Accessibility in the News—9/14/18.

The week started off with a heavy focus on institutions of higher education. A student’s entire college experience, from class registration to parking to classes themselves, can be dramatically affected how well accessibility has been implemented online, in class, and across campus. At least two universities are intentionally pursuing accessibility improvements, and one witness to the registration process for a person with disabilities is now launching a tablet for the blind and visually impaired.

In other news, a model with Down syndrome walks the catwalk, Netflix gets blasted for how one of its releases depicts people with seizure disorders, and “the oldest nerd of Guatemala” tells his stories with his eyes—as he types with them.

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AITN Quote of the Week

“Let no feelings of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.”

― Abraham Lincoln

Accessibility Lawsuits, How to Handle Them; How to Avoid Them

National News (U.S.)

Braille for a New Digital Age

September 3, 2018 | Source: New York Times

When she was a graduate student in her native Bulgaria about five years ago, Kristina Tsvetanova was once asked to help a blind friend sign up online for a class. Understanding why he could not do so opened her eyes to the lag in technological innovation to benefit blind and visually impaired people. “The shock that my friend couldn’t perform this simple task stayed with me,” Ms. Tsvetanova said in an interview. Ms. Tsvetanova, who went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in industrial management and a master’s in engineering, knew that she had stumbled onto an untapped opportunity…

City installs Accessible Pedestrian Signals along Guadalupe Street

September 6, 2018 | Source: Daily Texan

For UT students who are visually impaired, crossing the streets along the edge of campus can involve navigating complicated and busy intersections, irregular traffic cycles and unfamiliar areas — without being able to see the pedestrian crossing signals. “When you’re standing at a crosswalk, sighted people can easily know when it’s time to cross and how much time they have to make it,” said marketing junior Emeline Lakrout, who is blind. “People with impaired vision might be able to listen and decide it’s safe to cross, but we have no way of knowing how much time is left to cross.”…

More UMD professors are improving their websites for students with disabilities

September 6, 2018 | Source: The Diamondback

University of Maryland faculty members have been reaching out in greater numbers to the Division of Information Technology (DIT) in search of ways to make their course websites easier for students with disabilities to use, a department official said. A policy signed in April by university President Wallace Loh set minimum accessibility standards for all newly created web-based content at this university, but some faculty members are seeking ways to enhance existing sites, said Susan Johnston, an instructional designer in the DIT…

Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace (Part 4): AI, Disability and Accessibility

September 7, 2018 | Source: William Fry

In our Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Workplace article series we are considering the potential positive impacts that AI could have on the workplace and the possible amendments required to Irish employment law to allow these to happen. In this article we consider the possible changes AI will bring to disability and accessibility in the workplace. AI, and technology more generally, have already changed the workplace to make it more accessible and inclusive for employees with intellectual, visual, hearing and mobility disabilities and it has the potential to do so further with technological developments…

Brown University advances work toward broader web accessibility standards

September 7, 2018 | Source: News from Brown

As part of its ongoing effort to ensure a fully equitable experience for individuals with disabilities, Brown University is taking major steps this fall in implementing a strategic action plan for web accessibility. The University is training web content editors across campus on website accessibility, developing new policies and procedures to ensure digital accessibility standards, and engaging in a project to rebuild the Brown.edu website with the primary goal of achieving broader accessibility…

Medical office construction isn’t keeping pace with the aging of America

September 7, 2018 | Source: Building Design & Construction

By 2025, there could be 65.2 million people in the U.S. aged 65 years old and up, compared to 47.7 million in 2015. That increase would be exponentially higher by percentage than the growth for Americans under 64, and would put seniors ever closer to 20% of the country’s total population. The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that the number of annual primary care office visits for seniors is now more than 90 per 100 people, versus around 70 per 100 people for the next closest age group, under 15 years olds. As seniors multiply, so will the need for healthcare and, potentially, medical office space…

Analysis: Netflix’s ‘Seizure Boy’ is no joke

September 8, 2018 | Source: CNN

I’ll never forget the time my son was mocked as “seizure boy” in elementary school. The kids created a game called “Billy Touch”: If you got tagged, you had seizures. All these years later, it still hurts. Adults with seizure disorders fear losing their jobs. Children with epilepsy fear losing their friends. They all fear being ridiculed. That’s what makes Netflix’s depiction of seizures in its new film “The After Party” so shocking. The online streaming service’s deafening silence since the movie’s August 24 release has done little to quiet the controversy…

A model with Down syndrome fulfills her fashion week dream

September 9, 2018 | Source: Business Insider & Fox News

Marian Avila, a 21-year-old Spanish model with Down syndrome, fulfilled her dream to walk at New York Fashion Week thanks to an Atlanta designer she met through the magic of social media. And she did it with flair Saturday in the ballroom of a Midtown hotel in evening looks of red and gold, her parents and siblings in the audience and other models who have challenges by her side. “I felt really happy and I really loved the runway,” Avila said through a translator after the Saturday show. “I wanted to show the world that there are no barriers.”…

Rogers School District completes report on facility fixes

September 9, 2018 | Source: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The School District plans to improve 15 of its buildings to increase accessibility for people with disabilities, according to a report recently completed by the district. The district agreed in April to assess its buildings for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and submit a report on its findings by Aug. 31 to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. Office representatives visited the district in February 2017 to investigate a complaint buildings weren’t compliant…

Infectious Theory of Alzheimer’s Disease Draws Fresh Interest

September 9, 2018 | Source: NPR

Dr. Leslie Norins is willing to hand over $1 million of his own money to anyone who can clarify something: Is Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia worldwide, caused by a germ? By “germ” he means microbes like bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. In other words, Norins, a physician turned publisher, wants to know if Alzheimer’s is infectious. It’s an idea that just a few years ago would’ve seemed to many an easy way to drain your research budget on bunk science. Money has poured into Alzheimer’s research for years, but until very recently not much of it went toward investigating infection in causing dementia…

Technology improves for people with disabilities as firms respond to moral, legal demands

September 10, 2018 | Source: USA Today

Retiree Douglas Wakefield is a tech enthusiast. The 76-year-old begins a typical day by donning his Apple Watch and listening to its synthesized voice deliver the weather. Over coffee, the Arlington, Virginia, resident catches up on overnight news on his iPhone X and consumes books read out loud on topics like coding – his goal is to write apps for the iPhone. Blind since birth, Wakefield has been taking advantage of features on the most popular tech devices and platforms that have made them more useful to people with disabilities…

Data guru living with ALS modernizes industries by typing with his eyes

September 10, 2018 | Source: Microsoft Features

The self-proclaimed “oldest nerd of Guatemala,” Otto Knoke is an admitted workaholic, glued to his computer screen from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. as he analyzes data and creates business-intelligence dashboards for customers ranging from restaurants to hotels and real-estate companies. The 60-year-old data analyst is well-known in Guatemala’s business community, especially after he helped modernize the banking industry by bringing ATMs to the country 20 years ago. But even as the then-40-year-old’s career was blossoming, his muscles were beginning to fail him…

7 Roles. 14 Actors. 2 Languages. 1 Stage.

September 11, 2018 | Source: New York Times

The actor Russell Harvard sat in an armchair, draped in a blue robe and looking surly. It was late August in a rehearsal room at Playwrights Horizons on 42nd Street, and he was in the middle of an emotionally charged hospital scene. In Craig Lucas’s “I Was Most Alive With You,” Mr. Harvard (“Tribes,” “Fargo”) plays a gay, deaf recovering alcoholic named Knox — and so does the actor Harold Foxx, who stood on a raised platform behind him. As Mr. Harvard delivered Knox’s lines in English downstage, Mr. Foxx performed them in American Sign Language upstage…

Group Pushes Vendors and Districts to Sign Computer Science Accessibility Pledge

September 11, 2018 | Source: Education Week (Subscription)

A leading group supporting the “computer science for all” push in schools wants vendors, investors, districts, and others to publicly commit to supporting improved accessibility for students with disabilities. For vendors and developers, that means taking such steps such as putting captions on videos and ensuring compatibility with screen readers for visually impaired students, according to the nonprofit CSforALL Consortium. The pledge calls for curriculum developers to assess their existing tools, create an improvement plan, develop guidance on accessibility for educators, and make the…

‘Please Do Not Vote to Turn the Clock Back’: People With Disabilities Testify Against Kavanaugh

September 11, 2018 | Source: Rewire

On Friday, the final day of the confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, Elizabeth Weintraub, senior advocacy specialist at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, unequivocally told the Senate Judiciary Committee, “If Judge Kavanaugh is confirmed, I’m concerned that my rights to make decisions for myself will be taken away.” These highly contentious hearings had confirmed what many already knew: Judge Kavanaugh is a conservative ideologue who is staunchly anti-choice, pro-Second Amendment, and a threat to the environment…

Two deaf Austin families tell their unique story on cable TV special

September 12, 2018 | Source: KVUE

Austin may be the capital of Texas, but it is also one of the most deaf-friendly cities in the entire country. Now, two deaf Austin families are about to tell their stories to the world. The cable television station A&E is airing a special on Wednesday, Sept. 12 called “Deaf Out Loud.” It will follow three deaf families raising children in a hearing world. The producers of the Emmy-winning show “Born This Way” created the documentary. Two of the families are from Austin, and each family has a distinct message for the hearing and deaf communities…

As tech giants focus on accessibility tools, the equation changes for education

September 12, 2018 | Source: EdScoop News

The door to education is communication, some say. And the big technology companies are opening that door more widely than ever before, not only as their products become more accessible to people with specialized needs, but also as educators find more ways to use those features in the classroom and beyond. The biggest technology companies — think Apple, Google and Microsoft — include language accessibility tools in their vast array of products, and those features are available to pretty much any user…

A Look at Accessibility for Disabled Members of the LGBTQ Community

September 12, 2018 | Source: Pride Source

The LGBTQ community markets itself as one of inclusion and acceptance, but there are visible holes in the mainstream model. Queer visibility is largely limited to people who are white — primarily those who are also thin, conventionally attractive and young. And there are often exclusionary debates on who “gets” to be in the community. Some people think inclusion should stop at LGBT, leaving out a variety of other identities such as pansexual, asexual, and nonbinary and there are even stricter mindsets claiming that trans and intersex people don’t belong in the LGB community at all…

How To Find The Perfect Accessible Home

September 12, 2018 | Source: Jewish Week

Nearly 60 million people in the United States live with some kind of disability. From challenges with mobility to low or impaired vision, people with disabilities need a home that encourages them to live a happy, safe, and supported life. Whether you are looking to live on your own or with a loved one, if you need an accessible home, then this article is for you. A person with disabilities has certain rights that protect them from discrimination in the home-buying process. The Fair Housing Act prohibits lenders, realtors, and seller from discriminating against a person based on their disability…

Donald Trump Ordered Illegal Removal of Braille Because ‘No Blind People are Going to Live in Trump Tower’

September 12, 2018 | Source: Newsweek

President Donald Trump allegedly ordered an architect not to include braille in Trump Tower elevator panels because “no blind people” would live in his building—even after being informed that excluding the tactile writing system is against federal law. The alleged interaction was recounted by Barbara Res, who led construction at the Trump Organization, in an opinion piece in the New York Daily News on Wednesday. “What’s this?” Trump, noticing the small raised dots, reportedly asked the architect who went to his office to show what the residential elevator interiors would look like. “Braille,” the architect responded…

Grassley, Senators Seek Clarity on Website Accessibility Under ADA

September 12, 2018 | Source: Senator Chuck Grassley & Senator Joni Ernst

U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Mike Rounds of South Dakota sent a letter to United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions seeking clarification on whether the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to website accessibility. Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Mike Crapo of Idaho and John Cornyn of Texas also joined the letter. This letter urges the Department of Justice to clarify the law about website accessibility. Guidance from the Department will encourage businesses to make investments to better serve the needs of the disabled community…

Wounded Warrior Project Calls for Improved Accessibility to VA Websites and Congressional Services

September 13, 2018 | Source: Benzinga & MeriTalk

As part of its ongoing advocacy efforts with our nation’s leaders, today Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) testified before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Health. WWP Legislative Affairs Director Jose Ramos spoke out on the issues facing warriors and their caregivers and what might be done to mitigate some of the challenges. “When serving these warriors, Wounded Warrior Project has often found itself advocating for the critically injured and their caregivers, while communicating with the VA and congressional staff,” Ramos said…

World Wide Web Commission Releases New Standards For Website Accessibility

September 13, 2018 | Source: Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd

When it comes to accommodating clients’ needs, whether your website is accessible to those with vision, hearing, or cognitive disabilities is not often a concern that readily comes to mind. However, lawsuits regarding web accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are being filed at an increasing rate. Lawsuits filed in federal court in 2018 are expected to surpass 2017 filings by 30%. This begs the question: what makes a website accessible? This question has plagued various public and private entities subject to the ADA for several years…

Website Accessibility and Americans with Disabilities Act

September 13, 2018 | Source: Ford Harrison

An issue frequently raised in “drive-by” Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuits is the claim that a company’s website is not accessible to users with disabilities. Some websites can pose significant barriers for people with disabilities including those who (a) are blind or have low vision, (b) are deaf or hard of hearing, (c) have mobility-related disabilities, (d) have some type of learning or cognitive disabilities. In addition to having physically accessible facilities, the ADA requires businesses to have compliant websites, although the ADA and the case law interpreting it are unclear regarding what standards must be met for compliance…

Why You Should Hire Someone With A Disability

September 13, 2018 | Source: Forbes

Nearly 13% of the American population has a disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest findings. Speaking personally, I have a 20-year-old son with special needs who would be positively impacted by more acceptance and tolerance, and who I believe brings hidden talents and gifts to the table that should not be ignored. Creating opportunities for people with disabilities and providing help may make business sense now more than ever…

Jack Fact — The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC), which is funded by the U.S. Federal Transit Administration, reported that the number of U.S. residents aged 65 and over is projected to increase to 72 million in 2030 and 88 million by 2050 (10,000 people turn 65 every day).

International News

There’s a business case for accessibility legislation

September 6, 2018 | Source: The Globe and Mail- Canada

First and foremost, national accessibility legislation is an act of human rights and inclusion. Nobody wants to live in isolation or feel forgotten by society. Through my research on employment trends, I found that a large majority of people with disabilities have a strong desire to work and pay taxes. Unfortunately, these individuals still make up a disproportionate number of people working in jobs below their skill level, a trend called mal-employment. A poll commissioned by CIBC in 2017 found only half of Canadians with a disability are employed…

How friendly are public places in Hyderabad for the visually-impaired?

September 6, 2018 | Source: New Indian Express

Being able to move on one’s own is a great achievement for visually impaired people like me. I am a 20-plusser student in the city. Visiting a lot of places in a city like Hyderabad especially with a pool of people rushing all the time needs more than white cane mobility. It is highly impossible to move around such places without proper accessibility features in and around them. Being a visually impaired guy myself here’s my two cents of the accessibility off the places which I visit frequently in the twin cities…

Celebrate and encourage inclusivity by making your voice heard

September 7, 2018 Disability Horizons- UK

It’s estimated that the ‘Purple Pound’ – the spending power of disabled people and their families – equates to about £249 billion a year. Some businesses deliver great service for disabled customers and employees, but others are still far behind. To encourage inclusivity, Business Disability Forum wants to celebrate the best businesses and organisations that really do consider disabled people’s needs – and it wants YOU to nominate them. Here’s how you can make your voice is heard and help change attitudes toward disability…

Child’s cerebral palsy book to help others understand her life

September 7, 2018 | Source: BBC- UK

When she was just five-years-old Elan wanted to help her friends and teachers understand her cerebral palsy. So the little girl wrote a book, explaining what her life was like and the challenges she faced. “Everybody was asking me questions…but by now I have got pretty used to it,” said Elan, who is now nine and an aspiring mathematician. Her mother, Ceris Williams, now wants to see the book used in schools across Wales to help other disabled children…

There’s a Business Case for Accessibility Legislation

September 7, 2018 | Source: AODA- Canada

We Build Stores With Disabilities In Mind. Why Not Websites?

September 7, 2018 | Source: HuffPost- Canada

The internet has long been known as the great equalizer, democratizing access to information for the masses. But a glaring oversight has lately drawn the attention of advocates and shoppers alike: the lack of websites and online stores accessible to people with disabilities. While the designs of brick-and-mortar stores increasingly accommodate people with mobility concerns, the online world still presents significant challenges for the 15 per cent of the world’s population living with disabilities..

100% of synagogues examined not accessible to all people with disabilities

September 7, 2018 | Source: The Jerusalem Post- Israel

Access Israel,” an organization in Israel which promotes accessibility, examined synagogues before the high-holidays and found that 100% of synagogues examined were not accessible to all people with disabilities. Of the synagogues examined, 43% of them were not accessible at all according to the report published on Thursday. Some 57% were partially accessible. Disabled parking was hard to find as only 43% of the synagogues had nearby. This percentage is also true for the number of synagogues that have an accessible entrance to the women’s section…

Retailer puts accessibility at the heart of recent showroom refurbishment

September 7, 2018 | Source: THIIS- UK

Following its launch just over a year ago, Hereford-based retailer Mills Mobility has recently invested in making its showroom more accessible for customers. Speaking to Greg Mills, Managing Director of Mills Mobility, he told THIIS that the refurbishment aimed to make the showroom more accessible to customers, creating a better shopping experience. The company removed the internal walls, creating an open plan reception, office and showroom area. “We felt that accessibility was the most important feature we could offer in our showroom,” explained Greg…

The next taxi showdown? Politicians entertain lifting cap

September 8, 2018 | Source: The London Free Press- England

Politicians and taxi drivers are bracing for a showdown over a controversial proposal to lift the cap that controls the number of taxis in London — a major revision to the city’s taxi bylaw that comes shortly after a long and bitter feud to regulate Uber. But some taxi drivers that were incensed over city hall’s welcome of Uber are perking up over other potential changes for the industry, including lower fees, more fare freedom, and the reversal of a hotly contested requirement that compels cabs — but not Ubers — to outfit vehicles with security cameras…

Nova Scotia discriminated against wheelchair users, must enforce its own rules: commission

September 8, 2018 | Source: CBC- Canada

A new decision by a human rights board of inquiry sends a clear message to the provincial government that wheelchair users deserve access to the same services as every other Nova Scotian, one of the complainants in the case said Friday. The board chair found Nova Scotia discriminated against people who use wheelchairs by failing to enforce a regulation requiring restaurants to have accessible bathrooms. Co-complainant Gus Reed said the ruling, which ordered the province to interpret, administer and enforce the regulations as they appear, was “as good as it gets.”…

Island Voices: Hiring people with disabilities is the smart thing to do

September 9, 2018 | Source: Times Colonist- Canada

British Columbia is rich in talent and opportunity, yet we face labour shortages spanning industries and regions. By 2025, B.C. employers will need to fill an estimated one million jobs. With competition for talent so tight, it makes sense to create hiring practices that include the best people. Hiring people with diverse abilities is not only the right thing to do — it’s a smart business decision.

September is Disability Employment Month in B.C. It’s a time to celebrate people with disabilities who contribute to our communities, small businesses, corporations and communities…

Touch screen accessibility for the visually impaired

September 9, 2018 | Source: CityNews- Canada (Video)

A new system created by students at the University of Waterloo is making touch screens accessible to those who are visually impaired. Audra Brown with more about the award winning invention…

Historic lift for public transport accessibility

September 10, 2018 | Source: Mirage News- Australia

The NSW Government today announced Australia’s biggest ever purchase of lifts and escalators as part of an $87 million contract awarded by Sydney Metro – Australia’s biggest public transport project. Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said the massive purchase is essential to deliver a world-class fully-accessible metro railway for Sydney. “We’re building this unprecedented project mostly deep underground, and we need this infrastructure to get customers to these fully-accessible stations,” Mr. Constance…

Disabled civil services aspirants get free coaching, lodging facility

September 10, 2018 | Source: Times of India- India

In a first-of-its-kind facility, the Tiruvannamalai district collector K S Kandasamy on Friday inaugurated a free coaching camp with boarding amenities for aspirants with disabilities to prepare for competitive and civil services exams. The two-month camp with food and accommodation will function from Yatri Nivas — a government facility providing stay for devotees of the Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleshwarar temple. Speaking to TOI, K S Kandasamy said after receiving numerous petitions from graduates with disabilities, the district administration came up with the solution…

Healthy ageing in the EU: A new balance

September 10, 2018 | Source: The Parliament Magazine- EU

Currently around 20 per cent of the EU population is aged 65 or over. This figure is expected to increase to 25 per cent by 2030. As life expectancy continues to rise, so too do the effects of so-called ‘ageing-associated diseases and conditions’ such as dementia. Throughout my career, I have been fascinated by the constant emergence of innovative solutions, projects and programmes to tackle problems. These major changes are only one side of the coin. The real giant is hidden in the new role of older people in EU societies. Therefore, 1 October, the International Day of Older Persons, has a special meaning for me…

Preston: ‘Me’ attitude toward government limits accessibility

September 10, 2018 | Source: The Province- England

Last week, London politicians participated in a “spend-a-day in a wheelchair” event to gain insight into life with a disability. While their intentions are noble, I’m left wondering what steps have been taken in the days since? What barriers have been eliminated because of the insight gained? Ultimately, disability simulations don’t address the core reason or reasons inaccessibility continues to plague our city. It is not that people do not understand accessibility, but that we believe accessibility to be a “special need” and not for everyone…

Make Smart City blueprint disabled-friendly: Centre

September 11, 2018 | Source: Daily Pioneer & OdishaDiary & Money Control & The Stateman- India

For the first time since the launch of the Smart City Mission four years ago, the Centre has stressed on making a blueprint on how a smart city should look like from a differently-abled person’s point of view. The Modi Government on Tuesday asked the States to ensure integrating disabled-friendly measures in various projects being implemented in the smart cities under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project. Hardeep Singh Puri reminded the project managers that integrating divyang-friendly measures in various projects being implemented in the Smart Cities in the country is required…

Ontario should pay for city accessibility renos, say councilors

September 11, 2018 | Source: The Hamilton Spectator- Canada

The city will ask the new provincial government for help with a daunting $157-million-plus bill to make Hamilton buildings and infrastructure accessible for disabled residents. Councilors got an update Tuesday on city efforts to comply with the provincial Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, which introduced updated standards in 2013 for new building construction and major renovations. A consultant reviewed many city facilities and estimated a high-level cost last year — about $157 million — to bring them up to the new standard…

Make a difference in the lives of wheelchair role model, rhinos

September 11, 2018 | Source: Independent Online- South Africa

Lebohang Monyatsi dreams of becoming a beauty pageant star. Monyatsi, the first princess at the first Miss Wheelchair World held in Poland last October, and Universal Accessibility Hub’s ambassador, needs R50 000 for her traveling, accommodation and insurance at the upcoming Massira Inclusive, which takes place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from

September 20. The Massira Inclusive fashion show, compromising able and disabled participants, creates an awareness around challenges faced in the world of fashion for people living with disabilities…

Boots and M&S come out on top in YouGov and RNIB high street logo accessibility poll

September 11, 2018 | Source: Retail Times- UK & Optician Online

New research today reveals that almost 1 in 5 adults with a visual impairment surveyed only shop on the high street once per month or less often according to a YouGov Survey, commissioned by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). Retailers miss out on spending from the sight loss community as 64% of adults with a visual impairment agree high street retailers should do more to make shopping on the high street more accessible, with almost one in 10 respondents stating they would like to shop on the high street more often but feel unable to do so…

Rick Hansen Foundation hosting ‘Accessibility Assessor’ courses

September 12, 2018 | Source: Canadian Architect- Canada

Are you a building professional interested in advancing your knowledge of accessibility in the built environment? The upcoming Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Assessor course at Vancouver Community College may be a fit for you! This 10 day, 60-hour course starts Monday

September 24th and runs until Friday October 5. Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility CertificationTM (RHFAC) is a LEED-style rating system that evaluates the accessibility of commercial, institutional, multi-unit residential buildings and sites…

A little less conversation, a little more action please

September 13, 2018 | Source: Spice- Australia

For months now, I have had hundreds of like, shares, comments, impressions, high-fives, fist pumps, thumbs up, smiling nod gestures, cheers and a serbian three finger salute (ok I may be exaggerating with the last one) for my work raising awareness about digital accessibility. My hope is that I am not creating an illusion that the issue of digital accessibility at Australian events is being taken care of and we can all get on with other priorities. Don’t get me wrong, support, encouragement and collaborations are all foundations for change and I’m very grateful for everyone who has high-fived me along my journey of awareness…

Talking gloves, tactile windows: new tech helps the disabled

September 13, 2018 | Source: CTV News- England

Hadeel Ayoub slips a black glove onto her hand before beginning the swish of sign language that is meaningless to the untrained observer. Then she pushes a button on her wrist, and a small speaker relays the message drawn in the air: “Let’s Dance!” “My dream is to give a voice to those who can’t speak,” says the 36-year-old inventor who is developing her BrightSign glove while working toward a Ph.D. in assistive technology at Goldsmiths, University of London. Ayoub’s glove is just one example of a bigger trend as entrepreneurs, startups and companies like Microsoft and Google try to harness the power of artificial intelligence…

Asian Para Games Volunteer Coordinators to Get Special Training

September 13, 2018 | Source: Tempo.co- Indonesia

Ahead of the 2018 Asian Para Games, which slated to take place on October 6-13, the Social Ministry held a special training for 330 volunteer coordinators who would accompany disabled athletes and all elements participating in the games. “The Social Ministry will thoroughly monitor the volunteer assistance for disabled athletes and spectators,” said Social Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita in Jakarta, Wednesday,

September 12. In a written statement, the minister said the assistance for the disabled community requires skills, ability, and knowledge on the disability limitation and restriction…

Single digital gateway to give EU citizens user-friendly access to all national websites

September 13, 2018 | Source: Malta Today- Europe

A single digital gateway will help citizens and firms to access information and administrative procedures online, for example to apply for study loans or register a car. A provisional deal struck with the Council on 24 May to set up a single digital gateway, to make it easier to find information, forms and assistance for people moving to or doing business in another EU country, but also for those staying at home, was endorsed in plenary by 539 votes to 61, with 17 abstentions. This European single entry point will be integrated in the “Your Europe” portal, available in all languages…

Handbook to enhance air travel experience of passengers with disabilities

September 13, 2018 | Source: International Airport Review- UK

This guidance document is intended to help airports enhance the accessibility of air travel for persons with disabilities, including those with reduced mobility and hidden disabilities, and was launched at the first ACI Customer Excellence Global Summit, hosted by Halifax Stanfield International Airport. The recommendations in this Handbook will help improve the overall airport experience for persons with disabilities by providing guidance for the design of new facilities and the upgrade of existing facilities…

Wheelchair user says Calgary’s CTrains are anything but accessible

September 13, 2018 | Source: LiveWire Calgary- Canada

As a wheelchair user, Stewart Midwinter says taking the CTrain is a bit like a game of chance. The game begins as the train rolls up to the platform. The first question is – where will the train doors be relative to his position on the platform? If he’s really lucky, the door will more-or-less be in front of where he’s parked his wheelchair. At this point, Midwinter, a quadriplegic, is looking for a blue light above the door that a lot of riders probably have never even noticed…

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