FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 17, 2008

CONTACT

The American Council of the Blind

1-800-424-8666

ACB FINDS SUCCESS WITH STRUCTURED NEGOTIATIONS

Washington, D.C. - In 2007, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) collaborated with other disability organizations in signing three important new agreements using structured negotiations instead of litigation. Structured Negotiations is a collaborative process of resolving disputes that encourages cooperation between and among the affected parties, without requiring formal, time-consuming, and costly litigation. It focuses upon peaceful settlements, rather than confrontation.

1) A landmark agreement with San Francisco required the city to spend at least $1.6 million over two and a half years equipping all crosswalks of at least 80 intersections with accessible pedestrian signals (APS).

2) Radio Shack signed an agreement addressing the accessibility of the company’s web site and retail stores. The agreement requires installation of at least one tactile point-of-sale (POS) device at every Radio Shack store in the United States. The devices have already been installed in over 5,000 stores.

3) 7-Eleven signed an agreement requiring installation of POS devices with tactile keypads in over 6,000 7-Eleven stores across the country.

Banks continue to install Talking ATMs pursuant to agreements reached as a result of structured negotiations. The banking industry is also at the forefront of on-line accessibility in the private sector. ACB continues to monitor settlement agreements providing for alternate formats, like braille, since accessible financial information is a guaranteed right under federal and state law. Such achievements using structured negotiations has the potential of impacting millions of blind people. According to the American Foundation for the Blind, roughly 75,000 Americans become blind each year, and there are an estimated total of 1.3 million blind people currently in the United States.

The American Council of the Blind is the largest consumer-based organization of blind and visually impaired Americans advocating for the rights of blind Americans. Comprised of more than 70 affiliates across the entire United States, the organization is dedicated to making it possible for blind and visually impaired Americans to participate fully in every aspect of American society.

For more information about the American Council of the Blind, and the issues it supports, visit www.acb.org or contact Melanie Brunson, Executive Director, the American Council of the Blind, 1155 15th Street NW, Suite 1004, Washington, DC 20005, or phone (202) 467-5081 or toll-free, 1-800-424-8666.

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