WAI Committee Member, Diane Stottlemyer, and lawsuit regarding discrimination against those with disabilities.

As recently noted in an article that appeared in the Chronicle of Higher
Education at:

http://chronicle.com/free/v51/i49/49a03301.htm 


a lawsuit was filed against Capella University, an "online institution,
asserting that it violated the Americans With Disabilities Act by using
technology that does not accommodate" those with disabilities.
 
In that article, Judy Brewer of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) noted
that:

"Navigation controls on Web sites should remain consistent on different
parts of the sites, Ms. Brewer adds. That way the interface will remain
predictable, making it less confusing for students with learning
disabilities." The navigation of the application named in the lawsuit,
WebCT, can only be described as horrendous.
 
The full text of the lawsuit may be found at:

http://www.employmentlawyers4employees.com

and contains allegations that the University violated:

1. the Americans with Disabilities Act by their failure to accommodate those
with learning disabilities,
 
2. the Americans with Disabilities Act by retaliating against those who
filed lawful complaints,
 
3. Unruh Civil Rights Act (under California laws that provide equal access
to those with disabilities), and
 
4. Violation of California Education Code, Section 94367 (the Leonard Law) -
for violations of protected speech

What was not mentioned in the article (although it is in the lawsuit), is
that the instructor who is at the core of the matter is Capella employee,
Diane Stottlemyer. It should be noted that Diane Stottlemyer is a charlatan
who purchased her "graduate degrees" from a diploma mill, Lacrosse
University. This may be confirmed by numerous sources on the Internet.

The reason this information is so relevant to this list is that it appears
as if the same individual, Diane Stottlemyer, is now serving on a WAI
committee regarding accessibility standards. If so, this is abhorrent and
needs to be addressed immediately.

Samplings of just some of the complaints from students, who are not involved
in any way with the lawsuit against Capella, about the horrendous nature of
WebCT may be found at: 

http://capellalawsuit.info/student_complaints.html
 

Additional comments, made by other students in Stottlemyer's class, are also
available and can be posted.