Who Wants To Be Eligible?

One of TV'S most popular shows of last season, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" Is making news... A Federal Judge was ordered to require ABC to install electronic equipment, so it would allow more disabled people to become contestants. ABC's rebuttal wants US District Judge Federico Moreno to dismiss the lawsuite contesting that the disputed telephone screening for the qualifing round isn't covered by the American Disablities Act.

Both parties involved agree the question of whether the issue meets the laws definition of public accomodation hasn't ever been addressed directly by another Court.

This will be a ground breaking decision, since there hasn't been any case simuilar to the one the Judge is ruling on. Network Attorney Ronald Rosengarten, noted that blind contestants have competed on the show. It appears that the hearing impaired are currently being excluded due to the fact they can't opperate a touch tone phone.

The estimated number of a million people call this show everyday. After you correctly answer within 10 seconds, you qualify for a random drawing of another round of questons. There isn't any voice recognition software for people who can't operate a touch-tone phone.

Judge Moreno explains, "If ABC would just comply on their own, I wouldn't have to make a ruling on this case, this would simply matters for all concerned." Another solution Moreno offers, is to have a TDD system but Rosengarten responds, "There is a problem with it."

When I read about the article, I thought it was just another discriminatory case against the hearing impaired. The more I pondered about this case, it made me upset at all the TV stations, not only ABC. Why were they being so headstrong and blind against the needs of all their viewers! Why did they have to involve a Judge to show them the way to be Moral to all involved?

Once again the hearing impaired are being slighted, and passed by, we must ban together and demand our rights. Where does it say that hearing impaired people don't want to win a Million Dollars like anyone else?

Are we ever going to be counted as part of lives society, we watch television, we buy their sponsor's products, just the same as the deaf and the rest of the hearing world.

We are being excluded from having a chance to be a contestant on one of America's Most Popular Game Shows, "Who Wants To Be A Millonaire," does the Network not realize we too are part of America? I hope the Network decides to correct this injustice to the hearing impaired, and any other groups of disabled viewers, they may be overlooking or passing by. The important factor isn't WHAT group of people are being left out but we need the situation to be RECTIFIED!

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