Langrock Attorneys Emily Joselson and Michele Patton Achieve Settlement Between National Federation of the Blind and Scribd, to Make Reading Subscription Service Accessible to the Blind

As a result of a claim filed by Langrock attorneys Emily Joselson and Michele Patton, the National Federation of the Blind and Scribd, Inc. have agreed to work together to provide access and make content available in Scribd’s subscription reading service and website accessible to the blind by the end of 2017. Available on desktop and mobile devices, Scribd’s service provides users access to e-books, audiobooks and other published content for a flat monthly fee. As part of an agreement between the two organizations, Scribd will revise its website to make most subscription content compatible with screen access software for the blind. Screen access software converts text-based content into Braille or spoken words. Scribd will also facilitate access to other types of documents in its collection when requested by blind users.

The agreement resolves litigation filed last year by the National Federation of the Blind and Heidi Viens, a blind mother from Colchester, Vermont. In addition to Langrock, the plaintiffs were represented by Laurence Paradis, Haben Girma, and Rebecca Rodgers of the firm Disability Rights Advocates; and Daniel F. Goldstein and Gregory P. Care of the Baltimore firm Brown, Goldstein and Levy, LLP.