The entries on this site are organized by category and date. These are the entries made in 2008. Content is posted within each category in chronological order, with the most recent entries first. For a complete list of categories and sub-categories on this site, visit the categories page. You may also find content by using the search feature or the site map. Consult the archives for content organized by date and title.
2008 Archives
TCF Bank Talking ATM and Alternative Formats Settlement
The TCF Bank Settlement Agreement was negotiated by Lainey Feingold and co-counsel Amy Peterson of the Chicago-based Equip for Equality using Structured Negotiations on behalf of the Illinois Council of the Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind and a blind TCF customer. In the Agreement, TCF began a Talking ATM and alternative format program in all states in which it does business. The bank will install over 300 Talking ATMs by the end of 2009.
Web Accessibility Report includes Lainey Feingold’s Law Office Web Site
The Law Office of Lainey Feingold is pleased to announce that this web site has been included in the web accessibility implementation report issued as part of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 implementation process. The process is an international, multi-year effort to revise the accessibility standards for web sites. Details of the current status of the implementation process are at the end of this post.
Court Injunction Requires Access to Paper Currency
On Friday, October 3, 2008, U.S. District Court Judge James Robertson issued an historic injunction against the United States Treasury. In a case brought by the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and blind advocates, Judge Robertson held that the Treasury “violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act by failing to provide meaningful access to United States currency for blind and other visually impaired persons.” The Treasury was ordered to take steps to make United States currency accessible to people who are blind. Washington, D.C. lawyer Jeff Lovitky handled the case for ACB.
California Council of the Blind President Honored by State Bar
Congratulations are in order for friend and colleague, Jeff Thom. Jeff, the president of the California Council of the Blind, has been chosen as the “2008 Public Lawyer of the Year” by the State Bar of California. Jeff is a 1978 graduate of Stanford Law School and a lawyer in the Office of Legislative Counsel in Sacramento, California. According to the State Bar website, Jeff was selected for this honor because of his “distinguished record of professional service to the public, both as an attorney and as a civic leader.”
UCSF Medical Center Settlement Agreement
The UCSF Medical Center Settlement Agreement was negotiated by Lainey Feingold and co-counsel Linda Dardarian using Structured Negotiations on behalf of San Francisco disability rights activist August Longo. In this agreement, UCSF Medical Center agreed to undertake a comprehensive program to improve accessibility for patients with disabilities.
Clarence Whaley (1947 - 2008)
Clarence Whaley, who died on June 14 at the too young age of 60, was an unsung hero of Structured Negotiations. Along with blind advocate Paul Parravano, Clarence was a Claimant in the negotiations with American Express about Braille and Large Print statements. Clarence’s calm yet forceful presence was crucial to the outcome: a binding settlement agreement with American Express in which the company agreed to provide Braille and Large Print statements to all visually impaired account holders in the United States.