Sony has been less than helpful in dealing with my disibility. I am not asking for special treatment, rather a level playing field.
Here is one example of a letter I wrote to Sony last month. Please note I never received even a telephone call.
The Office of the President
National Customer Relations Department
Executive Office
Sony Corporation of America
550 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022-3211
(212) 833-6800
(239) 768-7790
Dear Gentlemen and Ladies,
I am an independent film maker living in California and am handicapped as defined under the American with Disabilities Act.
I called for a pre-sales question concerning a pro camera model 510 NTSC model.
I called Andy in your Business to Business Office in New Jersey and he said he had the information available in PDF format only.
I explained my disabilities, and he said that Sony had nothing for me, and hung up.
This will be my second HD camera from Sony, last time it took almost two years to receive an A.D.A. compliant manual, and this takes the edge off the technology if my competitors can read the manual two years before it is available to me.
I have downloaded the pdf files on the new camera and they WILL NOT work in my screen reader as they are copyrighted and screen reader can NOT disass4mble them for text to speech. I have the latest version of Adobe Pro with screen reader technology but still all the documents are A.D.A. non-compliant.
The law is very specific, please come into compliance, and help the handicapped help themselves.
Best Wishes,
Marty
Next Sony would not register me for the training because I have a service animal and they did not me to be in the way at their show. I became upset and wrote Josh the following.
Joshua Dodge
Sony Media Software
1617 Sherman Ave.
Madison, WI 53704
Re: ten (10) day notice to correct
Mr. Dodge,
I am handicapped as defined under the American with Disabilities Act, and require the use of a medical dog.
I tried to register for your event in Las Vegas Nevada USA and was told that I could not attend because of my need for a service animal.
Title III says in part:
Sec.36.101 Purpose.
The purpose of this part is to implement title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12181), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public accommodations and requires places of public accommodation and commercial facilities to be designed, constructed, and altered in compliance with the accessibility standards established by this part.
Sec.36.102 Application.
(a) General. This part applies to any --
(1) Public accommodation;
(2) Commercial facility; or
(3) Private entity that offers examinations or courses related to applications, licensing, certification, or credentialing for secondary or postsecondary education, professional, or trade purposes.
(b) Public accommodations. (1) The requirements of this part applicable to public accommodations are set forth insubparts B, C, and D of this part.
(2) The requirements of subparts B and C of this part obligate a public accommodation only with respect to the operations of a place of public accommodation.
(3) The requirements of subpart D of this part obligate a public accommodation only with respect to --
(i) A facility used as, or designed or constructed for use as, a place of public accommodation; or
(ii) A facility used as, or designed and constructed for use as, a commercial facility.
(c) Commercial facilities. The requirements of this part applicable to commercial facilities are set forth in subpart D of this part.
(d) Examinations and courses. The requirements of this part applicable to private entities that offer examinations or courses as specified in paragraph (a) of this section are set forth in Sec.36.309.
(e) Exemptions and exclusions. This part does not apply to any private club (except to the extent that the facilities of the private club are made available to customers or patrons of a place of public accommodation), or to any religious entity or public entity
I will file a federal law suit against Sony, Sony Media Software, and Sony Corporation if this gross violation of law is not corrected within 10 days from Monday, March 14, 2005, or on or after the 25 of March 2005.
Martin Baldwin
/*********************************/
OK, what's the point? Well if companies can get away with mistreating their weak users (customers), guess who's next on the list? It's all fine until they do it to you, then explain how you feel when they don't allow you in because perhaps you are black, or you require a wheel chair?
I am stubborn and always try to do what I say, so I'am going anyway, just perhaps not to the Sony training booth.
Best Wishes,
Marty
Here is one example of a letter I wrote to Sony last month. Please note I never received even a telephone call.
The Office of the President
National Customer Relations Department
Executive Office
Sony Corporation of America
550 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022-3211
(212) 833-6800
(239) 768-7790
Dear Gentlemen and Ladies,
I am an independent film maker living in California and am handicapped as defined under the American with Disabilities Act.
I called for a pre-sales question concerning a pro camera model 510 NTSC model.
I called Andy in your Business to Business Office in New Jersey and he said he had the information available in PDF format only.
I explained my disabilities, and he said that Sony had nothing for me, and hung up.
This will be my second HD camera from Sony, last time it took almost two years to receive an A.D.A. compliant manual, and this takes the edge off the technology if my competitors can read the manual two years before it is available to me.
I have downloaded the pdf files on the new camera and they WILL NOT work in my screen reader as they are copyrighted and screen reader can NOT disass4mble them for text to speech. I have the latest version of Adobe Pro with screen reader technology but still all the documents are A.D.A. non-compliant.
The law is very specific, please come into compliance, and help the handicapped help themselves.
Best Wishes,
Marty
Next Sony would not register me for the training because I have a service animal and they did not me to be in the way at their show. I became upset and wrote Josh the following.
Joshua Dodge
Sony Media Software
1617 Sherman Ave.
Madison, WI 53704
Re: ten (10) day notice to correct
Mr. Dodge,
I am handicapped as defined under the American with Disabilities Act, and require the use of a medical dog.
I tried to register for your event in Las Vegas Nevada USA and was told that I could not attend because of my need for a service animal.
Title III says in part:
Sec.36.101 Purpose.
The purpose of this part is to implement title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12181), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public accommodations and requires places of public accommodation and commercial facilities to be designed, constructed, and altered in compliance with the accessibility standards established by this part.
Sec.36.102 Application.
(a) General. This part applies to any --
(1) Public accommodation;
(2) Commercial facility; or
(3) Private entity that offers examinations or courses related to applications, licensing, certification, or credentialing for secondary or postsecondary education, professional, or trade purposes.
(b) Public accommodations. (1) The requirements of this part applicable to public accommodations are set forth insubparts B, C, and D of this part.
(2) The requirements of subparts B and C of this part obligate a public accommodation only with respect to the operations of a place of public accommodation.
(3) The requirements of subpart D of this part obligate a public accommodation only with respect to --
(i) A facility used as, or designed or constructed for use as, a place of public accommodation; or
(ii) A facility used as, or designed and constructed for use as, a commercial facility.
(c) Commercial facilities. The requirements of this part applicable to commercial facilities are set forth in subpart D of this part.
(d) Examinations and courses. The requirements of this part applicable to private entities that offer examinations or courses as specified in paragraph (a) of this section are set forth in Sec.36.309.
(e) Exemptions and exclusions. This part does not apply to any private club (except to the extent that the facilities of the private club are made available to customers or patrons of a place of public accommodation), or to any religious entity or public entity
I will file a federal law suit against Sony, Sony Media Software, and Sony Corporation if this gross violation of law is not corrected within 10 days from Monday, March 14, 2005, or on or after the 25 of March 2005.
Martin Baldwin
/*********************************/
OK, what's the point? Well if companies can get away with mistreating their weak users (customers), guess who's next on the list? It's all fine until they do it to you, then explain how you feel when they don't allow you in because perhaps you are black, or you require a wheel chair?
I am stubborn and always try to do what I say, so I'am going anyway, just perhaps not to the Sony training booth.
Best Wishes,
Marty