The National Federation of the Blind and three blind individuals in California filed a class-action lawsuit yesterday in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against United. The suit alleges that United is violating the California Disabled Persons Act and the Unruh Civil Rights Act because the services the airline provides through its check in kiosks are not available to blind passengers."United could easily add an audio interface, a tactile keyboard, or interactive screen reader technology that works with touch screens to its kiosks, as other companies have done," said the National Federation of the Blind in a statement.
The Air Carrier Access Act requires airlines to provide special services for passengers who aren't physically capable of using kiosks, such as assistance from agents in using the kiosk or allowing the passenger to come to the front of the line at the check-in counter.