Blind Employee Settles Lawsuit Against Miami-Dade County Public Schools
February 26, 2019
School System to Make Websites and Software Accessible
Janice A. Bartleson, Ph.D., a blind counselor and emotional/behavioral disabilities clinician employed by Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) for more than twenty-seven years, has settled the lawsuit she filed against the school board last spring with the support of the National Federation of the Blind. Dr. Bartleson brought the lawsuit because she was unable to use the school system’s websites, web forms, and software applications that were inaccessible to her.
A federal court has approved a consent decree requiring M-DCPS to make all existing websites, forms, and software accessible; to procure only accessible software in the future; and to take other steps to ensure the full inclusion of blind employees in school programs and activities. The school system will also pay a total of $250,000 to Dr. Bartleson and her attorneys.
Like other blind people, Dr. Bartleson accesses information on her computer using screen reader technology, which renders digital content as spoken words using synthesized speech or by displaying it on an attached refreshable Braille display. Improperly coded websites and software prevent screen readers from accurately verbalizing critical information, such as what information must be typed into [...]