On February 9, 2016, the Massachusetts District Court rejected MIT’s motions for a stay and to dismiss NAD’s lawsuit. The ruling also ensured plaintiffs will not have to wait the Department of Justice to issue regulations regarding website accessibility. The court recognized that MIT’s and, implicitly, other universities’ online education courses, are subject to broad Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act protections, and can be required to provide equal access to people with disabilities.
DREDF is pleased to announce — with our co-counsel the National Association of the Deaf and CREEC — that the Massachusetts District Court has rejected MIT’s motions for a stay and to dismiss NAD’s lawsuit. Filed in 2015, the case takes on MIT’s failure to caption online content in thousands of videos that they make available to the public on the internet, a failure that prevents effective communication and an equal opportunity for people who are deaf and hard of hearing from benefiting from the online video content. The ruling also ensures plaintiffs will not have to wait the Department of Justice to issue regulations regarding website accessibility. The court has recognized that MIT’s and, implicitly, other universities’ online education courses, are subject to broad Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act protections, and can be required to provide equal access to people with disabilities.