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Dear Friends and Colleagues:

The Paciello Group (TPG) is recruiting individuals with disabilities who live in the greater Washington, DC area, to participate in a usability study for voting systems.
In this initial round of testing, we are looking for individuals with the following disabilities:

– Blind or legally blind who requires braille or audio
– Low vision requiring large print and/or audio
– Persons with mobility disabilities
– Persons with dexterity disabilities

Additionally, participants must be at least 18 years of age and a registered voter.

Where:  Metro Research Services
             1729 King Street
            Alexandria, Virginia 22314
When:     Wednesday June 4 and Thursday June 5

Sessions will take about 45 minutes and each participant will be paid $100.

– Email: mpaciello@paciellogroup.com

– Telephone: 603-882-4122, extension 103 
      
  (If Mike is not available, please leave a message. Your call will be returned shortly.)

Thank you very much. Your participation will help ensure an effective, accessible voting systems.

—
Mike Paciello
Founder & Principal, TPG
web: www.paciellogroup.com

ScripTalk Station: An Audible Prescription Reading Device To Be
Demonstrated On Tek Talk May 12, 2008

The Accessible News Wire May 6, 2008, Indianapolis, Indiana USA

Are you blind or visually impaired? Do you take prescription medications? Do
you know someone else who does? Are you concerned about remembering your
prescription instructions and information? Are you bothered that you
have to
rely on others to read your prescription information? Are you looking for a
way to safely and independently manage your medications? If you answered YES
to any of these questions, ScripTalk Station is for you!

During the upcoming Tek Talk online event sponsored by the Accessible World,
you will learn all about the amazing ScripTalk Station from Envision
America, a small, portable device that speaks all your prescription
information for you. With the press of a button you hear patient name, drug
name, dosage, pharmacy information, warnings, side effects and much more.
Say good-bye to worries, concerns and guessing! This device provides a safe
and easy way to manage personal healthcare for those who cannot read the
information on their prescriptions, and to our knowledge, it is the only
product on the market to meet all federal guidelines. ScripTalk Station
gives you the freedom of voice!

Don't miss this opportunity to find out how this new device works, how it
can benefit you, and how you can help get it into the hands of all who need
it.

Contact: Anna McClure, Marketing Representative, Envision America, Inc.
Tel: 800-890-1180
Email: amcclure@envisionamerica.com
Web:

http://www.envisionamerica.com)

Date: Monday, May 12, 2008

Time: 5:00 p.m. Pacific, 6:00 p.m. Mountain, 7:00 p.m. Central, 8:00 p.m.
Eastern and elsewhere in the world Tuesday 0:00 GMT.

Where: TekTalk Conference Room at:
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

or

http://www.accessibleworld.org. Select the Tek Talk room, enter your first
and last names on the sign-in screen.

All Tech Talk training events are recorded so if you are unable to
participate live at the above times then you may download the presentation
or podcast from the Tech Talk archives on our website at
http://www.accessibleworld.org.

All online interactive programs require no password, are free of charge, and
open to anyone worldwide having an Internet connection, a computer,
speakers, and a sound card. Those with microphones can interact audibly with
the presenters and others in the virtual audience.

If you are a first-time user of the Talking Communities online conferencing
software, there is a small, safe software program that you need to download
and then run. A link to the software is available on every entry screen to
the Accessible World online rooms.

Sign up information for all Accessible World News Wires and discussion lists
are also available at our website: http://www.accessibleworld.org.

Media Contacts:

Robert Acosta, Chair, Planning Committee
818-998-0044
Email: boacosta@pacbell.net
Web:

http://www.helpinghands4theblind.com

Pat Price, Founder and Events Coordinator
The Accessible World Symposiums
Vision Worldwide, Inc.
317-254-1185
Skype: patprice1
Email: pat@patprice.org
Web:

http://www.accessibleworld.org

It seems the bad news on the accessibility front just keeps coming this
week.

DVS Home Video® Sales Effort Comes to a Close

Deep Discounts Offered for One Week on Remaining Inventory

Boston, MA. May 6. DVS Home Video, a project begun by Boston public
broadcaster WGBH in the early 90's to make movies on video accessible to the
nation's blind and visually impaired viewers, will end as of May 12. The
Hollywood studios have ceased manufacturing VHS or tape versions of films
for sale and rental.
WGBH's work to make media accessible via description goes on, with efforts
focused on television, feature films in theaters, DVDs and online video.

The DVS Home Video effort, started over a decade ago with funding from the
U.S. Department of Education, resulted in more than 300 videos made
accessible through narration of key visual elements inserted into natural
pauses in dialogue. From the very first DVS Video's debut, the reaction of
the community was immediate and actually profound. Films came alive in a
whole new way, and the eagerness for new titles only grew. Many of the
videos sold over the years were purchased by libraries and schools, which
multiplied the number of individuals and families who took such enjoyment in
described movies.

Films are now being distributed for sale and rental on DVD, BluRay DVD and
through video on demand (either rental or download to own) services via the
Internet. WGBH's Media Access Group, home to the Descriptive Video Service,
has been working to transition the home video efforts to DVD and to these
online movie delivery outlets. Lack of available memory space on DVDs has
been stated as the reason why more description tracks, created for
theatrical release in the over 300 movie theaters with WGBH's Motion Picture
Access® (MoPix®) systems, are not making the migration onto DVDs. WGBH
maintains a list of DVDs that have description tracks on them at the Web
page listed with other description-related links at the bottom of this post.

Advocacy is needed from the community of description fans to make this
transition happen. Please see the link below for a list of Hollywood
studios' home video/home entertainment divisions. Help show the providers
of video on these formats that there is a market and that you would be
willing to purchase movies with a description track included as an optional
feature.

For the next week (until May 12), DVS Home Video titles remaining in stock
will be sold at a deep discount. Videos that previously were available for
$15.01 and above will be sold for $10. Videos retailing for $15 and below
will be now be available for $5.

To access a list of available titles, please visit the Web site

http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/resources/dvs-home-video-catalogue.html.

To hear a list of titles, and/or to place an order, please call:
317 579-0439 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

All of us at the Media Access Group appreciate the unyielding support our
efforts have generated over the years, and we are looking forward to the
next chapter. Here is a list of links to information about ongoing
description work from WGBH:

DVS on Television
http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/services/description/ontv/

DVS in Movie Theaters
www.mopix.org

DVS on DVD
http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/resources/accessible-dvds.htm
l

Link to Contact List for Hollywood Studios
http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/studios.html
(please include "Home Entertainment Division" in the address)

Contact:
Mary Watkins
Media Access Group at WGBH
617 300-3700
mary_watkins@wgbh.org

Rite Aid’s Web Site and Point of Sale Improvements Praised

by Blind Community Leaders

Camp Hill, PA (May 1, 2008) — In a move praised by state and national blindness organizations, Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD) today announced it has undertaken a nationwide initiative that will benefit Rite Aid customers with visual impairments and other disabilities.  As part of the program, Rite Aid has made enhancements to its Web site and has begun installing new point of sale equipment with tactile keypads to protect the privacy and security of all shoppers who have difficulty entering numbers on a flat screen.

Today’s announcement is the result of collaboration between Rite Aid and major organizations including the American Foundation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind and California Council of the Blind.

Web Site Access

Today’s initiative includes Rite Aid’s commitment to ensure that www.riteaid.com meets guidelines issued by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (w3c) (www.w3.org/wai). The guidelines, which do not affect the content or look and feel of a Web site, ensure that Web sites are accessible to persons with a wide range of disabilities.  The guidelines are of particular benefit to blind computer users who use a screen reader or magnification technology on their computers and who rely on a keyboard instead of a mouse.

 “An accessible web site opens up unprecedented opportunities for people with vision loss to obtain goods, services and information on an equal footing,” said Paul Schroeder, vice president, programs and policy group of the American Foundation for the Blind.  “We applaud Rite Aid’s commitment to ensure that www.riteaid.com is usable by the broadest range of online consumers, including those who have disabilities.”

Point of Sale Improvements

Rite Aid’s point of sales improvements announced today are designed to assist customers who cannot read information on a flat screen point of sale device and therefore cannot privately enter their PIN or other confidential information.  Most point of sale devices in Rite Aid stores now have tactile keys to prevent this problem, and the company will be replacing remaining non-tactile devices by the end of 2009. Blind community representatives praised Rite Aid’s plan to install payment devices with keypads:  “Without tactile keys, blind people are forced to share their PINs with strangers,” explained Melanie Brunson, executive director of the American Council of the Blind.  “Today’s announcement, and the collaboration that led to it, demonstrates Rite Aid’s understanding of this fact and its ongoing commitment to its blind and visually impaired customers.”

“Our goal is to deliver a superior shopping experience to all of our customers, and with the initiative announced today, we can better serve our customers who are blind or visually impaired,” said Rob Easley, Rite Aid chief operating officer. “We thank the American Foundation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind and California Council of the Blind for their valuable assistance in making Rite Aid a better place for customers with disabilities to shop.”

About Rite Aid

Rite Aid Corporation is one of the nation’s leading drugstore chains with more than 5,000 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia with fiscal 2008 annual revenues of more than $24.3 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company’s website at http://www.riteaid.com.

About American Council of the Blind (ACB) and California Council of the Blind (CCB)

American Council of the Blind is a national consumer-based advocacy organization working on behalf of blind and visually impaired Americans throughout the country with members organized through seventy state and special interest affiliates.  California Council of the Blind is the California affiliate of the ACB and is a statewide membership organization with 40 local chapters and statewide special interest associations.  ACB and CCB are dedicated to improving the quality of life, equality of opportunity and independence of all people who have visual impairments.  Their members and affiliated organizations have a long history of commitment to the advancement of policies and programs which will enhance independence for people who are blind and visually impaired.  More information about ACB and CCB can be found by visiting www.acb.org  and http://www.ccbnet.org. 

About American Foundation for the Blind

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national nonprofit that expands possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB’s priorities include broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss; and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. AFB is also proud to house the Helen Keller Archives and honor the over forty years that Helen Keller worked tirelessly with AFB. For more information visit us online at www.afb.org.                                

For More Information, Contact:

For more information, contact:
Julia Epstein, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, (510) 644-2555 (x. 241) jepstein@dredf.org

Wondie Russell, Heller Ehrman LLP, (415) 772-6294, wondie.russell@hellerehrman.com Ron Milliman, American Council of the Blind, rmilliman@insightbb.com

JUDGE RULES SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION MUST ACCOMMODATE BLIND BENEFICIARIES

San Francisco, CA – April 24, 2008 On Wednesday, April 23, 2008, Judge William Alsup of the US District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that the US Social Security Administration (SSA) must accommodate the real and legitimate needs of people with visual impairments who receive benefits from SSA.  The agency is required under the Rehabilitation Act and the due process clause, the ruling states, to provide communications in formats that are accessible to these beneficiaries.

The ruling came after SSA sought to dismiss a class action filed in federal court in 2005 by the American Council of the Blind and a group of individuals who are blind or have visual impairments filed a class action lawsuit against SSA, alleging that the agency fails to provide the most basic accommodations to its blind and visually impaired applicants and beneficiaries.  To this day, the SSA communicates with blind and visually impaired applicants and beneficiaries in standard 12 point font print that  they cannot read, and is unwilling to provide meaningful communication in alternative formats such as Braille, audio, large font or electronic text.

“In the 21st century there is no reasonable explanation or excuse for the SSA to continue to ignore the needs and rights of the blind population,  and we are committed to bringing about the necessary changes,” explained Wondie Russell of Heller Ehrman LLP, an attorney for plaintiffs.  “This decision has now set us on the path to securing reasonable accommodations.”

Plaintiff attorneys argued successfully that the agency is subject to the jurisdiction of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires bars discrimination on the basis of disability in federal programs, including removing communication barriers by providing “auxiliary aids” that allow persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate.  “The callousness of SSA’s adamant insistence that sending notices that our clients cannot read was not lost on the judge,” said Arlene Mayerson, Directing Attorney for Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), and an attorney for plaintiffs.  “It is amazing that something that is clear to anyone, that sending a standard print notice to a blind individual denies due process, would end up in federal court.”

Mitch Pomerantz, American Council of the Blind President, stated: “It is long past time that the Social Security Administration – which assists tens of thousands of blind and visually impaired persons – is held to account for its stubborn unwillingness to adhere to a statute that is 35 years old.

There is no excuse in this day and age of easy access to printers with the capability for producing large type, and braille printers for SSA to violate the Rehabilitation Act and I applaud this ruling.”

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit have gone without benefits as a result of SSA’s failure to give them effective notice of its actions.  “Imagine receiving a phone call from the bank that your checks are bouncing and fees are mounting,” suggests American Council of the Blind Executive Director Melanie Brunson.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs include the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Heller Ehrman LLP, the Oregon Advocacy Center, and the National Senior Citizens Law Center.

The American Council of the Blind is the nation’s leading consumer based advocacy organization working on behalf of blind and visually impaired Americans and has more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates throughout the United States. The national office of the organization is located in Washington, D.C. For more information about the ACB, visit the web site at http://www.acb.org .

Founded in 1979 by people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) is a national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities through legislation, litigation, advocacy, technical assistance, and education and training of attorneys, advocates, persons with disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities.  For more information, go to www.dredf.org.

 Heller Ehrman LLP has more than 605 attorneys and professionals in 14 offices worldwide.  Heller Ehrman is committed to a multidisciplinary approach to the practice of law, drawing upon legal, scientific and industry knowledge from across the firm to build the best legal teams for both corporate and pro bono clients.  The firm’s core values are Excellence, People, Teamwork, Innovation, Community and One Firm. For many years, Heller Ehrman has been ranked among top firms in the nation for  commitment to pro bono legal service by The American Lawyer and others.
www.hellerehrman.com

 The National Senior Citizens Law Center advocates nationwide to promote  The independence and well-being of low-income elderly individuals and persons  with disabilities.  NSCLC provides technical assistance and training to attorneys and other advocates and is active in litigation and policy advocacy with a strong focus on income security and health care. For more information, go to the organization’s website at  www.nsclc.org.

 The Oregon Advocacy Center (OAC) is an independent non-profit organization  which provides legal advocacy services for people with disabilities anywhere in Oregon.  OAC is designated under federal law as the protection and advocacy system for Oregon, but it is not a part of the state or federal government. OAC has attorneys and advocates who assist people with disabilities. For more information, go to  www.oradvocacy.org .