Letting People Read Letters
October 28th, 2009I wrote a while ago about lot of stupidity on the part of the US Social Security Administration – particularly sending out letters in inaccessible formats to people who are blind.
Good news: The federal courts agreed with reason. The US Social Security Administration must now be sent in, at the very least, Braille and CD format.
See The Judgement and Findings of Facts and Conclusions.
It’s wonderful to see the law doing the right thing!
From the court’s order:
“The entire defense has been to exaggerate what relief might be ordered and to invent multiple excuses why the alternates cannot be done rather than find one reason why any could be done. At all events, the agency has not shown there is an undue burden regarding some of the alternative formats. This order, therefore, concludes that at least Braille and data CDs with Microsoft Word would be feasible and effective for many, and not unduly burdensome.”
Also pending in the same court (but different judge) are two cases against the Social Security Administration by people with psychiatric and developmental disabilities about the adequacy of notices to them. Info is here:
http://www.pwdf.org/news/press.html