Accessibility in the News — 8/5/2022.

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“Every one of us is different in some way, but for those of us who are more different, we have to put more effort into convincing the less different that we can do the same thing they can, just differently.” ― Marlee Matlin

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Feature Stories

Biden administration announces $1.75 billion in funding to improve rail station accessibility

July 26, 2022 | Source: CNN & NJ.com & US-DOT & The Hill & NY1 & Bloomberg & CBS & Mass Transit & Railway Age & ABC & Smart Cities Dive & Transportation Today & Government Technology & The Pew Charitable Trusts

Duckworth applauds launch of all stations accessibility program she authored to help make public transit systems accessible for all

July 28, 2022 | Source: RiverBender

SEPTA’s $4B Plan to Make Its Stations A.D.A. Accessible Could Get Boost from New Transportation Department Program- VISTA.TODAY

The Biden administration on Tuesday will announce $1.75 billion in infrastructure funding to improve accessibility at the nation’s public rail stations, allowing local transit authorities to retrofit stations with elevators to accommodate travelers with disabilities. The funding, which comes from the bipartisan infrastructure law, falls under the legislation’s “All Stations Accessibility Program,” and makes $343 million in funding available to transit agencies in fiscal year 2022, 32 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act…

National News (U.S.)

Pottery Barn’s New Accessible Home Collection Blends Form With Function

July 22, 2022 | Source: Good Housekeeping & Fast Company & Designers Today & Yahoo & Sourcing Journal & Insider & Retail Dive & Trend Hunter & Builder Magazine & Disability Scoop & Business of Home & Surface

From the dining room to the bedroom, small home upgrades can make a tremendous difference to those living with a disability. One in seven adults has a mobility impairment — and two in five adults over the age of 65, according to the CDC. Pottery Barn is reimagining its best-selling home collections to be more accessible to those with mobility challenges. On Friday, the home brand launched its new Accessible Home Collection, which features thoughtfully designed furniture for those living with disabilities or injuries, as well as the aging-in-place community…

Marriott’s Website Meets Accessibility Information Requirements

July 22, 2022 | Source: Bloomberg Law

Brookstone class action alleges website inaccessible to blind, visually impaired

July 26, 2022 | Source: Top Class Actions

Uber Doesn’t Have to Offer Wheelchair Accessibility

July 26, 2022 | Source: USNews & The Hill & The Business Journal & Fast Company & Carscoops & Top Class Actions

DOJ Announces New Title II ADA Web Accessibility Regulation

July 27, 2022 | Source: Converge Accessibility

DOJ Secures $293,000 Jury Award Against City of Springfield, Illinois, for Discriminating Against People with Disabilities

July 27, 2022 | Source: Department of Justice

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in Philadelphia to fix ADA issues

July 29, 2022 | Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

Website Accessibility Regulations On The Horizon: DOJ To Start Title II Rulemaking For State and Local Governments Next Year

July 29, 2022 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw

U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Bob Casey Urges Agencies to Make Websites More Accessible

July 30, 2022 | Source: MyChesCo & Senator Bob Casey & Nextgov & Action News Jax & Yahoo & Fox 13 & MeriTalk

Verizon, T-Mobile face class action lawsuit claims over accessibility, service, billing

August 1, 2022 | Source: Top Class Actions

Retail is the Number-One Industry Targeted by ADA Website Lawsuits

August 1, 2022 | Source: Retail TouchPoints

Online retailer not liable for inaccessible website under ADA

August 2, 2022 | Source: Business Insurance

Websites Are Not A Public Accommodation Under the ADA, Says California Court of Appeals

August 2, 2022 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw & The Fashion Law

Marriott Hotel Services Inc. defeated a bid to revive claims that its website for a California hotel failed to provide adequate accessibility information, after the Ninth Circuit affirmed Friday that the company’s online disclosures are sufficient. Samuel Love’s Americans with Disabilities Act claims fail because Marriott’s website satisfies the Justice Department’s guidance interpreting the “Reservations Rule,” which regulates the accessibility information hotels must post on their online booking websites, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said…

Making GTNP more accessible for people with disabilities

July 22, 2022 | Source: Buckrail

Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) has partnered with Teton Adaptive (TA) to make park trails more accessible to individuals with mobility disabilities. While much of the park’s front-country infrastructure, like visitor centers, paved walkways and bathrooms, is wheelchair-accessible as part of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), that level of access stops as soon as you get to the trailhead. From that point on, access is governed by the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), which “applies to facilities designed, built, altered or leased with federal funds.”…

Making Festivals More Accessible for Disabled Attendees Just Got Easier With the Festival Scorecard

July 22, 2022 | Source: Variety

A long-awaited Accessibility Scorecard for film events will be released on Friday, providing a tool that could enable filmmakers and other industry professionals to make festivals more accessible. In order to draw visibility to the inaccessibility of festivals and entertainment industry events, FWD-Doc has partnered with Film Event Accessibility Working Group (FEAW), led by Cassidy Dimon, to begin the collective reporting of data related to accessibility successes and failures. Variety first reported on the initiative following the Cannes Film Festival in May…

Complacency must not deter challenges still faced by persons with disabilities

July 24, 2022 | Source: Tallahassee Democrat

“… Let these terrible walls of exclusion come tumbling down …” said President Bush on July 26th, 1990, at the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Those metaphorical walls of exclusion and most of the physical and programmatic barriers have come tumbling down. While my life and the lives of 61 million other Americans with Disabilities are measurably better because of the ADA, we still have lots of work to do. This labor includes both existing and future barriers that are keeping parts of the wall of exclusion up…

Bronx family aims to help people with disabilities find accessible attractions in NYC

July 24, 2022 | Source: CBS News

On a hot weekend morning, the Lachhman-Persad family traveled to the Brooklyn Museum from the Bronx, browsing the Sunday market and enjoying each other’s company. Visiting places across the city is something they’ve been actively trying to do more often, but it is not always easy for them. “It really is isolating when you have a disability and want to get out and don’t know how to do it,” says Lakshmee Lachhman-Persad, a disability advocate…

Around half of older Americans can’t afford essential expenses

July 25, 2022 | Source: The Hill- Changing America

Rising inflation coupled with higher costs of living have put strains on many Americans’ pursestrings. But estimates from the University of Massachusetts-Boston’s Elder Index detail the toll of the cost of aging on the nation’s elderly residents. Over half of older women who live alone are classified as poor under federal poverty standards or have insufficient incomes to pay for essential expenses, while 45 percent of men share the same financial situations…

NJ mini golf courses are full of obstacles for people with disabilities. What we found

July 25, 2022 | Source: NorthJersey.com

As I stood on the green-carpeted hill, by a waterfall an unnatural hue I’ll call Slushy Blue, I tried to balance on my two walking canes while wielding a mini golf putter. The words of Bill Botten came back to me. “Everything should be accessible,” Botten, a coordinator with the U.S. Access Board, the agency responsible for writing Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines, had said. Those words were the reason I was here with wheelchair-user Scott Chesney, 52, of Verona, as we tried our best to get through 18 holes of what was advertised as a 36-hole miniature golf course at the Willowbrook Golf Centeralong Route 46 in Wayne…

Seeking to open eyes to downtown Rochester accessibility challenges

July 25, 2022 | Source: Post Bulletin

Moving through downtown can be challenging for Chris Mathews. “It’s good in places, at times, but to the same degree, it’s frustrating at places, at times,” said the Rochester resident who is legally blind and relies on a cane to navigate the city on his own. Mathews, who has primarily lived downtown since 2020, has became comfortable enough with his surroundings to walk to his job at Mayo Field, find transportation to a second job in child care and even venture to Peace Plaza to play guitar…

Ancaster woman calls upon Air Canada to address accessibility concerns

July 26, 2022 | Source: The Spec

Delta gave a passenger $4,800 in air miles after forgetting to put his wheelchair on a flight from NY to Ireland, then breaking it on the way home

August 1, 2022 | Source: Yahoo

An Ancaster woman is voicing her concerns with Air Canada following a return trip from Denver, Colo. with her family. Risa Nelson was travelling home on June 30 with her husband and 21-year-old daughter, who had just undergone reconstructive surgery on her hip at the Steadman Clinic in Vail. Nelson said her daughter needed a wheelchair, crutches and several pieces of medical equipment to accompany her on the flight home, as specified in a letter from the surgeon. Nelson said the family informed the airline of their needs prior to their return flight…

SHRM Announces New Accessibility Best Practice Standards on National Disability Independence Day

July 26, 2022 | Source: SHRM

SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) joins millions around the country in recognition of National Disability Independence Day. The day commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signed into law on July 26, 1990, opening the door and breaking down barriers that individuals with disabilities faced every day. As the nation commemorates, we at SHRM are focusing on providing greater accessibility standards for how content is delivered in our programs, products and on shrm.org for those with disabilities so that organizations, managers and employees can build capacity to create more inclusive workplaces…

‘Time for an update’: How Michigan’s accessibility signs are changing

July 27, 2022 | Source: WOOD TV

A sign every driver is familiar with will soon be changing in parking lots across the state. On Monday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law Public Acts 182 and 183 of 2022, which overhaul the look of accessibility signs originally adopted by the state in 1969. Under PA 182 and 183, new signs posted in parking lots, near doorways and on restroom doors will feature the silhouette of a person “leaning forward in a wheelchair with a sense of movement.” The new signs will still use white and blue and may include instructional words like “reserved,” but will no longer include the word “handicapped.”…

The ADA was a victory for the disabled community, but we need more. My life shows why

July 29, 2022 | Source: NPR

Growing up, I always used crutches to get around, and only would use a wheelchair for school field trips or vacations that involved long-distance walking; ableism and issues of inaccessibility are part of the reason why. In the moments when I did use a wheelchair, I noticed that I was restricted in terms of where I could go. I remember facing barriers in accessing some shops and restaurants, especially in older buildings. These concerns took on added significance after an upsetting visit to a Washington, D.C., bar in early July where I was told to leave my wheelchair outside…

DOJ and HHS Issue Guidance on Nondiscrimination in Telehealth

July 29, 2022 | Source: Department of Justice & Guidance Document (PDF) & Seyfarth Shaw

WHO holds first meeting to address compatibility issues for those with hearing loss

August 2, 2022 | Source: The Hearing Review

As we commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are partnering to publish guidance on the protections in federal nondiscrimination laws, including the ADA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, requiring that telehealth be accessible to people with disabilities and limited English proficient persons. These laws work in tandem to prohibit discrimination and protect access to health care…

Religious groups mustn’t stall on accessibility, disability activists say

July 29, 2022 | Source: Religion News Service

Disability theology: How religious beliefs can help or hinder accessibility

July 29, 2022 | Source: Religion News Service

In the 1970s, Rabia Khedr was growing up in a bustling South Asian Muslim community near Toronto. But unlike many of her neighbors, Khedr rarely attended the local mosque. “We were there, it might have been for Friday prayers,” Khedr said. “My brothers, because of the nature of their disability, made involuntary sounds. And at some point in the sermon, the imam remarked, ‘Women, if you cannot manage your children, if you cannot control them or keep them quiet, please do not come.’ So my mother took that literally.”…

The Role of Accessibility and Funding in Disability-Inclusive Peacebuilding

July 29, 2022 | Source: United States Institute of Peace

Persons with disabilities are often left out of peace processes despite comprising an estimated 15 percent of the world’s population. Among those most acutely affected by violence and armed conflict, persons with disabilities who are living in — or attempting to leave — conflict zones face numerous threats to their physical and mental wellbeing, which can aggravate pre-existing disability or lead to secondary disability. Armed conflict and violence also increase the number of newly acquired disabilities, and many of those individuals face the same barriers and challenges as persons with existing disabilities — but without the previous lived experience…

For a person with disabilities, accessibility is everything in a world full of obstacles

July 31, 2022 | Source: Riverhead Local

July 26th is an important day in the lives of people with disabilities. On July 26,1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. “The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability just as other civil rights laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. Most people don’t think much about the ADA until they take a handicap space away from a person with disabilities and someone asks them to move…

5 More Disability Issue Questions State And Local Midterm Election Candidates Should Answer

July 31, 2022 | Source: Forbes

There is still time for disabled voters to ask candidates about their most pressing disability concerns. But time is running out, and it can be hard to know just what to ask. It’s getting closer to the thick of the Midterm Election season. Many disabled voters and activists’ first instinct at times like this is look to Congressional races, and focus attention on major threats, opportunities and issues facing people with disabilities nationwide. But it’s also important to challenge people running for state and local office…

Beyoncé to remove ableist slur from ‘Heated’ after backlash from disability campaigners

August 1, 2022 | Source: CNN & NPR & HUFF POST

Beyoncé says she will remove an ableist slur from her new album, “Renaissance,” after facing online backlash and criticism from disability campaigners. The 40-year-old singer received rave reviews when she debuted her dance-inspired seventh studio album on Friday, but she came under fire over the weekend when fans noticed the inclusion of a derogatory term in the song “Heated.” On the track, co-written by Drake, Beyoncé sings the line: “Spazzin’ on that ass, spazz on that ass.”…

Enabled Play accessibility device turns faces into game controllers

August 1, 2022 | Source: The Washington Post

Over decades, input devices in the video game industry have evolved from simple joysticks to sophisticated controllers that emit haptic feedback. But with Enabled Play, a new piece of assistive tech created by self-taught developer Alex Dunn, users are embracing a different kind of input: facial expressions. While companies like Microsoft have sought to expand accessibility through adaptive controllers and accessories, Dunn’s new device takes those efforts even further, translating users’ head movements, facial expressions, real-time speech and other nontraditional input methods into mouse clicks, key strokes and thumbstick movements…

Makeup Has an Accessibility Problem—Selma Blair and Guide Beauty Are Working To Change That

August 1, 2022 | Source: Well+Good

Selma Blair grew up loving to play with makeup. But her relationship with it—and beauty as a whole—changed after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). “I am notoriously impatient with applications now since my vision is a bit blurrier [and] my body a bit twitchier,” the actor, who has been outspoken about the impact that MS has had on her daily life, tells Well + Good. “While the world was learning how to follow tips and tricks [on social media], I got further away from beauty.”…

Detroit students design accessible products, from menstrual cycle apps to better walkers

August 2, 2022 | Source: Model D Media

From electronics to cookware, many of the products used in everyday life are developed for able-bodied individuals. But what about people who don’t have the use of one of their five senses? Students at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies (CCS) are coming up with innovative solutions, through design. In a Product Design class, students are given a simple, yet broad prompt: “design a product for a disabled person.” The class discusses different types of barriers to accessibility, from sight impairment to being an older adult, and breaks down the challenges that may come for people, daily…

Accessibility: The missing key to connecting with customers

August 2, 2022 | Source: Fast Company

While some brands are prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their messaging and marketing campaigns, an essential component of inclusivity may be missing: accessibility. It’s especially important to cater to people who are typically underserved in the digital world. For example, people who are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, are neurodivergent, or those who have motor conditions. These individuals often face barriers when an experience is not properly designed. Online journeys are often convoluted experiences for people, and brands need to ensure their apps and websites don’t add further complications…

How School Tech Treats Students With Disabilities Like Criminals

August 3, 2022 | Source: Daily Beast

When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect 32 years ago, there was optimism that technology could close the education gap for students with disabilities and other special needs. The ADA went far beyond visible disabilities, promising life-changing protections to the neurodivergent. We, as neurodivergent people, know how educational technology can change lives—and how word processors, spellcheck, and self-paced learning can let our brains thrive in ways traditional schooling never could. But we also see how emerging technology threatens to do the reverse, making school a harsher, less accessible environment…

Rittenhouse Square has 160 new benches with a built-in center bar. Is it an accessibility feature, or hostile architecture?

August 3, 2022 | Source: BillyPenn

With the new design, the length of the benches expanded from 6 to 8 feet. The frame and armrests are now one continuous, welded-together piece of metal. They’re paid for by the friends group’s Adopt-a-Bench program, which is a major fundraiser for the organization and asks individuals to “sponsor” a bench for $10,000. Outside Open Hearts Cafe — a twice-weekly free food and clothing handout run by the Church of the Holy Trinity on the northwest corner of the square — people experiencing homelessness struggled to justify the new furniture…

New documentary highlights lack of accessibility for deaf and disabled people in north central Florida justice system

August 4, 2022 | Source: WUFT

“Being Michelle” is a documentary about a deaf woman with autism who survived incarceration and abuse in north central Florida, and now uses her artwork to depict the trauma she survived and heal from her past. Michelle Ricks said she was in prison for five years without an interpreter. Executive Producer Delbert Whetter said he believes Ricks would never have ended up in prison if she’d had communication access from the start. Her story highlights gaps in accessibility for deaf and disabled people in the justice system…

Spinal stimulation gives some people with paralysis more freedom

August 3, 2022 | Source: Science News

By his count, Michel Roccati is on his third life, at least. In the first, he was a fit young man riding his motorcycle around Italy. A 2017 crash in the hills near Turin turned him into the second man, one with a severe spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Today, the third Michel Roccati works out in his home gym in Turin, gets around with a walker and climbs stairs to visit a friend in a second-story apartment. Today, he says, his life is “completely different than it was before.”…

Van Hollen, Murray, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Help Women With Disabilities Access Reproductive Health Care

August 4, 2022 | Source: Senator Chris Van Hollen

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) in introducing the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act to help ensure women with disabilities—who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care—can access reproductive services and get the informed care they need to have control over their own reproductive lives. While women with disabilities have long faced discrimination and barriers to having full access to health care, the Dobbs decision has made it much more difficult for women with disabilities to get the informed reproductive health care they need…

Jack Fact — According to Kessler Research, in February 2022, among workers ages 16-64, the 5,404,000 workers with disabilities represented 3.7% of the total 146,467,000 workers in the U.S.

Hit The Road Jack — New Brunswick beaches that have accessibility features & 40 Spectacular Handicap Accessible Beaches In Michigan & Most accessible US national parks &

Accessible Toilets When You Go Abroad & Portrait of Travelers With Disabilities: Mobility & Accessibility & Accessible tourism will benefit Prince Rupert

International News

Aviation Watchdog Amends Accessibility Regulations After IndiGo Row

July 22, 2022 | Source: NDTV- India & Moneycontrol

If an airline feels a disabled passenger’s health is likely to deteriorate during a flight, it must consult a doctor at the airport and take an “appropriate decision” on whether boarding should be denied to the flyer or not, aviation regulator DGCA said on Friday. If the airline then decides to deny boarding to the disabled passenger, it will have to immediately inform the passenger in writing and mention the reasons in that note, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement…

Ahead of 2024 Olympics, Paris sponsors accessibility of neighbourhoods

July 22, 2022 | Source: TheMayor.EU- France

The City of Paris yesterday announced a first call for projects for three increased accessibility districts. The call will allow merchants from the 8th, 10th and 14th arrondissements (pilots for the so-called Increased Accessibility District action) to receive city funding and make their establishments more accessible to persons of all abilities. The move comes in the context of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games, which the French capital will have the honour of hosting in 2024…

Being smart about accessibility

July 22, 2022 | Source: Toronto Sun- Canada

It was a question many residential developers might be reluctant to ask so credit goes to Jake Cohen, chief operating officer of The Daniels Corporation for posing the following during a recent community event about accessible city building: How is the development sector as a whole doing when it comes to designing units for people living with disabilities? The query was directed at Luke Anderson, executive director of the StopGap Foundation, an organization that manufactures and provides ramps that “support ‘mom and pop’ businesses and private building owners who are interested in removing barriers to access.”…

How Hamilton candidates with disabilities get the message out when they can’t go door-to-door

July 24, 2022 | Source: CBC- Canada

It can be hard to knock on doors if you use a wheelchair to get around – so two Hamilton candidates in the upcoming municipal election are running their campaigns a little differently. Anthony Frisina (Ward 8) and Ian MacPherson (Ward 1), who both use wheelchairs, plan to run their campaigns largely without door-to-door canvassing, relying on in-person events and online engagement in their attempts to secure seats on city council. Frisina, who is running a campaign largely centred on improving accessibility, says he isn’t focused on the aspects of the race that pose a challenge, such as door-to-door canvassing…

UGC finalises accessibility guidelines for differently-abled students

July 25, 2022 | Source: India Today- Education Today News- India

After a PIL was filed in Supreme Court on the rights of disabled students, UGC informed the apex court that a 5-year long phase-wise programme for accessibility for differently-abled persons had been finalised. The finalised accessibility guidelines for disabled persons have been out up on the UGC website which will facilitate the rights of disabled persons. SC directed UGC to ensure that periodic steps are taken to monitor progress after which the petition was disposed of…

British weather maps have changed for better accessibility

July 25, 2022 | Source: Dunya News- UK

British weather maps over the years have been adapted to be more accessible for viewers, particularly those who live with colour blindness, according to the UK’s national weather service, and broadcaster, who both spoke to Reuters. The comments came in response to widespread social media shares of a meme comparing two heatwave forecasts on two different years in the UK, suggesting it was proof of the national media stoking baseless fears of climate change…

Regulation requires public sector to have accessibility committees, plans

July 25, 2022 | Source: Yahoo News- Canada

September 1 will mark one year until public institutions and organizations will be required to have accessibility committees and plans in place as part of the implementation of the Accessible B.C. Act. Starting September 1, 2023, over 750 public sector organizations including local governments, public libraries, school districts, post-secondary institutions and municipal police departments must have each established an accessibility committee, an accessibility plan as well as a tool to receive feedback on accessibility…

Travellers flag concerns about accessibility of ArriveCAN

July 27, 2022 | Source: Runway Girl- Canada

Canada is among the countries that adopted strict entry criteria during the COVID-19 pandemic, including requiring all travellers to submit their contact information, vaccination status and travel details via the government’s ArriveCAN app. This protocol is still in place. But some Canadian citizens have flagged concerns that the requirement to use ArriveCAN disadvantages those elderly travelers who are not tech savvy, and creates accessibility barriers for the blind…

Government backs plans to make homes more accessible

July 29, 2022 | Source: Inside Housing- UK & Housing Today & Property118 & GOV.UK & Building & Property Reporter & NewStartMag & The Architects’ Journal

Responding to a consultation on standards for new homes, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) said it is committed to raising the minimum standard in order to give “people the dignity and security they deserve in their homes”. Raising the minimum accessibility standard will require all new homes to have step-free access to all entrance-level rooms and facilities as well as further features to make homes more easily adaptable over time…

Manitoba Government Continues To Make Accessibility Improvements In Provincial Parks

July 29, 2022 | Source: Province of Manitoba- Canada

The Manitoba government continues to make investments and improvements to enhance the visitor experience in provincial parks by increasing the number of mobility mats at several popular park beaches, Environment, Climate and Parks Minister Jeff Wharton and Families Minister Rochelle Squires, minister responsible for accessibility, announced today. “Our provincial parks are designed for all Manitobans and we continue to make investments to improve accessibility,” said Wharton…

‘It’s really emotional for me’: Mother of son with autism spearheads $500K playpark

July 31, 2022 | Source: CBC- Canada

It seemed nearly impossible for a rural community in Nova Scotia to collect almost half a million dollars to build a playpark for children and adults of all abilities. But it did. The Queens universally designed playpark is coming to fruition in Liverpool. The ground is broken and the parts have been ordered, but COVID delayed the intended spring opening. “It’s really emotional for me,” said Debbie Wamboldt, the mother who was the driving force behind the project…

Lappeenranta may become a pioneer in sensory accessibility thanks to induction loops

August 1, 2022 | Source: TheMayor.EU- Finland

Lappeenranta’s voting numbers have been below the Finnish average for years. The voting figures show that measures must be taken to improve voting activity in that city. One interesting proposal to solve that has come from the city’s disability council – and it has nothing to do with political ideology or election reforms. The call for the authorities is to make the election stations more accessible to those people living with sensory impairments, such as hearing difficulties. These voters may feel confused and lost in the public space if they find it hard to follow the instructions on how to vote…

David Pocock vows to champion accessibility, inclusion in maiden speech with Auslan interpreter

August 2, 2022 | Source: SBS- Australia

Senator David Pocock used his maiden speech in the parliament to outline his priorities and commitment to champion accessibility and inclusion. The former Wallabies player, who is now the ACT’s first independent senator, is on a mission to deliver a more inclusive society. He highlighted his quest by having Auslan translator Amanda Dolejsi sign his first speech to the Senate on Tuesday, a request which was earlier rejected. Senator Pocock originally pushed to have an Auslan translator next to him in the chamber, but the government only allowed Ms Dolejsi to translate from the Parliament House broadcast studio…

Accessibility bill passes first reading in House but disability advocates keen to toss it and start again

August 2, 2022 | Source: Stuff- New Zealand & 1News

Disability advocates say the Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill doesn’t go far enough to make a positive and tangible difference to those with access needs. The bill, presented by Minister for Disability Issues Poto Williams, passed its first reading in the House on Tuesday, with 108 votes in favour and 12 against. Should the bill be passed into law, an accessibility committee would be established. It would be made up of eight people, with the majority coming from the disability community and representing a range of access needs…

Delhi HC forms panel on accessibility of financial services to visually challenged

August 2, 2022 | Source: The Hindu- India

The Delhi High Court has formed a high-powered committee under the chairmanship of an IIT Delhi professor to look into the issues concerning accessibility of financial services to visually challenged persons. A Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad granted three months to the committee to submit its status report. “This court is pained to observe at this juncture that judicial intervention is required in such matters when measures to ensure ease of accessibility for the specially abled should be implemented in a proactive manner,” the Bench said…

Number of Disability Confident job adverts rises by 1,000 per cent, but experts say improvement is still needed

August 2, 2022 | Source: People Management- UK

The number of job roles advertised by Disability Confident employers has increased by 1,100 per cent in five years, but only two in five disabled workers believe good opportunities exist, new data has shown. Although the analysis, by job site Indeed, highlighted an apparent rise in confidence among UK employers in their own ability to recruit and develop the careers of people with disabilities, three in five (58 per cent) disabled candidates still think finding a job is harder for them than others…

Commonwealth Games: Paralympian unhappy with venue accessibility

August 3, 2022 | Source: BBC- UK

A British Paralympian who volunteered at the Commonwealth Games has said she was disappointed by the accessibility of venues and parking for people with disabilities. Tully Kearney MBE, who won gold in the women’s S5 100m freestyle at the Tokyo Paralympics, said she found it hard to get to the Aquatics Centre in Sandwell. She suggested more consultation with people with disabilities in future. The organisers had promised the most accessible Commonwealth Games ever…

Why improving accessibility on devices would be revolutionary for reading

August 3, 2022 | Source: ABC Everyday- Australia

I have been living with a complex case of multiple sclerosis for six years. I didn’t identify as disabled until I began using a wheelchair. However, I’ve been adapting to disability my whole life, but I didn’t realise it until last year when I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder too. Since then, I have been more equipped to identify my struggles and take steps to overcome them. I’ve had trouble reading complex texts since late primary school. I haven’t finished a print book in full since I was 12 years old, despite loving to read…

This Toronto TikToker has gained a big following by reviewing restaurants. But her focus is on more than the food

August 3, 2022 | Source: Toronto Star- Canada

Taylor Lindsay-Noel has joined a growing chorus of social-media personalities who have gained followings on TikTok for restaurant reviews. As a quadriplegic, though, what makes her videos distinctive is her focus on going beyond the food, bringing the restaurant’s accessibility — or lack of same — to the forefront. “For me, oddly, the most rewarding comment is when people say that they’re an able-bodied person who went to a restaurant (and complained about accessibility). They notice something that is not acceptable and they brought it up,” said Toronto’s Lindsay-Noel, a former gymnast…

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

Learn More About Digital Accessibility

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

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