Advocacy group for the deaf sues Harvard, MIT; allege lack of closed-captioning for online courses
An advocacy group for the deaf sued Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Thursday over a claimed lack of closed-captioning in their online educational materials.
Filed in federal court in Boston by the National Association for the Deaf, the two suits say the elite schools are violating both the Americans with Disabilities Act the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by failing to provide accurate closed-captioning text for courses, podcasts and educational material that is offered free to the public on the Internet, according to the Boston Globe, the New York Times (reg. req.) and Reuters.
“No captions is like no ramp for people in wheelchairs,” said attorney Arlene Mayerson. She represents plaintiffs in the MIT case.
The two suits seek class-action status and a court order requiring Harvard and MIT to provide closed-captioning.
Representatives of the two schools reportedly declined to comment directly on the litigation.
However, Harvard spokesman Jeff Neal said the university is ready to comply with U.S. Department of Justice proposed rules, expected to be forthcoming later this year, “to provide much-needed guidance in this area.” A MIT spokeswoman said the university is committed to accessibility and expects to include closed-captioning in its most popular online classes and all new video courses.
