Accessibility in the News — 5/24/19.

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AITN Quote of the Week

“So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.”

― Helen Keller

National News (U.S.)

Illinois Housing Development Authority awards $3 million for home accessibility program

May 16, 2019 | Source: Journal Gazette and Times-Courier

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) Board of Directors recently awarded $3 million to 15 units of local government and non-profit organizations across Illinois to help seniors and persons with disabilities make their homes safer and more accessible. Awarded under the state’s Home Accessibility Program (HAP), the funding will help to prevent unnecessary and premature nursing home placement by paying for modifications and repairs that allow individuals to age at home…

Benetech Announces Major International Expansion to Help End the Global Book Famine

May 16, 2019 | Source: GlobeNewswire

Benetech, the leading software for social good nonprofit, today announced a major expansion in the organization’s inclusive education initiatives to provide access to ebooks for people with reading barriers worldwide. New partnerships include organizations such as Vision Australia, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in the UK, National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI), Canada’s Center for Equitable Library Access (CELA) and the Dubai government…

How to make Pride truly accessible

May 17, 2019 | Source: CNN

Held every June to honor the legacy of the LGBTQ movement and the event that started it all, the 1969 Stonewall riots, Pride is a season to celebrate resilience, resistance and the vast spectrum of sexual and gender diversity.

However, Pride events, which often consist of parties at gay bars and a big parade, remain incredibly inaccessible to disabled, deaf or hard-of-hearing, blind, neurodiverse (neurologically atypical, including those on the autism spectrum) and people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and little has been done to make them more inclusive…

Long Islanders with disabilities still struggle at public buildings

May 17, 2019 | Source: Newsday

People with disabilities still face obstacles as they try to navigate public buildings across Long Island almost 30 years after federal law mandated equal access to those structures. From a lack of elevators in Lindenhurst Village Hall to nonautomatic doors at Long Beach City Hall, buildings such as government facilities, libraries and schools end up limiting access to those with disabilities. “It’s a consistent struggle and it’s a matter of people with disabilities being willing and able to do what they can do to get the law enforced,” said Therese Brzezinski…

Ride-hail still lags on accessibility

May 17, 2019 | Source: City & State & NYLPI Report-PDF & KnowTechie

New York City is not an easy place to navigate in a wheelchair. Between hard-to-reach subway stations and an Access-A-Ride program plagued by problems, the city can hardly be called accessible. Now, a new report from New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) suggests that the various app-based ride-hail companies operating in New York aren’t doing much to combat this lack of accessibility. New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission has rules for these for-hire vehicle companies…

Federal Court Allows Class Action Website Disability Access Case to Proceed Against An Employer

May 17, 2019 | Source:Jackson Lewis

While we continue to wait for guidance from the government on website accessibility standards, plaintiffs continue to challenge the accessibility of company websites. For years, individuals have brought lawsuits claiming that their access to goods and services is limited under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities (“ADA”). More recently we have seen individuals challenge their access to employment under Title I of the ADA due to online application processes that they claim are not accessible…

Day-to-day life differs for those with disabilities at the University

May 18, 2019 | Source: The Minnesota Daily

Cole Anderson uses seven elevators to get from his apartment to his first class of the day. He’s usually forced to wait to get in elevators because they’re too full — often, he sees able-bodied people crowd in while people with mobility aids, like those with scooters or wheelchairs, are left waiting outside. Other times, he gets stuck between buildings, watching students use the single-person-wide ramp in the West Bank Skyway as a walkway. “I very rarely call people out, because I don’t know if you have an invisible illness or something else that could prevent you from taking the stairs…

ISU to create assistive technology lab for students with disabilities

May 17, 2019 | Source: Ames Tribune

Iowa State University will soon have a lab on campus where students with disabilities will have access to assistive technology resources. ISU’s Computation Advisory Committee approved a $24,264 funding request to create the physical location on campus. Information Technology Services Interim Vice President Kirsten Constant said the committee evaluates different proposals for how the university’s student technology fee is spent. ISU President Wendy Wintersteen approved the project at the end of April and the project will begin this summer…

Chancellor Christ on improving the equity of experience for community members with disabilities

May 17, 2019 | Source: UC Berkeley

Chancellor Carol Christ issued the following message on Friday: To the Berkeley campus community: Over the last few months, I have been sharing information about the values and objectives at the heart of our efforts to increase the diversity of our university community in the broadest sense and in every form. In these messages to campus, I have described efforts underway for the undergraduate, staff and faculty populations, and we will soon provide details about a new committee that will focus on enhancing diversity in our graduate student and postdoctoral communities…

Ready Player One! Persaud Hosts Gaming Day for Brooklynites with Disabilities

May 17, 2019 | Source: Brooklyn Reader & Brooklyn Paper

It was game day for dozen of Brooklynites with disabilities who joined State Senator Roxanne Persaud and AbleGamers, a nonprofit that works to break down social barriers through video games, on Thursday at Brookdale Hospital. “Video games are a mainstream form of entertainment today, so making them more accessible is important,” said Persaud. “For those who cannot leave their homes, video games are a way to go on adventures without going anywhere, and they allow players to be on an equal playing field, regardless of their disabilities.”…

Accessibility: Much More Than Mobility Feature

May 17, 2019 | Source: Ward’s Auto

In cities around the world, transit gaps are plaguing urban mobility. Economic developers and public policymakers have done an admirable job ensuring the investments we make in autonomous vehicles meet the needs of their communities. However, an important piece of the puzzle still remains elusive. Hear me out. The primary focus of advancing mobility has been safety and the convenience of autonomous vehicle technology. Specifically, developing guidelines around safer and more convenient mobility options, such as electric scooters or drones…

Blind Employee Sues Los Angeles County for Discrimination

May 17, 2019 | Source: National Federation of the Blind

For Sharon Watson, a blind licensed clinical social worker with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health since 2004, it was bad enough that the county deployed software—the Integrated Behavioral Health Information System (“IBHIS”)—that wouldn’t work with her text-to-speech screen reader in 2014. The department has made matters even worse by refusing to provide Dr. Watson with a dedicated, qualified reader to help her complete the administrative tasks that she can no longer accomplish independently…

Fraud Whistleblower Seeks Redress For Inaccessible Public Website That Cost California $66 Million

May 20, 2019 | Source: TRE Legal Practice

TRE Legal Practice alleges that Xerox Corp. and Conduent, Inc., defrauded taxpayers when the two companies built a $66 million state park reservation website that hundreds of thousands of Californians with disabilities cannot use. The suit seeks damages on behalf of the People of the State of California and injunctive relief on behalf of a blind representative plaintiff, Bryan Bashin. Mr. Bashin, a longtime outdoor enthusiast, was excited to learn of the launch of a new system that promised to “provide more user-friendly web services and greater accessibility to more visitors for the highly sought-after camping and lodging locations“ in California state parks…

How We Vote In LA Is About To Change. Here’s How To Make Your Opinion Known

May 20, 2019 | Source: LAist

In case you hadn’t already heard, L.A. County residents won’t be voting at neighborhood polling locations much longer. A community meeting held Friday at the United Cerebral Palsy Center in Culver City focused on how the new changes may affect voters with disabilities. White vans with ramps helped unload community members who told stories of accessibility issues they’d encountered when trying to access their local polling places. Nearly 50 people filled the room — and there were more motorized wheelchairs than folding chairs…

Accessibility for all still not a reality

May 20, 2019 | Source: LaSalle News Tribune

Many obstacles make an Oglesby family’s life challenging — but not impossible. Nine-year-old Kylie Shourd of Oglesby was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury at 2½ years old, and the injury resulted in diagnoses of cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Her mother, Stephanie Bradford, said accessibility issues need to be addressed if society wants to include everyone. There are laws guaranteeing persons with disabilities access to public accommodation, commercial facilities and state and local government facilities. But even with laws, accessibility isn’t always easy…

American Coffee Shop Closes after 3rd ADA Lawsuit

May 20, 2019 | Source: Bigtime Daily

On April 30th, Jason’s Cafe closed after three different ADA lawsuits were filed against the restaurant. The cafe had been doing business in Menlo Park, California for 11 years. These lawsuits were all filed for different reasons: the width of bathroom stalls was too narrow, the front door was too heavy, and the lines for the handicap spaces in the parking lot were faded beyond recognition. Restaurant owner Jason Kwan says the building was old–built 40 or 50 years ago. This was before the ADA was in place…

New York Lawmakers Plan To Address Website Accessibility

May 20, 2019 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw

A Committee in the New York State Senate aims to develop a legal standard for the accessibility of business websites under New York law, in response to the exponential increase in website accessibility litigation in the state. Whether state legislation could stem this tide, or instead make matters worse for businesses, remains to be seen. According to a recent article published in the New York Law Journal, a committee of state legislators in New York plan to develop a legal standard for website accessibility, in the wake of years of regulatory inactivity by the federal government…

For law firms on the web, online accessibility for the disabled is good business

May 21, 2019 | Source: ABA Journal

When it comes to making the law more accessible online, few can claim a longer history than Cornell University Law School’s Legal Information Institute. Since its founding in 1992, the LII has undertaken many notable projects, including republishing the Code of Federal Regulations, running a legal encyclopedia for quick definitions and understanding of legal topics, and conducting research into the readability of the law. Now, the organization is taking a step back and looking at its online infrastructure to make sure its content can be accessed by all people, including those with disabilities…

At US Olympic Museum, Accessibility Is Paramount

May 21, 2019 | Source: KRCC

Construction of the United States Olympic Museum is well underway in Colorado Springs. Once finished, officials hope it will become a major draw for the city and a new centerpiece of the downtown landscape. Organizers also hope it will be something else: one of the most accessible museums in the world for folks with disabilities. In the dusty, cavernous room that will soon be the atrium of the U.S. Olympic Museum, construction crews are busy framing walls and installing floors…

Navigating the Murky Waters of ADA Compliance in the Internet Age

May 21, 2019 | Source: New York Law Journal

In recent years, many companies have been swept up in a wave of lawsuits claiming that certain private commercial websites are inaccessible to users with disabilities and thus violate Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For example, blind individuals, who use screen-reader software to access the Internet, have alleged that they are unable to visit certain websites that have not been properly coded to convert visual information to audio translations…

Lack of subway station elevators ‘just plain not fair,’ judge says at MTA suit hearing

May 22, 2019 | Source: amNY & Gothamist

Entire Queens neighborhoods lack ADA-accessible subway stations

May 22, 2019 | Source: Queens Daily Eagle

A judge in State Supreme Court on Tuesday lambasted the MTA’s poor wheelchair access in subways. During a hearing in a case arguing that the authority’s subway inaccessibility violates the city’s Human Rights Law, Judge Shlomo Hagler said the MTA wasn’t doing enough to install elevators at its 472 city subway stations. Only about a quarter of stations are wheelchair accessible, and it’s time the MTA put “the money where their mouths are” to fund more elevator installations, Judge Hagler said…

Fund launched for wheelchair user killed on roadway calls out lacking ADA infrastructure

May 21, 2019 | Source: Curbed

Four years ago, an Atlanta-based musician was killed in a collision while attempting to ride his wheelchair from here to Savannah—a daunting 302-mile journey meant to bring attention to the infrastructure inhibiting handicap accessibility. On May 20, 2015, Frank Barham, then 59, was struck by the van trailing him during his roving protest, after it had been rear-ended by a tractor-trailer. In a tragic irony, Barham had been confined to a wheelchair since 1980, when, at age 24, he was hit by a car…

How can owners and landlords avoid access discrimination claims in their commercial spaces?

May 21, 2019 | Source: NYREJ

Commercial landlords are increasingly faced with lawsuits and administrative agency discrimination claims filed by disabled individuals seeking accommodations to allow equal access to office and retail spaces. Federal, state and local laws protect the rights of disabled individuals and were written to break down the barriers that the disabled face day-to-day. The Americans with Disabilities Act, and similarly the NYS Human Rights Law and NYC Human Rights Law, prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of any place of public accommodation…

Disability in higher ed: Haben Girma and disability activism at the UW

May 22, 2019 | Source: Dailyuw

The D Center hosted “Disability is an Asset: An Evening with Haben Girma” in the grand HUB North Ballroom on May 7. Haben Girma (she/her) is the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, was named a White House Champion of Change by President Obama, received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, and been listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She is an avid disability activist and fighting for inclusive design. “The dominant story about disability is [that it’s] a burden on society,” Girma said…

Accessible Tourism: Making Travel Available To All

May 22, 2019 | Source: Voices

Accessible tourism is an ongoing measure to ensure that tourist destinations and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their disabilities or physical limitations. The concept of accessible tourism is gaining more awareness as newer technologies develop that could potentially alter the world of tourism as we know it, and open it up to people from all walks of life, giving some travelers the tools they need to travel the world autonomously…

Oakland, CA bike-share pilot caters to people with disabilities

May 22, 2019 | Source: Smart Cities Dive

Ford GoBike launched an adaptive bike-share program in Oakland, CA catered to users with disabilities. Motivate — owned by Lyft — operates GoBike and collaborated on the adaptive bike-share program with the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP), an organization that offers sports and recreational activities for local citizens with disabilities. The 26-week pilot began earlier this month with handcycles, footcycles and a side-by-side tandem bike…

Report: Uber and Lyft’s rise tanked wheelchair access to taxis

May 22, 2019 | Source: San Francisco Examiner

A new city report details the devastating drop in on-demand rides for the disability community after the rise of Uber and Lyft. The financial blow to the taxi industry, the report alleges, was also a blow to the availability of on-demand trips for anyone who uses a wheelchair. The report also points a way forward for the multi-billion dollar ride-hail industry to roll out wheelchair accessible vehicles and inclusive transportation for people with disabilities more broadly…

Project Sidewalk brings awareness to inaccessibility

May 23, 2019 | Source: Dailyuw & Smart Cities Dive

Accessibility issues in the greater Seattle area can be painstaking to those are afflicted with physical disabilities. Wheelchair users have reported that deficiencies in the city’s geography such as uneven sidewalks, cracks in the pavement, steep or missing curb ramps, and other difficulties in getting around. Infrastructure flaws such as these can make daily travel uncomfortable and dangerous for those who rely on mobility aids. To address the widespread problem of inaccessibility, a group of UW researchers has been developing Project Sidewalk…

Reading with Your Fingers

May 23, 2019 | Source: Scientific American

Have you ever been in an elevator and wondered what the many little dots on the buttons are for? You can also find these dots in public buildings on room number signs or on ATMs (cash machines). These arrangements of dots are a special writing system for the visually impaired called braille. By feeling the dots with their fingers, people can read what is written on a sign or elevator button. Do you want to find out how to read with your fingers? This activity will show you how!…

Actress Marlee Matlin: Courage Plus Dreams Equals Success

May 23, 2019 | Source: CRN

Academy Award-winning actress and activist Marlee Matlin attributes her success in Hollywood and beyond to courage and dreams. That’s the formula that helped Matlin, deaf since she was 18 months old, overcome barriers and win the Best Actress Oscar at age 21 for her 1986 debut feature film turn in “Children of a Lesser God.” “Though I work in a field that couldn’t be more different than what you all are working in, as women, we share a common goal,” Matlin said at the Women of the Channel Leadership Summit West in Palm Springs, California…

Jack Fact — As of March 2019 the CDC reports that 61 million people have a disability, which totals 26% of the U.S. population, or 1 in 4 people.

Hit The Road Jack — Wheelchair accessible bars in Melbourne

International News

State Government strengthens its commitment to providing accessible digital services for all South Australians

May 17, 2019 | Source:Mirage News- Australia & iTWire

The State Government is launching a new online accessibility policy, and online toolkit, to assist all South Australian organisations to create more accessible, digital platforms. The policy and toolkit have been developed in consultation with Vision Australia, Royal Society for the Blind (SA), people with lived experience with disability and other key stakeholders in the disability sector. Minister for Human Services Michelle Lensink said it is critical government websites are developed to ensure everyone in the community can easily access them and no one is left behind…

Anuprayaas is making railway stations inclusive & accessible for visually impaired people

May 17, 2019 | Source: Newz Hook- India

This story from Bengaluru is about an NGO that is committed to making India a blind-friendly nation. Anuprayaas aims to improve the quality of life for people with visual impairments. The benefits of traveling are many. It helps us to renew and refresh. Checking out new places or visiting a place that you are already familiar with helps you in many ways. Even experts vouch for that. In India, accessibility at public places is still a distant dream for people with disabilities. Hence, traveling becomes difficult…

European Union for the deaf calls for improved accessibility

May 17, 2019 | Source: Open Access Government- EU

The city of Seattle in the United States recently passed an inclusivity law, which legally requires pubs, bars, restaurants, gyms, and stadiums to show captions on their television sets during working hours. According to transcription experts, this decision has created a leading example of inclusivity to other city councils across the US and Europe. Hearing experts claim that around 71 million of all Europeans between the ages of 18 – 80 suffer from hearing loss greater than 25 decibels…

2019 is EC’s Year of Accessible Elections but what we want is a disabled MP in Parliament

May 17, 2019 | Source: ThePrint- India

Goa election officials, NGOs come together to conduct accessibility audit of polling booths

May 20, 2019 | Source: Newz Hook

One of the big claims of the Election Commission in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was making voting booths disability-friendly with ramps and accessibility apps. But we need to go beyond just accessible voting. People with disabilities also want a voice in India’s Parliament. There’s now a strong consensus emerging in India’s disability community that regardless of who wins and forms the next government, President Ram Nath Kovind must make one of his 12 Rajya Sabha nominees a person with disability…

Disabled man takes fight for accessibility to Parliament

May 17, 2019 | Source: TVNZ- New Zealand

A Dunedin man with a disability who has waited more than 18 months for his bathroom to be modified is taking his fight to Parliament, hoping other people don’t have to endure what he has. Joshua Perry launched a petition last month calling for the government to make homes more accessible for people with disabilities. His petition asks the government to speed up the process, and now it’s on its way to Parliament. Mr Perry has cerebral palsy and the narrow bathroom doorway and a raised lip on his shower means he can’t use his wheelchair to get in…

Google Assistant gets more accessible, inspired by a brother’s love

May 17, 2019 2019 | Source: CNET- Italy

Voice-activated digital assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa make trivial tasks like playing your favorite song as simple as saying a few words. But for people like Giovanni Caggioni, who has Down syndrome and congenital cataracts, which makes him blind and unable to speak, these tools are inaccessible without some of sort of augmented hack. Caggioni, 21, loves music and movies. But he can’t use the family’s Google Home device or the Google Assistant on his Android phone himself because he can’t give the “OK Google” command to search for his favorite entertainment…

Does your tech-based innovation help change lives? Here is how you can scale up!

May 17, 2019 | Source: YourStory- India

Surabhi and Shyam were two bright students from IIT Mumbai who had created a low-cost Braille display as a proof of concept. In a market where similar products were as expensive as $2000 and out of reach for most visually impaired individuals, their product BrailleMe promised to be four-five times more affordable. They came with a prototype to the NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum in 2016 and were chosen as the winners in the Accessibility category…

Voting Still Too Difficult For People With Disabilities

May 17, 2019 | Source: NL Times- New Zealand

People with disabilities in the Netherlands still experience difficulties when going to cast their votes. After the Provincial States elections the voting hotline of the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights received 188 reports about the accessibility of polling stations, compared to 148 reports after the municipal elections in 2018, NOS reports. Ten percent of the reports were positive. They came from voters with disabilities who called the hotline to say they could easily cast their vote without problems…

Shalva inspires broadcasters to offer more accessibility for Eurovision viewers

March 17, 2019 | Source: The Times of Israel

The broadcast of the Eurovision grand final Saturday night will be more accessible to viewers with special needs than in any previous years, thanks in large part to the Shalva Band’s strong showing in the reality TV series that helped crown Israel’s candidate for the popular song contest. The Shalva Band, a group of musicians with various disabilities, performed an emotional song in the second semifinal on Thursday night. The group almost became Israel’s candidate for the Eurovision…

Global Accessibility Awareness Day, inclusive design and business sense

May 17, 2019 | Source: Information Age- UK

At least one billion people, 15% of the world’s population, have a recognised disability — a figure that will only grow as the global population ages. With that number making up a huge proportion of potential users for any single application, it’s not only morally right but makes good business sense for software developers to aim for better end-user accessibility. In the same way that it’s not right to exclude someone from a physical building because they use a wheelchair, it’s also not right to exclude someone from using an application…

Worship places must be accessible to all

May 18, 2019 | Source: Daily Nation- Africa

Kenya does not have a state religion, but the supremacy of God is acknowledged in the Constitution. Christians marked the Easter season last month while Muslims are currently observing the holy month of Ramadhan. Every Friday through Sunday, many individuals gather in places of worship to pray. Religious infrastructure is open to all. No one is locked out. This denotes an equal standing for everyone. That we would all access God’s message how we want it, where we want it, and when we want it, without restriction of any kind…

‘It’s 2019, public transport should be accessible to everyone’- disability rights campaigner claims buses are damaging wheelchairs

May 18, 2019 | Source: Independent- Ireland

A disability rights campaigner has claimed that new buses in his area are damaging his wheelchair as he said “public transport should be accessible to everyone.” Karl Cretzan (23) said that since the new buses have come into use in Waterford he has found it much more difficult to get around. “I try to be as independent as I can. I do have a physical disability and can’t do much on my own,” Mr Cretzan told Independent.ie. “But it’s 2019, public transport should be accessible to everyone.”…

Australia’s first totally accessible ad hits TV screens

May 18, 2019 | Source: Pro Bono- Australia

Despite 96 percent of Australian adults with a visual impairment regularly watching free-to-air TV, the absence of an audio description function means they will often miss out on much of what is happening on screen. Australia is one of the only developed nations to not have the audio description function on free-to-air TV, which narrates a program describing what is happening on the screen during pauses in talking. But last week, broadband provider BeLong launched an advertisement with audio description…

Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi decries delayed implementation of persons with disability laws

March 18, 2019 | Source: Tuko- Africa

Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi has called for development of a transport system that is inclusive and accessible to all, including persons living with disabilities. The lawmaker joined other stakeholders in launch of Accessibility and Mobility Project which is advocating for a 10% of the fleet in every transport company to be accessible to PWDs with the inclusion of the Bus Rapid Transit vehicles expected to be operational in Nairobi county…

Disability talk attracts large crowd

May 18, 2019 | Source: Gorey Guardian- Ireland

Oylegate Community Centre was the venue recently for a talk focusing attention on disability issues last week. A spokesperson for the organization said the aim of the event was to ‘bring together those with an interest in the [disability] area to establish a new group within the network called Wexford PPN Voice For Disability. ‘The event sought to hear the experiences that people with disabilities face in their daily lives, to record these and importantly, to refer them to the relevant decision-making committees in the county,’ said the spokesperson…

Give blind LRT riders enough time to prepare, advocates urge

May 19, 2019 | Source: CBC- Canada

Advocates for people with vision loss want the city to make sure there’s enough time for them to prepare to ride light rail safely. Lorne Neufeldt, who commutes on OC Transpo with his guide dog Herbie, said he’s concerned the city hasn’t yet announced specific days for accessibility professionals to become familiar with the stations and trains on Ottawa’s forthcoming Confederation line. “We don’t know what we’re going into. They’re not giving us enough time. They’re talking about giving us one or two days before opening it up to the public,” Neufeldt said…

Slew of awards across the country for architectural designs helping those with disabilities

May 19, 2019 | Source: The First News- Poland

Which buildings are the most welcoming to people with disabilities? That is the broad question asked by the “Lider Dostępności” (Leader in Accessibility) architecture competition in Poland, which recognizes projects that have been adapted to their needs. As part of the promotion of the active inclusion of disabled people in society, one of the EU’s priorities is accessibility, the European Accessibility Act approved this year seeks to make various products and services more accessible to people with disabilities and the elderly, from ATMs to flying…

Towards a better standard of living for people with a disability

May 19, 2019 | Source: Times of Malta

Living with a disability poses a string of difficulties and challenges that must be overcome on a daily basis. While certain measures aimed at improving the standard of living for persons with a disability have already been put in place both at EU and national levels, issues of accessibility continue to pose a series of challenges. “Lacking access to basic day-to-day necessities – such as your grocer, supermarket, post office, accessible information or even pavements – makes it very difficult to enjoy a good standard of living,” says Amy Camilleri Zahra…

Call for grant scheme to help disabled local election candidates

May 19, 2019 | Source: Irish Times- Ireland

More disabled councilors could be elected to local authorities if the Government followed the UK’s example and introduced a grant scheme to support candidates with disabilities, a local election candidate has said. Skibbereen West Cork candidate Evie Nevin called for the Government to introduce a pilot scheme to tackle under representation of people with disabilities at council level. Ms. Nevin, a journalist and campaigner on disability rights, said such a scheme would not be about giving anyone an unfair advantage but to create a level playing field for candidates with disabilities…

Sydney to create inclusive, welcoming spaces

May 20, 2019 | Source: Infrastructure Magazine- Australia

A new policy from the City of Sydney will help create more inclusive streets and open spaces for communities. The draft inclusive and accessible public domain policy is part of the City’s ongoing commitment to promote inclusion and accessibility across its public spaces as outlined in A City for All: Inclusion (Disability) Action Plan 2017–2021. The policy guides the design and maintenance of public infrastructure and spaces including footpaths, street furniture, parks, playgrounds and sports fields…

Delhi schools told to ensure infra for the differently abled

May 20, 2019 | Source: Hindustan Times- India

The specifications for such infrastructure has been given in a handbook recently compiled by the directorate. The education department is distributing such handbooks across Delhi government schools to ensure barrier- free accessibility in the school buildings for children with disabilities. To promote inclusive education in all Delhi government schools, the Directorate of Education (DOE) has directed all heads of government schools to maintain, provide, renovate, and repair existing infrastructure to ensure they are friendly to the differently- abled…

South Australia ensures more accessible digital platforms for all

May 20, 2019 | Source: OpenGov Asia- Australia

The South Australian State Government is launching a new online accessibility policy, and online toolkit to help all South Australian organisations in creating more accessible digital platforms. According to a recent press release, it is critical that government websites are developed to guarantee that everyone in the community can easily access them and that no one is left behind. It is vital that online content is accessible for those most in need…

These friends banded together in the aftermath of the Kerala floods to help people with disabilities

May 20, 2019 | Source: NewzHook- India

A new NGO in Kerala called FIRRE aims to provide medical care and rehabilitation to people with disabilities. Formed by three childhood friends, it aims to sensitise the world at large about the community. The devastating floods in Kerala was the trigger for Foundation for International Rehabilitation, Research and Empowerment (FIRRE). The brainchild of three friends, FIRRE has been working in a concerted way towards the welfare of disabled people for about a year now…

Accessible and inclusive design is good for business

May 20, 2019 | Source: EuropeanCEO- UK

The European Commission estimates that 80 million EU citizens live with a disability, with this figure expected to increase to 120 million by 2020 due to the region’s ageing population. In 2010, when it accepted the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the EU committed to ensuring the social and occupational integration of those living with disabilities. Globally, the World Health Organisation estimates that more than one billion people live with some form of disability – about 15 percent of the world’s population…

Cutting-edge tech providing ‘platform for accessibility and inclusion’

May 20, 2019 | Source: The Kingston Whig-Standard- Canada

A Kingston non-profit is one of the first in Canada to offer two different types of cutting-edge accessible technology to people with disabilities. Extend-A-Family Kingston is a local organization that offers day programs and respite for children and adults with disabilities and their families. They serve up to 40 people per day during their day programs, and up to 150 kids at their summer camp programs. The organization has some brand new technology in their Kingston location that is making learning, playing and interacting more fun and more accessible for a wide range of users…

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics are an opportunity to eradicate prejudice against people with disabilities

May 21, 2019 | Source: Varsity Online- Japan

In the latest example of accessibility issues facing disabled athletes, Team GB has been asked by hotels in Tokyo to pay to make rooms accessible for wheelchair athletes. As the government and the businesses involved delay making essential adaptations to the city, it seems that the 2020 Paralympics is likely to be inaccessible to the very athletes it is for. This reluctance to adapt sits outside of the official remit of the organising committee, meaning it is unlikely that these issues will be resolved in a way that ensures access for all…

Music knows no boundaries so why barriers at concert venues, ask disabled music lovers

May 21, 2019 | Source: Newz Hook- India

Piyush Sharma’s love for music is endless. He not only listens to it but is a musician as well. A wheelchair user, Piyush ensures he never misses a single concert across India. However, the lack of accessibility is something that is a major turn off. For starters, most venues lack wheelchair ramps and accessible washrooms. Then after entering the venue, people using wheelchairs and other assistive devices have to wait for a long time until authorities finish checking. This makes things inconvenient…

Activists urge Ottawa to pass Canadian accessibility law before summer

May 22, 2019 | Source: The Globe and Mail- Canada & National Post- Canada

Disabled Canadians and their supporters are pushing Ottawa to pass a bill enshrining their right to more accessible and inclusive federal workplaces before the next election, legislation they say could help improve the lives of those with physical and mental disabilities. Bill Adair, a spokesperson for a group of 96 organizations, said more than a thousand people and non-profit groups have recently sent letters to every MP in a blitz aimed at getting Bill C-81, known as the Accessible Canada Act, passed by Parliament and written into law before the summer break begins next month…

Wheelchair-users underserved by theatres’ online booking options – report

May 22, 2019 | Source: The Stage- UK

Wheelchair users are being seriously underserved when it comes to booking theatre tickets online, according to new data. Recent figures from ticketing software provider Spektrix reveals only 15% of arts organisations sold one or more wheelchair accessible seats online last year. This figure compares to 49% of arts organisations using the ticketing software in the US and Canada, where equal access to booking is required by law. Spektrix said the low proportion of online sales for wheelchairs could be due to venues not having the booking option available online or not signposting the facility well enough…

Scottish Government urged to set target for new disabled housing

May 22, 2019 | Source: The Scotsman- Scotland

The number of disabled people on council housing waiting lists has almost doubled in the past two years, new research has revealed – while the average wait for an accessible home in some areas of Scotland is now more than 1000 days. The new figures show there are now 17,444 people waiting for disabled-friendly housing, compared to a reported 9714 in 2017. Leading housing and disability charities said the statistics, produced through Freedom of Information requests to councils by the Scottish Conservatives, underlined the need for a target to be set by the Scottish Government on the building of accessible homes…

Visually impaired woman criticises soap brand for using Braille as a ‘fashion statement’

May 22, 2019 | Source: Metro- UK & Yahoo- UK

Braille is used by thousands of people who are visually impaired as a way to feel words on a page – but one company has been accused of using it as a fashion statement. Molly Watt works as an accessibility consultant, helping companies understand how they can make their websites and products suitable for visually impaired, deaf and disabled people. When Molly, who is deafblind, spotted these bottles produced by Soap Co, she wasn’t impressed…

Rick Hansen’s new mission: Improving accessibility across Canada

May 22, 2019 | Source: CTV News & Rick Hansen Foundation- Canada

Accessibility activist Rick Hansen has a new poster to show you. One with adjustable text at an eye level so people in wheelchairs can read it, text in multiple languages, a braille pad and even a recording of someone reading it. Along with a hand-painted wall mural, the interactive and backlit poster, aptly named ‘Poster for Everyone,’ are both being placed at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto. It’s part of the national “Everyone Everywhere” campaign from the Rick Hansen Foundation to raise awareness to improve physical accessibility for all Canadians…

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