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Accessibility in the News – February 23, 2018

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Accessibility in the News—2/23/18

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AITN Quote of the Week

“Life is all about balance. Since I have only one leg, I understand that well.”

― Sandy Fussell, Shaolin Tiger 

 

National News (U.S.)

Pearson Accessibility Specialist in Boston, Massachusetts

 

Does Your Bank Discriminate? A Look at What ADA Compliance Means as Financial Services Go Digital

February 16, 2018   |  Source: Microassist

Financial institutions are familiar with many Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements: Features such as ramps and ample doorway widths, auxiliary aids, and braille on ATM machines may come to mind. There’s less awareness, however, on how to make online material accessible to everyone, even as services increasingly migrate to a digital form. Banks are often caught off-guard when told—usually via a demand letter or lawsuit—that their websites, applications, third-party platforms, or PDF documents don’t work well for people who are blind or who have low vision…

School District Website May Change To Meet Rules On Access For The Disabled

February 16, 2018   |  Source: TAP Into Basking Ridge

Township groups may lose a way to contact the community as the Board of Education adapts its website to conform to federal regulations on accessibility for the disabled. The school will first have to evaluate how much content of its own it can afford to post on its website, said Superintendent Nick Markarian, before using its resources to check on flyers and notices provided by outside groups, such as PTOs. The school district is under direction to make sure information on its website is accessible to individuals with disabilities, as described in federal law…

EvoXLabs founder Ather Sharif joined a leadership program for people with disabilities

February 16, 2018   |  Source: Technical.ly

Though he moved to Chicago last summer for a year of exploration, accessibility expert and Comcast technologist Ather Sharif still calls Philly home. From his new homebase, where he’s looking to connect to the local tech community and get a taste of the midwest, Sharif is already making moves: This week, he joined the kickoff session for the 2018 class of the ADA 25 Advancing Leadership Fellows, a Chicago-based leadership training program for people with disabilities…

When accessible doesn’t equal convenient for wheelchair users

February 16, 2018   |  Source: Orlando Sentinel

A sandwich board blocking the sidewalk. Straws and utensils placed at the back of the counter. High chairs stacked in front of a restaurant’s bathroom door. A mini-fridge tucked under a hotel bathroom sink. These might sound like normal things you could come across in daily life, and unfortunately for wheelchair users like me, they are. They’re unfortunate because even though laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act ensure public accommodations are built so I can access them, ADA protections don’t necessarily mean they’re convenient for me to use…

School board approves website accessibility policy

February 16, 2018   |  Source: Pierce County Tribune

In a regular meeting Tuesday morning, the Rugby Public School District No. 5 Board of Education voted to approve the first reading of a policy regarding the accessibility of the district’s online presence. In a related motion, the board also approved the first reading of a policy regarding grievances related to said online presence’s accessibility. The accessibility policy states that any existing and new web content the District produces, as well as content from third parties, must conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines by no later than Jan. 31 of this year…

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Sites should meet accessibility standards

February 17, 2018   |  Source: Crain’s Cleveland Business

Last June, a federal judge in Florida ruled in favor of a visually impaired man who claimed the website for Winn-Dixie — a supermarket chain — denied him the “full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages or accommodations” it offers to its sighted customers. In the ruling, the judge said the supermarket chain website was closely integrated with its physical store locations, making it subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act…

Website Compliance With Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

February 18, 2018   |  Source: RISMedia

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recently sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) expressing support for clear website accessibility standards for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In 2016, the Department began work on regulations for state and local government website accessibility, which would have helped inform website accessibility rulemaking for places of public accommodations, including real estate brokerages. However, with the change in executive leadership in 2017, the Department has stalled work on the issue…

Renovations set to increase, improve ADA accessibility on campus

February 18, 2018   |  Source: The Daily Barometer

The American Disabilities Act of 1990 was designed to prohibit the discrimination of individuals based on their disabilities, including on college campuses. At OSU, Disability Access Services works within the laws of ADA to improve and stabilize the lives of those who have disabilities. Those students who need accommodations within their classrooms, residence halls and simply navigating the campus go through DAS. Juliana Recio, access services adviser and a wheelchair user herself, is always looking at accessibility for the disabled…

InsideHS: Vance Taylor’s Mission to Include Accessibility Issues in Disaster Planning

February 18, 2018   |  Source: HSToday

California native Vance Taylor has become one of the most formidable and respected voices on two of the most complex issues in emergency management: critical infrastructure and people. Having worked with public and private sector leaders in the water infrastructure community for nearly two decades, Taylor’s presence and perspective on how this life-sustaining community can address and prepare for dynamic risks (e.g. service disruptions, cyber-attacks, decaying infrastructure amidst increased public demands, terror attack, etc.) is frequently sought out…

Making Life Accessible Again: Disabled Veterans Struggle With Mobility At Home

February 19, 2018   |  Source: WMOT & North Country Public Radio

When veterans with war injuries need accessible housing, they often have few options. Army veteran Ryan Wilcox is 29, easy going with a big sandy beard. Usually, you can’t tell that he’s wearing a prosthetic. His leg was amputated below the knee because of complications from a gunshot wound he got in Iraq in 2008. Walking is hard, so most of the time he uses a wheelchair. He says getting around in his house is like navigating an obstacle course — one where he gets wedged in doorways a lot…

CBS2 Exclusive: $275-Million Facelift Will Make Subway Stations More Accessible

February 19, 2018   |  Source: CBS New York

It started with a Facebook post complaining about dangerous gaps between the platform and the train at the Times Square shuttle. After CBS2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer started demanding answers, she discovered something quite unexpected. Don was hit by a truck, had his Achilles tendon severed, and his left leg crushed. Getting himself over the gap is difficult. He waits for the shuttle with more than a little bit of trepidation. The caps between the platform and the subway car terrify him…

Microsoft researchers develop VR ‘canetroller’ for the visually impaired

February 20, 2018   |  Source: Windows Central

VR is traditionally thought of as an immersive visual medium, but Microsoft Research has developed a novel way to give visually impaired users a way to interact with VR as well. As spotted by The Next Web, researchers at Microsoft recently what they call the “canetroller,” a device that uses haptic feedback to help the visually impaired navigate a virtual environment. According to Microsoft, the canetroller simulates the experience of using a white cane in the real world, only in VR…

Hotel ADA Website Compliance – What You Need to Know

February 20, 2018   |  Source: Hospitality Net

Most people can experience the world through the internet. Travel information and choices to make those travel arrangements are at our fingertips. Now imagine a world where you could not easily access the internet to search for hotels and airlines that provide accommodations and accessibility for your specific needs? For most of us, this is not something we need to consider but, for the disabled, it’s a daily challenge. To understand their frustrations in navigating a site is to understand what it means to make your hotel website “ADA compliant”…

Assistive Technologies – The Switch

February 19, 2018   |  Source: Axess Lab

A switch is an assistive technology primarily used by people with motor impairments to access and control computers, smartphones, electric wheelchairs, smart home appliances and more. Let’s look at some switches in action and go through how you design switch friendly interfaces. At its core, a switch is simply a way for a user to activate a control. This can be done in multiple ways, and different users prefer different switches. The classic example of a switch looks like a big round button…

Road to GDC: Triple-A Gaming While Blind

February 20, 2018   |  Source: RollingStone

When I joined EA back in 2013 as a Madden NFL graphics developer, every Raiders fan was eager to get their hands on the next game in the franchise. Everyone except my friend who was legally blind. He told me that he couldn’t play Madden NFL anymore. The switch to 1080p high-definition graphics meant that all in-game icons were too small for his eyes to follow the game. I promised him then that I would try fix the problem. I saw my chance when the game studio had an internal game jam in 2014, where I submitted a “Madden Game Accessibility” entry…

Bank pushes for revamp of handicap symbol in Madison

February 20, 2018   |  Source: Madison State Journal

At the urging of a relatively recent entrant to Madison’s banking market, the city is gauging whether there’s any interest in changing the 50-year-old logo used to identify parking spaces, building entrances, bathrooms or other public spaces as accessible to those in wheelchairs and those with other mobility limitations. Evansville, Indiana-based Old National Bank — which purchased formerly Madison-based AnchorBank in 2016 — approached the city in the fall about replacing the image of a person seated in a wheelchair with one showing a person propelling a wheelchair forward…

Finding a Place for Website Accessibility in Tech Conferences

February 21, 2018   |  Source: Hacker Noon

Where do Accessibility talks belong? Development, Diversity, or UX tracks? On its own? So many track choices, so little time. Between coordinating work and family, travel schedules, and actually writing/practicing a talk, the simple act of submitting a talk should be the easy part. But each time I submit a talk to a tech conference, I pause. What track does this website accessibility talk fit under? Development? User experience? Diversity? Off the island (aka miscellaneous)? Do I choose a “soft science” category because the talk might be more likely to be accepted or do I choose something more technical to reach a broader audience?…

Confidence Crisis in Online Accessibility

February 21, 2018   |  Source: Inside Higher Ed

Confidence in the accessibility of online courses at community colleges has fallen dramatically in the last decade, a survey from the Instructional Technology Council reveals. The annual survey on the impact of online learning at community colleges, published earlier this month, shows what the report calls a “remarkable decline” in certainty among institutions that the online courses they offer are fully accessible to students with disabilities. In 2008, 73% of community colleges said their online courses were “completely” or “mostly” compliant with Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973…

New Federal Court Ruling Finds the Americans with Disabilities Act May Extend to Apps

February 21, 2018   |  Source: ACT | The App Association

Accessibility, the design of products, services, and environments for people with disabilities, is increasingly seen and enforced as a civil right. In fact, the number of civil lawsuits brought against companies that do not have accessible websites increased more than sevenfold between 2015 and 2017. While most lawsuits have been filed  against businesses with a physical storefront and an internet presence (e.g., the Winn Dixie lawsuit currently on appeal in Florida), App Association members should be keenly aware of how to abide and uphold the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)…

Age in Place: Make Your Remodel Handicapped-Accessible

February 21, 2018   |  Source: Jewish Exponent

It’s no surprise that 90 percent of people 65 and older would prefer to live in their own homes as they age, as opposed to a nursing home or assisted living facility, according to a recent AARP study.  But adding necessary equipment to your home doesn’t have to look like a hospital room. You can age in place — and in vogue. Although the term is called “aging in place,” it’s important to remember to thrive in that place — your home. “‘Aging in place’ is a misnomer,” concluded a 2016 HomeAdvisor report, titled Aging in Place. “Whether we’re 25, 45, 65 or 85, our homes aren’t for aging…

CUNA, Cornerstone league defend CU against frivolous ADA suit

February 21, 2018   |  Source: CUNA & Credit Union Times (Subscription)

CUNA and the Cornerstone Credit Union League filed a motion for leave to file a brief supporting a credit union facing a frivolous lawsuit alleging website noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Credit unions are facing increasing legal action due to uncertainty with how the ADA applies to websites, and CUNA has made finding a solution a top priority. The brief supports Houston-based BCM FCU’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought against it…

New bill targets the disabled

February 21, 2018   |  Source: The Oracle & NBC & The National Law Review & Huffington Post & The Diamondback

Nearly one in five Americans are currently living with a disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is about 56.7 million people. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990, which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. However, on Feb. 15, the House of Representatives voted to pass bill H.R.620 – the ADA Education and Reform Act. This act would effectively undermine the provisions outlined by the ADA, which would cause a protected class — those with disabilities — to become vulnerable to inequality…

University Campaign Highlights the Importance of Acknowledging Disability in Diversity

February 22, 2018   |  Source: The Cornell Daily Sun

Cornell’s Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator team launched an awareness campaign in January that uses social media and on-campus posters to foster a supportive environment for people with disabilities. “The focus of this awareness campaign is more than raising awareness about disability generally,” said Angela Winfield, director of inclusion and workforce diversity. “It also is aimed at highlighting the fact that disability is part of the diversity and inclusion conversation.”…

Campus doorways provide wheelchair accessibility issues

February 22, 2018   |  Source: Tulane Hullabaloo

Tulane alumna Rebecca Lederkramer broke her arm and leg in a bike-riding accident during her senior year in Fall 2016. She lived off-campus in a three-story home and could not climb the stairs because of her injuries. So, Tulane moved her into a wheelchair-accessible dorm room in Willow Residences. Though the dorm room was on the first floor, she still struggled getting around.  “There were no buttons on the door to open automatically,” Lederkramer said. “… [It] had to be opened manually which is hard to do in a wheelchair.”…

An ‘Onslaught’ Of Lawsuits From The Blind Is Happening; Blame Obama’s and Trump’s DOJ

February 22, 2018   |  Source: Forbes

The U.S. Department of Justice has yet to release long-promised clarifications on the Americans with Disabilities Act that would help judges handle lawsuits that claim businesses’ websites are not handicap-accessible – and the blame isn’t on just one of the country’s last two, very different presidents. “The DOJ, under both the Obama and Trump administrations, is responsible for the onslaught of these lawsuits,” says Minh Vu, a Seyfarth Shaw attorney who specializes in such lawsuits…

The Dayle McIntosh Center Marks a Milestone of Disability-Rights Activism

February 22, 2018   |  Source: OC Weekly

On a clear Saturday morning, youth with disabilities both visible and invisible file into a spacious activities room at the Anaheim Accessibility Center. The converted train station in the city’s historic Colony District is new to playing host for the Dayle McIntosh Center’s weekend youth programs, which used to be held at the cramped quarters of the nonprofit’s Anaheim office. A trio of coordinators help form a circle near the door to begin the day, wearing a plum shirt that says “Resist” in American Sign Language (ASL)…

The IndieBeat: How Way of the Passive Fist’s animators helped make it accessible

February 22, 2018   |  Source: VentureBeat

Way of the Passive Fist is a side-scrolling brawler … in which you never throw a punch. Rather than tussling with your enemies, it’s all about dodging, defending, and wearing them down until they run out of stamina. Then you simply push them over and move on. It’s the debut of Household Games, and it launches March 6 on PC and PlayStation 4, and March 7 on Xbox One. Alongside Way of the Passive Fist’s unique twist on the fighting genre, it’s also got a forward-thinking take on accessibility…

How accessible is Penn State’s campus for students with disabilities?

February 22, 2018   |  Source: The Daily Collegian Online

Many who come to Penn State are daunted by its campus. With so many buildings and facilities, it could be easy to get lost in the maze that is Penn State. “It’s hard to navigate because it’s such a big campus,” Jackie Beshoory said. More seasoned students eventually come to learn little shortcuts and alternate routes to make the campus easier to navigate. But not all students have access to these shortcuts. For students with physical disabilities, not all parts of campus are equally accessible…

As ADA Compliance Lawsuits Loom, Covered Organizations Scrutinize Website Accessibility

February 22, 2018   |  Source: Legal Tech News

When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was first adopted in 1990, equal access for disabled individuals was largely a question of physical access. ADA claims largely centered around the rights of disabled people to access buildings, job opportunities and critical information as any other citizen would. Since then, the digital world has expanded enormously, and with it, a whole other infrastructure for Americans with disabilities to navigate. Moreover, given the breakneck pace of technology and web innovation, trying to keep technology ADA-accessible has created some serious headaches for organizations…

Jack Fact — According to the United Nations, 80 percent of the 650 million people with disabilities worldwide live in developing countries, and of these some 426 million live below the poverty line, often representing the 15 to 20 percent most vulnerable and marginalised poor in such countries. 

International News

How to make your bathroom more accessible

February 16, 2018   |  Source: Telegraph- UK

It has never been easier to create a bathroom that looks a million dollars. But is the outlay justified? It is if you’re future-proofing it. That is, ensuring it’s accessible by people of all ages and abilities – which might mean your elderly relatives or your teens. Select products that combine style with practicality and you’ll make it a space to be enjoyed by all. One great way to update a bathroom is with a wet room or walk-in shower. Seamless, space saving and unobtrusive in design, the wet room concept is hugely practical…

Government of Canada creates equal access and opportunities for people with disabilities

February 16, 2018   |  Source: NewsWire- Canada

Canadians with disabilities face challenges every day that prevent them from participating fully in all aspects of our society, and our government is taking action to break down these barriers. Today, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, announced the approval of approximately 600 Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) projects for a total of $15.5 million. Through programs such as the EAF, the Government of Canada is taking action to build a more inclusive, accessible and resilient Canada…

Partial ruling in train accessibility case

February 16, 2018   |  Source: Swissinfo- Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Railways will be temporarily allowed to roll out six of its new double-decker trains, following a legal challenge by groups representing Swiss wheelchair users that had suspended their use. Inclusion Handicapexternal link filed the legal complaint in mid-January over the new trains, after discovering a series of problems, such as that the ramps to get on and off were too steep, and wheelchair users could not access them without assistance. This runs counter to a 2004 law saying that disabled passengers should be able to use public transport independently, without the help of railway staff…

Direct Payments: the disparities between local authorities

February 16, 2018   |  Source: Disability Horizons- UK

In England, social care provision has undergone radical changes over recent years. In the early 1990s, the money needed to cover people’s physical care (currently called Direct Payments) was funded by each person’s local authority and a central government body called the Independent Living Fund. However, thanks to our seemingly perpetual state of austerity, there has been a decentralisation of services – and now a massive disparity in the services provided…

More accessibility for people who are hearing impaired at Spazju Kreattiv cinema

February 17, 2018   |  Source: TMV- Malta

The Creativity Foundation has invested in the cinema theatre at St James Cavalier with the aim of making it more accessible for people who use a hearing aid. Through specialized equipment, people with a hearing aid will be able to hear the film being shown more directly. Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said that the system known as Hearing Loop will make these shows more accessible. Officials from the Creative Centre said that this is the first theatre in Malta which now has a modern sound system known as 7.1…

Wheelchair roadblocks in the CBD

February 18, 2018   |  Source: The Straits Times- Singapore

A project to map out wheelchair-friendly routes in the Central Business District (CBD) is on the cards. The Disabled People’s Association (DPA) is spearheading the project as it finds the area has too many steps and escalators, preventing people with disabilities from going to work or finding work there. Dr Marissa Lee, DPA’s executive director, noted that there is now a major push for companies to hire people with disabilities. While employers often check if their own buildings cater to those with disabilities, they do not think about “the areas of transition.”…

Members of new advisory board want Nova Scotia to rethink accessibility

February 19, 2018   |  Source: CBC- Canada

Members of Nova Scotia’s new accessibility advisory board say it’s time to think about accessibility in a new way as the province works to implement legislation. Cynthia Bruce, a blind activist and faculty member in Acadia University’s School of Education, said the redrafted Accessibility Act that was introduced last spring offers a profound opportunity. But we need to get it right, she said. “And we often have a really narrow way of thinking of accessibility in some respects in that we kind of think about ramps and elevators, things that are fairly obvious and in some respects pretty easy to fix.”…

Understanding Accessibility Testing: Think like a Dweller, Not a Builder

February 19, 2018   |  Source: Sticky Minds- Canada

Digital accessibility aims to make any software usable by the widest possible audience. This includes software supported by users’ assistive technologies as well as accessibility within web browsers and mobile devices. Assistive technologies enable users with special needs to work with software effectively. One part is specialized user-facing devices and software—this is what is typically thought of as assistive technologies. But there’s another part: the way software products are created…

Children’s book series aims to encourage inclusion of people with disabilities

February 19, 2018   |  Source: Calgary Herald- Canada and Durham Region

Ontario’s provincial government has published a series of children’s books aimed at encouraging inclusion and acceptance of people with disabilities. Books with titles such as “I’m Smart in My Own Way” are meant to teach children the benefits of understanding diverse and varied experiences. The initiative is related to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. The book series was written by Carolyn MacDiarmid, an author and former preschool teacher with low vision…

A benchmark for website accessibility

February 20, 2018   |  Source: Local Gov- UK

Most organizations have heard of the GDPR, the all-encompassing EU regulation covering personal data that’s being implemented in May this year – but very few are aware of another highly significant directive due to come into effect in September. The EU Web Accessibility Directive is a radical overhaul of the structure and content of public bodies websites and mobile apps that will transform the way 13 million disabled people in Britain access the Internet. It requires ‘that public sector bodies take the necessary measures to make their websites and mobile applications more accessible…

Improving accessibility in the UK

February 20, 2018   |  Source: The Ramp People- UK

Whether it’s a temporary Christmas market or planning everyday routes, accessibility around the UK has steadily gained awareness over the years. Today it is a key concern for many people, from the government and local councils to public transport providers. Unfortunately, while the introduction of new laws and legislation such as The Equality Act 2010 has helped to drive action across the country, disabled people continue to face everyday obstacles…

Nyle DiMarco’s tweets spur deaf people to share cinema frustrations

February 19, 2018   |  Source: BBC- UK

Deaf actor and model Nyle DiMarco has taken to social media to share his dissatisfaction with the captioning of a screening of Black Panther on Sunday. In a series of tweets Mr. DiMarco explained how he walked out of the showing after feeling “so disabled” when the “awful” captioning device on offer “kept skipping lines” and “missing scenes”.  Hundreds of deaf people responded to his posts with their own stories of cinema annoyances. Mr. DiMarco, who won America’s Next Top Model and Dancing With the Stars, criticised the closed captioning system which displays subtitles to individual theatre-goers…

Making Williams Lake rural accessibility capital of BC still a dream

February 21, 2018   |  Source: Williams Lake Tribune- Canada

George Atamanenko is still holding out for Williams Lake to become the Rural Accessibility Capital of B.C. something he thinks is warranted because Rick Hansen is from the lakecity. For years the Accessibility Advisory Committee chair has been suggesting it and during a presentation at Tuesday’s regular city council meeting he said the committee now wants to develop a strategic path to achieve that goal by 2024. Council fully endorsed the goal. Mayor Walt Cobb said accessibility is “catching on” in the region…

Australia’s Shocking Cruelty To Aboriginal People With Disabilities

February 21, 2018   |  Source: New Matilda- Australia

The abuse of Aboriginal prisoners with disabilities in Australian jails is confronting, and ongoing. In Part 4 of this special 5-part series for New Matilda, Michael Brull looks at the conditions prisoners are forced to live in, exposed in a report written by Human Rights Watch. The sadistic way Aboriginal people with disabilities are treated (part 1 and 2) in prison could be reformed and limited with basic reforms and proper training. Solitary confinement is used at least in part because prisons and prison guards are not equipped to deal with people with disabilities, though the criminal justice system has effectively criminalized many of them…

A Yelp for accessibility: The app that’s trying to change the conversation about disability

February 21, 2018   |  Source: The Lily- Canada

When Maayan Ziv and her classmates wrapped up the first week of graduate school classes in Toronto, they wanted to celebrate. One of Ziv’s classmates suggested they all go to a bar in the area. Most of the group didn’t think twice. But because Ziv is in a wheelchair, she always needs to know if the place she’s going is accessible. It’s a scenario has played out hundreds of times throughout her life. But that night was when she got the idea for AccessNow, an app and website that lets people search for and find information about accessible places and experiences. She envisioned it to be a Yelp for accessibility…

Innovation can help create an inclusive society for disabled Kiwis

February 22, 2018   |  Source: Stuff- New Zealand

New Zealand could be missing out on nearly $12 billion by not employing Kiwis with access needs. That is the message from social change agency Be. Accessible who estimate one in four New Zealanders, including older people, have a disability of some kind. A 2005 Innov8 study found that about 42 per cent of disabled people are not in any form of employment, compared with 23 per cent non-disabled people – creating an opportunity cost of about $11.7 billion…

A case for inclusivity

February 22, 2018   |  Source: The Hindu- India

Sagar Baheti was a competitive cricketer till his mid-twenties, playing in university and zonal matches. In 2012, he realized his ability to spot the ball was waning, and multiple doctor’s appointments, lens prescriptions and meetings with specialists later, he was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease in mid-2013. The degenerative disease, which causes spots to appear on the retina and lead to progressive vision loss, is classified as one among around 7,000 rare diseases…

Barriers to education start early for people with disabilities, report says

February 22, 2018   |  Source: CBC- Canada

Manitobans with disabilities still face significant barriers to education — and therefore jobs — despite gains made in recent years, says a report released Wednesday. The report found significant lack of access to qualified staff for children with disabilities at all education levels, not enough support and education for school staff, a lack of awareness of protocols when helping students with disabilities make the transition from one level to the next and widespread bullying as the highest concerns…

Website aims to connect more seniors, disabled persons with the outdoors

February 22, 2018   |  Source: Highway News- Canada

Imagine walking through an ancient rainforest, or pulling up to a campsite with your own trail down to the lake. For many, the thought is easy — not so much for seniors and those with disabilities. But thanks to a new online tool, finding inclusive and accessible outdoor recreation opportunities across B.C. is now just a click away. The local group of Spinal Cord Injury BC (SCI-BC) met at the Fort St. John Hospital Feb. 19 to celebrate the launch of Access BC with cake, pizza, and some virtual tours. “It’s something that will get people out a lot more,” said Lori Slater, SCI-BC’s peer program co-ordinator in the city…

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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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