Group Of Blind Travelers Sue Las Vegas' McCarren Airport

The National Federation of the Blind has filed a lawsuit against Las Vegas' McCarren airport over the use of electronic touchscreen kiosks throughout the airport, the Associated Press reports.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of four travelers, targets McCarren specifically because, unlike other national airports, the kiosks are run by the airport not the individual airlines.

The suit claims that the airport's owner, Clark County, is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide equal services to visually-impaired travelers. Furthermore, NFB spokesman Chris Danielsen told AOL Travel that "because of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, any federally funded place, including airports, needs to make [non-touch screen technology] available."

All four travelers have used, or are planning to use, McCarren. Two of the travelers, Alan and Billie Ruth Schlank of Arlington, V.A., have a time-share condo in Las Vegas; Joyce Pratt, of Gillette, N.J. has family in town; and Mark Adreon, of Seattle, is planning a vacation in town and, according to the complaint, "will be faced with the dilemma of having to wait for an airline employee to assist him with the check-in process, or having to provide sensitive, private information to a sighted stranger."

The "common use self-service" kiosks exclude the use by blind passengers, the suit claims. The NFB has roughly 50,000 members. The suit seeks unspecified damages and an injunction ordering the compliance by the airport.

UPDATE: In response, McCarren International Airport spokeswoman Elaine Sanchez told AOL Travel:

McCarran International Airport attorneys are in the process of researching the facts and issues raised in the case just filed. We cannot comment on this matter until our attorneys have reviewed the allegations.