Privacy and Terms of Use
1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and share Personal Information of our students, clients, patrons, donors, volunteers, employees, workshop participants, and visitors to our website at https://brailleinstitute.org/ (“Site”), and individuals who contact us to request information. The Website and our other programs, workshops, and services are referred to in this Privacy Policy as “Services.” This Policy describes how we collect and use Personal Information (information which can be used to identify a specific individual) and anonymous data (which cannot be used to identify a specific individual).
2. What Personal Information do we collect
For purposes of this Policy, “Personal Information” means information (whether stored electronically or in paper-based filing systems) relating to a living individual who can be identified from that data (or from that data and other information in our possession).
2.1 Personal Information
We collect Personal Information that is relevant for the purposes for which the data is requested. We may also collect information regarding vision status and demographic information. We do not use your Personal Information in any way that is incompatible with the purposes for which it was collected or for which you have consented. Any Personal Information we collect that includes Client Health Information is subject to our Privacy Policy for Client Health Information.
2.2 Personal Information Collected about Website Visitors or Callers
We may collect Personal Information from visitors to our website and others who contact us to request information. In addition, our web server automatically collects and stores the following information from visitors to our Site:
- We collect information from web browsers, mobile devices, and servers, including browser type, IP address, unique device identifiers, language preference, referring website, date and time of access, operating system and mobile network information.
- We may also determine the approximate location of your device from your IP address. We collect and use this information to determine statistics about our website, including how many people visit our website from certain geographic regions.
- Our Site uses cookies, pixel tags and other tools to collect this information, including Google Analytics cookies.
- You can block our use of cookies through settings in your browser. Because these settings are different in different browsers, we recommend that you visit All About Cookies at allaboutcookies.org, where you can find comprehensive information on cookie management and blocking for a wide variety of browsers.
We do not collect any other categories of information from our website visitors or individuals who simply contact us to request information.
2.3 Personal Information Collected through Third Party and Social Media Websites
We are represented on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. When you visit our page on a social media platform, click on our advertisements or request information, the owner of the platform may collect personal information and share it with us. For information on how the platform collects and uses your personal information, and how you can control the collection and use of your personal information, review the privacy policies for those platforms.
3.How do we use Personal Information?
3.1 Personal Information Collected about Clients
We will use this information:
- to provide you with Services;
- to carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us or any affiliated companies or third party vendors;
- to contact you in the future to provide you with information about other products and services we offer, or that are offered by our affiliates or third party vendors;
- to notify you about changes to our Services;
- to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
3.2 Personal Information Collected about Website Visitors or Callers
We may use this information:
- to provide information you requested about our Services;
- for event registration;
- to solicit and process donations;
- to fulfill orders for products, including books, audio books, tools and guides;
- to subscribe to our emails and newsletters;
- to volunteer;
- to improve our site to ensure that content is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer or other device; and
- as part of our efforts to keep our site safe and secure.
3.3 Third Party and Social Media Websites
We may use this information:
- to provide information about our Services;
- for event registration;
- to solicit and process donations;
- to subscribe to our emails and newsletters; and
- to volunteer;.
4. Do we disclose your Personal Information to any third parties?
4.1 Personal Information Collected about Clients, Donors, Workshop Attendees
We do not sell your Personal Information collected on our Site to any third parties, or share your Personal Information to facilitate advertising goods or services by others.
We may share your information with service providers and contractors to provide Services. The Personal Information we share with service providers and contractors can include all of the categories of Personal Information that we collect but is limited to the Personal Information required to provide the Services. We do not share Personal Information of any person who, to our knowledge, is less than 16 years old without their explicit consent.
By using our Services and providing your Personal Information, you agree that we have the right to disclose the categories of Personal Information we collect, as identified in Section 2, with our service providers for the following business purposes identified in Section 3.
There are other circumstances when we may share your Personal Information:
- Company Transactions – In the unlikely event that we engage in a transaction involving the merger, combination or transfer of assets of Braille Institute with another organization, we may share information in conjunction with such a transaction, provided that we take appropriate precautions (for example, through a written confidentiality agreement) to protect the disclosure of personal information that might be obtained in the course of a review in contemplation of a transaction. If we do engage in a merger, combination or transfer of all or a part of our operations or assets, we will disclose Personal Information to our transaction partner as part of the transaction.
- Legal Proceedings – We may share Personal Information in connection with actual or threatened legal proceedings or alternative dispute resolution proceedings, either initiated by or against us, provided we disclose only the information necessary to file, pursue, or defend against the lawsuit, and take reasonable precautions to ensure that the information disclosed does not become a matter of public record.
- Legal Obligations – If we are under a duty to disclose your Personal Information in order to comply with any legal obligation, or any lawful request by public authorities (including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements), or in order to enforce or apply our terms of use and other agreements; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of us, our customers, or others.
- Fundraising – We are able to provide all services free of charge thanks to the generosity of our donors. Accordingly, we may use your Personal Information for fundraising purposes. You may exercise your right not to receive fundraising contacts or communications by notifying our Development Department at 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553), ext. 1238.
4.2 Personal Information Collected about Website Visitors or Callers
We do not disclose to any third parties Personal Information collected from website visitors or callers seeking additional information about our Services.
5. Our storage of your Personal Information
We use reasonable and appropriate measures to protect your Personal Information from loss, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction, taking into due account the risks involved in processing the Personal Information and the nature of the Personal Information we collect.
We will keep your Personal Information for as long as we need it, or as otherwise prescribed by law, for the purposes set out above. This period will vary depending on your interactions with us. We may also keep a record of correspondence with you (for example if you have made a complaint about our Services) for as long as is necessary for us to defend a legal claim.
6. Access to other websites
Our Site may include links to and from other websites of affiliates or other unaffiliated third parties. If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites are not covered by this Privacy Policy. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third parties or the content of linked sites, and we encourage you to read the applicable privacy policies and terms and conditions of such parties or websites. This Privacy Policy only applies to how we collect and use your Personal Information, and it does not apply to any other company or any other company’s websites even if you access them from our Site. Please check those websites’ policies before you submit any Personal Information to them.
7. Protecting children’s privacy
We are strongly committed to protecting the safety and privacy of children who visit our Site. We have programs that are specifically designed for children, including children younger than thirteen, and in doing so, we collect a child’s name, address, gender, vision status, and other data through our referral form on at https://brailleinstitute.org/child-development. This personal information is obtained from a child’s parents or guardians. In other cases, minor children may participate in our programs and provide their personal information, in each case with their parents’ knowledge.
8. Conditions of use and changes to our privacy policy
If you choose to receive our Services or visit our Site, any dispute over privacy is subject to this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use, including limitations on damages, resolution of disputes, and application of the law of the State of California. If you have any concern about our privacy practices, please contact us with a thorough description, and we will try to resolve it. As our business changes, our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use may change also. We may e-mail periodic reminders of our notices and conditions, but you should check our Site frequently to see recent changes. Unless stated otherwise, our current Privacy Policy applies to all information that we have about you and your account.
9. Contacting us
This Site is owned and operated by Braille Institute. If you have any questions or suggestions with respect to this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please e-mail us at ajtaketa@brailleinstitute.org or you can contact us by mail or telephone at: 1-800-BRAILLE.
Braille Institute of America, Inc.
741 N. Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90029
Attention: General Counsel
Updated [October 2023]
1. BINDING EFFECT. This is a binding agreement. By using the Internet site located at https://brailleinstitute.org, mobile applications and digital platforms (collectively, the “Site”) or any services provided in connection with the Site including registration for a workshop (the “Service”), you agree to abide by these Terms of Use, as they may be amended by Braille Institute of America, Inc. (“Braille Institute” or “Company”) from time to time in its sole discretion. Company will post a notice on the Site any time Company updates or revises these Terms of Use. It is your responsibility to review these Terms of Use periodically, and if at any time you find these Terms of Use unacceptable, you must immediately leave the Site and cease all use of the Service and the Site. YOU AGREE THAT BY USING THE SERVICE YOU REPRESENT THAT YOU ARE LEGALLY ABLE TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT.
2. PRIVACY POLICY. Company respects your privacy and permits you to control the treatment of your personal information. A complete statement of Company’s current privacy policy can be found by clicking here. Company’s privacy policy is expressly incorporated into this Agreement by this reference.
When you open an account to register for any Service or use or access the Site or Service, you must complete the registration process by providing the complete and accurate information requested on the registration form. You are entirely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password if a password is required. You may not use the account, username, or password of someone else at any time. You agree to notify Company immediately on any unauthorized use of your account, user name, or password. Company shall not be liable for any loss that you incur as a result of someone else using your password, either with or without your knowledge. You may be held liable for any losses incurred by Company, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, consultants, agents, and representatives due to someone else’s use of your account or password.
3. USE OF SOFTWARE. Company may make certain software available to you from the Site. If you download software from the Site, the software, including all files and images contained in or generated by the software, and accompanying data (collectively, “Software”) are deemed to be licensed to you by Company, for your personal, noncommercial, home use only. Company does not transfer either the title or the intellectual property rights to the Software, and Company retains full and complete title to the Software as well as all intellectual property rights therein. You may not sell, redistribute, or reproduce the Software, nor may you decompile, reverse-engineer, disassemble, or otherwise convert the Software to a human-perceivable form. All trademarks and logos are owned by Company or its licensors and you may not copy or use them in any manner.
4. LICENSE TO USE COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. Subject to the terms and conditions of these Terms of Use, Company grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and revocable license to access and use the copyrighted material on the Site solely for your personal, non-commercial use. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, store, or transmit any of the copyrighted material on our Site, except as follows: (a) Your computer may temporarily store copies of such materials in RAM incidental to your accessing and viewing those materials; (b) You may store files that are automatically cached by your web browser for display enhancement purposes; and (c) You may print or download one copy of a reasonable number of pages of the Site for your own personal, non-commercial use and not for further reproduction, publication, or distribution. All content on this Site, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, images, and software, is the property of Company or its content suppliers and is protected by international copyright laws. Except as expressly provided in these Terms of Use, no part of the Site and no content may be copied, reproduced, aggregated, republished, uploaded, posted, publicly displayed, encoded, translated, transmitted, distributed, sold, licensed, or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose whatsoever, without our express prior written permission. We reserve the right to terminate or suspend your license to use the copyrighted material at any time and for any or no reason, including for breach of these Terms of Use.
5. COMPLIANCE WITH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS. When accessing the Site or using the Service, you agree to obey the law and to respect the intellectual property rights of others. Your use of the Service and the Site is at all times governed by and subject to laws regarding copyright ownership and use of intellectual property. You agree not to upload, download, display, perform, transmit, or otherwise distribute any information or content (collectively, “Content”) in violation of any third party’s copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property or proprietary rights. You agree to abide by laws regarding copyright ownership and use of intellectual property, and you shall be solely responsible for any violations of any relevant laws and for any infringements of third party rights caused by any Content you provide or transmit, or that is provided or transmitted using your User ID. The burden of proving that any Content does not violate any laws or third party rights rests solely with you.
6. INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT. You shall not make the following types of Content available. You agree not to upload, download, display, perform, transmit, or otherwise distribute any Content that (a) is libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, abusive, or threatening; (b) advocates or encourages conduct that could constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, national, or foreign law or regulation; or (c) advertises or otherwise solicits funds or is a solicitation for goods or services. Company reserves the right to terminate your receipt, transmission, or other distribution of any such material using the Service, and, if applicable, to delete any such material from its servers. Company intends to cooperate fully with any law enforcement officials or agencies in the investigation of any violation of these Terms of Use or of any applicable laws.
7. COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT. Company has in place certain legally mandated procedures regarding allegations of copyright infringement occurring on the Site or with the Service. Company has adopted a policy that provides for the immediate suspension and/or termination of any Site or Service user who is found to have infringed on the rights of Company or of a third party, or otherwise violated any intellectual property laws or regulations. Company’s policy is to investigate any allegations of copyright infringement brought to its attention. If you have evidence, know, or have a good faith belief that your rights or the rights of a third party have been violated and you want Company to delete, edit, or disable the material in question, you must provide Company with all of the following information: (a) a physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the exclusive right that is allegedly infringed; (b) identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works; (c) identification of the material that is claimed to be infringed or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit Company to locate the material; (d) information reasonably sufficient to permit Company to contact you, such as an address, telephone number, and if available, an electronic mail address at which you may be contacted; (e) a statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and (f) a statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed. For this notification to be effective, you must provide it to Company’s designated agent at:
Braille Institute of America, Inc.
741 N. Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90029
Attention: General Counsel
8. ALLEGED VIOLATIONS. Company reserves the right to terminate your use of the Service and/or the Site. To ensure that Company provides a high quality experience for you and for other users of the Site and the Service, you agree that Company or its representatives may access your account and records on a case-by-case basis to investigate complaints or allegations of abuse, infringement of third party rights, or other unauthorized uses of the Site or the Service. Company does not intend to disclose the existence or occurrence of such an investigation unless required by law, but Company reserves the right to terminate your account or your access to the Site immediately, with or without notice to you, and without liability to you, if Company believes that you have violated any of the Terms of Use, furnished Company with false or misleading information, or interfered with use of the Site or the Service by others.
9. NO WARRANTIES. COMPANY HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES. COMPANY IS MAKING THE SITE AVAILABLE “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. YOU ASSUME THE RISK OF ANY AND ALL DAMAGE OR LOSS FROM USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE SITE OR THE SERVICE. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, COMPANY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE SITE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NONINFRINGEMENT. COMPANY DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SITE OR THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR THAT THE OPERATION OF THE SITE OR THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE.
10. LIMITED LIABILITY. COMPANY’S LIABILITY TO YOU IS LIMITED. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL COMPANY BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOST PROFITS, OR LOST DATA, REGARDLESS OF THE FORESEEABILITY OF THOSE DAMAGES) ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE SITE OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS OR SERVICES PROVIDED TO YOU BY COMPANY. This limitation shall apply regardless of whether the damages arise out of breach of contract, tort, or any other legal theory or form of action.
11. AFFILIATED SITES. Company has no control over, and no liability for any third party websites or materials. Company works with a number of partners and affiliates whose Internet sites may be linked with the Site. Because neither Company nor the Site has control over the content and performance of these partner and affiliate sites, Company makes no guarantees about the accuracy, currency, content, or quality of the information provided by such sites, and Company assumes no responsibility for unintended, objectionable, inaccurate, misleading, or unlawful content that may reside on those sites. Similarly, from time to time in connection with your use of the Site, you may have access to content items (including, but not limited to, websites) that are owned by third parties. You acknowledge and agree that Company makes no guarantees about, and assumes no responsibility for, the accuracy, currency, content, or quality of this third party content, and that, unless expressly provided otherwise, these Terms of Use shall govern your use of any and all third party content.
12. PROHIBITED USES. Company imposes certain restrictions on your permissible use of the Site and the Service. You are prohibited from violating or attempting to violate any security features of the Site or Service, including, without limitation, (a) accessing content or data not intended for you, or logging onto a server or account that you are not authorized to access; (b) attempting to probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of the Service, the Site, or any associated system or network, or to breach security or authentication measures without proper authorization; (c) interfering or attempting to interfere with service to any user, host, or network, including, without limitation, by means of submitting a virus to the Site or Service, overloading, “flooding,” “spamming,” “mail bombing,” or “crashing;” (d) using the Site or Service to send unsolicited e-mail, including, without limitation, promotions, or advertisements for products or services; (e) forging any TCP/IP packet header or any part of the header information in any e-mail or in any posting using the Service; or (f) attempting to modify, reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise reduce or attempt to reduce to a human-perceivable form any of the source code used by Company in providing the Site or Service. Any violation of system or network security may subject you to civil and/or criminal liability.
13. INDEMNITY. You agree to indemnify Company for certain of your acts and omissions. You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Company, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, consultants, agents, and representatives from any and all third party claims, losses, liability, damages, and/or costs (including reasonable attorney fees and costs) arising from your access to or use of the Site, your violation of these Terms of Use, or your infringement, or infringement by any other user of your account, of any intellectual property or other right of any person or entity. Company will notify you promptly of any such claim, loss, liability, or demand, and will provide you with reasonable assistance, at your expense, in defending any such claim, loss, liability, damage, or cost.
14. COPYRIGHT. All contents of Site or Service are: Copyright © 2023 Braille Institute of America, Inc. All rights reserved.
15.GOVERNING LAW. These Terms of Use shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the United States and the State of California, without reference to their rules regarding conflicts of law. You hereby irrevocably consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state or federal courts in Los Angeles County, California in all disputes arising out of or related to the use of the Site or Service.
16. SEVERABILITY; WAIVER. If, for whatever reason, a court of competent jurisdiction finds any term or condition in these Terms of Use to be unenforceable, all other terms and conditions will remain unaffected and in full force and effect. No waiver of any breach of any provision of these Terms of Use shall constitute a waiver of any prior, concurrent, or subsequent breach of the same or any other provisions hereof, and no waiver shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by an authorized representative of the waiving party.
17. NO LICENSE. Nothing contained on the Site should be understood as granting you a license to use any of the trademarks, service marks, or logos owned by Company or by any third party.
18. CALIFORNIA USE ONLY. The Site is controlled and operated by Company from its offices in the State of California. Company makes no representation that any of the materials or the services to which you have been given access are available or appropriate for use in other locations. Your use of or access to the Site should not be construed as Company’s purposefully availing itself of the benefits or privilege of doing business in any state or jurisdiction other than California.
19. MODIFICATIONS. Company may, in its sole discretion and without prior notice, (a) revise these Terms of Use; (b) modify the Site and/or the Service; and (c) discontinue the Site and/or Service at any time. Company shall post any revision to these Terms of Use to the Site, and the revision shall be effective immediately on such posting. You agree to review these Terms of Use and other online policies posted on the Site periodically to be aware of any revisions. You agree that, by continuing to use or access the Site following notice of any revision, you shall abide by any such revision.
20. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. BY USING THE SERVICE OR ACCESSING THE SITE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THESE TERMS OF USE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM.
Always committed to integrity and ethical behavior, Braille Institute encourages the prompt reporting of any unethical, illegal, or fraudulent activity. Such reporting can be made without fear of retaliation, discrimination, or harassment.
Reports may be made on a confidential toll-free Whistleblower Hotline which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The number is (855) 463-5277.
Calls can be made anonymously and all reporting is handled with discretion. For additional information, see >Insert PDF Braille Institute’s Whistleblower Policy< and >Insert PDF Optional Misconduct Report Form.<
For Braille program or service questions, suggestions or complaints, please call 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553).
Braille Institute of America, Inc. is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone, and applying the relevant accessibility standards.
Guidelines and Standards
This website endeavours to conform to level Double-A of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities. Conformance with these guidelines will help make the web more user friendly for all people.
This site has been built using code compliant with W3C standards for HTML and CSS. The site displays correctly in current browsers and using standards compliant HTML/CSS code means any future browsers will also display it correctly.
Feedback
We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of Braille Institute. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers on Braille Institute:
- Phone: 1-800-272-4553 (1-800-BRAILLE)
- E-mail: webadmin@brailleinstitute.org
- Visitor address: 741 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029
We try to respond to feedback within 5 business days.
More Information
Information concerning Braille Institute’s programs and services is also available by calling 1-800-272-4553 (1-800-BRAILLE).