Accessibility in the News — 2/14/2020

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Feature Stories

This mother took on airline policies for wheelchairs, and is winning

February 6, 2020 | Source: Holmes County Times Advertiser

When Michele Erwin and her son with spinal muscular atrophy flew to Disney World in 2011, she had to disassemble his electric wheelchair on the jetway so that it could be stored in the cargo hold. As she took apart the medical device that Greyson lived in, she wondered, “Why can’t he roll onto the plane and strap down his chair just as we do on buses, trains and the family minivan?” Then Erwin asked a better question: What can I do to make that a reality?…

Will the MTA Really Turn Its Back on Disabled New Yorkers Yet Again?

February 12, 2020 | Source: Gotham Gazette

Is the MTA Meeting Its Promises to Make the Subway Accessible?

February 12, 2020 | Source: NY City Lens

Although accessibility is a hot topic of late, is government truly willing to partner in the multifaceted effort required to increase positive outcomes and general quality of life for our city’s residents and visitors with disabilities? People seem to enjoy theorizing about its necessity and how long overdue universal design has been, but once the discussion reaches implementation, the ideals suddenly are not as indispensable as they once were. I am a Brooklyn-based blind New Yorker who has been using Access-A-Ride since 2003…

Expandable Airplane Bathroom Unveiled At Singapore Air Show Might Address Paralyzed U.S. Veterans’ Lawsuit

February 12, 2020 | Source: Forbes

Airplane bathrooms are getting smaller. As a result, disabled passengers and those with limited mobility suffer discomfort and indignities when traveling by air. The situation has led the Paralyzed Veterans of America to take legal action against the U.S. Department of Transport. An expandable, accessible aircraft lavatory design, developed by ST Engineering and Acumen that was unveiled at the Singapore Air Show this week could address this dispute. The ACCESS expanding lavatory allows more room for disabled and reduced mobility passengers, their wheelchair and even an attendant…

National News (U.S.)

Software company not liable for product inaccessible to blind employee

February 6, 2020 | Source: HR Dive

Software company Epic Systems cannot be held liable for its product’s inaccessibility to a hospital employee with a disability, a federal district court has ruled. The National Federation of the Blind sued Epic, a healthcare software company, claiming that its software is inaccessible to blind users, in violation of Massachusetts law. Specifically, a Brigham and Women’s Hospital employee was twice placed on paid leave while the employer worked to make its system accessible…

Houston Museum of Natural Science is now certified for its commitment to serve people with autism, sensory needs

February 6, 2020 | Source: Click2Houston

The Houston Museum of Natural Science was recently designed a Certified Autism Center, according to a press release. The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) awarded the classification to the museum for its commitment to serve individuals with autism and other sensory needs. “The Houston Museum of Natural Science is thrilled to receive the status of Certified Autism Center™ through IBCCES…

Ex-redevelopment agency to play $3.1 million in settlement with DOJ over L.A. disabled housing funds

February 6, 2020 | Source: LA Daily News & Canyon News

CRA/LA has agreed to pay $3.1 million to resolve allegations that its predecessor agency violated the False Claims Act by knowingly failing to comply with accessibility laws when it financed and assisted in the development of affordable housing in the city of Los Angeles supported by federal funds, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday, Feb. 6. CRA/LA is the successor of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, a local redevelopment agency that financed and assisted in the development of multifamily affordable housing using local tax monies and federal community development grants…

Service Animals In The Lab: Who Decides?

February 6, 2020 | Source: NPR

Before they enter the research lab where they spend most work days, Joey Ramp outfits Sampson with his own personal safety gear: goggles, a lab coat, and four boots — one for each paw. Sampson is a service dog. If Ramp, Sampson’s owner, has her way, service animals like Sampson will become a much more common sight in university and professional laboratories. Ramp is a former horse trainer and a current researcher at Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign…

How to feature disability access on campus maps

February 7, 2020 | Source: University Business

Virtual and physical campus maps of The George Washington University are being updated to include accessibility features like ramps and automatic doors, according to the student newspaper, The GW Hatchet. Online campus maps will now indicate handicap parking signage, buildings with ramp entrances and restrooms and elevators that physically handicapped people can use, The GW Hatchet reported. “It is not only helpful for current students but obviously prospective students because a lot of time they’ll look at those maps as they walk around,” Amy Martin, executive vice president of the university’s student association, told The GW Hatchet…

The Average American Life Expectancy Is 78 Years, But Our ‘Health Span’ Is Only 66- Here’s Why

February 7, 2020 | Source: Well + Good

Middle-aged Americans worried about health care costs less likely to seek care

February 10, 2020 | Source: MarketPlace

When it comes to visualizing yourself in your senior citizen years, chances are you hope to emulate someone like Betty White or Tao (thought of as the oldest living yogi). Read: old but thriving. Here’s some good news on that front: life expectancy is (albeit very slowly) going up. According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), life expectancy at birth in 2018 (the latest stats are available) is 78.7, a slight increase from 2017’s life expectancy of 78.6…

NYPD Facilities Violate ADA, Judge Rules

February 10, 2020 | Source: FacilitiesNet

The New York Police Department is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. As part of the litigation, 25 of the NYPD’s 77 stations were surveyed, and all were found to have at least one element which violates ADA. Mobility-impaired individuals cannot access the services at the stations because some can only be entered by stairs or accessible entrances are locked, improperly signed, or have improper access to them…

Morgan Stanley Sued Over Website Access by Blind Woman

February 10, 2020 | Source: Advisor Hub

A legally blind woman in New York has filed a negligence and discrimination suit against Morgan Stanley alleging that its online wealth management websites are largely inaccessible to her, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the state’s Human Rights Law. The complaint, which seeks $1 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages, was filed on Friday by Georgann Gonoude, a Bronx resident who alleges she has been a client of Morgan Stanley since 2010…

De Blasio taps disability commissioner for MTA board

February 10, 2020 | Source: New York Post

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s newest pick for the MTA board would be its first disabled member. Victor Calise, who currently serves as commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, has been tapped by Hizzoner for one of the city’s two open slots on the transit agency’s board, City Hall announced Monday. “Victor believes in his heart that it is our civic and moral duty to make our subways, buses and Access-A-Ride services more inclusive for everyone,” de Blasio said in a statement…

Accommodating the disabled

February 10, 2020 | Source: The Salem News

Steve Kapantais, a disabled Salem resident with severely limited eyesight, is a frequent critic of the city’s accessibility efforts — or lack thereof as he may argue — but while out on a recent walk down the newly built dock on Congress Street, he had something else to say entirely. Kapantais noted that, at 50 feet, the city had not just met, but exceeded the length requirement of 30 feet for the dock’s ramp. The project also incorporated ample lighting, and it sacrificed spots for boats to tie up in order to be as compliant as possible with the Americans with Disabilities Act…

New Hampshire’s Midnight Primary is Using Accessible Voting Machines For the First Time

February 10, 2020 | Source: Time

When the residents of a few small New Hampshire towns cast their votes at midnight Monday, kicking off the presidential primary season, they will make history. Two residents of Hart’s Location and Dixville Notch will use a voting system designed for people with disabilities—marking the first time any voter has used the accessible system during the first-in-the-nation midnight primary. Monday’s midnight debut is admittedly a publicity stunt, advocates say…

Industry Perspectives Op-Ed: An owner’s guide to accessibility claims in Washington

February 11, 2020 | Source: Construct Connect

Owners seeking to develop projects in Washington should familiarize themselves with the compliance measures they must take to satisfy the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Good design is what owners bargain for when they engage architects and accessibility consultants to design their projects. But excellent design provides all users with the practical ability to use and enjoy the projects. The ADA and Fair Housing Act are civil rights acts, enacted to provide certain protected classes equal protection to housing and places of public accommodation…

Facebook didn’t mark ads as ads for blind people for almost 2 years

February 11, 2020 | Source: Quartz

For nearly two years, Facebook didn’t include a legible “Sponsored” label on ads for Facebook users who are blind or who have low vision. That meant that anyone using a screen reader—software which reads the words on webpages out loud—couldn’t tell the difference between their friends’ posts and paid ads, which are visually indicated with a small “Sponsored” tag under the name of the advertiser. If you use a screen reader, what you would have heard is gibberish or “Sponsored” spelled out letter by letter…

Disabled Access Can Ramp Up Lawsuits

February 11, 2020 | Source: Habitat

No co-op or condo board wants its commercial spaces to be inaccessible to the disabled. But a particular type of disability lawsuit may be targeting small businesses in your building, not with any intention of seeing them made fully accessible but simply to collect a token fee for the plaintiff – and a large fee for the attorney through a quick settlement. This, clearly, is not in keeping with the lofty motivation behind the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)…

3 Big Trends About the Future of Work Every Leader Should Know About

February 11, 2020 | Source: Inc.

The rise of automation, a data privacy crisis, and global economic instability make imagining the future of work extremely difficult. We know that automation and A.I. are standardizing repetitive tasks and lowering labor costs; it’s also leaving many loyal employees out of work because of it. To gather perspective on the workplace of the future, I sought advice from Cecile Alper-Leroux, VP of human capital management (HCM) innovation at Ultimate Software…

UWM students create app that rates buildings based on accessibility

February 11, 2020 | Source: WTMJ-TV & Yahoo (Video)

People with disabilities can often run into obstacles at public buildings and restaurants. Now local college students are developing an app that rates accessibility at businesses. They’re planning to get it up and running in time for the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee this summer. As a Master’s student at UW-Milwaukee, Anna McCartney often goes to the Gasthaus Grill to study or get a bite to eat. “I always look for corners and I always look for where the sound can be in front of me versus behind me,” McCartney said…

People Born Blind Are Mysteriously Protected From Schizophrenia

February 11, 2020 | Source: Vice

It was something Tom Pollak had heard whispers about—an odd factoid, referred to now and again, usually with bewilderment: No person who was born blind has ever been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Over the past 60-some years, scientists around the world have been writing about this mystery. They’ve analyzed past studies, combed the wards of psychiatric hospitals, and looked through agencies that treat blind people, trying to find a case. As time goes on, larger data sets have emerged…

Hereditary deafness treatment

February 11, 2020 | Source: Up Matters

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital have found a potential treatment for hereditary deafness. Beethoven’s 5th symphony is a cornerstone of classical music. Hard to believe the composer was almost completely deaf from a genetic condition when he finished it. David Corey, Ph.D., Prof. of Neurobiology Harvard Medical School said, “These children are born fairly normal, but then over ten or 20 years, they lose their hearing.”…

Community members reflect on ways accessibility impacts homeless services

February 12, 2020 | Source: Daily Northwestern

Shelters and warming centers can provide a place for homeless people to escape harsh conditions during the winter. But for disabled individuals, homeless services are not always accessible, said Cathleen O’Brien, community organizer of housing at Access Living, an advocacy group for disability rights. She added that disabled people can be more vulnerable to homelessness because of low employment, discrimination from landlords and financial reasons. “Disabled people often have to make a choice between affordable and accessible housing,” O’Brien said…

How Museums Are Making Artworks Accessible To Blind People Online

February 12, 2020 | Source: Art in America

Marble statue group of three nude women standing in line. Fragmented sculpture of three idealized female nudes missing their heads and facing in different directions. Marble sculpture of three headless nude women with their arms around each other. Above are three descriptions of Marble Statue Group of the Three Graces (second century AD) in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Three different people wrote them, compared them, then created a single description for the alt-text field of the museum’s app…

Salem finalizing unprecedented $75K accessibility plan

February 12, 2020 | Source: Wicked Local Salem

Salem City Hall is finalizing an unprecedented report that comprehensively assesses municipal services, programs, activities and city-owned buildings’ compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991. The 400-plus report meticulously recommends hundreds of corrective actions, best practices and cost estimates across Salem’s 25 municipal buildings, eight public schools and their playgrounds, 12 parks and outdoor spaces and two parking garages and lots…

Lawmakers accept 8th grader’s challenge to spend day in wheelchair

February 12, 2020 | Source: WSMV

An eighth grader at Friendship Christian School in Lebanon approached the state legislature with a challenge. He said he’d only need them to take part for a day, and what they’d learn would be a lesson for life. “I have found if I don’t know as many people, it makes it a lot easier,” smiled 14-year-old Alex Johnson, sitting in the middle of hallway ahead of a speech to lawmakers. Alex was there to represent others with a story like his and bring it to the people who can help…

Accessible Fashion for People with Down Syndrome

February 12, 2020 | Source: Patch

Children, teenagers and young adults with Down syndrome will soon have more options when it comes to fashionable clothing. The University of Delaware’s Innovation, Health and Design Lab is working closely with those who have Down syndrome to develop a size guide. The size guide will be the first of its kind. Those with Down syndrome are hopeful that a size guide will help clothing makers develop clothing that fits their unique body shape. Those with Down syndrome face several problems when it comes to buying clothes…

New app helps the deaf participate in the voting process

February 13, 2020 | Source: The Hill

“Back in 2016 I remember watching the election debates and the captioning was so badly delayed that it wasn’t even matching up with the topics that were shown on-screen,” says Kriston Lee Pumphrey, Community Engagement Manager for Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD). “The myriad of controversial topics just made it a roller coaster ride of frustration. I remember thinking, ‘If only we could have live interpreters on-screen.’” Lee Pumphrey isn’t alone in her frustrations…

Jack Fact — The World Health Organization estimates that by the year 2055 there will be 900 million people with hearing loss.

Hit The Road Jack — Old City of Jerusalem now more accessible to wheelchair users and visually impaired

International News

Opinion: Stranded on platforms, crawling through faulty lifts: travelling with a disability on public transport

February 6, 2020 | Source: The Journal- Ireland

If you’re a wheelchair user in this country, you’re treated like a second class citizen and that’s not right. It’s really hit or miss whether wheelchair users and other people with disabilities can get on any form of public transport across Ireland. We have to give a large amount of notice to access trains and Darts and even then we can be left stranded on the tracks. We’re a forgotten society playing lift roulette while trying to live our everyday lives…

HoME: New coalition to tackle the accessible housing “timebomb”

February 6, 2020 | Source: PBC Today- UK

A new coalition of campaigning organisations and housing associations are demanding action to ensure all new homes are accessible and adaptable. November saw the launch of a new coalition of high-profile housing organisations calling for action to defuse a “timebomb” in the provision of accessible housing for the UK’s ageing population and people with disabilities. HoME (Housing Made for Everyone) is predicting a “dangerous shortage” of suitable homes in the future, with only one new accessible home to be built for every 15 people over the age of 65 by 2030…

Car-share company adds first wheelchair accessible van to Greater Victoria fleet

February 7, 2020 | Source: Sooke News Mirror- Canada

A B.C. car-sharing company now boasts a wheelchair accessible van in its Greater Victoria fleet. On Feb. 5, Modo announced that the barrier-free mobility van is ready to be reserved. The van is the first shared accessible vehicle in the region and the second in the company’s province-wide fleet – the first van debuted in Vancouver in 2013. The new van, a 2019 Dodge Accessibility Van, is based at the Community Living Victoria office on Cedar Hill Cross Road in Saanich…

Number of people with disabilities and medical conditions on housing waiting list rises by almost 11,000 in two years

February 7, 2020 | Source: ITV News- England

The number of people with disabilities and medical conditions on the housing waiting list in England has risen by almost 11,000 in two years, ITV News can reveal. The Department for Housing figures, uncovered by ITV News, show 119,621 disabled people or people with a medical condition were left waiting for an accessible home by their local authority in 2018/19, a rise of more than 10% since 2016/17. That’s despite the overall number of people on the social housing waiting list, which includes people without disabilities, increasing by just 0.02% in the same period…

Transport for Wales introduces sign language app for the deaf community

February 7, 2020 | Source: Global Railway Review- Wales

Transport for Wales (TfW) has launched a new sign language app designed to aid communication for customers from the deaf community in a bid to improve accessibility. The new app, created in collaboration with InterpreterNow, utilises a video call style system, making communication between railway employees and deaf customers even easier. Dr Robert Gravelle, Accessibility and Inclusion Manager for Transport for Wales, said: “We are extremely proud to be the first transport provider in Wales to provide such support for the Deaf BSL using community…

New review-style app to help drive accessibility improvements in UK venues for disabled people

February 7, 2020 | Source: THIIS- UK & AMP & AT Today

Described as a cross between Trustpilot and TripAdvisor, Access Rating is a new app that enables disabled people to review how accessible venues are across the UK. Believed to be the first app of its kind, Access Rating features 240,000 bars, pubs, restaurants and hotels and is designed to help disabled people determine how accessible venues are before they visit, using a review/rating system. Users can score venues out of five for accessibility and they can also write more detailed reviews and submit photos of the venues, if they wish…

Research breakthrough for leading cause of blindness

February 7, 2020 | Source: Science Daily- UK

Researchers have identified a new protein linked to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that could offer new hope for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, which affects over 1.5 million people in the UK alone. The research team, made up of scientists from Queen Mary University of London, the University of Manchester, Cardiff University, and Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, found significantly higher levels of a protein called factor H-related protein 4 (FHR-4) in the blood of AMD patients…

The inclusive employer: Accessibility is good for business

February 8, 2020 | Source: The Chronicle Herald- Canada

Have you ever heard a word so often it actually started to lose meaning? Words like innovation, tech, startup and disruptor. Words with powerful impact like diversity and inclusion. Accessibility is one of those words. Twenty per cent of the Canadian population has a disability. That’s about 7.5 million people. And of those 7.5 million people, more than 50 per cent are not working. In the age of labour shortages and huge technological advancements, these numbers are unacceptable…

Differently-abled continue to fight for accessibility

February 8, 2020 | Source: The New Indian Express- India

Despite assurances by the state government, public buildings remain inaccessible to the differently-abled. Though Social Justice Minister K K Shailaja recently announced in the assembly session that over 28 public buildings in the city will soon be made accessible and disabled-friendly, members of the All Kerala Wheelchair Rights Federation (AKWRF) are doubtful of its implementation as a majority of the public buildings remain inaccessible. The 28 public buildings are being made disabled-friendly as part of the Union government’s Accessible India Campaign…

Parliamentarians urged to legislate for financial autonomy to disabled persons

February 8, 2020 | Source: The Nation- Pakistan

Activists for the persons with disabilities on Friday urged parliamentarians to legislate for the financial independence of the disabled persons and direct banks to ensure special facilities for them. This was stated in a joint statement released by Pakistan Foundation Fighting Blindness, Pakistan Blind Cricket Council, the Internet Society Accessibility Special Interest Group and blind academicians, government officials, blind cricket professionals and blind rights activists…

Ontario government aims at improving accessibility

February 10, 2020 | Source: Daily Commercial News- Canada

The Ontario government has announced next steps in developing a new framework for improving accessibility in the province. The proposals were created based on recommendations made by former Ontario lieutenant-governor David Onley as part of a legislative review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act as well as input from stakeholders, stated a Jan. 28 release. The framework, announced by Minister for Seniors and Accessibility Raymond Cho, identified four areas for reform:…

Accessibility in HRM: Why some businesses don’t have automatic door openers

February 10, 2020 | Source: The Signal- Canada

Paul Vienneau has encountered many buildings he cannot get into with his wheelchair. But if he can get to a door, usually he can open it. Yet he knows some people can’t, which is why he has been advocating for more businesses in the Halifax Regional Municipality to have automatic doors. “Accessibility should be the cost of doing business in the city,” said Vienneau, a disability activist. Automatic doors have a huge impact on those who need them, he said, and are a convenience for everyone else…

No tally of govt. buildings to be made accessible

February 10, 2020 | Source: The Hindu- India & Times of India

Four years after the Accessible India Campaign was launched to make public offices, transport and websites accessible to persons with disabilities (PwD), officials said at a recent review meeting said the number of buildings of the Central Public Works Department across the country, and websites of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) were not known. During the review by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot, a Department of Empowerment of PwD official said the “total buildings either under maintenance or owned by CPWD are not known”, minutes of the meeting recorded…

Disability advocate settles accessibility complaint against Pat Quinn’s Restaurant & Bar

February 10, 2020 | Source: Voice- Canada & City News

Vince Miele, who uses a wheelchair and has been a longtime advocate for people with disabilities, has settled his human rights accessibility complaint against Pat Quinn’s Restaurant & Bar in Tsawwassen. This complaint stems from an incident where Vince made a reservation for four, informing the restaurant that one in the party uses a wheelchair. However, when Vince arrived, he found his friends had been seated at a table in the main lower area of the restaurant, but that he was unable to independently join them due to three stairs. A server offered to assist him, but that was not feasible…

Making Mexico City more accessible for disabled people

February 11, 2020 | Source: Aljazeera- Mexico (Video)

Mexico City is beginning to improve facilities for people with disabilities somewhat, with many subway stations now equipped with lifts. But a large part of the disabled population still remains shut out due to the poor infrastructure and services. One organisation is trying to change that, as Al Jazeera’s Manuel Rapalo reports from Mexico City…

“Israel can attract tourists with disabilities”

February 11, 2020 | Source: Globes- Israel

As more and more disabled people travel, accessibility will become very good business. Israel is well positioned to take its share. Israel is relatively accessible for people with disabilities, but more advertising and tourist information is needed. Michal Raz-Chaimovich “The world treats accessible tourism (for people with disabilities) as a niche market, but it’s not a marginal segment at all. If you think about what happens in life, at some stage, we’ll all have some disability,” says Martin Heng, accessible travel manager at travel guide company Lonely Planet…

Support for developing accessibility legislation: B.C. report

February 12, 2020 | Source: E-Know- Canada

The accessibility consultation summary report shows strong support for government to develop legislation to make B.C. more inclusive and accessible, says the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. The public consultation ran from Sept. 16 to Nov. 29, 2019. The province heard that people support developing accessibility legislation as outlined in the Framework for Accessibility Legislation. Nearly 500 people attended one of the 10 community meetings around the province, while 75 independent community consultations were held and over 50 formal submissions were received…

Charlottetown failing those with disabilities

February 11, 2020 | Source: The Journal Pioneer- Canada

“Accessibility in Canada is about creating communities, workplaces and services that enable everyone to participate fully in society without barriers.” That’s the first paragraph one finds when searching the Accessible Canada Act on the federal government’s website. Progressive as those words may appear, none of those things seemed to occur for P.E.I. resident Paul Cudmore when his accessible van recently broke down in Charlottetown. In Cudmore’s case, he was protected by the friends who came to his aid, not the legislation that was supposed to support him…

A tool to help make sport accessible for all

February 12, 2020 | Source: Talking Disability- Australia

Melbourne’s La Trobe University has developed a new online tool to make it easier for sporting groups in the community to provide more accessible and inclusive programs for people with disabilities. The Disability Resource was developed with input from disability groups and provides online training and support for sporting and recreation organisations to help them involve and engage people with a disability. Resources include advice on activities and program delivery as well as disability awareness and accessibility training…

Abu Dhabi’s DCD signs ‘Cities4All’ to make cities accessible for PoD

February 13, 2020 | Source: Construction Week Online- Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Community Development (DCD) has signed the Global Compact on Inclusive & Accessible Cities “Cities4All (C4All)” agreement at the World Urban Forum Stakeholders Roundtable on Persons with Disabilities. The chairman of the DCD, Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, said that signing this compact is a step towards motivating cities to becoming more inclusive and accessible for People of Determination by focusing on non-discrimination, accessibility, participation, inclusive policies, capacity building, and data for development…

Solon heads special panel on PWDs, vows to work for accessibility, other overlooked concerns

February 13, 2020 | Source: Manila Bulletin- Philippines

Negros Occidental Rep. Ma. Lourdes “Marilou” T. Arroyo assured persons with disabilities (PWDs) that their concerns which have been overlooked in the past, including the lack of accessibility, will be addressed by the House of Representatives. She made the commitment during the first organizational meeting of the newly-formed House special committee on persons with disabilities (PWDs) on Wednesday. “I am listening to all of you. It is so unfortunate that for the longest time, your welfare has always been neglected and compromised…

Inclusive learning: how to make your L&D initiatives accessible to all

February 13, 2020 | Source: Training Zone- UK

Inclusive design is an approach to designing that considers the needs of the widest possible audience, exploring and examining similarities – but also differences – to inform design decisions. In its simplest form it is about doing the right thing: celebrating the diversity of people and empowering us all to design a world that we can all be part of. When used in the L&D context, this problem-solving framework ensures that learning interventions are more inclusive, and people benefit from richer, deeper learning experiences. This in turn leads to greater organisational inclusivity and ultimately, organisational effectiveness…

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