MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER SERVED MORE THAN 30,000 MIGRANTS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR
ASYLUM.
FROM PAYING OUR BILLS TO
ORDERING FOOD FOR MOST OF US
USING THE INTERNET IS PART OF
EVERYDAY LIFE THAT WE TAKE FOR
GRANTED, BUT IMAGINE GETTING
ONLINE WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE
IT CAN BE A CHALLENGE FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE VISION IMPAIRED
BUT ONE THAT THEY ARE
OVERCOMING EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THANKS TO ORGANIZATIONS WORKING
TO MAKE THINGS A BIT EASIER.
TIFFANY HUERTAS SPOKE TO A
COMPUTER INSTRUCTOR AT THE SAN
ANTONIO LIGHT HOUSE FOR THE
BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED.
HE’S TEACHING STUDENTS. HOW TO
LIVE IN AN ONLINE WORLD, THANKS
IN PART TO HIS OWN CHALLENGES
THAT HE’S OVERCOME.
>> WITH STARTING WITH THE
EVERYTHING KIND OF IN A
YELLOWISH.
>> HUGH AT 9 YEARS OLD CONCERN
MY PARENTS OF COURSE, MICHAEL
WILL HARDEST LIFE WOULD CHANGE
FOREVER.
>> AND THEY WOULD ALL KIND OF
TEST ON THE AND AND THAT’S WHEN
THEY’RE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THAT
THAT I HAD A OUR
>> A SLOWLY MICHAEL BEGAN
LOSING HIS VISION BUT THAT
DIDN’T STOP HIM FROM PURSUING
AN EDUCATION HE ATTENDED TEXAS
ANM UNIVERSITY KINGSVILLE THE
TECHNOLOGY WASN’T WHERE IT IS
NOW.
>> BUT THERE WAS STILL A 5TH OF
TECHNOLOGY AT THE TIME MICHAEL
AND A DEGREE IN COMPUTER
INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND STARTED
A JOB AT THE SAN ANTONIO
LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND AND
VISION IMPAIRED THAT WE ALL
HAVE DEALT WITH VISION ALIVE.
I FEEL LIKE WE’RE ALL ABLE TO
KIND OF TELL OUR STORY ABOUT
YOU KNOW WHAT
WE HAD TO DO IN ORDER TO TO BE
SUCCESSFUL IN GOING TO SCHOOL
FINDING WORK. WORD IS DAY TO
DAY LIFE. THAT WE FEEL LIKE.
TO TELL THAT STORY AND BE ENCOURAGED WITH THE PEOPLE MICHAEL IS THE SUPERVISOR IN
THE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT I KEEP TALKING TO
IT. HE TEACHES PEOPLE HOW TO
USE CERTAIN PROGRAMS INCLUDING
TEXT TO SPEECH OR WORD
PREDICTION I COULD GO INTO
EXCEL PUT TOGETHER
A SPREADSHEET.
>> AND AS MOVING THROUGH
TACKED ON BUT THE DOCUMENT IT’S
GOING TO READ THINGS BACK TO ME
AND THAT’S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF
I CAN’T SEE IT.
THE NANNY THAT SPEECH OUT PUT
MICHAEL SAYS FROM
TRANSPORTATION TO PAY HIS BILLS
ONLINE TECHNOLOGY IS HELPING
AND I CAN YOU DO IT ON MY PHONE
I CAN DO IT ON THE COMPUTER.
♪
>> VERY CONVENIENT. >> TECHNOLOGY HAS IMPROVED OVER THE YEARS. THE WEB SITES ARE
LAGGING BEHIND
WITH THE POPULARITY OF ONLINE
SHOPPING AND ONLINE FOOD
ORDERING. ADVOCATES FOR
VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE SEE
WEB SITES NEED TO ACCOMMODATE
EVERYONE RIGHT NOW GOVERNMENT
WEBSITE OR THE ONLY SITES
REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
ACT. THE NUMBER OF FEDERAL
WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY LAWSUITS
NEARLY TRIPLED LAST YEAR.
>> ACCORDING TO A CHICAGO LAW
FIRM THAT TRACKS THESE
LAWSUITS.
>> IF THOSE WEB SITES ARE NOT
SET UP CORRECTLY FOLLOWING
ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS GOING
TO BE VERY HARD TO NAVIGATE.
>> BUT THINGS COULD BE CHANGING
FOR PRIVATE COMPANIES. EARLIER
THIS YEAR PIZZA GIANT DOMINOS
ASK THE US SUPREME COURT TO
SHUT DOWN A LAWSUIT BY A
BLIND MAN WAS THIS DOMINO’S
WEBSITE AND APP DON’T COMPLY
WITH THE 88.
SINCE THE LAW WAS WRITTEN IN
1990 IT DOESN’T SPECIFICALLY
SPELL OUT REQUIREMENTS FOR
WEBSITES OR APPS
THE SUPREME COURT SIDED WITH
THE BLIND MAN ADVOCATES SAY
COMPANIES THAT CHOOSE TO NOT
MAKE THEIR SIGHTS FULLY
ACCESSIBLE ARE LOSING PEOPLE
ARE BLIND.
>> YOU KNOW THEY MAKE GREAT
LIVING OUT THEIR YOU KNOW THEIR
DOCTORS, THEY’RE LAWYERS.
THEY WANT TO SPEND MONEY SO YOU
DON’T HAVE YOUR WEBSITE
EXCESSIVE LOOK FOR LITTLE
ONLINE SHOPPING YOU REALLY ARE
MISSING THE BOAT ON THAT ASPECT
ALSO.
♪
>> MICHAEL HE HOPES ALL WEBSITES CAN BECOME FULLY ACCESSIBLE ONE DAY
AND HIS MESSAGE TO OTHERS WHO
ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED.
DON’T LET YOUR OBSTACLE STOP
YOU DEFINITELY NOT THE END OF
THE WORLD AND I KNOW IT’S A
CLICHE BUT IT.
>> IT REALLY ISN’T ESPECIALLY
IN 2019 WITH WITH ALL THE
TECHNOLOGY AND THE RESOURCES
THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
>> THE DOMINOES LAWSUIT IS NOW IN DISTRICT COURT THEY’LL HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER IT WILL SIDE