Accessibility in the News — 12/23/2022.
NOTE: To get news like this every week in your inbox, before it hits our website, subscribe to our Accessibility in the News e-newsletter. There are no ads or graphics, and we never send spam. Just use the sign-up form on this page to subscribe and stay up to date!
Skip to National News (U.S.) | Skip to International News
More Accessibility Resources on this Page
Accessibility Blogs and Information | Accessibility Announcements and Products
Accessibility Fourms, Tips and Gaming | Accessibility Statement Pages
Microassist Accessibility Services
AITN Quote of the Week
“One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.” ― Sophocles
Hello Everyone: This year was very busy year on many fronts related to accessibility. The number of items that I curated for Accessibility in the News in 2022 reflected the overall growth in coverage of accessibility topics worldwide. Below is a summary breakdown of the weekly and monthly averages, and the yearly totals by category. In the 6 ½ years I have been publishing my newsletter, this year was by far the busiest for accessibility related coverage. In 2023 there are many accessibility bills at the state and federal levels that I will be watching very closely, and many evolving accessibility topics, so the coming year promises to be a very busy year also.
| AITN Weekly Categories | Weekly AVG | Monthly AVG | 2022 Totals |
| National News | 30 | 121 | 1,456 |
| International News | 20 | 79 | 950 |
| Blogs and Information | 37 | 148 | 1,776 |
| Training and Conferences | 82 | 327 | 3,921 |
| Job Opportunities | 46 | 184 | 2,210 |
| Announcements and Products | 27 | 109 | 1,306 |
| Q&A and Tips | 14 | 57 | 686 |
| Accessibility Statements | 10 | 39 | 470 |
| 2022 AITN Totals | 266 | 1,064 | 12,775 |
Feature Stories
RTA gets $8 Million for train station improvements
December 15, 2022 | Source: Cleveland 19 and 96.5 KISS-FM and Cleveland.com
NJ Transit gets $34M to make 5 train stations more accessible. Here’s what that buys.
December 16, 2022 | Source: NJ.com and NJBIZ
Historic monorail station at Seattle Center will be made fully accessible to all riders thanks to $15M federal grant
December 16, 2022 | Source: Senator Patty Murray and KOMO and MyNorthwest
Four red line T stops will get an accessibility overhaul
December 19, 2022 | Source: 90.5 WESA
Waterbury Line To Receive $30 Million Federal Grant to Improve Three Stations
December 19, 2022 | Source: CT Examiner and Governor Ned Lamont
Feds Announced $686M in Grants for Train Station Accessibility Retrofits
December 19, 2022 | Source: Engineering News-Record and Railway Technology and Smart Cities Dive and Mass Transit and Trains Magazine and AARP
SEPTA is getting $56 million to help make six subway stations more accessible
December 19, 2022 | Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer
Chicago Awarded Federal Funding for Accessible Train Stations
December 20, 2022 | Source: Planetizen and NBC Chicago and CBS News and Block Club Chicago
NYMTA: $2.5B to Enhance Resiliency, Expand Accessibility
December 21, 2022 | Source: Railway Age
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) All Stations Accessibility Program awarded $8 million to the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), according to a press release from Senator Brown’s office. The funding will be used to improve the East 79th Street rail station on the Blue/Green line and upgrade it to meet accessibility standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)…
National News (U.S.)
Surge in remote working due to COVID fuels record employment for the disabled
December 15, 2022 | Source: Los Angeles Times
After generations of being overlooked and sidelined in the job market, Americans with disabilities are enjoying an unprecedented employment boom — thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Widespread acceptance of remote working and an overall labor shortage have opened up historic opportunities for some of the nation’s most skilled and underutilized workers. “I’m proud to be able to go out and earn a living now, especially teleworking, and do it as a blind man,” said Bobby Pellechia, 39, a data analyst in Central Texas who has had three remote jobs since the pandemic began, each time moving up in position and pay…
I’m a Blind Scientist and Inventor. More Disabled Kids Should Have the Opportunities I Had
December 16, 2022 | Source: Time
As a little kid, I was fascinated by the inner workings of every device in my family’s home. I would spend hours disassembling and reassembling radios, toasters, and other household appliances, trying to figure out how they worked. Some sighted adults marveled at this, but to me, a blind kid exploring the world, it felt perfectly natural. Blindness is a hands-on process. The model kits for steam engines and rockets I received on birthdays didn’t come with braille instructions…
Twitter – Microassist
Accessibility in Chicago: a local shares favorite spots for blind and visually impaired visitors
December 16, 2022 | Source: Choose Chicago
I grew up in the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst. When my oldest sister moved to Chicago, she took it upon herself to expose her baby sister to the Chicago architecture and art scene: the Old Town Art Fair, the lakefront, the Chicago Cultural Center, The Art Institute of Chicago, and beyond. I knew then that I’d live in Chicago someday. What I didn’t know is that I’d be blind by the time I made that move. In 1985, I was diagnosed with a rare eye disease called retinopathy. Efforts to save my eyesight failed. I’ve been totally blind ever since…
How public radio stations can serve deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences
December 16, 2022 | Source: Current.org
Two public radio stations looking to improve the accessibility of their broadcasts for the deaf and hard of hearing have found new ways to provide live captioning of their programming. WAMU in Washington, D.C., is testing an automated speech-to-text technology developed by Enco, while KQED in San Francisco is promoting Google Chrome’s Live Caption, available since March 2021. Enco’s technology, enCaption, is a hard-wired system that generates captions from a feed of WAMU’s live broadcasts…
Aiming for inclusion in space, AstroAccess conducts weightless test flight in Houston with disabled crew members
December 16, 2022 | Source: Houston Public Media and Space
Renee Horton aspired to be an astronaut while growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a few hundred miles away from NASA’s headquarters in Houston. A hearing impairment has so far kept that childhood dream from becoming reality, but Horton has nonetheless pursued her goal and become involved in the field of space exploration. She earned bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in scientific disciplines and now works for NASA on its electric powertrain flight demonstrator project…
How to Keep Your Sidewalk Clear and Accessible for Disabled People
December 16, 2022 | Source: Q105.7
Something many of us can agree on is how difficult it is to climb over an unshoveled sidewalk in the winter time. However, something most of us don’t have to worry about is how to get through it in a wheelchair, or with mobility issues, or with a walking cane, or with a guide dog, etc. The point being, even though it’s something we might not consciously think about, we should always try to keep our sidewalks clear and accessible for everyone, especially individuals with disabilities who might have extra difficulty making the trek through the snow…
A Call for Greater Accessibility for Iowans with Disabilities
December 17, 2022 | Source: KMA Land
Iowans with disabilities said the state could be doing more to make public places more accessible and inclusive. In the new legislative session, the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council also wants lawmakers to make more money available to address dramatic staffing shortages. For the 12.5% of Iowans living with a disability, lack of accessibility is an ongoing issue. Brooke Lovelace, executive director of the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council, said the state can help increase access to affordable, reliable and convenient transportation so people can be more mobile in communities where they live and work…
Unemployment for blind people is staggeringly high. NewView Oklahoma works to change that
December 17, 2022 | Source: The Oklahoman
After Hannah Kinsey graduated from college, it took her five years to land a job. That wasn’t for lack of trying. Kinsey has been blind all her life, and she knew the daunting unemployment statistics for people who are blind or live with vision loss. One of the biggest hurdles she faced was just getting through the online applications for job postings. Many were impossible to use with her screen reader. “You can’t even get in the door, because I can’t fill out your application,” she said…
The School That Calls the Police on Students Every Other Day
December 17, 2022 | Source: ProPublica
On the last street before leaving Jacksonville, there’s a dark brick one-story building that the locals know as the school for “bad” kids. It’s actually a tiny public school for children with disabilities. It sits across the street from farmland and is 2 miles from the Illinois city’s police department, which makes for a short trip when the school calls 911. Administrators at the Garrison School call the police to report student misbehavior every other school day, on average…
‘It’s hard on my body’ | Push to get accessible van for 72-year-old grandma caring for disabled granddaughter
December 19, 2022 | Source: 11Alive
It’s a 30-minute process to get Moriyah McGuire in and out of the car. Her grandmother Joycelyn does it by herself every time they go to the doctor’s office and when she drops the 9-year-old off at school. Their routine is new for both of them after Moriyah was profoundly disabled in a car crash that killed her mom a year ago this week. It’s a routine, they hope, they won’t do by themselves for long – now that her teachers are stepping in to help. Moriyah just started at New Hope Elementary before Thanksgiving break but in those short weeks, she made a big impression and is inspiring a big movement…
One Small Role for a Miami Man, One Giant Leap for People With Disabilities
December 20, 2022 | Source: Miami New Times
Rhonel Cinous, a podcaster and former radio host, has always been a techie. His interest in adaptive and voice-controlled technology arose after he experienced a severe spinal cord injury in a snorkeling accident in 2016 during his first visit to Haiti, his family’s home country. Following his recovery, the Miami-based Cinous never imagined he would contribute to a NASA space mission. But this month, he found himself at the Johnson Space Center in Houston as part of a virtual team testing out Callisto, a communication technology project for the Artemis I mission’s Orion spacecraft…
Disabilities lawsuit plaintiffs hope their case makes buildings more inclusive in Michigan
December 20, 2022 | Source: WDET
Disability activists are suing the State of Michigan and other local governments for violating building requirements, saying in a federal complaint that they do not have “simple access” to courtrooms and offices throughout the state. The lawsuit focuses on the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in downtown Detroit, arguing that the building lacks “disability-accessible, barrier-free” amenities. “Until recently, the disability community hasn’t been centered in discussions about serving people with disabilities,” Ashley Jacobson, an attorney specializing in disability services, tells WDET…
Five Years Of ADA Web And App Lawsuits – Key Observations And Trends
December 21, 2022 | Source: UsableNet
UsableNet has now been tracking digital accessibility lawsuits for five years. When we first reported filings in 2018- cases had risen 181% from the previous year. We knew ADA claims had exploded but couldn’t predict what might happen next. Critical cases for ADA websites were battling in courts, Gil v. Winn-Dixie and Robles v. Domino’s Pizza. To advise our customers, hundreds of businesses with digital assets like websites and apps, we started to mine the data. We looked not just at numbers but for trends that offered practical advice…
Justice Department Secures Settlement with Florida School District to Protect Students with Disabilities
December 21, 2022 | Source: Department of Justice
The Justice Department announced today it has secured a settlement agreement with the Okaloosa County School District in Florida to resolve its investigation into allegations of physical and verbal abuse and discriminatory use of seclusion and restraint on students with disabilities. The department’s investigation concluded that the school district violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in its response to known physical and verbal abuse and improper seclusion and restraint of students with disabilities…
Tampa Mapping Effort Expands City Access for Visually Impaired
December 21, 2022 | Source: Government Technology
To help simplify the process of navigating indoor and outdoor spaces in Tampa, Fla., the city is looking to assistive technology to make local government more accessible. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed civic participation — with more emphasis on remote work and virtual city meetings. For Tampa, this change includes trying to expand civic participation through navigation technology. The partnership between the city and Lazarillo, the company that created this assistive technology navigation app, started through an effort to improve mobility…
Revolutionizing the Workplace: Why Long COVID and the Increase of Disabled Workers Require a New Approach
December 21, 2022 | Source: American Progress
Burnout, quiet quitting, and labor shortages have all been repeated in news headlines in the past few years. But underneath these clickbait perspectives on the labor market is something that should be much more concerning: Americans are in the thick of a mass disabling event—one of the largest since the AID5 and polio epidemics—due to post-COVID-19 symptoms creating a condition known as long COVID. In the face of an increasing casualty count and so-called labor shortages, it is essential that employers reevaluate their workplaces to create more accommodative workplaces…
Strand bookstore class action claims website inaccessible to blind, visually impaired visitors
December 22, 2022 | Source: Top Class Actions
The Strand bookstore fails to make its website fully accessible to blind or visually impaired people in violation of the law, a new class action lawsuit alleges. Plaintiff Marta Hanyzkiewicz filed the class action lawsuit against Strand Book Store Inc. Dec. 19 in a New York federal court, alleging violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). According to the lawsuit, Hanyzkiewicz is a visually impaired and legally blind person who requires screen-reading software to read website content using her computer…
Austin Airport adds accessibility services ahead of holiday travel demand
December 22, 2022 | Source: KXAN
We’re only a few days away from Christmas, which will result in tons of travelers hitting the skies. TSA expects the number of fliers this holiday season to surpass pre-pandemic years. At the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, plenty of preparations have been put in place, along with some new features for passengers with mobility assistance needs. Traveling is tough for anyone, especially around the holidays. Yet, for people in wheelchairs or walking around with canes, it’s even more of a challenge. For this reason, AUS added three mobility assistive areas…
Jack Fact — According to the Return on Disability Report, only 4% of businesses are focused on making offerings inclusive of disabled people. The International Labour Organisation estimates that the cost of disability exclusion can be up to 7% of OECD countries’ gross domestic product (GDP).
Hit The Road Jack — Tips for a well-prepared holiday and 8 accessible festive events and attractions to explore this Christmas
International News
Accessibility associations ask for tougher rules on parked e-scooters
December 16, 2022 | Source: The Brussels Times- Belgium
Last week, Cawab (Collectif Accessibilité Wallonie Bruxelles) and the Walk platform set out in Brussels, Liège and Namur to raise awareness about the dangers of parked scooters on pavements and its negative effects on accessibility for people with disabilities. Flyers were hung on the handlebars of scooters which read: “Badly parked vehicle, danger! This vehicle is an obstacle for pedestrians, in particular for people with reduced mobility”, and were all accompanied by the hashtag #LibérezNosTrottoirs (#FreeOurSidewalks)…
Fans praise ‘amazing’ accessibility experience at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
December 16, 2022 | Source: The Peninsula- Qatar and Gulf Times
Before every kick-off at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, two fans in the accessibility seats have been invited to meet their heroes and be a part of the pre-match ceremony. It is a small gesture – but one which means an incredible amount for those lucky enough to experience it. Ten-year-old Aiden Bell was chosen to line up with England ahead of their quarter-final match against France at Al Bayt Stadium – and for his dad, George, seeing his son next to Three Lions captain Harry Kane was a mind-blowing moment…
Diary of a wheelchair traveller: 7 accessible spaces in India
December 18, 2022 | Source: Money Control- India
Given that I’m a person with a disability, travelling is a little too paradoxical because I can’t go to the adjacent room in my house but want to roll in the city in the adjacent state! But given the connoisseur of hope that I am, I have travelled to some exciting places in the country which gave me not only memorable memories but also learnings, experiences, and lessons. As a woman with a disability, travel is nothing short of a roller-coaster of ebbs and flows, barriers and accessibility, of joy and sigh. But for me, grabbing a glimpse of a beautiful sunset or sway as the car drives through the meandering ghats, always comes first!…
Accessibility card scheme connects businesses with thousands of ‘forgotten’ customers
December 19, 2022 | Source: Stuff- New Zealand
It’s not about being politically correct – the people behind an accessibility scheme says businesses are missing out on the patronage of tens of thousands of people. Hāpai access card founder Loudon Keir says in Canterbury alone there are over 90,000 people with accessibility needs. Among them are people who are reluctant to go to cafes or entertainment venues with their friends and whānau for fear of being turned away or receiving poor service, he said.
Through the scheme – which celebrated two years in December – people with accessibility needs are linked to businesses which will accommodate them…
Calgary app developers want to make the city more accessible for people with disabilities
December 19, 2022 | Source: CBC- Canada
When Nabeel Ramji goes anywhere, he says he usually spends a day planning exactly how he’ll interact with the space he’s visiting. Ramji has cerebral palsy and uses a power wheelchair. Knowing the best place to get dropped off, if there are accessible bathrooms available and whether there’s an elevator nearby are incredibly important. “It causes a lot of anxiety on my part,” he said in an interview with the Calgary Eyeopener. It’s a feeling he’s hoping to ease by co-founding a new app called Pedesting…
Accessibility concerns raised over Nairn’s new Citizens’ Advice Bureau
December 19, 2022 | Source: Inverness Courier- UK
A range of problems have been raised by Nairn Access Panel about accessibility to the newly opened CAB office in the town centre. The development was part of a £3.2 million project which includes 12 new flats for council tenants. But Ian Booth, the chairman of the Access Panel, which champions rights of disabled people with the aim of making Nairn as accessible as possible, said there has been a significant opportunity missed with regard to improving access to and surrounding the new building…
CJI constitutes committee to conduct accessibility audit of SC premises
December 22, 2022 | Source: Vartha Bharati- India
In a bid to remove the barriers to access, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has constituted a committee headed by apex court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat to conduct an audit of “physical and functional access” of the top court premises to make them disabled friendly. The ‘Supreme Court Committee on Accessibility’ has been given a broad mandate to prepare and release a questionnaire for persons with disabilities, including the apex court employees, advocates, litigants and interns, who visit the top court premises to assess the nature and extent of problems they face…
YYZ first in North America to receive ACI Accessibility Accreditation
December 22, 2022 | Source: International Airport Review- Canada
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) became the first airport in North America and second in the world to receive the Airports Council International (ACI) accreditation under the Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation (AEA) programme, a first-of-its-kind dedicated to airport accessibility. The programme is designed to help airports measure, evaluate, and improve their accessibility management and culture. It is the only international assessment or accreditation programme dedicated to airports’ accessibility to passengers with disabilities…
Accessibility Blogs and Information
- Meet Laura Ruby!- Ken Nakata
- Do’s and Don’ts of Accessible Events- BizBash
- Is your warehouse accessible?- REMI Network
- Tar Heels make toys more accessible- The Well
- Accessible Travel Press- 2022 into 2023 Issue #35
- Living Small: Furniture and Accessibility- ArchDaily
- National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine
- 5 Steps to Make Your Digital Brand More Accessible- Spiceworks
- Denver resident advocates for accessibility as a mayoral policy- 9news
- Universal Design is not the enemy of local character- Pedestrian Space
- Why App and Web Accessibility is Essential For Travel- Michael Taylor
- Senate Committee Pushes for DoJ Tech Accessibility Oversight- MeriTalk
- Clive Loseby: The internet’s accessibility problem and how to fix it- TED Talk
- Website Compliance And The Americans With Disabilities Act- Above the Law
- Adjustable Table Series- 4-part web series of videos- World Institute on Disability
- Disability: A Key Component of Diversity- Office of Disability Employment Policy
- The Disability Navigator with DeeJae Durante- Innovation in Compliance- Tom Fox (Podcast)
- How to use the AbilityNet Digital Accessibility Maturity Model (DAMM)- AbilityNet
- State of Bureau Websites and Digital Services- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and PDF
- How Bluetooth Technology Is Bolstering the New Era of Hearing Accessibility- HIT Consultant
- Virtual reality and Inclusion: What does non-visual access to the metaverse mean?- Sight Tech Global (YouTube)
- Alumni Launch Blog to Highlight the Lives and Work of People with Disabilities- University of Arkansas
- Empathetic software development: Creating accessibility-first apps for greater inclusivity- Sara Faatz- E27
- DEI best practices: How to make your meetings accessible and inclusive for everyone- Human Resources Director
- Role of OIRA, compliance with 508 requirements highlight lawmakers’ focus on IT modernization in 2023- Federal News Network
- AB 2449’s mandate for implementation of receiving and resolving Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requests for reasonable accommodations- Reed Smith
Accessibility Announcements and Products
- Health Canada Accessibility Plan
- JAN Web Resource on Long COVID
- North Dakota Capitol finishes ADA upgrades
- Disabled veterans reminded to apply for exclusion
- 2022 Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards Bestowed
- New Research Names World’s Most Accessible Cities
- NJ Transit conducts second public forum on accessibility
- Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) first Accessibility Plan
- St. FX University Unveils Multi-Year Accessibility Program
- FEMA Region 6 Disability Partner Winter Preparedness Tips
- Carnegie Library announces first head of DEI, accessibility initiatives
- Veterans Affairs Canada releases 2022-2025 Accessibility Action Plan
- Order Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests for Blind or Low Vision People
- Comment Dates: Proposed VRS Rules on CAs and on International Calls
- FCC Announces Comment Cycle for Broadband Labeling Further Notice
- Abbott launches the world’s smallest implantable, rechargeable spinal cord stimulation system for chronic pain
- ATIS Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Task Force Recommends a Path to 100% Compatibility for Wireless Handsets
- Edinburgh, Scotland-Based Queen Margaret University Deploys YuJa Panorama to Deliver Accessible and Inclusive Learning to All
- The Government of Nova Scotia Accessibility Plan 2022-25, December 19, builds on progress made since the inaugural plan was issued in 2018.
- Senate Bill S7572A SIGNED BY NY GOVERNOR- Requires state contractors and vendors to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
Accessibility Forums, Tips, and Gaming
- Innovation In Accessibility
- Accessibility on the TiVo App
- Top Web Design Trends 2023
- Protect Your eCommerce Website (Video)
- Accessibility in Gaming Gift Guide
- Which images need descriptive text?
- How to Enable Android Accessibility Features
- 4 Ways to Build With an Accessibility-First Mindset
- Apple Watch: How to set up hourly Taptic Chime alerts
- Accessibility features: Unsung heroes of your smartphone
- The Latest Android Update Is Bad News for Accessibility Users
- The Last of Us Part 1 Fan Points Out David Detail Only Accessibility Mode Users Will See
Accessibility Statements
- Torys
- Fasken
- State of Michigan
- City of Clearwater
- Rubell Museum DC
- Finnish Government
- Congressman Mike Flood
- Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
- Your Story Disability Legal Support
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
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:
- What is a VPAT®? A VPAT Primer
- Understanding Digital Accessibility in the Procurement Process
- 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
Subscribe to Accessibility in the News
Stay informed! Get your weekly update on digital accessibility standards, private and public sector trends, litigation, events, and more.