Accessibility in the News — 5/31/19.

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“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

― Maya Angelou

National News (U.S.)

Major food critic to add accessibility info to reviews

May 23, 2019 | Source: The Takeout & The Washington Post |

Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema already gives readers details about a restaurant’s noise level, hours, prices, and of course, what’s on the menu. Now he’ll also add accessibility information to that list as well. In a post yesterday, Sietsema explained that readers with disabilities often contact him to ask about restaurants’ accommodations for people using wheelchairs, or blind people. He writes that while he initially had concerns about the viability of remaining under-the-radar while inspecting doorways with a tape measure, “the facts outweigh the cons.”…

Legal battle brewing: Deadline nearing for Pensacola restaurant accused of violating ADA

March 23, 2019 | Source: 3WEARTV |

A local business owner says he’s being targeted by a law firm for allegedly violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Jordan Valley owner, Tamer Ghboun says the violations are minor, but the compensation the firm is demanding is major. Ghboun was served at the end of March. The lawsuit cites violations such as the building’s door handle, bar counter height and the bathroom lacking the “international symbol of accessibility”…

Serial ADA lawsuit filer indicted in Sacramento on federal tax fraud charges

May 23, 2019 | Source: Sacramento Bee |

Sacramento-area attorney Scott N. Johnson, who has sued thousands of small businesses in Northern California alleging violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury on charges that he filed fraudulent tax returns on funds he received from the lawsuits. Johnson, a quadriplegic whose lawsuits have garnered settlements, forced ADA improvements at various storefronts and driven some firms out of business, was charged with three counts of making and subscribing a false tax return, U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott’s office said.

Blind Man Resolves Employment Discrimination Case with Amazon.com

May 23, 2019 | Source: NFB |

Alfredo Estrada has reached an agreement with Amazon.com to resolve claims that Mr. Estrada filed in July 2018 with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. He was represented by the TRE Legal Practice with the assistance of the National Federation of the Blind. Mr. Estrada, who is blind, was hired for a part-time sortation associate position at the Amazon.com sortation center in Vacaville and requested accommodations when reporting for his first day of work in October 2017…

E-Scooters Return To Portland Despite Concern Over Accessibility, Inclusivity

May 24, 2019 | Source: OPB News |

Portland is using new strategies in its second electric scooter pilot program to increase safety, inclusivity and accessibility, but some people are still worried about oversight. Even on a gray, damp day, Cory Huff is still happy to rent an electric scooter. Huff and his wife gave up on owning a car 12 years ago when they got tired of the upkeep and maintenance. Instead, he’s been focused on alternative forms of getting around such as Car2Go, public transportation and biking…

It’s hard to get a wheelchair-accessible Lyft or Uber in most places. Here’s why.

May 24, 2019 | Source: Mashable |

When Harriet Lowell’s husband was rushed to the hospital with a pulmonary embolism, she couldn’t be there with him. She rides an electric power scooter. And very few Lyft cars can accommodate it — which is why Lowell sued the company back in 2017. “It’s a basic human right to be able to get around,” said Lowell. She claims White Plains, where she lives, and other areas outside of big cities are an “afterthought” when it comes to accessible rides…

Lawsuit filed over Calif. recreation reservation website unusable by the blind

May 24, 2019 | Source: San Francisco Chronicle |

A $66 million contract that was supposed to let people make reservations online for state parks and campgrounds has produced a website that is inaccessible to nearly 1 million blind or vision-impaired Californians, and the contractor should reimburse the state, a leader of the Bay Area’s blind community says in a lawsuit. Bryan Bashin, CEO of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco and a self-described outdoor enthusiast, said he was eagerly awaiting the debut of the ReserveCalifornia.com site in August 2017…

College Campuses Must Be Redesigned With Foster Youth, Those With Disabilities in Mind

May 24, 2019 | Source: Youth Today |

Owing to increased attention during recent decades, few professionals who are interested in the well-being of youth remain unaware of the challenges faced by the more than 25,000 young people exiting the foster care system each year. It is known that it is rare for these youth to pursue college, and that those who do will experience difficulties within the college environment. What is often overlooked, however, are commonalities among youth who are aging out and how these commonalities can instruct the ways in which we support youth in their pursuit of higher education…

For the disabled, Quincy still can be a dangerous obstacle course

May 25, 2019 | Source: The Patriot Ledger |

The pedestrian crossing signal at the busy intersection of Granite Street and Burgin Parkway in downtown Quincy is supposed to help people safely cross the busy street, but for Mateo Cox, that safety is just out of reach. That’s because the button that activates the signal is 3 feet off the ground on a pole in the middle of a concrete island with 3-inch-high curbs that make it impossible for people like Cox, who is partially paralyzed due to a degenerative condition and uses a wheelchair to get around, to get close enough to reach it…

ADA technician: advisory committee will help drive, prioritize accessibility plan

May 27, 2019 | Source: Norman Transcript |

Nearly three decades after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1991, the city of Norman is looking to reevaluate barriers against those with disabilities. This will be just the second time the city has done a full evaluation of accessibility as mandated by the ADA — the first was in 1993. It could lead to increased mobility and inclusiveness for the estimated 12 to 13 percent of Cleveland County residents who are disabled…

What CIOs Need to Know about Americans with Disabilities Act

May 27, 2019 | Source: InformationWeek |

As if they do not have enough challenges to overcome and expenses to incur, in the last few years a growing number of businesses have been on the receiving end of claims and lawsuits asserting that their websites (and, in some cases, their mobile apps as well) violate Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), because they are not accessible to visually impaired and other disabled individuals. To make matters worse, there are no official government rules or regulations for what companies must do to make their websites accessible and compliant with the ADA…

Disability is a strength for any organization: Jenny Lay-Flurrie of Microsoft

May 27, 2019 | Source: Business Today |

Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft talks to Business Today about how she is driving the culture of accessibility to help the tech firm in its mission to empower the one billion plus people with disability around the world and help them achieve more. If you look at the demographics of disabled, which is what has kept me grounded, is that there has been a significant increase in the disabled over the last several years and it is correlated with age and employment rate. I think it hasn’t materially shifted in 30 years…

3 Famous Companies Sued Over Website ADA Compliance

May 27, 2019 | Source: Journal Enterprise |

Over the last decade, the number of lawsuits filed against companies for having a non-compliant ADA website has increased significantly. Initially, when the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was enforced in 1990, the internet was not as widely used as it is today. Moreover, the common misconception that many companies have when it comes to ADA compliance is ensuring that they meet the physical requirement. For instance, installing accessible bathroom stalls, handicap ramps or button activated doors…

Pack the court for NYC subway elevators, June 5!

May 28, 2019 | Source: Workers World |

The fight for accessibility in New York’s public transportation system is approaching a critical milestone on June 5. That’s when New York State Supreme Court Judge Hagler will make a fateful decision on the lawsuit to mandate elevators in the subway. Supporters of this popular demand are being asked to once again pack the court that day, just two weeks after 50 people packed the same judge’s court on May 21 for the same lawsuit. Wheelchair users turned out en masse, lining one entire side of the court, and supporters spilled into the aisles of the courtroom…

How bad are screens for your eyes? Here’s what happens to your eyes and brain when you scroll

May 28, 2019 | Source: Mic |

Whether you work a desk job or simply can’t peel yourself away from Netflix, many of us spend the majority of our waking hours looking at screen. But face it: few of us have little intention of changing our habits. Given what we know about how bad screens are for your eyes, though, is it time to look away? According to the American Optometric Association’s (AOA) American Eye-Q report, the average American spends seven hours a day looking at a screen…

51 attorneys general call on Betsy DeVos to cancel up to 42,000 disabled veterans’ student debts

May 29, 2019 | Source: Yahoo |

In a letter sent to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Friday evening, 51 attorneys general called on the Education Secretary to automatically cancel disabled veterans’ student debt, something that is not currently done by the Department of Education. “We write to…urge the Department of Education to take prompt action to satisfy its statutory mandate to discharge the student loans of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled or otherwise unemployable,” wrote the attorneys general. “As a nation, we have a moral obligation to assist those who have put their lives on the line to defend us.”…

Austin can afford to build only 3% of the 2,580 miles of sidewalk it wants, audit finds

May 29, 2019 | Source: Austin Monitor |

The city of Austin has the resources to build out only 3 percent of its missing sidewalks, according to a new city audit. The mobility bond Austin voters approved in 2016 set aside $37.5 million to build and maintain city sidewalks over an eight-year period, but the audit released today suggests the Public Works Department is spending that money more quickly than anticipated. The city’s 2016 Sidewalk Master Plan, which has guided sidewalk projects, identified 2,580 miles of missing sidewalks in the city. All told, that $37.5 million could construct only 40 to 60 miles of sidewalk…

Service dogs and the public: Do you know your rights?

May 29, 2019 | Source: WKYC3 |

A service dog is not a pet. Unfortunately, some people might confuse the two. Melissa Moyers has firsthand experience with the danger of this misconception since her service dog, Angela, has been in her life for years. “She always has her service dog leash on her,” Moyers said. “She helps me with anxiety, because I have really bad anxiety and my depth vision isn’t really good either. I can fall easily because I also have arthritis in my toe.”…

New Memphis program designed to include, provide skills to children with hearing or vision loss

May 29, 2019 | Source: Fox13 |

According to the World Health Organization, a little over 400 million people have some level of hearing loss – 34 million are children. A new program is being developed in Memphis to reach out to youth who are a part of this number. It is called “I Am Included.” It’s for children from 8th grade through 12th grade. Leaders and parents are hoping this provides a positive outlet for Memphis youth who may feel overlooked…

Examining perceptions of accessibility symbols

May 30, 2019 | Source: Newswise |

Recent research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Occupational Therapy has assessed individual comprehension and perceptions of nine existing and newly created accessibility pictograph symbols and identified one that represented universal access to fitness equipment. Symbols are used to convey messages in a clear, understandable manner, without the use of written language. The most widely recognized symbol used to denote access for persons with disabilities is the International Symbol of Access (ISA), but this symbol has been criticized due to its passive nature…

In the rush to digital transformation, don’t overlook accessibility

May 30, 2019 | Source: GCN |

Over the past several years, many government agencies have relentlessly focused on digital transformation — applying technologies in innovative ways to solve common challenges. The goal for these agencies is to enable citizens to easily and conveniently accomplish tasks online, such as renewing a driver’s license without having to visit a physical branch. Now imagine if a physical location to renew licenses wasn’t accessible to a large portion of the public…

Colorado’s IT office and secretary of state team up to provide mail-in ballot access to disabled voters

May 30, 2019 | Source: StateScoop |

Colorado election officials will develop tools to improve access for voters with disabilities to the state’s vote-by-mail system, following a bill signed into law this week by Gov. Jared Polis. Under the new law, the Colorado secretary of state’s office will use assistive technology to help voters with visual impairments complete their ballots at home, as most of the state’s voters have been able to do since 2013, when Colorado introduced mail-in voting…

Disability Inclusion — Moving Beyond Mission Statements

May 30, 2019 | Source: The New England Journal of Medicine |

Dr. L. graduated summa cum laude from an Ivy League medical school, but her dream of becoming a physician–scientist was challenged when, after she was involved in an automobile accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, the chair of her department expressed doubt that a “disabled physician” could practice medicine. Dr. L. was devastated. She was fatigued, and staring at computers to do her charting exacerbated her newly developed migraines…

Innovative Research May Find Solutions For The Treatment Of Blindness

May 30, 2019 | Source: Interesting Engineering |

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide suffer from some form of vision impairment. The most common and main causes of currently incurable blindness encompass age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs). Other major contenders are glaucoma, pathological myopia, and corneal blindness, all of which have high health impacts…

Jack Fact — As many as one billion people—15 per cent of the world’s population—have some form of disability, with around three per cent suffering from severe disabilities, according to World Bank.

Hit The Road Jack — 5 of the best cruises for accessible travel

International News

Curated tours, sign language interpreters planned in Kerala as part of Barrier Free Tourism project

May 23, 2019 | Source: Newz Hook- India |

The second phase of the Kerala government’s Barrier-Free Tourism project is starting with a bang. There are some great new features to look forward to. Get set to experience God’s Own Country in a whole new way. The second phase of the Kerala government’s Barrier-Free Tourism project will have additional features for tourists with disabilities who wish to experience the magic of this state. The government is working on making all tourist spots disabled-friendly and accessible, and this is a first in India…

Are Smart Controls The Accessibility Option Your Customers Need?

May 23, 2019 | Source: HVP- UK |

When fitting smart controls, it is important to consider how they can be tailored to suit the differing needs of homeowners, including elderly customers and those with limited mobility. Multigenerational living is on the rise, with nearly 7% of UK households accommodating two or more adult generations, according to a 2017 report by the National Housebuilding Council. With several generations living in the same house, it’s likely that there will be different heating requirements for each person…

Taking Action to Remove Barriers for People with Disabilities

May 23, 2019 | Source: Government of Ontario News- Canada & insauga |

People with disabilities and seniors deserve to remain engaged in their communities and represent a huge potential employee and customer base. Many buildings in Ontario continue to be a challenge for people with disabilities and seniors. When buildings are not accessible, people are shut out from fully participating in everyday life, businesses fail to reach their full potential, and communities are not as welcoming as they should be. Ontario is focusing on what matters most to people with disabilities and seniors by helping to remove barriers in buildings and making communities more accessible…

MSVU valedictorian makes graduation ceremony permanently accessible

May 23, 2019 | Source: Globalnews- Canada |

One of the three valedictorians at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax succeeded in her dream of creating a more accessible graduation ceremony last week. Casey Perrin has been a vocal advocate for making her campus more accessible during her time at MSVU. Perrin told Global News that she notified university officials after realizing that the location of her graduation ceremony wasn’t easily wheelchair accessible. As graduation season reaches its peak in Canada, many students are eager to cross the stage and receive their degree…

Older And Wiser: Accessibility essential for age-friendly communities

May 25, 2019 | Source: North Shore News- Canada |

Access and ability are being given special attention across Canada from May 26 to June 1. According to the national website for National AccessAbility Week: “This is a time when accessibility and inclusion is promoted across communities and workplaces and a time to celebrate the contributions of Canadians with disabilities. It is also an opportunity to recognize the efforts of Canadians who are actively removing barriers and ensuring persons with disabilities have an equal chance to participate in all aspects of Canadian society.”…

Canada’s first accessibility bill could become law next month, Minister says

May 23, 2019 | Source: The Globe and Mail- Canada |

New strategy for a more accessible and inclusive public service

May 27, 2019 | Source: Canada NewsWire |

Canada’s unions celebrate historic accessibility legislation

May 27, 2019 | Source: Canadian Labour Congress |

The federal government will heed the calls of Canada’s disabled community and amend the country’s first piece of national accessibility legislation to include some of the changes they sought, the minister spearheading the effort said Thursday. Accessibility Minister Carla Qualtrough said the government will be adopting all the amendments the Senate introduced to Bill C-81, also known as the Accessible Canada Act, when it comes back before the House next week…

Lack of accessible housing a key issue for Disability Advisory Panel

May 24, 2019 | Source: OurAuckland- New Zealand |

Auckland Council’s Community Development and Safety Committee proudly co-hosted its May meeting with the council’s Disability Advisory Panel. Ongoing concern that a significant lack of accessible housing remains a key issue for disabled people prompted the advisory panel to select ‘accessible housing’ as the theme of the committee meeting. Councillor Cathy Casey, chair of the Community Development and Safety Committee, says the presentations helped committee members better understand the importance and need for accessible housing…

Making Nepal accessible to all

May 24, 2019 | Source: Nepali Times- Nepal |

As Nepal rebuilds many heritage sites and trekking trails that were damaged in the 2015 earthquake, activists say this is an opportunity to make them barrier free. Such improvements would render the facilities accessible not just for different kinds of tourists, but also for local people with disabilities, along with the elderly. Accessible tourism simply means adapting facilities so they are easier to travel in, whether the visitors are people with disabilities or not…

Online toolkit and policy to boost digital accessibility

May 24, 2019 | Source: Talking Disability- Australia |

The South Australian Government is supporting online platforms in becoming more accessible with the launch of its new online policy and toolkit. Aimed at helping organisations create more accessible digital platforms, the policy and toolkit have been developed in consultation with Vision Australia, Royal Society for the Blind SA, people with lived experience of disability and other key disability stakeholders. The policy will address the use of screen readers, visual design, including contrast and background, audio content, captions and transcripts…

This Bengaluru Couple Makes Railway Stations Better For The Visually Impaired!

May 24, 2019 | Source: The Better India |

Diwakar was very excited to visit his hometown to meet his family. He was supposed to board his train from Mysuru Railway station. He waited for almost three hours at the railway platform only to find out that the train had left on time but from a different platform. Being visually impaired, he had no access to the indicator that flashed the platform number for his train, and he missed out the announcement in the cacophony of sounds around him. The incident left him agitated as he had failed to meet his family during the holidays…

My Tips for Visiting Rome and Assisi, Italy as a Wheelchair User

May 24, 2019 | Source: Yahoo Lifestyle- Italy |

From March 11 to March 15, 2019, I roamed around Rome and Assisi, Italy in my portable wheelchair. Here’s the accessibility assessment of my adventures. I’ll organize my assessment in the order I encountered the features about which I will be sharing my experiences. The objects in this museum are from various centuries and have been either found in Vatican City or gifted to the Vatican. I recommend ignoring the vendors offering to sell you tickets so you can avoid the line at the museum…

Ireland’s landscapes are beautiful but not accessible for all

May 25, 2019 | Source: Irish Times- Ireland |

Years ago, Joan Carty and her family loved spending their weekends making the most of Ireland’s coastline. “We’d have sailed, kayaked, and like most people spent the summers on the cold, windy beaches of Wexford,” she smiles. “A big part of that was completely taken from me.” A road traffic accident 30 years ago, when she was 21, changed the course of her life, and that of her family. The crash resulted in an injury that left Carty confined to a wheelchair…

An Olympics crowdsourcing project may be the answer to making Japan a more accessible country

May 26, 2019 | Source: The Japan Times |

Tokyo is up against the clock when it comes to creating a city that’s accessible for everyone. Its deadline? Next year’s Olympic Games, though that really shouldn’t matter when it comes to transforming Japan into a nation where anyone can use any space. Accessibility means different things to different people, and sometimes people get left behind. As someone who uses a wheelchair, I learned this the hard way when I moved to Japan. Before I arrived, I went online to look for apartments…

Visually impaired youth try out accessible virtual reality game

May 26, 2019 | Source: CTV News- Canada |

For those that are visually impaired, most video games are difficult to play. But some youth with sight loss got the chance to try out a new virtual reality video game that is accessible for them, at an event in Regina on Sunday. Through collaboration between CNIB and the Business Information Systems program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, students were challenged to create video games that people with visual impairment can play. The students came up with a rock climbing game called ‘Climber Pro.’…

New fund to support wheelchair accessibility

May 27, 2019 | Source: Mirage News- Australia |

The Palaszczuk Government has launched a $21 million, four-year Wheelchair Accessible Taxi (WAT) fund to encourage taxi operators to make their vehicles accessible and modernise the state’s fleet. More than 600 wheelchair accessible taxis currently operate across Queensland, however 35 per cent are now older than eight years. Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad said the multi-million dollar investment will help taxi owners replace older vehicles, bringing the average age of the fleet down to just over three years…

GTA realtor ‘tricked’ him and his wife into selling home, blind man says

May 27, 2019 | Source: CBC- Canada |

A man with a disability says a realtor from a Royal LePage brokerage “tricked” him and his wife into selling their east end Toronto home and cost them tens of thousands of dollars in the process. Harold Verge, 72, is blind. His wife also suffers from a series of debilitating health issues. Last month, they lost the home they owned for the past 24 years when it was sold, against their will, they say. The agent, Vince Iannello, while not denying any of the specific allegations, says he has “never wavered” from caring for his clients. For its part, Royal LePage says it is investigating the Verges’ case…

N.S. adults with disabilities address lack of appropriate housing during National Accessibility Week

May 27, 2019 | Source: Globalnews- Canada |

For nearly a decade, daily tasks such as enjoying the taste of a meal has been a struggle for Vicky Levack due to the circumstances of the environment she says is her only option to live in. “I’ve lived here since I was 21. There are no activities for people my age. The food for people my age is horrible. Everything is flavourless and mushy because a lot of people I live with don’t have teeth.” When Levack was entering young adulthood, she says her family didn’t have many living environments that would aid in her path towards independence…

‘People aren’t disabled, their city is’: inside Europe’s most accessible city

May 28, 2019 | Source: The Guardian- Netherlands |

When I arrived at Breda station last month to find out why this Dutch city was recently named the winner of the 2019 Access City award, I did something I have not done while travelling in a long time. Instead of taking a taxi, I independently pushed the two kilometres to the hotel, to see whether lack of access for wheelchair users like me is as big a problem here as it is in most other cities. Usually, a journey like that would be a nightmare, particularly in older European towns like Breda, a city of just under 200,000 people that was an important centre during the Holy Roman Empire…

Panel on Making Cities Disabled-Friendly Invites Wheelchair-Bound Activist, Forgets to Install Ramp

May 28, 2019 | Source: News18- India & India Times |

On May 24, during the last day of the ‘5th Smart Cities India 2019 Expo’ being held in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, disability rights activist Nipun Malhotra had been invited to speak on the topic of accessibility in public transport for persons with disability in smart cities. His panel was named, “Redefining Public Transport”. Incidentally, the managers of the event had no provisions in place for wheelchair-bound Malhotra, who needed a ramp to get to the stage to deliver his speech…

This new theatre show is specifically made for kids with disabilities

May 28, 2019 | Source: Time Out- Australia |

Perth’s Sensorium Theatre are the only theatre company in Australia dedicated to making theatre for children with disabilities, who can often feel excluded from typical performances aimed at kids. “Sometimes, with the best of intentions, mainstream theatre experiences might just be a little bit too fast and furious for our audiences to be able to process at their own pace,” says Sensorium Theatre co-artistic director Francis Italiano. As the name would suggest, Sensorium Theatre engages its young audiences through each and every sense…

The Rick Hansen Foundation puts the focus on accessibility

May 28, 2019 | Source: Strategy- Canada |

The Rick Hansen Foundation has launched a year-long campaign to make sure Canadians can see all the ways in which accessibility can be a problem for one in five people. One of the focal points of the campaign is a digital poster that used a range of tech and sensors to detect when someone might have difficulty reading the creative, and dynamically adapting to be more accessible to them. The poster also shows able-bodied people the ways something like reading text on a public sign can be inaccessible…

Government of Canada invites youth leaders to help build a more accessible Canada

May 29, 2019 | Source: Yahoo- Canada |

In celebration of Canada’s third National AccessAbility Week, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, announced several initiatives to support youth leaders in their efforts to build a more accessible Canada. Minister Qualtrough made these announcements at the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD U). While there she announced, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, that OCAD U is receiving $1.7 million in funding from the Accessible Technology Program…

Access to Calgary beer: One brewery’s path to inclusivity

May 29, 2019 | Source: LiveWire Calgary- Canada |

When most people walk into a Calgary craft brew hotspot, they aren’t thinking of how accessible it is to others. Sean Crump is. Crump, Head Chair and CEO of Universal Access, a Calgary company that specializes in eliminating barriers to business accessibility, said he’ll personally take his (beer) business elsewhere if he doesn’t feel a location can meet his needs. Others he meets feel the same way about accessibility into Calgary businesses. Quite often, people don’t say anything about it. They just don’t frequent those locations…

Brownstein: Making comedy truly accessible to all

May 29, 2019 | Source: Cochrane Times- Canada |

Montreal comedian Abby Stonehouse feels everybody could use a good laugh these days. No argument there. By ‘everybody,’ Stonehouse means just that. It’s not comedy content that concerns Stonehouse. It’s accessibility.

Stonehouse knows from what she speaks. She has a moderate degree of hearing loss but can empathize not only with others having to deal with hearing issues but with any impairments that prevent them from taking in comedy or any other kinds of shows…

Harden: Ontario’s accessibility standards are falling woefully short

May 30, 2019 | Source: Ottawa Citizen- Canada |

For an able-bodied person, whether the pillars on the platform of a train station or bus stop are straight or angled is easily taken for granted. For someone who is sight impaired, an angled pillar can mean the difference between constantly bumping one’s head or shoulder on a part of the pillar that can’t be anticipated by a cane, or being able to commute without threat of pain or injury. This distinction, which David Lepofsky, chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, demonstrates in a video he posted online last spring…

Tencent QQ is invited to the Decent Jobs for Youth Conference to share China’s experience in information accessibility

May 29, 2019 | Source: Yahoo- China |

The “Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth” annual conference launched by the United Nations International Labor Organization was held in Rome, Italy. Vincent Huang, General Manager of Social Platform Department of PCG (Platform and Content Group) and Technical Head of Tencent QQ, was invited to speak at the conference. In his speech, Huang addressed the importance of rights to equal communication as a premise of decent Jobs during the session on “Innovative approaches to include youth with disabilities in the labour market”…

How technology is boosting hotel accessibility

May 30, 2019 | Source: ANSA- Brazil |

The provision of accessible beds and bathrooms, ramps, elevators and stairlifts are some of the requirements that Brazilian legislation has set to ensure that hotels are accessible to everyone. But the obstacles that people who have physical, visual or intellectual disabilities have to face go well beyond these architectonic barriers when it comes to choosing a hotel for a holiday or a work trip. For example, reception desks are frequently much higher than a wheel chair and there are still not many facilities that have staff capable of using Brazilian sign language…

Consult the disabled community before regulating straws or drive-thrus says accessibility advocate

May 30, 2019 | Source: Halifax Today- Canada |

Jurisdictions around the world have discussed banning certain items in order to reduce our environmental footprint. Here in Halifax, the idea of eliminating straws and other single use plastics has been tossed around, and last fall councillor Richard Zurawski asked for a report on how the municipality could go about regulating drive-thrus. “We’ve got a lot of low-hanging fruit that we can start to deal with,” Zurawski told NEWS 95.7’s The Rick Howe Show earlier this week…

Federal government passes Canada’s first national accessibility legislation

May 30, 2019 | Source: CityNews Vancouver- Canada |

Disabled Canadians declared a partial victory Thursday hours after the government voted to enact Canada’s first national accessibility law, calling it a major step forward while cautioning that more work was still needed to ensure it achieves its goal. The Accessible Canada Act, which aims to improve life for those with disabilities, received unanimous support in the House of Commons on Wednesday evening. It awaits only royal assent, expected in the coming weeks, before officially becoming law…

This app developed by 20-year-old Mumbai students makes use of AR to help dyslexic children read better

May 30, 2019 | Source: EdexLive- India |

One of the most common learning disabilities prevalent in today’s classrooms is Dyslexia. According to several reports, there are approximately 228,994,454 students enrolled in recognised schools, which brings the count of dyslexic children to nearly 35 million alone in India. While most parents and teachers find it difficult to deal with children with this learning disability and then eventually give up on them, it is extremely important to identify if your child is dyslexic…

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