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10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> leadership-bounces@acb.org
[mailto:leadership-bounces@acb.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf
Of </span></b>Sharon Lovering<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Monday, January 11, 2010
7:50 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> leadership@acb.org;
announce@acb.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [leadership] Kindle
lawsuit reaches settlement</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><b><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>For Immediate
Release</span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><b><font size=4 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'> </span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Contact:</span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Mitch Pomerantz, President</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>American Council of the Blind</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>(626) 372-5150 (Cell)</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><a href="mailto:mitch.pomerantz@earthlink.net">mitch.pomerantz@earthlink.net</a></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Chris Danielsen </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Director of Public Relations</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>National Federation of the Blind</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>(410) 262-1281 (Cell)</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Department of Justice</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Office of Public Affairs</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>(202) 514-2007</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Sharon Keeler</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on"><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
Arial'>Arizona</span></font></st1:PlaceName><font face=Arial><span
style='font-family:Arial'> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType></span></font></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>(480) 965-4012 (Office)</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>(602) 540-8453 (Cell)</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><a
href="mailto:sharon.keeler@asu.edu">sharon.keeler@asu.edu</a></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-autospace:none'><b><font
size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:
bold'> </span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-autospace:none'><b><font
size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:
bold'> </span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-autospace:none'><b><font
size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:
bold'>Blindness Organizations and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Arizona</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType></st1:place></span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-autospace:none'><b><font
size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:
bold'>Resolve Litigation over Kindle</span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on"><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
Arial'>PHOENIX</span></font></st1:place></st1:City><font face=Arial><span
style='font-family:Arial'>, January 11, 2010 –<b><span style='font-weight:
bold'> </span></b>The American Council of the Blind (ACB), the National
Federation of the Blind (NFB), and Arizona State University (ASU), today
announced a settlement agreement resolving litigation filed by NFB and ACB
against the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) and ASU. The lawsuit arose
from the university's participation in a pilot program using the Kindle DX, a
dedicated device for reading electronic books, or e-books, developed by
Amazon.com, Inc. The NFB and ACB alleged that the Kindle DX was
inaccessible to blind students and thus violated federal law. ABOR and
ASU denied and continue to deny any violations of the law. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The settlement agreement among the
parties was reached in light of several factors, including: (1) ASU's
commitment to providing access to all programs and facilities for students with
disabilities, including students who are blind or have low vision; (2) the fact
that the pilot program will end in the spring of 2010; (3) Amazon and others
are making improvements to and progress in the accessibility of e-book readers;
and (4) the university's agreement that should ASU deploy e-book readers in
future classes over the next two years, it will strive to use devices that are
accessible to the blind.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The United States Department of
Justice is also a party to the agreement, which does not involve the payment of
any damages or attorney’s fees or costs.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Marc Maurer, President of the
National Federation of the Blind, said: "The National Federation of the
Blind is pleased with this settlement, which we believe will help to ensure
that new technologies create new opportunities for blind students rather than
new barriers."</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Mitch Pomerantz, President of the
American Council of the Blind, expressed support by commenting: "I believe
this settlement between Arizona State University and the two major national
consumer-advocacy organizations of blind and visually impaired persons will
encourage the industry to develop fully accessible e-book readers in the near
future.”</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-autospace:none'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>###</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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