{"id":14726,"date":"2011-06-20T01:46:45","date_gmt":"2011-06-20T06:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=14726"},"modified":"2011-06-20T03:14:44","modified_gmt":"2011-06-20T08:14:44","slug":"nad-files-disability-civil-rights-lawsuit-against-netflix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2011\/06\/20\/nad-files-disability-civil-rights-lawsuit-against-netflix\/","title":{"rendered":"NAD Files Disability Civil Rights Lawsuit against Netflix"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAD Files Disability Civil Rights Lawsuit against Netflix<\/strong><\/p>\n

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Plaintiffs Charge that Netflix Violates the
\nAmericans with Disabilities Act by Not Providing Equal Access to its \u201cWatch
\nInstantly\u201d Streaming Content<\/p>\n

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD), the nation\u2019s premier civil
\nrights organization of deaf and hard of hearing individuals, announced the
\nfiling of a major federal lawsuit against Netflix today in U.S. District
\nCourt, District of Massachusetts, Western Division in Springfield, MA. The
\nlawsuit charges the entertainment giant with violating the Americans with
\nDisabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide closed captioning for most of
\nits \u201cWatch Instantly\u201d movies and television streamed on the Internet.<\/p>\n

The New York Times has described Netflix as the \u201conly major player in the
\nonline-only video subscription business.\u201d Netflix has over 60% of the
\nstreamed video services market share.<\/p>\n

An estimated 36 million Americans are deaf or hard of hearing. The deaf and
\nhard of hearing community has repeatedly expressed concerns\u2014via letters,
\npetitions, blogs, and social media\u2014to Netflix about its failure to provide
\nequal access to \u201cWatch Instantly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have tried for years to persuade Netflix to do the right thing and
\nprovide equal access to all content across all platforms. They chose not to
\nserve our community on an equal basis; we must have equal access to the
\nbiggest provider of streamed entertainment. As Netflix itself acknowledges,
\nstreamed video is the future and we must not be left out,,\u201d said NAD
\nPresident Bobbie Beth Scoggins.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no excuse for Netflix to fail to provide captions so that deaf and
\nhard of hearing customers have access to the same movies and TV shows as
\neveryone else,\u201d stated Arlene Mayerson, Directing Attorney of the Disability
\nRights Education and Defense Fund. \u201cNetflix admits that there is no
\ntechnological issue. For people who are deaf and hard of hearing, captions
\nare like ramps for people who use wheelchairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ADA requires that all \u201cplaces of entertainment\u201d provide \u201cfull and equal
\nenjoyment\u201d for people with disabilities. Plaintiffs are asking the court to
\ndeclare that Netflix\u2019s behavior constitutes a violation of Title III of the
\nADA, and to require that Netflix provide closed captions on all of its
\nstreaming content.<\/p>\n

In addition to NAD, other plaintiffs include the Western Massachusetts
\nAssociation of the Deaf and Hearing-Impaired (WMAD\/HI) and a deaf
\nMassachusetts resident.<\/p>\n

The plaintiffs are represented by the Disability Rights Education & Defense
\nFund in Berkeley, CA, the Oakland, CA law firm Lewis, Feinberg, Lee, Renaker
\n& Jackson P.C., and the Boston, MA law firm Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak &
\nCohen, P.C.<\/p>\n

The Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund and NAD ask deaf and hard of
\nhearing individuals who want to learn more about the lawsuit to visit:
\n http:\/\/www.dredf.org\/captioning<\/a>, call the toll-free number 1-800-348-4232
\n(V), or email Charlotte Lanvers at clanvers@dredf.org or Shane Feldman at
\nnetflixlawsuit@nad.org.<\/p>\n

NAD, et al, vs Netflix Complaint<\/p>\n

# # #<\/p>\n

National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
\nThe National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the nation’s premier civil
\nrights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in
\nthe United States of America. NAD represents the estimated 36 million
\nAmericans who are deaf or hard of hearing and is based in Washington, D.C.
\n http:\/\/www.nad.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Western Massachusetts Association of the Deaf and Hearing Impaired (WMAD)
\nWMAD is an advocacy membership organization for individuals who are deaf and
\nhearing impaired in western Massachusetts.<\/p>\n

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)
\nFounded in 1979, by people with disabilities and parents of children with
\ndisabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) is a
\nnational law and policy center, based in Berkeley, CA, dedicated to
\nprotecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities.
\n http:\/\/www.dredf.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lewis, Feinberg, Lee, Renaker & Jackson P.C.
\nLewis, Feinberg, Lee, Renaker & Jackson P.C. is a national law firm based in
\nOakland, CA, that represents plaintiffs in ERISA employee benefit and
\npension litigation, Civil Rights litigation, and Wage and Hour Overtime
\nlitigation. http:\/\/www.lewisfeinberg.com<\/a> Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak &
\nCohen, P.C.<\/p>\n

SRBC is a Boston-based civil litigation firm with 26 lawyers and more than
\n80 years of success in managing complex cases for local, regional and
\nnational clients. http:\/\/www.srbc.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Source:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.nad.org\/news\/2011\/6\/nad-files-disability-civil-rights-lawsuit-against-netflix<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAD Files Disability Civil Rights Lawsuit against Netflix Deaf and Hard of Hearing Plaintiffs Charge that Netflix Violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by Not Providing Equal Access to its \u201cWatch Instantly\u201d Streaming Content The National Association of the Deaf…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[114,600,3472,4621,9715,9718,9716,9705,9708,9717,9710,9719,9711,9709,9713,7658,100,630,1228,9721,9712,9128,9714,1335,9720,9706,9707],"class_list":["post-14726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deaf-news","tag-ada","tag-advocacy","tag-americans-with-disabilities-act","tag-article","tag-boston","tag-charlotte-lanvers","tag-civil-rights-of-people-with-disabilities","tag-disability-rights-education-defense-fund","tag-dredf","tag-erisa","tag-feinberg","tag-lawsuit","tag-lee","tag-lewis","tag-lewis-feinberg-lee-renaker-jackson-p-c","tag-massachusetts","tag-nad","tag-national-association-of-the-deaf","tag-netflix","tag-new-york-times","tag-renaker-jackson-p-c","tag-shane-feldman","tag-srbc","tag-streaming-video","tag-watch-instantly","tag-western-massachusetts-association-of-the-deaf-and-hearing-impaired","tag-wmad"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p752R-3Pw","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20274,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2012\/10\/10\/netflix-and-the-nad-reach-historic-agreement-to-provide-100-cc-in-on-demand\/","url_meta":{"origin":14726,"position":0},"title":"Netflix and the NAD Reach Historic Agreement to Provide 100% CC in On-Demand","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"October 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Netflix and the National Association of the Deaf Reach Historic Agreement to Provide 100% Closed Captions in On-Demand Streaming Content Within Two Years http:\/\/bit.ly\/Ook4sl (October 10, 2012) Netflix Inc. and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), a non-profit organization, have submitted a joint Consent Decree to a federal court\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":32165,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2015\/10\/22\/the-nad-and-amazon-com-inc-agree-to-expand-closed-captions-on-amazon-video\/","url_meta":{"origin":14726,"position":1},"title":"The NAD and Amazon.com, Inc. Agree to Expand CC on Amazon Video","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"October 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The NAD and Amazon.com, Inc. Agree to Expand Closed Captions on Amazon Video October 14, 2015 The National Association of the Deaf and Amazon, Inc.Agree to Expand Closed Captions on Amazon Video The National Association of the Deaf (NAD), a non-profit civil rights organization of, by, and for deaf and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Amazon_Instant_Video_logo1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Amazon_Instant_Video_logo1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14884,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2011\/06\/29\/deaf-activists-launch-campaign-against-netflix\/","url_meta":{"origin":14726,"position":2},"title":"Deaf activists launch campaign against Netflix","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"June 29, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Deaf activists launch campaign against Netflix by: SUSAN WEBB June 28 2011 Deaf and hard of hearing activists have launched a social media \"bombing\" campaign, an online petition and a federal lawsuit to get Netflix to provide better access to subtitles for its online streaming movies. Netflix is the nation's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15991,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2011\/09\/26\/nad-urges-white-house-to-make-disability-part-of-diversity-in-judicial-nominations\/","url_meta":{"origin":14726,"position":3},"title":"NAD Urges White House to Make Disability Part of Diversity in Judicial Nominations","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"September 26, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"NAD Urges White House to Make Disability Part of Diversity in Judicial Nominations The National Association of the Deaf joined the efforts of 104 other national and state-based disability rights organizations, law firms, and individuals, urging the White House to make disability part of its efforts to achieve diversity in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":26386,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2014\/02\/21\/nad-is-the-oldest-civil-rights-organization-in-the-usa\/","url_meta":{"origin":14726,"position":4},"title":"NAD is the Oldest Civil Rights Organization in the USA!","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"February 21, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"NAD is the Oldest Civil Rights Organization in the USA! January 30, 2014 The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the oldest civil rights organization in the country given that it has been in continuous operation since 1880 with the mission of preserving, protecting, and promoting the civil, human\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"bellevue house","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/bellevue-house.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19121,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2012\/06\/26\/landmark-precedent-in-nad-vs-netflix\/","url_meta":{"origin":14726,"position":5},"title":"Landmark Precedent in NAD vs. Netflix","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"June 26, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"NAD E-Newsletter Monday, June 25, 2012 Landmark Precedent in NAD vs. Netflix Judge denies Netflix\u2019s motion for judgment on the pleadings and allows disability civil rights case, National Association Of The Deaf, Et Al. V. Netflix, Case No. 3:11-Cv-30168, to move forward. The National Association of the Deaf (\u201cNAD\u201d), the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14726"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14735,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14726\/revisions\/14735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}