Ninth Circuit upholds right of blind law grad to use assistive technology on Bar Exam

The Chronicle of Higher Education's Wired Campus blog reports that Stephanie Enyart, a blind graduate of UCLA School of Law, won a legal victory today in her fight to take two legal exams with help from assistive software. Ms. Enyart tried to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam and the Multistate Bar Exam using a computer equipped with assistive technology software known as JAWS
and ZoomText. The State Bar of California had no problem with Ms. Enyart’s request but the National Conference of Bar Examiners refused to approve this particular accommodation (though they did offer other options). She sued under the Americans with Disabilities Act seeking injunctive relief, and a district court ruled that the conference must let her take the exams with the assistive software. Today’s decision, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, upheld the lower court’s rulings.  A pdf of the Ninth Circuit opinion can be found here.