Accessibility in the News — 9/20/19.

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“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.”
― Walt Whitman

National News (U.S.)

2020 Presidential Candidates Are Making (Some) Progress On Website Accessibility

September 12, 2019 | Source: TIME

Andrew Yang may not be polling at the same level as the top tier Democratic presidential candidates, but there’s at least one way in which he is leading the field: his website’s accessibility. The former entrepreneur and tech executive’s campaign has made significant changes to its website in recent weeks to ensure that more disabled voters can use it, according to a new report published Thursday by the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired…

Sidewalk ADA compliance could cost Bradley County $7.2 million

September 12, 2019 | Source: Cleveland Daily Banner

Work is underway countywide to make sure Bradley County meets requirements related to the Americans with Disabilities Act and accessibility. The Bradley County Commission heard an update on the ongoing Self-Evaluation & Transition Plan, which must be filed with the state in December; the plan must be filed before communities can re-sign for Transportation Improvement Program certification. Commissioner Kevin Raper, chairman of the County Commission’s Road Committee, introduced the ADA transition plan presentation…

The disabled community is the world’s third-largest economic power

September 10, 2019 | Source: Quartz at Work

Chances are you’ve often seen headlines for a brand advertising an inclusive initiative for people with disabilities. Most likely, it launches with great fanfare. And then, crickets. While well-intended, one-off projects like these set a low bar for success and take energy away from the real innovation the community needs. They tend to make the problem of access worse for people with disability, rather than better. But there are ways to get it right. Two years ago, apparel company Tommy Hilfiger launched an adaptive clothing line called Tommy Adaptive that makes getting dressed easier for people with physical disabilities…

Dining while disabled

September 13, 2019 | Source: San Francisco Chronicle

For nondisabled people, it’s easy to take a glance at a Yelp review that says, “Wheelchair Accessible: Yes,” and assume that means a restaurant is fully accessible to everyone. But that belies the many nuances of living with a disability: Not everyone uses a wheelchair, for one. For example, access for a blind person might mean a website that’s parseable by a screen reader — an accommodation that has only just become mandatory in San Francisco. “It’s basic information that potential customers want to see,” says Alice Wong, a San Francisco disability activist and writer…

‘I wouldn’t trade it for anything’: Authors from Eagle go to Spain for accessible hiking trip

September 13, 2019 | Source: KTVB

Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray, two best friends from Eagle, trekked 500 miles across Spain in the Camino de Santiago by wheelchair two years ago, and were the focus of a documentary and published a book, “I’ll Push You,” which details their trek. Now, the pair are planning on going back to Spain to do the trek all over again – but they won’t go alone this time. Gray and Skeesuck were born 36 hours apart. A neuro-muscular disease took Skeesuck’s ability to walk. However, that hasn’t stopped the best friends from traveling together…

Focus on accessibility in your event planning

September 14, 2019 | Source: Crain’s Cleveland Business

On a scale of one to 10, Robin Jones said she gives Midwest conference and meeting planners a “five” when it comes to providing accessible events to all guests. “Most only pay attention to these issues when a specific request has been made versus being proactive and integrating these issues into their everyday practices and anticipating the need,” she said. Jones is project director and principal investigator for the Chicago-based Great Lakes ADA Center, one of 10 national centers that provide information and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act…

Karen Braitmayer brings unique perspective to her award-winning work toward accessible architecture

September 15, 2019 | Source: Seattle Times

At its best, architecture — like any creative endeavor with the power to move us — elevates the human experience: through artistic expression and appreciation, through technical know-how and innovation, through design that enhances community and connection. Sometimes, though, architecture lets us down, shuts us out, sets us apart. Nationally recognized accessibility consultant and architect Karen Braitmayer has experienced this dynamic of architecture, inclusion and exclusion from more perspectives than most humans — including from her own zippy motorized wheelchair…

Idaho’s rugged outdoors are now more accessible than ever for people with disabilities

September 15, 2019 | Source: Idaho Statesman

Roger Howard was inspecting an Idaho campground when a nearby camper said he hoped Howard didn’t “ruin the outdoors.” Howard was assessing the campsite for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, looking for features like accessible restrooms and parking spaces that would help more people use the site. It’s part of his role as the executive director of LINC Idaho, an organization that helps people with disabilities live independently…

University historic libraries renovate to ensure accessibility

September 16, 2019 | Source: Daily Illini

When the Main Library’s first floor bathrooms were under construction in 2015, Applied Health Sciences Librarian JJ Pionke was compelled to do a walk-through of the library map in search for accessible bathrooms in the building. “Here I am as a person of size — without being in a wheelchair, without using a cane — and I’m having problems finding a bathroom in this building,” Pionke said he thought at the time. “What would this be like for someone in a wheelchair or someone who’s using a walker?”…

Taco Bell lawsuit reflects tech’s ADA challenges

September 16, 2019 | Source: Restaurant Dive & Restaurant Business

A federal lawsuit was filed against Taco Bell last week claiming that the company’s late-night drive-thru only service is discriminatory against people who can’t drive because of sight impairments, and therefore violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to Restaurant Business. The company’s policy prohibits stores from serving pedestrians who walk up to the drive-thru window, citing safety concerns. The suit seeks a discontinuation of the drive-thru-only service or the chain’s no-pedestrians-at-night policy, as well as undisclosed punitive damages…

Accessibility advocates cautiously thrilled by MTA’s plan to add elevators and ramps to subway stations

September 16, 2019 | Source: New York Daily News & Gothamist & Curbed

Disability advocates scored a major win on Monday when the MTA announced plans to add ramps and elevators to 70 new subway stations over the next five years — but their fight for a fully accessible system is nowhere near over. “Seventy accessible stations in five years is a great start for an accessible system,” said Colin Wright of TransitCenter. “It’s up to the city and the MTA to deliver more efficiently than they have in the past.” The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s proposed $51.5 billion 2020-2024 capital plan includes $5.2 billion for 66 new accessible stations…

Brooklyn condo discriminated against people with disabilities, HUD alleges

September 16, 2019 | Source: amNY

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced charges Monday against developers and architects of a Brooklyn condominium that allegedly discriminated against people with disabilities. The charges name Toll Brothers, Greenberg Farrow Architecture and others involved with the design and construction of North 8 Condominium — a 40-unit residence in Williamsburg. HUD said multifamily buildings constructed after March 1991 must contain features that make them accessible and functional for people in wheelchairs…

Jillian Mercado On Being A Disabled Latina Model: ‘We’re Not Going Anywhere’

September 16, 2019 | Source: Huffington Post

I first ran into Jillian Mercado in the spring of 2016. She was in a park in Manhattan, taking in views of the Hudson River. She wore a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses the color of strawberries and a red New York City Wildcats top — a breezy, chic outfit perfect for a sunny Friday afternoon. I knew about Mercado through her work as a disabled Latina fashion model for major companies like Nordstrom. The 32-year-old, who lives with muscular dystrophy and uses an electric wheelchair, scored her first major campaign with denim brand Diesel in 2014…

Compliance vs. compassion

September 17, 2019 | Source: International Airport Review

As a Skytrax award-winning airport for seven of the past eight years, Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is well positioned as a leading global airport. A key tenet is to ‘Go Beyond’, further prescribed for employees and business partners to ‘make travel through CVG an unforgettably positive experience’. This conscientious approach encourages furthering its market base among those less travelled. It’s about giving a voice and options to those who have been turned off, or worse, turned away from the joys of air travel…

Wheel the World is Making Travel Accessible to People with Physical Disabilities

September 17, 2019 | Source: Travel Pulse

When you’re scrolling through travel posts on Instagram, you’ll notice the same types of travelers posing in front of Machu Picchu or paragliding in Santiago. The people in these photos aren’t often people with physical disabilities, but that might soon change thanks to Wheel the World. Wheel the World is a travel start-up backed by Booking.com. Their main goal is to provide tours and experiences around the world for people with physical disabilities and this includes accessible activities, hotels, and transportation…

OSD Student Leverages ADA Lawsuit Win To Demand Change

September 17, 2019 | Source: CSULA University Times

Roy Payan, a visually impaired student, said he is using his lawsuit win against Los Angeles City College (LACC) as leverage to better the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance at Cal State LA. The UT reached out to Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and Informative Technology Services (ITS) but heard back from Cal State LA spokesman Robert Lopez. Lopez said “ADA compliance is a top priority” for the school. Lopez added that ITS staff and senior administrators are working with Payan to discuss ADA issues on campus…

Creating From Loss: Frank Bruni Talks Blindness, Writing And Empathy

September 17, 2019 | Source: WBUR

Last year, New York Times columnist Frank Bruni woke up one day to find his vision in his right eye was completely blurred. Bruni saw a doctor, and he learned that he was going blind in that eye — and there was a 20% chance he could lose sight on the other side as well. “I remember that morning so well. I thought, ‘Oh you know, I just have some gunk in my eye, or … I haven’t caffeinated enough,’ ” Bruni says. “And over the course of several hours, I kept on not understanding why the vision in that eye would not de-fog. And that ended up sending me on this long medical odyssey.”…

Displaying the Art of Sign Language

September 17, 2019 | Source: Shepard Express

On Sunday afternoon, Sept. 22, Ex Fabula will open its 11th season with the first ever “Deaf StorySlam.” The 10 storytellers in this free juried performance at the Mitchell Street Public Library are members of Milwaukee’s deaf community. American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters will translate for hearing audience members. “Labels” is the theme. Performers Mayra Castrejón-Hernandez and Jose Barraza also served as ASL coaches for the storytellers. Interpreters Tim and Sadie (names are irrelevant, they said) translated our conversation…

Visible and Invisible Disabilities: Erasing the Stigma. Understanding Culture

September 17, 2019 | Source: The Inkwell

Not all disabilities are visible. “You might look at someone and think ‘Oh, I know who they are,’ but you probably don’t…you most certainly don’t,” explained Dr. Nathan Palmer to the audience in attendance for a workshop called “Visible and Invisible Disabilities: Erasing the Stigma. Understanding the Culture.” Palmer is an event speaker and professor of sociology and anthropology on the Armstrong campus. A flyer touting the mission of the workshop stated that it was “designed to address stereotypical responses to persons with disabilities and engage the audience in a lively discussion about visible and invisible disabilities.”…

Voters With Disabilities Feel Left Behind by Paper Ballot Push

September 18, 2019 | Source: The Pew Charitable Trusts

Here’s how voting should work for blind voters like Ruth Sager: She walks into her polling place in Pikesville, Maryland, tells poll workers she wants to vote on an electronic voting machine instead of a paper ballot, and is handed a card she can place in the machine to begin voting. Using headphones, the 68-year-old listens to the choices in the various contests and, with a hand-held controller, makes selections by pressing a raised arrow and buttons in other shapes. The digital narrator confirms every selection before the machine prints a paper record of her finished ballot that she gives to poll workers…

Scientific breakthrough may eventually allow many blind people to see

September 18, 2019 | Source: CBS News

A scientific breakthrough may eventually allow many blind people to see. A handful of volunteers are already seeing the promise of a new device, about 18 months into a five-year clinical study. One of those volunteers is Jason Esterhuizen. The South African lost his sight in a car accident when he was 23 years old. “Lost control of the car,” Esterhuizen said. “The car hit the curve and I just hit the steering wheel and the window and went out the sunroof.” Injuries from the crash left Esterhuizen in a world of total darkness…

Why Accessibility Is the Hotel Industry’s Most Overlooked Asset

September 18, 2019 | Source: Skift

Despite the millions of people around the world living with disabilities, the hospitality sector has largely overlooked the importance of promoting accessible features to travelers. Stephen Cluskey, CEO of accessibility solution provider Mobility Mojo, highlighted this message while speaking Wednesday at Skift Global Forum 2019 in New York City. By treating accessibility as mainly a legal issue, many companies miss out on how much it can actually grow their business…

Redesigned Temple Sinai Built on Inclusion

September 18, 2019 | Source: Atlanta Jewish Times

More than 50 years ago Jan Epstein was among a small group that began discussing how to start a new Reform temple in Sandy Springs. During the planning for that temple, which became Temple Sinai, they didn’t talk much about handicap access. But with the implementation of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and a demand to open temples and synagogues to everyone, Epstein has made accessibility for the aging and disabled a major priority for the past 20 years…

The Seventh Circuit holds “indignation” is not an injury-in-fact

September 18, 2019 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw

In a recent decision, the Seventh Circuit agreed with the Fourth Circuit in holding that a plaintiff who is legally barred from using a credit union’s services cannot demonstrate an injury in fact that can support standing to sue. The plaintiff in Carello v. Aurora Policeman Credit Union, a blind man, sued the Aurora Policeman Credit Union under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) alleging its website was not accessible to him through screen reader software…

Fifteen years after accessibility lawsuit, UB still not compliant

September 18, 2019 | Source: The Spectrum- University at Buffalo

Emily Tout had a problem with her class in Norton Hall last semester. She couldn’t get into the nearest bathroom. Tout uses a wheelchair. She had to ask a friend to carry her from the hallway, into the stall, to the sink and then back out to her wheelchair. She roamed around the building looking for an accessible bathroom before resorting to the “embarrassing” tactic. Connor Gow, who has been paralyzed from the waist down since September 2014, had to balance his laptop on his lap for three-hour stretches in Capen Hall last semester. His classroom didn’t have an accessible table…

Mesa man sues former employer after being fired from job while fighting cancer

September 19, 2019 | Source: AZ Central

A Mesa man is suing his former employer, alleging that the company failed to accommodate his work schedule while he underwent cancer treatment and later fired him in retaliation for asking for time off. Keith Milligan was fired from his job at the Tempe branch of Dallas-based TDIndustries, a construction and facilities services company, in January 2017. Milligan’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court on Aug. 16, states that he had requested four weeks of medical leave in January 2017 to undergo treatment for anal cancer but ultimately decided against it…

Documentary ‘Moonlight Sonata’ fitfully connects deafness, family and Beethoven

September 19, 2019 | Source: Los Angeles Times & Wall Street Journal

At its core, the heartfelt documentary “Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements” is an intimate, often vérité look at how hearing loss affects three generations of a close-knit Portland, Ore., family. But producer-director Irene Taylor Brodsky (she also co-edited), in an apparent attempt to enlarge the film’s canvas and deepen its context, uses the famously deaf composer Ludwig van Beethoven and his popular piano composition “Moonlight Sonata” as a kind of audio-thematic mirror of her own young son and parents’ intergenerationally connected deafness…

Jack Fact — The US Department of Transportation reports 42% of all Americans living with a disability have self-reported travel-limiting disabilities. While the Surface Transportation Policy found that 20% of Americans over 65 do not drive at all.

Hit The Road Jack — Visit Prague, Without Barriers

International News

All commercial bus services must be wheelchair accessible by 2026 under NTA plans

September 12, 2019 | Source: The Journal- Ireland

All Buses On commercial bus services will be required to be fully wheelchair accessible by 2026 under new proposals from the National Transport Authority. If agreed upon and implemented it would mean all vehicles would have to be low-floor wheelchair accessible within the next seven years. Currently, all Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann regional city fleets – which are subsidised by the NTA – are wheelchair accessible, while a low-floor system is in operation on all Luas services…

Portugal first to win Accessible Tourism award

September 13, 2019 | Source: The Portugal News- Spain& Travel Daily

Portugal is the first country to receive the “Accessible Tourism Destination” award from the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), which recognises the effort in promoting accessibility. “Portugal is the only country to have received this distinction, which is awarded for the first time this year by WTO in partnership with the ONCE Foundation, and which recognises Portugal’s efforts to promote tourism accessibility”, the ministry of economy said…

Emphasis on ‘Access’ and ‘Accessibility’ from President Sekmen

September 13, 2019 | Source: RaillyNews- Turkey

Mayor of Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality Mehmet Sekmen said “We will make Erzurum an accessible city as well as an accessible city”. Turkey and co-funded by the EU, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure conducted by the “Accessibility Project of Passenger Transport Services in Turkey” s Erzurum Workshop was held today. Speaking at the workshop held at the Atatürk University Nene Hatun Cultural Center with the participation of Cahit Turhan, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Mehmet Sekmen, Mayor of Metropolitan Municipality, emphasized the importance of being accessible in transportation services…

How AI can support the local government accessibility challenge

September 13, 2019 | Source: LocalGov- UK

The world is moving online – and public services are no exception. From passport renewals and self-assessment to paying for parking and making Universal Credit applications, digital access is transforming lives by simplifying processes for citizens. It also reduces costs at a time when efficient use of taxpayers’ money is one of the hot topics. Yet, accessibility for all is still an issue. The ‘digital revolution’ has not fully democratised access to online resources. One-tenth of the UK adult population is still affected by digital exclusion, according to a report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)…

BBMP to consider accessibility for differently-abled citizens

September 14, 2019 | Source: The Hindu- India

Accessible India still a dream for differently-abled

September 14, 2019 | Source: OrissaPOST- India

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will henceforth ensure that public infrastructure works in the city are disabled-friendly. In a circular issued recently, BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar has directed civic officials to ensure that all civic works, especially repair work on streets, roads and footpaths, are taken up as per principles under Section 3 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. This is after the High Court of Karnataka observed that the civic body should inform persons with disability, especially the visually impaired about repair work in progress on streets and footpaths…

Hackathon to create accessible toilets for people with disabilities

September 14, 2019 | Source: Newz Hook- India

As part of its Swachh Bharat Mission, the government of India is hosting a unique two day initiative called the ‘San-Sadhan Hackathon’. The two day was held on 14 September and 15 September in Delhi. The aim of the Hackathon is to bring various stakeholders, designers, researchers, businesses, students, innovators at one platform. They are expected to come up with ideas to make toilets accessible for people with disabilities using their expertise, imagination and the technology of modern times…

Vicky gets warm welcome at IT Sligo

September 14, 2019 | Source: The Sligo Champion- Ireland

Over 800 undergraduate students gathered at IT Sligo last Wednesday to start their first day of college. Among the students who enrolled was travel accessibility activist Vicky Mathew who arrived on the new fully wheelchair accessible bus from her native Ballyshannon. Vicky campaigned for a new bus after she discovered there was no fully accessible bus on her route to IT Sligo. She is now pushing her campaign across the country and has already achieved a commitment of 40 new buses nationwide…

When modification is about accessibility

September 14, 2019 | Source: The Hindu- India

It is a rare house owner who has escaped the question of modifications. Every house will demand a tweak, at some point. There are of course house owners who will duck out of it, choosing to look away from the question. For some though, that option is simply not available. For, the required refinement may be more than just refinement. It may involve safety. Persons with disabilities often find themselves in this situation. And they may lack the expertise — and sometimes, the resources — to retrofit their houses to enhance safe access to spaces within it…

A Letter To Indian Society: Why The Definition Of Accessibility Needs To Evolve

September 14, 2019 | Source: Youth Ki Awaaz- India

You’re home to over 133 crore people today. People from completely diverse backgrounds, race, caste, sex and abilities. Out of these 133+ crore people, there are more than 2.68 crore people who are persons with disabilities and I happen to be one of them. We make up almost 3% of the whole population. I was born here, I grew up here, I live here, yet I am sceptical if I can really call you my “home”, truly. My purpose is not to just highlight the negatives, I was lucky enough to be accepted in a school where I was given the best possible facilities they could give at that time…

A call for on-demand transit for persons with disabilities

September 14, 2019 | Source: Bradford Today- Canada

The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury’s transit system is handicapped-accessible – its community buses are all ‘low-floor’ to provide access, and include AODA-approved attachments and installations – but the system isn’t usable by everyone with disabilities. That was the message resident Daniela Pethick delivered to the BWG Accessibility Advisory Committee, at the public consultation session on Thursday evening. “This is an annual consultation we do,” said Leisl McDill, Committee Co-ordinator…

Girl with spinal condition ‘unregistered’ as Hinton dance school reviews disability policy

September 15, 2019 | Source: CBC- Canada

A seven-year-old girl with a spinal disability has been told she can’t immediately resume her lessons at the Hinton dance school where she has enjoyed ballet and hip-hop classes for the last four years while the school assesses its policies for disabled students. Ian Rosseel said his daughter Alexis, who has a rare spinal condition that causes her to need a wheelchair or walker, was “unregistered” from the Hinton School of Dance because the academy is looking at a new policy dealing with students with disabilities…

Canadian cities need to be more accessible for aging residents, according to political scientist Meghan Joy

September 15, 2019 | Source: The Suburban Newspaper- Canada

As populations age, Concordia political scientist Meghan Joy says Canadian cities need to update their approach to accessibility for their elderly residents. For a start, policy-makers need to consider the needs of seniors in their plans. In a paper published in the Journal of Aging Studies, Joy argues that large cities like Toronto often view older adult populations as a problem to be solved instead of residents to be served. The roots of the paper date back to 2014, when she was working on her doctoral thesis in Toronto…

Retail businesses losing money and growth potential by shunning disabled consumers

September 16, 2019 | Source: Internet Retailing- UK & iNews- UK & ITIJ- UK

Purple Tuesday to highlight disabled customers’ £249 billion spending power

September 18, 2019 | Source: Cycling Industry News- UK

UK retailers are losing millions of pounds of revenue every year by turning their backs on disabled consumers. More than 13 million people in the UK – a fifth of the population – are disabled, while a new poll of people who consider themselves to be disabled has revealed that respondents spend on average £163 on retail every month. Nearly a third (29%) of disabled people spend money with retail businesses every week. But more than half of respondents to a new study are struggling to make purchases of a product/service due to their disability…

Blade Runner Chitrasen Sahu aims to be India’s 1st double leg amputee to scale Mt Kilimanjaro

September 16, 2019 | Source: Newz Hook- India

Double leg amputee mountaineer from Chhattisgarh Chitrasen Sahu leaves tonight for Tanzania to scale Mount Kilimanjaro. Chitrasen says he is undertaking the trek as part of a mission to promote inclusion and accessibility. The 6,000-metre high Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is among the world’s most popular treks for serious mountaineers. Climbing this dormant volcano means going through five extreme climate zones. Certainly not for the faint-hearted. Chitrasen Sahu aims to do it in six days, and enter history books as India’s first double leg amputee to do so…

Taking the P*** report blasts accessible toilet provision in UK public spaces

September 16, 2019 | Source: Access and Mobility Professional- UK

Michael McEwan: It’s a matter of dignity that public toilets should be accessible for all

September 18, 2019 | Source: Common Space- Scotland

Designers and developers of public spaces and venues are being urged to go to the toilet when planning new build or refurbishment projects. The calls are the result of a new report, which claims the nation’s health, mobility and equality is being threatened by lack of toilet provision away from home. The headline of the Taking the P*** survey, by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), is that the provision of public toilets should be made compulsory – fewer than 4,500 now exist across the UK…

Neutral Architecture Doesn’t Exist

September 16, 2019 | Source: ArchDaily- Brazil

Accessibility is often approached as a field related to disability, whether physical or mental. When it comes to architectural design, it always comes up as a peripheral consideration of the project and not as something fundamental. However, there are other barriers. In this edition of Editor’s Talk, editors from ArchDaily Brazil share their thoughts on what they understand as accessibility and whether it’s possible to create a neutral architecture…

Cricket on wheels

September 16, 2019 | Source: The Daily Star- Bangladesh

Mohammad Mohasin is the Founder of Bangladesh Cricket Association for the Physically Challenged, Captain of Bangladesh’s Wheelchair Cricket Team, and General Secretary of International Council of Wheelchair Cricket. He is also an ambassador of sports for accessibility in Dhaka. With ‘Odommo’, an accessibility project under the Dhaka Hub of Global Shapers Community, Mohasin has managed to facilitate better mobility fot the differently-abled. For his initiatives, Mohasin was honoured with the Joy Bangla Youth Award in 2017…

‘We had to fight, stumble and fall through crowds’: Disabled festival-goer left ‘covered in bruises’ after Reading Festival

September 16, 2019 | Source: iNews- UK

A disabled woman who said she was left “covered in bruises” after attending Reading Festival has called for organisers to provide better accessibility for disabled audiences, and said she likely won’t return as a result of her experience this year. Poppy Greenfield, 22, claims she was forced to use overcrowded disabled camping areas, inaccessible toilets and a poorly located and overcrowded accessible viewing platform at the festival this year, and alleged her friend was questioned about their access pass despite using a wheelchair…

Sudden deafness — what it’s like to wake up deaf in one ear

September 16, 2019 | Source: ABC- Australia (Podcast)

Sudden deafness is a rare condition where your hearing — usually in one ear, sometimes in both — disappears overnight. It happens without warning and unless treated quickly, the hearing can be lost forever. But sudden deafness can fly under the radar at the doctor’s office…

ICT access still a hurdle for persons with disabilities

September 18, 2019 | Source: Deccan Herald- India

Accessibility to some key information and communication technologies (ICTs) like TV, websites, books, assisted medical devices, mobile phones and apps for persons with disabilities (PWDs) remain a mere lip service, according to users and experts in the field. India is ranked 46th in the world and 9th amongst lower-middle-income countries behind Egypt, Kenya, Angola, and the Philippines according to the Digital Accessibility Rights Evaluation Index (DARE index) that measures worldwide implementation and outcomes relating to digital accessibility…

From assistance to bespoke customer service

September 18, 2019 | Source: International Airport Review- UK

On May 2-3, 2019, Heathrow Airport hosted an international workshop which focused upon passengers with reduced mobility (PRMs) and hidden disabilities. The European Commission, UK Department for Transport, UK Civil Aviation Authority, ILT (Dutch NEB), ENAC (Italian NEB), IATA, airports, airlines and service providers came together to discuss the state of play regarding accessible air travel. The findings of the European Commission, currently revising the Interpretative Guidelines of 2012, provided a good insight in terms of accessibility in the aviation sector…

City councillor suggests voucher system to improve wheelchair-accessible taxi service

September 18, 2019 | Source: Edmonton Journal- Canada

Ward 11 Coun. Mike Nickel wants to put customers in the driver’s seat by introducing a voucher system to encourage taxis to pick up passengers with accessibility challenges. “We have a customer-demand issue that is not being met,” he said. “It’s time to talk about a voucher program for our accessible, disability business. Let the customer drive the solution.” The idea was mulled over during Wednesday’s community and public services committee meeting where it was heard wheelchair-accessible taxis weren’t picking up passengers with accessibility challenges…

Accessibility is a major blind spot in Toronto’s music scene

September 18, 2019 | Source: NOW Magazine- Canada

Over the past few years, conversations have been taking place throughout the local music scene to make it more inclusive and open to a variety of different people. But none of it explicitly address the exclusion of people with disabilities – as patrons, performers and purveyors – due to inaccessibility. But a few local promoters and musicians have been leading the charge toward accessibility both at their own events and in the scene in general.

“Working toward accessibility is a way to consider many experiences, which are sometimes seen or unseen, private or public, unique or relatable,” says Venus Fest founder Aerin Fogel…

Gaelynn Lea: The folk singer and disability campaigner named after a Brigadoon dancer

September 18, 2019 | Source: Herald- Scotland

Accessibility is important for Gaelynn Lea, the American violinist and singer-songwriter who plays her first dates in Scotland next week. This isn’t so much the case with her work, which has moved from the looped backwoods folk airs of her 2015 album, All the Roads That Lead Us Home, to the just as beautiful but more fleshed out songs on Learning How to Stay, released in 2018. The accessibility Lea talks about is more to do with the venues she plays. Having been born with osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, which causes complications in the development of bones and limbs, anywhere with stairs is off limits…

A different kind of blind- A reflection on being blind but not ‘blind enough’

September 19, 2019 | Source: Honi Soit- Australia

I am legally blind. Vision Australia defines legal blindness as being unable to see “at six metres what someone with normal vision can see at 60 metres” or if a person’s “field of vision is less than 20 degrees in diameter”. People with blindness and vision loss all have a unique experience of the condition. My experience of blindness is such that I have no peripheral vision, no night vision, no depth perception and I have limited forward facing vision even with my glasses. The glasses I wear are the strongest prescription they can make for me, though they can’t correct my eyesight to what a ‘normal’ person can see…

Grandpa With Vitiligo Crochets Sweet Dolls So Kids Can Feel Represented

September 18, 2019 | Source: Romper- Brazil

For the millions of kids who live with health conditions or disabilities, a walk down to their local retailer’s toy aisle can feel isolating as the majority of children’s dolls and toys aren’t designed to be totally inclusive. In Brazil, however, one grandpa crochets dolls with vitiligo and other skin conditions or physical impairments like alopecia, baldness, blindness, hearing aids, and wheelchairs in an effort to help all children feel represented and confident. For João Stanganelli Junior, what began as a simple project for his granddaughter has since turned into a thriving post-retirement business…

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Accessible Website and Application Development— We rely heavily on accessibility best practices and using HTML5 and ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) standards to build WCAG-compliant and human-tested accessible environments. Our teams are proficient in open source technologies such as WordPress, Drupal and Moodle, as well as custom frameworks in .NET, PHP, AngularJS, and other frameworks. Our Learning and Development team can also help you create accessible custom training.
Accessible Document Services— Whether you’re dealing with a few or a warehouse of Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, or other files, there are several ways Microassist can enable your team to offer documents and materials that meet stringent accessibility standards.
Accessibility Remediation— Our accessibility remediation services help you fix existing materials so that they conform to WCAG, Section 504 and 508, Department of Education OCR, and ADA Title II/III requirements. We remediate websites, applications, documents, and elearning, recommending re-creation when that is more efficient and economical. Especially for website and applications, to find out what is in need of remediation, we’ll start with an Accessibility Audit.
Accessibility Training— With several courses available for developers, testers, and content creators, your team can become equipped to consistently and expertly produce accessible digital products and online environments.
VPAT^®Evaluation Services— Primarily used by government purchasers and government vendors during the procurement and sale of ICT products and services under Section 508, a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template^® (VPAT) attests to the accessibility of a given product or service. Contact us to make sure the VPAT you write or review is accurate and meaningful.

Learn More About Digital Accessibility

Our Digital Accessibility Digest blog covers our Accessibility in the News archives as well as expert commentaries on digital accessibility issues.

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