A blind man, Robert Gumson, and a Florida based disability rights group, Access Now, have filed lawsuits against Southwest Airlines and American Airlines. Gumson and Access Now are claiming that the airline companies' websites do not comply with the Americans With Disability Act (ADA). The airlines' websites are incompatible with the screen reader software program that blind individuals use to convert website contents into speech. The ADA was passed in 1990. At issue is the interpretation of "public accommodation". Gumson and Access Now will attempt to argue that Congress wrote the legislation broadly with the intention that the Internet would be included into its interpretation. Their position is that a "public accommodation" is a "place of exhibition or entertainment" or an "other service establishment" and therefore, websites should be included in this interpretation. Conversely, the airlines, which have brought a motion to dismiss, arguing that the ADA is intended to apply to physical facilities as opposed to digital venues. A ruling on the airlines' motion to dismiss will be made in a few months if no settlement is reached. For details, visit: http://makeashorterlink.com/?F24652602

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