Am I the only one baffled by this?

[kevin1]

The blind are POed

Lawsuit Filed Against Target, Website 'Inaccessible to the Blind'

NEW YORK "” A federal judge in California certified a class action lawsuit against Target Corp (TGT.N) brought by plaintiffs claiming the discount retailer's website is inaccessible to the blind, according to court documents.

Judge Marilyn Patel of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California also rejected Target's motion for summary judgment in the case, according to the ruling filed October 2.

According to the ruling, plaintiffs "” including the National Federation of the Blind "” claim Target.com violates federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination against the disabled.


I'm stumped by this one, just what are they supposed to do with a website that they can't see? Do websites come in braille now?

[ipscshooter]

I'm not sure what technological advances may have been made that might make websites blind-compatible. But, 15 years ago, we had a blind girl who worked at the company where I was employed, and she had special software that would read aloud the stuff that she was typing. I don't know whether companies can now incorporate that type of technology onto a website.

[burniegoeasily]

Heck, if that flys, the internet will be shut down. Isnt every site a violation to the blind? Yet another judge that is trying to make a name with frivolous law suits.

[hillbillyhunter1]

That Blind guy on the movie "Sneakers" had some sort of device that interpreted what was on the computer screen into a key pad device that let him read it in braille (the little bumps would pop-up accordingly)

What I'm wondering, is Target somehow different than most other major retailers in the lack of technological progress???? Seems...well hell, you know what the whole thing seems like

[petasux]

Dont know for sure but i been reading a little bit on another forum I goto and theres gonna be some more of these kinds of lawsuits In think, dont know if this ones related to this issue though.

hillbilly hunters got the right idea though Im not sure how it works exactly, there is programs that allow things to be turned into brail off of websites that make it accessible for the blind.

The thing is the Firefox browser apparently has a ad blocker add on you can get that takes all the ads off of the websites you visit.This has upset the website owners who rely on the ads for revenue.So they have began blocking Firefox and some other browsers from coming on there sites.Trouble is they cant do it without also blocking this program the blind use to read websites.Something about them being very similiar, Im not computer literate enough to know.It also blocks people who are thrown into epileptic siezures due to flashing lights, cant remember the medical term, because they use these programs to block the flashing adds that cause them to convulse.Anyway, thats the general idea of whats building up with these type lawsuits, this one may be for entirely different reasons.

[Zeke001]

wouldnt that take forever tho(the braille popout thing)? If it showed you everything on a page, thats a lot of bumps to feel(then again, how fast can someone read braille?)

[mudhead1s wife]

I'm not blind so I don't know what it's like to not be able to see but I don't think a lawsuit helps. Sure it might put money in a few guys pockets but what about the rest of the people who are blind? In a lawsuit like that I don't think anyone should get any money to line their pockets, I think in an event that something needs to be done a lawsuit should only contain actions that the company has to erect before a certain date, obviously in a time frame that is suitable.

I get so sick and tired of people filing lawsuits because they wanna make a quick buck. Sure companies like McDonald's and Target and Wal-Mart are big but they didn't start out that way. They worked hard to get where they are and there is pride in that. Where is the pride in getting rich off of someone's sweat and blood. They took the risk and they put grueling hours into it. For someone to win a lawsuit because they paid McDonalds to get fat is unethical and should be tossed. A lawsuit in which Target needs to rectify something should be just that rectified and nothing more. We deal with inconvience all the time, disability or not.

[Aught Six]

How about the handicapped take responsibility for their own shortcomings and stop trying to dragthe rest of society down with them?

We live in a culture that glorifies the best in everything, yet we put up with this kind of BS whining... [:'(]

[Arp]

I don't normally hang out on this side of the website but I felt I needed to respond since I have worked extensively with citizens with disabilities. Aught Six, I can only express how speachless I was when I read your reply. It is the insensitivity that you convey in your post, that encourages this type of lawsuit in the beginning. Let me explain and hopefully help some of you who are not "getting it" get it.

1. No person with a disability asked for it.
2. The technology in this particular case has come far and is availible at reasonable prices.
3. The accounts that I have read say that Target had been notified multiple times that they were violating the disabilaties laws and chose to ignore it.
4. Following these laws is a cost of business that they KNOW they will incure at some point.
5. By not providing the software in their website they are placing a great number of people with visual problems, at a disadvantage because they can not hop in a car and drive where ever they wish to go. They can not navigate unknown streets. For many people, the internet IS the difference between their ability to live independently or dependently. The alternative is to rely on (often) an outsider to transport them or shop for them. Have you paid for a taxi recently?
6.We should care about this as a taxpayer because greater independence equals lower assistance, equals lower government aid costs.
7. We should care about this on a humanitarian level. People with disabilities dont want to ask for your help to live a so called "normal" life. The fact is they still have to, so why not help them help theirselves.
8. Someone asked how fast could they (ie. readers of braile) read? I had a lab partner at university that could read about as fast as lightening could strike.

I know this is not much information to help sway you to my way of thinking but believe me, this is not a frivilous lawsuit. It is something that matters on a HUGE scale to a lot of people world wide, not just the Target shoppers.
*I will step down off my soap box now and go back to the chat side. Thanks for reading.*
Arp

[SteveBNy]

For many people, the internet IS the difference between their ability to live independently or dependently.

How did they survive before the internet?

Steve