Accessibility in the News — 4/16/2021.
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“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” ― Walt Whitman
Accessibility in the News, Legal Edition: Updates on ADA Title III News
Feature Stories
Justice Department Moves to Intervene in Disability Discrimination Suit Against City of Chicago Regarding Pedestrians with Visual Disabilities
April 9, 2021 | Source: ADA
DOJ lights a fire under Chicago officials to speed up accessible pedestrian signal installation
April 9, 2021 | Source: Streetsblog Chicago & WTTW
The Justice Department moved to intervene in a disability discrimination lawsuit that private plaintiffs with visual disabilities brought against the City of Chicago under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504). The department’s proposed complaint alleges that the city fails to provide people who are blind, have low vision, or are deaf-blind with equal access to pedestrian signal information at intersections. Pedestrian signal information, such as a flashing “Walk/Don’t Walk” signal, indicates when it is safe to cross the street…
Accused of discrimination in lawsuit, town to improve accessibility at Old Greenwich School
April 9, 2021 | Source: The Wilton Bulletin
A federal complaint filed with the Office of Civil Rights alleging possible discrimination as a result of problems of inaccessibility at Old Greenwich School has been resolved by the Board of Education. An investigation into the complaint was launched Dec. 15 by the OCR, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, and was settled by the school board at its meeting Thursday night…
Court rules grocery store’s inaccessible website isn’t an ADA violation
April 10, 2021 | Source: Ars Technica & Goodwin & ABA Banking Journal & Ogletree Deakins & Bryan Cave & Rumberger | Kirk & K&L Gates & Fisher Phillips & William D. Goren & Locke Lord & BakerHostetler & Cincinnati & Quarles & Brady & Littler & Lainey Feingold
A federal appeals court struck a significant blow against disability rights this week when it ruled that a Florida grocery store’s inaccessible website did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ruling contradicts a 2019 decision by a different appeals court holding that Domino’s did violate the ADA when it failed to make its app accessible to blind people. The disagreement between courts creates uncertainty about the rules that will govern online accessibility in the future. Winn-Dixie is a grocery store chain with locations across the American South…
Two Southern Illinois Amtrack Stations Part of $2.25 Million Justice Department Settlement
April 13, 2021 | Source: Department of Justice & Effingham’s News Leader
Patrons of two Amtrak stations in the Southern District of Illinois may be eligible for compensation as part of a recent Justice Department settlement. On January 29, federal authorities announced that a $2.25 million fund had been established to compensate travelers with a mobility disability who were harmed physically or emotionally because of accessibility issues at 78 Amtrak stations nationwide between 2013 and 2020. Included in the settlement were Amtrak stations in Centralia and Effingham, Illinois…
National News (U.S.)
Texas School for the Deaf students surprised with 30 brand new bikes
April 8, 2021 | Source: KXAN
Students at the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin got a big surprise Thursday. They received 30 brand new bicycles. This effort was started by Juan Soto and his daughter, Lucero, last year. They had the goal of repairing and giving away 100 bikes so children could have fun and get some fresh air during the pandemic. They met that goal and received a request for 30 bikes from the Texas School for the Deaf, but that was a big order to fill for the small team..
Live Music Should Be More Accessible For Disabled Fans
April 9, 2021 | Source: VICE
Renée Yoxon remembers the hours wasted before the pandemic figuring out whether or not a concert venue would be accessible to them. “I never felt good going to a venue because of my physical disability,” said Yoxon, a Montreal-based musician and music teacher who suffers from chronic joint pain and uses a rollator walker as a mobility aid. “It’s really hard to find information about whether or not a venue is accessible. You’ll call 1000 places and ask what their accessibility features are because they’re not listed on their website or on Facebook.”…
Chefs and cooks in the disability community share recipes for accessibility
April 9, 2021 | Source: Los Angeles Times
Cooking tips and tools for the blind and disabled
April 9, 2021 | Source: Los Angeles Times
Chef Regina Mitchell’s Zoom cooking class begins like a lot of Zooms: friendly banter, reminders to mute here, some technical adjustments there. A few minutes after the 4:30 p.m. start time, there are about 20 people on the call. The menu for tonight: a vegetable stir-fry and a lemongrass-ginger soda. “The blind can cook!” she says to the camera and laughs. “People say when you have lemons, you make lemonade. I turn lemons into limoncello. Or a lemon pavlova.”…
ADA Lawsuit Targets Wine.com
April 9, 2021 | Source: Wine Business
The online retail wine store wine.com allegedly does not comply with federal law for the disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to a class action lawsuit. New York resident Milton Williams, who is legally blind, said he was filing the complaint on behalf of himself and other visually impaired or legally blind individuals, according to the complaint. Williams seeks a court order to have the website be “accessible to blind and visually-impaired consumers,” according to the court filing…
Regulators Make Headway on Wheelchair Access for Ride-Hail
April 9, 2021 | Source: Streetsblog California
The state of California just took an important step forward to improve accessibility for users of wheelchairs and medical scooters on ride-hailing apps like Uber, Lyft, or HopSkipDrive. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is working to implement a 2018 bill (S.B. 1376) that requires ride-hailing companies to make rides on their apps more readily available to these riders. The bill instructed the CPUC to create a new “Access for All Fund” that would be distributed to all ride-hail companies to help them make necessary investments to provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs)…
NYC: A Dream or a Nightmare for People with Disabilities?
April 9, 2021 | Source: Women’s eNews
Improvements being steadily made to transit accessibility
April 11, 2021 | Source: amNY
New York City is a difficult city to navigate and reside in for many, but it can be even more challenging for people with disabilities. I moved from Las Vegas, Nevada to Manhattan in the fall of 2019 to attend graduate school at New York University. My mom worried about me, a wheelchair user, leaving the highly accessible city of Las Vegas to move across the country to NYC, but I had found the city to be fairly accessible during my previous visits here. I quickly realized that my prior visits to the city were filled with tourist activities, all of which were built for a wide variety of people and therefore, offered better accessibility…
Online instruction has been liberating, and vexing, for students with disabilities
April 11, 2021 | Source: Newsday
College administrators say they hope to bring back in-person classes by the fall, setting aside much of the remote online instruction that defined the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. And most undergraduates can’t wait. Just not Jessica Karim. Karim is a blind 20-year-old from the Bronx who is studying to become a social worker at Adelphi College in Garden City. She is happy to take classes in her dorm room all day rather than navigate between buildings worrying, “Could I be late? How do I get there?” “It’s taken a lot of anxiety off the table,” Karim said…
Penn Scientists Correct Genetic Blindness With a Single Injection into the Eye
April 11, 2021 | Source: Free Think & The Daily Pennsylvanian
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have reversed a genetic form of blindness in a patient using just one course of antisense oligonucleotide therapy, Clinical OMICS reports. The therapy, which takes aim at mutant RNA, was injected into the patient’s eyes a year ago, in a trial treating Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). LCA predominantly affects the retina, leaving people with severely impaired vision from birth, according to the NIH. The trial, held at the Scheie Eye Institute at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, focused on using antisense oligonucleotide therapy to treat LCA patients with one of the disease’s most common mutations.
University of Kentucky Faculty Member, Alumna Expand Access for Students Who Are Blind
April 13, 2021 | Source: UKNow
For Sydney Clark, every day presents challenges. She was born with a genetic condition that resulted in vision loss over time. By the time she was a teenager, she was almost completely blind. “Accessibility is always an issue,” Clark said. “I’ve never had an experience where accessibility wasn’t an issue.” But Clark never allowed her disability to stop her from achieving her goals. And one of those goals was to attend the University of Kentucky. The transition from high school to college can be challenging for any new student…
Playgrounds Designed With Accessibility In Mind Make Play Fun for Every Kid
April 13, 2021 | Source: Next City
When it comes to providing play opportunities to children with disabilities, not all playgrounds are created equal. On most playgrounds in the United States, complex play structures with lots of stairs and uneven ground coverings like woodchips or gravel make play inaccessible to kids who depend on mobility aids like wheelchairs or walkers. Traditional swings or narrow slides are inaccessible to kids who need a caregiver’s support or the extra safety feature of a harness to use them…
A Deaf Visual-Sound Artist Is Working to Make VR More Accessible
April 13, 2021 | Source: Willamette Week
Before exploring virtual realities, Myles de Bastion had dedicated his artistic life to the deaf and hard of hearing. The deaf Portland musician, designer and inventor had pioneered technologies translating live music into light and vibrations—featured everywhere from the Portland Art Museum to Jimmy Kimmel Live. When COVID-19 forced people to insulate themselves in their own little worlds, de Bastion and the deaf community were faced with a discouraging question: Were those little worlds any more accessible than the average office or music venue?…
Airbnb Accessibility Boss Suzanne Edwards Talks New Online Experiences And Neurodiversity
April 14, 2021 | Source: Forbes
San Francisco-based Airbnb late last month introduced new online experiences built with neurodiversity in mind. In a blog post, the company announced there are twelve new experiences that range from dance classes that teach coordination and fitness to music and skateboarding lessons to spending time with therapy llamas and more. “Designed by hosts to meet the varying needs of many neuro-diverse guests, these Online Experiences are bookable by everyone,” Airbnb wrote…
North Dakota lawmakers OK accessibility updates to Capitol
April 14, 2021 | Source: INFORUM
The North Dakota Legislature has approved a $750,000 appropriation to make the state Capitol in Bismarck more accessible to people with disabilities. The state Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday, April 14, to pass Senate Bill 2146, which will now go to Gov. Doug Burgum. The proposed improvements to bathrooms, entrances, committee rooms and several other public areas aim to bring the nearly 90-year-old building up to the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was updated a decade ago…
Study reveals glaucoma may be more than eye pressure issue
April 14, 2021 | Source: Hindustan Times & Idaho State Journal & Study Finds
A new study conducted in rats shows that chemical known to protect nerve cells also slows glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness. A new study conducted in rats shows that chemical known to protect nerve cells also slows glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness. Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the study centers on the watery fluid inside the eye on which its function depends. Fluid pressure can build up in patients with glaucoma, wearing down cells in the eye and the nerves connecting them to the brain, researchers said…
Meteorologist receives outpouring of support after post about hearing aids
April 15, 2021 | Source: ABC & WLNS
A meteorologist has received an outpouring of support after posting to social media about her use of hearing aids. Meaghan Thomas, 31, a meteorologist for Nashville, Tennessee, ABC affiliate WKRN, decided to reintroduce herself after receiving a new batch of followers on social media. She posted about things she likes to do, like listening to country music and playing with her dog, and about her use of hearing aids. The post has received thousands of likes and shares on Facebook and Twitter.
Jack Fact — According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately 20% of the U.S. population is deaf or hard-of-hearing. However, studies suggest 80 to 90% of those in the deaf community with mental illness don’t have access to mental health services, compared to about 64% of the general population.
Hit The Road Jack — Summer 2021 Means More Beach Mats
International News
Internet banking outcry: All banks should have a ‘neuro-diverse’ person on their board
April 9, 2021 | Source: Stuff- New Zealand
Every bank should have a neuro non-typical person on their board, or their technology sub-committee, says the chairman of Dylsexia New Zealand, Guy Pope-Maxwell. MPs were told on Wednesday that the rush to ditch queues and close bank branches, and to force everyone to transact electronically was happening without consideration for as many as one million “neuro-diverse” people living with conditions like dyslexia and traumatic brain injuries. National MP Andrew Bayly petitioned the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee for an investigation into whether the headlong rush to online banking was creating barriers…
U-Beach study focuses on accessibility for all abilities
April 10, 2021 | Source: Bundaberg Now- Australia
CQUniversity researchers exploring ways to make beaches more accessible want to hear how older residents and people living with disability or mobility limitations currently use the beach. The U-BEACH: Tides of Change study is led by CQUniversity Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy academics, and will inform planning for improved beach accessibility throughout Australia, and impacts of beach-based therapeutic interventions. Bundaberg-based research leader Sasha Job said the pilot study for this project has already helped drive Bundaberg’s first accessible beach, which she is hopeful will launch later this year…
ABLE: a documentary on accessibility in Alberta
April 10, 2021 | Source: CityNews- Canada
When she was 17 years old, Kiesha Mastrodimos was in a car accident that changed her life forever. Paralyzed from the chest down, Mastrodimos has spent the last eight years becoming accustomed to life in a wheelchair. Now, alongside Grande Prairie filmmaker Mariah Braun, she is sharing her story with the world. “ABLE” is a new documentary by Braun, starring Mastrodimos, which highlights the struggles faced by differently abled people in rural areas…
Visually impaired struggle with NCERT e-textbooks
April 11, 2021 | Source: The Hindu- India
For Class VII student Tejasvi Raj, doing his daily homework comes with the double challenge of being a visually impaired student in the COVID-19 era of virtual schooling. His screen reading software can’t access the PowerPoint presentation that his teachers had prepared for online school. E-textbooks provided on the government’s virtual platform DIKSHA, which it has promoted as a transformative resource for digital education, are not fully accessible either…
Visually impaired users complain after rail websites go greyscale for Prince Philip
April 12, 2021 | Source: The Guardian- UK & Yahoo & Daily Mail & Independent & thejournal.ie & Entertainment Daily & Scottish Daily Record & Morning Star Online & Daily Express & 7NEWS.com.au
Three UX and accessibility lessons from National Rail’s greyscale fiasco
April 12, 2021 | Source: Econsultancy- UK
A leading sight charity has stressed the need for inclusive web design after rail websites switched to black and white to mark Prince Philip’s death, leaving partially sighted people struggling. Network Rail and National Rail websites turned from colour to greyscale in a tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh. The gesture backfired after customers highlighted accessibility issues and complained they could no longer use the website. Other train operators, including CrossCountry and Northern rail, had also removed colour from their websites…
Accessible tourism scheme piloted on Anglesey
April 12, 2021 | Source: North Wales Chronicle- UK
Anglesey has been chosen by PIWS, a community initiative, for a pilot scheme which aims to put Access for All at the heart of the island’s tourism and leisure sector. With 14.1 million people registered disabled in the UK, it is estimated that 1 in 4 families visiting Wales have a disabled member in their family, and with only 10 per cent using a wheelchair accessibility isn’t limited to those with mobility and physical impairments as 80 per cent have a “hidden condition”…
Gozo law courts fail accessibility audit
April 12, 2021 | Source: Times of Malta
The Gozo law courts have failed an accessibility audit conducted by the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability which, however, stopped short of outrightly saying it was unfit for purpose. In its inspection, ordered by Magistrate Joe Mifsud, the commission noted that the law courts were not only vertically inaccessible, with stairs being the only way to get from the groundfloor to the upper levels where the courtrooms are located, but also failed the horizontal test because the different floors had several levels…
Government announces £280m funding to help improve accessibility in schools
April 12, 2021 | Source: THIIS- UK
Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will benefit from a £280 million investment from the UK Government to improve accessibility in schools. Allocated to councils in England, the money could be used to install various assistive devices, such as ceiling hoists, ramps or handrails, to support children with SEND in school. It could also be used to contribute to the cost of a new, purpose-built special school. This highlights that the government is increasingly emphasising the importance of assistive technology in helping people be more independent, which is good news for suppliers and manufacturers of these products…
Accessible ball field a million-dollar-dream coming true
April 12, 2021 | Source: CBC- Canada & Yahoo
The new Dominion Hawks ball field is expected to be a million-dollar-dream come true that will make recreational facilities accessible to everyone, with a view to match the price tag. At an event on Monday, the federal government announced a $400,000 grant toward the Hawks Dream Field project in the community of Dominion, near Sydney, N.S. The Nova Scotia government is kicking in more than $333,000 and Cape Breton Regional Municipality is contributing over $266,000, for a total of more than $1 million…
Digital generation gap: China tells companies to make their sites and apps more ‘elderly friendly’ as online population balloons
April 13, 2021 | Source: South China Morning Post
The recommended improvements in elderly-friendly designs include bigger and adjustable text sizes, text-to-speech, verifications in audio form, as well as a ban on plug-in ad links or floating ads, according to the ministry. Websites and apps are also told to omit buttons that entice elderly users to make downloads or payments and to prominently display on homepages a button to activate “elderly mode”. The latest guidelines are part of a campaign launched by MIIT in January to improve internet accessibility for the elderly and disadvantaged, which targeted a first batch of 43 apps and 115 websites…
Prince Mired, Amman mayor discuss accessibility for people with disability
April 13, 2021 | Source: Ammon News- Jordan
HH Prince Mired, president of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD), and Mayor of the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) Committee Yousef Shawarbeh, discussed issues of mutual interest to the two institutions. Discussions highlighted the importance for the GAM Law to include items that guarantee the rights of people with disabilities and their accessibility to services, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported…
On the Edge Conservation makes its kids’ YouTube series more accessible
April 13, 2021 | Source: Highlight- UK
On the Edge Conservation has launched British Sign Language episodes and subtitles for its popular YouTube series about lesser-known endangered animals, to make the content more accessible to kids who are hard of hearing and to promote reading skills. The series (which features ‘Lexi’ – a wannabe DJ and aye-aye from Madagascar, alongside ‘Eric’ – a university student who is a Chinese pangolin from Asia, and Tegan – an outgoing and quirky Kakapo from New Zealand) has been hugely popular with YouTube audiences, generating nearly half a million views since its launch in November 2020…
Accessibility isn’t an add-on when it comes to awards
April 13, 2021 | Source: Planning, BIM & Construction Today- UK
Ian Streets, managing director of About Access, marks down the judges who hand out accolades for inaccessible design. There used to be a lovely restaurant near us, a very popular place which won a good few awards for the quality of its food, the friendly and attentive service and the stylish environment. In some of these awards schemes, the judges called for evidence of accessibility and again the restaurant submitted statements that everything was on one level, the business had made adjustments to its website and had an accessible loo…
More needed to improve accessibility in public spaces for persons with disabilities
April 14, 2021 | Source: The Straits Times- Singapore
On his way home from work one day and walking towards Serangoon MRT station, Mr Ng Choon Hwee, who is fully blind, bumped into one of the pillars of the sheltered walkway and cut his head. “Even though I was using my cane and I know the route well, I still bumped into the pillar as the placement (of all the pillars) is not standard,” said Mr Ng, 65. It can be difficult enough navigating as a person with visual impairment, but when infrastructure is unpredictable, it makes it even harder, he added…
Province Investing More Than $21 Million To Increase Accessibility And Enhance Quality Of Life For Manitobans With Disabilities
April 14, 2021 | Source: Manitoba- Canada
The province is supporting accessibility and greater protection for Manitobans living with disabilities through a new $20-million endowment fund that will provide grants to municipalities, businesses and organizations to help eliminate barriers to their services, Families Minister Rochelle Squires announced today. “Our government is committed to ensuring services throughout the province are accessible and inclusive,” said Squires. “This investment will enable businesses, municipalities and organizations to make changes needed to ensure the services, goods and supports they provide are easily available to all Manitobans.”…
British Airways CEO Calls For Government To Make Travel Accessible
April 14, 2021 | Source: Simple Flying- UK
Sean Doyle, CEO of British Airways, has called on the United Kingdom’s government to ensure that travel remains accessible once non-essential travel resumes. Additionally, Doyle revealed that British Airways is working to bring down the cost of PCR COVID-19 tests for arrivals. Last week the United Kingdom revealed its framework for reopening international travel. As things stand, passengers from low-risk counties will need to pay at least £100 for COVID-19 tests, while orange country passengers are looking at double this…
‘We are changing lives by helping people to hear’
April 15, 2021 | Source: The Irish Examiner- Ireland
In its position as Ireland’s largest provider of hearing aids and services, Hidden Hearing aims to expand over the coming years with plans to employ up to 150 extra staff and open an additional 20 clinics. Deemed an essential service, Hidden Hearing has remained open during the pandemic, going into ‘care mode’ to provide aftercare and battery supply service to clients throughout the country. It currently operates 83 outlets employing 160 staff, including a Dublin audiology training centre.
COVID-19 Resources and Information
- Checklist for Mentally Healthy Workplaces- EARN (PDF)
- How to Build Successful mHealth and Telehealth Applications- Applause
- EARN’s Mental Health Toolkit: Resources for Fostering a Mentally Healthy Workplace
- Appointments, vaccinations harder to access for people with disabilities- Arizona Daily Star
- What Is Your Organization’s Long-Term Remote Work Strategy?- Harvard Business Review
- States Offer Transportation to Increase Access to Vaccinations- The Council of State Governments
- CiTR’s Content Creators Roundtable discussed how the pandemic has affected disabled creators- Ubyssey Online
- Share Your Story: Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities Seeks Input on Vaccine, COVID-19 Experiences
Accessibility Blogs and Information
- 2nd Annual Yale ITS GAAD Challenge
- 5 Common Digital Accessibility Issues To Avoid- Brielle Cayer
- The Need for Better Accessibility in A Digital Age- InDepthNews
- Oakland University increases web accessibility effort- Oakland Post
- Why tech accessibility matters, and the long road to improving it- CNET
- Accessible Design Boosts Principles and Aesthetics- Canadian Architect
- Incorporate diversity and inclusion in technology design- The Server Side
- How a blind data scientist writes code- Deloitte’s Financial Services Blog
- Accessible city planning starts with unbiased data insight- Smart Cities Dive
- University offers support to professionally caption course videos- UTSA Today
- Microsoft’s program promotes inclusivity in the workplace- manilastandard.net
- 10 things we want for disabled people in the next 10 years- Disability Horizons
- Ten ways to make digital communications more accessible- Charity Digital News
- Dukes on wheelchairs share perspectives of campus and accessibility- The Breeze
- Website Accessibility: What Apartment Operators Need to Know- Multi-Housing News
- Practical Tips for Accessibility, Search & Human Experience Design- Kim Krause Berg
- Study Identifies Mechanism that May Cause Blindness- University Of Maryland, Baltimore
- ‘Inclusive Making’ Helps Students Design for People with Disabilities- Northwestern Engineering
- Donald Thompson: Talking disability and inclusion with Ablr CEO John Samuel- WRAL Tech Wire
- Spotlight on Women with Disabilities- Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (PDF)
- People with exceptionalities have critical role to play in trades, creating accessible spaces- Daily Commercial News
- Student Disability Union debuts Advocacy Project intended to increase college-wide accessibility- Berkeley Beacon
- Inclusive Community College Career Pathways: Universal Design for Learning- The Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth
- Passengers with Disabilities: Airport Accessibility Barriers and Practices and DOT’s Oversight of Airlines’ Disability-Related Training- GAO
- US Department Of Labor Opens Dialogue To Ensure Equity In Employment For People With Disabilities From Historically Underserved Communities
- Podcast Transcript: Mosen At Large 105, the AccessiBe controversy. Can AI make the web fully accessible in a few short years, or might it make matters worse?
Accessibility Announcements and Products
- Major Release of MyQ X 8.2
- Trader Joe’s new move toward accessibility
- BTA & OBMI Partner To Help Accessibility
- The Bootcamper’s Guide to Web Accessibility
- GBH Names First Executive Director of Accessibility
- Microsoft buying speech recognition firm Nuance in $16B deal
- Access Mat to Be Installed At Venice Beach to Increase Accessibility
- FCC Seeks Comment on Updating Its CVAA Disability Access Rules
- Virtual Walk With Ease class increases accessibility to disabled adults
- Ablr and The Diversity Movement announce joint strategic partnership
- Oregon state parks to become more accessible to people with disabilities
- City of Chilliwack website offers new options for people with disabilities
- CommonLook Gives Back to Higher Ed with Free Software and Training
- Stark opens Public Library to shape ‘largest’ digital accessibility resource
- ClearCaptions Certified for Fully Automatic IP Captioned Phone Service
- Canine Companions’ life-changing mission- Saluting Independence 2021
- New Wheelchair Prototype Seat Promises Accessibility for In-Flight Travel
- New partnership to ‘transform’ home deliveries for customers with disabilities
- Everything You Need to Know About Tovala, the Accessible Meal Delivery Kit
- Groundbreaking held for Traffic Way pedestrian and accessibility improvements
- Accessibility project underway at Comox Valley Child Development Association
- LG commits to making home appliances more accessible to physically challenged
- UNWTO, ONCE Foundation and ENAT – Delivering Accessible Tourism for All
- HKU wins most top awards again in Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme 2020/21
- Realync Announces WCAG 2.1 Compliance, Enabling Web Accessibility in Multifamily
- Texas Workforce Commission Launches “We Hire Ability” Employer Recognition Program
- Smart Tasks now supports Apple Watch, Apple Pencil, and VoiceOver for improved accessibility
- World Health Organization launches Progress Indicators to measure access to assistive technology
- Vispero and Revolve Win Top Honors at TravelAbility’s Barrier-Breaking Adaptive Product PitchFest
- Mediaplanet Partners with Ocular Leaders of Industry to Advocate for Accessibility to Eye Health in 2021
- A Symposium on the relation between autism and addiction: for an increased collaboration between services
- TTC Becomes First Approved Supplier of Accessibility Services for Both Australian & New Zealand Digital Marketplaces
- Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia invest $733,000 in accessible sports infrastructure that will benefit all Cape Breton residents
Accessibility Forums, Tips, and Gaming
- An accessible toggle
- Designing Custom Focus Indicators
- Welcome To Blind Accessibility Tips!
- Introduction to Screen Reader Instruction
- Modern CSS Upgrades To Improve Accessibility
- Practical accessibility, part 2: Name (almost) everything
- How To Disable Auto-Brightness On The iPhone And iPad
- Game Subscriptions Open Doors for Players With Disabilities
- What can real-money gaming learn from video games about accessibility?
- How to turn on hidden Sky Q dark mode and why this feature is more than just a new look
- Game subscriptions like Xbox Game Pass make gaming more accessible for disabled gamers
- iPhone 12 series fluctuating brightness/dim screen issue reported by some, but we have workarounds
- PlayStation 5 System Update Patch Notes Reveal More Accessibility and Display Options to Join the USB Storage Expansion
Accessibility Statements
- com
- sh
- iG Publishing
- Bank of America
- Elsevier Healthcare
- Liverpool City Library
- Housing Rights Center
- Dominique Ansel Online
- Yarra Plenty Regional Library
- Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring
- Accessibility in the News: Accessibility Statement Pages
Microassist Digital Accessibility Services
Have you received an accessibility demand letter because of your website or application? Please contact us for any questions you have about our accessibility services and how we might support your organization.
Services include:
- 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.
Our most popular commentaries include:
- The WCAG 2.1 Update: A Brief Look at What’s Changed
- Introducing VPAT®0, the More Stringent Accessibility Reporting Tool Required for Government IT Procurement
- Accessibility in the News, Legal Edition: Updates on ADA Title III News and More
- What Lawyers Need to Know: A Primer on Digital Accessibility Terms and Today’s Legal Landscape
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