Accessibility in the News— 6/8/18.

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AITN Quote of the Week

“Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn’t know that so it goes on flying anyway.”

—Mary Kay Ash

National News (U.S.)

Seahawks’ Griffin tests adaptive game controller

June 1, 2018 | Source: ESPN

Shaquem Griffin says he has been an avid video game player since he was a kid, when he and his twin brother Shaquill would compete, with the loser owing the winner pushups. Not having a left hand made it a challenge for Shaquem to maneuver the controller. That made the Seattle Seahawks rookie linebacker a natural choice to promote Microsoft’s new Adaptive Controller, which was designed for gamers like Griffin who have accessibility needs…

NAACP, special-education advocates sue Betsy DeVos over her department’s handling of civil rights cases

June 1, 2018 | Source: Washington Post & Common Dreams

For the past several years, the Education Department has received thousands of civil rights complaints: victims of alleged sexual assaults saying their universities mishandled their cases, blind students encountering inaccessible textbooks, girls basketball teams seeking equal access to gymnasiums. In an effort to reduce a backlog of cases, the Education Department under Secretary Betsy DeVos began dismissing complaints that placed “an unreasonable burden” on the department…

Disability advocates are bringing accessible design to more people than ever

June 2, 2018 | Source: PBS NewsHour

Years of advocacy in the disability community along with technological advances have spurred the creation of more products for people with a range of abilities. NewsHour Weekend’s Megan Thompson talks to New York City’s Digital Accessibility Coordinator, about the importance of accessible design and tours an exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum that highlights this work. Walei Sabry works for the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities…

NYC’s new transit chief has a plan to fix the subway—can it succeed?

June 4, 2018 | Source: Curbed NY

New York City Transit’s new head, Andy Byford, recently proposed an extensive investment plan for the ailing subway system. Dubbed Fast Forward, Byford’s plan calls for spending billions of dollars not on new subway lines, but on investments that would, in theory, improve capacity and accessibility. New signal systems would substantially increase train throughput, and a large number of subway stations would be equipped with elevators for step-free access…

We Need To Do Better: Accessibility and BEA/BookCon

June 4, 2018 | Source: Comics Beat

As you may have heard a very unfortunate incident happened at BookCon that I was involved with. At a panel on Diversity in Graphic Novels organized by Diamond Comics, which I was moderating, creator Tee Franklin arrived and found that there was no ramp for her to get to the speaker’s stage. She was understandably upset over this incredibly avoidable situation – but even more so because the exact same thing had happened the day before at a panel at Book Expo, also organized by Diamond Comics…

A Day on the Beach, Yet So Much More!

June 4, 2018 | Source: Multiple Sclerosis News Today

The royal blue kite struggled to stay in flight; the winds remained fickle on our day at the beach. I was mesmerized while watching a man and woman so fervently trying to manage the small diving diamond in the sky. The more I watched, the clearer the metaphor to my own life and multiple sclerosis (MS) became. Living with a chronic disease is overwhelming, time-consuming, and hard to manage, but my time on the beach was just the opposite. It was relaxing, inspiring, and lots of fun!…

Microsoft invests in UI program to help autistic students pursue STEM careers

June 5, 2018 | Source: Champaign News-Gazette &Bloomington Pantagraph

Microsoft and other tech firms have always hired software engineers or data scientists who may have autism, whether they’re diagnosed or not, executives say. The Seattle-based software firm has made a more concerted effort over the past three years, hoping to tap into the technical skills and creativity those with autism often provide. But those workers also tend to need more support. So Microsoft decided to invest in the hiring pipeline with a $200,000 grant to the University of Illinois for the new Accessibility Lighthouse Program…

Barkan Tells Golden to Improve MTA for Disabled

June 5, 2018 | Source: Kings County Politics

Democratic State Senate candidate Ross Barkan said he talked to the people of his district, and they said they wanted to see changes in their community, one being an improvement to the city’s transportation system. The candidate brought a petition to the office of the official he is trying to unseat, State Senator Marty Golden (R-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend), with over 800 signatures collected to improve the handicap accessibility in his district…

How AbleGamers aims to bring gaming to those with disabilities

June 5, 2018 | Source: Windows Central

AbleGamers is a charity that champions accessibility in gaming, helping those with unique needs get the tools and advice they need to enjoy gaming. Recently, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which incorporates all sorts of 3.5mm-based buttons and switches to improve the gaming experience for those with accessibility needs. AbleGamers COO Steven Spohn sat down with us to discuss the importance of accessibility in gaming, the partnership with Microsoft on the Xbox Adaptive Controller, and much more…

Five Things Every Lawyer Needs to Know About Digital Accessibility

June 5, 2018 | Source: Law Technology Today

Digital accessibility is about making sure technology is available to the broadest range of users, including people with disabilities. In the legal context, this means thinking about disabled lawyers, witnesses, law office staff, and clients (including potential ones) every time you purchase technology and offer content. And it means keeping up to date about accessibility developments impacting the clients you serve. Have a website? Send email? Share documents? Sign contracts? Thinking about a firm mobile app?…

Inaccessible polling sites affect voting by disabled

June 6, 2018 | Source: Santa Fe New Mexican

Inaccessible voting sites continue to prevent many individuals with disabilities from casting ballots across the U.S. According to a recent report by Rutgers University, voter turnout for people with disabilities in the 2016 general election was 5.7 percentage points lower than among people without disabilities. Rutgers researchers said New Mexico was the state with the highest rate of voters with a disability, at 19.1 percent — or a total of 301,000 eligible voters…

Attorney: ‘L’-Evator Matter Has Been Settled

June 6, 2018 | Source: Chelsea Now

One part of the community lawsuit against the city’s L-train shutdown plan has been resolved, according to attorney Arthur Schwartz. “We have an agreement on station accessibility in Manhattan,” Schwartz told our sister publication, The Villager. “There is a deal, and all of the plaintiffs are reviewing it for signature, and we will announce it sometime next week. Big win.” Schwartz said, at this point, the details of the settlement of that part of the lawsuit are “still confidential,” pending the announcement…

Americans With Disabilities Act business compliance

June 6, 2018 | Source: Idyllwild Town Cier

Don’t think your business is exempt from Americans With Disabilities laws because you have an old or historic building. Last year, 3,826 complaints/pre-litigation letters were served on businesses within Riverside County, among the counties receiving the highest amount. The majority of these complaints were accompanied by large fines and lawsuits. The majority of the Idyllwild businesses fall under Readily Achievable Barrier Removal. This applies to all businesses that are called public accommodations, such as a merchant or restaurant, because they serve the public..

Area seniors citizens experience voting issue

June 6, 2018 | Source: Hays Free Press

For the better part of two hours May 22, Buda resident Betty Conley and her husband tried desperately to find a place to cast a ballot in that day’s primary runoff election. The duo was part of a group of ten residents at the Huntington Estates senior living community that were ultimately unsuccessful in finding where to vote. While the event didn’t alter Conley’s desire to be part of the democratic process, she believes more could be done to assist seniors who might have been in their situation…

Ed Department Reconsidering Previously Settled Disability Complaints

June 7, 2018 | Source: Disability Scoop

The U.S. Department of Education has quietly renegotiated hundreds of disability-related civil rights agreements with schools. In more than 200 cases, the agency has recently reworked agreements — some up to two years old — struck with school districts and universities to satisfy allegations related to accessibility of school websites and other online educational materials. The agreements were the result of complaints brought by Marcie Lipsitt, a Michigan-based special education advocate who has been dubbed a “mass-filer” by the Education Department…

W3C Publishes Expanded Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

June 6, 2018 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw

The World Wide Web Consortium just published an expanded version of the WCAG to add 17 more requirements to address new technologies and other digital barriers for individuals with disabilities.

On June 5, the private body of web accessibility experts called the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) published its update to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, aptly named the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level 2.1…

Website ADA Lawsuit Ruling Denies Telephone Auxiliary Aid Defense, but Limits Damages

June 7, 2018 | Source: Klein Moynihan Turco &Seyfarth Shaw

On May 21, 2018, a California state court granted summary judgment to plaintiff Cheryl Thurston (“Plaintiff”) in a website accessibility lawsuit brought under California’s Unruh Act, which provides that a violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act is also a violation of the Unruh Act. Plaintiff, a resident of California who is legally blind, filed this website ADA lawsuit against a restaurant, the Midvale Corporation d/b/a The Whisper Lounge, in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles…

Long-term health care industry vexed by immigration restrictions

June 7, 2018 | Source: WUNC

Fred works the early shift at Bethany Health Care Center, a Catholic nursing home in Framingham, Massachusetts. He’s up at 4 a.m. every day, washing clothes and bedding for the hundred-plus residents. Last year the Trump administration ended a program that allowed 60,000 Haitians, including Fred, to live and work in the U.S. after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Fred’s temporary protected status expires in July. If Fred is deported, the nursing home will struggle to replace him…

New center will provide tech training to blind workers

June 7, 2018 | Source: Wichita Eagle

When Sedrick Veal first lost his sight, he felt clueless — with no idea what he’d do next. In 2012, Veal, now 37, went under the knife twice for open-heart surgery, and twice he fell brain dead. The experiences damaged the Lousiana native’s eyesight, and he now only sees shadows. Veal said although he never gave up hope, he was scared for the future until he applied to Envision, a locally headquartered national company that advocates for people who are blind or have low vision…

Jack Fact — According to Reuters, Japan has the world’s highest proportion of elderly people with 27 percent of the population over the age of 65.

International News

NDIS could tighten access for autism

June 1, 2018 | Source: The Border Mail- Australia

Senior officials from the National Disability Insurance Scheme are not ruling out tightening access to people with autism trying to access the $22 billion program. Chief executive of the National Disability Insurance Agency, Robert De Luca, has confirmed work is under way to consider conditions around automatic entry to the scheme. Labor senator Murray Watt pressed Mr De Luca during a budget estimates hearing for a guarantee that people with level two autism will not be removed from a list of those who automatically qualify for taxpayer-funded support…

Disability Sector Seeks Easing of Laws to Make Road Transport More Accessible

June 1, 2018 | Source: The Wire- India

A round-table on accessible road transport for persons with disabilities (PwDs) was organised by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) in New Delhi on May 30. Some key suggestions made by a cross-section of individuals working in the disability sector included the need for making public transport friendly for PwDs, easing norms for modification of private vehicles (by PwDs) and encouraging vehicle manufacturers to build vehicles modified as per their needs…

Namibia works to level the field for persons with disabilities

June 1, 2018 | Source: The Southern Times- Africa

Namibians living with disabilities have said they face daily discrimination and barriers that restrict them from meaningful participation in society on an equal basis. They are denied the rights to be included in the general schooling system, to employment, to live independently in the community, to move freely, to vote, to participate in sport and cultural activities, to enjoy social protection, to access justice, to proper medical care and to into legal commitments such as buying and selling property…

University of Guelph installs BlindSquare app to guide students who are visually impaired

June 1, 2018 | Source: CBC- Canada

A new wayfinding system will help University of Guelph students who are blind or visually impaired get around campus this fall — and all students need to do to access it is download an app on their phone. A few years ago, the university wanted to do more to make signs more inclusive and accessible, said Jill Vigers, the manager of architectural design in the school’s physical resources department. “We really felt like there was, kind of, a missing piece there if we wanted to truly make it accessible and inclusive,’ she said…

Making businesses accessible ‘right thing to do’

June 1, 2018 | Source: OrilliaMatters- Canada

After an autoimmune disease damaged Christina Strong’s vocal chords and put her in a wheelchair, she said the obstacles kept coming after she left the hospital. Looking forward to lunch at a restaurant, she said she felt completely ignored by servers, who directed all their conversation to her mother. “I remember feeling invisible. I remember feeling an obstacle,” she said. She did not return to that restaurant. Now a public awareness co-ordinator with Independent Living Services of Simcoe County and Area, she ran a workshop in Bradford West Gwillimbury this week as part of National Accessibility Awareness Week…

2018 mayor’s awards handed out in Edmonton

June 1, 2018 | Source: Globalnews- Canada

The 2018 mayor’s awards were handed out in Edmonton on Thursday night. Each year, the awards recognize those who have made significant contributions to the city’s livability. The awards are also meant to recognize people who shine a spotlight on innovations in accessibility. The awards are handed out in five categories. The award for outstanding service recognizes individuals, organizations and businesses that provide – through their outstanding service and creative initiatives – accessible services for persons with disabilities in Edmonton…

UK’s ‘most accessible region’ for disabled drivers revealed

June 1, 2018 | Source: Access and Mobility Professional- Scotland

Edinburgh has been named as the most accessible region in the UK for disabled motorists when it comes to refuelling at petrol stations, according to new figures produced by an assistive tech firm. The city district has, per head, the highest number of petrol stations signed up to a wireless key fob service which enables drivers to call for assistance from their car. The ‘MyHailo’ system is designed to enable drivers with mobility problems to avoid blasting their horn or wave out of the window to summon an attendant…

PWDs receive support services from various groups

June 2, 2018 | Source: The Daily Guardian- Philippines

The Provincial Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) lauded the support of various group in providing vital services and programs to persons with disabilities in the province. PDAO Provincial Officer Paulo Castillo during the 2nd quarter meeting of Provincial Disability Affairs expressed gratitude to their supporters for implementing the Magna Carta for PWDs and for making government programs and services accessible to them. Several agencies members of the PDAO Council reported their accomplishments in step with the implementation of the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities or Republic Act 9442…

Are our streets inclusive?

June 2, 2018 | Source: The Manila Times- Philippines

In cities, roads are all around us. Many of our streets, however, are inaccessible and unsafe, especially for those without cars. Even though public funds pay for building and maintaining roads, people who are not in cars are given less priority in the use of the road. This is because our streets have been designed primarily for conveying private motor vehicles. Those without cars are exposed to huge safety risks or left with limited mobility options. One function of roads is that they should accommodate pedestrians…

State CEO in bid to make poll booths more accessible for disabled

June 3, 2018 | Source: Times of India

Accessibility for the specially abled in polling booths may still be a distant dream, but officials are upbeat, promising to not just make voting more inclusive, but the entire electoral process. Chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo on Saturday held a meeting with representatives of various institutions to discuss ways to make the electoral process more accessible and inclusive. Arun Roy, state commissioner for the differently abled, pointed out that section 11 of 2016 Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act specifically mentions that all materials related to the process are understandable by and accessible to the group…

Gender Ministry take steps to ensure public structures are disability friendly

June 4, 2018 | Source: GhanaWeb- Africa

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Otiko Afisah Djaba has disclosed that plans are far advanced to ensure public buildings in the country are accessible for Persons with Disability (PwDs). Answering a question posed to her by the MP for Asawase, Mubarak Muntaka on the floor of Parliament on Friday about steps taken by her Ministry to ensure that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) building in Kumasi is Disability friendly…

Implementing Ontario’s accessibility law a priority for disability advocates

June 4, 2018 | Source: Times Colonist- Canada

If Emily Daigle had wanted to watch Ontario make history when it passed Canada’s first accessibility law in 2005, she would have had to do so from afar thanks to the lack of wheelchair accommodations in the legislature’s visitors’ gallery. More than a decade later, Daigle and other disability advocates say the law that was supposed to eliminate such barriers has had little effect. Even if the party that wins Thursday’s election heeds calls to improve the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, Daigle will still struggle to get a front-row seat to the conversation…

DTM /HI : Access to Humanitarian Services for People with Disabilities

June 4, 2018 | Source: ReliefWeb- Sudan

In December 2017, an assessment was carried out by Humanity and Inclusion together with the International Organization for Migration in Bentiu Protection of Civilian site to increase the understanding of the situation of persons with disabilities in Bentiu, including the barriers and facilitators faced by people with disabilities in accessing needs-based services. Programmatic gaps in the access of people with disabilities to camp management, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Shelter/Non-Food Items, Health, and Protection services were assessed between December 13 and 20…

Singapore public agencies to observe new design standards for digital services by end-2018

June 5, 2018 | Source: Channel News Asia- Singapore

Singaporeans can expect digital services from the Government to be “usable, accessible and inclusive”, even as a new standard is being developed and will be introduced to the various public agencies later this year. According to the Digital Government Blueprint released on Tuesday (Jun 5), the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) is working on a set of digital standards and design principles – called the Digital Service Standards – that will be published by the end of the year…

All Aberdeen taxis set to be wheelchair accessible by 2023, council says

June 6, 2018 | Source: Aberdeen Evening Express- Scotland

The new policy was expected to be introduced by June next year following a decision last year. But members of Aberdeen City Council’s licensing committee unanimously agreed to change the implementation date to June 2023 – giving drivers a further four years. The agreed motion, put forward by Councillor Tauqeer Malik, also instructed officers to prepare a report looking at options for developing a mixed fleet policy with both wheelchair accessible vehicles and saloon cars…

Taiwan launches ‘universal design’ contest to boost accessibility at scenic areas

June 6, 2018 | Source: Taiwan News- Republic of China

The Tourism Bureau has kicked off a universal design competition targeting the island’s scenic spots in a bid to create a more travel-friendly environment, the agency announced in a press release on June 5. According to Tourism Bureau, Taiwan has officially become an aging society with the number of seniors aged 65 or older exceeding 14 percent of the total population this March. In light of this, the government seeks to promote the well-being of the elderly and the disabled through improved infrastructure and services in the travel industry….

Some voters report issues with accessible voting machines in Ontario

June 6, 2018 | Source: National Post- Canada

As Ontario gets set to elect a new government, some disabled voters say accommodations put in place to allow them to cast their ballots independently and privately are not working as intended. People with visual, mobility and hearing impairments in at least five different ridings said they had issues with Elections Ontario’s accessibility measures at returning offices.. They say elections workers were helpful and respectful, but not always trained on accessible voting options and sometimes did not offer them or didn’t readily know how to make them available…

Fringe theatre companies must step up to the challenge of accessibility – and be allowed to make mistakes

June 6, 2018 | Source: The Independent- UK

“A very traditional play doesn’t suit everyone”. Josh Hepple is a law graduate with severe cerebral palsy who acts as a disability equality trainer at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. “But then how do you make someone care about accessibility? You can’t teach empathy.” We should care. There are 13.9 million people identifying as disabled (in one way or another) in the UK. The social model of disability states that this is society’s fault – society being organised in a way that can dis-able people with certain impairments to participate in modern life just as it en-ables others…

Creating an inclusive classroom: Persons with disabilities need easier access to higher education

June 8, 2018 | Source: Financial Express- India

Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” These thoughtful words of the revered anti-apartheid leader resonate well across India’s education system, which is empowering the country’s future generation. Reports suggest that while 10% of the world’s population lives with a disability, 80% of them live in developing countries. According to Census 2011, India is home to 26.8 million persons with disabilities, with only half of them being literates and about 8.5% of them being graduates and above…

How Play Store’s ‘Best Accessibility Experience’ app Be My Eyes crowdsources sight for the blind

June 7, 2018 | Source: Your Story- Denmark

Be My Eyes originated as a concept back in 2012 when a 50-year-old Danish upholsterer Hans Jørgen Wiberg realised he was going blind. Wiberg had been suffering from tunnel vision for decades, and it was only getting tougher by the day. He came up with an idea where the visually impaired could be matched with those with perfect eyesight — and those willing to assist, of course — through the smartphone, and the latter could offer visual day-to-day assistance to the former…

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