Sunday, February 20, 2011

Virginia lottery agrees to make its games accessible

From The Associated Press:

The Virginia Lottery has agreed to take steps to ensure that its games are accessible to the disabled.

The agreement settles a lawsuit filed in 2005 on behalf of several disabled Virginians. The Virginia Lottery and the Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy, which represented the plaintiffs, announced the settlement Friday.

The state Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that the lottery is a state program that must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

As part of the agreement, all lottery retailers licensed after Jan. 1 of this year must comply with certain provisions of the ADA within a year. All current locations will be surveyed by the lottery every three years to assess compliance. Violators that don't make the necessary modifications within a year will have their licenses suspended.