br></div><div>(609) 213-2190</div><div><br></div></div><div><br>On Jan 13, 2010, at 14:51, "Pratik Patel" <<a href="mailto:pratikp1@gmail.com">pratikp1@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:#1F497D"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center">FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
CRT<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center">WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13,
2010
(202) 514-2007<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><a href="http://www.justice.gov/" title="http://www.justice.gov/"><a href="http://WWW.JUSTICE.GOV">WWW.JUSTICE.GOV</a></a>
TDD (202) 514-1888<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u>JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REACHES
THREE SETTLEMENTS UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT REGARDING THE USE
OF ELECTRONIC BOOK READERS</u></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p> WASHINGTON <span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">–</span> The Justice
Department today announced separate agreements under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) with Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Pace
University in New York City and Reed College in Portland, Ore., regarding
the use in a classroom setting of the electronic book reader, the Kindle DX, a
hand-held technological device that simulates the experience of reading a book.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> 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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p> 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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> “Advancing technology is
systematically changing the way universities approach education, but we must be
sure that emerging technologies 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 educational opportunities for everyone.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> A handful of universities
participated in a pilot project in cooperation with <a href="http://Amazon.com">Amazon.com</a> Inc. to test the
viability of the Kindle DX in a classroom setting. The terms of the
Justice Department’s agreement with each university become effective at
the end of the pilot projects.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> 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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> 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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p> 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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> 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 Web site at <a href="http://www.ada.gov/" title="http://www.ada.gov/"><a href="http://www.ada.gov">http://www.ada.gov</a></a> .<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center">###<o:p></o:p></p>
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