[gui-talk] National Federation of the Blind and Blind BusinessOwner File Complaint with Small Business Administration

Thu Jul 23 23:12:51 UTC 2009

If the government is going to have laws about accessibility, it needs to
follow the laws it sets for everyone else.  Hmm, but then again, to me that
just makes sense.  It's not the money that's the issue.  It's bringing
attention to it and making it happen.

Warm regards,
Sahar Husseini
For hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind jewelry, Please visit my Website at
www.saharscreations.com
And remember, "Obstacles don't have to stop you.
If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up.
Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."
Michael Jordan
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gerald Levy 
  To: NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List 
  Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2009 6:17 AM
  Subject: Re: [gui-talk] National Federation of the Blind and Blind BusinessOwner File Complaint with Small Business Administration

  If I had a dollar for every government site that was inaccessible, I would 
  be richer than Bill Gates.  Have you ever tried navigating the IRS or 
  Medicare web sites?  The SBA site is just the tip of the iceberg.

  Gerald

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "albert griffith" <albertgriffith at sbcglobal.net>
  To: "'NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List'" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
  Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2009 6:47 AM
  Subject: Re: [gui-talk] National Federation of the Blind and Blind 
  BusinessOwner File Complaint with Small Business Administration

  > I'm totally in favor of his complaint.  There's no good reason for sites 
  > run
  > by governmental agencies not being totally accessible.
  >
  > -----Original Message-----
  > From: gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
  > Behalf Of Freeh, Jessica (by way of David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)
  > Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2009 4:43 AM
  > To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
  > Subject: [gui-talk] National Federation of the Blind and Blind Business
  > Owner File Complaint with Small Business Administration
  >
  >
  >
  > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  >
  >
  >
  > CONTACT:
  >
  > Chris Danielsen
  >
  > Director of Public Relations
  >
  > National Federation of the Blind
  >
  > (410) 659-9314, extension 2330
  >
  > (410) 262-1281 (Cell)
  >
  > cdanielsen at nfb.org
  >
  >
  >
  > National Federation of the Blind and Blind Business Owner
  > File Complaint with Small Business Administration
  >
  >
  >
  >
  >
  > SBA's Inaccessible Web Site Discriminates Against the Blind
  >
  >
  >
  > Baltimore, Maryland (July 22, 2009): The National Federation of the
  > Blind, the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind people
  > and the leading advocate for equal access by the blind to information
  > technology, and Virgil Stinnett, a blind business owner from
  > Honolulu, Hawaii, filed an administrative complaint today with the
  > Small Business Administration (SBA).  The complaint asserts that the
  > SBA's Web site violates Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act because
  > it is inaccessible to blind people who use text-to-speech screen
  > access technology or Braille displays to access information on the
  > Internet.  Because of the inaccessibility of the SBA Web site, blind
  > people cannot fill out forms on the site or take online courses
  > offered by the SBA.  Mr. Stinnett was unable to apply for
  > certification under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act because of
  > the inaccessibility of the Web site.  Section 8(a) certification
  > would provide Mr. Stinnett's business with access to federal and
  > private procurement markets.
  >
  >
  >
  > Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
  > said: "Blind Americans have the same dreams, the same goals, and the
  > same entrepreneurial spirit as all other Americans.  If we are to
  > have equal access to the tools and techniques needed to be effective
  > business owners and to compete on terms of equality with our sighted
  > peers, we must have equal access to the resources offered on the SBA
  > Web site and other government sites.  The National Federation of the
  > Blind demands equality for blind business owners and will tolerate
  > nothing less."
  >
  >
  >
  > Virgil Stinnett, owner of Good News HI, a business providing military
  > dining services, said: "As a blind entrepreneur, access to the SBA
  > Web site is critical in order for me to use its programs and services
  > and expand my business.  The fact that I could not access the Web
  > site has cost me time and resources that I would not have needed to
  > expend if I had been able to use the site like everyone else.  I hope
  > the action we are taking today will prompt the SBA to take immediate
  > steps so that all Americans, blind and sighted, have equal access to
  > the programs, training, and resources that it provides."
  >
  >
  >
  > Complainants are represented by attorneys Daniel F. Goldstein and
  > Allison L. Harper of Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP, <?xml:namespace
  > prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />120
  > E. Baltimore Street, Suite 1700, Baltimore, MD 21202, (410) 962-1030,
  > fax: (410) 385-0869, <mailto:dfg at browngold.com>dfg at browngold.com,
  > <mailto:ah at browngold.com>ah at browngold.com,
  > <http://www.browngold.com/>www.browngold.com.
  >
  >
  >
  >
  >
  > ###
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