The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), represented by Brown, Goldstein & Levy partners Jessie Weber and Eve Hill, along with Julie Dalton, a blind individual residing in Minnesota worked to successfully resolve litigation filed against CVS Pharmacy, Inc. over the accessibility of self-check-in kiosks at MinuteClinic, the retail medical clinic inside CVS Pharmacy.
After voluntarily participating in a structured negotiations process, MinuteClinic proposed that it would phase out existing devices with an accessible alternative, which may be an accessible tablet or another technological solution. MinuteClinic may decide to replace the kiosks at some locations with a receptionist or a person in a similar administrative role to assist all patients, including the blind.
The agreement sets the kiosk phase-out and replacement period at 18 months and stipulates that the accessible alternative shall “afford blind individuals an opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a sighted individual in an equally effective, equally private and independent, and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use.” MinuteClinic will collaborate with the National Federation of the Blind on the development and testing of the accessible alternative.
“We commend MinuteClinic for deciding to leverage the expertise and lived experience of blind Americans by collaborating with us on an accessible solution for all patients,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind in a press release. “We look forward to working with the company towards a more accessible and inclusive patient experience that serves as a model for the healthcare industry and beyond.”
The National Federation of the Blind, headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. Brown Goldstein & Levy is proud to be a long-time partner with the NFB.
ABOUT JESSIE WEBER
Jessie enjoys helping clients navigate a diverse range of difficult legal issues, with a focus on civil rights, including disability and LGBTQ+ rights, employment law, including wage and hour cases, and appellate litigation. An experienced appellate litigator, she has argued before the Fourth, Sixth, Ninth, and D.C. Circuit Courts of Appeals and has also submitted briefs in the United States Supreme Court, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and in state appellate courts in Maryland and Washington State. Jessie is well versed in both complex litigation and negotiations and enjoys using a range of tools to obtain justice for her clients. Learn more about Jessie here.
ABOUT EVE HILL
Eve Hill is one of the nation’s leading civil rights lawyers, known especially for her work with clients with disabilities and LGBTQ+ clients. She has been recognized by Law360 as one of just 12 “Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” for 2023, as well as by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2022 and 2023). Her wide-ranging experience complements Brown, Goldstein & Levy’s decades of dedication to high-impact disability rights cases and its advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities and their families. Eve chairs the Board of Trustees for the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, a national legal advocacy organization advancing and protecting the civil rights of adults and children with mental illness. Eve also leads Inclusivity, BGL’s Strategic Consulting Group, which works with organizations to promote the education, engagement, and employment of people with disabilities. Learn more about Eve here.
ABOUT BROWN, GOLDSTEIN & LEVY
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, D.C. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.