2008 Structured Negotiations Highlights

2008 was the 14th year that Structured Negotiations were used to resolve class-wide disability access claims without litigation. This year, the Law Office of Lainey Feingold and co-counsel Linda Dardarian negotiated five new agreements using the Structured Negotiations process, and Lainey and co-counsel Amy Peterson of Equip for Equality in Illinois negotiated one new agreement. Linda and Lainey continued monitoring agreements signed in previous years, and were also involved in other Structured Negotiations that we hope will result in settlement agreements in 2009. Read more… 2008 Structured Negotiations Highlights

Clarence Whaley (1947 – 2008)

Clarence Whaley, who died on June 14 at the too young age of 60, was an unsung hero of Structured Negotiations. Along with blind advocate Paul Parravano, Clarence was a Claimant in the negotiations with American Express about Braille and Large Print statements. Clarence’s calm yet forceful presence was crucial to the outcome: a binding settlement agreement with American Express in which the company agreed to provide Braille and Large Print statements to all visually impaired account holders in the United States. Read more… Clarence Whaley (1947 – 2008)

TCF Bank Talking ATM Press Release

TCF BANK TO INSTALL TALKING ATMs AND ENHANCE OTHER SERVICES FOR CUSTOMERS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS Bank Announces Collaboration with the Illinois Council of the Blind and Equip for Equality Wayzata, MN, (December 3, 2008)– TCF Bank (TCF), a subsidiary of TCF Financial Corporation (NYSE: TCB), the Illinois Council of the Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, and Equip for Equality announced today that TCF has launched a major initiative intended to provide easier access to its banking services for individuals with visual impairments. Read more… TCF Bank Talking ATM Press Release

Dollar General Point of Sale Press Release

Dollar General’s New Point of Sale Equipment Praised by Blind Community Tactile devices will protect financial privacy Goodlettsville, TN (December 10, 2008)– Dollar General, one of the nation’s largest discount retailers, today announced that it has begun installing new point of sale equipment that will protect the privacy of Dollar General shoppers with visual impairments. The new devices have tactile keys arranged like a standard telephone keypad. They will allow Dollar General shoppers who have difficulty reading information on a touchscreen to privately and independently enter their PIN and other confidential information. Read more… Dollar General Point of Sale Press Release

Rite Aid Accessible Web and POS Press Release

RITE AID’S WEB SITE AND POINT OF SALE IMPROVEMENTS PRAISED BY BLIND COMMUNITY LEADERS Camp Hill, PA (May 1, 2008)– In a move praised by state and national blindness organizations, Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD) today announced it has undertaken a nationwide initiative that will benefit Rite Aid customers with visual impairments and other disabilities. As part of the program, Rite Aid has made enhancements to its Web site and has begun installing new point of sale equipment with tactile keypads to protect the privacy and security of all shoppers who have difficulty entering numbers on a flat screen. Read more… Rite Aid Accessible Web and POS Press Release

Amy Vaughn: Bank of America Leader in Web Accessibility

In 2000, Bank of America was the first bank in the United States to sign an agreement to make its web site and on-line banking accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. In the almost eight years that have passed since the bank signed the first of three agreements with the blind community, significant work has been done both by members of the blind community and by countless Bank of America employees to make sure the agreements work as they are supposed to. Recently, we learned that one of those bank employees — Amy Vaughn — had died. Read more… Amy Vaughn: Bank of America Leader in Web Accessibility

California Council of the Blind President Honored by State Bar

Congratulations are in order for friend and colleague, Jeff Thom. Jeff, the president of the California Council of the Blind, has been chosen as the “2008 Public Lawyer of the Year” by the State Bar of California. Jeff is a 1978 graduate of Stanford Law School and a lawyer in the Office of Legislative Counsel in Sacramento, California. According to the State Bar website, Jeff was selected for this honor because of his “distinguished record of professional service to the public, both as an attorney and as a civic leader.” Read more… California Council of the Blind President Honored by State Bar

Accessible Credit Reports Press Release

National Credit Reporting Companies, Blind Community, Announce Landmark Initiative to Provide Accessible Online Credit Reports Braille and Other Formats also to be Made Available Washington, D.C. (April 23, 2008) – The nation’s three major consumer credit reporting companies today unveiled a comprehensive program to provide improved access to important credit information for people who are blind or visually impaired. The initiative, crafted with the American Council of the Blind, its California affiliate and several individual members of the blind community, will help protect the credit information of individuals who cannot read a standard print credit report. Read more… Accessible Credit Reports Press Release

John Slatin Fund Accessibility Project

John Slatin was a well loved and highly respected accessibility advocate and University of Texas professor who died at the end of March after a courageous three year battle with leukemia. In John’s obituary in the Austin American-Statesman, one of John’s graduate students was quoted as saying “It was striking that even after blindness and leukemia, he was still happy.” John’s kindness and contributions to the field of web accessibility have motivated John’s friends and colleagues to develop The John Slatin Fund Accessibility Project to match accessibility experts with firms and companies that would like a brief review of their site for accessibility. In return, the site owner is asked to contribute a minimum of $500 to The John Slatin Fund. Read more… John Slatin Fund Accessibility Project