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The Accessible Internet and the ADA; 508 Refresh Nears Effective Date; Travel Changes Made…and Needed

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Accessibility in the News—12/01/17.

Does the Americans with Disabilities Act, enacted before the word “internet” became part of our daily vocabulary, require businesses to make their websites accessible? This year’s federal decisions say it does. This week covers a great deal in how that requirement is affecting various industries. Woman reads content on smart phone.

The debate continues on whether or not “ADA compliance” is a valid notion when it comes to online environments. Advocates for an accessible internet say yes, and some federal judges seem to agree. Others counter by questioning whether the Americans with Disabilities Act was truly meant to expand beyond physical locations. Aside from legal interpretations, there’s the empathy factor,  and the reality that as we age, we will likely find ourselves much more appreciative and in want of an accessible internet that allows us to continue our independent browsing, banking, socializing, purchasing, and streaming video content online.

The 2017 refresh of Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act updated and clarified federal government organizations technology accessibility standards to more closely align with accessibility guidelines accepted around the world. These changes, which incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level AA accessibility guidelines, go into effect in January 2018.

[To see how the new standards incorporate Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, we recommend Hiram Kuykendall’s Section 508 Refresh: How WCAG Impacts Federal Website Accessibility Requirements summary of the changes.]

If some say the ADA is unclear on requirements for an accessible internet, there are other issues surrounding accommodations in the physical world. Even with the ADA’s clarity on physical public accommodations, businesses must still grapple with implementation…and the legal actions that can result. Multiple lawsuits are being brought against restaurants and hotels. for the latter, in particular, there’s also the possibility of online and physical locations being co-catalysts for legal actions.

Travel touches a wide range of industries, from online booking to a range of transportation options to lodging. For an individual with disabilities, accessibility is a key component in every part of a successful and enjoyable travel experience, including the in-flight entertainment. Even separately from its acquisition of Accomoble (reported last week), which lists thousands of accessible options in more than 60 countries, Airbnb is continuing accessibility work to make its home-sharing service more workable for people with disabilities.

Read on for more on this week’s accessibility news, covering disability-related information and stories from around the world. Also, we’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s happenings! Just leave us a note in the comments box.

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AITN Quote of the Week

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.
―Helen Keller

National News (U.S.)

How accessible is your website for the disabled? Consider doing an audit to find out

November 17, 2017   |  Source: Poytner  |  Digital Accessibility, Inclusion, Accessible Design, WCAG

Since the beginning of 2015, at least 750 website accessibility lawsuits have been filed in federal court, with at least 432 cases filed in the first eight and a half months of 2017. In August, two New York federal judges said that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was applicable to websites, following a Florida federal judge’s verdict this past June that ruled that the grocery store Winn-Dixie “violated Title III of the ADA by having a website that was not useable by plaintiff … to download coupons, order prescriptions, and find store locations.”…

Another threat to business websites — this time through the ADA

November 19, 2017   |  Source: Miami Herald  |  ADA, Digital Accessibility, Discrimination

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law passed in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. While the ADA’s effect has been net-positive on the lives of millions of Americans, drawbacks and unintended consequences have emerged that pose a significant risk to businesses and business owners. Historically, ADA litigation focused on the accessibility of physical structures as “public accommodations.” Aggressive plaintiffs and their lawyers continue to push the definition of a “public accommodation.”…

St. Paul restaurants, sued over disability access — grapple with upgrades

November 19, 2017   |  Source: Twin Cities Pioneer Press  |  Food Service, Discrimination, Lawsuits/Litigation

The crowd included five attorneys, over a half-dozen St. Paul business owners, and at least as many city and state code workers. All congregating at Mancini’s Char House on West Seventh Street to talk about one thing: the Americans with Disabilities Act. Over the past year, dozens of St. Paul businesses have been served with a slew of lawsuits alleging violations of the decades-old act. Critics have dubbed them “drive-by lawsuits” — pointing out that numerous businesses on West Seventh Street were all hit by the same client…

An Accessible Internet: How Web Users with Sensory Impairments Experience Digital Content

November 20, 2017   |  Source: Content Standard  |  Digital Accessibility, Inclusion, Accessible Design

Before you continue to read this article, let’s try a brief exercise. Choose one sense that you use to interact with the Internet—take your hand off your phone or mouse, maybe close your eyes—and try to devise a way to finish this article. This might be more or less difficult depending on which sense you chose, but no matter the case, it is likely difficult. And for the many web users with sensory or physical impairments, difficulties accessing content aren’t a matter of choice…

Section 508 Gets an Update: New Web Accessibility Guidelines for Government Sites Take Effect in January

November 20, 2017   |  Source: Government Technology  |  Digital Accessibility, WCAG, Policy/Legislation

Updates for Section 508 accessibility legislation go into effect in January, creating new specifications for how federal agencies must make websites and other digital information channels navigable for users with disabilities, and experts say these requirements are poised to become the new standard for state and local governments as well. Section 508 is a 2001 amendment to the Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973, designed to help sweeping accessibility legislation keep pace with the rapidly evolving nature of technology. Early this year, lawmakers passed a long-awaited refresh of Section 508 that goes into effect Jan. 18…

Serial Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Commences Latest Round of Hotel Litigation: How Can Hotels Protect Themselves?

November 20, 2017   |  Source: Lexology  |  Lawsuits/Litigation, ADA, Mobility

Just as one flood of lawsuits against Arizona businesses finally dries up, another downpour begins. Peter Strojnik of Phoenix, the same attorney who filed more than 1,100 lawsuits that drew the attention of the Arizona attorney general, has filed approximately 60 new lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) against motels and places of lodging in the last three months in federal court in Arizona. Fernando Gastelum, an Arizona resident with a prosthetic leg who uses a wheelchair, is the plaintiff in each of these cases…

Nationwide Class Action Challenges Hulu’s Discrimination against Blind and Visually Impaired Individuals

November 20, 2017   |  Source: American Council of the Blind  |  Discrimination, Blindness/Visual Impairment, ADA

A coalition of blind and visually impaired individuals and advocacy groups filed a nationwide class action today against Hulu to end the video streaming company’s ongoing exclusion of blind and visually impaired Americans.  The lawsuit—filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts—challenges Hulu’s violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Hulu, one of the largest online-streaming services in the country, offers thousands of shows and movies, including award-winning original content, to most customers at the click of a mouse…

Despite delay, new signs for campus disability access still coming to Hawk Route

November 20, 2017   |  Source: The University Daily Kansan  |  Higher Education, Awareness, ADA

In her time as the Director of the ADA Resource Center for Equity and Accessibility, Catherine Johnson has been working to highlight the Hawk Route, an accessible route that allows “independent mobility” between Sunnyside Avenue and Jayhawk Boulevard. The route is scheduled for enhancement in the spring semester, Johnson said, when its signs are set to be replaced. The signs were previously estimated to be changed over the summer, Johnson said…

North Canaan Playground Ruling ‘A Landmark’ for ADA Nationally

November 21, 2017   |  Source: Connecticut Law Tribune (Subscription)  |  ADA, Education, Government

Jessica McCue fought for years to ensure that daughter Sasha had a playground that was accessible to all children. She won that battle and soon Sasha’s elementary school playground will be handicapped accessible to all students. In what some American with Disabilities Act attorneys see as a landmark case, the U.S. Department of Justice and the small northwestern town of North Canaan have come to an agreement regarding making the town’s elementary school playground handicapped accessible…

Airbnb Boosts Accessibility Following Pre-Litigation Settlement With California Advocacy Groups

November 21, 2017   |  Source: Law.com  |  Advocacy, Disability Rights, Litigation

Airbnb Inc. announced a pre-litigation settlement Monday with two California-based advocacy groups that will require the company to make its online marketplace more accessible for people with disabilities. The deal was inked through the structured negotiations process, a collaborative dispute resolution method that keeps companies out of court, and has been used by disability rights groups. After nearly 10 months of talks,  San Francisco-based Airbnb’s in-house legal team reached an agreement with California Council of the Blind (CCB) and the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC)…

AbiliTrek is building hotel database for travelers with disabilities, aims to fill information void in $17B market

November 22, 2017   |  Source: GeekWire  |  Travel, Inclusion, Innovation

Daman Wandke was explicit in explaining what he needed in his San Francisco hotel room: he had to have a roll-in shower to accommodate his wheelchair. He took the extra step of calling to confirm with the hotel, whose staff made a note in his reservations. When he arrived at the start of a business trip last year, he found that not only was his reservation wrong, but the hotel didn’t even have rooms with the kind of shower he needed. “I had to go to three hotels before I could take a shower,” Wandke said…

Uber Me to My Airbnb? For Wheelchair Users, Not So Fast

November 22, 2017   |  Source: NY Times  |  Mobility, Discrimination, Building/Facilities Access

Whenever I hear someone mention Airbnb, I cringe — on the inside, at least. Not because there’s anything inherently wrong with Airbnb, the home-sharing business that has grown by leaps and bounds in the past few years and has opened up affordable accommodations to millions of people around the world. The problem is, it hasn’t done so for people like me. Airbnb is part of something called the sharing economy, an evolving system in which people who own certain things, like homes or cars, rent them out to others when they are not using them…

Outdated disabilities act stymies internet’s benefits

November 25, 2017   |  Source: The Hill  |  Digital Accessibility, ADA, Accessible Design

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. One of the achievements of the ADA was to make public spaces more accessible to those with physical disabilities. This is why sidewalk curbs have ramps at intersections, restrooms often feature accessible stalls for those in wheelchairs and signage in public buildings feature braille. But the ADA never considered an internet website. Why not? In 1990, the first website and the first browser to scan the web were created…

Icy Wallet for the Blind is Part of the “Inclusive Spirit of Bitcoin”

November 26, 2017   |  Source: Bitcoin News  |  Blindness/Visual Impairment, Inclusion, Awareness

“I just feel like the inclusive spirit of bitcoin,” developer Adam Newbold explained, “is maximum inclusion and access for everyone,” he said when asked about his latest project, Icy Wallet, a cold storage wallet designed for the blind. “I think it’s especially important in bitcoin for people to be going out of their way to help people who face obstacles to getting there,” he said.  “No one should be forced to be reliant on other people to do things for them,” Mr. Newbold continued…

Accessibility is good business, and it’s the right thing to do

November 27, 2017   |  Source: Lehigh Valley Business  |  Businesses, Inclusion, Awareness

Businesses could be losing thousands of potential customers by failing to make their facilities accessible to all. That’s according to one local nonprofit offering a solution to help businesses identify ways to improve access to their facilities for people with disabilities. Often through lack of knowledge or negligence, many businesses do not realize the extent of the inaccessibility of their facilities. It’s something many people without disabilities do not spend too much time thinking about…

Ithaca College makes required accessibility renovations

November 27, 2017   |  Source: The Ithacan  |  Higher Education, OCR, Discrimination

After the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights launched an investigation in 2009, Ithaca College continues to complete OCR-required renovations to the campus. However, some students and administrators believe the school still has more work to do before being truly accessible. The OCR delivered a resolution to the college in 2015 following an investigation into a confidential complaint of inaccessibility against the college filed in 2009…

OCR Website Accessibility Complaints Hit Schools and Universities

November 28, 2017   |  Source: Microassist  |  Education, OCR, Digital Accessibility

An onslaught of complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) targets public and private school websites that are inaccessible to people with disabilities. These school website accessibility complaints say that these public-facing websites—and other digital materials from K-12 and higher education organizations—fail to comply with federal law and known accessibility standards. Without such compliance, students, parents, alumni, and others with disabilities are prevented from having similar access to information and function as those without…

Courtney Cunningham Settles Website Accessibility Lawsuit Against City of Miami

November 29, 2017   |  Source: PRWEB  |  Digital Accessibility, Lawsuits/Litigation, Discrimination

The city of Miami and local disability advocate Eddie Sierra have entered into a federal Consent Decree that guarantees the deaf and hard of hearing have equal access to video content on city’s website. According to court documents, the Consent Decree resolves Eddie Sierra v. City of Miami, Case Number 17-CV-20823, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Previously, video content was inaccessible to those with hearing disabilities because there were no closed captions…

Gene Therapy Shows Promise For A Growing List Of Diseases

November 29, 2017   |  Source: NPR  |  Awareness, Blindness/Visual Impairment, Medicine

Eli Wheatley and Christian Guardino are among a growing number of patients whose lives are apparently being saved or radically improved by gene therapy. Wheatley, 3, of Lebanon, Ky., and Guardino, 17, of Patchogue, N.Y., were both diagnosed with what were long thought to be incurable genetic disorders. In the past, Wheatley’s condition would have probably killed him before his first birthday. Guardino’s would have blinded him early in life. But after receiving experimental gene therapies, both seem to be doing fine…

Meetings and Events Technology Alone Can’t Solve Accessibility Challenges

November 29, 2017   |  Source: Skift  |  Technology, Inclusion, Innovation

Hospitality professionals are well-versed on the various components that make up a great meeting, conference, or event. These can include a thoughtful keynote speaker, a well thought-out menu, or a one-of-a-kind interactive experience, along with pervasive Wi-Fi access and copious meeting areas. But what about event accessibility and inclusiveness? There were nearly 40 million Americans living with a disability in 2015, making up 12.6 percent of the total population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau…

Do You Know If Your Practice’s Website is ADA Compliant?

November 29, 2017   |  Source: MD Magazine  |  ADA, Digital Accessibility, Awareness

When thinking about non-compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it’s likely that images of narrow doorways or inaccessible public bathroom stalls come to mind. But that’s not where the list of potential violations end. Specifically, websites have been interpreted to be “places of public accommodation” for purposes of the ADA, meaning that websites cannot discriminate against disabled individuals — even if the inaccessibility issue is completely unintended…

Austin startup Kilroy Blockchain builds program to help the blind and visually impaired

November 29, 2017   |  Source: Austin American Statesman  |  Blindness/Visual Impairment, Inclusion, Innovation

Karen Kilroy has been programming software for much of her 55 years of life. It’s something she says she believes she was born to do. But she’s just now seeing how far her knowledge can reach. About a year ago, Kilroy launched Kilroy Blockchain, an Austin-based startup that develops connectivity technology that can help automate companies’ required reporting, but that has also led to a phone application that helps blind and visually impaired people to better understand what’s around them…

Design Eats the World: Designing for accessibility

November 30, 2017   |  Source: The Daily UW  |  Accessible Design, Inclusion, Awareness

It seems odd in retrospect that the challenges faced by people with disabilities weren’t always as frequently mentioned in public discourse as they are now. Of course, progress remains to be had, and going beyond conversations into creating actual products is important. But 15 percent of the world’s 7 billion people are disabled in some way, and now is as good a time as any to talk about design for them. What many people don’t know is that many of the products we take for granted today were originally designed for, and often by, people with disabilities and only later seeped into mainstream use…

It’s An Accessible Life: My 24-Hour Journey

November 30, 2017   |  Source: Huffington Post  |  Awareness, Inclusion, Advocacy

I’m always game for a trip to New York City for any reason (not least of which because my firm has an office there). But the reason for my most recent visit was to attend the Inaugural New York Gala presented by Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), the stellar nonprofit disability rights legal center, which was held at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). DRA is known for their annual Eagle & Turkey Awards which celebrates disability heroes (the Eagles) and publicly exposes (the Turkeys). But, on this night, the spotlight was dedicated entirely to the heroes…

In Minnesota, Muslim Nonprofits Dispel Stigma on Disabilities

November 30, 2017   |  Source: Nonprofit Quarterly  |  Nonprofit, Disability Rights, Inclusion

The definition of disability under the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities encompasses a wide range of physical, sensory, intellectual and mental health impairments, but with a common experience of stigma and exclusion. This stigma and exclusion seems to be magnified in developing countries. Immigrants from these countries often face an unfortunate reality of isolation and exclusion unless they find connections to those who can provide assistance…

Jack Fact — More than 5 percent of the world’s population – 360 million people – has disabling hearing loss (328 million adults and 32 million children), according to the World Health Organization.  In the US alone, it’s estimated that 2-4 of every 1,000 people in the US are “functionally deaf.”

International News

Technology is enabling the disabled, but few work places are following suit

November 19, 2017   |  Source: Stuff- New Zealand  |  Technology, Innovation, Awareness

For the vast majority a smartphone is just a gadget, but for people with disabilities it is the key that unlocks doors to work and independence. Neil Jarvis remembers his frustration in his younger years because he could not read books or maps. He can now check match scores, find his plane seat and wander around foreign cities using his smartphone. Microsoft’s Seeing AI app gives his smartphone camera a voice, acts as his sight, telling him where he is going and the age and emotion of the people he meets…

Coles Supermarket Introduces Autism-Friendly Shopping Hour To 68 Stores

November 21, 2017   |  Source: Huffington Post- Australia  |  Cognitive, Inclusion, Disability Rights

Coles will extend its ‘Quiet Hour’ initiative to 68 supermarkets to help shoppers who have autism, their families and their carers. Following a successful trial in the Ringwood and Balwyn East stores in Melbourne in August, the program will be extended to selected stores in each state and territory. During ‘Quiet Hour’, noises and distractions in the supermarkets are reduced to assist those who might be negatively impacted by intense sensory environments. These changes include dimming the lights by 50 percent, reducing scanner volumes and switching off the radio…

Microsoft’s Seeing AI app shows how cutting-edge technology can empower the blind

November 21, 2017   |  Source: Techly- Australia  |  Innovation, Assistive Technology, Blindness/Visual Impairment

“Now is definitely, in my view, the most exciting time in human history to be blind.” That’s ANU law lecturer Cameron Roles, who has been blind ever since being born three months premature. Technology has always empowered Roles and many others with impaired vision, but the rise of artificial intelligence is creating seemingly endless possibilities. Microsoft’s free Seeing AI app is the perfect example. In a nutshell, Seeing AI uses your smartphone’s camera to scan the environment and describe it back to you…

How a deaf actor started up the first deaf-led theatre company in the UK

November 21, 2017   |  Source: The Independent- UK  |  Deaf/Hearing Impaired, Inclusion, Performing Arts

As a professional actor during the 1990s I became increasingly frustrated with the barriers that deaf people faced across the arts. Most significantly it seemed that there was a real lack of theatre created by deaf artists and with deaf audiences in mind. I spent 15 years as an actor and was often the only deaf professional working within a “mainstream” theatre company. Despite having a deaf actor using sign language, the shows weren’t made accessible to deaf audiences…

Records from Troubles made accessible to blind people

November 21, 2017   |  Source: Belfast Telegraph- Ireland  |  Blindness/Visual Impairment, Accessible Design, Inclusion

The Prison Memory Archive, which holds material and records video interviews with ex-prisoners and staff from the Long Kesh/ Maze Prison site and Armagh Women’s Prison, has recently begun the process of making its material accessible to people who are blind or partially sighted. It has developed video tours of the Maze prison, voiced by actors describing what the cells, hospitals and security gates look like, to give non-sighted people a taste of the architecture and environment there…

Advocates demand Lyft meet same accessibility standards as rival Uber

November 21, 2017   |  Source: Metro News- Canada  |  Advocacy, Transit/Transportation, Discrimination

Local advocates who pushed Uber to up its game on accessibility are urging Lyft, which enters the Toronto market in December, to do the same. “Whether it’s Uber or a competitor, looking hard at accessibility is a vital component for any business,” said Maayan Ziv, founder of accessibility-based tech firm AccessNow. “Regardless of who you are, you should not be restricted from a service.” Lyft announced this week that its first expansion outside the U.S. will be to Toronto and other GTA cities…

Accomable founder hails Airbnb takeover as ‘just the beginning’

November 22, 2017   |  Source: TTG Media- UK & The Guardian  |  Building/Facilities Access, Discrimination, Awareness

Childhood friends Srin Madipalli and Martyn Sibley, who both have spinal muscular atrophy, launched Accomable just over two years ago “less as a company or product but more as a mission and a dream”. The pair won a grant from Oxford University and raised £300,000 from a group of investors. They have grown the Accomable inventory to include properties in more than 60 countries.  Accomable’s website will be wound down in the next few months and be redirected to Airbnb, which has pledged to expand the number of accessible properties worldwide…

Activist gets things moving for Jordan’s accessibility

November 23, 2017   |  Source: Jordan Times  |  Advocacy, Digital Accessibility, Inclusion, Mobility

When she was first interviewed by The Jordan Times two months ago, Aya Aghabi, a 26-year-old wheelchair user, had launched the website Accessible Jordan, which aims to raise awareness on accessibility in the Kingdom, only three days before, trying to kill time over the holidays. Far from the idea of starting a national campaign on accessibility, she was simply trying to improve the daily quality of life of physically impaired people like her…

What Brussels is doing for Persons with Reduced Mobility: A day in the life of a blind person

November 24, 2017   |  Source: The Brussels Times- Belgium  |  Mobility, Blindness/Visual Impairment, Awareness

Have you ever wondered what it must be like trying to get around Brussels, or any other Belgian city, if you are blind or partially sighted? The answer is probably, no. For able-bodied people this response may not be surprising but blindness is, of course, the sad reality facing thousands of, to use the jargon, “Persons with Reduced Mobility” (PRM). According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ratified by Belgium and its federated entities in 2009, access to public transport is an essential prerequisite for the full participation of persons with disabilities in society…

Accessible video: one simple reason why you may be missing millions of views

November 24, 2017   |  Source: RedShark News- UK  |  Awareness, Accessible Design, Digital Accessibility

Often the most under considered aspect of production, refusing to create captioning or subtitles could be costing you millions of viewers. Isn’t it about time we finally started taking accessibility in video much more seriously? It is the elephant in the room when it comes to producing film and video. Accessibility. It is quite often relegated to the bottom of the list, or even worse not considered at all. Whilst it is quite true that in broadcast television and studio films there are closed captions and subtitles for the hard of hearing, and audio descriptions for those who suffer from sight problems…

Driverless cars promise far greater mobility for the elderly and people with disabilities

November 25, 2017   |  Source: Hamilton Spectator- Canada  |  Innovation, Mobility, Aging

They are too old to drive safely or cannot see well enough or otherwise have sound reason to fear climbing behind the wheel of a car. For them, a future when vehicles drive themselves promises unprecedented freedom. This is a good-news story, but one that comes replete with the caveats and worries that people who have traditionally been cut out of the transportation equation — in part or entirely — continue to harbour. “We are concerned that certain populations will not be able to benefit from this technology if very specific design issues are not addressed,” said Henry Claypool…

Accessing education with a disability isn’t as easy as we think

November 27, 2017   |  Source: The Fulcrum- Canada  |  Education, Mobility, Discrimination

As someone who lives without a disability, a wheelchair ramp is one of the first things that comes to mind when I think of accessibility. But accessibility goes far beyond this, especially in a campus context, expanding to measures such as proper snow removal in the winter and ensuring that students are able to see the text on a PowerPoint in class. On Sunday, Dec. 3, it will be International Day of Persons with Disabilities. In light of this, I decided to investigate how accessible the University of Ottawa is for persons with disabilities for this week’s issue of the Fulcrum…

Improving accessibility for people with disabilities

November 27, 2017   |  Source: Gulf Times- Qatar  |  Accessible Design, Food Service, Building/Facilities Access

An initiative of the South African embassy in Qatar in association with Nando’s Qatar and Sasol will help improve accessibility options in Nando’s restaurants in the country. An event was organized by the embassy and the two South African companies at Nando’s restaurant in The Pearl on Sunday evening to mark the initiative. The event was attended by South African ambassador Professor Shirish Soni, Sasol and Nando’s senior management, media representatives, Accessible Qatar initiative ambassadors and members…

Virgin Atlantic to roll out portable solution for visually impaired passengers

November 28, 2017   |  Source: Future Travel Experience- UK & Runway Girl Network  |  Blindness/Visual Impairment, Innovation, Assistive Technology

Virgin Atlantic is rolling out an accessible in-flight entertainment (IFE) solution that has been developed especially for passengers with visual impairments. From 1 December 2017, the solution will be available across the carrier’s entire fleet. The portable IFE product has been developed by Bluebox Aviation Systems with input from Virgin Atlantic and representatives from The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (Guide Dogs). The charity introduced the airline and Bluebox to a group of individuals with a range of visual impairments, ranging from partial sight loss to total blindness…

Tokyo marks 1000 days to go until 2020 Paralympics

November 29, 2017   |  Source: International Paralymic Committee  |  Paralympics, Inclusion, Awareness

With the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) today marking the “1,000 Days To Go” countdown to the opening of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the citizens of Japan and its capital city are already starting to see and enjoy the benefits of hosting the event. To mark this special milestone, a celebratory event is taking place in the world’s tallest tower – the Tokyo Sky Tree – which is being lit up with the three colours of the “Agitos” forming the Paralympic symbol, and is clearly visible throughout the city…

Time for a cultural shift to highlight accessibility issues

November 29, 2017   |  Source: Planning & Building Control Today- UK  |  Awareness, Inclusion, Disability Rights

Personal struggles with accessibility issues often shed light on the larger issue.  The diaries of seven disabled people provided the inspiration for an article on The Guardian website which is compelling reading for all. Frances Ryan, whose specialist subjects as a journalist include disability, asked the seven to document their everyday experiences. What was perhaps even more telling than the accounts of obstacles to working, shopping, using public transport and more was the recognition, for the first time in their lives…

Helping people with disabilities: MEPs advocate positive discrimination

November 30, 2017   |  Source: MilTech- Europe  |  Advocacy, Discrimination, Disability Rights

The resolution assesses the workings of the Commission’s European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 and lists key actions in its eight priority areas:  accessibility, participation, equality, employment, education and training, social protection, health and external action. People with disabilities have the right to equal treatment, to live independently and to be full members of society, but in spite of a high number of programmes and laws, they are still not enjoying their rights in full. Priority measures to be taken by the EU Commission and/or the member states include…

Enabling people with disability

December 1, 2017   |  Source: Newcastle Herald- Australia  |  Inclusion, Disability Rights, Awareness

Sunday 3rd December is International Day of People with Disability and it is a day to celebrate the contributions of people with disability and ensure we keep working towards removing barriers, which sadly many people, who have a disability, still face every day in Australia. Life Without Barriers has long been a champion of equality, diversity and inclusion, and as a leading social purpose organisation, plays a key role in providing choice, support, and improved services in the disability sector…

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