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Sat May 17 06:07:50 CDT 2008
The show can be heard from 9 to 11 pm eastern on Radio Laser CTI
for more information about the show go to: http://www.thedjdinvasion.com
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<DIV>Christopher Murphy<BR>To send me an email send it to: <A=20
href=3D"mailto:cjohnmurph at wdjm3.com">cjohnmurph at wdjm3.com</A><BR>If =
you're looking=20
for a great way to spend a wednesday night<BR>Then why not chekc out the =
djd=20
invasion where you'll go on a trip around the world!<BR>From =
music=20
from the past to future hits! as well as international music!<BR>The =
show can be=20
heard from 9 to 11 pm eastern on Radio Laser CTI<BR>for more information =
about=20
the show go to: <A=20
href=3D"http://www.thedjdinvasion.com">http://www.thedjdinvasion.com</A><=
/DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----=20
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A=20
title=3Dcjohnmurph at gmail.com=20
href=3D"mailto:cjohnmurph at gmail.com">cjohnmurph at gmail.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=3Dbct at lists.blind-planet.com=20
href=3D"mailto:bct at lists.blind-planet.com">bct at lists.blind-planet.com</A>=
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, May 25, 2008 10:17 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> here's a bit of interesting =
information.</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hi all, here's a bit of interesting =
info i came=20
across in an email a while ago. I know it isn't related to technology, =
but=20
forthoes of us getting social sicurity it plays a=20
big role.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> <BR><FONT =
face=3D"Times New Roman"=20
size=3D3>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<BR><BR>For more information, =
contact:<BR>Julia=20
Epstein, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, =
(510)<BR>644-2555 (x.=20
241), </FONT><A href=3D"mailto:jepstein at dredf.org"><FONT face=3D"Times =
New Roman"=20
size=3D3>jepstein at dredf.org</FONT></A><BR><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New =
Roman"=20
size=3D3>Wondie Russell, Heller Ehrman LLP, (415) 772-6294,<BR></FONT><A =
href=3D"mailto:wondie.russell at hellerehrman.com"><FONT face=3D"Times New =
Roman"=20
size=3D3>wondie.russell at hellerehrman.com</FONT></A><FONT face=3D"Times =
New Roman"=20
size=3D3> Ron Milliman, American Council of the<BR>Blind, </FONT><A=20
href=3D"mailto:rmilliman at insightbb.com"><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"=20
size=3D3>rmilliman at insightbb.com</FONT></A><BR><BR><FONT face=3D"Times =
New Roman"=20
size=3D3>JUDGE RULES SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION MUST ACCOMMODATE=20
BLIND<BR>BENEFICIARIES<BR><BR>San Francisco, CA - April 24, 2008 On =
Wednesday,=20
April 23, 2008, Judge<BR>William Alsup of the US District Court for the =
Northern=20
District of<BR>California ruled that the US Social Security =
Administration (SSA)=20
must<BR>accommodate the real and legitimate needs of people with=20
visual<BR>impairments who receive benefits from SSA. The agency is =
required under<BR>the Rehabilitation Act and the due process clause, the =
ruling=20
states, to<BR>provide communications in formats that are accessible to=20
these<BR>beneficiaries.<BR><BR>The ruling came after SSA sought to =
dismiss a=20
class action filed in<BR>federal court in 2005 by the American Council =
of the=20
Blind and a group<BR>of individuals who are blind or have visual =
impairments=20
filed a class<BR>action lawsuit against SSA, alleging that the agency =
fails to=20
provide<BR>the most basic accommodations to its blind and visually=20
impaired<BR>applicants and beneficiaries. To this day, the SSA=20
communicates with<BR>blind and visually impaired applicants and =
beneficiaries in=20
standard 12<BR>point font print that they cannot read, and is unwilling =
to=20
provide<BR>meaningful communication in alternative formats such as =
Braille,=20
audio,<BR>large font or electronic text.<BR><BR>"In the 21st century =
there is no=20
reasonable explanation or excuse for<BR>the SSA to continue to ignore =
the needs=20
and rights of the blind<BR>population, and we are committed to bringing =
about=20
the necessary<BR>changes," explained Wondie Russell of Heller Ehrman =
LLP, an=20
attorney for<BR>plaintiffs. "This decision has now set us on the =
path to=20
securing<BR>reasonable accommodations."<BR><BR>Plaintiff attorneys =
argued=20
successfully that the agency is subject to<BR>the jurisdiction of =
Section 504 of=20
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which<BR>requires bars discrimination on =
the=20
basis of disability in federal<BR>programs, including removing =
communication=20
barriers by providing<BR>"auxiliary aids" that allow persons with =
disabilities=20
an equal<BR>opportunity to participate. "The callousness of SSA's=20
adamant<BR>insistence that sending notices that our clients cannot read =
was=20
not<BR>lost on the judge," said Arlene Mayerson, Directing Attorney=20
for<BR>Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), and an=20
attorney<BR>for plaintiffs. "It is amazing that something that is =
clear to=20
anyone,<BR>that sending a standard print notice to a blind individual =
denies=20
due<BR>process, would end up in federal court."<BR><BR>Mitch Pomerantz, =
American=20
Council of the Blind President, stated: "It is<BR>long past time that =
the Social=20
Security Administration - which assists<BR>tens of thousands of blind =
and=20
visually impaired persons - is held to<BR>account for its stubborn =
unwillingness=20
to adhere to a statute that is 35<BR>years old.<BR><BR> There is =
no excuse=20
in this day and age of easy access to printers with<BR>the capability =
for=20
producing large type, and braille printers for SSA to<BR>violate the=20
Rehabilitation Act and I applaud this ruling."<BR><BR>Plaintiffs in the =
lawsuit=20
have gone without benefits as a result of<BR>SSA's failure to give them=20
effective notice of its actions. "Imagine<BR>receiving a phone =
call from=20
the bank that your checks are bouncing and<BR>fees are mounting," =
suggests=20
American Council of the Blind Executive<BR>Director Melanie=20
Brunson.<BR><BR>Attorneys for the plaintiffs include the Disability =
Rights=20
Education and<BR>Defense Fund, Heller Ehrman LLP, the Oregon Advocacy =
Center,=20
and the<BR>National Senior Citizens Law=20
Center.<BR><BR><BR>......................................................=
..........<BR>This=20
email should only be sent to those who have asked to receive it.<BR>To=20
unsubscribe, return to the web form where you first subscribed =
and<BR>click the=20
"unsubscribe" button, or contact the owner of the=20
website.</FONT><BR></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Christopher Murphy<BR>To send me an =
email send it=20
to: <A =
href=3D"mailto:cjohnmurph at wdjm3.com">cjohnmurph at wdjm3.com</A><BR>If =
you're=20
looking for a great way to spend a wednesday night<BR>Then why not chekc =
out the=20
djd invasion where you'll go on a trip around the =
world!<BR>From=20
music from the past to future hits! as well as international =
music!<BR>The show=20
can be heard from 9 to 11 pm eastern on Radio Laser CTI<BR>for more =
information=20
about the show go to: <A=20
href=3D"http://www.thedjdinvasion.com">http://www.thedjdinvasion.com</A><=
/FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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