National Federation of the Blind Commends Justice Department on Kindle Settlements

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Jan 14, 2010, 11:47 ET

BALTIMORE, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) today commended the United States Department of Justice for reaching settlements with three universities regarding use of the Kindle DX reading device in the classroom. The settlements with Reed College of Portland, Oregon; Pace University of New York; and Case Western Reserve University of Cleveland, Ohio require that the universities refrain from further purchase or deployment of the Kindle DX or any other electronic reading device unless the device is fully accessible to students who are blind or have low vision. The settlements followed complaints filed against the universities by the NFB and the American Council of the Blind.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The National Federation of the Blind is pleased with these settlements and commends the United States Department of Justice for defending the right of blind students to have the same educational opportunities as their sighted peers. These settlements will encourage the creation of accessible e-book technology, bringing the many benefits of electronic textbooks to all students, blind or sighted, at America's institutions of higher learning."

SOURCE National Federation of the Blind