Accessibility in the News — 1/15/2021.

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AITN Quote of the Week

“Our products are powerful and affordable assistive devices, with built-in accessibility features such as VoiceOver, Voice Control, and support for Made for iPhone hearing aids. New features, such as Sound Recognition, Back Tap, and People Detection, continue Apple’s mission to make our technology customizable to the diverse needs of all our users.” ― Apple Annual Meeting of Shareholders Notice and Proxy Statement January 2021

Accessible Overlay Tools: Realities and Myths

Feature Stories

Bill to Establish Web Accessibility Guidelines Fails to Pass

January 8, 2021 | Source: SHRM

A bill, the “Online Accessibility Act” (H.R. 8478) calling for official Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) web accessibility guidelines, failed to pass during the 116th Congress, which ended Jan. 3. Disability rights advocates opposed the proposed legislation, saying standards already exist and the bill would have limited plaintiffs’ rights. For years, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has discussed issuing regulations on website accessibility. But in 2017 the department officially withdrew those proposed regulations…

DOJ Enters into Agreement with City and County of Denver, Colorado, to Ensure that Public Facilities are Accessible to People with Disabilities

January 8, 2021 | Source: ADA

The Justice Department entered into a settlement agreement with the City and County of Denver, Colorado, under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to satisfy Denver’s obligation under an existing 2018 settlement agreement to have an Independent Licensed Architect (ILA) survey facilities that the United States did not survey as part of its initial investigation and to enter into a supplemental settlement agreement with the United States to remedy alleged ADA violations identified by the United States…

Justice Department Reaches Agreement With The Board Of Election Commissioners For The City Of St. Louis To Ensure Polling Place Accessibility For Voters With Disabilities

January 12, 2021 | Source: DOJ & ADA

The Department of Justice today reached a settlement under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of St. Louis, to ensure that St. Louis polling places are accessible during elections to individuals with mobility and vision impairments. The Department reviewed the St. Louis Board’s voting program for compliance with the ADA. The Department identified architectural barriers at St. Louis polling places, including inaccessible parking, ramps that were too steep, stairs at the only entrance or route to the voting area, and doorways with thresholds that were too high…

National News (U.S.)

Bill aims to improve accessibility at the Capitol for those with disabilities

January 8, 2021 | Source: KX NEWS & KFYR-TV

Navigating the Capitol in a wheelchair isn’t the easiest for Royce Schultze. “The doors are too narrow, they’re too heavy, just from my personal experience, there’s quite a few of them I can’t get into by myself,” Schultze said.

But it’s something he’s been doing for the last 20 years to participate in the session. He says the challenges prevent people from wanting to testify, even if the issue is about accessibility. “Some of the more important human service bills that affect people with disabilities, a lot of folks don’t come up here because they know they can’t get in there,” Schultze said…

Study suggests smart assistant design improvements for deaf users

January 8, 2021 | Source: ScienceBlog

Despite the inherent challenges that voice-interaction may create, researchers at the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology recently found that deaf and hard-of-hearing users regularly use smart assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri in homes, workplaces and mobile devices. The work highlights a clear need for more inclusive design, and presents an opportunity for deaf and hard-of-hearing users to have a more active role in the research and development of new systems, according to Johnna Blair, an IST doctoral student and member of the research team…

Deaf community shares communication obstacles of COVID-19

January 10, 2021 | Source: WBBJ TV

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many people in the deaf and hard of hearing community around West Tennessee. WBBJ-7 spoke with Sara Miller, a local educator and member of the deaf community via email, about things you can do that will bring awareness to deafness during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 has brought many obstacles to people in the deaf and hard of hearing community. With a mask mandate due to the pandemic, having to communicate with others and not being able to read lips from someone who may not know American Sign Language has been overwhelmingly hard…

Accessibility devices playing larger role at CES

January 11, 2021 | Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal

While much of the tech unveiled at this year’s CES aims at easing daily life, some of the latest gadgets go one step further to improve the accessibility options for those with disabilities or impairments. Handheld cameras that read small type in real time, mechanical brace “exosuits” that reduce physical strain for workers who must stand for long periods, indoor mapping apps and more aim to take the next step in technology’s ongoing role in improving the quality of life for those faced with physical, visual, hearing and cognition disabilities…

Millions of Americans with intellectual disabilities, at ‘particularly high risk’ for COVID-19, are still waiting for vaccinations

January 11, 2021 | Source: USA Today

Allen Lesser missed out on the trip he’s taken to Florida every January for decades. Elise Kellman had to cut back on her work hours at Walgreens. Her best friend, Christine Buda, has to take her beloved art classes online instead of in person, and she hasn’t been able to see her 87-year-old dad in nearly a year. All three miss being able to go out in the Manhattan neighborhood where they live together in a group home called Schafler House. “They are bored and want their life back,” said Roseanne Giannotta, residential coordinator for Schafler…

5 Reasons Why Disability Issues Should Be A Higher Priority, Even Now

January 11, 2021 | Source: Forbes

The phrase “Everything that’s going on” has rarely been so potent. Presidential Election results have been openly challenged in Congress. The Capitol building itself has been physically attacked by a wild but disturbingly directed mob. The Covid-19 pandemic seems to be escalating everywhere. So it may be tempting for elected officials and political strategists to set seemingly specialized concerns aside in 2021 and focus just on a few of the perceived “fundamentals” that are understood to affect “everyone,” rather than narrower “special interests.”…

How to Make Your Product More Accessible to Customers

January 12, 2021 | Source: Entrepreneur

Some businesses want their products to appeal to a small niche; others to a large market. But no business wants customers to be unable to use their products at all. As the world’s consumer base grows, so too do the number of users who need to be considered when optimizing accessibility. Disability rights group Click-Away Pound found that 61% of users with accessibility needs would leave a site and take their business elsewhere if they weren’t properly accommodated — a serious thing for businesses to consider given that disabled individuals spend a combined half a trillion dollars annually…

When It Comes to Shoes, I’m Putting Accessibility Before Fashion

January 12, 2021 | Source: Charcot-Marie-Tooth News

In Asian culture, it’s important to take your shoes off before entering a house. It’s a sign of respect. When visiting friends for dinner parties or any kind of gathering, you can almost always find a corner near the doorway where shoes congregate. And truthfully, although I’ve always appreciated this custom, it’s a bit of a burden. I was never good at tying or untying my shoes. I mean, I can get it done. It just takes my “Charcot-Marie-Tooth hands” an embarrassingly long time to do it…

‘We’re not going to be quiet’: Disability community in Wisconsin demands better access to voting

January 12, 2021 | Source: Channel 3000

Rhonda Staats had two choices during the November election: cast a ballot in person and potentially expose herself to COVID-19, or vote absentee and risk having her vote changed without her knowledge. Staats is one of about 100,000 voters in the state who are blind or visually impaired. These voters must travel to their polling place to use an accessible voting machine — hoping one is available, operating and staff know how to use it — or have someone fill in their ballot for them…

People Living with Disabilities Want a Broader Park Experience

January 13, 2021 | Source: Sierra Magazine

Alvaro Silberstein of Chile has lived most of his life in a wheelchair—and is still an avid outdoor adventurer. He cofounded the accessible-tourism company Wheel the World, which recently won a Lonely Planet 2020 Best in Travel award in the category of inclusivity. Silberstein has experienced national parks across the globe and supports the United States park system, saying the US offers some of the most accessible parks he’s visited during his world travels. He says some parks are ahead of the curve and can offer lessons…

What Have We Learnt About Building Post-Pandemic Cities for All?

January 13, 2021 | Source: Sustainable Brands

Mobility is a fundamental aspect of cities; and a city only evolves when all of its inhabitants can fully participate in it. Inclusive urban mobility and accessible technologies are some of the best allies to forge cities for all and to improve the life of seniors and people with disabilities. Since their Greek origin as polis, cities were forged to create efficient, liveable communities — owing to advantages such as access to safe water, beneficial geographic locations, and strong social settings…

Justice Department Files Lawsuits Against Two Bakersfield, California Doctors for Discrimination Against Patient with HIV

January 14, 2021 | Source: ADA- Dr. Chibuike Anucha & ADA- Dr. Umaima Jamaluddin

Today, the Justice Department filed complaints against two Bakersfield, California obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) doctors alleging that they refused to provide routine medical care to a patient on the basis of disability, in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The lawsuits allege that Dr. Chibiuike Anucha, MD, PC, and Dr. Umaima Jamaluddin, MD, in unconnected incidents, refused to provide routine OB/GYN care, including a Pap smear, to the patient because she has HIV…

Louisiana Center for the Blind acknowledges systemic failures in handling assault allegations

January 14, 2021 | Source: Gambit

The National Federation of the Blind is launching a major restructuring of its internal policies and programming for blind children and adults in response to allegations of sexual assault against multiple male employees at its Louisiana affiliate, the Louisiana Center for the Blind. In separate letters, officials at both the national organization and the Louisiana training center in Ruston acknowledged what one official described as not having “done enough within our movement and systemically within our community” in addressing complaints of sexual misconduct and abuse over the years…

What does Sound of Metal mean to Deaf and hard of hearing audiences?

January 14, 2021 | Source: i-D

For hearing audiences, the premise of Darius Marder’s directorial debut Sound of Metal is nearly horrific. Ruben (Riz Ahmed), a drummer for the heavy metal band that he and his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) are in, starts losing his hearing rapidly. As it deteriorates, he begins to break down and his girlfriend worries that his hard-earned sobriety may be at risk. The surgery that would provide him with cochlear implants is unfathomably expensive — at this point someone watching the film alongside you (or just a strangled voice inside your mind) will start yelling about the state of healthcare in America…

Researchers develop smart apps to help people with hearing loss

January 14, 2021 | Source: Medical Press

University of Texas at Dallas researchers have developed smartphone-based apps that solve the biggest problems for people with hearing loss: filtering out background noise and improving speech perception. One of the most recent apps, detailed in a study published online July 27 in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, uses artificial intelligence to remove extraneous babble, street background noise and other sounds via a smartphone and earbuds as well as devices using wired or wireless connection…

Jack Fact — According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 billion people in the world have disabilities and the number will double by 2030.

Hit The Road Jack — Sustainable, accessible and tech-savvy: discover the European Capitals of Smart Tourism

International News

Access to Hope: How a Woman on Wheelchair is Making Mumbai Accessible, One Footpath a Time

January 10, 2021 | Source: News18- India

Mumbai resident Jasmina Khanna, 49, loves enjoying her evenings outside under the fading sun. The passing day brings with it a sense of calm and restfulness that she can seldom feel in the day. But unlike most others, Jasmina cannot go to a park or her favourite sunset spots in the city to enjoy her evenings. On most days, she has to make do with the balconies or windows of her office or home. Jasmina lives with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that hampers movement, posture, and muscle tone…

Disability advocates call for easier access to ‘life-changing’ technology

January 10, 2021 | Source: CBC- Canada

Tammy Martin has spent more than a decade helping young students with special needs learn to read — a skill that she, too, would struggle with if not for a state-of-the-art device that allows her to clearly see the words on the page. The educational assistant from Truro, N.S., is one of the many Canadians with a disability requiring the use of life-changing, but often prohibitively priced, assistive technology that advocates say needs to be more accessible. Martin has optic nerve hypoplasia — a congenital condition where the optic nerve is underdeveloped — and uses a wearable medical device called eSight from a Toronto-based company…

3 things we can do now to help people with disability prepare for disaster

January 10, 2021 | Source: The Conversation- Australia

People with disability are disproportionately affected by disasters, but have fewer choices when emergencies unfold. Our previous research showed how, for people with disability, natural hazard disasters can mean: loss of power for life-sustaining equipment, transportation challenges meaning people have to evacuate without equipment they need, and nowhere to go because warning information and environments (such as the homes of friends or family, or evacuation facilities) are inaccessible. Disaster planning for people with disability matters…

Hillel’s Tech Corner: RightHear: Waze for the visually impaired

January 14, 2021 | Source: Jerusalem Post- Israel

It is 2021 and while we may be seeing the light at the end of this COVID-19 tunnel, we are not quite there yet. In addition to this pandemic, the world seems to be getting increasingly unstable day by day in the political arena. There are so many big problems we are dealing with regularly, we are often distracted and forget about the people who are less fortunate than us and are having an even harder time than we are. Have you ever stopped to think how dependent we’ve become on technology, and specifically location-based technology?…

These doctors restored a man’s eyesight, and then learned a lesson about psychology

January 14, 2021 | Source: CTV News- Canada

What would you do if, after nearly a decade of being legally blind, your eyesight was restored? Would you return to your pre-blindness ways, go back to your old job, start driving a car again? Or would you find the world to be full of new worries, because you had adapted so well to being unable to see? Medical experts say those questions will be asked of a growing number of people in the future, as advances around medical technology increase and blindness is reversed in more patients…

Starbucks’ first store with disabled staffs hailed as an exemplary

January 14, 2021 | Source: The Korea Herald- South Korea

A month into its operation, Starbucks Coffee Korea’s first store committed to making a better workplace for workers with disabilities is showing early success, the coffee chain said Thursday. In early December, Starbucks Korea opened a new store inside Seoul National University Dental Hospital, filling half of its 12 staff positions with people with disabilities. From the initial design stage, the US-based coffee chain took in opinions to make the outlet a disability-friendly space for both customers and workers…

Quadriplegic professor becomes dean and head of School of Health Sciences

January 14, 2021 | Source: Rising Sun Overport- South Africa

The University of KwaZulu-Natal has appointed Prof Khathutshelo Percy Mashige as dean and head of the School of Health Sciences as from January 2021. After becoming a victim of a devastating motor vehicle accident, Prof Mashige was left a quadriplegic. Despite this blow, he rose above his serious handicap in a variety of spheres, including being awarded a Masters in Optometry degree followed by a PhD in Philosophy in Health Sciences from UKZN…

Tim Berners-Lee Wants To Reinvent The Internet To Promote Innovation

January 14, 2021 | Source: Clean Technica- UK

In the world of digital communications, Tim Berners-Lee is a god. 30 years ago, he wrote the codes that made the world wide web possible. He has been awarded the Turing Prize, often considered the equivalent of a Nobel Prize for computer science, and been knighted by the Queen of England. But with the benefit of hindsight, he sees how his creation has morphed into something quite different than what he imagined it would be — an egalitarian tool of connection and information sharing…

500 deaf children wait to see if their education needs will be cut by Tower Hamlets Council

January 14, 2021 | Source: Eastern London Advertiser- England

Little Hamza Islam is just a normal youngster doing his schoolwork on a laptop at home in Poplar during lockdown —except that he needs specialist support when he’s in the classroom because of his profound deafness. Hamza’s mum Husna Begum is one of the parents facing an agonising wait over the future of specialist education services for more than 500 deaf children and thousands more with special needs in the East End which could soon be slashed…

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