Accessibility in the News — 4/3/2020.

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“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

— Lao Tzu

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Feature Stories

COVID-19 Requires Website Accessibility Vigilance for Consumer-Facing Businesses

March 26, 2020 | Source: Dinsmore & Shohl

As more people are home by mandate or for public safety, online orders for groceries, sundries, and apparel are increasing exponentially. Before social distancing was required or recommended, Earnest Research estimated Instacart, Amazon, and Walmart saw at least a 65 percent online sales increase compared to the same time last year. Similarly, families are requesting more meal deliveries from apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Postmates…

Disability Advocates Worry The Quick Shift To Online Learning Could Overlook Needed Accommodations

March 26, 2020 | Source: WBUR

In the rush to move classes online, there are some concerns that students who need special accommodations might be left out. For schools that specialize in behavioral and other needs, having to go to school remotely is presenting a lot of new challenges. Melissa Belsito, with the Center for Applied Behavioral Instruction in Worcester, explained a lot of her students struggle with change and depend on their schedules. “We’re asking them to now do what they typically do at school at home,” she said. “That doesn’t go over too smoothly with some of these students.”…

The mass migration to online learning is leaving disabled students behind

March 27, 2020 | Source: Digital Trends

Rachel, an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was actually considering online classes last year before COVID-19 forced many students into online learning. Rachel, who asked to remain anonymous for her safety, has a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome that affects everything in her body that’s made out of collagen and causes damage to her autonomic nervous system, which controls breathing and blood circulation. A flare-up of her symptoms requires her to lie down immediately to quell dizzy spells, which has happened to her during a class…

The importance of website accessibility in the US, particularly for the sight and hearing impaired, during a pandemic

March 31, 2020 | Source: Norton Rose Fulbright

As educational institutions, dining establishments, retail outlets and other places of public accommodation shutter their doors in response to fears over the spreading coronavirus, individuals are turning to the internet to meet their needs more than ever. Indeed, internet traffic in the United States jumped 20 percent after President Trump declared the pandemic a national emergency, and even more in hard-hit United States cities, such as Seattle, where internet usage increased by 40 percent compared to January…

FCC Reminds Television Broadcasters and MVPDs to Maintain Accessible Televised Emergency Information During the Pandemic

April 1, 2020 | Source: Davis Wright Tremaine

The FCC recently reminded television broadcasters and multichannel video program distributors (MVPDs) of the importance of providing accessible televised emergency information amid concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other resources, the FCC recirculated a Consumer Guide for accessibility and a link to the Public Notice reminding broadcasters and MVPDs to make televised emergency information accessible…

National News (U.S.)

State Board Of Elections Leaves Accessibility Concerns For Special Election To Local Officials

March 25, 2020 | Source: WBAL Radio

Maryland State Board of Elections reject to in-person voting on the June 2 primary election and are working towards preventing it from happening. Board members will send their proposal to not permit in-person voting at the June 2 primary election to Gov. Larry Hogan at the end of the week. At its Wednesday meeting, the board voted to recommend there would only be balloting by mail for the primary election. The board also voted to require Baltimore City and Baltimore and Howard County election officials to make accommodations themselves for voters who cannot vote by mail in the special election…

People With Disabilities Were Already Overlooked. Coronavirus Is Making It Worse.

March 27, 2020 | Source: Huffington Post

Disability rights advocate and wheelchair user Ryan Honick relies on public transit or rideshare options to get to appointments and go grocery shopping in Washington, D.C. Since he started social distancing, he can no longer use those options so Honick turned to the delivery service Instacart to obtain supplies. “It’s usually a couple hours from when you place your order,” Honick said of his previous Instacart deliveries. But the service wasn’t nearly as quick when he placed an order on March 12. “The wait time was a week,” he said…

Beyond Brick & Mortar – How Civil And Disability Rights Extend To Online Businesses

March 27, 2020 | Source: McManis Faulkner

Late last year, the California Supreme Court issued a ruling with implications for online businesses going forward. In White v. Square, Inc., 7 Cal. 5th 1019 (2019), a bankruptcy attorney brought a claim against Square under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act based on allegedly discriminatory terms and conditions that limited the ability of bankruptcy attorneys to use the payment processing service. The court was asked to decide whether the plaintiff had standing under Unruh where he only visited the website and did not actually transact with Square’s online business…

Eckerd struggles to be accessible despite growth

March 28, 2020 | Source: The Current

Colleges can be inaccessible for those with mental or physical disabilities. Accessibility at Eckerd has seen major growth within the past couple of years, but some in the community say it still needs improvements to become an inclusive and accessible campus. A total of 15% of Eckerd students are registered through the Office of Accessibility because they have a disability. Although academic accommodations have decreased, individual requests per student request have increased…

Accessibility lawsuit resolved for Trinidad man

March 30, 2020 | Source: Pueblo Chieftain

A disabled Trinidad man and the city government have resolved his lawsuit that claimed the city’s curbs and sidewalks were not accessible to him, which violated federal laws that prohibit discrimination against disabled persons. “I am extremely grateful to announce that my years-long fight for accessibility in Trinidad has come to a resolution,” Stephen Hamer said Friday in a written statement. “I am thrilled that the City of Trinidad has committed to a long-term plan to modify its sidewalks and curb cuts so that all of its citizens with and without disabilities will have an equal opportunity to travel freely and safely,” he stated…

Applying the CCPA’s New Accessibility Requirements to Privacy Policies

March 31. 2020 | Source: Bloomberg Law

The California Consumer Privacy Act’s regulations are expected to add protections for people with disabilities. The disclosures required by the CCPA will have to be “accessible” to consumers with disabilities so that those consumers will be able to benefit from the privacy disclosures. What will this require businesses to do? What does “accessibility” mean in the CCPA context? This accessibility requirement applies to the following types of notices…

HHS Bulletin Warns COVID-19 Resource Rationing May Constitute Unlawful Disability Discrimination

March 31, 2020 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw

In this unprecedented time of COVID-19 emergency, there have been reports on the news that healthcare providers may need to make tough choices between patients due to various factors, including the shortage of much-needed life-saving equipment. On March 28, 2020, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (“HHS”) Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) issued a bulletin reminding entities receiving federal funds for programs subject to Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (“Section 1557”) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (“Section 504), that their anti-discrimination obligations under those laws remain in place and must continue to be observed…

MTA’s shoddy elevators do not violate rights of the disabled: judge

April 1, 2020 | Source: New York Daily News

The MTA’s elevators might be terrible, but they don’t violate the rights of disabled people, a judge has ruled. Manhattan Federal Judge George Daniels’ 14-page decision is a blow to disability rights advocates seeking to hold the Metropolitan Transportation Authority accountable for elevators at select subway stations that are frequently out of order. The busted elevators drastically limit wheelchair users’ ability to get around the city. Nevertheless, the shoddy elevators didn’t rise to the level of a systematic, discriminatory violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Daniels ruled…

Misconceptions about Sign Language and the Deaf community

April 1, 2020 | Source: The Bengal

National Deaf History Month began on Mar. 13 and will continue until April 15. Deaf History Month is celebrated every year to commemorate the Deaf President Now (DPN) Movement, the social rights movement that led to Gallaudet University, the leading university for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the country, having its first Deaf president selected. To celebrate Deaf History Month, I will be talking about some common misconceptions about Sign Language and the Deaf community…

What are the Characteristics of Speech and Language Impairment

April 1, 2020 | Source: iTech Post

The characteristics of speech or language impairment will change, contingent on the kind of problem involved. There may likewise be a blend of a few impairments. At the point when a child has an enunciation impairment, he experiences impairments making certain sounds. These sounds might be left off, included, changed, or slashed, which makes it difficult for people to understand the child. A child’s speech and language are viewed as deferred when the child is perceptibly delayed as compared to their friends in the acquiring of speech as well as language abilities…

How to help students with a hearing impairment as courses move online

April 2, 2020 | Source: The Conversation

Schools, colleges and universities across the world have been closed as a result of COVID-19. But students are expected to continue their studies. As higher education institutions scramble to take their teaching online, lecturers require some help to make material accessible to all students. Some students may have a hearing impairment and make use of technology such as hearing aids or cochlear implants. Even under the best circumstances, their accessibility needs are frequently unmet…

To Mark World Autism Awareness Day, Apple Is Unveiling a New Digital Gallery for iPad-Created Artworks by Artists on the Spectrum

April 2, 2020 | Source: artnet News

Apple Highlights Useful Apps, Accessibility Tips and More for Autism Acceptance Day

April 2, 2020 | Source: Mac Rumors

Today is World Autism Awareness Day, and Apple is marking the occasion by posting a digital art gallery of works created by artists on the autism spectrum, all using the iPad and Apple Pencil. The project, which is curated by the nonprofit the Art of Autism, will be unveiled over the course of April, which is National Autism Awareness Month. “This project brings such a great focus to autistic individuals and how they express their creativity in the world,” Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s director of global accessibility policy and initiatives, told Artnet News. “Each artist reflects their own neuro-diverse perspective on art creation.”…

The coronavirus crisis proves reasonable workplace accessibility has been possible all along

April 2, 2020 | Source: Quartz

As the new reality of the coronavirus pandemic has set in, people around the world are experiencing the trials of isolation and exclusion of quarantine and social distancing for the first time. We are entering a new norm where a video call is the new meeting, virtual travel is the new weekend activity, and “self-isolation” is a common phrase. Yet for so many people with disabilities, this same experience of seclusion has long been familiar. The impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak have been astounding for nearly everyone, and devastating for many…

College student makes masks for the deaf & hard of hearing

April 2, 2020 | Source: LEX18

A college senior from Versailles put her stir-craziness to good use with a project that will help the deaf and hard of hearing community. “I just saw that people were making masks on Facebook for everyone to have instead of the throwaway masks, and I was like, what about the deaf and hard of hearing population?” explained 21-year-old Ashley Lawrence. Lawrence is a senior studying education for the deaf and hard of hearing at Eastern Kentucky University. Due to the virus, she is living back at home and doing her student teaching from home…

Disabled Renters’ Fight Over Oakland Rent Control Advances

April 2, 2020 | Source: Courthouse News Service

Low-income renters whose disabilities may have excluded them from participating in Oakland’s rent control program got the green light from a federal judge on their lawsuit against the city. Most of Oakland’s disabled-accessible rental units were built after 1983 and are exempt from rent control regulations. In August 2019, Oaklanders Ian Smith, Sunday Parker, and Mitch Jeserich — all of whom have disabilities and use wheelchairs — sued the city under the Americans with Disabilities Act, after Oakland refused to extend the Jan. 1, 1983, cutoff date for its rent control program or modify it to encompass more modern, accessible housing…

U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Annual Report for Fiscal Years 2017-18

April 3, 2020 | Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (PDF)

It is my pleasure to present the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR) Annual Report to the Secretary, the President, and the Congress for fiscal years 2017-18. This report details OCR’s accomplishments, substantive achievements, and performance results during the first two fiscal years of the Trump Administration. It has been my privilege to return to OCR and serve again with the committed and hardworking professionals who enforce the federal civil rights laws on behalf of our nation’s students and their families…

Jack Fact — According to a recent study Cushman & Wakefield, by 2030, some 693 million Baby Boomers will have reached retirement age, and 1.3 billion members of Gen Z will have entered the labor force.

International News

Accessibility in art spaces

March 26, 2020 | Source: Woodstock Sentinel Review- Canada

In its guidelines for accessible exhibitions design, the Smithsonian Museum explains that “(exhibitions) are complex presentations that convey concepts, showcase objects, and excite the senses.” While we do more than just present exhibitions here at the Woodstock Art Gallery, this complexity is one of the core issues when it comes to accessibility. As part of the City of Woodstock, the gallery’s policies and training actively build accessibility into all our operations, but the combination of inherently visual content and an ever-expanding definition of what art is presents unique challenges to overcome..

Accessibility for everyone

March 28, 2020 | Source: Airdrie Today- Canada

I’ve always struggled to work in an office setting. While the actual work has never been an issue, the environment makes me incredibly unproductive – it’s loud and unstructured and the social expectations make it hard for me to focus on anything else. So I’ve pushed, at every job I’ve ever had, for the privilege to work from home. I’m not alone in this battle. In 2019, CBC reported “according to the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability, the employment rate for autistic adults is only 14.3 per cent, compared to 92.7 per cent for the general population.” And a major reason for this gap is accessibility…

Lack of Accessibility Might Harm the Most Vulnerable Population: Hear Québec

March 28, 2020 | Source: The Suburban Newspaper- Canada

“On Monday, March 16, our graphic designer who has severe hearing loss, was experiencing cold symptoms. Since he cannot use the phone, a family member called for him,” Hear Québec Executive Director Heidy Wager said. “He is one of the lucky ones since he had assistance in a time like this.” Hear Québec, a non-profit organization serving the English-speaking community with hearing loss, has raised concerns about accessibility during this pandemic…

As a disabled person, it’s hard to watch accessibility only improve now that able-bodied are affected

March 28, 2020 | Source: CBC- Canada

Waking up with cerebral palsy is as unpredictable as it is unremarkable. Add in a pandemic, a loss of income and national reports that equate to government ministers with megaphones saying, “Disabled people, lock yourselves away,” and things get a tad more complicated. Each morning I do a body inventory. I call my knees my weather veins. They tell me with a dull ache whether it’s rained the night before, a sharp pain for snow, a slight reprieve if the temperature didn’t shift much…

Deaf and Hard of Hearing people vulnerable during COVID-19 crisis

March 28, 2020 | Source: Galway Daily- Ireland

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and experiencing difficulty during the public health emergency are being urged to contact Chime for support. The National Charity for Deafness and Hearing Loss points out that hearing loss is associated with an increased risk of social isolation and warned that the almost 300,000 people in Ireland who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing are especially vulnerable during this period. This is due to restrictions on social gatherings and the lack of accessible news updates about the virus…

Disabled people can’t be allowed to fall through the cracks of the Covid-19 crisis

March 30, 2020 | Source: The Spinoff- New Zealand

Disabled people at higher risk need more help. Many of the almost one quarter of New Zealanders who are disabled are doing it hard as the country goes into lockdown. If the levels of anxiety are high in the general population, they are even higher among disabled people who are more at risk on a number of counts. It’s also a deeply anxious time for families with disabled children. Under Article 11 of the Disability Rights Convention (CRPD), the New Zealand government has an obligation to “take… all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk…

Facing the COVID-19 crisis in Japan with a disability

March 30, 2020 | Source: Japan Times

To get a sense of how the current COVID-19 pandemic is affecting non-Japanese people with disabilities in Japan, The Japan Times sat in on a conversation between two academics with disabilities themselves, Mark Bookman and Michael Gillan Peckitt, who are currently grappling with the situation firsthand. We asked them to introduce themselves before handing over the discussion. I am an academic living in Kobe and I work at Osaka University. I have cerebral palsy and, while I can get around with the aid of a walking stick, I have very little movement in the left side of my body…

Israeli public broadcaster KAN makes news accessible to people with disabilities

April 1, 2020 | Source: Jewish News Syndicate- Israel

The digital department of Israeli public broadcaster KAN has expanded its accessibility services, making the news broadcast more user-friendly for people with disabilities. Starting on Monday, the 8 p.m. main edition has been made accessible to various populations through the KAN News YouTube channel, as well as on the KAN website and smartphone apps. Once it has been aired, it can be watched at any hour of the day. The move is part of a partnership between KAN and the Ruderman Family Foundation, which promotes inclusion of people with disabilities in society…

Sign language interpreters hope their presence will raise accessibility awareness

April 1, 2020 | Source: CityNews- Canada (Video)

They receive plenty of social media attention for their expressiveness, but the province’s sign language interpreters hope their presence at daily conferences will open doors and raise accessibility awareness…

Sign-language interpreter takes on Premier Ford’s ‘angry dad’ approach as he pushes for accessibility

April 1, 2020 | Source: The Globe and Mail- Canada

As Ontario Premier Doug Ford stood at Queen’s Park and admonished a high-end Toronto grocery store for inflating their prices amid the COVID-19 pandemic, another man appeared beside him, his expression a perfect mixture of disdain and disappointment. Christopher Desloges, an American sign language (ASL) interpreter, has become a fixture at Mr. Ford’s news conferences, where he translates the Premier’s message live on television for tens of thousands of deaf people in Ontario and across Canada…

Addressing Blindness In Nigeria

April 2, 2020 | Source: This Day- Nigeria

One of the most neglected health challenges in Nigeria is blindness, with reports suggesting that 1.6 million persons are visually impaired. While that number may appear insignificant in a population of 200 million people, the World Health Organisation (WHO) believes the visual impairment of one person affects four other persons: which means that at least 6.4 million Nigerians are either spending the productive times of their lives as caregivers for blind persons or are unable to live quality lives because they have a blind family member to take care of…

Canadians with disabilities ‘particularly vulnerable’ during COVID-19 crisis: Qualtrough

April 2, 2020 | Source: iPolitics- Canada

Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Minister Carla Qualtrough says Canadians with disabilities will enjoy enhanced support from new government initiatives to help residents weather the financial blow of the COVID-19 pandemic. As people with disabilities generally have lower incomes than average Canadians, she said they stand to gain more from federal COVID-19 economic aid programs such as increases to the GST/HST credit and the new Canadian Emergency Response Benefit…

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