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To: H James Morris who wrote (83281)	11/5/1999 6:16:00 PM
From: Glenn D. Rudolph	Respond to of 164684

U.S. blind group sues AOL over Internet access BOSTON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - The National Federation for the Blind on Thursday filed suit against America On Line <AOL.N> charging the nation's largest Internet access provider with violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Baltimore, Md.-based group sued the Virginia-based Internet service provider in Boston's federal court claiming AOL designed its "service so that it is incompatible with screen access software programs for the blind." But a spokeswoman for voice recognition software maker Lernout & Hauspie <LHSP.O>, based in Burlington, Mass., was quick to point out a number of its products, including the text reader program Kurzweil 1000, work with AOL. AOL spokesman Richard D'Amato said, "We're disappointed that they've done this. We're proud of and absolutely committed to the work we've done in this area. "The next version of AOL software will include a text to voice interface, more robust keystroke shortcuts that are instrumental to the blind," D'Amato said. "Making AOL fully accessible is a major priority for us." But a spokesman for the group said, "AOL has steadfastly refused to modify its software in order to ensure compatibility" so the blind can use the service. Kelly Lumpkin, chief executive of Alternate Access, a privately-held Raleigh, N.C. company that builds applications based on products made by Lernout & Hauspie and other firms, said there were a number of programs that could easily work with AOL. "Now could a small company set up a front-end to AOL that would allow blind people access to AOL? Absolutely. I could set one up in my kitchen" Lumpkin said. REUTERS