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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
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<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>CONTACT:<br>
<br>
</span></b>Chris Danielsen<br>
<br>
Director of Public Relations<br>
<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
<br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br>
<br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br>
<br>
cdanielsen@nfb.org<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<h1 align=center style='margin-bottom:24.0pt;text-align:center'><b><font
size=6 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:24.0pt'>National
Federation of the Blind and Blind Business Owner<br>
File Complaint with Small Business Administration<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<h2><b><font size=5 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:18.0pt'>SBAs
Inaccessible Web Site Discriminates Against the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <br>
<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Baltimore, Maryland (July 22, 2009):</span></b>
The National Federation of the Blind, the nations oldest and largest
organization of blind people and the leading advocate for equal access by the
blind to information technology, and Virgil Stinnett, a blind business owner
from Honolulu, Hawaii, filed an administrative complaint today with the Small
Business Administration (SBA). The complaint asserts that the SBAs
Web site violates Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act because it is
inaccessible to blind people who use text-to-speech screen access technology or
Braille displays to access information on the Internet. Because of the
inaccessibility of the SBA Web site, blind people cannot fill out forms on the
site or take online courses offered by the SBA. Mr. Stinnett was unable
to apply for certification under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act because
of the inaccessibility of the Web site. Section 8(a) certification would
provide Mr. Stinnetts business with access to federal and private
procurement markets.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
Blind Americans have the same dreams, the same goals, and the same
entrepreneurial spirit as all other Americans. If we are to have equal
access to the tools and techniques needed to be effective business owners and
to compete on terms of equality with our sighted peers, we must have equal
access to the resources offered on the SBA Web site and other government
sites. The National Federation of the Blind demands equality for blind
business owners and will tolerate nothing less.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Virgil Stinnett, owner of Good News HI, a business providing military dining
services, said: As a blind entrepreneur, access to the SBA Web site is
critical in order for me to use its programs and services and expand my
business. The fact that I could not access the Web site has cost me time
and resources that I would not have needed to expend if I had been able to use
the site like everyone else. I hope the action we are taking today will
prompt the SBA to take immediate steps so that all Americans, blind and
sighted, have equal access to the programs, training, and resources that it
provides.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Complainants are represented by attorneys Daniel F. Goldstein and Allison L.
Harper of Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns
= "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />120 E. Baltimore
Street, Suite 1700, Baltimore, MD 21202, (410) 962-1030, fax: (410) 385-0869, <a
href="mailto:dfg@browngold.com">dfg@browngold.com</a>, <a
href="mailto:ah@browngold.com">ah@browngold.com</a>, <a
href="http://www.browngold.com/">www.browngold.com</a>.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>###</span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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