Microassist

Digital Accessibility Digest

Home » Digital Accessibility Digest » Accessibility in the News May 3, 2019

Accessibility in the News May 3, 2019

By   |    |    |  

Accessibility in the News — 5/3/19.

NOTE: To get news like this every week in your inbox, before it hits our website, subscribe to our Accessibility in the News e-newsletter. There are no ads or graphics, and we never send spam. Just use the sign-up form on this page to subscribe and stay up to date!

Skip to National News (U.S.) | Skip to International News

More Accessibility Resources on this Page

Accessibility Blogs and Information | Accessibility Announcements and Products
Accessibility Fourms, Tips and Gaming | Accessibility Statement Pages
Microassist Accessibility Services

AITN Quote of the Week

“Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost.”
― Robert H. Schuller

National News (U.S.)

Blind people’s brains rewire themselves to track moving objects by sound, study finds

April 23, 2019   |  Source: New York Post

Blind people’s brains rewire themselves to track moving objects just like the Marvel superhero Daredevil, a startling study claims. In a world first, scientists have shown how changes in the brain explain enhancements to other senses for the visually impaired. The new report claims some are even able to train themselves to use clicks as a type of echolocation to detect obstacles the way bats and some birds do. Experts from the University of Oxford and a number of American universities monitored those who were blind when born or lost their sight when very young…

Lawmakers must address punitive effects of ADA lawsuits

April 26, 2019   |  Source: The Ledger

For almost 30 years the federal Americans with Disabilities Act has inspired or forced government agencies and private companies to alter how they conduct business. These changes have benefited society, and we must continue to ensure the law’s intent is met so disabled citizens can enjoy full access to public venues. Yet it’s also true, and unfortunate, that when the ADA was enacted in 1990 few could foresee the rise of the internet as a staple of our daily lives — and the need to make it comply with a law designed to facilitate access by reworking or removing physical barriers…

Levy County To Adapt Documents For Visually Impaired Individuals

April 26, 2019   |  Source: WUFT

Levy County will soon adjust its website and online documents to comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act’s standards for visually impaired website visitors. At an April meeting, the county decided to move forward with the bid process for selecting an individual or firm to remediate county documents to comply with ADA standards. Levy County procurement coordinator Alicia Tretheway said she estimates the county will pay more than $37,000 to ensure the county’s 13,177 PDF documents meet ADA standards…

Disabled students say BYU lacks accessibility, may break federal law

April 26, 2019   |  Source: KUTV 2News (Video)

Disabled students have accused BYU of lack of accessibility on campus, and said the university may be breaking federal disability statutes. BYU maintained Friday it’s not so, saying its program to accommodate the disabled is “robust,” and that it “complies with all applicable disability laws.” Kendra Muller, a disabled student who just graduated from the university, is leading a group of seven which calls itself the Equal Access and Disability Rights Commission…

Fired Home Depot employee with cerebral palsy rehired after public backlash: ‘Tell Home Depot to go to hell’

April 26, 2019   |  Source: Yahoo

A former Home Depot employee who claimed she was fired because of her disability was rehired following public backlash. “Attention Home Depot Shoppers! Today my best friend Jessica Harmon was fired after dedicating the last 17 years to this company,” reads a post written by the sister of of the recently re-hired employee, Jessica Harmon. “I am asking all my family and friends to tell Home Depot to go to hell! Stop shopping there, write them a letter telling them how wrong they are. Please help me get the word out that she was wrongly fired!”…

Amazon Is The First Major Tech Company To Hire Full-Time ASL Interpreters

April 28, 2019   |  Source: Forbes

Michael Nesmith is a creative guru at Amazon—his official title being an art director. If you can’t tell by the sleeve of tattoos he has on both of his arms, then you can definitely tell by the myriad of graphics he has designed to advertise Amazon’s products, such as Alexa and the Fire TV Stick. However, Nesmith isn’t your average guy. He is deaf, which he describes as being both his “superpower” and “kryptonite.” He has been unable to hear since he was a child and was raised by deaf parents…

What the Sighted Don’t See

April 28, 2019   |  Source: The UCSD Guardian

Most Americans, as “sighted” people, have an inaccurate idea of what it means to be blind. They think of “nothing” or “total darkness,” but that’s usually the extent of their description. In reality, the term “legally blind” is a strictly legal term that determines eligibility for disability benefits. It’s a non-medical umbrella term that covers both those who are totally blind and those with low vision. “Totally blind” comes closest to most people’s idea of “blindness” — lacking in any light and form perception. However, this stereotypical view often only accounts for a minority of those who are technically “blind.”…

The Power Of Purpose: How Microsoft Unlocked Inclusivity To Drive Growth And Innovation

April 29, 2019   |  Source: Forbes

One of the most remarkable examples of a company completely transforming itself around a higher purpose is the story of Microsoft (which recently passed the trillion-dollar valuation mark, joining Apple and Google in that storied club). Ever since CEO Satya Nadella took the reins, the company has been reinvigorated with a new sense of drive and passion. The starting point? A five-month journey that Nadella and the executive team took to re-frame the company’s purpose into thirteen succinct words: “To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”…

Newberg streets second in nation to be studied with new accessibility metric

April 29, 2019   |  Source: Pamplin Media Group

The city of Newberg has joined a number of North American cities in mapping out its streets and sidewalks to allow anyone to see the streets interactively online. The effort is part of a program called Project Sidewalk, created by researchers at the Universities of Washington and Maryland “focused on transforming how sidewalk accessibility data is collected and visualized using a combination of crowdsourcing and machine learning,” according to its website…

DOT to propose lavatory-accessibility rule for smaller aircraft before year’s end

April 29, 2019   |  Source: Travel Weekly

The DOT said it will propose a rule by Dec. 2 of this year that will address lavatory access for the disabled on single-aisle aircraft. The statement was made by the department last week as part of a court filing in an action brought by the advocacy group Paralyzed Veterans of America. “For over three decades, the United States Department of Transportation has continuously addressed commercial airlines’ obligations toward individuals with disabilities, which include requirements for accessible lavatories on aircraft. Those efforts continue today,” the DOT said in the fling…

Study finds philanthropists, nonprofits exclude people with disabilities

April 29, 2019   |  Source: Metro & Nonprofit Quarterly

Nearly three-quarters (72%) of people who work in the social sector say their organizations have made a public commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and have policies that prohibit their groups from denying people with disabilities equal opportunity to participate in services and activities. Yet, a new study shows that even among this very well-intentioned group, most foundations and nonprofits aren’t doing enough — if anything — to enable people with disabilities to have the access and accommodations they need to fully participate in the good these groups are doing…

CSU Ventures educates faculty on accessible technology for disabled students

April 29, 2019   |  Source: Rocky Mountain Collegian

Colorado State University aims to further implement inclusivity into their curriculum through technology that allows students with disabilities access to alternative means of technological learning wrote Todd Headley, president of CSU Ventures, in an email to The Collegian. CSU Ventures, the technology commercialization agent for the University, started in 2006 as a part of the CSU Research Foundation. Since its formation, CSU Ventures has seen an increase in student and commercial participation…

Ninth Circuit Reaffirms Applicability of ADA to Websites

April 30, 2019   |  Source: The National Law Journal

In 2001, I wrote a law review article opining that the “public accommodations” provision of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to the internet. I argued that public accommodations are not limited to physical structures and concluded that companies doing business with the public on the internet should maintain websites that are accessible to visually impaired individuals or risk violating the ADA. Eighteen years later, litigation involving website accessibility under Title III has skyrocketed, and there are no signs of plaintiffs slowing down…

Deaf students asks schools to listen

April 30, 2019   |  Source: Mail Tribune

Current and former students in the countywide Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing services are asking Medford School District not to split the program next year by bringing its own students back to their resident district. “These kids deserve to stay together with their signing peers and have full-time access to (American Sign Language),” said Aimee Holmes, a parent who spoke at the Medford School Board’s April 22 meeting. “Please do not allow them to be separated and isolated.”…

Harvard Introduces Digital Accessibility Policy Amidst Lawsuit

May 1, 2019   |  Source: Harvard Crimson & Harvard Gazette

Harvard is implementing a digital accessibility policy intended to make its websites and web-based applications more accessible to those with disabilities, the University announced Thursday. The new policy will apply to any public-facing websites or applications within the University’s domain. The policy will go into effect for existing websites and any new digital content created or revised on or after Dec. 1, 2019. The policy is meant to improve digital accessibility through means including captioning videos and formatting websites for screen reader compatibility, according to the policy’s associated FAQs…

SC school district to spend $300K on student accessibility

May 1, 2019   |  Source: Hilton Head Island Packet

A South Carolina school district will invest in student accessibility with a portion of funds recovered from a former district official’s $1.3 million embezzlement scheme. The Post and Courier reports Berkeley County School District officials agreed Tuesday to use $300,000 to make playgrounds more accessible and help students with mobility issues…

BWW #THEATREFORALL is More Than A Hashtag in the Houston Theatre District

April 29, 2019   |  Source: Broadway World

Imagine getting ready for an evening at the theatre – most of us are excited and eager, anticipating an entertaining evening of dinner or maybe drinks with friends, then the thrill of the curtain rising. Now imagine you are a member of the population whose mode of transportation is a wheelchair or walker, or someone whose hearing or vision loss prevents the sights and sounds of the stage from being clear. Suddenly an evening out becomes a minefield of obstacles that can hinder or even prevent full enjoyment…

Disabled people don’t need so many fancy new gadgets. We just need more ramps.

April 30, 2019   |  Source: Vox

It feels like every few months, the media becomes infatuated with a new piece of flashy technology peddled to solve a purported disability-related problem. This is how we get things like “signing gloves” that purport to translate American Sign Language (they do not), expensive portable GPS units for blind people, or high-concept decoder rings that allow blind people to read non-Braille texts. The most recent is a stair-climbing wheelchair, which actually isn’t a new concept…

The Nevada Sagebrush supports university accessibility initiative

April 30, 2019   |  Source: The Nevada Sagebrush

The University of Nevada, Reno, is pushing forward initiatives to make its online content completely accessible to people of all abilities by March 2020 in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the university’s 2018-2020 Accessibility Corrective Action Plan. More than 11 percent of the university’s student population reported having a disability in the 2011-2012 school year, and students of all abilities should be able to access their course materials without significant burden…

Crop of ADA Suits Say Corporate Websites Are Unfriendly to Blind Users

April 30, 2019   |  Source: New Jersey Law Journal

A frequent filer is going after a half-dozen companies claiming their websites are not accessible to blind and visually impaired people in violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Burlington Coat Factory and Wyndham Hotels were hit with lawsuits Monday in the District of New Jersey, and similar suits were filed on Sunday against True Religion Apparel and Forever 21 in the District of Delaware. Steve Madden Handbags Inc. in the Eastern District of New York and Jimmy Choo USA in the Southern District of New York were also hit with similar lawsuits on April 16…

Berea College Student Raises Awareness About Accessibility

May 1, 2019   |  Source: NPR

Disabilities can range from attention- deficit/ hyperactivity disorder to blindness to mobility issues. In numerous situations and locations, accessibility for people living with a disability isn’t optimum. One student graduating from Berea College is taking action as an advocate for accessibility. Sarah Watts said she’s been disabled all her life. Watts said,” In the community, some people use first person language and second person language. So first person would be like, ‘I’m a person with a disability but I go by disabled person,’ cause I am, it just fits better. “…

ADA lawsuits top 2,338 in New York; target malls, colleges, wineries and art galleries

May 1, 2019   |  Source: WHEC

More and more lawsuits are getting filed against restaurants, malls, wineries and art galleries for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. News10NBC found one man responsible for more than a hundred of them. Our investigation started Tuesday. Now, News10NBC is finding out why the system allows all these lawsuits to happen. The bottom line is there is nothing illegal about the lawsuits, so there is nothing to stop them. But critics say this is a cottage industry designed to make money for lawyers, not fix problems…

Seeing in the Dark: ‘In the Dark’ gets the blind experience wrong

May 1, 2019   |  Source: Bay Area Reporter

Over the past year, there has been a lot of public debate on able-bodied actors playing characters with disabilities. From Dwayne Johnson playing a below-the-knee leg amputee in “Skyscraper” and Joaquin Phoenix playing a quadriplegic in “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot”, to, more recently, Bryan Cranston being cast as a quadriplegic in “The Upside”. Some claim it’s an actor’s job to play roles outside their own experience, while many people with disabilities and their allies argue able-bodied actors are taking jobs away from actors with disabilities…

Lego’s Braille Bricks Aren’t Just For Kids

May 1, 2019   |  Source: Forbes

The announcement earlier this week that Danish toy giant Lego Group will begin making bricks that feature both Braille and raised letters has been justly received with enormous enthusiasm by mainstream education professionals and advocates for the visually impaired. It is widely seen as a boost for Braille literacy, which has fallen significantly in recent decades to around just 10% of blind and low-vision children. This has been driven by innovations in technology that allow mainstream schools and even schools for the blind…

Building accessible subways, affordably: How to help people in wheelchairs navigate the system without breaking the bank

May 2, 2019   |  Source: New York Daily News

After dragging its feet on subway accessibility for far too long, the MTA is finally poised to turn a corner –– if it can wrangle its capital costs under control. When United Spinal Association agreed to settle a lawsuit against the MTA in the 1980s for access to 100 “key” stations out of 472 in the system, the assumption was this settlement would be a floor, not a ceiling, and that by now, far more than one quarter of stations would be accessible. Decades of disappointment followed, but developments at the MTA in the last year provide new cause for optimism…

For students with disabilities, in-class accessibility goes beyond paperwork

May 2, 2019   |  Source: Minnesota Daily

For Angela Carter, disability is more than a field of study. A Ph.D. candidate and instructor at the University of Minnesota studying feminism and disability studies, Carter identifies as a non-apparent disabled person. “I think about disability sort of always,” she said. “I always knew I wanted to be an educator, but after becoming disabled [in college], it made me realize how inaccessible higher education was.” Students with disabilities experience college life differently than able-bodied students, dealing with accessibility issues, lack of training and education about disability and negative campus culture…

Aging baby boomers push sky high incidence of shingles of the eye

May 2, 2019   |  Source: Eureka Alert

More Americans are being diagnosed with eye complications of shingles, but older adults can call the shots on whether they are protected from the painful rash that can cost them their eyesight. Among a group of 21 million adults, occurrences of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO), when shingles gets in the eyes, tripled during a 12-year-period, according to Kellogg Eye Center research presented at the 2019 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology annual meeting in Vancouver…

Doctor Shares Shocking Images To Warn Of Dangers Of Sleeping In Contact Lenses- LAD Bible

Whether you’re a contact lens wearer or not these photos have the power to make you go, ‘ergh’. So, if you’re of a delicate nature – you have been warned. A US eye doctor has shared the shocking images of a patient’s eye to raise awareness of the risks of sleeping in contact lenses. A doctor from Vita Eye Clinic shared the photos showing the patient who had developed an ulcer and warned that if left untreated it could have led to blindness. The post read: “‘I sleep in my contacts all the time and I’ve never had a problem.’…

Jack Fact — According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics at the U.S. Department of Labor shows that the proportion of Americans with disabilities ages 16 to 64 that was employed last year was only 30.4% compared to 74% for non-disabled individuals in the same age group.

Hit The Road Jack — Handiscover teams up with Travel-For-All to provide tailored accessible holiday packages

International News

Parents of disabled kids face formidable obstacles accessing community programs

April 25, 2019   |  Source: Folio – University of Alberta- Canada

Bringing to light the invisible labour done by parents to get their disabled children access to community programming is the first step in overcoming barriers to inclusion hidden from people in the best position to help, according to a study from the University of Alberta. “From locating available and accessible programming to often having to find and pay for someone trained in adapted physical activity to accompany the child, parents are faced with challenges to just get their child through the door,” said the U of A’s Donna Goodwin…

Kings County Volunteer of the Year inspired by son to work toward accessibility, inclusion

April 25, 2019   |  Source: The Spectator- Canada

His love for his developmentally challenged son inspires his passion and vision for an inclusive, accessible future for all. Kimberly Smith was recently named Kings County’s Provincial Volunteer of the Year. Smith said he has “very naturally” stepped into his various volunteer roles and the pattern is very clear: His son, Brendon Purdy-Smith, has a severe developmental delay. “Because of that experience and having to advocate for him anyway, it just was a very natural thing for me to start to work with all the other organizations that are in line with that kind of advocacy,” Smith said…

Rick Hansen Talks the Economic Benefits of Improving Accessibility in the Auto Industry

April 25, 2019   |  Source: New Kerala- Canada

There is a compelling business case for the Canadian auto industry to ensure that their businesses are both accessible and inclusive to their employees and customers, said Rick Hansen, Founder of the Rick Hansen Foundation. It’s inspiring to see that the Ontario Auto Dealers are taking leadership, and seeking ways to innovate and help Canadians continue to stay in motion. Hansen met with key industry leaders including Todd Bourgon, Executive Director, Trillium Automobile Dealers Association (TADA) and John White, President and CEO of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA)…

Half a million Brits at risk of blindness warns world-leading retina expert

April 25, 2019   |  Source: Daily Mail- UK

More than half a million people in the UK are at risk of losing their sight because of undiagnosed diabetes, according to one of the world’s top retina experts. Professor Paulo Stanga, vitreoretinal surgeon at the London Vision Clinic, issued the warning in the wake of new population data on the disease.  ‘Diabetes UK has stated that 549,000 people in the UK have undiagnosed diabetes,’ said Professor Stanga. ‘These individuals are at risk of losing their sight…

Despite EC measures, poor accessibility of poll booths worries differently abled voters in Mumbai

April 25, 2019   |  Source: Yahoo- India

During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when Apoorva Gore (29) went to Alpha College in Vile Parle to cast his vote, the polling booth was on the first floor. There was no ramp or lift. Gore, who is wheelchair-bound due to a spinal cord injury, returned without voting. This time, too, the Vile Parle polling booth is located on the first floor. “My spinal cord injury can worsen if I am mishandled while being carried. I can’t risk more damage to my back for a vote,” he says…

Blind and visually impaired passengers can be guided and even shop at Gatwick via the camera on their phone

April 25, 2019   |  Source: Internet Retailing- UK

Blind and visually impaired passengers at Gatwick can now call a professionally trained agent 24 hours a day who will – by using the camera on the passenger’s mobile– guide them through the airport, help them read documents or flight information, find their bag on the luggage carousel and even shop. The free, on demand service can be accessed through the aira app and will help to give blind and visually impaired passengers more independence to move through and enjoy the facilities at the airport…

RPSC – Breaking New Ground in e-Governance

April 26, 2019   |  Source: Elets- India

Breaking new ground to help civil services aspirants easily locate their examination centres and figure out the best commuting alternatives available to reach the centre on time, the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) has come up with an innovative solution, writes Akhilesh Mittal, Additional Director IT&C, Department of Information Technology & Communication, Government of Rajasthan, Additional Charge of RPSC & BSER Ajmer. India is at an inflection point marked by technologies redefining the way we access government services and information…

Despite EC measures, poor accessibility of poll booths worries differently abled voters in Mumbai

April 26, 2019   |  Source: The Indian Express- India

During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when Apoorva Gore (29) went to Alpha College in Vile Parle to cast his vote, the polling booth was on the first floor. There was no ramp or lift. Gore, who is wheelchair-bound due to a spinal cord injury, returned without voting. This time, too, the Vile Parle polling booth is located on the first floor. “My spinal cord injury can worsen if I am mishandled while being carried. I can’t risk more damage to my back for a vote,” he says…

‘It could be any day now’: Why how you die matters

April 27, 2019   |  Source: CNN- UK

It’s approaching 1 a.m. in Bilborough, a suburb of the British city of Nottingham. Peter Naylor, 70, is slumped in his bed, only yards from the front door of his small bungalow. He can’t walk, so we unlatch the door and reach him immediately. The low buzz of an oxygen concentrator greets us. Tubes run around Naylor’s ears and across his face and curl up into his nostrils. Framed family photos are nestled on a shelf by his side, each capturing intimate moments from his life…

Taking the message of accessibility to the streets

April 27, 2019   |  Source: Bay Today- Canada

North Bay’s Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee (MAAC) is taking its message of “accessibility for all,” to the streets. It has issued a challenge to mayor Al McDonald to experience what a person who is blind goes through using a city transit bus. “The last week of May is Municipal Accessibility Awareness Week in Ontario, and the month of June is National Deafblind Awareness Month,” said MACC chair Brian Bibeault…

Delhi University’s Visually Impaired Students Reveal What College Life Is Truly Like

April 28, 2019   |  Source: Youth Ki Awaaz- India

Did you think this was going to be a story? It’s not. Were you expecting an interview? I’m sorry to disappoint you. Wait, this is definitely not a research oriented article backed with sources, or a polemic opinion piece which will hold your attention for a considerable span of reading time. As I sit down to transcribe whatever I’ve collected , I have no idea what to call this and so the first sentence will tell you I’m trying to give this an identity by differentiating it from the others…

Nottingham is the third worst city in the country for employing disabled people

April 27, 2019   |  Source: Nottinghamshire Live- UK

Nottingham is the third worst city in the country for employing people with disabilities, new figures have revealed. A disability charity operating in the city called the news “painful” and said there is a lack of understanding and conversation surrounding the employment of people with disabilities. In 2017/18, just 16,800 people out of around 47,900 people aged between 16 and 64 in Nottingham who were recorded as being disabled had jobs…

‘I had to crawl’: Amputee seeks damages after United Airlines and airport security seize scooter batteries

April 28, 2019   |  Source: CBC- Canada

Stearn Hodge says he will never forget the humiliation of having to drag his body across a hotel room floor during what was supposed to be a vacation celebrating his 43rd wedding anniversary — because a security agent at the Calgary International Airport and United Airlines confiscated the batteries he needed to operate a portable scooter. “Having to crawl across the floor in front of my wife is the most humiliating thing that I can think of,” said Hodge. “It unmasks how real my disability is … I haven’t been the same since.”…

Apps, badges and 3D rendering: some of the steps being taken to improve rail accessibility.

April 29, 2019   |  Source: SmartRail World- UK

In the not-too-distant past rail, the considerations afforded to passengers with mobility issues or those whom require special assistance can sometimes be found lacking. For obvious reasons, having to travel when negotiating steps, stairs and trains that the majority of the travelling public find straightforward can make the idea of using public transport quite daunting. Thankfully though attitudes are changing in this area, with operators, infrastructure manufacturers and technology developers increasingly making accessibility for this section of the community more included…

Liberals failing to strengthen disability laws as promised

April 29, 2019   |  Source: The Star- Canada & AODA

When it comes to ensuring accessibility for 5 million Canadians with disabilities, Canada lags far behind the U.S., which passed the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act 29 years ago. Canadians with disabilities still face far too many barriers in air travel, cable TV services, and when dealing with the federal government. For example, as a blind traveller, I’ve faced these barriers. I dread returning to Canadian airspace. It’s great that the Trudeau government promised in the last election to enact a national accessibility law…

Steps Being Taken to Improve Rail Accessibility

April 29, 2019   |  Source: BBG Architecture Life- UK

In the not-too-distant past rail, the considerations afforded to passengers with mobility issues or those whom require special assistance can sometimes be found lacking. For obvious reasons, having to travel when negotiating steps, stairs and trains that the majority of the travelling public find straightforward can make the idea of using public transport quite daunting. Thankfully though attitudes are changing in this area, with operators, infrastructure manufacturers and technology developers increasingly making accessibility for this section of the community more included…

Small businesses excused from writing down accessibility findings, Manitoba government decides

April 29, 2019   |  Source: CBC- Canada

The Manitoba government is exempting more business owners from documenting the steps they take to make their workplaces accessible. The province is loosening the requirement on small business owners at the same time as it introduces new guidelines to remove employment barriers for people with disabilities. Beginning May 1, the province will no longer compel businesses with 20 to 49 employees to write down their accessibility policies for customer service and employment matters, nor be forced to make those procedures available publicly…

CUSU Council supports pledge to improve accessibility for disabled students

April 30, 2019   |  Source: Varsity Online- UK

The first CUSU Council meeting of term saw student representatives unanimously vote to support the new Accessibility Pledge created by the Disabled Students’ Campaign (DSC). This meeting was the first to take place according to the new devolved structure of CUSU Council, with college- and faculty-level issues set to be discussed next Tuesday at the ‘College Forum’ and ‘Academic Forum’. Introducing the motion, one of its proposers noted that 13% of Cambridge students are registered with the University as having a disability…

Ride-hailing companies have made it easier to get around city, says Toronto resident

April 30, 2019  |  Source: CBC- Canada

A Toronto resident who uses an electric wheelchair says new companies in the vehicle-for-hire business in the city have improved the customer experience for people who rely on taxis for transportation. Ayesha Zubair, who works full-time and studies part-time, told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning on Tuesday that having transportation options is a good thing. She is an advocate for greater accessibility. “The TTC isn’t still fully accessible. Even there, there are some barriers,” she said…

New travel experiment reveals dire commutes for wheelchair users

April 30, 2019   |  Source: Open Access Government- UK

The ‘Going the Extra Mile’ experiment enlisted the help of five wheelchair users who tested five popular commuter journeys in London in an effort to raise awareness of accessibility issues on public transport. The study pitted wheelchair users and able-bodied commuters against each other, with each starting their journey from the same point, at the same time and finishing at the same destination. Longer commutes and restricted access to London’s transport network…

Vancouver’s plastic straw ban coming in spring 2020

April 30, 2019   |  Source: Vancouver Courier- Canada & Straight

Vancouver city council Monday night approved revised dates for the bans on plastic straws, and foam cups and takeout containers. The ban on foam cups and takeout containers will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020 while the ban on the unnecessary use of plastic straws will begin in April 2020. Project manager Monica Kosmak told council that further details on the by-law requirements, including phasing and exemptions for health care needs and accessibility, would come back to council no later than Nov. 30…

I was denied my vote in this Indian election because of my wheelchair

April 30, 2019   |  Source: Quartz- India

I am a 45-year-old paraplegic, whose limbs have been paralysed by polio. When I was younger I could walk with the help of escorts, but now I use a wheelchair. I love travelling to different places across the country, including high-altitude ones like Vaishno Devi in Jammu & Kashmir. Whichever place is accessible by a wheelchair or doli, I’m there. April 29 was voting day in Navi Mumbai where I live. My polling booth was a municipal school in Koparkhairane, which had voting machines on both the ground and first floors…

Kids with disabilities can enjoy new universally-accessible playground in Surrey

May 1, 2019   |  Source: Daily Hive- Canada

A new children’s playground in a public park in Surrey will have a standout design for universal accessibility. Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart Charities is funding the construction of a universally-accessible playground in Unwin Park in Surrey’s Newton area. This playground will be the largest in Surrey with a footprint of 12,000-sq-ft, which has ramps that criss-cross all of the play areas, allowing kids with disabilities — including those in wheelchairs — and other users to enjoy the equipment…

Seoul opens tourism center for disabled and elderly

May 1, 2019   |  Source: Korea Times- South Korea

Seoul City has opened a tourism center for the physically challenged and the elderly to assist their travel throughout the country. Under the slogan of “Barrier-free tour city plan,” the Seoul Danurim Accessible Tourism Center opened on Tuesday in cooperation with Seoul Tourism Organization. The center is a part of the city government’s efforts to provide more travel opportunities across the country for people with physical disabilities. With the increasing number of elderly and disabled citizens in Seoul, their travel demands have also picked up in recent years…

People with disabilities failed by transport in the capital, poll finds

May 2, 2019   |  Source: Dublin Gazette- Ireland

Over 80% of people have said that public transport access in Dublin is not accessible to people with disabilities, in a recent poll conducted by Dublin Gazette. Just 18% of voters said that they believed public transport was accessible to all in the capital, with over two thirds – 80.5% – saying that better supports need to be given across the transport network at time of publication. This poll comes a year after the already delayed ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Ireland…

Cinema Slammed For Botching ‘Avengers’ Screening For Deaf People

May 2, 2019   |  Source: 10 daily- Australia

Village Cinemas is under fire from the deaf community after captions failed at a special screening of ‘Avengers: Endgame’. Around 40 people attended an advertised Opened Caption (OC) screening at the Sunshine cinema in Victoria on Sunday afternoon, only to find the captions were not available — meaning many in the audience were unable to watch the film. Alexandra McKenzie, who attended the bungled screening, said they were given complimentary tickets as compensation, but it was not a “sufficient solution” due to the rarity of screenings and long distances travelled…

A sensory new world

May 2, 2019   |  Source: Arts Professional- UK

Frozen Light was formed in 2012 to make high-quality, accessible theatre for adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). We wanted to make theatre that was programmed alongside other contemporary theatre shows so it has always been important that we perform in professional theatre venues. Our audiences are then able to access art in a local venue like everyone else. (For example, we were at The Lowry in Salford recently.)…

Wheelchair friendly clubs in London: Accessible nightclubs in the capital

May 2, 2019   |  Source: Evening Standard- UK

London’s clubbing scene is one of the best in the world, with scores of incredible venues welcoming the finest DJs each and every weekend. It means that for many of us, few other cities can top it when it comes to nightlife. But for clubbers who use a wheelchair, it’s often a different story. It’s an unfortunate truth that not every club can be fully accessible — sometimes they’re squeezed into weird and wonderful buildings which simply don’t have the structural ability to be entirely wheelchair-friendly — but the lack of information out there is another problem entirely…

Accessibility Blogs and Information

Accessibility Announcements and Products

Accessibility Forums, Tips, and Gaming

Accessibility Statements

Microassist Digital Accessibility Services

Have you received an accessibility demand letter because of your website or application? Please contact us for any questions you have about our accessibility services and how we might support your organization.

Services include:

  • Accessible Website and Application Development— We rely heavily on accessibility best practices and using HTML5 and ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) standards to build WCAG-compliant and human-tested accessible environments. Our teams are proficient in open source technologies such as WordPress, Drupal and Moodle, as well as custom frameworks in .NET, PHP, AngularJS, and other frameworks. Our Learning and Development team can also help you create accessible custom training.
  • Accessible Document Services—  Whether you’re dealing with a few or a warehouse of Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, or other files, there are several ways Microassist can enable your team to offer documents and materials that meet stringent accessibility standards.
  • Accessibility Remediation— Our accessibility remediation services help you fix existing materials so that they conform to WCAG, Section 504 and 508, Department of Education OCR, and ADA Title II/III requirements. We remediate websites, applications, documents, and elearning, recommending re-creation when that is more efficient and economical. Especially for website and applications, to find out what is in need of remediation, we’ll start with an Accessibility Audit.
  • Accessibility Training— With several courses available for developers, testers, and content creators, your team can become equipped to consistently and expertly produce accessible digital products and online environments.
  • VPAT®Evaluation Services— Primarily used by government purchasers and government vendors during the procurement and sale of ICT products and services under Section 508, a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT) attests to the accessibility of a given product or service. Contact us to make sure the VPAT you write or review is accurate and meaningful.

Learn More About Digital Accessibility

Our Digital Accessibility Digest blog covers our Accessibility in the News archives as well as expert commentaries on digital accessibility issues.

Our most popular commentaries include:


Subscribe to Accessibility in the News

Stay informed! Get your weekly update on digital accessibility standards, private and public sector trends, litigation, events, and more.

Name(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

MENU