Outrage at decision in JetBlue accessibility case

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Thursday, 4 August 2011 10:09am

In a decision that has sent disbelief  and anger through the disability community, a United States federal judge has ruled that California anti-discrimination laws do not apply to airline websites and kiosks in the case against JetBlue Airways.

The case was brought against JetBlue Airways in October 2010 for the inaccessibility of their website and airport check-in kiosks for people who are blind or vision impaired.

The judge dismissed the case on the grounds that federal regulations, not state laws, applied in the case.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognises access to information and communications technologies, including the Web, as a basic human right.  This ruling strips away the rights of people with disabilities to access JetBlue’s website and kiosks.

More information about the ruling is available from the Law Office of Lainey Feingold.


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