>Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 19:07:08 -0500
>From: Justice For All Moderator <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Oracle Sued for Failing Blind Users
>Organization: Justice For All E-Mail Network
>
>
>Oracle Sued for Failing Blind Users
>   US National Federation of the Blind takes up fight against
>   database giant
>
>Robert Jaques
>vnunet.com
>February 5, 2007
>
>Oracle was today accused of failing to produce software that is
>accessible to blind users.
>
>The US National Federation of the Blind and three blind State of
>Texas employees filed a lawsuit against the database giant in a
>bid to enforce the provision of Texas law requiring all IT
>purchased by the state to be accessible to blind employees.
>
>The legal attack came after the State authorities bought Oracle to
>replace another software package that had, in large part, been
>accessible to blind users.
>
>Dr Marc Maurer, president of the US National Federation of the
>Blind, said: "Access to IT is critical to success on the job for
>everyone in the 21st century, and this is no less true for the
>blind than it is for the sighted.
>
>"The National Federation of the Blind is committed to improving
>access to all IT, and we will take all steps necessary to do so,
>including litigation."
>
>Tommy Craig, president of the National Federation of the Blind of
>Texas, added: "The state legislature of Texas recognised the need
>for equal access for the blind by passing a law requiring it, and
>it is unconscionable that a state agency is violating that law.
>
>"The National Federation of the Blind of Texas will not rest until
>all of the employees of the state of Texas have equal access to
>all the information they need to function effectively."
>
>The suit names as defendants the directors of the Health and Human
>Services Commission and the Texas Workforce Commission (the
>agencies for which the blind employees work) and the state's
>acting chief technology officer.
>
>The action arises from the state's continuing renewal of contracts
>to purchase Oracle's human resources software and other products
>"despite the fact that the software cannot be used by blind Texas
>employees".
>
>The plaintiffs have asked a Texas court to require the software to
>be made accessible to the blind and to require that the state
>discontinue its purchases of inaccessible software.
>
>Blind people access computer software by means of screen access
>programs, which convert what is on the screen into synthesised
>speech or allow it to be displayed in Braille.
>
>The Oracle software, which is used by state employees for various
>human resources tasks, does not provide equal access to blind
>persons using screen access technology, according to the suit.
>
>Edwin Kunz, one of the blind plaintiffs who directs a
>rehabilitation centre for the blind within the Health and Human
>Services Commission's Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative
>Services, said: "I am unable to review and enter information such
>as my hours worked and leave taken unless a sighted person helps
>me to do so.
>
>"Even worse, I cannot access critical information about the
>employees that I supervise without the assistance of a sighted
>person.
>
>"Because I must have sighted assistance for all of these personnel
>functions, both my privacy and the privacy of my employees are
>routinely violated. I have complained about the problems with the
>software, but nothing has been done to fix them.
>
>"I hope this lawsuit will spur Oracle to move quickly to correct
>this problem, otherwise the state will have to purchase human
>resources software from someone else."
>
>Source: VNU Business Publications Ltd.
>________________________________________________________________
>
>For more technology news issues, see:
>http://www.aapd.com/News/tech/indextech.php
>
># # #
>
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