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Accessibility in the News – September 1, 2017

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Accessibility in the News—9/1/17

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AITN Quote of the Week

“It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability. One has to get on with life and I haven’t done badly. People won’t have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.”

— Steven Hawking

National News (U.S.)

AT&T Experience More Campaign Sweepstakes– Win a chance to experience more with NFL legend Emmitt Smith! Go to Instagram or Twitter and share how you Experience More and make sure you include @att #experiencemore #sweepstakes to be officially entered! Contest ends on September 11, 2017. Learn more about the campaign at AT&T’s Experience More.

Documents on School Website Contradict Scully Claims on Greenleaf

August 25, 2017   |  Source:  WHAV News  |  Digital Accessibility, ADA, Education

Just days before 50 or more kindergartners enter classrooms at the Greenleaf School, Superintendent James F. Scully is working to overcome what he calls misinformation that he promised to close the 133-year-old school in exchange for voter support to replace the Hunking School. Roughly four classrooms’ worth of kindergartners who live closest to the Greenleaf School will attend the facility, which was built in 1884 and fails to meet Americans with Disabilities Act handicap-accessibility standards…

Photographer Turns Sick and Disabled Kids into Justice League Superheroes

August 26, 2017   |  Source:  PetaPixel  |  Parenting, Inclusion, Arts/Entertainment 

Photographer Josh Rossi spent $1,500 last year turning his 3-year-old daughter into Wonder Woman, and the photo series went viral. This year, he did another passion project for a great cause: he photographed kids with diseases and disabilities as Justice League superheroes. The custom replica costumes created for each of the kids were valued at over $10,000, but each one was donated for this good cause. Once the photos were planned, shot, and edited, Rossi created giant framed prints and surprised each child on camera…

Pushing Limits With America’s Strongest Disabled Woman

August 26, 2017   |  Source:  National Geographic  |  Advocacy, Sports/Athletics, Awareness

Sabrina Reiswig holds the title of America’s Strongest Disabled Woman and is training to compete for the world title. She is a self-described “stubborn person” who wants to push her limits. She believes that “putting limitations on someone, before you can see what they are really capable of, is denying that person of becoming stronger.” Sabrina wants people to realize that we are all absolutely abled, we just have different ways of doing things…

State College Man Hopes to Change How Borough Sees Accessibility

August 27, 2017   |  Source:  State College News  |  Housing, Building/Facilities Access, Higher Education

A new face for State College’s planning department may be what the borough needs to combat some criticisms from the local disabled community. Maureen Safko took over as senior planner in April, and since then has been catching up with the current state of disability housing and accessibility. “You want everyone to be accommodated, of course, but you have to do it in a smart way,” Safko said. “It’s so important to involve disabled people because your product will be better.” One of those people who would like to be more involved is State College resident Joel Solkoff. Solkoff, 69, has been a paraplegic for 20 years…

Blind Missoula man develops tech for those with disabilities

August 27, 2017   |  Source:  The Missoulian  |  Blindness/Visually Impaired, Technology, Innovation

If you like using your smart phone to find your way in a new city, you have blind people to thank. George Kerscher of Missoula wants people to realize that much of the technology they take for granted — such as the Google Maps software that gives voice commands for GPS navigation — was developed by and for visually impaired people long before it was available to the masses. As an advocate for people with disabilities and a senior employee at a large company that specializes in accessibility technology, Kerscher is at the forefront of developing ways to make simple tasks like reading books and nutrition labels as easy for blind people or those with learning disabilities as it is for everyone else…

South Florida businesses, get ready for a wave of website-accessibility lawsuits

August 28, 2017   |  Source:  Miami Herald  |  Businesses, Digital Accessibility, ADA, Lawsuits/Litigation  |  Florida

At this point, most South Florida businesses are aware that Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires public accommodations (e.g., retailer, bank, hotel, restaurant, hospital, theater, stadium, golf course) to ensure that their goods and services are accessible to individuals with disabilities. But they also should be mindful that the ADA, traditionally applied to brick-and-mortar locations, has been interpreted to extend to websites of public accommodations — and the debate over mobile applications is underway…

New task force to aid in development of accessibility and inclusion strategies for land use planning

August 28, 2017   |  Source:  Vanderbilt News  |  Inclusion, Higher Education, Building/Facilities Access  |  Tennessee

Promoting accessibility and inclusion throughout the comprehensive campus environment is the aim of a new task force appointed by Vice Chancellor for Administration Eric Kopstain. The Advisory Accessibility Task Force comprises faculty, staff and students who will work to strategically inform the efforts of FutureVU—Vanderbilt’s campus land-use plan. Kopstain, along with other university leaders, held several FutureVU forums last year to gather feedback from the campus community. Accessibility was a consistent theme. “Inclusivity and accessibility have been woven into the guiding principles of our land-use planning initiative from the beginning,” Kopstain said. “With the creation of this task force, we can clearly contextualize these values through careful design features and the promotion of spaces where differences converge.”…

Designing for accessibility from day one

August 28, 2017   |  Source:  GamesIndustry.biz  |  Gaming, Accessible Design, Cognitive

Household Games studio head Jason Canam had two inspirations in mind when he started making Way of the Passive Fist. The first, as he explained to GamesIndustry.biz recently, was the wave of 2D arcade brawlers from the mid-’90s, games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time, The X-Men, and The Simpsons. “I’m just a huge fan of brawlers as a genre,” Canam said, adding, “At the beginning, we knew there were players with color-blind issues and different physical abilities who use controllers in unique ways, much like Halfcoordinated himself,” Canam said. “But he mentioned to us an entire category we didn’t really have on our radar, people with differing cognitive abilities, people with shortened reflexes, or delayed reflexes. So we were talking a bit about that, and that’s kind of where our difficulty customization system came into place.”…

Lawyer says many companies unaware of Americans with Disabilities Act website requirements

August 28, 2017   |  Source:  Florida Record  |  Lawsuits/Litigation, ADA, Blindness/Visually Impaired, Digital Accessibility  |  Florida

Though closed captioning, text to speech and sticky keys are not issues the average internet user worries about, they are for the visually impaired, which is why a group has claimed that Grubhub’s website is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The case, which was filed by Open Access for All Inc. on August 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleges that the online takeout delivery service’s website does not include aids for the visually impaired…

Dumbo’s cobblestone streets may be removed due to lack of accessibility

August 28, 2017   |  Source:  Curbed NY & Crain’s New York Business  |  Architecture, Building/Facilities Access, ADA  |  New York

The cobblestone streets in Dumbo only add to the beauty of the neighborhood, already complemented by its close proximity to both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge, not to mention its views of the East River and Manhattan skyline. But the Brooklyn neighborhood is set to lose its historic cobblestone streets after a study found that they don’t comply with federal regulations. The Historic Districts Council found that the Belgian block streets do not comply with the American Disabilities Act, which prohibits “discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.” The council is now seeking ways to make the neighborhood’s thoroughfares compliant while preserving as much of the original character as possible…

Orange County to Host ThinkDIFFERENTLY Initiative

August 29, 2017   |  Source:  Hudson Valley News Network & The Chronicle  |  Inclusion, Awareness, Disability Rights  

County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus will host Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro for a presentation of his “ThinkDIFFERENTLY” initiative at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20. The presentation is open to the public and will take place in the County’s Emergency Services Center auditorium, located at 22 Wells Farm Road in Goshen. “I look forward to welcoming my friend and colleague Marcus Molinaro to Orange County,” Neuhaus said. “County Executive Molinaro is no stranger to breaking down barriers for all people and the ‘ThinkDIFFERENTLY’ initiative is representative of his entire career. He has always been an innovator and, as a leader, he has a fresh and clear vision for Dutchess County. I fully support this initiative to be inclusive of all individuals regardless of the challenges they may face.”…

UGA student awarded Taco Bell scholarship

August 29, 2017   |  Source:  Red and Black  |  Awareness, Inclusion, Awards/Recognition  |  Georgia

Many students at the University of Georgia pay for college with the help of the Zell Miller and Hope Scholarships, but University of Georgia sophomore Pooja Ramchandani is getting some help from a more unusual source. Ramchandani received the Taco Bell Foundation’s Live Más Scholarship during her senior year of high school in 2016, which afforded her $25,000 to attend her college of choice. Additionally, Ramchandani was flown to Chicago along with several other top Live Más winners to take part in a creative workshop with Taco Bell over Martin Luther King Day weekend in 2016. Aside from the atypical source of funding, the scholarship is distinct from others in its focus on factors other than the standard academic profile of a candidate…

Making City Hall for all a reality

August 29, 2017   |  Source:  mySanAntonio.com  |  Building/Facilities Access, Inclusion, Architecture  |  Texas

Not that long ago, San Antonio claimed the title of “Accessibility City, U.S.A.” because of so many endeavors aimed at helping our neighbors with physical or cognitive disabilities. We now have the opportunity to further benefit the special-needs community by making “City Hall for All” a reality. Completion of this much-needed project also can serve as a powerful symbol of inclusion for our entire nation. On Aug. 16, Beaty Palmer Architects was proclaimed the winner of the City Hall for All architectural design competition to make San Antonio’s 128-year-old City Hall accessible to everyone.

Accessibility For All: Archer’s Challenge + YMCA of Austin

August 30, 2017   |  Source:  YMCA of Austin  |  Sports/Athletics, Accessible Design, Mobility, Inclusion  |  Texas

For the first time, the YMCA of Austin is partnering with Archer’s Challenge to create an immersive kick-off event that celebrates and promotes accessibility in public spaces for all. Challengers at the kickoff event will be able to participate in several in-chair team and solo activities and enjoy outdoor music, food and fun from 8 a.m. to noon. Activities at the TownLake Y include participating in a wheelchair weights class, a solo workout using accessible and adaptive equipment, and a 3.25-mile relay roll around the Town Lake trail…

Inside the Organization Saving Disabled People During Hurricane Harvey

August 29, 2017   |  Source:  Pacific Standard  |  Awareness, Advocacy, Inclusion  |  Texas

When natural disasters strike, disabled people are among the most vulnerable. Disability acts as a multiplier, intensifying risk from both natural and human forces. Among other concerns, disabled people often cannot evacuate on their own, or they struggle to carry their medical equipment with them (which can be necessary for preserving life). Emergency services may ignore the needs of a disabled person—sometimes, according to experts in inclusive disaster relief, even blaming disabled people for not planning better. Such experts are concerned that too many emergency responders treat people with disabilities as objects with no agency or rights, tossing them into whatever institutional setting they can find…

Louisville Pagan Pride addresses the need for accessibility accommodations

August 30, 2017   |  Source:  The Wild Hunt  |  Deaf/Hearing Impaired, Awareness, Inclusion  |  Kentucky 

A Pagan woman, who is deaf, alleges that Louisville Pagan Pride refused to provide her with a sign language interpreter for its upcoming Pagan Pride Day event. Event organizers say budget constraint were to blame for their initial refusal, but they are now making arrangements to accommodate Virginia Beach when she presents her workshop next Saturday. In early August, Ms. Beach contacted Louisville Pagan Pride (LPP) to ask if she could present a workshop on being Pagan and deaf. LPP accepted her workshop proposal. Then, on August 18, Beach requested a sign language interpreter for the duration of her one hour workshop. Five days later, LPP responded, saying they did not have it in their budget to hire an interpreter this year, but could do so next year…

Learning Through the Other Senses: A Lesson in Accessibility

August 30, 2017   |  Source:  Questar Assessment  |  Blindness/Visual Impairment, Inclusion, Disability Rights

Jó reggelt (Good morning)! I spent the month of July in Budapest, Hungary, a vibrant European city with plenty of amazing sights to see. But a group of us attended an exhibition that was all about not seeing anything at all. Láthatatlan Kiállítás, or the Invisible Exhibition, was an experience geared towards introducing sighted people to the daily life and experiences of being blind. We were led through this exhibit by our expert tour guide Yvette, who lost her sight around the age of five. The World Health Organization estimates that Yvette is among the population of 285 million visually impaired people; 39 million are classified as blind, while the rest have low vision. Their struggles to live with a visual impairment are many, and also greatly vary depending on where in the world they live…

Recent Verdict Strengthens the Growing Need for Websites to Increase Accessibility to Disabled Individuals

August 31, 2017   |  Source:  JD Supra  |  Digital Accessibility, Accessible Design, ADA  |  Florida

A recent case in federal district court in Florida foreshadows the beginning of an expanded reach of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As a whole, the Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. Recently, a growing number of lawsuits filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and private litigants threatening class action lawsuits serves as a strong caution to businesses operating websites to increase accessibility of those sites to disabled individuals…

Three disabled people who will not let themselves be limited

August 31, 2017   |  Source:  Disability Horizons  |  Advocacy, Awareness, Disability Rights

When some people hear the word ‘disability’, thoughts of limitations come to mind—what a person can’t do, what they used to do and what they wish they could do. There is no denying that those thoughts are real. But that isn’t all there is to a disability.  Disability Horizons writer Tammy speaks to three disabled people who shine because of, or in spite of, something called a ‘disability’. They have not let their impairments and society’s low expectations hold them back…

Blind Advocate Sues Fla. Arena Over Website Accessibility

August 31, 2017   |  Source:  Law360 (Subscription)  |  Blindness/Visual Impairment, Advocacy, Digital Accessibility

Fresh off a notable victory in a trial over requirements for businesses’ websites under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a blind Florida man has turned next to a Southwest Florida sports arena’s alleged failure to make its website accessible. In a suit filed Wednesday, Juan Carlos Gil asked a federal district court in Fort Myers, Florida, to require Gale Force Sports & Entertainment LLC, owner of the Germain Arena in Estero, to update its website so that blind customers, such as himself, can access information about…

Social Anxiety: The Invisible Elephant in the Room

September 1, 2017   |  Source:  Texas Lawyer  |  Cognitive, Awareness, Health/Medicine  |  Texas

This month we look at an intractable issue: dealing with mental illness/cognitive impairment in the workplace. Laws change, yet attitudes and mindsets remain the same. Here are three cases and three lessons. Lesson No. 1: HR is not an MD. An employee suffers a closed head injury. (By the way, according to Medscape there are 570,000 injuries a year in the United States.) He is a water service employee for a city and has been on the job for 14 years. The employee takes time off to heal and the city requires that he submit to a fitness for duty exam by a physician. The doctor looks at the job’s essential functions and gives him a medical examination. He gets a green light to go back to work. His supervisor observes the worker in the field performing his tasks. Passing grade here as well…

Jack Fact —  Fortune magazine estimates that in the US alone people with disabilities spend a trillion dollars each year – and more than $200 billion of that is discretionary income.

International News

Action plan to improve accessibility in transport unveiled by the government

August 24, 2016   |  Source:  Gov.uk- UK & Global Railway Review  |  Transit/Transportation, Government, Accessible Design  |  United Kingdom

Work aimed at improving accessible toilets on the railways, ensuring better use of Blue Badges and trials in autonomous vehicles are among measures to improve transport for people with disabilities, announced today (24 August 2017). The draft accessibility action plan, published today, is the next step in the government’s commitment to removing barriers for millions of disabled people to be able to travel independently and confidently. The Department for Transport is now consulting on the plan to seek views and ideas on how to best improve accessibility on roads, rail, water and in the air…

Council intends to publish list of wheelchair accessible taxis by deadline so disabled passengers can take advantage of new law

August 25, 2017   |  Source:  Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard- UK  |  Mobility, Transit/Transportation, Policy/Legislation  |  United Kingdom

Cotswold District Council said it will be publishing a list of wheelchair accessible taxis by the national deadline so disabled passengers can take advantage of a new law which ensures equal treatment.  A change in the Equality Act in April means that taxi drivers face a fine of up to £1,000 if they refuse to transport wheelchair users or attempt to charge them extra. However, the law only applies to drivers registered on council lists of wheelchair accessible taxis, known as Section 167 lists…

Activists Ask Court to Probe City Hall’s Failure to Make BTS Accessible

August 25, 2017   |  Source:  Khaosod-Thailand  |  Government, Disability Rights, Advocacy  |  Thailand

Disabled rights activists rallied Thursday to petition the Administrative Court to probe why City Hall has not satisfied a high court order to make the BTS Skytrain accessible. Two and a half years after they won a landmark case against the rail system’s management, the group returned to press for action by the court. By City Hall’s own admission, it has made only 37 percent progress on installing the necessary elevators and facilities at the original 23 stations. “So we petitioned the court to examine whether it’s really even 37 percent,” said Sonthipong Mongkonsawat, an attorney representing the group. “And do they have a good reason for why they can’t get it done?”…

Remove access barriers

August 25, 2016   |  Source:  Riverine Herald- Australia  |  Mobility, Discrimination, Health/Medicine  |  Australia 

Benalla Health experts have backed a Speech Pathology Australia call for greater action to ensure communication accessibility for the 1.1million Australians estimated to have a communication disability. Benalla Health speech pathologist Sally Matheson wants to highlight the importance of helping people effectively communicate. ‘‘Like mobility or wheelchair access, communication access is enabling people with communication disorders to get their message across by removing barriers to effective communication or providing extra support and strategies,’’ Ms Matheson said…

Tokyo 2020: Hirose, Paralympics will improve accessibility

August 25, 2017   |  Source:  International Paralympic Committee- Japan & Around the Rings & IPC  |  Paralympics, Accessible Design, Inclusion  |  Japan

Junko Hirose is excited about the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, not just because they are a unique opportunity for her to compete in front of her family and friends, but because they will help build a more accessible city and a more inclusive society. “Tokyo 2020 will lead to the recognition and development of Para sports in Japan,” the judoka said. “It will also accelerate the construction of accessible buildings and more people will start caring more about people with impairment…

Accessibility is helping to create better games

August 25, 2017   |  Source:  Brantford Expositor- Canada  |  Gaming, Inclusion, Innovation  |  Canada

When he talks about his latest video game, Toronto-based Jason Canam does not gush about the graphics or the sound. It’s not even on his mind to tell me about the custom arcade cabinet built by one of his team members (that he plans to lug by car to Seattle later this month). Instead, he is most proud about his game’s accessibility options. “Honestly, what we’ve done here has made the game better,” says Canam. “I just wanted as many gamers as possible to be able to try my game, and now we’ve ended up with something that went well beyond my original intention.”…

Former lieutenant-governor and Citytv broadcaster David Onley receives Order of Canada

August 25, 2017   |  Source:  CityNews- Canada  |  Government, Advocacy, Awards/Recognition  |  Canada

He’s worn many hats over the years: author, advocate, weatherman, television host and more recently, Ontario’s lieutenant-governor. But on Friday, it was time for our nation to tip its hat to David Onley. During a morning ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Onley became one of 31 new members inducted into the Order of Canada. One companion and 13 officers were also bestowed with the honour — the highest of its kind for civilians. Onley spent more than two decades at Citytv, where he shared his vast knowledge with viewers as a science and technology specialist. A survivor of childhood polio, he was also the first newscaster in Canada with a visible disability…

Amazing Grace: A Wheelchair rugby player will take on an accessible fun run to help support the Dorset Destroyers

August 25, 2017   |  Source:  Dorset Echo- UK  |  Mobility, Inclusion, Awareness  |  United Kingdom

A wheelchair rugby player will take part in an accessible fun run to help raise money to support her team. Grace McGowan, 25, from Weymouth, will compete in Parallel London to raise money for the Dorset Destroyers, a wheelchair rugby team based in Poole. Grace suffered a spinal cord injury in 2014 and will complete the event’s 1km challenge using a ReWalk Exoskeleton. She explained the accessible fun run will be a tough challenge…

No more lonely in the planet

August 26, 2017   |  Source:  The New Indian Express- India  |  Inclusion, Travel, Accessible Design  |  India

When people come and tell you that because of you they had the best day of their life; it was the first time they stepped out to see something beautiful; and they had been living in the same city for 20 years but never ever visited a heritage monument; you know you are touching the right chord somewhere,” says Neha Arora, the Founder of Planet Abled, an organisation that provides accessible and inclusive travel solutions to people with disabilities. Born to parents with disabilities, she faced challenges in travelling that made her realise there was a vacuum for people with disabilities to indulge in travel and leisure activities. She got inspired and started a venture to fill this gap…

New app orients visually impaired in malls, schools, hospitals

August 27, 2017   |  Source:  ISRAEL21c- Israel  |  Blindness/Visual Impairment, Technology, Mobile App, Innovation  |  Israel

Idan Meir thought he was building a technology to help stores sell more goods. He wound up with a product that allows blind and visually impaired people to navigate malls, universities and hospitals. “It happened almost by accident,” Meir says, explaining the genesis for RightHear, the pioneering accessibility app he built with cofounder and CTO Gil Elgrably. The two had created a technology to offer virtual on-the-spot coupons to shoppers based on Apple’s iBeacon technology. iBeacons are small self-powered Bluetooth transmitters that can be placed on walls and roofs in a retail location. But the business model wasn’t making sense…

Pool of funding for disabled access across Harrogate more than doubled

August 27, 2017   |  Source:  Harrogate Advertiser- UK  |  Architecture, Building/Facilities Access, Awareness  |  United Kingdom

North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) has approved plans to increase the amount of money available for bidding through its Local Accessibility Fund from £35,000 to £75,000 next year. Harrogate based Disability Action Yorkshire has applauded the move and said they hope the increase could present more opportunities to further improve disabled access by deterring drivers from parking and blocking access to pavements. Jackie Snape Chief Executive of Disability Action Yorkshire said: “We very much welcome the increase to the Local Accessibility Fund and would be pleased to inform members thinking on the issues that face disabled people with regards to safe access on the highways…

Back-to-school dilemma for some members of the disabled community

August 27, 2017   |  Source:  Jamaica Gleaner- Jamaica  |  Mobility, Discrimination, Education  |  Jamaica

Days before the new school year begins, a number of Jamaican parents and guardians, who are either disabled or have children with disabilities, are in a quandary about how they are going to pay for their young ones to go back into the classroom. At least 13 caregivers, who would normally get assistance from the Paraplegic Development and Outreach Foundation (Paradof) with books and other back-to-school items for their children, are now unsure where to turn with the organisation being unable to assist them this year…

Helping businesses become accessible

August 27, 2017   |  Source:  Pembroke Daily Observer- Canada  |  Businesses, Accessible Design, Inclusion  |  Canada

Business owners have until the end of September to take advantage of free personal consultations on how to make their businesses more accessible. The Renfrew County United Way, in partnership with EARN (Employment Accessibility Resource Network), is reaching out to educate small to medium size businesses and non-profits on the AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act). Bonnie Schryer, who is the AODA Partnership Coordinator for the Renfrew County United Way, aims to assist with the compliancy requirements, access the untapped talent pool of Ontarians with disabilities as well as share the free ongoing resources available to them through EARN …

Greenbelt takes inclusiveness to another level with disability communion service

August 28, 2017   |  Source:  Church Times- UK  |  Inclusion, Mobility, Cognitive  |  United Kingdom

On Sunday, the Greenbelt festival taught the wider Church a valuable lesson in inclusiveness. Approaches to disability usually start and stop at the level of accessibility. For its main communion service, the festival brought this inclusiveness into the centre of the eucharist. The service was led by three cantors, all wheelchair users; part of the music was provided by Rhythmicity, a drumming group that includes people with additional needs; Livability, a Greenbelt partner, provided three signers; and the prayers were led by two people from L’Arche, the charity for people with learning difficulties…

Railway stations, airports see progress toward barrier-free accessibility ahead of Tokyo Paralympics

August 28, 2017   |  Source:  The Japan Times- Japan  |  Transit/Transportation, Accessible Design, Paralympics  |  Japan

Domestic firms — including railway operators and airlines — are boosting efforts to make train stations, airports and other facilities barrier-free ahead of the Aug. 25, 2020, opening of the Tokyo Paralympics. Barrier-free facilities will not only help Paralympic athletes get around but also become a legacy of the quadrennial event, industry insiders say. East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, is expanding the capacities of elevators and toilets at Sendagaya Station near the new National Stadium, the main venue of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. In June this year, the company decided on plans to upgrade Shin-Kiba Station, near the archery venue, and Shinbashi Station, a transfer station for those heading to the Ariake district, home to a number of Paralympic venues…

Gateshead tech firm Recite Me helps disabled clients access accountants website

August 28, 2017   |  Source:  ChronicleLive- UK  |  Digital Accessibility, Technology, Accessible Design  |  United Kingdom

A Gateshead software company has used cutting-edge tech to make an accountancy firm’s websites accessible for people with disabilities. Software firm Recite Me has worked with RMT Accountants & Business Advisors to transform its website so that it can be accessed by all of the firm’s clients. Recite Me’s cloud-based software is capable of translating text into more than 100 languages and has ‘text to speech’ functionality for up to 30 languages. It also allows people to change elements of a websites such as font size, font colour and background colour contrast…

People with disabilities ‘excluded from tourist sites’

August 28, 2017   |  Source:  BBC News- Wales  |  Discrimination, Travel, Disability Rights  |  Wales

More needs to be done to ensure better accessibility for people with disabilities at popular tourist locations, an organisation has said. Disability Wales said disabled people and their families were being excluded due to a lack of accessible toilets, facilities and services. Chief executive Rhian Davies said services provided by local authorities and businesses were “not good enough”. The Welsh Local Government Association has been asked to comment. “One of the basic principles of independent living is for disabled people to have choice and control over how they go about their day-to-day lives,” she said…

No space for the differently-abled

August 28, 2017   |  Source:  Deccan Chronicle- India  |  Discrimination, Building/Facilities Access, Awareness  |  India

A report published by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, has exposed the insensitivity our city has towards the disabled. The School of Public Policy and Governance examined 210 key locations commonly visited by persons with disability and found that only a handful of them had any accessibility features. The study focused on areas in Cyberabad, which has been developed fairly recently. Dr Ipsita Sapra, the leader of the research team, says, “We were hoping that the city would have adopted a more sensitive approach in the provision of spaces without barriers, but the results have been dismal.” …

Airlines, airports in India fail their ‘special’ fliers

August 28, 2017   |  Source:  Deccan Chronicle- India  |  Travel, Discrimination, Mobility  |  India

For the disabled, journeys on domestic flights are tales of never-ending turbulence. Days after the de-boarding of paraathlete Madhu Bagri from a Hyderabad-bound plane, the demand for standardisation of air travel protocols for the disabled has grown stronger. International paraathlete Suvarna Raj says that she was de-boarded from a plane in a similar manner last month. “I reached a little late than usual and was given my boarding pass. But they denied me entry because my security check would take longer,” she says. She missed her flight and was allocated a seat on a flight which departed the next day…

Analysis of Financial inclusion for the differently-abled people

August 28, 2017   |  Source:  The Hans- India  |  Inclusion, Disability Rights, Banking  |  India

Three years ago, from ramparts of the Red Fort Prime Minister Modi had spoken about financial inclusion which has since then successfully made a paradigm shift in banking penetration. Now, after opening new banking accounts for most households, we must move to the next stage where benefits should reach the silent majority of those individuals with disability. India, a signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in effect from May 2008, has an obligation to comply to the convention which promotes, defends and reinforces human rights of the disabled.

It’s going to be a dignity ride in Hyderabad Metro

August 29, 2017   |  Source:  Deccan Chronicle- India  |  Travel, Mobility, Awareness, Inclusion  |  India

Will the Hyderabad Metro be a mode of transport that allows the disabled to travel with dignity? Accessibility experts in the city who have assisted the metro rail authorities in auditing their services seem to believe so. Narsing Rao Bongurah, the founder of Wonder of Wheelchair, has been a wheelchair-user for a most of his lifetime. “I have personally audited the services and find them to be satisfactory,” he says. He explains that the metro has been designed keeping in mind the needs of persons with physical, visual and auditory disabilities…

City Building Owners Faulted Over Lack of Facilities for PLWDs

August 29, 2017   |  Source:  AllAfrica.com- Rwanda  |  Building/Facilities Access, Discrimination, Architecture  |  Rwanda

Persons living with disabilities (PLWDs) in Kigali and other major cities continue to face challenges accessing a large number of buildings, including some public structures. Despite a 2009 ministerial order that all public buildings should have features and facilities for Persons Living With Disabilities(PLWD), a number of city buildings have been found to fall short of complying with the requirement. In some buildings, the facilities are non-existent while in others inspectors say that the features are not usable whereby ramps are too steep or washrooms lack certain specifications. Experts say that the features are not solely for persons using wheelchairs, they are also used by the visually impaired, those using clutches and the mentally unstable among others…

Advocates call for governments, businesses in Canada to use dynamic accessibility symbol

August 29, 2017   |  Source:  Globalnews- Canada  |  Advocacy, Government, Businesses, Disability Rights  |  Canada

For Paralympian Joel Dembe, symbols matter, which is why he and others say they’re pushing for the use of a new accessibility symbol in Canada. Many are calling for the current International Symbol of Access, a blue-and-white logo created over 40 years ago that features a person sitting back in a wheelchair, to be replaced with the Dynamic Symbol of Access. The newer design shows a person in a wheelchair leaning forward with an arm raised back. “The more I thought about it, the more I’m like, ‘That’s not representative of me or many other friends I have that have disabilities as well.” He said the Dynamic Symbol of Access is “more representative of disability today” and using the new symbol will hopefully promote inclusion…

VisitLanarkshire develops accessible tourism guides

August 30, 2017   |  Source:  Hospitality & Catering News- Scotland  |  Travel, Inclusion, Accessible Design  |  Scotland

VisitLanarkshire is on target to provide accessibility guides for all the region’s attractions and accommodation providers by 2020. The area’s official tourism body which now offers accessibility information for 62% of all attractions, has set the 100% goal as part of the Lanarkshire’s Area Tourism Strategy. Accessibility guides or statements cater for a range of users, from older people with limited mobility to parents with young children and those with a permanent physical disability or a temporary injury, such as a broken leg. Visitors and guests are provided with full information before travelling, so they can assess whether the venue is accessible to them, regardless of their mental or physical additional needs…

Without accessible conferences, we lose the voices of disabled academics

August 31, 2017   |  Source:  The Guardian- UK  |  Awareness, Mobility, Inclusion, Disability Rights  |  United Kingdom

Academic conference season is in full swing. For early-career researchers, conferences offer opportunities to share ideas and build networks. More established academics attend to meet with colleagues, old friends and learn about the latest work in their field. But they can also be a stressful, distressing and exhausting experience, particularly for disabled academics. Their first thought will not be the speaker line-up, but the accessibility of conference buildings. This includes the location of the conference venue – is it within easy reach of the closest airport? Are there wheelchair accessible hotels nearby?…

Google won’t answer woman who wants wheelchair friendly maps

August 31, 2017   |  Source:  Metro- UK  |  Mobility, Discrimination, Disability Rights  |  United Kingdom

Earlier this month, Belinda Bradley, 19, wanted to surprise her mum Mary by taking her to the London Wetland Centre for her birthday. But what was meant to be a fun weekend away for Mary, who has Fibromyalgia and is from Bristol, the outing quickly turned into nightmare. ‘We found that all routes provided by Google Maps demanded stairs, bumpy paths, small hills, foot bridges, crossings without slopes and many times there was no room on the pavement for the chair,’ Belinda told Metro.co.uk. At one point they were even forced to use busy cycle lanes to get around or travel in the opposite direction until they found a safe path…

Disability campaign group slams council’s user-unfriendly fire risk map

August 30, 2017   |  Source:  Hackney Citizen  |  Government, Advocacy, Accessible Design  |  United Kingdom 

The chairman of a local campaign group has condemned Hackney Council over its “apathy” towards disabled people after testing its Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) map. In the wake of the Grenfell fire, the Town Hall pledged to publish 1,800 FRAs, which highlight any fire safety risks at a building, for all its estate blocks. It started the process in late July in the form of an interactive map at the bottom of its FRA webpage. But John Thornton, acting chair of Hackney-based Disability BackUp (DBU), said the map is another example of “indifference amongst Hackney Council staff”…

Government of Canada Supports Greater Accessibility in Public Consultation Forums for People with Speech and Language Disabilities

August 31, 2017   |  Source:  Business Insider  |  Government, Cognitive, Inclusion, Innovation  |  Canada

Communications Disabilities Access Canada, a national not-for-profit organization, will make public consultation forums more accessible to Canadians who have speech and language disabilities. Today, the Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, announced the launch of this initiative, funded through the disability component of the Social Development Partnerships Program.  A more inclusive Canada is one where all Canadians are given equal opportunity to contribute to their communities and share their views on the social and economic issues that affect their lives. This is why the Government of Canada is committed to support innovative accessibility projects that reduce barriers for people with disabilities and improve their participation and integration into all aspects of society…

Resource relaunched for building inclusive communities

August 31, 2017   |  Source:  Scoop- New Zealand  |  Building/Facilities Access, Inclusion, Disability Rights  |  New Zealand

Inclusiveness and diversity were celebrated at the launch of Enhancing Accessibility, a resource for frontline staff. Enhancing Accessibility is a newly updated resource in the form of a handbook and accompanying training guide. These items replace the original resource ‘DIScover, Serving customers with disabilities,’ which was funded by the Ministry of Social Development’s Making a Difference fund in 2011. The purpose of the Enhancing Accessibility resource is to assist frontline and customer service staff in all sectors to learn about accessibility and how to appropriately engage with and serve disabled people. Enhancing Accessibility assists all organisations in becoming more inclusive…

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Our digital and web accessibility services cover
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.

Digital Accessibility Digest

One of our three industry blogs, Microassist’s Digital Accessibility Digest is the “umbrella” for much of our accessibility content. It features commentary, guidance, curated news, and event information.Accessibility in the News is a regular feature of the Digital Accessibility Digest.

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