Accessibility in the News — 2/25/2022.

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Feature Stories

ADA Title III Federal Lawsuit Filings Hit An All Time High

February 17, 2022 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw

As regular readers know, the number of ADA Title III lawsuits filed in federal court in 2020 dipped slightly under 11,000, but the plaintiffs’ bar came roaring back in 2021. There were at least 11,452 federal filings last year – an all-time record since we started keeping track in 2013 when there were only 2,722 suits. That’s a 320% increase in eight years. Has the world become more inaccessible? We don’t think physical facilities are any less accessible than they were in 2013…

National News (U.S.)

Nike’s ‘hands-free’ FlyEase tech is coming to Converse sneakers

February 17, 2022 | Source: Input

Since introducing its FlyEase feature, Nike has struggled to keep up with overwhelming demand for the accessibility-focused shoes. Hype surrounding adult FlyEase kicks has kept the disability community — the very demographic it was designed for — from obtaining the sneakers, much less so at retail price. Yet after critique, Nike promised to make its FlyEase offerings more available with additional stock and bigger collections; a promise it looks like it’s fulfilling with a new Dynamo Go FlyEase sneaker for kids and now, the Chuck Taylor All Star CX FlyEase…

Final Reading: Addressing accessibility

February 18, 2022 | Source: VTDigger

Legislative counsel Damien Leonard told House members Friday morning that to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Legislature is required to designate someone to process accommodation requests. Accommodations can include services such as closed captioning that make the lawmaking process accessible to Vermonters with disabilities. But the Legislature does not have that designated person, Leonard said. “It’s something that we’ve been required to have under the ADA for a while, and I think it probably was just an oversight,” Leonard said…

Boulder community comes together to learn sign language

February 18, 2022 | Source: KTVH

What started as a librarian trying to learn sign language has grown into community members wanting to learn American Sign Language (ASL.) Inside a rural community library, one woman is bringing people closer together.

“I go around town, I go to the grocery store, or the coffee shop people say I want to learn ASL. I want to learn sign language. I want to take classes. So I have everyone’s number on speed dial, and I am like ‘sign language class tonight, you better do your homework,'” said Nicole Weitzman…

This Meteorologist Is Using Sign Language To Make Her Weather Reports More Accessible

February 19, 2022 | Source: InspireMore

Mikayla Smith may be a senior at Oklahoma University, but she’s already advocating for positive change in her career as a meteorologist. It all started in seventh grade when her mom, who was a special education teacher at the time, inspired her to learn sign language. Through years of learning what she calls a beautiful language, she’s become aware of the challenges the deaf community faces when trying to stay up to date on breaking news or the weather. Even though closed captioning is helpful, it’s often unavailable or inaccurate, especially when using a phone…

Victoria’s Secret Introduced Its First Model With Down Syndrome And I’m Like, “Finallllllly”

February 19, 2022 | Source: BuzzFeed

Victoria’s Secret announced its latest collection, “The Love Cloud.” According to their website, the campaign features “18 dynamic women from a myriad of backgrounds.” And one of those women is Sofía Jirau. She is the first Victoria’s Secret model with Down Syndrome to be featured by the iconic brand. Sofía celebrated this amazing accomplishment on her Instagram by posting a VS debut photo. “One day I dreamed of it, I worked on it, and today it is a dream come true. I can finally tell you my big secret,” Sofía captioned the post…

Ms. Wheelchair Minnesota Fighting For More Accessibility In Bathrooms

February 20, 2022 | Source: CBS Minnesota

Linda Hood has quite the resume. The clinical scientist has volunteered at the Olympics since 1984, she’s a marathoner and she’s climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. “She’s full of life,” her husband, Richard Smith, said. Now she’s climbing another kind of obstacle. As her husband explains, it happened when they were dating in 2018. “She called me, she always called me when she was traveling, to let me know she got on the plane,” Richard Smith said. “She said, ‘Rick, my legs are kind of weak. I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what’s going on.’ I said, ‘Linda, stay home and go to the doctor first thing in the morning.’…

Disability Advocates: Focus on Accessibility in Voting Reforms

February 20, 2022 | Source: KMA Land

Experts say Missouri ranks low among states when it comes to steps it has taken to improve accessibility in voting. Denise Lieberman, director and general counsel of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, which has a disability-rights committee, said people with disabilities face barriers at all stages of the voting process, from registering to vote to casting a ballot and having their ballot counted. She pointed out for many people with disabilities, casting their vote independently is really important, and there should be accessible options both in-person and absentee…

Diabetes can cause blindness. A trip to this pharmacy could help

February 21, 2022 | Source: Tampa Bay Times

If You Have Diabetes, This Is When You’ll Begin to Feel Symptoms

February 18, 2022 | Source: Eat This, Not That

Just yards from an aisle stocked with baby shampoo and diapers, David Bredahl sits in a small darkened room inside his local CVS store. Diagnosed with diabetes when he was 13, Bredahl is now 68. His retinas bear scars from the laser surgeries needed to correct the damage that high blood sugar levels have wreaked on the tiny blood vessels that connect to light-sensitive tissue at the back of his eyes. Diabetics are told to get their eyes checked once a year…

Don’t be scared to talk about disabilities. Here’s what to know and what to say

February 22, 2022 | Source: NPR

Let’s start with some numbers. More than one billion people — nearly 15% of the world’s population — experience some form of disability. In the United States alone, about 61 million or one out of every four adults live with at least one disability. So it’s probably safe to say that you know someone with a disability or might be disabled yourself. To be clear, these disabilities may not be physical or even visible: they could be learning, developmental or intellectual disabilities, or mental or chronic illness, to name a few. But as common as disability is, not many people know how to talk about disability or how to interact with disabled people…

Two Hockey Fans Want To Change How The NHL Approaches Accessibility

February 22, 2022 | Source: FiveThirtyEight

Like so many people in the disabled community, Boston hockey fans Jill Murphy and Chanel Keenan met on Twitter. They realized immediately that not only do they both support the Boston Bruins, but they also face similar barriers at the rink. They both have trouble accessing concession stands and often need to ask others to get things for them; they can’t buy tickets online and instead use a phone reservation system to obtain accessible seating. They also both worry about the high price of tickets — a problem for many but one that’s of particular concern to disabled fans, who may have less money to spend on leisure…

“Disability Rights Are Civil Rights”: ADA Advocate Stresses Educational Accessibility Protections

February 22, 2022 | Source: Mustang News

Civil rights attorney and ADA educator Paul Grossman presented the importance of disability rights and protections in academia. Grossman spoke to Cal Poly and Cuesta College faculty on Feb. 14 which was organized by the disability departments at each college. Grossman has been involved in civil rights work for 50 years and has spoken to different college campuses, according to Cuesta’s Disabled Student Programs & Services Specialist Lisa Curtis, who introduced Grossman…

Biden administration taps S.F. transit leader to help improve access for disabled people

February 23, 2022 | Source: The San Francisco Examiner

For able-bodied people, a poorly paved sidewalk or an out-of-order escalator might elicit inaudible muttering or mild cursing, but they can be serious hindrances to a disabled person’s life. Maddy Ruvolo, a disabled urban planner for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), has spent her career ensuring that disabled people can seamlessly navigate their neighborhood and surrounding areas. Now her work has caught the attention of President Joe Biden, who recently appointed her to serve on the board of an agency that promotes accessibility, especially in transportation, for disabled people…

Dave Grohl says he’s been reading lips because of hearing loss

February 23, 2022 | Source: CNN & HuffPost

The pandemic has made life more difficult for Dave Grohl in a surprising way. In a recent appearance on “The Howard Stern Show,” the Foo Fighters frontman shared that his years as a rock musician have taken a toll on his hearing. Grohl said he can hear the music on stage and in the studio, but if he were sitting next to someone at dinner in a crowded restaurant, he said he can’t understand a single word. Mask wearing due to the pandemic has also hindered his ability to understand what people are saying, he said…

Embracing Accessibility and Getting ADA-Excited (Casting Light #10)

February 23, 2022 | Source: I Care If You Listen

“Music is the universal language of mankind.” You’ve probably heard this quote (attributed to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) somewhere before. Its meaning is straightforward enough; no matter who you are, where you come from, or what words you are able to speak and write, music is a form of communication you can understand. But for such a communal experience, the world of live music performance frequently excludes a massive group of people who have just as deep a need and a right to engage with it as everyone else — the disabled community…

Eating More of This Carbohydrate Could Reduce Your Dementia Risk, According to New Research

February 23, 2022 | Source: EatingWell

What you eat can have a major influence on your brain health. That’s why some eating patterns—like the MIND diet, which combines the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet—focus on ingredients that can help keep your brain young. And while the foods that the MIND diet prioritizes are great ways to protect your brain, new research indicates that one nutritional priority in particular can have a big positive impact. Consuming more dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber, may reduce your risk of dementia, a study of more than 3,500 adults in Japan found…

What Every Programmer Should Know About Digital Accessibility

February 24, 2022 | Source: MakeUseOf

Accessibility is becoming even more essential for programmers to understand. In 2020, the US Supreme Court ruled in Domino’s vs. Robles that the internet and apps are ‘places’ in relation to the Americans with Disabilities Act. That means that disabled people can now sue digital applications that aren’t accessible. More than just a legal obligation, many developers feel a responsibility to improve accessibility. This led Electronic Arts to announce they wouldn’t enforce their accessibility patents so that other developers could leverage them to make more inclusive games…

Judiciary bill aims to affirm parental rights of the blind

February 24, 2022 | Source: Minnesota House of Representatives

People who have lost their sight should not also lose their civil liberties. But that is happening all the time in Minnesota courts and elsewhere when blind people face wrongful discrimination based solely on their disability, said Rep. Aisha Gomez (DFL-Mpls). “Because of fear and misconceptions about blindness, parents who are blind experience disproportionally high rates of child removal and loss of parental rights,” said Gomez. “Blind people can parent as well as anybody else.”…

10 common reasons you have blurry vision in one eye and how to treat it

February 24, 2022 | Source: Insider

Blurry vision in one eye can affect all or just parts of your visual field. It makes objects appear out of focus or cloudy and can interfere with day to day activities, even with your glasses or contact lenses in place. Sudden blurry vision in one or both eyes may indicate a medical emergency like a stroke or detached retina. Other, more gradual changes can be a sign of refractive errors. Usually, your best option whenever you experience blurred vision in one eye is to get it checked by a doctor, says Farzan Gorgani, MD, an ophthalmologist at New Jersey Eye Center…

Evidence of Earliest Ear Surgery in Human History Found On a 5,300-Year-Old Skull

February 24, 2022 | Source: The Weather Channel

Given the development that has occurred in the field of medical science and technology, most surgeries and medical procedures that take place in the modern world seem quite reliable. Amid such advanced circumstances, it is easy to forget that such operations — both simple and complex — have been conducted for thousands of years, even when we lacked the optimal technology and in-depth knowledge to carry them out. Now, in a discovery on these lines, researchers seem to have found evidence of the earliest ear surgery performed on a human being…

Groups caring for disabled Iowans lobby elected leaders for help

February 24, 2022 | Source: Siouxland Proud

Families and organizations specializing in services that care for disabled Iowans made their best funding pitch to state legislators Wednesday. Groups like Candeo Iowa say the pandemic and lack of Medicaid funding from the state is creating chaos. It has caused them to pull services from Iowans with lifelong disabilities. Merry Gerzema’s adult son Tim has a lifelong disability. She used her time inside the Capitol to put legislators in her shoes…

Jack Fact — Across the globe, between 93 million and 150 million children live with disabilities. The World Health Organization and the World Bank estimate that in some countries “being disabled doubles the chance of never enrolling in school”.

Hit The Road Jack — Resident’s question leads to new handicapped accessible pavilion on Hilton Head& Perth’s best wheelchair-accessible trails

International News

Improved accessibility needed for transportation planning, says the council

February 17, 2022 Source: Eminetra- Canada

The York region needs to place more emphasis on accessibility when it comes to transit. This was the message that the Aurora Council delivered to local representatives this month when it presented local legislators with the latest information on the 2022 Transportation Master Plan. The updated Master Plan aims to be a blueprint for the region by 2051. This includes planning regional road cycling and trail networks, strengthening development for high-speed transportation, and improving roads…

Disabled people risk being ‘left out’ of post-pandemic urban design, report reveals

February 18, 2022 | Source: Air Quality News- England

A report outlining the impacts of the low-car transition in cities on disabled people and pathways to achieving an inclusive low-car city has been published by climate charity Possible and the University of Westminster’s Active Travel Academy. The report is the product of in-depth interviews and a focus group consisting of people with a range of disabilities. Participants recognised that reducing car use is a vital part of addressing the climate crisis, but emphasised that creating low-car futures must be a process that accounts for the challenges disabled people face in their daily lives…

48% of govt. buildings in States, 8% of public buses made accessible

February 20, 2022 | Source: The Hindu- India

Almost half the State and Union Territory government buildings identified during access audits in 2016-2017 have been made accessible, while only around 8% of public buses are fully accessible under the Accessible India campaign that is scheduled to end in June, according to government data. Data provided by the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry to the Rajya Sabha in response to a question by Nationalist Congress Party MP Vandana Chavan on February 9 showed that 48.5% of the State/Union Territory government buildings had been made accessible, as against the target of 50%…

17-year-old student on a mission to transform the colour blind picture in the UK

February 21, 2022 | Source: FE News- UK

Connor, a grade 11 student (aged 17) at ACS International School Egham, is leading an initiative to raise awareness of colour blindness and provide practical solutions, by running testing for young students in his school and introducing special glasses for colour blindness for students to use. It is estimated that one in 12 males and one in 200 females are colour blind (nearly three million in England), but the condition often goes undetected. Through his project, Connor, who is red and green colour vision deficient himself, has established a relationship with EnChroma, creators of glasses for colour blindness and providers of an online colour blindness test…

Brothers Abdul and Mo Syed are legally blind but that hasn’t stopped them taking up skateboarding

February 21, 2022 | Source: ABC- Australia

When Abdul Syed isn’t busy with his year 10 studies, he picks up his skateboard and heads outside to practice a new trick he has been trying to nail called the shove-it. Abdul’s 11-year-old brother Mo usually joins him, and the pair can be spotted at their local Canberra skate park on most sunny weekends. It is impressive to see the pair taking on the ramps, not least because Abdul does so with a cane in hand. “I can’t really see anything much. It’s basically just a blur, to be honest,” Abdul said…

Deaf children falling behind as specialist teacher numbers fall

February 20, 2022 | Source: The Guardian- England

The number of specialist teachers of the deaf in England is at its lowest for a decade, leading to warnings that the decline is leaving hearing-impaired children “fighting for their futures”. The number has fallen by 16.5% since 2011, a report by the Consortium for Research into Deaf Education shows. The report found there are 887 fully qualified teachers of the deaf, compared with 1,062 in 2011. The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) fears the decline will worsen the achievement gap between deaf and hearing children…

‘Everyone can benefit’: Learning Auslan gives you a new language and new culture

February 21, 2022 | Source: ABC- Australia

Despite growing up with hearing loss, it was a housemate who inspired Kate Disher-Quill to start Auslan lessons. “I was kind of shocked that I hadn’t thought about [learning Auslan] before,” says Disher-Quill, a multidisciplinary artist based in Melbourne. “The first class was pretty interesting. I was the only deaf or hard of hearing person in the class. It was almost like I was special,” Disher-Quill says. “It was the first time where I felt like my deafness was celebrated. So that was a confronting, but also exciting experience.”…

Wheelchairs used to map accessible routes

February 21, 2022 | Source: Cities Today- Australia

Sunshine Coast Council in Australia is using sensor-equipped wheelchairs to map the best routes for mobility-impaired residents and visitors. The trial, in partnership with Briometrix and Spinal Life Australia, will use devices installed on wheelchairs operated by specially trained local ‘Pilots’ to track routes from Maroochydore to Mooloolaba. Briometrix’s technology collects information about footpath conditions, access to public transport and parking, amenities, boardwalks, beach access and more…

IT ministry initiates public consultation on draft data accessibility and use policy

February 22, 2022 | Source: The Hindu- India

UGC Releases Draft Guidelines On Accessibility At HEIs; Invites Suggestions From Stakeholders

February 24, 2022 | Source: NDTV- India

The IT ministry has come out with a draft policy that proposes a framework for government-to-government data sharing and moots that all data for every government department or its organisation shall be open and sharable by default, with certain riders. The draft ‘India Data Accessibility and Use Policy’ circulated for public consultation — will be applicable to all data and information created, generated and collected by the government directly or through ministries, departments and authorised agencies. The policy aims to “radically transform” India’s ability to harness public sector data for large scale social transformation…

Turning the tables on accessibility

February 22, 2022 | Source: The Guardian- UK

I work as a client-side developer at the Guardian, and until recently I was a member of the Subscriptions team. The focus of my team was to encourage readers to support us through digital subscriptions. At the Guardian we believe in keeping quality journalism free and open for all. This means we need to highlight clearly to our readers why supporting us through a digital subscription is a good thing to do and present the benefits to them. Through user experience research we tested ways to explain the benefits of a digital subscription and narrowed down the best ideas…

Disabled staff and clients deserve more from the law

February 23, 2022 | Source: Legal Futures- UK

Many lawyers and legal staff will be returning to their offices in light of the government’s Covid-19 revised guidance on working from home. While many will be looking forward to returning to a familiar working environment and re-connecting with peers and colleagues, disabled lawyers and staff may not relish the prospect of re-adjusting to unaccommodating public transport, antiquated buildings, and poorly adjusted working environments. Accessibility remains a real issue for the legal profession, particularly for the Bar…

Dog owners are half as likely to develop a disability in older age

February 23, 2022 | Source: New Scientist- UK

People who own a dog have a much lower risk of disability in older age – but cat owners don’t seem to be protected in the same way. Unsurprisingly, the benefit is lost if you don’t walk your dog – or take part in another form of exercise – more than once a week. Yu Taniguchi at the National Institute for Environmental Studies in Tsukuba, Japan, and his colleagues asked around 11,000 people aged 65 to 84 years old if they currently or previously owned a cat or dog. The researchers then tracked the onset of cognitive and physical disability in the participants for 3.5 years between 2016 to 2020…

New Study Calls For Action To Improve Accessibility In UK Animation Industry

February 24, 2022 | Source: Kidscreen- UK

British animation studios need to take significant action if they want to attract and retain disabled talent, according to a new report by ScreenSkills that paints a “bleak picture” of the UK animation sector’s current state of accessibility. Among more than 120 animation workers who responded to the survey, disabled animators reported experiencing more problems at work than their non-disabled counterparts. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of disabled respondents feel that the UK sector discriminates against them…

Tackling eye disease in South Africa!

February 24, 2022 | Source: Expat Living- South Africa

Two South Africans – a former Singapore expat and a current one – are collaborating on a great cause in their home country. After finishing a stint in Singapore in 2012, AMANDA SECCOMBE has gone on to launch a non-profit called the Eyes2Eyes Foundation, which aims to help people with treatable blindness in South Africa. Amanda was inspired to start the organisation after her own personal experience – and ongoing journey – with eye disease. Artist Sue Gray still lives in Singapore; she met Amanda here, and the two kept in touch in the years that followed…

More Implants Means More Celebrations Today

February 25, 2022 | Source: Scoop- New Zealand

As more and more people receive a life-changing cochlear implant and hear again, International Cochlear Implant Day today 25 February is truly something to celebrate in Aotearoa in 2022. In last year’s Budget the Government allocated an extra $28 million over four years for adult cochlear implants. The Southern Cochlear Implant Programme (SCIP) has performed 36 adult operations since 1 July, chief executive Neil Heslop says, and is well on the way to completing this year’s total allocation of 60…

Don’t Cut Corners When Caring For Disabled People

February 25, 2022 | Source: Scoop- New Zealand

Disability care providers do not need to sacrifice the dignity of those they care for to manage health and safety, WorkSafe New Zealand says. Last year the service arm of the IHC New Zealand Incorporated, IDEA Services Limited, was sentenced after the death of an intellectually disabled person in its care. In October 2016 a service user drowned after being left alone in the bath. Recent media coverage suggests some providers have ceased providing baths to those living with disability, citing health and safety as the reason. WorkSafe says this indicates the true lessons from that tragic incident are being missed…

Prosthetics craftsmen hope to ‘repair humans’ in ailing Venezuela

February 24, 2022 | Source: France 24- Venezuela

“I used to repair car tires. Now I repair humans,” boasts Jose Bastidas, an amputee who left his auto repair job to make artificial limbs in Venezuela, where the health system has all but collapsed. “Getting someone to walk is priceless,” the 41-year-old told AFP at the Zona Bionica workshop in Caracas. Bastidas joined the company as a trainee prosthetics manufacturer seven years ago after losing his right leg in a road accident. “I don’t earn much,” he said, “but it is thrilling to see people stand up.”…

Persons with disabilities attend ‘SCNIC camp’

February 25, 2022 | Source: Business Recorder- Pakistan

Persons with disabilities attended this highly anticipated camp to acquire their new Disability Certificates and Special CNICs. The SCNIC camp was made fully accessible with assistive devices and sign language interpreters.

Tools like the one-window SCNIC Camps are significant in speeding up the otherwise lengthy and tedious process of getting Special CNICs and disability certificates. All relevant governmental departments and people like SPDPA, NADRA, and medical doctors come under one roof together to facilitate persons with disabilities in getting this important document which is synonymous with their identity…

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