Accessibility in the News—12/21/18.

For people with disabilities, getting around can be fraught with obstacles—from inaccessible transportations systems that fail to accommodate travelers wheelchairs, to people using parking spots illegally. Learn about empathy signs in parking lots, revamped facilities, and the concepts affecting the future of accessible transportation in this week’s Accessibility in the News.

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“The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not what he is able to receive.”

― Albert Einstein

National News (U.S.)

How deaf researchers are reinventing science communication

December 11, 2018 | Source: The Verge | Deaf/Hearing Impaired, Innovation, Inclusion

What do synapses actually look like? Or macrophages, the cleanup crew of the bloodstream? Can you picture the process of metastasis, the spread of cancerous cells through the body? Science can feel pretty abstract in English: the words themselves don’t teach you much about the concepts they describe. They’re just necessary bits of jargon to be memorized. But some researchers are finding ways to translate this complex language and make it more accessible…

Web Accessibility: Buzzword or Reality?

December 13, 2018 | Source: Hacker Noon | Digital Accessibility, Awareness, Inclusion

Web Accessibility. The unexpected lovechild of Sir Tim Berners Lee, a shoddy 12″ monochrome screen that went black (and never came back) and a cat that ran away with the mouse. The cat came back, but by the time we found the mouse again, Steve Jobs decided we should all be poking at our screens instead. Rewind to August 6, 1991 — which to the snowflake generation may seem like ages ago, except it wasn’t — a mere 27 years ago, when the first web page went live, that web page was accessible…

Accessibility and inclusivity: two vital elements of mobility

December 14, 2018 | Source: Intelligent Transport | Inclusion, Mobility, Accessible Design

How many times in the past year have you heard someone say that the future of mobility is shared, electric, autonomous and connected? While this utopian view sounds like something we should strive for, we are missing two critical aspects of mobility, says Carol Schweiger, President of Schweiger Consulting and Chairperson of the New England Intelligent Transportation Society: accessibility and inclusivity. It is imperative that mobility, regardless of how it is powered and how it is integrated, is firstly, accessible to all and secondly, equitable, meaning it is available to all irrespective of a traveller’s demographic…

Advocate warns about Lexington Center accessibility

December 14, 2018 | Source: Wicked Local Lexington | Advocacy, Discrimination, Awareness

Lexington Center’s sidewalks are difficult for many people with disabilities to traverse. A local disabilities advocate, however, believes the town’s planned redesign of the streetscape will fall short of fixing these accessibility problems. The sidewalk materials planned for use, Commission on Disability Chair Victoria Buckley said, will present challenges for people with mobility issues, visual impairments, and neurological conditions. In these respects, Buckley does not believe the current plan is a major improvement over the status quo…

What can Metro Bus do to be more accessible and comply with the ADA?

December 14, 2018 | Source: St. Cloud Times | ADA, Transit/Transportation, Awareness

Most of the Metro Bus facilities meet requirements in the Americans with Disabilities Act, but not all of the bus stops in the St. Cloud area system are fully accessible, according to the new Metro Bus ADA Transition Plan. The bus system reviewed all its buildings, vehicles and bus stops and completed the ADA Transition Plan this fall. Officials will take feedback on it through Monday. Transit Advocate Kim Pettman sees need for improvement with Metro Bus’ stops as well, especially in winter when snow banks hinder mobility and at stops without a shelter…

Meet the 9-year-old Austin-area best friends behind Microsoft’s emotional viral commercial

December 14, 2018 | Source: Austin360 | Inclusion, Awareness, Accessible Design

If you’re planning to binge-watch some Christmas movies this holiday season, keep the tissues handy. Microsoft’s newest national commercial, which thanks to its heartwarming message of inclusivity, is sure to open up the waterworks. But even more touching than the ad itself is the deep, unwavering real-life friendship between the two Austin-area 9-year-olds who star in it. The ad, called “Reindeer Games,” starts with a young boy sprinting through his snowy neighborhood, corralling friends with the words, “He’s gonna do it! You’ve got to see this!”…

Tents blocking sidewalks, steep sidewalk grades; a fight for disability rights

December 15, 2018 | Source: KIRO Seattle | Mobility, Discrimination, Disability Rights

Lori Bridgewater is a paralegal working in the Homicide and Violent Crimes unit. She recently suffered a stroke and now uses a wheelchair. She said the life-changing experience led her to realize the struggles many people who are disabled face every day when trying to access the courthouse. One challenge – some sidewalks in the Pioneer Square area are often blocked by homeless residents, forcing her into traffic. Now she’s sharing her story to help push businesses and the city to become more ADA compliant…

Fairfax County’s Commission on Aging rolls out “empathy signs” for accessible parking spots

December 15, 2018 | Source: WDVM 25 | Aging, Accessible Parking, Awareness

According to the Fairfax County Commission on Aging, Fairfax County police issue about 200 to 300 citations each year against cars parked illegally in handicap-accessible parking spots. That statistic doesn’t include drivers who borrow handicap placards. Last year, the commission tried an intrinsic motivator with its empathy parking signs. Commission member Mike Perel says the county’s extrinsic motivator — a $500 fine, recently raised from $250 — hasn’t made a dent in such parking citations…

Adult with disabilities make a difference for kids around the Midlands for Christmas

December 15, 2018 | Source: WLTX19 | Parenting, Inclusion, Awareness

One group of Midlands adults with disabilities are giving to kids for the holiday season. On Friday at the Platt Springs Head Start Center, a school for three to five-year-olds, a new tradition is beginning. Daphne Suber, the director at the school, says it’s a day the kids have been waiting on for a long time. “We are having our winter celebration with our Head Start children and we are collaborating, trying to get partnership with United Cerebral Palsy,” said Suber…

The Gorgeous, Historic Quincy Station Is Now ADA-Accessible

December 17, 2018 | Source: Streetsblog Chicago | ADA, Accessible Design, Mobility

Last week the city of Chicago celebrated renovation of the historic Quincy Loop ‘L’ station, which modernized the station to make it wheelchair accessible, while maintaining its old-timey flair. It’s part of the city’s project to make the entire CTA system accessible to people with disabilities over the next two decades. (Many have argued that’s too slow a timetable — 42 of Chicago’s 145 ‘L’ stations are still inaccessible to wheelchair users.) The Quincy stop sees over 2.2 million trips a year on the Brown, Orange, Pink and Purple lines, and is a transfer point for 11 CTA bus routes…

Will We Be Cyborgs? Robots and the Future of Disability

December 17, 2018 | Source: The Mighty | Innovation, Mobility, Awareness

Robots are in the news a lot these days, especially robots for people with disabilities. In Japan, a recently-opened café hired people with disabilities to operate robotic servers that take orders and bring food. The futuristic dining experience brings in customers while also providing valuable jobs to people who would otherwise be unemployed. When I heard about this café, I was reminded of the movie “Surrogates,” in which humans live their lives through robotic bodies that were originally developed for people with disabilities…

Facing ‘Drive-By’ or ‘Surf-By’ ADA Website Lawsuits

December 17, 2018 | Source: Texas Lawyer | ADA, Digital Accessibility, Lawsuits/Litigation

The recent passing of former President George H. W. Bush was an opportunity for Texans to look back on his career of public service with pride. One of his administration’s most significant achievements was the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, passed with bipartisan support to protect individuals with disabilities. The ADA’s employment sections—adding disability status to the list of “protected characteristics” under federal anti-discrimination law, and its public accommodations provisions, removing physical barriers to access—are viewed as significant achievements by advocates for the disabled…

Good boy! Service dog gets honorary diploma

December 18, 2018 | Source: AP News | Service Animal, Awareness, Inclusion

Whenever Brittany Hawley went to class, her loyal service dog Griffin was there. If she needed her cell phone, Griffin would fetch it. Even when she assisted patients as part of an internship, Griffin was there helping out as well. So it’s only fitting that when Hawley was honored for receiving her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Clarkson University over the weekend, Griffin was once again at her side — with an honorary diploma of his own. “I pushed for him to graduate from Day One,” Hawley said Monday. “He did everything I did.”…

Five upper Manhattan subway stations will close for accessibility repairs

December 18, 2018 | Source: Curbed NY | Transit/Transportation, Accessible Design, Inclusion

Five uptown subway stations will undergo much-needed accessibility improvements with the installation of new elevators that will require closures at three of the stations lasting for up to a year. The MTA announced that it would begin work at the five “deep” subway stations in Washington Heights in January, and stagger work at the three stations requiring extended closure. The first station to undergo the work, which will also include upgrades to communications, security, and fire alarm systems, will be the 168th Street station 1 line. The station will remain closed through January 2020…

West Virginia partnership with Disabled American Veterans to increase veteran accessibility in Clarksburg

December 18, 2018 | Source: WV News | Veterans, Mobility, Inclusion

West Virginia’s new partnership with the Disabled American Veterans will improve veteran access to transportation and medical services in Clarksburg through increased-capacity vehicles and a full-time support staff, an official said. Wesley Walls, voluntary service officer at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center, said the DAV’s involvement in Clarksburg will positively impact the city’s veteran community. “Historically, the DAV has overseen the transportation network of the VA and has done an excellent job,” he said…

Workers with Disabilities Previously Paid Subminimum Wages Sue Roppe Industries for Employment Discrimination

December 18, 2018 | Source: Brown, Goldstein & Levy | Businesses, Discrimination, Lawsuits/Litigation

Three long-time employees of Seneca Re-Ad, a workshop in Fostoria that acts as the Sampling Division for the manufacturer Roppe Corporation, are hoping to gain an equal chance to do their jobs and access the same advancement, pay and benefit opportunities as other Roppe workers. A lawsuit filed today in the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Ohio by Disability Rights Ohio (DRO) and the Baltimore law firm of Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP, with support from the National Federation of the Blind, alleges discrimination by Roppe and Seneca Re-Ad with assistance from the Seneca County Board of Developmental Disabilities…

Improving accessibility will help older homeowners age in place

December 19, 2018 | Source: Seattle Times | Aging, Housing, Accessible Design

As we age, the seemingly simple tasks we once took for granted can become much more trying. But there are changes you can make to your home’s kitchen and bathrooms that will make them more manageable to your parents and allow you to stay there longer as you get older. Remodelers can employ universal design — or “aging in place” design — that melds safe, practical and accessible conveniences with a modern and updated aesthetic. Not only will this make these rooms safer and easier to use, it could also add value to your home in case you decide to sell it…

This Ingenious Watch Design Allows the Blind to Tell Time by Touch

December 19, 2018 | Source: Bloomberg | Blindness/Visual Impairment, Accessible Design, Innovation

The first thing you notice about Eone Bradley watches is that there are no hands pointing to the hours or minutes. Time is indicated by ball bearings—one for minutes, near the center of the dial, and one for hours, on a recessed track around the outside edge. The magnetic markers are guided by a battery-powered quartz movement made by Ronda AG of Switzerland. All the watches are named for the brand’s spokesman, Bradley Snyder: A four-time Paralympics gold medalist in swimming, he lost his sight while serving as a U.S. Navy bomb defuser in Afghanistan…

Microsoft’s Halo-themed prosthetic arm will make kids feel like Master Chief

December 19, 2018 | Source: The Verge | Innovation, Gaming, Accessible Design

Microsoft’s 343 Industries has partnered with bionics non-profit Limbitless Solutions to create Halo-themed, 3D-printed prosthetic arms for children. The prosthetic arms are fully functional, with hands that are capable of gripping objects through EMG sensors. The best part is, they’re donated free of charge to recipients. Starting next year, Limbitless will add two Halo-themed options to their design lineup, which already includes a pretty sweet Iron Man arm…

Designing For Accessibility Doesn’t Drive Costs; It Drives Opportunity

December 20, 2018 | Source: Forbes | Business, Inclusion, Accessible Design

In 2014, H&R Block paid $145,000 to settle a suit filed by the U.S. Justice Department that claimed the company’s website, created by HRB Digital LLC (the business’s digital development unit), violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2008, Target was forced to pay $6 million in damages related to its online checkout process. More surprising, however, is the fact that both of those businesses could have actually saved time and resources in development and maintenance and delivered a universally better user experience had they designed for accessibility in the first place. So, how can that be?…

Assistive devices can help people with MS stay active. But learning to accept them can be a challenge.

December 20, 2018 | Source: Momentum | Assistive Technology, Inclusion, Mobility

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999, Calvin Stroud was symptom-free for the first eight or nine years of living with the disease. “No one could tell unless I told them,” says Stroud of Montgomery County, Maryland. But in 2012, he began to have trouble with mobility and turned to a fold-up cane for help. “Then, I started to have more falls with a cane. By late 2013, I started to use a rollator (a walker with four wheels), but I even had falls using that.” Today, he uses a motorized wheelchair…

Sun Metro Transforms Mobility Passenger Accessibility with Q’Straint

December 19, 2018 | Source: MassTransitMag | Transit/Transportation, Mobility, Inclusion

The Sun Metro Transportation Authority (SMTA) took the quantum leap by enhancing its fixed route bus fleet with the installation of the Q’STRAINT QUANTUM, an automatic wheelchair securement solution. The QUANTUM allows mobility passengers to secure themselves through intelligent technology – with minimal operator assistance – when traveling on transit vehicles like SMTA buses. “When Sun Metro first installed the QUANTUM on its buses to me it was like going from the Flintstones to the Jetsons in terms of wheelchair securement. Now when a bus reaches my stop with an unoccupied QUANTUM, I say ‘Yes. Thank you.”

Tove Lo Worked With ASL Interpreters To Make Accessible Music Videos For Her Entire Album

December 19, 2018 | Source: MTV.com | Music/Entertainment, Inclusion, Accessible Design

Tove Lo just made 2017’s Blue Lips more accessible to deaf communities by dropping a playlist of American Sign Language interpretations of every song on the album. In an announcement posted to her social media, the “Talking Body” singer explains her partnership with Amber G Productions, an agency for ASL interpreters at live music events. Each of the 12 ASL videos videos features an interpreter performing the songs from the album. Back in 2015, the founder of Amber G Productions, Amber Galloway Gallego, interpreted for Tove Lo at Lollapalooza…

Miloop Removes Cataracts In A Flash

December 20, 2018 | Source: KSAT12 (Video) | Visual Impairment, Innovation, Disability Rights

Cataracts affect more than 22 million Americans over the age of 40 and are a leading cause of blindness worldwide. A new portable device for cataract removal is speeding up recovery time and may make the procedure available to patients in countries where there have been very few treatment options. Beverly Mims’ vision problems started in her fifties and got progressively worse. “When I started to read I’d have to hold the paper up above,” Mims said…

Jack Fact — The employment rate for people with disabilities has steadily decreased over the years, according to Fortune magazine. Only 35 percent of disabled Americans between the ages of 18 and 65 had a job as of 2015. Additionally, a study by the U.S. Department of Education found disabled students are 18 percent less likely to be encouraged to pursue higher education as their peers.

Hit The Road Jack — Disability and travel: accessible USA

International News

Many public institutions are not accessible to PWDs

December 13, 2018 | Source: Ghana News Agency- Ghana | Mobility, Discrimination, Building Accessibility

Many government departments and agencies in Koforidua are not accessible to Persons with Disability (PWD), because they are located on story buildings which have no ramps or elevators to provide access to PWDs using wheelchairs. A survey conducted by Ghana News Agency revealed that institutions such as the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, National Commission for Civic Education, and the Department of Social Welfare were all located in story buildings with no ramps or elevators to provide access to PWDs using wheelchairs…

Accessible theatre takes off in the capital

December 14, 2018 | Source: Stuff- New Zealand | Arts/Entertainment, Accessible Design, Inclusion

What kind of mandarin is it? Is it puffed up, easy to peel? Or wrapped tightly in its skin? Describing something perfectly – either with your voice or in sign language – can be a difficult job, but it’s one that is growing in museums and theatres around the country, opening art to everyone, including people with low vision, low hearing or learning difficulties. Paralympic swimmer Mary Fisher spent her weekend with students from the low vision school BLENNZ, taking in an accessible version of Puss in Boots at Circa Theatre…

Sydney Opera House Increases Accessibility for Attendees

December 14, 2018 | Source: Venue Management Association- Australia | Arts/Entertainment, Accessible Design, Inclusion

The Sydney Opera House announced last week the completion of accessibility upgrades which allow patrons in wheelchairs or with limited mobility to access the Joan Sutherland Theatre and the Northern Foyer. “I’ve been a wheelchair user for more than 19 years and have been coming to the Opera House for the seven years I’ve been living in Sydney. This is the first time I could reach the Joan Sutherland Theatre’s Northern Foyer and see for myself the fantastic harbor view…

Local gov’t offices, supermarkets in Davao violating law for PWDs

December 14, 2018 | Source: Minda News- Philippines | Government, Discrimination, Building Accessibility

The local government offices and supermarkets in Davao City have been warned to modify some features of their buildings to address the accessibility concerns of persons with disabilities (PWDs), an official from the Regional Committee on Disability Affairs RCDA said. RCDA spokesperson Melacio Fernandez said during the Kapihan sa Philippine Information Agency on Friday that they will inspect government offices and major malls in the city in March 2019 to find out if these have complied with Republic Act 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons and Batas Pambansa 344 known as the Accessibility Law…

Calls to make beaches more accessible for people with disabilities

December 14, 2018 | Source: SBS- Australia | Leisure, Accessible Design, Awareness

Shane Hryhorec spent a lot of time at the beach before an accident in June 2007 left him with a broken neck and in need of a wheelchair. But, he says, he hasn’t let the fact his new form of transportation makes it difficult to use the sand and water in the same way as before, slow him down. Mr Hryhorec is the founder of disability advocacy group Accessible Beaches and the director of equipment provider Push Mobility, two non-profits helping those who use mobility aids get out to Australia’s beaches…

Manitoba disabilities group ‘at the end of the options’ after $50K funding loss

December 14, 2018 | Source: CBC- Canada | Inclusion, Advocacy, Awareness

A Manitoba organization that helps people with disabilities may have to curtail operations after it failed to get the tens of thousands of dollars in annual funding from the province it has relied on in the past, its leaders say. Jennifer Sande, provincial co-ordinator for the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities, said the organization had to lay off some staff and reduce all remaining staff to part-time hours, after recently learning its application for $50,000 in core funding for the 2018-19 fiscal year had not been approved…

Airline Fined for Separate Disabled-Accessible Website

December 13, 2018 | Source: AODA- Canada | Discrimination, Transportation, Digital Accessibility

Offering a separate website for those with disabilities does not comply with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) website accessibility requirements, the agency made clear with a $200,000 fine to the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). The DOT established website accessibility requirements that require any U.S. or foreign air carrier that has a website and that operates at least one aircraft seating more than 60 passengers to ensure that its public-facing webpages on its primary website are accessible to individuals with disabilities…

Toulouse airport is closed after disabled protesters storm the runway in electric wheelchairs as part of Yellow Vest protests

December 14, 2018 | Source: Daily Mail- France | Mobility, Transportation, Disability Rights

Disabled people, accompanied by Yellow Vests protesters, managed to invade the runway at Toulouse-Blagnac airport on Friday afternoon causing all inward bound flights to be held or diverted. They were protesting against the plight of people with disabilities and demanding better accessibility and a decent income. The demonstrators are also highly opposed to the new ELAN law, which was adopted by the Senate on 16 October, as it lowers the standards of accessibility in new housing in order to build more homes more quickly…

Enable Travel partners with Ezy Mov to make Goa accessible for people with mobility challenges

December 15, 2018 | Source: Economic Times &NewzHook & Times of India | Travel, Mobility, Inclusion

Accessible holiday provider Enable Travel has partnered with Ezy Mov, India’s first wheelchair taxi service, to provide accessible guided tours in Goa, Enable Travel said in a statement. Debolin Sen, head, Enable Travel, Shama Noorani, Enable Travel expert along with Bennet D’cunha – co-founder and CEO of Ezy Mov announced their partnership to make travel barrier-free in Goa. Debolin Sen, head, Enable Travel said: “Goa serves as one of the most popular and preferred travel destinations in India for both domestic and international tourists…

Vatican Museums to launch full virtual tour to increase accessibility

December 17, 2018 | Source: Angelus News- Italy & Crux | Digital Accessibility, Innovation, Technology

In the technology support department at the Vatican Museums, Villanova University student Justin Myers is spending a semester creating virtual tours of galleries, part of a larger project to make the museums accessible to everyone. While the Vatican Museums website has some tours already available for individual parts of the museum, such as the Sistine Chapel, a seamless virtual walk-through tour is in the works, according to Myers, who has been developing and editing tours for nearly four months…

Here’s Why You Rarely See People On Wheelchairs In Your Favourite Café

December 17, 2018 | Source: INUTH- India | Mobility, Discrimination, Leisure

For most of us, planning a day out with our friends or family isn’t that much of a task. However, a wheelchair-bound person in India cannot plan an impromptu day out because they have to factor in accessibility concerns. For Srishti and Faisal, two differently-abled persons, it can take hours or even days to find a place where they can hang out with their friends. On a regular day they decided to put Delhi’s Connaught Place to test and tried 5 different eateries to check how many of them were actually accessible for the disabled…

Efforts to make online news more accessible to expats, disabled

December 17, 2018 | Source: Times of Oman- Oman | Accessible Design, Government, Digital Accessibility

Oman’s government is working on ways to make online news more accessible to non-Arabic people and people with special needs. “Every institution, whether the ministry, public authority, government or private business, is responsible for providing easier digital access to people with special needs,” Dr. Abdulmunim Al Hasani, Minister of Information, said. Speaking at the Government Communication Centre’s ninth conference titled “Inclusiveness of government media content”, officials discussed ways in which every website in the Sultanate could be more user-friendly towards people with special needs…

University of London drives accessibility at the University of Roehampton

December 17, 2018 | Source: FE News- England | Higher Education, Accessible Design, Inclusion

The University of Roehampton prides itself on its student experience and engagement, ensuring that its staff and learning environment, both on and off campus, are outstanding. A top priority is also a commitment by the University to all students, that regardless of their background, we can help our students realise their ambitions. Based in south west London, the University of Roehampton is situated across two major sites. It has over 175 years of history and tradition, but it is still important to the academic institution that its services are modern and easy to use…

The Infinity Park – an inclusive playspace with infinite possibilities!

December 17, 2018 | Source: Disability Rights Alliance- India | Inclusion, Parenting, Accessible Design

An initiative to create Chennai’s first inclusive play space was inaugurated today via videoconferencing by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. A project of the Greater Chennai Corporation and Smart City (P) Ltd along with the Disability Rights Alliance , Kilikili and CityWorks , it is located on a site adjoining the State Resource Centre for Inclusive Education of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in Santhome, Chennai. The park offers many new and innovative ways of meeting the play and leisure needs of children with and without disabilities…

Implementation of RPWD Act is a step in empowerment

December 17, 2018 | Source: DNA- India | Inclusion, Government, Awareness

It’s been two years since the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016, was passed by the Parliament. The act is truly a landmark event in the lives of persons with disabilities all across India. It has provisions regarding accessibility, reservations, protection and seeks to empower persons with disabilities. But the law can’t change the life of the disabled, unless it is implemented. Two years after the Act was enacted, it is yet to be notified by most states. About ten have notified the state rules under the RPWD Act, 2016…

Accessibility for Taiwan’s Disabled: A Worked in Progress

December 18, 2018 | Source: Taiwan Business TOPICS- Taiwan | Disability Rights, Inclusion, Mobility

Taiwan is a crowded place. The population per square kilometer is nearly 20 times that of the United States, and the cities are crammed with parked vehicles and snack vendors. Although accessibility for wheelchair users has improved in recent years, for the hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese who are unable to step around or over obstacles, simply trying to reach the supermarket or the dentist can still be an arduous experience. Given the rapid aging of the Taiwan population – by 2026, 21% of the people will be over the age of 65 – the need for better accessibility will only be increasing sharply in the years ahead…

Accessibility app looks for firms and organisations to help boost launch

December 18, 2018 | Source: Access and Mobility Professional- UK | Digital Accessibility, Awareness, Disability Rights

A new app launched by charity, See Around Britain, aims to take away travel uncertainty for disabled people with a solution that offers essential accessibility information and photographs for hundreds of thousands of sites in the UK and Europe. It also includes railway and Eurostar, buses and taxis, stations and airports. The charity is seeking volunteer contributors to add to its database, along with sponsorship from organisations, businesses and individuals that see the value of its mission…

Advocates say Accessible Canada Act is too weak to be effective

December 19, 2018 | Source: CityNews Vancouver & Times Colonist- Canada & National Post | Advocacy, Government, Discrimination

The cautious optimism that prevailed in Canada’s disabled community when the federal government tabled historic accessibility legislation earlier this year has given way to widespread concern that the law won’t lead to meaningful change. Major disability organizations, grassroots advocacy groups and disabled individuals said they’ve raised numerous concerns about the power and scope of the Accessible Canada Act, which the Liberal government first introduced in June…

Making information accessible – for everyone

December 19, 2018 | Source: Pursuit- Australia | Accessible Design, Inclusion, Awareness

Banks, insurers, utilities and telecommunication companies have all been made to squirm under the spotlight in 2018 amid multiple inquiries into sales tactics and services. And a common issue that has come out of the various inquiries is the often excessive complexity of information provided on services, contract plans and pricing structures. But what if you have a cognitive disability? What if you have difficulties with learning, memory, concentration and/or decision-making?…

More accessible products and services for EU citizens: Council approves the provisional agreement with the European Parliament

December 19, 2018 | Source: EU News- EU | Accessible Design, Government, Inclusion

Today the Council’s Permanent Representatives Committee approved the provisional agreement reached with the European Parliament on 8 November 2018 on the proposal for a European Accessibility Act (EAA). The proposal aims at making various products and services in the European Union more accessible for persons with disabilities. It is thought that more than 80 million people in the EU are affected by some degree of disability. The European Accessibility Act includes accessibility requirements for key products and services such as:..

National Tourism Policy 2020-2050 draft includes accessible tourism

December 20, 2018 | Source: The Borneo Post- Malaysia | Tourism, Travel, Accessible Design

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is in the process of drafting the National Tourism Policy 2020-2050 which include accessible tourism, the Dewan Negara was told yesterday. Its Deputy Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said the policy would provide a clear set of strategic directions and aim to strengthen Malaysia’s position as a world tourism destination. “This policy will be more holistic, comprehensive and based on the global tourism industry trends covering various aspects and tourism sub-sectors, including accessible tourism,” he said during a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Negara sitting…

Man on a mission toward barrier-free city

December 20, 2018 | Source: CBC- Canada | Advocacy, Disability Rights, Awareness

Federico Boccheciampe’s time in Venezuela seems like another life, very different from the one he leads now. Back then, he was an active young man who enjoyed sports, including weightlifting. His life changed forever one day in May 2000, when thieves burst into a restaurant while he was having lunch. There were plain-clothes army and police officers inside, and a shootout ensued. Boccheciampe, then 24, was shot eight times. Two bullets hit his thorax, one pierced a lung and he was struck in both arms. A bullet destroyed his spleen and three more hit his back, including the one that severed his spinal cord…

Plans to make Alleppy South India’s first disabled friendly beach

December 20, 2018 | Source: NewzHook- India | Leisure, Inclusion, Disability Rights

Alleppey, a small town located in Kerala is all set to become South India’s first disabled-friendly and accessible beach. Popularly known as Venice of the East, Alleppey is surrounded by plush greens and serene backwaters. Alleppey also boasts of many beaches in and around the town. On the opening day, people with disabilities were seen taking a dip in the waters of Alleppey beach with the help of volunteers. It was indeed a great sight to watch as access to beaches is something that various disability rights groups have been fighting for in these parts for years…

Car park access improved for people with disabilities

December 20, 2018 | Source: Dublin People- Ireland | Parking Accessibility, Mobility, Awareness

Members of the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) have been working with SuperValu Raheny to make simple yet important improvements to its car park. Concrete sleepers have been placed to the rear of specific parking spaces eliminating the problem of cars accidently blocking the footpath and causing accessibility issues. Furthermore, additional signage has been erected for accessible parking spaces. The IWA said this might seem like a small step but if every business, individual and public body took similar measures, access for people with disabilities would be significantly be improved…

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Chalkboard sign with "Welcome, Please Come In." Advocates remind readers that customer service is one form of disability inclusion.

Expanding Access: From Art to Voting, Initiatives Across the U.S. Push for Greater Inclusivity in Public Spaces and Services

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