$150,000 Settlement Reached in Blind Florida State Students’ E-Learning Suit

Florida State University has resolved a lawsuit that was brought by two blind students who accused the university of discrimination due to inaccessible technology. Under the settlement, the university agreed to pay each student $75,000 and “to continue its efforts to make courses accessible to all students,” according to a news release issued by the National Federation of the Blind, which helped the students bring their lawsuit last summer. Florida State did not admit liability or wrongdoing.

The students, Christopher S. Toth and Jamie A. Principato, had argued that a mathematics course relied on e-learning systems that were inaccessible to people with disabilities. The students could not access software that was used for homework and tests, their lawsuit said. The course also relied on inaccessible “clickers,” remote-control-like devices that allow students to answer multiple-choice questions during lectures.

The National Federation of the Blind has filed related complaints against New York University, Northwestern, and Penn State. The Penn State dispute was resolved in October.