I have been following this story closely. My dismay at the foot dragging by the law board examiners and ACT regarding the provision of assistive technology for a blind law student is now moderately relived. Shame on ACT.
S.K.
Law Student Wins Federal Case Against Testing Examiners
(Forbes)
August 9, 2011
BURLINGTON, VERMONT– [Excerpt provided by Inclusion Daily Express] Deanna Jones, a third-year law student who's legally blind and learning disabled, has won her first big court case: her own.
Jones sued the National Conference of Bar Examiners in July, accusing it of violating the Americans With Disabilities Act by refusing to let her take a key legal ethics exam using a computer with screen access software that she has used to read in college and in law school.
Armed with a federal judge's order, she was able to take the test Friday, closely watched by a proctor, test supervisor and someone from the ACT, Inc. testing company, she said.
Jones, who attends Vermont Law School with hopes of practicing disability law, needs the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam to practice in Vermont. The NCBE fought her request and plans to appeal, saying the security of its pencil-and-paper test could be jeopardized if taken electronically. The organization had offered instead to have someone read the test to Jones, to let her take the test in Braille, in enlarged print, and use an audio CD.
But a judge ruled Tuesday that the examiners had to provide her a laptop equipped with the special software.
Entire article:
Legally blind Vt. law student wins 1st big case
http://tinyurl.com/4yxhcet
Related:
Law student takes home a win in her own federal case (WCAX)
http://tinyurl.com/3owgd6n
Planet of the Blind 