by John J. Frank
I have been using large print since 1991 and was interested in the problems others may face in receiving this ADA accommodation.
Many people do not know the ADA exists or do not know what types of alternate formats to print are readily available. Still many others are finding the law to be a great benefit. Of those who do know about the ADA and print access accommodations, some do not request these accommodations. I was curious as to why some people avoid asking for this help.
In 1998 my request for volunteers to tell me about their experiences with requesting large print was published in “The Braille Forum.” A report detailing my findings from that research, “Requests by persons with visual impairment for large print accommodations,” was published in the November 2000 issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, vol. 94, no. 11, pages 716-719.
Four major themes emerged from the stories which I gathered. Based on the research methodology of summing and then ranking the number of times each difficulty was mentioned, the most frequently reported problems dealt with the great length of time it took to get the accommodation or to go through the request and appeals process. The next most obvious theme was the emotional toll the process took on some people. Anger, frustration, and fear were either mentioned or evidenced by several respondents. The third most frequently mentioned difficulty was the quality of the product received, i.e. its clarity, pagination, weight, size, awkwardness, durability, and cost. Finally, lies or misinformation given in response to requests for large print were also reported.
Many people who ask for large print copies of publications, including documents which government agencies at all levels make available to constituents, as well as the kinds of instructional materials which are routinely handed out in college classes among the other required readings, is an offer of access to a photocopy machine which the large-print reader can utilize to make his or her own copies in sufficiently large print. Sometimes, the suggestion will be made that a visually impaired person can bring the material to a certain location to be enlarged by someone else. Both approaches require the person with the disability to bear part of the burden for building his or her own accommodation, which is something the law prohibits. While requiring people with visual impairments to make their own enlargements or to go out of their way to secure the services of others might be appropriate when all people, including those without impairments, have to make special trips to acquire materials, if the material is being given to all who want to read it without their needing to make special trips, then persons with visual impairment should not have to put in this extra effort. Of course if the material is computer-generated to begin with it should not have to be photocopy enlarged at all but should be printed out in whatever size large print is desired, upon request.
On the other hand, the alternative: negotiations, potential conflicts, longer waits, filing complaints, hostility from superiors, etc. may be so odious that many feel they have no choice but to accept this extra time-consuming regimen, or instead choose not to ask for anything at all and just fall back on the time-tested method of getting help from family and friends.
I experienced this exact situation in two different colleges, and also at work. I filed a complaint about this to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Ohio. My employer hired an ADA consultant firm. An ACB member was included in that consultation, and the firm agreed with my contention that my employer was required to provide the accommodation to me. But the employer still refused to provide large print. After teaching the EEOC what the law and the technical assistance guidelines said, I won. Then I filed and won again, and again, and again. Four times the same case was settled in my favor. My employer never did comply, never did create a system that would allow equal access to information for all employees. I have heard of other similar “wins” for other folk, too.
We may have to ask ourselves if it is worth the effort to begin this process, but for me, the lesson to be learned from this is that I have to prepare my heart and mind in any attempt I make to move this process forward in order not to become worn out and emotionally damaged — or exhilarated — by it. That is no easy task. My visual impairment and the accommodations that allow me to read are very important to me, but so is peace, and maintaining good friendly relations with others, and also being involved with other things in life.
The need for an extra measure of courage and persistence on the part of people with visual impairment in order to deal with our environment is something most of us already know about. Damage to our pride and self-respect connected to our desire to not be dependent on others is also something many of us are all too familiar with, but was not what this research intended to highlight. My purpose in conducting this research was to add more details about the requests-for-accommodations processes, to inform entities covered by the ADA, as well as people with disabilities. Knowing about the experiences of others can enable us to avoid being derailed by “new” barriers that demand we reinvent the wheel with each accommodation request.
The next step in this research process is to gather and analyze the stories of people requesting any type of alternate formats, e.g., braille, audio recording, readers, large print etc. I hope to hear about people’s experiences with requests to a greater variety of covered entities such as restaurants, museums, and libraries, not just work or school settings. The stories themselves are very interesting but I suspect they will also reveal many helpful patterns and insights. Thank you, ACB members, for your help and participation in this work. I expect that you will be reading about the results and ramifications of our research in future issues of “The Braille Forum.”