Revisiting Guckenberger: Past, Present, and Future of the ADA
**This event is open to the entire Boston University community, area schools, and the general public**
Time: 1 to 2:30 pm; Date: February 14th; Location: Barristers Hall (First floor @ BU Law)

Event description & details…
Please join BUDLAA and EdLaw for a lunchtime lecture celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Professor Peter Blanck of Syracuse University will speak about the development of the ADA, the law’s present challenges and successes, and where there is still room to grow in the realm of higher education and the legal profession. Accessible and allergy friendly lunch will be served!

More details…
Twenty years ago, Dr. Blanck was the ADA expert in a class action against Boston University where a class of students alleged disability discrimination in violation of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Guckenberger v. Boston University (1997) is credited with bringing the “interactive process” over to higher education accommodation procedure. A law student with dyslexia, Elizabeth Guckenberger, was the face of the class action suit. Ms. Guckenberger was subject to unreasonable documentation requests during her accommodations process. More recently, Dr. Blanck served as the ADA expert in litigation against the LSAC. The litigation resulted in sanction against the LSAC for violating their consent decree, preventing the LSAC from “flagging” accommodated test scores and mandating specific protocols for handling accommodation requests.
About the speaker…
Dr. Peter Blanck joins Boston University from his esteemed position as a University Professor at Syracuse University where he holds appointments at the School of Law, College of Arts and Sciences, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, School of Education, and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Professor Blanck is also the Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) which works to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities around the world.
Extra materials…
If you wish to learn more about the Guckenberger case, the LSAC case, or Dr. Blanck please consult the following sources:
Students with Learning Disabilities, Reasonable Accommodations, and the Rights of Colleges and Universities to Establish and Enforce Academic Standards: Guckenberger v. Boston University
[bbi.syr.edu/publications/blanck_docs/1995-1999/Guckenberger_v_BostonU_Blanck.pdf]
Council that administers the LSAT is held in contempt; ADA consent decree is extended
[ABA Online Article www.abajournal.com/news/article/council_that_administers_the_lsat_is_held_in_contempt_ada_consent_decree_is
Story in the Public Square Video featuring Prof. Blanck
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w3tP7mXsuI