Accessibility in the News — 7/6/18.

While disability can affect anyone of any age, growing older often brings additional health issues, diminished capabilities, and…ageism. From finding out that advertisers deliberately excluded senior citizens from their ad targeting, articles on home architecture that accommodates age and disability, and new research on aging, several stories this week touch on the topic of getting older. In our “Announcements” section, we also posted the New York Times obit on Arvid Carlsson, who discovered a treatment for a disease that affects those over 60 more than other age groups: Parkinson’s. Finally, in the “Forums, Tips, and Q&A” section, one blogger advises seniors on how to harness the power of their smartphones and tablets. Technical and developer tips area also there.

On the lower end of the human timeline, an innovative new mobile app came from the unexpected—a nine-year-old entrepreneur. In Bloomington, Illinois, kids get an inclusive playground.

In sports, World Cup jerseys were intentionally swapped to accommodate a team member’s color blindness, and the Special Olympics made history by including gamers with disabilities in the international competition.

Website lawsuits continue to make headlines. They are evolving to include class action suits and legal actions against organizations who have already settled ADA litigation with other parties.

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National News (U.S.)

Blurred Vision, Burning Eyes: This Is a Lasik Success?

June 11, 2018 | Source: New York Times | Medical, Visual Impairment, Health

Ever since he had Lasik surgery two years ago, Geobanni Ramirez sees everything in triplicate. The surgery he hoped would improve his vision left the 33-year-old graphic artist struggling with extreme light sensitivity, double vision and visual distortions that create halos around bright objects and turn headlights into blinding starbursts. His eyes are so dry and sore that he puts drops in every half-hour; sometimes they burn “like when you’re chopping onions.” His night vision is so poor that going out after dark is treacherous…

How Do We Combat Ageism? By Valuing Wisdom as Much as Youth.

June 21, 2018 | Source: Harvard Business Review | Aging, Litigation, Ageism

In a San Francisco federal court, the Communication Workers of America union recently expanded the scope of the class action suit they filed last December against some of the country’s largest employers — a diverse list of companies that included Amazon, T-Mobile, Capital One, and Enterprise Rent-a-Car — accused of deliberately targeting their Facebook ads to exclude older workers. A ProPublica investigation shows that IBM has quietly pushed out upwards of 20,000 aging workers over the past five years…

Controversial Study Suggests There’s No Limit to Human Aging

June 28, 2018 | Source: Gizmodo | Research, Aging, Medical, Health, Mortality

The older we get, the greater our likelihood of dying. Or at least that’s what we thought. New research suggests mortality rates level off after we turn 105, and that no upper limit exists for the human lifespan. It’s an extraordinary conclusion—one that’s not going over very well with other aging researchers. Back in 1825, British mathematician and actuary Benjamin Gompertz noticed a strange quirk about human aging and mortality. Our risk of dying, he observed, increases exponentially as we get older…

Alex Knoll changing lives with Ability App

June 29, 2018 | Source: Paralympic.org | Mobile App, Inclusion, Empowerment

Alex Knoll is not your average kid. At the age of just nine, he made himself into the kind of successful entrepreneur that many adults can only dream about, and became a star across the United States with a life-changing appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. How did he do it? By hitting upon an idea that no one had thought of to help people with impairments live a better life, through the creation of his ‘Ability App.’ But the idea was not something that was given to him, more one that he stumbled upon walking down the street one day…

Hamden Restaurant Settles ADA Complaint

June 29, 2018 | Source: Hamden Patch | ADA, Inclusion, Accessibility Rights, Litigation

A Hamden restaurant will make improvements to its accessibility after reaching a settlement over allegations that it wasn’t operating in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. U.S. States Attorney for Connecticut John H. Durham announced Friday that his office has reached settlement agreements with Ibiza Restaurant and Mangos, LLC in Hamden, to resolve allegations that Ibiza was not operating in compliance with the ADA. Ibiza leases its premises from Mangos…

Are People with Disabilities Welcome at Your Parish?

June 29, 2018 | Source: National Catholic Register | Religion, Accessible Churches, Inclusion

In 1978, the US Catholic Bishops wrote, “For most Catholics the community of believers is embodied in the local parish. The parish is the door to participation for individuals with disabilities, and it is the responsibility of the pastor and lay leaders to make sure that this door is always open.” Forty years later, the doors are still – sometimes literally – locked for many Catholics with disabilities. In a few short minutes of conversation prompted by a video about the need for accessibility…

A civil rights law is being violated in Centre County. Who’s hurt by it?

June 29, 2018 | Source: Centre Daily Times | Leisure, Accessible Travel, ADA, Discrimination

For Monica Miller, the regional director of C.A.R.E.S., a life-sharing and community-based adult day service in Bellefonte, planning day trips for her clients can be a careful task. For example, Miller had to cancel a day trip to a church in Bellefonte because it was not fully accessible. “Although it was a great location, beautiful church, wonderful people, we chose not to have it there because they didn’t have bathrooms that were accessible,” Miller said. All buildings, including the historical ones that line that streets of areas like Bellefonte, Philipsburg and State College — are required to follow regulations by the Americans with Disabilities Act…

Judge Strikes Down Kentucky’s Medicaid Work Rules

June 29, 2018 | Source: The New York Times | Medicaid, Health, Legislation

A federal judge on Friday blocked Kentucky’s closely watched plan to require many Medicaid recipients to work, volunteer or train for a job as a condition of coverage. The state had been poised to start carrying out the new rules next week and to phase them in fully by the end of this year. Judge James E. Boasberg of Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, an Obama appointee, ruled that the Trump administration’s approval of the plan had been “arbitrary and capricious” because it had not adequately considered whether the plan would “help the state furnish medical assistance to its citizens, a central objective of Medicaid.”…

The New Frontier of Online Accessibility: 508 Compliance Standards and What They Mean for You

June 29, 2018 Source:Business2Community | Compliance, Section 508, Website Accessibility

Change in the broad space of the internet is like a constantly revolving door. One minute you’re wondering if the investment is worth it. The next minute, you’re in the market for a site revamp because, just like fashion, trends change. Then, thanks to tablets and smartphones, you find yourself racing to make your site mobile-friendly. Is your head spinning yet? Welcome to the new frontier of internet evolution – web content accessibility and maintaining 508 compliance…

Hit refresh – Eleventh Circuit decision opens door for copycat ADA lawsuits

June 29, 2018 | Source: Eversheds Sutherland | ADA, Litigation, Website Accessibility

In a decision that may open the door for serial website accessibility lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), on June 19, 2018, the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled that the private settlement of an ADA website accessibility suit and ongoing remediation efforts by the defendant pursuant to that settlement, do not bar an ADA accessibility action filed later with respect to the same website. The decision in Haynes v. Hooters of America creates uncertainty for businesses seeking to resolve ADA website accessibility lawsuits, and may embolden plaintiffs to file multiple lawsuits against a single defendant…

Common hurdles to customer service accessibility

June 30, 2018 | Source: Customer Think | Customer Service, Inclusion, Business

Customer service accessibility is too often viewed as just another buzzword for businesses to throw around. In reality, accessibility is not a buzzword, or a bonus, or a boardroom trend. Accessibility is a cornerstone of great customer service. For the customer, support is only ever as useful as it is reachable. This is what customer service accessibility is ultimately about: designing your customer service to be available to everyone, at any time — regardless of differences such as age, ability, or location. Unfortunately, achieving that universal accessibility is easier said than done…

Age and Disability: Making Homes Safe for Seniors

June 30, 2018 | Source: Flagstaff Business News | Aging, Housing, Accessible Architecture, Mobility

A lot of time is spent in the home, so ensuring a home’s safety for a loved one should be a top priority. There are many everyday areas within a home that host some concern that healthy adults may take for granted. What may not be an obstacle to you, may be to your elderly loved one. Many areas of the home should be addressed to better suit the mobility and agility limitations we experience as we age. Here is a safety preparedness checklist that can really make a significant difference:…

Karamo Brown Wants to Make Subtitles More Inclusive for the Hearing Impaired

June 30, 2018 | Source: Study Breaks | Deaf, Hearing Impaired, Subtitles, Netflix

It’s Karamo Brown to the rescue once again, and honestly, is anyone surprised? This time there’s a serious topic on the line, which Brown obviously has handled with the same grace he has when he’s gently coaxing shy men out of their shells. The topic in question? How deaf or hard of hearing (HoH) fans of “Queer Eye” are experiencing the Netflix hit. For deaf or HoH people, subtitles are one of the ways that movies and TV become more accessible. They’re available for “Queer Eye,” which is good, but there are a few problems with them…

War Robbed Him of His Family, Then His Eyes, Then His Love

June 30, 2018 | Source: New York Times | Blind, Awareness, Trauma

The last time Zaheer Ahmad Zindani thought he could still see, he was 17 and in a hospital bed, heavily drugged and covered with shrapnel wounds from a Taliban bomb. He asked the doctor for a mirror. “The doctor told me, ‘Son, you don’t have eyes, how will you be able to see your eyes?’” Mr. Zindani recalled. “I raised my hand to feel my eyes — it was the ashes after a fire has burned, and nothing else.” That was five years ago. He remembers that even in those first moments, when the reality of his blindness made him howl with grief, another realization took his breath away…

Bloomington’s Harmony Park will be a place for every kid to play at an inclusive playground

July 1, 2018 | Source: Bloomington Pantagraph | Inclusion, Children, Accessible Parks

There is a photograph of Diana Hauman’s friend, the late Wayne Orme, as a child that tugs on her heartstrings. In the photograph, Orme is sitting in a dirt lot, “playing with an old tin can because there was no place for him to play,” said Hauman. He was unable to play at park or school playgrounds because he’d been born with severe foot and leg problems. He could not walk until age 5, and then only after undergoing more than 30 operations, said Hauman…

New Helen Keller archive makes 160,000 artifacts accessible to blind, deaf and other audiences

July 1, 2018 | Source: AL.com | Helen Keller, Blind, Deaf, History

“Is it not a disgrace to this great, prosperous, resourceful country that there should be thousands of children growing up under conditions which hinder their normal development, dampen the ardor of youth and quench the fire of aspiration in their young hearts? Thousands of boys and girls – the most precious treasure of the nation – live in crowded tenements where the walls are bare, the furniture cheap and ugly, and food coarse and served in a slovenly manner, wear shabby clothes, play in alleys and gutters, exposed always to soul-destroying influences.” — Helen Keller, writing in a 1923 fundraising letter…

“I Was Devastated”: Tim Berners-Lee, the Man Who Created the World Wide Web, Has Some Regrets

July 2, 2018 | Source: Vanity Fair | World Wide Web, Website, Technology

For people who want to make sure the Web serves humanity, we have to concern ourselves with what people are building on top of it,” Tim Berners-Lee told me one morning in downtown Washington, D.C., about a half-mile from the White House. Berners-Lee was speaking about the future of the Internet, as he does often and fervently and with great animation at a remarkable cadence. With an Oxonian wisp of hair framing his chiseled face, Berners-Lee appears the consummate academic—communicating rapidly, in a clipped London accent, occasionally skipping over words and eliding sentences as he stammers to convey a thought…

New Trend In Accessibility Lawsuits: The Class Action Complaint

July 2, 2018 | Source: Fisher Phillips | Litigation, Class Action, ADA, Title III, Disability Rights

Most retailers have by now faced a Title III lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) contending that a store is not accessible to disabled individuals. There remains a plethora of attorneys who make a living finding non-compliant facilities and bringing suit to have the facility brought into compliance—while, of course, seeking recovery of their attorneys’ fees. The vast majority of these cases involve matters that can easily be and are fixed, which means the stakes and settlements are relatively small. However, when grouped together, the numbers can add up…

At the Special Olympics, gamers with disabilities will finally get a chance to compete

July 2, 2018 | Source: Mic | Special Olympics, Gaming, Xbox

Video games rarely come to mind when we think about the Special Olympics. In a pilot program, the Special Olympics will now include an esports tournament. Players with disabilities are set to compete against each other in the Xbox One racing game Forza Motorsport 7 in Seattle on Monday. The game is a perfect match for the Special Olympics, Katy Jo Wright, director of gaming for everyone at Microsoft, said in an interview, because there are several accessibility features built into the game itself…

City Buses Are Wheelchair-Accessible, But Disabled Riders Still Face Obstacles

July 2, 2018 | Source: City Limits | Transit, Transportation, Wheelchair, Inclusion

The first time Jean Ryan tried to board a city bus in her wheelchair more than a decade ago, a homeless bystander had to show the driver how to operate the vehicle’s wheelchair lift. It’s a lesson Ryan has had to repeat herself a number of times in the years since, she says: showing a bus driver how to use the equipment needed to get her on and off the bus. Sometimes, if her 10-year-old grandson is in tow, he’ll be the one to offer the tutorial. “If the drivers don’t know all the steps, what to do, then we can’t get a ride—unless we can tell them what we have to do,” says Ryan…

Northwestern students give ‘freedom’ by retrofitting motorized cars for kids with disabilities

July 2, 2018 | Source: Chicago Tribune | University, Empowerment, Children, Inclusion

The kids couldn’t be stopped. Bubble wrap laid out on the floor burst in loud pops under the tires of kids zooming by in motorized cars outfitted with harnesses and joysticks Saturday in a downtown Northwestern University office. While a 2-year-old girl waved to her family from her hot pink car, students from Northwestern cheered her on as she navigated the obstacle course’s twists and turns. The cars had been modified for a handful of kids who have difficulties standing or walking independently, to give them a chance to be mobile and independent…

Burt Polson’s Real Estate in the Napa Valley: Understanding the ADA – part 1

July 2, 2018 | Source: Napa Valley Register | ADA, Housing, Discrimination, Litigation

Commercial property owners and business in Napa have been a target in the past for lawsuits of alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Some attorneys have spotters looking for violations that are readily apparent as well as situations that may otherwise appear to be compliant. For example, these spotters may be measuring the height of signs, grade of slopes and pressure on door closures. The ADA law from 1990 works in part to ensure access to offices, stores, restaurants and other businesses by all people including those with disabilities and makes it unlawful to discriminate against people with disabilities…

These Gadgets Could Transform The Lives Of Visually Impaired People

July 4, 2018 | Source: 5news KFSM | Tech, Visually Impaired, Digital Accessibility

A wave of new technology could soon improve everyday life for many of the 250 million people with impaired vision. “Years ago, I couldn’t do financial things without help,” said Mario Percinic, a blind IT professional and accessibility expert. “Now I use a screenreader with my online banking,” said Percinic, who co-hosts a podcast on technology and accessibility called EBU Access Cast. Apps, including one that recognizes money, are an essential part of Percinic’s everyday life, and he believes smartphones are “one piece of technology that a person with disabilities can’t live without.”…

Improving Accessibility Through Technology

July 4, 2018 | Source: Multi-Housing News | Technology, Housing, Accessible Design

A home is supposed to be a comfortable and safe space. Yet, for people with disabilities, it might be a challenge to handle even simple tasks in a home that was designed with narrow doors or a kitchen in which cupboards are out of reach. Enhanced technology, however, allows for a practical and creative approach, helping architects design more accessible spaces. Ariel Aufgang, principal of Aufgang Architects, provides insights on how creative new designs enhanced by technology can help expand access for disabled residents…

Remembering Gang of 19 Forty Years After Denver Protests Changed Accessibility

July 4, 2018 | Source: WestWord | History, Disability Rights, Awareness, Wheelchair

It began with a bus driving along its route back in July 1978. The driver had stopped at the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Broadway to pick up more riders. But before he could continue on his route, people in wheelchairs rolled in front of his vehicle. Minutes later, another bus traveling on the same route pulled up behind him, and more people in wheelchairs stationed themselves behind the second bus. Both buses were unable to move, and traffic in the heart of downtown Denver came to a standstill…

NAFCU files second appellate defending Northwest Federal Credit Union, 14th ADA-related Amicus brief

July 5, 2018 | Source: CUInsight | Credit Union, ADA, NAFCU, Litigation, Website

NAFCU today filed its 14th amicus brief in support of credit unions facing litigation over unclear website accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This amicus, in support of Northwest Federal Credit Union, is the association’s second in a federal court of appeals and its third in support of Northwest. “NAFCU is encouraged by previous court decisions that determined the plaintiff in this case against Northwest has no standing to sue the credit union, and we are optimistic that the same will be found at the appellate level,” said NAFCU Executive Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel Carrie Hunt…

Jack Fact — The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) estimates that 15 percent of American adults—about 37.5 million people—aged 18 and over report some hearing troubles.

International News

Colour Blind at the World Cup

June 28, 2018 | Source: LinkedIn- Russia | Sports, World Cup, Color Blind, Russia

International football may not be the first thing that springs to mind when one thinks about “accessibility” (especially if you try to use the FIFA site with a screen reader), but a fascinating little case of accommodation happened last week in front of an audience of millions of viewers. The Australia and Denmark squads jogged onto the field both wearing their away jerseys. Granted, the teams are a long way from home for these Russian games, but normally one side would be styled home and the others visiting. So what’s up?…

Witness: Riding Iran’s Escalators – In a Wheelchair

June 28, 2018 | Source: Human Rights Watch- Iran & BuzzFeed | Wheelchair, Discrimination, Disability Rights, Iran

Fatemeh (not her real name) risks injury every time she maneuvers onto an escalator in her wheelchair. Often, it’s her only option if she wants to use the metro in Tehran. “I know it’s very dangerous,” she said. “Each time I get on an escalator with my wheelchair, I prepare myself for death. But I have no other choice. I have nobody to help me.” In a new report, “‘I Am Equally Human’: Discrimination and Lack of Accessibility for People with Disabilities in Iran,” Human Rights Watch and the Center for Human Rights in Iran document the everyday barriers that people in Iran, like Fatemeh, face…

Disability and the welfare state through history: were we on the agenda?

June 29, 2018 | Source: Disability Horizons- England | Disability Rights, Welfare, History, Britain

The news is filled with stories of the current state of the welfare system. But what about the history of it? Who did it serve and were the rights of disabled people on the agenda? We hear from Jameel Hampton, who’s book Disability and the Welfare State in Britain: Changes in Perception and Policy, 1948-79 examines this issue. While studying my BA and MA in modern history, and looking closely at the subject of disabled people and welfare in Britain, it became evident that disabled people are largely missing from historical information on the classic welfare state…

Colette Walker: A new approach to public infrastructure? Start by making buildings accessible

June 29, 2018 | Source: Common Space- Scotland | Infrastructure, Building, Accessible Architecture, Scotland

Colette Walker, Women for Indy national committee member and a disabled woman and carer to disabled young adult, explains the broad scope of things that make up accessible buildings, and how the proposal for a new approach to building schools and hospitals through a Scottish National Infrastructure Company should have accessibility at the top of its priorities. When we hear the word ‘accessibility’ I would guess that the majority of people would think about wheelchair users…

New guide book for disabled visitors to Fife

June 29, 2018 | Source: Fife Today- UK | Travel, Access, Website, Scotland

For some people, organising a day out to national landmark, a country park, or a historic town, can be more difficult than just jumping in the car. Does it have wheelchair access? Will it get busy at certain hours? While various tourism websites provide reviews, few answer these questions. It is for this reason that Euan’s Guide was set up. The website gives disabled people the chance to review, share and discover accessible places to visit…

New app to provide accessibility advice

July 1, 2018 | Source: Otago Daily Times- New Zealand | Mobile App, Advice, Travel, Access, New Zealand

Dunedin is the first city to get a sneak peek at a new recreation app before its launch. Halberg Disability Sport Foundation adviser for Otago and Southland Bridget Meyer, of Dunedin, said the app Accessibel was revealed during the Otago Kaihopara Volunteer Day in the Otago Institute of Sport and Adventure on Saturday. The foundation, social change agency Be. Accessible, and the Department of Conservation created the app and hosted the day…

Delhi: No wheelchair space, cabs remain out of reach for the disabled

July 1, 2018 | Source: The Indian Express- India | Wheelchair, Taxi, Discrimination, India

Sources said an accessible cab should, at the bare minimum, possess a ramp and sufficient space for wheelchair entry and storage. Popular cab aggregators Ola and Uber did not respond to questions by The Indian Express on why they haven’t introduced such a service in the city. For Preeti Singh, who has cerebral palsy, booking a ride through an online cab service often ends up being a traumatic experience. Recently, the driver of a cab she booked called her wheelchair ‘heavy luggage’ and refused to allow her to keep it in the car. He eventually agreed, but only after an argument…

Bury Athletic Track hosts Accessible Festival

July 1, 2018 | Source: This Is Lancashire- UK | Children, Outreach, Sports, Inclusion, UK

Bury Accessible Festival 2018 proved hugely popular. The event, now in its fifth year, was held at Bury Athletics Track on Sunday and families came from across the north west to join in the fun. Children with disabilities and their families enjoyed a range of activities and entertainment, ranging from African drumming and climbing walls, to ballet and chair/frame football. Chloe Gallagher and her mum, Hannah, travelled all the way from Preston to enjoy a day out…

Is technology delivering for special educational needs?

July 2, 2018 | Source: FE News- UK | Education, Technology, Students With Disabilities, UK

From interactive whiteboards that aid language learning to virtual reality headsets that allow visual content to be delivered in a compelling way, technology has the potential to yield strong results in the classroom – and to make learning more accessible; helping ‘level the playing field’ for students with special educational needs. And yet the benefits are far from universal. Some teachers struggle to get the most out of classroom tech, meaning that schools, colleges and universities risk investing thousands of pounds in hi-tech apparatus that fails to deliver…

New accessible alpine base to melt the hearts of people with disability

July 2, 2018 | Source: Talking Disability- Australia | Wintersports, Inclusion, Recreation, Australia

Falls Creek in Victoria is now home to Australia’s first dedicated accessible alpine base. The 36 bed facility was officially opened on Friday 8 June by Danielle Green MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Major Events and Regional Victoria. Named Howmans Gap Alpine Accessible Accommodation Centre, the $3.79 million project is a joint venture of YMCA Victoria, the Victorian Government and Disabled Wintersport Australia (DWA)…

New partnership launched to help the disabled in Sunderland

July 2, 2018 | Source: Sun FM- England | Travel, Leisure, Accessible Facilities, England

Sunderland now has its very own Accessibility Checker thanks to a new partnership between the City Council and DisabledGo.com. It’s free and easy to use, and has detailed information about accessing all kinds of places across the city, including parks, leisure centres, restaurants, and shops. Over 100 places have been included and each one has been visited and assessed by a trained surveyor. David Livermore, Director of Business Development from DisabledGo, said:..

Election Commission of India organises National Consultation on Accessible Elections

July 3, 2018 | Source: Jagran Josh- India & India TV | Election, Accessible Voting, Disability Rights, India

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has organised a two-day “National Consultation on Accessible Elections,” from July 3, 2018 in New Delhi. The event was inaugurated by Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat, in the presence of Election Commissioners Sunil Arora and Ashok Lavasa. During the inaugural session, a dedicated portal for the ECI’s ‘Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation’ (SVEEP) initiative was launched. The event is a part of the ECI’s larger mission to ‘leave no voter behind,’ with a special focus on ‘Persons with Disabilities’ (PwD)…

Coquitlam, B.C., mayor calls for more accessible taxis after woman waits three hours

July 3, 2018 | Source: The Globe and Mail- Canada & CBC- Canada | Accessible Taxis, Wheelchair, Disability Rights, Inclusion, Canada

A B.C. mayor is calling for more accessible taxis after a woman in a wheelchair was forced to wait three hours out in the cold and rain on Canada Day. Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart said he waited with the senior, who had reserved an accessible taxi that never showed up and they made multiple calls to the dispatcher. He said she and her companion, who was shivering “aggressively,” were examined by paramedics as they waited. Bel-Air Taxi could not be reached for comment…

Only 4% of stations actually accessible to persons with a disability

July 3, 2018 | Source: The Brussels Times- Belgium | Transit, Trains, Accessible Stations, Mobility, Belgium

Only 21 Belgian stations out of 546 fulfil the conditions described by the SNCB for persons with reduced mobility to be able to access them independently, in percentage terms not even 4% of them. Calculations produced by the Wallonia Brussels Accessibility Collective (“Cawab”), reported on Tuesday in La Libre confirm the point. In a letter sent on Monday to François Bellot, the Minister for Mobility (MR), Cawab as well as around 50 associations, are demanding better accessibility to stations, platforms and trains…

Manombe-Ncube calls for inclusion of the disabled

July 3, 2018 | Source: New Era- Namibia | Inclusion, Awareness, Disability Rights, Namibia

The Deputy Minister of Disability Affairs, Alexia Manombe-Ncube, has called on public and private institutions to take accessibility as “a precondition for the full realisation of the rights and full inclusion of people with disabilities in their respective communities”. She made these remarks during the celebration of National Disability Day in Zambezi on Friday. She feels that in order for people with disabilities to fully enjoy and fully participate in the social, economic, cultural and political life on an equal basis, accessibility should be at the centre stage…

A signing Princess Leia heads to Doncaster’s DN Festival

July 3, 2018 | Source: Gainsborough Standard- UK | Subtitles, Deaf, Sign Language, UK

his year’s DN Festival has a real focus on accessibility and will feature a signing Princess Leia, interpreted performances and a subtitled cinema screening. Right Up Our Street are bringing this exciting space-themed festival to Doncaster on Saturday July 28 in Sir Nigel Gresley Square and the Village at Waterdale Shopping Centre as well as a pop up cinema event on Friday, July 27. Sally Lockey, project director for Right Up Our Street, who are organising the event, said: “We are really pleased to be working with organisations including Doncaster Deaf Trust and The Hesley Group to make sure that this year’s festival has a real focus on accessibility…

Advocates welcome Ontario minister responsible for accessibility

July 3, 2018 | Source: The Star- Canada | Government, AODA, Legislation, Ontario

Advocates for the disabled are praising the Ford government for appointing a cabinet minister to oversee the often-intersecting areas of accessibility and seniors’ issues. And they hope Ottawa’s recently announced federal accessibility legislation follows Ontario’s lead by setting a deadline for full accessibility. “We are pleased that in the new smaller Ontario cabinet there’s still a stand-alone minister of accessibility and seniors,” said David Lepofsky, a blind lawyer who leads the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance…

N.S. Human Rights Commission holds inquiry to examine restaurant washroom access

July 3, 2018 | Source: Kamloops Matters- Canada | Accessible Bathrooms, Disability Rights, Regulation, Canada

Several people with physical disabilities will argue at a human rights hearing that the Nova Scotia government has effectively discriminated against them by failing to enforce a regulation that requires restaurants to have accessible bathroom. The five complainants will challenge the province’s Department of Environment at a Human Rights Commission board of inquiry Thursday, saying the language in the regulation is vague and does not take the experiences of people with disabilities into account…

Shouldn’t All Design be Human-Centred?

July 4, 2018 | Source: Canadian Architect- Canada | Accessible Design, Architecture, Inclusion, Canada

Currently, the various cousins and alter-egos of universal design (accessible design, inclusive design, human-centred design) remain in the realm of selected advocates. For many architects and designers, this is considered a “speciality” area of design, pursued by few and mastered by fewer. A growing body of accessibility specialists has seen the opportunity left by the void in the profession and is helping to fill it, providing design services that often could be provided by architects…

Robotic exoskeleton helps disabled people to carry out daily activities on their own

July 4, 2018 | Source: News-Medical- UK | Robotics, Technology, Wheelchair, Engineering, UK

Researchers of the Biomedical Neuro-engineering group of the Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH) of Elche, Spain, have developed a worldwide pioneering robotic exoskeleton which, attached to a robotic wheelchair, helps people with varying degrees of disability carry out daily activities on their own, including eating, drinking or washing. The project, named “Adaptive Multimodal Interfaces to Assist Disabled People in Daily Activities” or AIDE, has been coordinated by UMH Systems and Automated Engineering professor Nicolás García, and financed by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme…

Yukon should have accessibility legislation: YACL president

July 4, 2018 | Source: Yukon News- Canada | Accessible Canada Act, Government, Legislation, Yukon, Canada

The president of the Yukon Association of Community Living says the territory should come up with its own accessibility legislation after Ottawa rolled out its own proposed version. The Accessible Canada Act was presented hours before the house rose for the summer. If passed, it would only cover areas where the federal government has jurisdiction such as federally run programs and services, banking, telecommunications and transportation that crosses provincial or territorial borders…

‘Accessible washrooms should include everyone’: N.S. human rights inquiry begins

July 5, 2018 | Source: Global News- Canada | Accessible Bathrooms, Disability Rights, Government, Regulation, Canada

Imagine only being able to go to a limited number of food establishments because the majority of them don’t have restrooms you’re able to access. Those living with physical disabilities in Nova Scotia say that is their ongoing reality. Four people are now fighting the provincial government to address accessible bathrooms in a human rights inquiry. Fraser says the start of the inquiry is the latest stage in what’s been a “long process.” He says his clients originally went to the Human Rights Commission to register a complaint about the way the province enforces accessible washrooms in the realm of public health…

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Accessible Website and Application Development — An inaccessible website or application is increasingly seen as violating the ADA. Let’s talk about creating an online presence that reaches all your customers and reduces your litigation risk.
Audit and Testing Services — A thorough accessibility audit against recognized accessibility standards will show you where you may be under-serving your customers and putting your organization at risk.
Accessible Document Services — Digital assets such as Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, and audio and video files need to be accessible to individuals with disabilities, too. We can help you establish creation processes or remediate historical documents so that they meet accessibility standards and are usable by people with disabilities.
Remediation Services — Whether for a time-sensitive response to a legal action, or for proactive remediation, we can fix what doesn’t meet accessibility standards.
Accessibility Training — Contact us to get your teams introduced and informed about accessibility best practices.

Please contact us for any questions you have about our accessibility services and how we might support your organization.

mockup of website on laptop and mobile screens with heading 'WCAG 2.2"

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