Accessibility in the News — 9/13/2024.
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“Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men next to skin cancer.” ― Harris M. Nagler, MD, President of the Urology Care Foundation
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Feature Stories
Unintended consequences: New law on accessibility leads to removal of public records from websites
September 9, 2024 | Source: Colorado Politics
A 2021 law intended to improve accessibility to government documents for individuals with hearing and vision impairments has had unintended consequences — it prompted some agencies to completely remove public records from websites altogether in order to avoid non-compliance with the legislation. House Bill 21-1110 required all state and local agencies to implement accessibility plans for their IT systems by July 1 of this year or face potential discrimination lawsuits and fines of up to $3,500…
National News (U.S.)
Contractor concerns: Disabled woman in York County left with unfinished home
September 6, 2024 | Source: Fox 23 Maine
A York County woman with disabilities claims she is facing significant issues with a contractor who was hired to make her home more accessible. Laurie Johnson told theCBS13 I-Team the contractor left her house in disarray, with major portions of the job incomplete. “I just wanted a wider hallway because my wheelchair doesn’t fit through the doorways here,” Johnson said. “I just wanted a bigger room where my wheelchair could go through.”…
Sacramento has new, improved light rail trains. How a mobility council’s input led to changes
September 6, 2024 | Source: Sacramento Bee
For Jeff Thom, quality public transit is key to living independently as a person with disabilities. Thom, who is blind, knows the ways Sacramento Regional Transit’s light rail can been difficult to navigate — he’s had to be careful while navigating the ramps onto the train and has had to rely on auditory directions to know when he’s reached his stop. Some light rail trains haven’t been updated in 35 years, which has caused difficulty for riders with disabilities. It’s sometimes difficult to hear announcements on trains, and getting onto a car has also been concerning for riders with mobility issues, Thom said…
‘Disability rights are human rights’: Activists call for more accessibility in Philadelphia
September 7, 2024 | Source: Audacy
President of the Philadelphia Freedom Band David Szczepanik played trumpet and paraded around Love Park Saturday for the 12th annual Disability Pride Philadelphia on the Parkway. “We want to show up and support the cause of making sure people have accessible housing and access to health care, you know, access to public buildings,” Szczepanik said. Guy Anthony Brooks from West Philadelphia says it’s crucial for people with disabilities in the city to come together to fight for fair access to businesses and new construction…
Andrea Bocelli Remembers Soccer Accident That Left Him Blind: ‘That’s When Darkness Fell’
September 7, 2024 | Source: People
Andrea Bocelli is opening up about a turning point in his vision impairment. In Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, Sept. 7, the Italian tenor revealed that a soccer accident as a young boy left him blind after he was living with glaucoma. “As a child, I was considered extremely short-sighted. I could see everything but only from up close,” Andrea, 65, says in the documentary. “I remember extremely well the world I saw. Colors, everything. How could I forget those memories?”…
Off the pavement: Adaptive riders teach trail accessibility
September 8, 2024 | Source: Oil City News
Joe Stone struggled momentarily with the chain latch as he closed the gate behind him. He held his hands up, and a time-keeper called out how long it took him to open, traverse and re-secure the swinging pipe fixture. “Forty-seven seconds,” Stone repeated. “That is actually pretty good. The last one we did, it took me like five minutes.” This gate at the entrance of a Bureau of Land Management trail system south of Lander likely wouldn’t give pause to an able-bodied recreator…
NYC transit advocates rally against congestion pricing pause, call for accessibility upgrades
September 8, 2024 | Source: Gothamist
Transit advocates, still incensed by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pause on congestion pricing, rallied on Sunday for a “day of action.” They aimed to highlight the urgent need for accessibility projects that the program was intended to fund. The group Riders Alliance teamed up with organizations such as the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York and Elevator Action Group to canvas straphangers at 23 stations affected by the pause in congestion pricing, which cut funding that would have gone into essential upgrades such as elevators…
Why People with Disabilities Are More Vulnerable in Emergencies and How We Can Achieve Societal Equity
September 9, 2024 | Source: Access * Ability
This statement brings into sharp focus a dark truth: people with disabilities are often left more vulnerable and more likely to perish in times of crisis. Whether it’s during natural disasters, mass shootings, or police interactions, disabled individuals are at greater risk due to systemic failures in planning and support. Tragic events such as the Georgia school shooting on September 4, 2024, the 2018 Paradise fire, the 2015 Bataclan theater attack, and the 2016 Sagamihara stabbings in Japan demonstrate that people with disabilities are too often an afterthought when it comes to emergency preparedness and response…
Justice Department Sues Maine for Violating the Americans with Disabilities Act
September 9, 2024 | Source: U.S. Department of Justice and Complaint – U.S. v. State of Maine (PDF)
The Justice Department sued the State of Maine today for unnecessarily segregating children with behavioral health disabilities in hospitals, residential facilities and a state-operated juvenile detention facility in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. The department previously notified Maine of its findings of civil rights violations in a June 2022 letter to Maine. The letter identified steps that Maine should take to remedy the violations…
Biden Administration Issues Rules Making Mental Health Care More Accessible
September 9, 2024 | Source: U.S. News and World Report
Beginning Jan. 1, Americans with private health insurance coverage should gain better access to mental health care, as well as care to help ease substance abuse, federal officials announced Monday. “Like medical care, mental health care is vital to the well-being of America’s workers,” U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su said in a statement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “The final rules issued today make it easier for people living with mental health conditions and substance use disorders to get the lifesaving care they often need,” Su said…
Chelsea residents, advocates fight to end ‘accessibility desert’ with elevators at local subway stations
September 9, 2024 | Source: amNY and NY1 and Gothamist
Five subway lines have stations at 23rd Street in or near Chelsea — but only one of them, at Park Avenue South, can be reached with an elevator. This has left Chelsea as an “accessibility desert” in Manhattan, according to transportation and disability advocates who are vowing to do something about it. They are now urging the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to install an elevator at 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue as a “first step” to remedy the inaccessibility…
How a New York company uses AI to diagnose and treat dyslexia
September 9, 2024 | Source: GBH
Dyslexia is notoriously difficult to diagnose. Experts estimate the learning disability, which makes it hard to read and understand language, affects between 5 and 20% of children. In Massachusetts, the number of those with dyslexia is unclear because the state doesn’t report it. Coral Hoh is a linguist and CEO of Dysolve, a company based in Lagrangeville, New York that creates generative AI-based programs designed to address dyslexia. She sees dyslexia as “a computational problem” in the brain, she said…
Washington to fix accessibility violations at its state parks
September 10, 2024 | Source: The Columbian
Deb Hodge and James Evans arrived at an accessible campsite at Paradise Point State Park in southwest Washington last May and quickly noticed something was off. The site was very far from the bathroom and had uneven paths and deep ruts in the camping area – all of which is unusual for a facility deemed accessible under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. The uneven surfaces caused 65-year-old Evans, who has a disability, to fall and twist his back and need medical treatment…
Access for All: Making Voting Easier for Pennsylvanians with Disabilities
September 10, 2024 | Source: BCTV
Disability Voting Rights Week is an annual call to action that occurs during the second week of September. It focuses on advocacy, celebrating community, and building empowerment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of July 2024, more than 2.9 million adults in Pennsylvania are living with a disability. Mallory Hudson, disability justice program director with the Keystone Progress Education Fund, said this week, Pennsylvanians are encouraged to take time to host voter registration and education events, organize candidate forums on disability issues, and engage with elected officials…
From braille attractions to fishing trips: Florida’s accessibility mission
September 11, 2024 | Source: TTG Media
In 10 years’ time 40% of all adult Americans will have some form of disability, according to Visit Florida. This data, gathered by the state, is informing its work to make the state as accessible as possible. “There is a giant market for accessible travel because the number of Americans, both adults and children, who travel with some sort of disability, be it physical, mental or something else, is huge,” said Dana Young, CEO of Visit Florida. Visit Florida’s website has a landing page with information on the state’s varied accessible travel offerings, featuring contributions from disabled content creators…
NFL stadiums: how different stadiums approach accessibility
September 11, 2024 | Source: The Times-Delphic
Cheerleaders pop and lock and leap. Lights twinkle all about the stands. Fans covered in gold and purple chant, “Skol.” U.S. Bank Stadium is the place to be on Minnesota Vikings game day. Yet, Jillian Nelson’s family doesn’t attend. “When there’s a sensory space that allows you the inclusion to be there and participate in what you want, you will go,” said Nelson, who has two family members on the autism spectrum. “We don’t go there because the system is ineffective.”…
Nessel cites Loper Bright ruling in Civil Rights case
September 11, 2024 | Source: Michigan Capitol Confidential
The office of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel cited a surprising precedent in a recent legal filing to the U.S. Department of Education: this year’s Supreme Court decision in the case Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which struck down judicial deference to administrative agencies. “Loper casts a long shadow on all of the precedents cited by [the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights] in its brief and removes any deference this Tribunal should afford to OCR’s interpretation of Section 504,” the attorney general’s Health, Education and Family Services Division wrote in an Aug. 30 reply brief…
From Novelty to Necessity: How AI Could Open Up a World of Accessibility for Everyone
September 12, 2024 | Source: CNET
On a sunny day in July, Kevin Chao and I sit on a breezy rooftop in Oakland, California, overlooking the downtown skyline. He pulls out a pair of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, puts them on and asks, “Describe what you see.” It takes a bit of troubleshooting (the glasses don’t initially want to cooperate), but after a few tries, an AI assistant uses the built-in camera to describe a patio, with a black table and chairs facing a skyline. That description checks out…
Settlement Agreement Improves Accessibility for Blind Test-Takers of the California Insurance License Exam
September 12, 2024 | Source: Legal Reader
In August, three blind individuals and the National Federation of the Blind reached a settlement agreement with the California Department of Insurance (CDI) and their licensing examination vendor, PSI Services LLC (PSI). The settlement resolves claims that both CDI and PSI failed to ensure the accessibility of CDI’s insurance agent licensing examinations for blind applicants who use screen reading software to non-visually access text. Read the settlement agreement…
On a Roll: Feds Inch Closer to Finally Achieving Key Goal of Americans With Disabilities Act
September 12, 2024 | Source: Streetsblog USA
The 34-year-old Americans With Disabilities Act may soon — finally — give pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or parents pushing strollers true equality in the public right of way. Late last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation signaled that it would adopt a bureaucratic mouthful: Accessibility Guidelines for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way (also known as PROWAG) that were proposed a full year ago by the U.S Access Board…
Jack Fact — According to the US Census Bureau, by 2030 it is estimated that there will be 73.1 million people 65 years old or older, or 21%. By 2060 it will be 94.7 million, or 23%.
Hit The Road Jack — 22 Tennessee State Parks Provide All-Terrain Wheelchairs to Enhance Accessibility for All and Accessible Travel Series: Making Dutchess Open to All and How a Greek innovation helps wheelchair users enjoy the sea (Video)
International News
Why does India fail to address digital accessibility gaps?
September 5, 2024 | Source: Newslaundry- India
Over 1.4K accessibility complaints filed on govt app, 75% solved: Data
September 8, 2024 | Source: Business Standard- India
A single click on the web can unlock the universe, and artificial intelligence can predict our next move. Yet, in this digital age, less than three percent of the internet is accessible to persons with disabilities across the world — and India is no exception. Merely 95 central government websites are made accessible. Apart from this, 676 out of the 6,700 state or UT governments’ websites are accessible, with only 476, or seven percent, live so far, as per the recently released annual report of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for 2024…
Autoworkers learn sign language hoping connection with deaf colleagues improves work and lives
September 6, 2024 | Source: ABC- UK
One doesn’t need to know sign language to understand what Michael Connolly feels about his colleagues’ efforts to break down the barriers posed by his deafness. When asked what he thought of his teammates’ decision to learn British Sign Language, the 45-year-old autoworker at the Nissan plant in Sunderland, England, grinned and flashed a universal symbol: Two thumbs up. Connolly loves having the chance to banter with his workmates, to talk about everyday things — the kids, vacation plans, a TV program…
Fashion Is Slowly Embracing The Needs Of Disabled People — Including Paralympians
September 6, 2024 | Source: HuffPost- Canada
Three years ago, when Team Canada appeared at the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the athletes were dressed in sleek white jeans. They may have looked good, but for some Paralympians on the team, they were a challenge. For Alison Levine, for example. The para athlete, who competes in the sport of boccia, couldn’t wear jeans because in a wheelchair, they dug into her skin. They lacked an elastic waistband, and were difficult to take on and off…
New Zealand’s Disability-Led Path to Accessibility in the Arts
September 6, 2024 | Source: Reasons to be Cheerful- New Zealand
Picture yourself at the opera. If you’re a sighted person, and the opera is in a language you don’t speak, you will likely use the translation surtitles (or supertitles) to follow along. But if you’re blind or visually impaired, there hasn’t really been a comparable way for you to access those translations in real time — until this past June, when the New Zealand Opera launched its newest accessibility practice: Braille surtitling for its production of Le Comte Ory…
Paralympic equestrian riders praise access for disabled riders at Versailles
September 7, 2024 | Source: Associated Press- France
After winning her 10th Paralympics medal, British equestrian Natasha Baker celebrated with her son on Saturday and reflected on how good accessibility for disabled people was at the Palace of Versailles. “We could do with some more baby changers, there’s only one on site,” the 34-year-old Baker said, laughing as Joshua, 17 months old, sat on her lap waving a British flag. “But apart from that it’s been amazing. There are ramps everywhere. Everywhere is so easy to get to (and) so easy to get around. The stables are amazing.”…
New partnership to enhance museum accessibility for people with disabilities
September 8, 2024 | Source: Arab News- Saudi Arabia
The Museums Commission and the Authority for the Care of People with Disabilities signed a memorandum of understanding at the National Museum in Riyadh on Sunday. The memorandum, which was signed by Ibrahim Al-Sanousi, acting CEO of the commission, and Hisham Al-Haidary, CEO of the authority, aims to develop joint policies and strategies to empower people with disabilities in museum-related fields. The memorandum underscores the commitment of both entities to provide a safe, inclusive environment that upholds the rights of people with disabilities and enhances their participation in society…
A story of starkly contrasting workplace accessibility
September 9, 2024 | Source: Hospitality and Catering News- UK
For all too many disabled people, accessibility to the workplace remains a gruelling barrier to overcome. Victoria Clark’s recent experience, reported by the BBC and many other news outlets, offers a stark example of how accessibility, or the lack thereof, can dramatically shape work opportunities available to disabled people. Victoria, a disabled woman, applied for a position at Toby Carvery, a well-known UK restaurant chain. Instead of being judged on her skills and experience, she was rejected immediately because of her disability…
Women who are blind play a critical role in identifying possible breast cancers
September 8, 2024 | Source: NPR- India
Meenakshi Gupta has been blind since birth. And yet she can identify what many patients and medical specialists miss: the tiniest lumps in a woman’s breast that could be malignant. One of 30 blind women from India trained as part of a global project called “Discovering Hands,” Gupta, 31, has been working for the past two years as a medical tactile examiner at Medanta Hospital in the northern Indian city of Gurgaon. Introduced in India in 2017, the program is now part of major hospitals in key Indian cities: Bengaluru, Varanasi, Gurugram and Delhi…
WHO and ITU publish new guidance to make telehealth services accessible
September 9, 2024 | Source: World Health Organization (WHO)- International
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have published the Implementation toolkit for accessible telehealth services. This toolkit provides practical guidance to support governments, policymakers, health industry, health services providers, and civil society on how to integrate accessibility features in telehealth services. The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented need and galvanized the rapid development and scaling-up of telehealth services…
As accessibility deadline nears, advocates say TTC’s ‘Family of Services’ needs to be scrapped
September 9, 2024 | Source: CityNews- Canada
As the Jan. 1 deadline for province-wide compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act approaches, disability rights advocates are once again calling attention to a TTC offering called “Family of Services,” which they say needs to be reworked or scrapped all together. As it stands, people with disabilities who use the paratransit service Wheel-Trans are transported door-to-door for the price of a subway ride. Family of Services refers to a package of transportation services that includes both Wheel-Trans as well as conventional transit…
A story of starkly contrasting workplace accessibility
September 9, 2024 | Source: Hospitality and Catering News- UK
Victoria, a disabled woman, applied for a position at Toby Carvery, a well-known UK restaurant chain. Instead of being judged on her skills and experience, she was rejected immediately because of her disability. This incident isn’t just a case of employment discrimination, it reflects a broader problem with accessibility in the hiring and work environments of many organisations. Fortunately, Victoria’s story doesn’t end with rejection. As reported by Kayleigh Fraser, East Durham Reporter at The Northern Echo – Victoria has found a new role at The Swan pub in Billingham, where her disability was not seen as a limitation…
New Te Tai Tokerau Regional Accessibility Strategy
September 11, 2024 | Source: Northland Regional Council- New Zealand
A new strategy developed by Northland’s four local authorities looks to improve accessibility across the region, which has the country’s second highest rate of disabilities and impairments (29 percent). The Te Tai Tokerau Regional Accessibility Strategy was developed by the Whangarei, Far North and Kaipara District Councils along with the Northland Regional Council and comes after only 17% of participants in a 2020 survey thought their district was accessible…
INTERVIEW: Abra Group’s accessibility chief Michael Swiatek on his blindness journey
September 12, 2024 | Source: Airline Routes and Ground Services- UK
Accessibility is an increasing issue for stakeholders across the aviation sector, with airports, airlines and ground handlers all looking to provide a more inclusive service to passengers with additional needs. Improving these services is a task that will never be finished, but can arguably never be perfect either. How, then, can stakeholders ensure their accessibility strategies are effective? Abra Group – the holding company for airlines GOL, Avianca and Wamos Air – last week appointed strategy head Michael Swiatek to take on the newly created role of chief strategy and accessibility officer…
Accessibility Blogs, Information, and Videos
- My Grief With “In Brief”- Eric Eggert
- When Driving is Not an Option- Steve Wright
- Dashboards That Pop: Accessibility- Jennifer Acunto
- An author’s conflict with internalised ableism- Priti Salian
- Celebrate Disability Voting Rights Week- City of Madison
- The Role of AI in Enhancing Digital Accessibility- Mike Paciello
- Making fashion accessible to women with disabilities- NBC News(Video)
- The Biggest Headaches Job Hunting While Disabled- Sheri Byrne-Haber
- Digital Accessibility Drives Customer Loyalty and Inclusion- Scott Clark
- AI is Changing the Conversation Around Digital Accessibility- Sara Faatz
- Prioritize Accessibility In Procurement For Better CX And EX- Gina Bhawalkar
- DVRW: Voting for Something- American Association of People with Disabilities
- How Project Guideline helped me run a half marathon independently- The Keyword
- Social influencer highlights wheelchair accessibility during Kentucky visit- WHAS11(YouTube)
- The Future of CX: Personalisation, Design and Digital Accessibility – DevOps Online
- Accessibility: A Comprehensive Exploration- Forbes Technology Council- Tina Gada
- Accessibility Show with Joe Dolson, Episode 1: Mobile Menu Toggles- Nathan Wrigley(Video)
- A Hero’s New Beginning: Sgt. Tu’ufuli’s Journey to an Accessible Home- The Home Depot
- Accessibility Issues Faced by Speaker at Central Health Education Bureau Event- Times of India
- Happy Day 2 of Disability Voting Rights Week- American Association of People with Disabilities
- Disability Rights | ‘How Accessible Is Our Country For These Heroes?’- The Breakfast Club- News18(YouTube)
- What went wrong? – Uncovering the crisis at the International Disability Alliance- Peter Torres Fremlin
- Inside NBC’s Work In Making This Year’s Paralympics The Most Accessible Games Yet- Steve Aquino
- Digital Accessibility Software Is a Crucial Step Toward an Inclusive Customer Experience- Software Advice
- No Gold Medal for Crawling Off Trains- The Urgent Need for a Cultural Shift in Railway Accessibility- Christiane Link
- ‘You can’t watch a game that way.’ Play-by-play delay fouls up Guardians games for visually impaired- Ideastream Public Media
- Beyond the Gold — Meet the Paralympians Making History in the New Rising Phoenix: What Does It Take? Podcast Series Supported by P&G
- Let’s Play – Accessible Playgrounds (Gr. 3-6)- Students explore ways to make school playgrounds accessible for everyone, including children with disabilities- Rick Hansen Foundation
- nTIDE September 2024 Jobs Report: Gains in Employment for People with Disabilities Appear to Level Off After Reducing Gaps with Non-Disabled Workers- Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire
Federally Speaking
- FCC to Vote on Improving Accessibility of Video Conferencing Services
- An update coming to accessibility rules for federal buildings- Federal News Network
- CCAM Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility- Federal Transit Administration (YouTube)
- President Biden Delivers Remarks Celebrating Disability Pride Month- The White House (YouTube)
- Attracting Direct Support Professionals: Advancing Career Pathways with Job Quality in Mind- LEAD Center
- Child Care Accessibility: Agencies Can Further Coordinate to Better Serve Families with Disabilities- U.S. GAO
- IRS Workforce: Actions Needed to Address Barriers to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility- U.S. GAO
- Statement by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield Celebrating UN Accessibility Reforms- United States Mission to the United Nations – State Department
Higher Education Blogs and Information
- Accessibility advocate – UCI News – UC Irvine
- UIC support for digital accessibility- UIC Today
- Ohlone College celebrates Deaf Awareness Month- Tri City Voice
- Spartans Thrive Thursday: Accessibility on Campus – UNC Greensboro
- Student news – Your accessibility tools and resources – University of Nottingham
- U of A researcher wants ‘perceived accessibility’ included in urban planning- CBC
- Freedom by Design builds accessible playground for visually impaired children- Technician
- Alternative Text and Web Accessibility | WordPress Community of Practice – Bates College
- Dal prof changing the way we think about accessibility in the classroom- Dalhousie University
- Webinar prepares employees to make critical digital-accessibility improvements – MSU Denver
- WVU provides reminder on Animals on Campus Policy- WVU Students – West Virginia University
- Getting Engaged: Facilitating Virtual Events for Maximum Accessibility- Ask IFAS – University of Florida
- Elevating Accessibility: Upgraded website and policy guidelines announced- Clemson News – Clemson University
- Jim Hoppe emphasizes accessibility, inclusion and community as new dean for student affairs- The Bowdoin Orient
- Gresham lecturer to discuss accessibility for all – UBNow: News and views for UB faculty and staff- University at Buffalo
- Ohio State professor Margaret Price to keynote National Disability Employment Awareness Month events- Clemson News
- Revised ADA Title II in the Library (Video and Resources)- Big Ten Academic Alliance’s August 27, 2024 presentation and support materials
- WesCeleb: WSA President Jonghwa Kim ’25 on Intellectual Accessibility, Student Activism, and the Demise of Bird Scooters- The Wesleyan Argus
- Prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in mission statements and set aspirational goals to address the enrollment of students from historically underrepresented communities- The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Legal Blogs and Information
- Whitehorse hit with accessibility class-action lawsuit- Yukon News
- U.S. Access Board Issues Proposed Rule for Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Stations- Seyfarth Shaw
- Legally Blind Plaintiff Sues Coffee Company Over Website Accessibility Violations- Cook County Record
- Verizon class action claims company denies blind, visually impaired equal access to website- Top Class Actions
- Court Rules NYC Must Make All New Taxis Wheelchair-Accessible Until 50% of All Taxis Are Accessible- Legal Reader
Accessibility Announcements
- Accessible taxi survey
- Disability Voting Rights Week
- Valparaiso Seeks Input on Accessibility
- Ecommpay launches inclusivity programme
- Perkins School for the Blind Startup Survey
- Oliver’s accessibility plan has been completed
- Announcing Our All-New Accessibility Group
- New panel aims to improve accessibility in Shetland
- We want your input! Use of Accessible Taxi Survey
- Building Accessibility Into Our Mixed Reality Products
- Saltaire Collection boosts website accessibility with grant
- Mid Oregon Credit Union Offers RightHear Accessibility
- Discover Your State Park with American Sign Language!
- Uganda Launches School Accessibility Companion Guide
- Ecommpay unveils new brand identity and inclusivity initiative
- All aboard: Accessibility upgrades planned for Coniston Station (PDF)
- Over 1.4k accessibility complaints filed on Sugamya App in 3 years
- Accessibility champion recognized for impact in Muskegon community
- Access Award: Awarded to Stop and Shop by Commission on Disabilities
- Arts Commission, Ability Center partner on public art accessibility audit
- City of Kingston nominations open for 2024 Celebrating Accessibility Awards
- Major Accessibility upgrades – Maynooth, Hazelhatch and Newbridge Stations
- Telling Tales 2024: Leading the Way in Accessibility and Inclusive Programming
- NYC DOT Launches Curb Enthusiasm, a Prett-ay, Prett-ay, Prett-ay Good Podcast
- New wheelchair accessible train at Bay Beach Amusement Park could debut next summer
- Transreport strengthens leadership team to drive global expansion in accessibility technology
- KFPL’s International Week of Deaf People programs highlight sign language and accessibility
- Detroit Evening Report: Detroit extends deadline to apply for home accessibility repair program
- The O2 is the first UK arena to achieve ‘Platinum’ accessibility status with Attitude is Everything
- JH Adams Inn Continues Accessibility Efforts, Renews Its Certified Autism Center™ Designation
- All In appoints Attitude is Everything to create UK’s first accessibility standards for creativity and culture
- Japanese travel agency TokudAw consolidates its commitment to accessibility in collaboration with Accessible Japan
- Zain Group partners with ‘Be My Eyes’ to provide accessibility assistance to people who are blind or have low vision
- Digital Accessibility is Crucial for an Inclusive Customer Experience Yet Only 39% of Global Companies Are on Track for EU Compliance
Accessibility Products and Services
- The Sick Times
- Find Out How to Vote in Your State
- How the TD Accessibility Adapter Works
- Find the accessible voting options in your state
- 6 expert-approved wheelchair-accessible kitchen ideas
- Researching Disability Sport Theory, Method, Practice
- How Technology is Making Entertainment More Accessible
- Top Web Design Trends for 2024 and How to Incorporate Them
- Eviosys expands easy-open jar closure range for wider accessibility
- Yelp Enhances Accessibility Features for Inclusive User Experience
- Florida Welcomes ‘Mini Blind Library’; Turns a Page on Accessibility!
- Tesla Enhances Front Trunk Accessibility with New Hands-Free Feature
- New Call Center App Seeks To Improve Careers Of The Visually Impaired
- StreetNav app plots path to accessible city travel beyond Paris Paralympics
- Accessibility and Usability Improvements in the new Outlook for Windows
- Recognizing Individual Voices, Bespoke AI Appliances Improve Accessibility
- Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ Special Event Put An Appreciably Vivid Glow On Accessibility
- Assessing the accessibility of affordable zero-emission vehicles for people with disabilities- Transports Canada
- Paris 2024: Samsung Enhances Accessibility, Showcases Galaxy AI and Celebrates the Unifying Power of Sport at the Paralympic Games
Accessibility Forums, Tips, and Gaming
- The Plucky Squire’s accessibility features detailed
- How to use Google’s text-to-speech feature on your Android phone
- How to Find the Accessible Name of a Button With Google Chrome
- Inclusive Gaming: How to Boost Accessibility for Hearing-Impaired Gamers
Accessibility Statements
- CNRS
- Joy Bauer
- Eric Bailey
- UNC Charlotte
- City of Durham
- City of Whittlesea
- Comcast Spectacor
- La Trobe University
- AgriFood Economics
- Resilient Planet Data Hub
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
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