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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Blind Federation Sues Over Airport Kiosks

Las Vegas Review-Journal: The National Federation of the Blind has sued Clark County to make the boarding pass printers at McCarran International Airport usable to blind people.

In a case filed Tuesday, the federation listed two individuals and one married couple as plaintiffs who could not get boarding passes without waiting for an airline employee to help or telling their information to strangers. The federation wants the airport to alter the touch screen kiosks by adding features such as an audio interfaces that the blind could use.

In a statement, the airport said its attorneys are "researching the facts and issues. ... We cannot comment on this matter until the attorneys have reviewed the allegations."

The case, filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, contends that the federation contacted the county on Sept. 27 about changing the kiosks but received no response.

The complaint asks that the kiosks be changed and for unspecified damages.

In many airports, the airlines install and own self-ticketing kiosks. McCarran is one of the few with a common system and charges the airlines to recover the costs.

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