Higher Education Lawsuits
Year | Defendant | Complaint | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Harvard and M.I.T. | Violated antidiscrimination laws by failing to provide closed captioning in: online lectures, courses, podcasts and other educational materials | Still pending. Harvard and M.I.T. Sued Over Lack of Captions(opens in new window) |
2013 | Louisiana Tech | Inaccessibility of course material | $23,543 to student and make their Web sites and course materials more accessible. |
2013 | University of California, Berkeley | Timely Access to materials as well as library accessibility (print books/journals and catalog software) | Outcomes of the lawsuit include: alternative Media Services, Library accessibility capacity/procedures, timely adoption, and Campus-wide Assistive Technology Availability. University of California, Berkeley Settlement(opens in new window) |
2013 | South Carolina Technical College System (SCTCS) | Inaccessibility of Web Sites | Came to an agreement with U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to: develop a resource guide that provides information about web accessibility requirements. Direct that the SCTCS websites be accessible to students with disabilities, annually review the systems’ and colleges’ websites, and monitor steps taken to correct any accessibility problems identified. |
2012 | University of Montana | Inaccessibility of Web content and services (class assignments, live chat and discussion board, videos without captions, and an inaccessible registration system) | University of Montana has been given two years to get their campus complaint with accessibility laws. They also created an Office of Accessible Technology Services, agreed to implement campus policies about accessibility and train staff/faculty/web content authors about creating accessible content. The campus will also begin reporting their policies and procedures to the Office of Civil Rights yearly. University of Montana OCR Settlement (PDF) University of Montana Reaches Agreement for Polices and Training |
2012 | Florida State University | Inaccessibility of E-Learning | $150,000 settlement ($75,000 per student) and to continue its efforts to make courses accessible to all students. Florida State University Resolves Litigation with Students(opens in new window) |
2011 | Northwestern University | Inaccessibility of Google Apps | Google agreed to make Google Apps more accessible. Google Apps Inaccessible To Blind Students(opens in new window) Colleges Discriminate Against the Blind With Google Apps, Advocates Say(opens in new window) |
2011 | New York University | Inaccessibility of Google Apps | Google agreed to make Google Apps more accessible. Google Apps Inaccessible To Blind Students(opens in new window) Colleges Discriminate Against the Blind With Google Apps, Advocates Say(opens in new window) |
2010 | Penn State University | Inaccessibility of Web site and course materials | The University agreed to make all electronic and information technology systems used on its campuses fully accessible to blind students, faculty, and staff. |
2009 | Law School Admissions Council | Inaccessibility of Web content and LSAT preparation materials | Settlement included an agreement to make Web content and services conform to WCAG 2.0 AA within 5 months. Blind Students Sue Law Schools Over Online Applications(opens in new window) |
2009 | Arizona State, Princeton, Reed, Pace, Darden School of Business and Case Western | Inaccessibility of Kindle textbook technology | The universities agreed that they would evaluate e-book readers that were accessible to the blind if it chose to deploy them in the future. Lawsuit over Kindle navigation by visually impaired settled(opens in new window) |
2007 | CSU San Bernardino | Violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other state and federal laws by failing to make the programs, services, and activities they offer at CSUSB accessible to students with disabilities. | The University agreed to provide better support to Disabled students, maintain records of complaints, accommodations, and services provided, and to train staff, faculty, and Services to Students with Disabilities on how to accommodate students according to the agreement. In addition the campus had to pay: $505,000 in Attorney fees $315,000 in damages CSU San Bernardino's Settlement announcement to the campus and community(opens in new window) |
2005 | University of California, Berkeley | Inaccessibility of campus navigation, barriers for immobile students and added stress from these barriers. | Campus layout was audited, resources are now provided to students with special needs, and any accessibility issues that were identified were remediated. |