RH9 disks on the net.

[Aaron Howell]

actually, to set the record straight.
redHat _does_ maintain a policy of deliberate discrimination wrt their RHCE material.
I was told in no uncertain terms that there was no way i would be given an electronic copy of the RHCE training material,
and that to scan the material might be considered a breach of RedHat's copyright.
My only option was to have a sighted person read me the whole manual *ahem-bullshit-yeah-right* that thing is like 500 pages.
I asked RedHat Asia pacific what their response to being slapped with a disability discrimination claim regarding their refusal to provide material in an accessible format would be,
and was told by the trainer that it would make RedHat's being able to provide me a place on the course somewhat more difficult.
in other words, tow the line or you don't sit the course.
that's not even the half of it though,
i was told until 3 days before i was to start the course that yes, it would be ok for me to use speakup,
then RH call me to say, oh, sorry, Redhat U.S said no to that and your only option is brltty
(oh and by the way, you have to supply a compatible braille device yourself) 
*because-everyone-has-6-thousand-spare-to-buy-one-of-those*.
I ended up getting them to accept me having a sighted person along to read the exam,
and to use speakup throughout the course.
To say RedHat's attitude to accessibility is piss poor in the extreme is being nice to it.
Anyone who thinks otherwise needs to try actually getting them to cooperate on something like the RHCE.
My next re-sit of the RHCE when my current one expires will be in the company of a lawyer well versed in discrimination law,
and with a little more than 3 days to work with - i intend to get access to their training material in electronic form
if I've got to take them all the way to the human rights and equal opportunity commission.
So, deliberate denial? absolutely!
Regards
Aaron
On Mon, Apr 07, 2003 at 11:55:24PM -0400, Janina Sajka wrote:
> Luke Davis writes:
> > From: Luke Davis <ldavis at shellworld.net>
> > 
> > On Mon, 7 Apr 2003, Janina Sajka wrote:
> > 
> > > Luke Davis writes:
> 
> False.
> 
> 
> There is no evidence of any deliberation, nor of any decision. 
> 
> There is certainly evidence that special accomodations were not allowed.
> I would certainly agree that they should haave been allowed. That would
> constitute a reasonable accomodation and thus be more likely to equalize
> the opportunity. But, that isn't the same as people sitting down to say
> "let's stick it to this person." That's what "deliberately deny" means.
> 
> Did they deny equal access? Arguably so, by virtue of not making
> reasonable and appropriate accomodations. Was that a "deliberate
> decision to deny?" Bull..
> 
> Ignorance and lack of consideration? Yes. "Deliberate decision to deny."
> Hardly.
> 
> Or, perhaps you're privvy to some smoking memo? Or the meeting agenda
> where this deliberate decision was reached? 
> 
> So, thaat's one supposed fact in question. You did say "facts," as in
> the plural. So, what else
> > >
> > > "I have not investigated, and do not intend to investigate, the facts he
> > >  listed."
> > >
> > > Facts? What facts? There were no "facts" in that post, just allegations.
> > > Rather outrageous ones, too.
> > 
> > Regarding:
> > 
> > > Some will recall that Red Hat recently decided to deliberately deny
> > > equal access to its training material as offered to those whom decide to
> > > take their week-long RHCE training classes.  Oh, well...
> > 
> > Is this false?  Did they, or did they not, make these inaccessible?
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > Speakup mailing list
> > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> 
> -- 
> 	
> 				Janina Sajka, Director
> 				Technology Research and Development
> 				Governmental Relations Group
> 				American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
> 
> Email: janina at afb.net		Phone: (202) 408-8175
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup