Nyman Turkish Managing Partner, Jason Turkish, Sues And Wins On Behalf Of Blind Triathlete
Aaron Scheidies has been losing his sight since he was nine years old. Despite this extreme challenge, Scheidies has established himself as one of the most accomplished triathletes in the world. However, his success was threatened when USA Triathlon and The International Triathlon Union ordered that he wear blackout glasses during the running portion of triathlons sponsored by the two groups. USA Triathlon and the ITU reasoned that requiring the use of blackout glasses for individuals like Scheidies, who has about 20% of his vision left, would create a “level-playing field” with totally blind triathletes. Scheidies contended that being required to use the blackout glasses created substantial safety issues, and constituted a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The complaint was filed by Richard Bernstein, but the case was taken over by Nyman Turkish Managing Partner Jason Turkish, following Bernstein’s election to the Michigan Supreme Court. Nyman Turkish Partners, Jason Turkish and Melissa Nyman, were able to settle the suit, with USA Triathlon and ITU agreeing that Scheidies would not be required to wear black-out glasses.