Accessibility in the News — 5/17/19.

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― C.S. Lewis

National News (U.S.)

Blind Navy vet sues 120+ local governments, businesses over websites

May 9, 2019 | Source: ActionNewsJax.com

Blind Navy veteran Joel Price has filed more than 120 lawsuits against city and county governments and businesses, saying their websites aren’t accessible to the visually impaired. That’s because those websites don’t work with screen reader programs. Some local governments have already settled and spent tens of thousands of tax dollars to make the changes. Florida School for the Deaf & the Blind Assistant Technology Coordinator Patrick Turnage relies on screen reader programs to access information online…

Two bills sponsored by Rep. Luria passed out of committee

May 9, 2019 | Source: 13 News Now

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs passed 18 bills, two of which were sponsored by Congresswoman Elaine Luria. Rep Luria’s second bill, H.R. 1199, or the VA Website Accessibility Act of 2019, advocates for a study into the accessibility of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website resources for veterans with disabilities. Congresswoman Luria introduced this bill after meeting with blind veterans in order to ensure that all VA online resources are accessible to every veteran…

Attention businesses: Are your websites and mobile apps ADA compliant?

May 10, 2019 | Source: Philadelphia Business Journal

In January of this year, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held in Robles v. Domino’s Pizza, LLC, 913 F.3d 898 (9th Cir. 2019), that Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) applies to businesses’ websites and mobile apps. Title III prohibits discrimination against disabled individuals in “places of public accommodation,” and until a recent wave of litigation over the last few years filed by creative plaintiff’s lawyers, very few businesses even considered the possibility that websites (let alone mobile apps) were subject to the ADA…

Feds sue builder Miller-Valentine for ignoring disability regulations

May 10, 2019 | Source: Dayton Daily News & WVXU & Tribune-Review & Fox19 & Imperial Valley News

Ohio-based builder Miller-Valentine failed to design and construct housing units and other facilities to make them accessible to people with disabilities, according to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. A press release cited Miller-Valentine and associated companies that built 82 multi-family complexes in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia…

Slick Chicks Is The Label To Watch Making Underwear Accessible For All Bodies

May 10, 2019 | Source: Fashionista

“People ask me all the time if it is the larger things that trip me up when it comes to having a disability,” says Shannon Dawn. “It really isn’t. It is the smaller things, like tying shoes, putting on underwear — little things that you wouldn’t expect.” That’s where Slick Chicks comes in. The adaptive underwear line is pushing the boundaries of accessibility in the undergarment world and educating its customers along the way. The term “adaptive clothing” refers to garments designed with people with physical disabilities and limitations in mind…

Survey reveals smart cities are failing disabled people

May 10, 2019 | Source: ITS International & Smart Cities for All & PDF

Six out of ten global experts say smart cities are failing disabled people, according to a new survey. Smart Cities for All, a global initiative comprising non-profits G3it and World Enabled, says just 18% of experts confirm that the smart city initiatives familiar to them use international standards for ICT accessibility. ICT accessibility is the quality of a mainstream technology to be used by the widest range of users regardless of abilities or disabilities…

The Americans With Disability Act Of 1990 Poses Legal Challenge For Winery Websites Today

May 10, 2019 | Source: Forbes

You might ask: what does the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) have to do with selling wine? Plenty, is the answer from Barbara Snider, at Hinman & Carmichael, LLP. According to Snider, “ There is an on-going ADA regulations battle being waged against commercial websites ; including those operated by wineries and other alcoholic beverage industry members.” Many small companies have been targeted by ADA compliance lawsuits lately, but Snider says, “Wineries and alcoholic beverage industry members are the new targets…” and it’s happening online…

Over 6,000 Instances of ADA Noncompliance on COC Campus

May 9, 2019 | Source: Santa Clarita Gazette

In the College of the Canyons library is a black three-ring binder called the ADA Transition Plan. At about four inches thick, it runs 295 pages and details the more than 6,000 instances the school was found noncompliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as recommendations on how to fix them and the expected completion dates. It’s not known what has been fixed because the plan has not been updated, although many projects were supposed to be completed by the last day of 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018…

Two disability discrimination complaints no longer listed on education department website

May 13, 2019 | Source: GW Hatchet

Two federal investigations into disability discrimination complaints were removed from the Department of Education website. Two disability complaints, filed by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, were first listed on the Department of Education website on Feb. 7 and were removed from the website in April. Officials said one complaint was withdrawn, and the University was not notified about the status of the other unlisted complaint…

Mobile apps give the blind and visually impaired a new sense of freedom

May 13, 2019 | Source: CNET

Ask anyone who was around before smartphones, and they’ll tell you life was different. But for Nutsiri “Earth” Kidkul, who went blind eight years ago, life-changing doesn’t begin to describe the impact of mobile apps. Before specialized apps came along, Kidkul would have to plan and prepare much more for basic tasks like grocery shopping, traveling or reading documents. What’s more, Kidkul often needed assistance from other people to go about her day…

California teen works with favorite restaurants to add braille menus

May 13, 2019 | Source: The Takeout

While a few restaurants have made strides in the field of accessibility, change doesn’t come fast enough to benefit all diners with disabilities. So Mason Fessenden, a high school senior from Monrovia, California, used a school project to create change in his own way. KABC reports on Fessenden’s push to design braille menus for local restaurants, so that he and other patrons can read the menus at favorite establishments. Fessenden, who has been blind since birth, saw his project funded through a grant…

Everything you need to know about Global Accessibility Awareness Day

May 13, 2019 | Source: Mashable

In a world of rapidly advancing technology it’s crucial to ensure companies and organizations are doing their best to make digital developments accessible to everyone. While browsing the internet, catching up on social media, or texting on mobile devices might seem like second nature to some, accessibility-related barriers prevent millions of people with disabilities from easily using basic forms of technology and, in some cases, even discourage them from going online…

Accessibility tech has a lot of unfinished business to get right

May 14, 2019 | Source: CNET

When the first iPhone came out in 2007, Erin Lauridsen was frustrated. As someone who’s blind, she was worried cellphone technology would leave people with disabilities behind. Thankfully, when the iPhone 3GS rolled out two years later, it came with VoiceOver, a screen reading technology that’s part of Apple’s iOS mobile operating system. Ten years later, Lauridsen uses her iPhone XR, along with free or low-cost accessibility apps from the App Store, to check her calendar, send emails and follow maps…

Is Your Business Organizationally Ready to Hire People with Disabilities?

May 13, 2019 | Source: CEOWORLD Magazine

People with disabilities are the largest minority in the world yet in the U.S., these individuals are twice as likely as their non-disabled peers to be unemployed, often referred to as being underemployed. I see it as being underestimated. Executives are typically not thinking about people with disabilities as college educated, skilled, high-potential leaders who have unique, innovative ideas ; rather if they do think of this segment in an employment context, it’s about compliance-related issues and requirements and/or bias (conscious and unconscious), due to fear of the unknown…

Disabled Artists Organize Festival of Self-Expression and “Access Intimacy”

May 14, 2019 | Source: Nonprofit Quarterly

Last month, a three-day arts festival “by and for disabled artists” was presented at Performance Space New York, a nonprofit venue whose website describes its “traditions of integration, political involvement and vehement interdisciplinarity.” The festival, titled “I wanna be with you everywhere” (IWBWYE), was developed by a diverse group of artists working with the UK-based political arts nonprofit Arika in collaboration with Performance Space New York and the Whitney Museum of American Art…

“Inclusive” playgrounds go beyond accessibility to helping communities thrive

May 14, 2019 | Source: Franklin Home Page

While the Americans with Disabilities Act may have been well-intentioned with its guidelines for children’s play space that became law in 2010, the whole idea of it actually has been quite limiting. That’s part of the message that Jill Moore, marketing and inclusion specialist with the Minnesota-based Landscape Structures, delivered at Franklin Tomorrow’s FrankTalks session Monday at High Hopes Development Center. The theme focused on inclusive playgrounds, which are part of the plan for Franklin’s proposed Southeast Park…

Disabled man says airline denied his crucial medical device: ‘People in wheelchairs should be able to fly’

May 14, 2019 | Source: Yahoo& USA Today & Travel Pulse

A severely disabled man can’t board his upcoming Southwest Airlines flight with a crucial medical device his doctor recommended. Jon Morrow, 36, a blogger and public speaker in Austin, Texas, was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a genetic disorder damaged his ability to move. Morrow has used a wheelchair since the age of 4 but his progressive condition has left him motionless, except for facial movement. Morrow now steers his wheelchair with a special tube that utilizes the pressure of his breath…

Disability rights groups sue MTA, say NYC subway renovations without elevators break the law

May 15, 2019 | Source: NY Daily News & amNY & City Limits & Law.com

Legislators may force MTA to install elevators during extensive subway renovations

May 16, 2019 | Source: amNY

Disability rights groups filed a major lawsuit against the MTA Wednesday, arguing the agency’s repeated decisions to complete major subway station renovations without adding handicap-accessible features violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. The suit specifically refers to the statute of the ADA requiring public entities make transit stations accessible to those with disabilities and those who use wheelchairs whenever it changes the usability of a station…

Parking in a handicapped spot when you don’t need to is not only illegal, but hurtful

May 15, 2019 | Source: KTHV

In January it became illegal to park in a van accessible space if you do not have a van accessible sticker on top of your handicapped plate, but one woman said she still sees people misusing these spaces. “Most people, when they park in these spots, they’re like ‘Oh, it’ll be just for a minute, or there’s tons of spots it won’t really affect anyone,’” Marti Boren said. Tuesday night, Marti Boren took her sister Ashlynn out to get ice cream…

Accessibility needs to be at the forefront of tech — here’s why

May 16, 2019 | Source: TNW

Designing products for people with disabilities has never been so important

May 16, 2019 | Source: TNW

In March 2019 IKEA was praised for partnering with nonprofits to develop accessories that make its products more accessible for people with impairments. It’s a novel step forward but I can’t shake the feeling we need to reframe the conversation on accessibility in technology entirely. Accessibility should be a topic at the forefront of design. Here’s why: Roughly one in five people in the US have registered with a disability, with a similar figure for the UK…

It’s your community, too

May 16, 2019 | Source: Momentum

Boston is the birthplace of American independence. Established nearly 400 years ago, it’s where angry colonists revolted against British tea taxes, where the Revolutionary War commenced and where a judicial decree made Massachusetts the first U.S. state to abolish slavery. For residents with disabilities, however, Boston hasn’t always lived up to its promise of liberty. To them, Boston won’t be a truly free city until it’s a truly accessible one. “The city of Boston is an old city,” says Boston native Christos Koutrobis, whose father John Koutrobis has lived with multiple sclerosis for about 36 years…

Diabetes Can Make You Blind

May 16, 2019 | Source: South Sound Talk

“Mary” is a very fit woman in her early fifties who is just slightly overweight. She has been a patient of mine for the last 10 years. For the first 5years, Mary’s diabetes was not very well controlled. She did not like to come to the doctor’s office regularly since she felt fine. She takes metformin (Glucophage) and glipizide (Glucotrol). Mary refused insulin since she does not like injections. We talked about ways to better manage her diabetes mellitus (DM) including scheduling regular diabetic vision tests but she preferred to stay the course with no changes…

Seeing a challenge, not a disability

May 16, 2019 | Source: Jewish Standard

“Blindness doesn’t have to be scary. With support and with courage, blind people can be completely integrated and independent in our society. People have a lot to offer even if they are vision impaired.” So says Leo Brandstatter of Fair Lawn, the executive director of the American arm of the 117-year-old Jerusalem Institute for the Blind. Formerly called the Jewish Institute for the Blind, the organization, headquartered in Jerusalem’s Kiryat Moshe neighborhood, offers educational, vocational, rehabilitative, and health and social welfare resources for blind and visually impaired children and teenagers throughout Israel…

Iowa soccer player overcomes deafness, plans to play in college

May 16, 2019 | Source: WQAD

For all the noise there is in soccer, Ethan Froehlich experiences a silent sport. “The only limitation I have is the fact that I don’t hear,” Ethan said. Ethan has Goldenhar Syndrome, a rare congenital condition in which parts of the face don’t develop properly or at all. Each case is different, and Ethan had additional problems beyond the developmental. “A heart murmur,” Ethan’s mother, Traci, said. “He has scoliosis of the spine, he has a little hemivertebrae.”…

Jack Fact — About 5.8 million Americans now have the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. That number will climb to at least 13.8 million by 2050, a 138% rise, and as many as 1 in 3 people who live to be 85 in the United States will die with Alzheimer’s disease.

Hit The Road Jack-Why you should consider Portugal for your next accessible holiday

International News

11 innovations that increase digital inclusion for people with disabilities

May , 2019 | Source: Daily Mail- UK

As many as one billion people—15 per cent of the world’s population—have some form of disability, with around three per cent suffering from severe disabilities, according to World Bank. For most of these people, accessing modern technology and all it has to offer presents a host of difficulties. Even something as simple as using a cell phone can be impossible. Global Accessibility Awareness Day (May 16) aims to combat that. Launched in 2015, the day is designed to get everyone thinking and talking about improving digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities…

Laws alone aren’t the answer for improving disability access, expert at Ottawa summit says

May 9, 2019 | Source: Ottawa Citizen- Canada

When it comes to accessibility, casinos lead the way. “Las Vegas figured out a long time ago that older people and seniors were the ones who sit at slot machines,” said Brad McCannell, vice-president of access and inclusion for the Rick Hansen Foundation. “They started accommodation long before the ADA because they saw it’s the little things, McCannell said, referring to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The casinos replaced the standard slot machine stools with sturdier chairs with back rests and armrests that older people need to push off to stand up…

Disabled musicians are being ‘seriously failed’ by UK venues, survey finds

May 10, 2019 | Source: The Independent- UK

Disabled musicians are not being provided with proper access and facilities at live music venues in the UK, a survey has found. Attitude is Everything asked nearly 100 deaf and disabled artists about their experiences, and found that 70 per cent had kept their disability hidden out of concern for it damaging their relationship with a venue, promoter or festival. One fifth said they had been forced to cancel gigs altogether due to lack of access, while two thirds said they had to “compromise their health or wellbeing” to perform live…

In Delhi, making elections accessible for differently-abled

May 10, 2019 | Source: The Hindu- India

On voting day on Sunday, Svayam offers mobility solutions to the disabled across the city. “The fight is tight. Each vote matters,” says Sminu Jindal, reiterating the messaging we’ve all heard many times almost every election season. But this year, she’s attempted to follow through on this. Her organisation, Svayam, has partnered with NGOs in Delhi’s South, West, and South-West constituencies to ensure that people with mobility problems aren’t hindered from exercising their franchise…

How accessible were voting stations for people living with disability?

May 10, 2019 | Source: Independent Online- South Africa

A survey conducted by the Southern African Institute of Business Accountants (SAIBA) has found that some voting stations in certain parts of the country did not have proper access for people living with a disability. The institute believes the lack of adequate accessible voting stations could have prevented a high number of disabled people from visiting voting stations on May 8 and casting their vote. The institute’s primary focus is ensuring the verification of financial statements…

Meet the ones who can’t see, but they can code

May 12, 2019 | Source: Economic Times- India

It’s interesting to observe Alok Kaushik at work. You can see him typing on a keyboard but there’s no screen. There’s no mouse either. Kaushik, a senior application developer with an e-commerce platform in the UK who works with complex software, is blind. So he has no use for a screen or a mouse. And he can code just as fast — and well — as the next guy who can see. Coming to his aid is assistive software called “screen reader” that converts written text into speech. That, essentially, has changed his world…

Blind outrage

May 12, 2019 | Source: Jamaica Gleaner- Jamaica

The reluctance of representatives at one of the country’s leading financial institutions to give blind and visually impaired individuals debit cards, and accessibility problems at ABMs locally, have led the Jamaica Society for the Blind (JSB) to appeal to the primary banking lobby for help. Executive director of the JSB, Conrad Harris, said that anecdotal accounts indicated that access to ABMs was actually decreasing for persons who are blind and visually impaired in Jamaica…

Canadian Comedy Awards to move venues after accessibility complaint

May 10, 2019 | Source: CTV News- Canada

Comedian who uses wheelchair needs portable ramp to live his dream of touring

May 10, 2019 | Source: Surrey Now-Leader

A national awards ceremony for Canadian comedy will move to an accessible venue after nominees for a performance involving themes of disability said they couldn’t attend since one of their members uses a wheelchair. The Canadian Comedy Awards, which were originally to be presented on June 2 at Yuk Yuk’s Toronto Comedy Club, will now take place at Second City, likely on a different date and time. “It is extremely important to me for everyone in our community to be heard, and to feel included,” said Kyra Williams…

Blind artist is a ‘superstar’ in the eyes of Ladner students

May 10, 2019 | Source: Delta-Optimist- Canada

Art is the catalyst for a unique school-based project teaching the importance of inclusion in the classroom. For the past month, schools in Delta and Vancouver have partnered in a pilot project with the Wingspan UBC program. During this eight-week residency, artists have been co-teaching in host classrooms and participating widely across the schools. “Our attitudes towards people with disabilities needs a major overhaul and the place to start is in our public schools,” said Dr. Leslie Roman, a professor of educational studies at UBC and visionary for the Wingspan UBC program…

Fostering Unity In Diversity: The Social Value Of European Research On Media Accessibility

May 13, 2019 | Source: EuroScientist- EU

In 2000, the European Union adopted “in varietate concordia” (united in diversity) as its motto. According to the official webpage, the expression “signifies how Europeans have come together, in the form of the EU, to work for peace and prosperity, while at the same time being enriched by the continent’s many different cultures, traditions and languages.” The strength of the European project lies precisely in the aim of creating a community by embracing the diversity of its members…

Accessible web design: an urgent priority for the public sector

May 13, 2019 | Source: Computing- UK

Currently, around 13 million people in the UK have some form of disability or condition. That’s around one-in-five people, but despite making up such a large percentage of the population, many aspects of modern life – including digital platforms – are not designed with these individuals’ needs in mind. So, too often, they are unable to access the same services or information as easily as everyone else. A recent study by Ofcom, for example, found that disabled people are less likely to use websites and apps due to widespread, alienating web design…

Do more than reserve coaches, disabled community tell Indian Railways

May 13, 2019 | Source: NewzHook- India

The Indian Railways remains the most popular mode of travel across India. Given their connectivity and prices, it’s hard to beat trains when it comes to travel. This is true for everyone, regardless of disability, but what the many infrastructure and accessibility barriers make the experience of train travel harrowing for the disabled community. Well, there is some hope in the future with the Indian Railways making some noises about a dedicated coach for people with disabilities on certain long distance trains…

Inclusive education should go beyond words

May 13, 2019 | Source: NewzHook- India

Our guest columnist this week is Sharada Devi V from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, who is studying for her doctorate in English. Her area of research is Disability Studies. This is an account of her memorable experience at a conference in Bengaluru. I have presented about 11 papers at different national and international seminars and conferences. Among them, five were presented after I started doing a Ph.D. The latest was at the International Conference on Reflections and Refractions on (Dis)ability: Interdisciplinary Perspectives organized by the Department of Humanities, Kristu Jayanti Autonomous College, Bengaluru in February this year…

Brisbane Airport supports travellers with hidden disabilities

May 13, 2019 | Source: Talking Disability- Australia

Many Australian airports offer assistance to people with disability, but Brisbane Airport’s new program will support travellers with hidden disabilities and other airports are soon to follow suite. The Australian-first program, which has already been successfully implemented in the United Kingdom, will help people with hidden conditions and disabilities such as anxiety, autism or dementia feel less overwhelmed in the often chaotic airport environment…

Shanghai Disney Resort unveils accessibility report

May 13, 2019 | Source: China.org- China

Shanghai Disney Resort Monday unveiled its first ever accessibility report to further improve the experience of guests with disabilities. It is part of the resort’s week-long campaign to raise the public’s awareness to support people with disabilities in the lead up to China’s National Day of Helping the Disabled which falls on May 19 this year. The report highlighted the resort’s accessible facilities and other services designed for people with disabilities, including blind roads, braille guidebooks and tactile maps for blind guests…

Driverless technologies must cater to those with accessibility issues, says UK government

May 14, 2019 | Source: E&T Magazine- UK & Traffic Technology Today

DfT calls for new technology to transform transport accessibility, but union warns against ‘faceless’ railway

May 14, 2019 | Source: Rail Technology Magazine- UK

Forthcoming transport technologies such as driverless cars should be designed to support people with disabilities according to the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT). Jesse Norman, future of mobility minister, said that self-driving vehicles and the increased use of mobile apps have the potential to “revolutionise” everyday journeys for people with movement issues and that this should be a key consideration for companies developing the technology…

Advocates call on Toronto to address accessibility challenges

May 14, 2019 | Source: Toronto.com- Canada

Accessibility advocates are lauding a provocative awareness campaign launched by the city to highlight the mobility barriers faced by people living with disability. But they want to see the city do more than just bring attention to the issue of accessibility, and actively work to make improvements. Feeling Left Out? is one part of a series of city-led initiatives intended to foster inclusion as part of the Toronto for All campaign. For this particular undertaking, the city teamed up with the Centre for Independent Living Toronto (CILT)…

Spinal Cord Injury BC encourages communities to plan for more accessibility

May 14, 2019 | Source: Williams Lake Tribune- Canada

People with disabilities want access to the outdoors like everyone else, said Heather Lamb, information resource specialist with Spinal Cord Injury BC in Prince George. “It is important to create communities that meet everyone’s needs,” Lamb told delegates during the North Central Local Government Association Convention in Williams Lake, noting Spinal Cord Injury BC began seeing a trend about a decade ago of people with disabilities inquiring about what communities had accessible amenities…

Canada’s Senate Passed Bill C-81, The Proposed Accessible Canada Act

May 14, 2019 | Source: BBG Architecture Life- Canada

Hon. Jim Munson moved third reading of Bill C-81, An Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada, as amended. He said: Honourable senators, what a journey we have been on. What a journey all of us have been on. Senators, as the sponsor of this bill, I’m pleased to speak tonight at the third reading of Bill C-81, An Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada, also known as the Accessible Canada Act. I am humbled and honoured to speak to a bill that will no doubt become a proud part of Canadian history…

Election Commission falls short of accessibility goals, faces heat from disability rights groups

May 15, 2019 | Source: NewzHook- India

The Story of the Week is on the elections and just how accessible the entire exercise has been for the disabled community around India. The general elections are coming to a close with just one more phase left on 19 May. There was an impressive turnout witnessed from the disabled community with the Election Commission of India (ECI) making special efforts to make voting accessible. So, how has it panned out on the ground? Well, the views are rather mixed…

Local councils commit to disability-friendly neighbourhoods

May 15, 2019 | Source: Australian Ageing Agenda- Australia

Logan City Council in Brisbane earlier this month officially launched its four year Access and Inclusion Plan containing over 80 actions resulting from a consultation process involving more than 36,000 community members. The Logan Local Government Area has the eighth largest population in Australia, with over 319,000 residents. The population is expected to increase to around 473,000 by 2031. Silvio Trinca (C) with Logan City residents Tara Collyer and Jackson Dunkley at the launch of council’s accessibility plan…

Online Dating And The Saga Of Blind Dates

May 16, 2019 | Source: Feminism in India- India

Yes… you heard that one right! Cautious, careful me knows what Tinder and online dating is. Since I have always been a sucker for sop and inhale romances like the oxygen I breathe, this whole concept has intrigued me. Coming from a century ago, I must be among the dinosaurs of the online dating world. In fact, my orientation and initiation to Tinder was thanks to this young 17-year-old German legally deaf-blind genius (who also referred to himself as my adopted son)…

Epilepsy prediction device receives Microsoft grant

May 16, 2019 | Source: The University of Sydney- Australia

The University of Sydney’s Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies has been awarded an AI for Accessibility grant from Microsoft to support its efforts developing solutions that improve the independence for people living with epilepsy. There are approximately 250,000 people living with epilepsy in Australia and 65 million worldwide. Epilepsy and the unpredictably of the recurrent seizures can impact the independence and confidence of people living with the disease…

Game changing innovations that enable inclusion – Global Accessibility Awareness Day special

May 16, 2019 | Source: NewzHook- India

100 million of India’s population has some form of disability. For many of them, accessing modern technology comes with a host of difficulties. Today, 16 May, Global Accessibility Awareness Day, aims to change that. Launched in 2015, this is a day that is meant to get people thinking about how we can all improve digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities. So, what are some of the game changing innovations that have enabled digital inclusion for people with disabilities?…

Addressing the challenges of live subtitles for all

May 16, 2019 | Source: EuroScientist- Spain

Internet, audiovisual media and digital technology are transforming our world. Their potential, however, will not be fully realised until they become fully accessible, enabling all citizens to participate in everyday life. Audiovisual translation and media accessibility have become drivers of social inclusion and integration. In the area of subtitling for viewers with hearing loss in particular, a key priority for them is to have access to live content such as news and public events…

Minister Qualtrough celebrates Global Accessibility Awareness Day

May 16, 2019 | Source: NewsWire- Canada

Government of Canada creates centre of expertise for accessibility in federal procurement

May 16, 2019 | Source: Yahoo- Canada

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, today issued the following statement: “Today marks the 8th Global Accessibility Awareness Day, which aims to recognize the importance of digital access and inclusion for persons with disabilities. Technology and the Internet play such a crucial role in everyone’s day-to-day life. For persons with disabilities, these tools play an even bigger role as they help build bridges with friends, family, workplaces and communities…

‘Barrier after barrier’ as disabled community locked out of housing

May 16, 2019 | Source: Stuff- New Zealand

A shortage of wheelchair-accessible homes in Auckland has locked disabled people out of the market, according to critics at a local government meeting. Dan Buckingham, wheelchair user and Auckland Council Disability Advisory Panel deputy chair, said he experienced “major difficulty” finding a home suited for his mobility needs. “It’s really hard to buy a house when you live with a physical disability. Very seldom is there a house that I can roll straight into,” he said…

Digital Accessibility Awareness Grows As Businesses Acknowledge The Need For Change

May 16, 2019 | Source: Which-50- Australia

Awareness of digital accessibility in Australia is growing thanks to the work of advocates and a global shift towards inclusive design. But for users, the pace of change seems glacial as many organisations continue to view accessibility as an “add on” feature to their technology. That approach inevitably causes undue problems and costs, according to advocates in the sector. It is a point underscored by the latest high profile case, the Commonwealth Bank’s bungled “Albert” terminals…

Apple’s path of accessibility lands Canadian Helen Keller award in deaf-blind achievement

May 16, 2019 | Source: Mobile Syrup- Canada

On May 1st, Apple was presented the Canadian Helen Keller award in achievements and contributions towards the disability of deaf-blindness and for raising awareness. Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s director of global accessibility policy and initiatives, said in an interview at Apple Canada that the company was honoured to receive the award and recognition. “I think it shows some of the leadership we’ve done through the years. Apple has led the field in trying to include accessibility into our products…

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