COAT Affiliates Attend White House Briefing: Justice & Education Say Inaccessible E-Book Readers are Discriminatory

June 29, 2010.  COAT affiliates AAPD, AFB and Burton Blatt Institute attended a White House briefing on June 29, on education and access to books and materials. The meeting, hosted by Kareem Dale, White House Disability Policy Advisor to the President, focused on the new policy guidance letter by the U.S. Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Education (DOE) addressed to colleges and university presidents.

This letter -- in follow-up to recent complaints filed at DOJ about inaccessible E-book readers required at colleges -- affirms colleges and universities non-discrimination obligations under the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to ensure electronic book readers are accessible to students with print disabilities. Copy of letter is attached below.

The letter expresses DOJ and DOE concern for students who are blind or have low vision and how emerging technology, such as electronic book readers, that lack accessible text-to-speech (TTS) capability, when required in classrooms, is discrimination.

The letter also summarizes the recent DOJ settlements with colleges and universities that had used the Kindle DX, an inaccessible electronic book reader in classrooms as part of a pilot study with Amazon. See earlier COAT story.

The joint DOJ and DOE letter asks college and university presidents to "take steps to ensure that your college or university refrains from requiring the use of any electronic book reader, or other similar technology, in a teaching or classroom environment as long as the device remains inaccessible to indivduals who are blind or have low vision." The letter adds: "It is unacceptable for universities to use emerging technology without insisting that this technology be accessible to all students."

The letter is signed by Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice and Russlynn Ali, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education.

The White House meeting was attended by Ms. Ali, who discussed departmental efforts in this area. Other Education department officials attending included Ms. Alexa Posny, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and Martha Kanter, Undersecretary for Education, both of whom briefed attendees on current and prospective education department activities in regard to accessibility and technology. Several DOJ officials were in attendance also, but were not briefing presenters.

Representatives from other disability groups attended, including LDAA, NFB, and the NY Dyslexia Association. Representatives from stakeholder companies included Benetech and Ideal Group.