Digital Accessibility Legal Update (and more) at CSUN 2018

Posted on Updated on April 9, 2018
Want to know what’s happening in the digital accessibility legal space? I’m happy to let attendees of the 33rd annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference know that I will be offering the Digital Accessibility Legal update three times this year. (This will be one presentation repeated three times so everyone who wants to attend can!) Lainey will also be co-presenting a fourth session (not the legal update) with Sue Boyd, an Assistant General Counsel in Microsoft’s Regulatory Affairs group who leads a legal and policy team focused on accessibility. Sue and I will be talking about best practices for staying ahead of the curve when it comes to accessibility. Read more… Digital Accessibility Legal Update (and more) at CSUN 2018

American Express Braille and Large Print Agreement

Posted on Updated on April 3, 2018
The American Express Braille Settlement Agreement was negotiated by Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian using Structured Negotiations on behalf of Paul Parravano and Clarence Whaley. In the Agreement, American Express agreed to provide monthly credit card statements and year end summaries in Braille and Large Print for all American Express customers in the United States. Read more… American Express Braille and Large Print Agreement

Bank of America California and Florida Agreement

Posted on Updated on April 3, 2018
The Bank of America California and Florida Agreement was negotiated by Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian using Structured Negotiations on behalf of the California Council of the Blind (CCB) and several individual blind advocates. The Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) also represented the Claimants. This was the first agreement in the country in which a bank committed to make its website accessible, and the first in which a bank committed to install Talking ATMs in more than one state. This was the first of three agreements involving Bank of America’s services for blind customers. The interim Bank of America national agreement and the final Bank of America national agreement are posted in the Settlement Agreement Category. Read more… Bank of America California and Florida Agreement

Bank of America Accessible Mortgage Information Agreement

Posted on Updated on April 3, 2018
The settlement agreement posted here details Bank of America’s commitment to improving the accessibility and usability of mortgage documents for customers who are blind. The agreement was reached in Structured Negotiation; no lawsuit was needed or filed. The Law Office of Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian, of the Oakland civil rights firm Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian and Ho represented Bank of America mortgage holder Jessie Lorenz in the negotiation. This agreement reflects Bank of America’s ongoing commitment to its disabled customers, begun more than fifteen years ago when the bank assumed a leadership role in rolling out Talking ATMs and making its online banking platform accessible. Visit the Bank of America Accessibility topic on this website for links to press releases and settlement agreements demonstrating the bank’s accessibility commitment. Read more… Bank of America Accessible Mortgage Information Agreement

CVS Talking Prescription Container Settlement Agreement

Posted on Updated on April 2, 2018
This post contains the settlement agreement between CVS/pharmacy and the American Council of the Blind, the California Council of the Blind and the American Foundation for the Blind. CVS is now providing ScripTalk talking prescription labels through cvs.com mail order to customers across the United States. The agreement was reached through Structured Negotiations; no lawsuit was needed. Along with the Law Office of Lainey Feingold, Linda Dardarian of Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho working with the blind organizations on this important health and safety initiative. Read more… CVS Talking Prescription Container Settlement Agreement

Denny’s Announces Digital Accessibility Initiative

Posted on Updated on April 2, 2018
Denny’s Introduces Newly Enhanced Website and Mobile Application Upgraded Platforms Offer Enhanced Accessibility and Functionality for All Users SPARTANBURG, S.C., January 6, 2016 – Denny’s Corporation (NASDAQ: DENN), franchisor and operator of one of America’s largest franchised full-service restaurant chains, today announced its newly upgraded website and mobile application offering an enhanced user experience and greater accessibility for all consumers. Read more… Denny’s Announces Digital Accessibility Initiative

Blind Turkish Pop Star Advocates for Talking ATMs and POS devices

Posted on Updated on April 2, 2018
[quote from=”CNN News article on blind Turkish pop star Metin Senturk”]Technological innovations are also widening access to some everyday activities, such as banking. Earlier this month, Turkey’s Yapi Kredi bank launched an ATM which talks visually-impaired customers through their transactions. It also rolled out point of sale machines that act in a similar manner.[/quote]On December 17, 2010, CNN ran the story reprinted here about Turkish pop star Metin Senturk who is blind. Mr. Senturk, who holds the Guinness record as the world’s fastest blind driver, started a disability rights organization in Turkey, and mentions disability issues on his weekly national television show. Another aspect of disability advocacy in Turkey? As explained more fully in the article here, the leading bank in Turkey rolled out its first Talking ATM on December 3, 2010. Talking Point of Sale devices have also been introduced. Read more… Blind Turkish Pop Star Advocates for Talking ATMs and POS devices

Gratitude for a Poached Egg (an Accessibility and Negotiation Strategy)

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Whenever I travel, I try to eat in local restaurants serving traditional foods. That’s how I found myself at 417 Union in Nashville last month eating poached eggs, grits and a biscuit. The eggs were perfect and I asked the waitress to thank the cook for me. She came back later and told me: “His day is going to go a lot better now that he knows he done good.” Her comment sums up my experience as a negotiator in the digital accessibility space. Everyone wants to know they have “done good.” Telling them so is a powerful negotiating strategy. Read more… Gratitude for a Poached Egg (an Accessibility and Negotiation Strategy)

Structured Negotiation Talks in Toronto and Windsor

Posted on Updated on January 30, 2017
It will be cold, but it will be fun! From February 7 – February 10 Lainey Feingold will be speaking at several events in Toronto and Windsor Canada about her book Structured Negotiation a Winning Alternative to Lawsuits and about the state of digital accessibility law and advocacy in the United States. Most of these events, described below, are open to the public. A huge thank you to David Lepofsky for organizing Lainey’s trip, and for Osgoode Hall Law School for sponsorship. Read more… Structured Negotiation Talks in Toronto and Windsor