Accessibility in the News—11/25/16
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is front and center in this issue of Accessibility in the News (AITN). Originally affecting physical spaces, the federal government continues to take seriously reports of ADA violations, such as those in Sioux Falls, Iowa. Litigation experts are advising banking and retail industries about the growing need to apply those principles in digital environments, noting the upward trend of websites targeted for alleged ADA violations. Bowling Green, Kentucky, takes the initiative in providing safe access to transportation, and Canadians continue to innovate to improve the lives of those with disabilities: This week’s notable tools include a mobile mapping app that informs people of accessible businesses and greater availability of broadcast transcripts. Voices from several countries, including India and Israel, call for greater accessibility awareness in digital and physical spaces, even as a Deaf high schooler from South Korea proves that hearing isn’t required to be a top tennis player.
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Client Alert: Banks and Thrifts: Please do NOT Ignore the Latest Wave of Website Inaccessibility Demand Letters
11/21 | Source: Lexology | Banking, Accessibility Litigation, ADA violations (alleged) | U.S.
Several law firms nationally are in the process of issuing demand letters to banks, thrifts and various other businesses alleging website access barriers. The most recent wave of demand letters specifically target the banking industry. The letters demand changes to banks’ web pages and payment of substantial legal fees based on alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA).
Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability in the “full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodation of any place of public accommodation.” Bankers will recall similar claims by law firms based on ATM accessibility challenges not long ago. Banks are considered places of public accommodation, which includes their public-facing web pages. Until very recently, plaintiffs’ law firms have focused on businesses outside the banking industry. No more…
Most popular apps inaccessible to millions of disabled, says study
11/21 | Source: The Times of India | Tech, Mobile Apps | India
Booking cabs, buying food and making payments online seem like they’re just a swipe and a tap away, but for millions of disabled Indians, these apps are not designed for them to use.
According to a study conducted by Centre for Internet and Society last month, many of the most-commonly used mobile apps for food delivery, online payments, grocery shopping and transportation were not accessible to the visually challenged. The study covered 22 apps.
The 2011 census puts the number of disabled in the country at 26 million, while advocacy groups say the real figure is closer to 150 million. Last year, India recorded nearly nine billion downloads of mobile-based applications last year…
Website Accessibility and the ADA: The Clear and Present Dangers
11/21 | Source: Chain Store Age | Business, Accessibility Litigation, ADA violations (alleged), WCAG | U.S.
In 1990, the United States Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide protections and accommodations for the millions of disabled Americans. Perhaps the most ground breaking impact of the ADA is enumerated under Title III which states that “[n]o individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation.”
Title III of the ADA by its very definition applies to “any place of public accommodation” and resulted in the enforcement of the Act against business establishments to implement accessibility standards to ensure equal enjoyment by disabled individuals. What ensued were a multitude of lawsuits where the ADA was used to ensure that retail stores, office buildings, and business establishments physically altered their structures to allow persons with disabilities equal and free access. While the ultimate ends to achieve accessibility was necessary, the means employed resulted in astronomical expenses in the form of construction costs, attorney fees and statutory penalties…
This Toronto Photographer’s App Is Remapping Accessibility Around the World
11/22 | Source: Vice | Innovation, Mobile Apps, Building Access | Toronto, Canada
Maayan Ziv was born with muscular dystrophy which she says has helped her build up a sense of resilience. “People assume that I’m a sweet little girl who has nice dreams,” she says wryly, “watch me kill that assumption.” A passionate photographer and entrepreneur, she is working to change expectations of how people with disabilities access public spaces. Her app AccessNow uses crowdsourcing to collect and share accessible spots around the city, creating a community that works together ultimately trying to give people the freedom to find ways to do what they want.
As Maayan recounts an experience of wanting to go to a bar with some friends, the frustration in her voice is palpable. “You can literally search for how much the beer’s going to be that night… You can find out anything you want about that place… You can’t find out if it’s accessible.”…
For Deaf Tennis Player, Sound Is No Barrier
11/22 | Source: The New York Times | Athletics | Seoul, South Korea
To improve its chances in the boys’ team tennis event at the National Sports Festival here, Mapo High School in Seoul brought in a ringer from Jecheon, two hours southeast of the capital. His name was Lee Duck-hee, and he had first caught the coach’s eye when he was in elementary school. Mapo High’s players pressed against the fence beside along the dusty hardcourts and chanted in support while Lee, 18, crushed forehand winners past his bespectacled opponent in the final. The 6-1, 6-1 win took little time — no surprise, as Lee is the best teenage player in South Korea, and a professional ranked 143rd in the world.
“Seeing the level of skill, power and returning is totally different than high school level,” said Jeong Yeong-sok, his doubles partner at the tournament.
Lee is exceptional among professionals, too. He is deaf, and no deaf player in the sport’s history has reached these heights. In tennis, simply seeing the ball is believed to be insufficient. Hearing the ball, top players say, enables faster reactions — a crucial advantage in a sport where powerful serves and groundstrokes mean that every tiny fraction of a second matters…
More focus needed on accessibility
11/23 | Source: The ChronicleHerald | Accessibility Awareness | Nova Scotia, Canada
I am a 52-year-old immigrant who moved to Canada in 1989. I lived in Vancouver and Toronto, and moved to Bridgetown in 2012 in a bid to live my life better with multiple sclerosis (MS).
I was diagnosed with secondary progressive MS 11 years ago and have not taken any medication. Instead, I changed my lifestyle, diet and my whole life. I walk with a cane, sometimes two, use a wheelchair for distances and use a mobility scooter in stores and locally.
For the most part, I am able to get by. People are helpful, always willing to assist, carry my groceries, help me load my car and even hold the door for me when there is no automatic door opener. However, there are still issues that most organizations ignore, especially where accessibility is concerned. Most organizations, even people in authority and politicians simply offer ‘lip service’ to accessibility…
New GO bg Transit’s pink line route “opens up” community accessibility
11/23 | Source: Bowling Green Daily News | Transportation/Transit | Bowling Green, Kentucky
Shea Odom stepped onto her bus and was eager to get to her destination on time, something she had in common with other passengers riding GO bg Transit’s new Pink Line route Tuesday morning. Odom, trying the route for the first time, was on her way to work and counting on getting to the Kroger and Kmart shopping center before her shift started at 9 a.m.
“If it wasn’t for this route, I wouldn’t be able to get to work on time,” said Odom, the mother of a 9-year-old son and her daughter who just turned 4.
GO bg Transit’s Pink Line route revved up two weeks ago, with help from funding approved by the Bowling Green City Commission, support from the United Way and a federal grant…
Promoting digital accessibility in Israel
11/23 | Source: The Jerusalem Post | Digital Accessibility | Tel Aviv, Israel
Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel, who also attended, promised to do all she could ‘to bridge the gap and make digitalization available to people with disabilities.
Oren Sagi, general manager of Cisco Israel, Bank Hapoalim CEO and President Arik Pinto, IBM Israel CEO Rick Kaplan and Yuval Wagner, founder and president of Access Israel, were among dozens of leading business people who attended a conference at Bank Hapoalim headquarters in Tel Aviv this week on introducing digital accessibility to people with disabilities…
Federal government looking over city plan to improve sidewalk accessibility
11/24 | Source: KSFY | ADA violations, Government, Transportation | Sioux Falls, Iowa
It has been a long road for a Sioux Falls man working to bring change to the city’s sidewalks. Charles Santee uses a power chair as his main form of transportation. He says ADA code violations often stop him in his tracks.
The Sioux Falls man has been working to fill in the cracks for several years. After more than a decade of his complaints being left unanswered from city officials, he filed a complaint with the Federal Highway Administration. That was two years ago.
Since then, the US agency sent a crew to Sioux Falls to investigate and drew up a letter of findings that was more than 26 pages long, chalk full of ADA violations. In September, the City of Sioux Falls responded with a plan to fix the issues…
CBC expands accessibility project for hearing-impaired audiences
11/24 | Source: CBC News | Innovation, Broadcasting, Transcription | Canada
CBC is expanding a successful pilot project to make its radio programming more accessible to those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, with As It Happens to now join The Current in posting daily show transcripts online to read, print and share. It’s part of a continuing effort to support audience members who are deaf or hard-of-hearing — an estimated 1 to 3 million Canadians, according to the Canadian Hearing Society.
Radio audiences will be able to listen and read along to individual show segments or entire episodes through a new audio player tool available for both As It Happens and The Current. Audiences will also be able to read along and listen to archived transcriptions using the new audio player…
Accessibility Training
- Creating Accessible Microsoft Office 2013 & 2016 Document
- WordCamp Denver: Accessibility Testing for WordPress
- Presentation on equal access, inclusion
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