Accessibility in the News— 12/07/18
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AITN Quote of the Week
George Bush will be viewed by people with disabilities and their families as the Abraham Lincoln of their experience.” “Abraham Lincoln, we have viewed him as the leader for people of color…George Washington, we have viewed him as the leader for (seeing) people equally…from (Bush’s) standpoint, I’ve heard him say that the ADA is the piece of domestic policy that is most significant, long-lasting and one he’s most proud of.”
— Lex Frieden
Born: June 12, 1924 Milton, MA
Died: November 30, 2018 Houston, TX
National News (U.S.)
How the Americans with Disabilities Act could affect Native American voters
November 5, 2018 | Source: High Country News | ADA, Inclusion, Awareness
Donna Semans pulled over at a food cart near a watermelon stand on a dusty turnout to ask directions. She ordered a snowcone topped with diced pickles and powdered Koolaid, a specialty to the Navajo Nation known as a piccadilly. “Not bad,” Semans said, plastic spoon in hand. “When you’re on the road, a pickle really hits the spot.” She handed a poster in Diné and English to the woman inside that read “Béesó bee’ niiaah dooleeł!” or “Get paid to get out the vote!” With two weeks to Election Day, Semans was traveling around Arizona from gas stations to flea markets to local chapter houses, hoping to get Navajo voters to the polls…
He’s Helping The Blind ‘See’ Their Work — And Become Engineers
November 25, 2018 | Source: OZY | Blindness/Visual Impairment, Advocacy, Inclusion
Josh Coffee is not blind, and he didn’t spend much time thinking about the challenges blind students face while he was growing up. In fact, as an engineering major at the University of Vermont in 2011, his second choice for a capstone project was creating tactile graphing tools for the visually impaired — like most of his ski-addicted classmates, his top pick was to work for Burton Snowboards. “I was very fortunate I didn’t get put on that project,” he laughs now. If he had, the 28-year-old entrepreneur may never have found what’s become his calling: bringing STEM skills to the blind…
“Accessible” Design Systems Don’t Guarantee Accessible Products
November 29, 2018 | Source: Eight Shapes | Accessible Design, Awareness, Disability Rights
In late 2016, I helped pitch a design system all the way up to executives that included the CEO, COO, CPO, Head of Design, and other peers. The pitch’s mood shifted when accessibility came up: “Oh, our teams will make accessible products if they use the system? Sold!” Some embraced accessibility in the design system’s role to optimize quality and promote inclusivity as a core value. Others heralded that the system would cut costs (by solving challenges shared by many) and mitigate risk (by reducing litigation occurrence and/or scale)…
5 Things Your Organization Should Do to Improve Website Accessibility
November 30, 2018 | Source: Now Association | Digital Accessibility, Awareness, Accessible Design
With increased attention being given to situations where website design renders content inaccessible for people with disabilities, now’s a good time to keep in mind strategies to ensure users aren’t getting forgotten by your developers. Recently, the content management platform WordPress drew scrutiny for an overhaul that presented major accessibility challenges. These problems happened even though WordPress has a sizable team dedicated to accessibility and a heavy focus on the issue that many organizations do not…
Winter Accessibility for People with Disabilities
November 30, 2018 | Source: Erie News Now | Transportation, Accessible Design, Awareness
During the winter months many people take for granted the ability to get through piles of snow and ice, but for others in our community, it can be a daily struggle. “For people with disabilities the winter weather presents a lot of challenges, first just simply navigating getting in and out of your car in public places,” Shona Eakin, chief executive officer of Voices for Independence said. Often when snow is plowed, it can pile up on sidewalks, requiring someone to pack the snow down or move it out the way…
American Nightmare: How workers with disabilities are denied economic prosperity
November 30, 2018 | Source: The Hill | Discrimination, Workforce, Awareness
“Workers paid only a few dollars per hour.” “Disabled workers exploited for profit.” “Employers pay next to nothing for manual labor.” If you read these headlines at the top of your newspaper, would you think you were reading about sweatshops in some distant developing country? If someone were to tell you that every day hundreds of thousands of workers with disabilities are paid less, typically far less, than the minimum wage in cities like Boston, Los Angeles, Cleveland, or Salt Lake City, would you believe them? Would the thought ever cross your mind that this could happen right here in the United States?…
Regional Building resisting suggestions to take over more accessibility inspections
December 1, 2018 | Source: Colorado Springs Gazette | Building Access, Advocacy, Accessible Parking
The head of Pikes Peak Regional Building Department is resisting suggestions that the agency take on more responsibility in ensuring developments follow federal accessibility rules. “Any time you add more red tape, you increase costs because you increase time and time is money,” Regional Building Department chief Roger Lovell said this week. Regional Building is charged with making sure new buildings comply with accessibility standards, but its purview only extends 5 feet outside the buildings, while advocates for the disabled say it should include parking lots as well…
Veterans group seeks court’s help in making airplane bathrooms more accessible
December 1, 2018 | Source: SF Gate | Travel, Accessible Design, Awareness
A veterans group is turning to the courts for help in its efforts to make airplane bathrooms more accessible for travelers with disabilities. Paralyzed Veterans of America filed a lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit asking the court to force the Transportation Department to restart efforts to make bathrooms on single-aisle aircraft accessible to those with disabilities. “Our suit is simply asking the [Transportation Department] to do what Congress directed them to do,” said Karianne Jones, an attorney with the Democracy Forward Foundation, which is representing the veterans group…
George H.W. Bush And The Americans With Disabilities Act
December 1, 2018 | Source: WFMY & WAVE 3 & WUSA9 | ADA, Advocacy, Discrimination
Why I Struggle Memorializing George H.W. Bush As A Liberal Woman With A Disability
December 5, 2018 | Source: Huffington Post | Discrimination, ADA, Advocacy
Three weeks after Independence Day in 1990, a group of White House officials, organization leaders, people with disabilities and George H.W. Bush himself gathered to celebrate another day of independence – a different kind of independence, and one that would forever change lives. It was July 26, 1990, when Bush passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, a law prohibiting discrimination of those with physical and intellectual disabilities. The act was arguably Bush’s most important and influential piece of legislation during his presidency….
Deaf Pflugerville family gets much-needed home makeover before Christmas
December 2, 2018 | Source: KVUE (Video) | Deaf/Hearing Impaired, Housing, Accessible Design
About $15,000 worth of home repairs and one Pflugerville family won’t have to pay dime. This is after the community rallied together to give a deaf family of six a Christmas present they’ll never forget. “It’s like an extreme home makeover,” said Melanie Knox with Alden Roofing. It’s a home makeover for a deserving family in need of a few skilled hands. “When you first walk in the floor was very soft like sagging where it could break when you first walk in,” said Knox. “And, the door frame you could see right out so it wasn’t water tight. It wasn’t weather proofed.”…
Ed Department Reopening Hundreds Of Disability-Related Complaints
December 3, 2018 | Source: Disability Scoop & Franczek Radelet | Litigation, Education, OCR
The U.S. Department of Education is reversing course after being sued over changes to its handling of disability discrimination complaints in schools. Just before Thanksgiving, the Education Department rescinded a provision adopted in March that allowed the agency’s Office for Civil Rights to dismiss any complaint that is part of a pattern of complaints by the same person or group that places an “unreasonable burden on OCR’s resources.” As part of the changes earlier this year, the department also eliminated the appeals process for complaints…
National Federation of the Blind and Disability Rights North Carolina Sue UNC Health Care and Nash UNC Health Care
December 3, 2018 | Source: Brown Goldstein Levy | Blindness/Visual Impairment, ADA, Litigation
Today, the National Federation of the Blind and Disability Rights North Carolina, along with individual blind plaintiffs, filed suit against the UNC Health Care System, Nash UNC Health Care, and contractors for systematically discriminating against blind patients in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The lawsuit alleges that blind patients do not receive critical communications in alternate formats – such as Braille, large print, or electronic documents – only standard print…
American Airlines passenger left in wheelchair overnight after flight home was cancelled
December 3, 2018 | Source: Yahoo | Discrimination, Awareness, Disability Rights
Security Footage Shows Woman in Wheelchair Was Not Stranded in Airport Overnight
December 4, 2018 | Source: The Points Guy | Discrimination, Awareness, Disability Rights
A 67-year-old woman who has trouble walking was reportedly left in a wheelchair overnight after her flight from Chicago to Detroit was cancelled on Friday. Olimpia Warsaw’s son Claude Coltea told CBS Chicago that she had flown to Chicago to attend her ex-husband’s funeral. On the way there, her luggage was lost. On the way back, she was abandoned in the airport. Her son reportedly dropped her off at her gate, checked that her flight was on time, and then headed to catch his own flight. But when her flight ended up getting cancelled, no one helped her get to a hotel, according to her son…
How to tackle AI bias for people with disabilities
December 3, 2018 | Source: Venture Beat | Innovation, Accessible Design, Inclusion
Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It’s an occasion to promote the well-being of people with disabilities in every aspect of life. AI-based systems are already making a difference, but they are not a panacea. We must be diligent in how we build AI models and adjust if and when things go askew. In the wake of several examples of unwanted bias in AI systems, many AI developers are acutely aware of the need to treat marginalized groups fairly, especially for race and gender…
Campus accessibility: preparing for the future
December 3, 2018 | Source: SDSU Collegian | Awareness, Mobility, Higher Education
Find something you are passionate about and use your strengths to carry out a task related to it. When Abby Donkers got this as her assignment for her Leadership in Action class, she knew exactly what she wanted to do: raise awareness about accessibility for future architects. Donkers, a senior agriculture leadership major, uses a wheelchair. She decided her project would be to have architecture students at South Dakota State University use a wheelchair on campus for a day to see what it’s like…
Promises Broken: Persons with Disabilities Still Face Barriers to Participation at the United Nations
December 3, 2018 | Source: Newswise | Discrimination, Awareness, Accessible Design
Persons with disabilities still lack access to many United Nations and affiliated forums and programs, despite the organization’s mandate of inclusiveness and support for human rights causes, according to a new study conducted by American University’s Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP) and supported by a grant from The Nippon Foundation. Entitled Accessibility in Global Governance: The (In)visibility of Persons with Disabilities, the study is the first systematic attempt to examine accessibility barriers in international policymaking…
Colleges, including Saint Rose, hit with website lawsuits
December 4, 2018 | Source: Albany Times Union | Digital Accessibility, Lawsuits/Litigation, ADA
The College of Saint Rose is among the most recent targets of a series of lawsuits filed against colleges and other organizations related to their websites. The plaintiffs say the legal actions represent a growing movement to make online portals more accessible to the disabled — in this case, the blind or visually impaired. Attorneys for the defendants categorize them as nuisance suits. In a suit filed in federal district court, New York City resident Jason Camacho, who is legally blind, contends that the Saint Rose website violates the Americans with Disabilities Act since it can’t accommodate special software that would let him use the site…
Fairfax tries a new way to reserve accessible parking for those who need it
December 4, 2018 | Source: Fairfax News | Accessible Parking, ADA, Inclusion
It’s the holiday season and the malls are crowded. Parking spots, especially those close to entrances, are at a premium – even more so for people with a handicapped. So, Fairfax County officials are trying a new idea to keep those accessible spots free for those who really need them. They’re calling it “empathy parking.” Signs saying “Think of Me, Park Legally” are being placed under the standard ADA accessible parking signs. It’s a project of the Fairfax Area Commission on Aging and the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board…
Local Photographer Documents the MTA’s Lack of Accessibility
December 4, 2018 | Source: Spectrum News (Video) | Discrimination, Transportation, Awareness
We’re always on top of the MTA to improve the subways. But for disabled people in the city, there are a number of other issues. Of the 472 subway stations in the city, only 118 of them are considered accessible stations. Since moving to New York City, Nolan Ryan Trowe, a member of the disabled community says the city isn’t made for disabled people. He’s had to ask police officers to help him down the stairs with his wheelchair in stations that do not have elevators. “It was really surprising to see the lack of accessibility in New York City, considering it’s one of the greatest cities in the world,” Trowe said…
Want to Learn Sign Language? Take an Uber
December 5, 2018 | Source: CTech | Mobility, Deaf/Hearing Impaired, Inclusion
After it was criticized and sued by disability advocates for failing to meet accessibility standards, multinational rideshare company Uber is working to become more inclusive, according to Malcom Glenn, Uber’s head of global policy, accessibility, and underserved communities. Glenn spoke Tuesday at a conference on transportation and disability in Tel Aviv. On Tuesday, New York City officials voted to set the U.S.’ first minimum pay rate for app-based drivers. The rate is set at $17.22 per hour after expenses, or $26.51 gross per hour, but it was mandated that drivers of wheelchair accessible vehicles will earn a higher wage…
Working to get children of color tested early for autism: Stigma, access barriers to needed services
December 5, 2018 | Source: Insight News | Cognitive, Digital Accessibility, Parenting
Web Accessibility and autism
December 3, 2018 | Source: Maxability | Cognitive, Digital Accessibility, Parenting
Black and Hispanic children continued to be less likely to be identified with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) than white children. These differences suggest that Black and Hispanic children may face socioeconomic or other barriers that lead to a lack of or delayed access to evaluation, diagnosis, and services. That is the assessment from the Center for Disease Control’s 2018 “Community Report on Autism.” Keep in mind, the report is not suggesting Black kids are less likely to have autism, they are just less likely to be diagnosed…
MBTA Reaffirms Accessibility Goals with Amended Agreement
December 5, 2018 | Source: Framingham Source | Transportation, Awareness, Inclusion
Yesterday, the MBTA and the Boston Center for Independent Living signed an Amended Settlement Agreement that sets forth updated achievable goals in the MBTA’s plan to bring about a more accessible transit system. “While the MBTA is pleased to reach such an important milestone, we will continue to work with stakeholders to improve access to the T for people of all abilities through the Riders’ Transportation Access Group,” said MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramírez…
Myths and Misconceptions About Parents Who Are Blind
December 6, 2018 | Source: U.S. News & World Report | Blindness/Visual Impairment, Parenting, Transportation
If You Join A Facebook group for blind parents, there are certain topics that come up again and again. What is the best car seat to use, when you don’t drive and will therefore be installing and uninstalling your child’s car seat in an Uber or Lyft vehicle several times a day? What is the easiest baby stroller to pull behind yourself while you’re using a cane or a guide dog? What are some strategies to help your kids with their homework, when all their textbooks are in print? And why, oh why, do people have such completely inaccurate ideas about blind parents?…
A Photographer Turns A Lens On His Father’s Alzheimer’s
December 6, 2018 | Source: NPR | Cognitive, Awareness, Advocacy
At first, Stephen DiRado thought his dad was dealing with depression. Gene DiRado, then in his late 50s, had become more withdrawn, more forgetful. So Stephen processed his growing concern by doing what he’d done since the age of 12: taking photographs. It was the 1980s, and Stephen schlepped his 8×10 camera and tripod over to his parents’ home in Marlborough, Mass., to check in on Gene and make portraits of him. “I was running toward him with the sense of fear that something was wrong,” Stephen says now about those years…
Professors, student groups hope to make discipline of disability studies a campus conversation
December 6, 2018 | Source: Duke Chronicle | Higher Education, Awareness, Inclusion
As universities create programs of study focusing on identity, disability studies has historically been left out. But some students and professors are trying to change that. At a recent seminar sponsored by the Duke Franklin Institute for Humanities, Kathy McMahon-Klosterman, professor emerita of educational psychology at Miami University of Ohio, shared some of her strategies for creating supportive, inclusive and accessible spaces for disabled individuals…
Roanoke City Schools discover hundreds of students may be color-blind
December 6, 2018 | Source: WDBJ7 | Visual Impairment, Awareness, Inclusion
For the first time, thousands of Roanoke City school children were tested for color blindness this school year. Hundreds have been identified as color vision deficient and district officials think it should be taken seriously by the entire commonwealth. Dr. Elizabeth Martin’s son Alex is colorblind. They noticed when he started having trouble in the classroom. “Sometimes he wouldn’t see pastel chalk on a chalkboard,” Martin recalled during an interview in July. She said Alex’s teacher made adjustments, but Dr. Martin worried Alex’s peers may be struggling, too – undiagnosed…
Alt Tags and Accessibility: How Marketers Can Better Show Audiences the Full Picture
December 6, 2018 | Source: The Content Standard | Inclusion, Awareness, Digital Accessibility
As marketers, we talk so much about the images we use in our campaigns, whether we’re taking a risk on creating a comic series, asking our everyday influencers to add personal snapshots in the blog posts they’re writing, or ensuring we promote diversity in the stock photography we choose. From advances in voice technology, interactive content experiences, and growing interest in visual and video content, the digital materials marketers are creating are becoming increasingly complex and incorporating more multimedia initiatives…
Kids with disabilities will get first shot at accessible schools
December 6, 2018 | Source: New York Daily News | Accessible Design, Advocacy, Education
Kids with disabilities will get first shot at seats in the public schools that are accessible to them under a new enrollment policy announced by Mayor de Blasio on Thursday. The change starts in the 2019-20 school year that begins in September and replaces an existing rule under which students with disabilities received no consideration when applying to accessible schools. A 2018 tally by the nonprofit Advocates for Children found that only 335 of 1,818 public schools in the city were fully equipped for students with disabilities, with items such as wheelchair ramps and elevators to allow students get to class…
WPU student overcomes challenges faced with color blindness
December 6, 2018 | Source: The Statesmen Status | Higher Education, Visual Impairment, Awareness
Taylor Steel has been color blind his whole life. It wasn’t until the eighth grade when a visit to an optometrist revealed the disease. The junior from Oskaloosa, Iowa is majoring in information technology, has a minor in digital communications and is a director for KYOU News. “There are a lot of logical things that I put together in grade school, it was more do x, y and z rather than it is your choice, that is why I was able to go most of my life without realizing that I was color blind,” Steel said…
Jack Fact — A survey of parents across the United States estimates that one in 40 children has autism spectrum disorder, according to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. In other words, the condition was reported in 2.5% of children, representing an estimated 1.5 million kids ages 3 to 17. A report released this year by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the prevalence at one in 59 children or about 1.7%, based on 2014 data.
Hit The Road Jack — Accessible Travel Solutions
International News
‘Patchy’ refuge access for disabled women in Wales
November 30, 2018 | Source: BBC- Wales | Inclusion, Awareness, Mobility
Disability access at women’s refuges is patchy across Wales with some areas having only one or no accessible places, figures for the BBC suggest. About 30% of the 157 of refuge spaces in Wales are accessible to those with a disability, according to responses to a Freedom of Information request. Welsh Women’s Aid said disabled women were more likely to be in an abusive relationship than non-disabled women. The charity said the issues were putting lives at risk…
ARK helps mobility-challenged boy achieve a better quality of life
November 30, 2018 | Source: Calgary Herald- Canada | Mobility, Accessible Design, Inclusion
A Calgary boy and his family are experiencing a better quality of life thanks to a local not-for-profit that is dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families through home renovations. Accessibility Renovations for Kids, or ARK for short, was founded two years ago in response to a growing need in Calgary to help families with children who struggle with mobility issues. “The whole idea is to create greater accessibility within the home — basically whatever makes it easier for a child to live…
Two Months On, Here’s How Disabled Gamers Feel About the Xbox Adaptive Controller
November 30, 2018 | Source: Kotaku- UK | Gaming, Accessible Design, Inclusion
Back in September, Microsoft made history with the first mass-market video game controller designed with disabled gamers first and foremost in mind. The Xbox Adaptive Controller, which won this year’s Golden Joystick award for best innovation, was developed in conjunction with the charity Special Effect (which has spent years designing bespoke controller solutions for gamers with unique needs), and the design’s guiding principle was accessibility and flexibility. A device that could work for and adapt to as many gamers as possible…
Opinion: Is your event inclusive?
November 30, 2018 | Source: Spice News- Australia | Inclusion, Entertainment, Digital Accessibility
I had a shocking realisation recently, that many event planners are unintentionally saying to every 5th person they market to: “Don’t come to our event and learn more about us.” Let me explain further, according to Australian Network On Disability, over 4 million people in Australia, or 1 in 5, have some form of disability. Therefore, when digital assets such as websites, online registration, event apps and digital signage are not accessible, this inadvertently excludes the 1 in 5 people that have a disability…
Oman Ranked Among Top 10 Globally For Providing Digital Access To The Disabled
December 1, 2018 | Source: Muscat Daily- Oman & Arabian Industry | Digital Accessibility, Accessible Design, Advocacy
Oman has been ranked among the top ten performers globally and first regionally in the Digital Accessibility Rights Evaluation (DARE) Index. Conducted by The Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ict), the index aims to benchmark digital accessibility for persons with disabilities (PWDs). The DARE Index, in its first edition, surveyed 121 country report cards, rankings and analysis aimed at providing global benchmarks for disability advocates, governments and private sector organisations to assess their progress and identify opportunities in implementing digital accessibility for PWDs…
Wheelchair users demand better access to buying tickets and seating at events
December 1, 2018 | Source: ABC News- Australia | Mobility, Entertainment, Discrimination
A woman on the New South Wales Central Coast is behind a growing anti-discrimination campaign demanding changes to the way people in wheelchairs can buy tickets to major sporting and cultural events. For most people, booking tickets is a simple as a click of a button but that is not the case if you are a person with a disability. Stephanie Travers is in a wheelchair. But like any young independent person, she enjoys going to live concerts with friends and family. But just booking a ticket is an ordeal…
Inclusion, accessibility now make a statement
December 2, 2018 | Source: The New Indian Express- India | Inclusion, Accessible Design, Awareness
Accessibility and inclusivity have been the buzzwords of 2018. Leading the charge for progressive-thinking attitudes is Udaipur-based charitable organisation Narayan Seva Sansthan. On the eve of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the sansthan will hold a Divyang Talent and Fashion show at the Red Fort on December 2, 2018. The programme will have performances by differently-abled on wheelchair, crutches and calipers and those with artificial limbs. Each round will have 10 differently-abled models walking the ramp; every differently abled model will be supported by an able model…
The accessibility and inclusion tipping point
December 3, 2018 | Source: BlueNotes- Australia | Inclusion, Awareness, Disability Rights
Elsewhere, a series of ground-breaking TV programs, including ABC’s Employable Me and You Can’t Ask That, busted stereotypes and confronted the discrimination of people living with a disability. The programs revealed the challenges facing blind people, people with facial differences, those who use wheelchairs and short statured people. Meanwhile in Canberra, 23-year old Senator Jordon Steele-John ran into problems in his new working life at Parliament House because of the below-par accessibility standards of the building – including accessing the Parliamentary chamber.
Implementing accessibility laws is imperative
December 3, 2018 | Source: Ceylon Daily News- Sri Lanka | Government, Inclusion, Awareness
The theme for this year’s IDPD focuses on the Empowering Persons with dis-Abilities for inclusiveness, equal opportunity and equality in daily life. Life is all about accessing with equal opportunity and safety to what you need and what you desire day-to-day. Hence, accessibility with SAFETY to all parts of Buildings and Services (includes Transport) the public needs to access and use in daily life, is not only an inherent right but an essential prerequisite…
Launch of Accessibility Guide for Government Agencies
December 3, 2018 | Source: Scoop- New Zealand | Government, Inclusion, Awareness
Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni has announced a new guide on accessible information on the United Nations’ international day for celebrating disabled people. “As part of today’s celebrations, I have great pleasure in launching the Accessibility guide, Leading the way in accessible information,” Carmel Sepuloni said. The Accessibility Guide gives the state sector guidance on how to increase accessibility to information through the use of inclusive language and design, and alternate formats such as New Zealand Sign Language, Easy Read and Braille…
Disability champions set to open industry doors
December 3, 2018 | Source: GOV-UK | Technology, Inclusion, Disability Rights
The champions will use their influential status as leaders in their industries to promote the benefits of being inclusive to disabled people across 6 new areas: fashion, technology, countryside and heritage, website accessibility, food and drink and product design. Poor access can restrict many areas of disabled people’s lives, from online shopping to enjoying the country’s natural beauty. The new champions will join the existing 14 champions who are already driving improvements to the accessibility of services and facilities in a range of sectors, including banking, music and tourism…
Home care not keeping up with demand
December 3, 2018 | Source: Talking Aged Care- Australia | Housing, Aging, Inclusion
The Government’s Home Care Packages Data Report (1st Quarter 2018-19) shows almost 92,000 Australians are now receiving Home Care Packages (HCPs) – a record annual growth rate of 29 percent. The report also shows 30,150 home care packages were released from 1 July – 30 September 2018, with 126,732 on the national queue awaiting HCPs at their approved level. The report reveals waiting times of over 12 months for approved levels of support – starting with an average 3-6 month wait to access a level 1 package…
Advocates urge Senate to improve national accessibility law
December 3, 2018 | Source: Toronto Star- Canada | Advocacy, Government, Disability Rights
Disability activists say Ottawa has ignored their calls to strengthen Canada’s first national accessibility legislation and are urging the Senate to intervene. More than 90 groups, including the Council of Canadians with Disabilities and Ontario-based ARCH Disability Law, say the proposed Accessible Canada Act, passed by Parliament Nov. 27, is too weak to achieve its goal of making Canada barrier-free for over five million Canadians with disabilities. They want the Senate to hold public hearings next year and make amendments to improve the legislation before it becomes law…
UK to appoint new disability champion for restaurants and pubs
December 4, 2018 | Source: Verdict Foodservice- UK | Food Service, Government, Awareness
The UK government is set to hire a new food and drink disability champion to educate customers on accessibility issues in restaurants and pubs. The new champion will join the 14 existing champions hired for other sectors such as hotels, airports, retail, media, advertising and tourism. The champion will be responsible for addressing accessibility issues faced by people with disabilities across restaurants and bars and will focus on working with foodservice operators to raise awareness on enhancing access and customer service, as well as staff training, reported The Caterer…
Government recruiting a fashion disability champion
December 4, 2018 | Source: Fashion United- UK | Government, Fashion, Inclusion
The Department for Works and Pensions has announced that it will be recruiting a new fashion industry disability champion to help tackle the issues disabled people face as consumers. Announced on International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) the Government stated that there will be six new disability champions, who will use their influential status as leaders in their industries to promote the benefits of being inclusive to disabled people across fashion, technology, countryside and heritage, website accessibility, food and drink and product design…
How to normalise the way we look towards people with disabilities
December 5, 2018 | Source: Jordan Times- Jordan | Inclusion, Disability Rights, Awareness
It is not clear what Aya Aghabi expected when she called Daniel Sharaiha, chief human resources officer and customer experience at Bank Al Etihad. Aghabi, founder of “Accessible Jordan”, an online guide to places accessible around Amman and touristic destinations in Jordan, explained to the bank official the fact that many of their branches are missing the basic infrastructure to make them accessible to people with disabilities. As Sharaiha explained at a UNESCO-sponsored event on the International Day of Disabled Persons, the call hit him like a thunderbolt….
Government charged to implement disability law
December 5, 2018 | Source: GhanaWeb- Ghana | Government, Disability Rights, Inclusion
The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has called for the full implementation of the Disability Act passed 10 years ago. According to CDD-Ghana, persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the country continue to have major challenges in accessing and making use of public infrastructure despite the passage of the law which was to ensure inclusiveness and equality for all. “CDD-Ghana is disappointed that since the passage of the Act in 2006, and the ratification of the UN Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2012, successive governments have flouted and/or disregarded the provisions of the law,”…
Shanghai-based volunteers assist visually impaired runners
December 5, 2018 | Source: Global Times- China | Blindness/Visual Impairment, Inclusion, Awareness
At the Shanghai International Marathon held last month, a group of visually impaired runners appeared particularly notable among the tens of thousands of other runners. Although they were visually impaired or totally blind, they still had the courage to break through their own limits. Running side by side with them were a group of unimpaired guides who acted as their “eyes.” Both visually impaired runners and their unimpaired guides call each other “lanjingling,” which is also the name of the activities organized by beYoureyeS, a local NGO dedicated to promoting sports accessibility to make it easier for the visually impaired to enjoy sports…
How Robot Carers Could Be The Future For Lonely Elderly People
December 5, 2018 | Source: Independent- UK | Aging, Innovation, Accessible Design
The film Robot and Frank imagined a near-future where robots could do almost everything humans could. The elderly title character was given a “robot butler” to help him continue living on his own. The robot was capable of everything from cooking and cleaning to socialising (and, it turned out, burglary). This kind of science fiction may turn out to be remarkably prescient. As growing numbers of elderly people require care, researchers believe that robots could be one way to address the overwhelming demand…
Don’t Count Them Out Just Yet: Australia’s Tech Boomers
December 5, 2018 | Source: Nielsen- Australia | Innovation, Awareness, Aging
The speed of technological advancement has forced Baby Boomers to update their attitudes as well as their operating systems. Media owners, publishers and the technology industry as a whole can sometimes overlook a key demographic that deserves more attention: Baby Boomers. Traditionally this group (aged between 55 and 74) has been characterised as users of more traditional communication and media – home phones, print news, email and text messages. However, new research signals that Australian Boomers are keeping pace with changing technology and shouldn’t be overlooked by marketers…
Rada backs ban on startup of new buildings without accessibility logistics for people with disabilities
December 5, 2018 | Source: Interfax-Ukraine | Building Access, Inclusion, Awareness
Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has passed at first reading a bill, introducing a ban on the startup of new residential buildings and facilities for public activities without accessibility logistics for people with disabilities in Ukraine. Bill No. 7370 amending the law on regulation of town planning activities was backed by 230 lawmakers on Tuesday. The press service of Deputy Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Economy Minister Lev Partskhaladze reported that the document is intended to simplify accessibility logistics for people with disabilities and other physically challenged people…
Government seeks ‘disability champions’ in six market sectors
December 5, 2018 | Source: Access and Mobility Professional- UK | Government, Inclusion, Disability Rights
New “disabled champions” will be hired by the government to promote inclusivity to businesses missing out on the £249 billion annual spending power of disabled people. The government will aim to use the status of the champions as influential leaders in their industries to promote the benefits of being inclusive to disabled people. As poor access can restrict many areas of disabled people’s lives, champions will be chosen to represent six new areas: fashion, technology, countryside and outdoors, website accessibility, food and drink and product design…
Government to use new building code to solve accessibility challenges for PWDs
December 6, 2018 | Source: GhanaWeb- Ghana | Government, Building Access, Inclusion
Persons with disability task government to ensure disability-friendly buildings
December 6, 2018 | Source: GhanaWeb- Ghana | Government, Building Access, Inclusion
Deputy Works and Housing Minister Eugene Boakye Antwi has government will rely on the newly launched Ghana building code to solve issues of accessibility to public infrastructures for Persons Living with Disabilities (PWD) in the country. According to him, government is doing all it can to address issues confronting PWDs, saying, “All the concerns raised will be fully addressed.” “Since independence, this country has not had a building code, but fortunately some weeks back, the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia launched Ghana’s first building code,” the Minister said Wednesday…
YVR is first airport to get gold-level accessibility rating
December 6, 2018 | Source: Vancouver Is Awesome- Canada & Daily Hive | Travel, Awareness, Accessible Design
Preparing for travel, navigating the airport, going through security and flying can all be stressful experiences. Add in mobility, vision or hearing impairments and that stress could be magnified significantly. Vancouver International Airport has taken several measures to ensure the airport can be navigated by all of its employees, passengers and partners. And, on Wednesday, YVR was recognized for its efforts with the Rick Hansen Foundation’s “accessibility certified gold” rating…
Don’t underestimate people with disabilities: Accessibility award recipient
December 3, 2018 | Source: Brock University- Canada | Inclusion, Disability Rights, Awareness
Elyse Lappano (BPhEd ’11, MA ’13) believes it’s a mistake for society to underestimate people with disabilities. “We take for granted what they can do and what their skill set actually is,” she said. Lappano, Brock’s Experiential Education Co-ordinator, Inclusive and Adaptive Programs, was honoured with the University’s Accessibility and Inclusion Award in a ceremony Monday, Dec. 3 — a day recognized around the world as International Day of Persons with Disabilities…
Ramp Made with Recycled Plastic Will Allow People with Disabilities to Get to the Sea, in Jacó
December 6, 2018 | Source: The Costa Rica News | Tourism, Accessible Design, Inclusion
A ramp -or footbridge- so that people with disabilities can reach the sea in a safer and more comfortable way will be placed in the area of Madrigales, in Jacó. The project is currently planned by the Municipality of Garabito, the Costa Rican Network of Accessible Tourism, and the Surf Federation. In addition, it has the support of the Plura organization, which leads the development of initiatives and products that promote respect for the rights of people with disabilities, in terms of inclusive tourism, accessibility, and labor inclusion…
Auckland Transport and Qrious tackle accessibility issues for visually impaired customers
December 7, 2018 | Source: CIO- New Zealand & Voxy- New Zealand | Transportation, Blindness/Visual Impairment, Inclusion
Auckland Transport aims to make public transport accessible, easy and affordable for everyone. While the AT HOP card has made travelling around Auckland simpler and more affordable, the agency was cognisant a certain sector of the community – the visually impaired – had specific issues in using the card. These customers were finding it hard to read the digital balance displays on buses and trains. They also had difficulties logging into and using the AT HOP online portal because the content was not optimised for screen readers…
Accessibility Blogs and Information
Accessibility Resources
- Social Media Accessibility- 9&10 News (Video)
- Giving Back to the Community- 24 Accessibility
- Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired
- Drupal’s commitment to accessibility- Dries Buytaert
- A Total Failure for Disabled Consumers- Peter Slatin
- We don’t include the disabled enough- The Star Online
- New Data on Disability in Canada, 2017- Statistics Canada
- Is your library website accessible to all?- The Galecia Group
- 2017 U.S. Census Bureau Disability Statistics Facts for Features
- Sample Accessibility Plans- The Accessibility for Manitobans Act
- Accessibility in Ontario: what you need to know- Accessible Ontario
- 100 Days of A11y- Learning all things web accessibility in 100 days
- 2017 Disability Statistics Annual Report- University of New Hampshire (PDF)
- Be The Difference campaign: helping you to find work- Disability Horizons
- Authentic Inclusion- Drives Disruptive Innovation Hardcover– by Frances West
- New accessibility work programme ‘important step in breaking down barriers’- Voxy
- India doing ‘commendable job’ in improving accessibility for disabled- Times of India
- Creating a More Accessible World: Q&A with Maayan Ziv, Founder and CEO AccessNow
- The Surf-By Lawsuit Has Officially Found Its Way To The School Industry- Fisher & Phillips
- The buddy system- Service dogs help with everyday tasks and offer companionship to people with MS
- Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3- Large-scale Broadcast Event Usability and Accessibility- Minnesota IT Services
- International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2018: Statement by Commissioner Thyssen- European Commission
- Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life) Hardcover by Kat Holmes
- 24 Accessibility- 24 days of digital accessibility gifts during the season of giving and sharing, on Twitter and on Facebook
- Stories from the Trenches: What I’ve learned from Working as a Blind Developer for a Sighted Dev Team- Florian Beijers
- Expertise center handicap + study, part of CINOP, supports colleges and universities in making education accessible to students with an extra support question
Accessibility Announcements and Products
- Major accessibility work programme announcement
- Butch & Babe’s restaurant honored for accessibility
- Allen Café gets statewide recognition for accessibility
- Grand Teton recognized for improving access to visitors
- Innervoice Receives Microsoft Ai For Accessibility Grant
- Skype introduces live captioning feature on one-to-one calls
- noHold’s AI Platform Complies with Top Industry Standards
- Some Things You Didn’t Know About Milton’s Transit System
- Crawford Technologies Announces Release of DTE Version 4.8
- OPM Starts Building Database on Contracts, Arbitration Awards
- WPCampus Seeks to Raise $30K for Gutenberg Accessibility Audit
- WaveMaker enhances its low-code platform for high-impact modernization
- Wheelchair Accessibility in Coronado – Recent & Upcoming Improvements
- In The Know Innovation- This device turns any wheelchair into a power scooter
- New app makes Louisville’s Metro Hall more accessible to visually impaired visitors
- Level Access Named One of DC Inno’s “50 on Fire” for Technology and Cybersecurity
- Monsido Introduces Powerful Compliance Shield Tool to Drive Better Digital Accessibility
- Waymo One, the first commercial robotaxi service, is now picking up passengers in Arizona
- National Securities Corp Begins Covering AudioEye Inc (AEYE) Stock. “Shares to Hit $9.0000”
- Apple launches dedicated store for military and veterans with discounted iPhones, iPads, and more
- BC government announces funding to bolster inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities
- Breda wins 2019 Access City Award for making the city more accessible to citizens with disabilities
- New Dublin rail map and public transport website launched with ALL train, tram and bus services labelled
- Doxim Advances Customer Engagement Platform To Power Digital Transformation For Financial Institutions
Accessibility Forums, Tips, and Q&A
- Color Contrast Checker
- Android, giving Pie a try
- WordPress accessibility issues
- Contrast and Color Accessibility
- How To Create Accessibility Statements
- Create an accessible dropdown navigation
- A Guide to Creating Accessible Animations
- Hey, Siri: 142 useful voice commands for Siri
- Testing with achecker for WCAG 2.0 compatibility
- Instagram Adds Features for Visually Impaired Users
- Accessible SVG: Methods for Adding Alternative Content
- WebAIM’s Survey of Low Vision Users #2: What do we make of it?
- SDL XPP: Adaptive Publishing for PDF/UA and Section 508 compliant Documents
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1—for People Who Haven’t Read the Update
- An error message says JAWS is not authorized to run on this machine after returning from
- SUPER ZOOM Your iPhone has a HIDDEN magnifying glass feature that unlocks with three taps
Accessibility Statements
- KBR
- PM Group
- TowerJazz
- Careers Wales
- Baringa Partners
- Falmouth Exeter Plus
- Penguin Random House
- Emory & Henry College
- U.S. Department of Labor
- Carroll County Public Library
VPATs®
- 360 Core
- Ex Libris Alma
- Alexander Street Press
- ProQuest Ebook Central
- Student PeerMark Interface
- Feedback Studio LTI Interface
- Student Feedback Studio Similarity Interface
- Student Content Management System Interface
- Student Feedback Studio Online Grading Interface
- Student Feedback Studio Text Only Similarity Report
Microassist Digital Accessibility Services
Our digital and web accessibility services cover
• Accessibility Audit Services — Our comprehensive audit will map all findings to internationally recognized WCAG 2.0 AA standards and equip you and your technical and content teams to know what areas need to be brought into compliance.
•Accessible Elearning Development — Does your online training reach all learners, whether they’re your employees, resellers, students? Let us help you design effective, engaging training that works for everyone.
•Accessible Website and Application Development — An inaccessible website or application is increasingly seen as violating the ADA. Let’s talk about creating an online presence that reaches all your customers and reduces your litigation risk.
• Audit and Testing Services — A thorough accessibility audit against recognized accessibility standards will show you where you may be under-serving your customers and putting your organization at risk.
• Accessible Document Services — Digital assets such as Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, and audio and video files need to be accessible to individuals with disabilities, too. We can help you establish creation processes or remediate historical documents so that they meet accessibility standards and are usable by people with disabilities.
•Remediation Services — Whether for a time-sensitive response to a legal action, or for proactive remediation, we can fix what doesn’t meet accessibility standards.
• Accessibility Training — Contact us to get your teams introduced and informed about accessibility best practices.
Please contact us for any questions you have about our accessibility services and how we might support your organization.
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