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Blind User Sues Southwest Over Web Site, Cites ADA

Posted by timothy on from the welcome-to-quebec dept.

scubacuda writes "According to Law.com, Robert Gumson, a blind man who uses a program that converts website content into speech, is suing Southwest Airlines (with the help of Miami Beach, FL-based Access Now) for its website being incompatible with his screen-reader program. The case has been filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act under the untested legal theory that ADA provisions on the accessibility of public accommodations to the disabled apply to Internet Web sites just as they do to brick-and-mortar facilities like movie theaters and department stores. There have been previous lawsuits alleging that the ADA applies to the Internet, but all have settled without a ruling on the merits: 1999 the National Federation of the Blind sued AOL alleging its service was inaccessible to blind users (AOL agreed to make its sites compatible with screen reader technology); over the past two years, Access Now has sued Barnes & Noble and Claire's Stores for maintaining Web sites that allegedly violated the ADA (both settled)."

9 of 990 comments (clear)

  1. Why can't this guy just... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    pick up the fucking phone and schedule his airline ticket. I mean, the airline website is only one means of purchasing a ticket. Duh. I think he just wants the cash. Fucking ass greedy people.

  2. Re:Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    why you star trek geeks always tryin to bring the black man down?? crazy cracka!!

  3. Re:Human Rights by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    go away you heartless fuck.

  4. Re:I'm so conflicted. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    You have a point.

    Any browser with javascript shut off, or with no javascript capability at all is handicapped, and should be protected by the ADA.

  5. New stuff on apple.com by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    At 10:45 est Apple.com for the most part has completely died. Links popping up dead 404s the usual for when they update with new hardware.

    Is it the new Powerbooks with Superdrive at 1ghz?

    Anybody?

  6. OT: a bold WTC? by autopr0n · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    What is up with people spreading that link around. the wtc2002.org design has been soundly rebuffed by anyone with any esthetic sense whatsoever.

    In other words, it's butt ugly.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  7. What an ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I think this guy is an ass. He should have his ear-drums poked out with a stick as punishment. Lets see how he likes the Internet when he is deaf and blind.

  8. One thing we definitely know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    The guy you replied to was an A1 asshole.

  9. It's all about money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I wish I could slap his silly ass blind. Oh wait... oO