Blind Group Sues AOL
By Ariana Eunjung Cha
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 5, 1999; Page E03
The National Federation of the Blind yesterday filed a lawsuit against
America Online Inc., contending that the Internet service provider
discriminates against the blind because its system is incompatible
with software that helps the visually impaired use computers.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Boston, says AOL is
violating the Americans With Disabilities Act by refusing to modify
its programming despite several requests over the past year. Most aids
that translate computer graphics and text into Braille or sounds do
not work with AOL's current software.
"They say that 'we would really like to help you,' " said Curtis
Chong, technology director for the federation. But, "in the end, they
have not fixed the problem."
AOL spokesman Rich D'Amato said company programmers are working on a
new version of its software, due out next year, that will be
accessible to the visually impaired. "We are disappointed that they
have filed their lawsuit," he said.
The screen-access scanners the blind use to "read" graphics depend on
them to be tagged with words that describe the pictures. Many other
Internet service providers, including MindSpring and AT&T Corp., use
such labels, Chong said. But AOL's ubiquitous "You've got mail!"
thumbnails, advertisements and other icons do not, making it difficult
for the blind to maneuver through the system and find the information
they want. The service provider's software also presents a problem
because it requires customers to use a mouse click, instead of a
keystroke, to perform some functions.
Chong said his office has fielded about 10 complaints a week for the
past two years from blind consumers frustrated at not being able to
hook up to AOL.
Cathy Schroeder, a computer programmer from Reston, attempted to sign
up with AOL but was thwarted by pop-up boxes of advertisements. The
boxes commanded her to click on them to continue. Schroeder, who is
blind, remembers spending several minutes sweeping her mouse around
and randomly clicking to try to get rid of them: "That's as far I got
until I threw up my hands and said, 'I can't use this.' I couldn't
even sign on."
Daniel Goldstein, a Baltimore lawyer representing the federation, said
the suit is the first to demand that an Internet service accommodate
blind users. He said the advocacy group singled out AOL because it is
the world's dominant provider, with 19 million subscribers.
"It's so pervasive," he said, "that the blind feel particularly hurt
by being shut out by AOL."
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