Should my friend file a lawsuit?

Question

The college my friend goes to promised her that they would help with her disability. My friend has MS and is having trouble seeing normal print. She needs large print or a larger font in order to see and study her lessons. The Disabled Student Center promised her assistance in any way she needed. Now they seem to be renegging on a promise rendered. Do you think she has the right to sue, or should this be taken to a higher power. I recommended that she take it to the Dean first. Others are saying that she should sue them. What do you folks think? I usually try and work things out with a higher power, before taking drastic measures as such.

Answer 1

A judge would question why she did not seek redress of her greivances before filing a suit.

It seems reasonable that the "higher authorities" would try to help a student. Once se files a lawsuit however, they may refuse to help at all until a verdict is delivered. And that can take years, in some cases.

Answer 2

Actually she should make an appointment to see the Dean of the Department of her major. They usually have enough clout to get the instructors to respond. If she does not have success there, then I would go the next step up, and that would be the college Dean.

If then she cannot get any action, to the Board of Directors of the College or University. They will, if nothing else, come down on them very hard. If there is no reaction there within a day or two, then take it to any association who handles people with MS.

But truthfully, if she wants action now, without waiting, she should speak with any counselors at a center which she attends for her MS disability. A call from them, to the Dean would go very far. After all, she does have a handicap and it isn't fair the instructors should keep her from her studies.

Oh, I've seen the way they act and how long they take for the handicapped students at the college I just graduated from this past may. Some of these instructors figure she has a failing life, and that she won't be well long enough to make the education pay off. I know how they think and they make me truly dislike them for that reason.

Answer 3

Law on this issues varies from state to state, so I could not speak to that, although I feel that a lawsuit would not help your friend from both timeliness and cost points of view. As far as the textbooks go, however, most textbooks at the college level are not in available off the shelf in large print, although you may search the Louis database of accessible materials at:
http://www.aph.org/louis/index.html
to check on availability.
There are a number of options from this point.
1. Accessible technology like a cctv, or a computer with text enlarging software. The list of coordinating agencies for each state is at: http://www.resna.org/taproject/at/statecontacts.html
If computer files for books are required for computer use, they may be requested from the by publisher through the contacts listed at: http://www.publisherlookup.org
2. Books in audible format through http://www.rfbd.org or one of the agencies listed in Louis.
3. Custom enlargements of a book. Although APH can do this http://www.aph.org/atic/atic_lp_form.html
the lead time is generally 8-10 weeks. However, she/the school may apply for copyright permission to enlarge the book themselves, by applying to the publisher contacts listed at the website above (generally the school needs to do this, to certify print disability) With a letter of copyright permission, most commercial copy shops like Kinko's or Pip Printing can perform a quality enlargement.
Your friend probably does not understand the issues related, as she had the books magically show up on the first day of school before college, and the school may not have had a clue where to start the process.