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Credit Unions Request Clarity on ADA Website Requirements; Legislation Aims to Stem “Drive-By” Lawsuits

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Accessibility in the News—11/17/17.

Credit union website accessibility requirements and bipartisan legislation to curb “drive-by” ADA lawsuits against brick-and-mortar businesses top the news this week. Rolls of dollar bills in various demonimations. Microassist Accessibility in the News. Image: Pixabay.com, NikkolayFrolockin

This week’s Accessibility in the News highlights the Americans with Disabilities Act from several angles: Are websites considered public accommodations, even if there’s no physical storefront? Will bipartisan proposed legislation be able to stem the tide of what some see as “drive-by” lawsuits for brick-and-mortar businesses? Education organizations at all levels are grappling with their own implementations of disability accommodations, both online and off. Institutions of higher education may even be forming an alliance to help each other with web accessibility.

Like their financial cousins, mortgage brokers and banks, credit unions are feeling the pressure of making their online environments accessible to people with disabilities (last week, AITN featured the story noting how lawsuits against credit unions had doubled in a month). Two stories cover the industry’s request for clarity on what the ADA requires for credit union websites.

Transportation—including New York taxis to busses in the U.K.—also feature heavily in both national and international news, as do stories in the arts: theater, music, design, and more. Read on to learn about these and other happenings in accessibility in the news this week.

Do you have thoughts on any of this week’s stories? Let us know in the comments!

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AITN Quote of the Week

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

―Helen Keller

National News (U.S.)

Trades press DOJ for guidance in wake of ADA lawsuits

November 10, 2017 | Source: Credit Union Journal | ADA, Lawsuits/Litigation, Government

The two major credit union trade associations on Thursday each sent letters to the Department of Justice asking the DOJ to address an alleged “gray area” in parts of the Americans with Disabilities Act covering website accessibility. According to the Credit Union National Association and the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions, because requirements for access to credit union websites under the ADA are unclear, many CUs are being hit with litigation or, in lieu of lawsuits, demand letters seeking money…

NAFCU urges DOJ to address ADA concerns

November 10, 2017 | Source: CUinsight.com | ADA, Government, Policy/Legislation

In a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU) reiterated the association’s support of efforts to ensure individuals with disabilities are not discriminated against and have equal access to financial services. As frivolous lawsuits filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) continue to mount, NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger is urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to move forward with proposed rulemaking to clarify the act’s standards…

Wheelchair users need city to save accessible taxis

November 10, 2017 | Source: Crain’s New York Business | Transit/Transportation, Mobility, Accessible Design

Wheelchair users like me know that equal access to transportation is a right that must be prioritized and protected by our city officials. That is why many of us are so concerned about the future of the city’s yellow taxi accessibility program, which is in danger of collapsing and leaving us without a transportation option we desperately need. As someone who uses accessible yellow taxis on a regular basis, I have spoken with many drivers of these vehicles and learned about why they are struggling to stay on the road…

Location, Location, Location: New Website Accessibility Decision May Encourage Forum Shopping

November 10, 2017 | Source: The National Law Review  |  Digital Accessibility, ADA, Retail, Lawsuits/Litigation, Government

On November 8, 2017, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire joined the ranks of the federal courts that have held that a website itself is a place of public accommodation—even if the business that maintains the website does not own or operate any physical place of public accommodation. The defendant in this case operates an online-only business and does not own or operate any traditional brick and mortar locations. The websites of such online-only businesses have been subject to increasing attack…

Paul Bianchina: Remodeling bathrooms for accessibility

November 11, 2017 | Source: NewsOK.com | Building/Facilities Access, ADA, Government

If you have someone in your home who uses a wheelchair or has limited mobility, you might be thinking of how to remodel one of the bathrooms to better accommodate their needs. Or perhaps you’re thinking long-term, and you’re planning some bathroom remodeling with aging in place in your current home in mind. Either way, the standards developed by the federal government for the Americans with Disabilities Act offer some useful guidelines. Starting with the entrance into the room, as well as other doorways in the house, you want to make sure that the doorway is at least 34 inches wide…

Maine lags in providing state park access to people with disabilities

November 12, 2017 | Source: Press Herald | Leisure/Entertainment, Accessible Design, Discrimination | Maine

Heidi Conn was an avid outdoorswoman who had hiked New Hampshire’s Presidential Range and many trails in Maine until a series of events six years ago left her paralyzed from the waist down and in need of a wheelchair. Today, Conn uses a handcycle for outdoor adventures, but her options are limited. She misses the joy of exploring Maine’s state parks and state-owned lands. “I would love to connect with the earth again,” said Conn, 62, who summers in Turner…

How to Fix New York City’s Failing Accessible Taxi Program

November 12, 2017 | Source: City & State | Transit/Transportation, Discrimination, Disability Rights | New York

New York City’s yellow taxi industry is engaged in a long-term accessibility program that was supposed to be a boon to tens of thousands of people with disabilities who need more reliable transportation options. But that program – which aims to make the yellow taxi fleet 50 percent accessible by 2020 – is failing and will never achieve its goal unless the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission acts quickly to support drivers of wheelchair-accessible taxis who are unable to make ends meet…

‘Drive-by’ lawsuits under disabilities statute costing economy

November 13, 2017 | Source: The Hill | Lawsuits/Litigation, Government, ADA

Congress has recently taken up the issue of frivolous litigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under this landmark legislation, owners of public accommodations are required to ensure that hotels, restaurants shopping malls and other places of business are accessible to the disabled. As a result of this law, disabled Americans are better able to use and enjoy public spaces to the betterment of America. While it seems like a win-win for everyone, there is a significant negative trend that has caught the attention of Congress…

Universal design improves quality of life for people with disabilities

November 13, 2017 | Source: St. Louis Public Radio | Universal Design, Inclusion, Innovation

Universal design involves designing buildings, products and services that meet the accessibility needs of everyone. It can help people with disabilities, but it’s intended for everyone. On Monday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh talked about how the use of universal design can help people with disabilities and can improve the overall safety and quality of life of all people when used during disasters. “It’s a great design opportunity to create a more inclusive community for everybody, from children to seniors,” founder and co-director of the Starkloff Disability Institute, Colleen Starkloff, said…

Students with less visible disabilities struggle for accommodations

November 14, 2017 | Source: Tufts Daily | Cognitive, Education, Discrimination

The unforgiving incline that divides Tufts campus into uphill and downhill is a part of students’ everyday lives and most of the time it is something they grow used to. But for several members of the Tufts community who identify as being physically disabled or physically differently abled, the physical barriers of campus, as well as the physical demands of being a student, are things that they must think about every day. According to an email from Kirsten Behling, director of Student Accessibility Services (SAS), to the Daily, Tufts refers to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a basis for defining disability..

For hearing impaired, Clayton Theatre improves experience

November 14, 2017 | Source: Fresno Bee | Deaf/Hearing Impairment, Arts/Entertainment, Inclusion

In a major step toward accessibility, the Clayton Theatre will offer open caption film screenings for members of the deaf and hearing impaired community. The new feature will kick off 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14 with a screening of the biographical-drama “Only the Brave,” at 900 Main St. in Dagsboro. For Joseph “Jay” Innes, a member of the Delaware Association of the Deaf and the Delaware Deaf Senior Citizens of Sussex County, screening films using open captioning is an important first step in making the whole experience of going to the movies available to everyone…

Seniors, vets, disabled miss out on accessibility tax break

November 14, 2017 | Source: The Daily Gazette | Aging, Discrimination, Government

For property owners, greater accessibility not only makes their homes more accessible, but more salable. And for communities, the tax credit would help make homes more marketable to a greater base of potential buyers, helping reduce vacancies, boost property values, increase sales and bring in more property taxes from a bigger tax base. The cost of the pilot program would be limited to $1 million a year, or a maximum of $5 million for the five years of the pilot. That’s enough to fund more than 360 projects, or more than 1,800 over the course of five years…

Steps You Can Take now to Address Web Accessibility at Your Institution

November 14, 2017 | Source: Online Learning Consortium | Digital Accessibility, Awareness, Inclusion

In recent years, education entities have seen a rise in complaints coming from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) specifically on the accessibility of web and digital materials. I recently heard of one advocate who has initiated almost 1,500 complaint letters into OCR. The momentum is not likely to decrease, even as the current administration shifts some funding away from these offices. The advocacy groups, and the attorneys, are still out there working to strengthen accessibility for their constituents…

Disabled Access: A Chance to Fix Your Premises Before Being Sued?

November 14, 2017 | Source: Lexology- Akerman LLP | Lawsuits/Litigation, Awareness, Discrimination

New legislation seeks to level the playing field for businesses that have been targeted by “drive-by” claims alleging discrimination by customers with disabilities who may have never even gone to visit the place of public accommodation. Keep your fingers crossed. Businesses frequently complain about “drive-by” lawsuits. Some courts have lamented the “cottage industry” that seems to have arisen under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, particularly because of the availability of attorneys’ fees, and have suggested that reforms are necessary…

Accessibility and universal design in the digital age

November 15, 2017 | Source: Campaign US | Universal Design, Digital Accessibility, Inclusion

First introduced by architect Ronald L. Mace, the concept of Universal Design focuses on designing all products and environments to be usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone—regardless of their age, ability or status in life. This idea emerged from an earlier concept of “barrier-free” environments that Japan and much of Europe have employed for decades. One of the best examples of universal design is the dropped/ramped sidewalk curb—a simple idea first pioneered by Selwyn Goldsmith in 1963…

An IT Accessibility Watchdog?

November 15, 2017 | Source: Inside Higher Ed | ADA, Digital Accessibility, Awareness

Failure to provide accessible technologies for learners with disabilities can have serious consequences for universities. Many institutions have been sued in recent years for noncompliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, ratcheting up pressure around accessibility issues. As a result, some universities are thinking about how they might work together to test the technology they buy and make sure it is accessible to all. At Educause’s annual meeting earlier this month, IT accessibility experts said products bought from commercial vendors frequently fail to meet their accessibility needs…

Temple Grandin’s message to STEM students with disabilities: ‘Your future is limitless!’

November 15, 2017 | Source: WRAL Tech Wire | Education, Inclusion, Advocacy

Adolescence can be tough – cloaked with pressure to fit in with peers and excel academically. For some children, like Temple Grandin, that pressure is amplified by personal challenges. Grandin did not talk until she was three and a half years old. In high school, she was teased and bullied because her peers considered her weird. She was not weird; she was autistic – a diagnosis that did not formally come about until adulthood. A self-professed “bottom-up” thinker, Grandin is a visual learner. As such, she developed an interest in sciences – horses and cattle, electronics and model rockets…

Atlanta Legal Aid Wins National Grant to Boost Online Services

November | Source: Law.com | Lawsuits/Litigation, Digital Accessibility, Inclusion | Georgia

The Atlanta Legal Aid Society has landed a major grant from the Legal Services Corp. to both overhaul the state’s self-help legal aid website and make it a national model for accessibility to people with disabilities. The $134,720 grant to update GeorgiaLegalAid.org is one of 25 Technology Initiative Grants the federal legal aid funder awarded this year as part of a national initiative to make it easier for those seeking legal assistance to find it online…

Sauk Prairie School District cleared of federal civil rights investigation

November 15, 2017 | Source: Madison.com | Education, OCR, Digital Accessibility

The Sauk Prairie School District was the subject of a federal investigation after an anonymous complaint to the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education was filed against the district back in August. The district is one of many educational entities across the state of Wisconsin including other school districts, colleges and universities that the Office of Civil Rights is currently investigating on behalf of an unnamed complainant. The Sauk Prairie School District was specifically being investigated on whether nine pages of its website violated federal laws requiring website content and functions be accessible to persons with disabilities…

SDSU behind in ADA compliance, accessibility

November 15, 2017 | Source: SDSU Collegian | ADA, Higher Education, Awareness

It takes a bit of planning for South Dakota State counseling graduate student Kanbi Knippling to go about her day. She was born with spina bifida, a degenerative disorder, and has been in a wheelchair since she was 13 years old. During Knippling’s time as an undergraduate in psychology and human development and family studies and throughout her continuing education, she has faced and continues to face accessibility issues around campus. Administrative officials plan to hire a person in charge of complying to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and campus accessibility by spring semester…

Care: A Performance at Sala Diaz Looks at Disability, Accessibility

November 15, 2017 | Source: Rivard Report | Mobility, Awareness, Blindness/Visual Impairment

A curb might not seem like much of an obstacle until a wheelchair becomes a necessity. Then, a simple curb ramp can make all the difference. Likewise, a seeing person might regard the absence of railings on the River Walk as charming, while a visually impaired person might see it as a need for particular caution. Care: A Performance is an exhibition at Sala Diaz about disability and accessibility, as well as awareness of – and caregiving for – those with such conditions. Curator Risa Puleo struggled with an impairment that drew her to artists living with an array of disabilities…

Microsoft using AI to empower people living with disabilities

November 15, 2017 | Source: ZDNet | Innovation, Accessible Design, Inclusion

“Accessibility by design” is an important concept for Microsoft, and one that underpins many of its artificial intelligence-powered products, including Seeing AI. Announced on Wednesday among a series of other AI tools, Seeing AI is a free mobile application designed to support people with visual impairments by narrating the world around them. The app — which is an ongoing research project bringing together deep learning and Microsoft Cognitive Services — can read documents, making sense of structural elements such as headings, paragraphs, and lists, as well as identify a product using its barcode…

Red Rocks implementing new ticket purchase, seating process for Coloradans with disabilities

November 15, 2017 | Source: The Denver Channel & Westword | Inclusion, Performing Arts, Lawsuits/Litigation

Nearly a year after six Coloradans with disabilities filed a class-action federal lawsuit against the City of Denver, Red Rocks Amphitheatre is changing the way it sells tickets and seats people at the venue. The new rules – which go into effect starting February 2018 – will help ensure access to Red Rocks for fans with accessibility needs, venue management said Wednesday. The most significant changes affect the first four rows at Red Rocks, including handicapped-accessible seats which Denver Arts & Venues spokesman Brian Kitts said are “the most likely to be fraudulently purchased and then resold on the secondary ticket market.”…

Airbnb buys ‘Airbnb for disabled people’ startup Accomable in accessibility upgrade

November 16, 2017 | Source: TechCrunch & (Full Coverage) | Inclusion, Travel, Building/Facilities Access

Airbnb, the accommodation and travel startup that is now valued at $31 billion, is today announcing an acquisition that points to how it wants to address the travel needs of more kinds of customers. It has bought Accomable, a startup based out of London that focuses on travel listings that are disabled-friendly. Along with the announcement Airbnb is refreshing its own accessibility features as the first stage in how it hopes to develop them. As part of the acquisition, Accomable will be winding down its business, co-founder and CEO Srin Madipalli said in an interview this week here in London…

The Many Sides of Michael Graves

November 16, 2017 | Source: CityLab | Advocacy, Inclusion, Awareness

The biography starts with a day-by-day account of the illness that left Graves paralyzed in 2003. That turned his attention to healthcare design and designing for disability. It can be hard to see the connection between the formalist Graves and this socially committed Graves. How do the two sides relate to each other? It could be argued, as indeed some of his closest friends argued, that his turn to a design of high civic virtue and social values was in a way circumstantial. Would he ever have done this had he not been confined to a wheelchair?…

Jack Fact — The United Nations predicts that the share of Americans 65 and older will grow from 13 percent to 22 percent of the overall population by 2050. And, globally, the share of elderly citizens is poised to double during that same period. Meanwhile, 37 percent of boomers say they want to keep working beyond the traditional retirement age.

International News

Action taken to ease blind bus passengers’ fears over new Bolton Interchange

November 10, 2017 | Source: The Bolton News- UK | Blindness/Visual Impairment, Transit/Transportation, Inclusion | United Kingdom

Action has been taken to help blind bus passengers navigate the new Bolton Interchange. After the £48 million town centre facility opened in September, concerns were raised about a lack of provisions to help blind and partially sighted people. Toni Forrest, who is one of the four per cent of people in the UK who are completely blind, told The Bolton News she feared travelling to the station alone when it first opened, but is satisfied with Transport for Greater Manchester’s response to her concerns…

Attitude Is Everything launches DIY guide for accessible gigs

November 10, 2017 | Source: Complete Music Update- UK | Deaf/Hearing Impaired, Accessible Design, Performing Arts | United Kingdom

Live music accessibility charity Attitude Is Everything has published a new ‘DIY Access Guide’ for bands, artists and promoters showing how to make gigs and tours more accessible for deaf and disabled audiences. The zine-style publication is being made available for the first time today at the Off The Record conference and festival in Manchester. It offers advice on cheap ways to make shows more accessible, including how to set up an accessible seating area, making DIY captions for lyrics, what information to include on online event pages, and what can be done at shows in an inaccessible venue – for example if the stage is down some stairs…

Let’s make air travel ‘less scary’ for disabled

November 10, 2017 | Source: The Argus- UK  |  Travel, Inclusion, Awareness  |  United Kingdom

Staff from across Gatwick came together to give disabled people an overview of airport processes. Travelling through an airport can be a challenge for people with restricted mobility or a hidden disability. The activities in the North Terminal allowed some 30 families with a disabled member to familiarise themselves with the sights and sounds of the airport so it is not such a scary place when they choose to fly. To simulate airport processes, staff from Virgin and TUI checked families in while Gatwick’s special assistance team OCS provided buggy rides to a security area…

How to hack a music venue for deaf and disabled audiences

November 10, 2017 | Source: M Magazine- UK  |  Deaf/Hearing Impaired, Inclusion, Performing Arts  |  United Kingdom

Attitude is Everything (AIE) has published a new DIY guide for bands and promoters, showing cheap and easy ways to make gigs more accessible for deaf and disabled fans. DIY Access Guide will be launched today (Friday) at Manchester’s Off The Record conference, with a panel discussion titled ‘Break Down Barriers, We Will Come’. Music blogger Hannah McKearnen, who is appearing on the panel, said: ‘Most places don’t intentionally shut us out. They just need the right tools and knowledge…

Paralympic decision on Russia by end of the year

November 10, 2017 | Source: Daily Mail- Paris  |  Paralympics, Inclusion, Awareness  |  France

A decision on whether Russian athletes will be allowed to compete at the Pyeongchang Paralympics is expected by the end of the year. International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons, speaking during a visit to Paris, said Friday that the IPC task force will meet in December following a meeting of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s foundation board. “I can’t speculate at this time what the outcome would be,” Parsons said on a conference call. Russia’s Paralympic team was barred from last year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics as punishment for a state-backed doping program…

First-ever airport accessibility tour in Kelowna for children with autism

November 10, 2017 | Source: Global News- Canada & InfoTel News Ltd- Canada  |  Travel, Cognitive, Inclusion  |  Canada

The Kelowna International Airport (YLW) has partnered with the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) to host the first-ever YLW Accessibility Tour for families living with autism. The tour will take families through the entire pre-flight process, including entering the airport, waiting in line, passing through security and boarding a plane. The Canucks Autism Network’s I CAN Fly program” started back in 2014 at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to help ease the anxiety of children with autism who can can get overwhelmed by the pre-flight experience…

Manguesh temple accessibility row: disability rights group seeks apology from temple management

November 11, 2017 | Source: The Hindu- India  |  Advocacy, Inclusion, Mobility  |  India

Manguesh Temple administration said it disallows people with disability to use their personal wheel-chair in order to “preserve the purity and sanctity of the temple.” The Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) on Saturday refuted the Manguesh Temple administration’s claim on availability of wheelchair facility on its premises. The body also objected to the temple not allowing personal wheel-chairs on the pretext that “the purity and sanctity of the temple” would be defiled…

Disabled and ready to see the world

November 11, 2017 | Source: The Straits Times- India  |  Travel, Mobility, Discrimination  |  India

On his return from Kuala Lumpur four months ago, Mr Richard Kuppusamy was dismayed to find that his wheelchair had been damaged in transit – the spokes of one of the wheels had been smashed and an axle bent, rendering it unusable. The 40-year-old, who travels every three weeks for work, has spina bifida, a malformation of the spine, and is paralysed from the waist down. The regional manager for a property development company says it took six weeks for the airline to repair the wheelchair…

Disabled community wonders why a separate matchmaking app is needed for them

November 11, 2017 | Source: Economic Times- India  |  Discrimination, Disability Rights, Advoacy  |  India

To be differently-abled in India is to be invisible. Society considers you less than a person, despite any number of laws against discrimination or the PM declaring that one should use the term “divinely-abled”, in itself a contentious premise. Disability rights activist Nidhi Goyal, who is visually impaired, recalls a recent conversation with an acquaintance, who exclaimed over Goyal’s gang of four friends. “This person told me, ‘It’s fantastic, and all the girls from your gang are married’…

Blind entrepreneur makes reading accessible for all through audio books

November 11, 2017 | Source: Jordan Times- Jordan  |  Blindness/Visual Impairment, Accessible Design, Leisure  |  Jordan

When she was transferred to a mainstream school in 6th grade, Rawan Barakat was confronted with the harsh reality of the lack of educational resources in Braille and of teachers trained to deal with visually impaired students. One hundred per cent blind herself, Barakat came up with the idea of Raneen, an initiative that seeks to encourage reading and appreciation of books through non-traditional teaching methods. Established in 2009, Raneen produces Arabic audio books recorded in a lively dramatic way with sound effects and music, to engage children…

Toronto looking for feedback on how to improve voting for visually impaired

November 12, 2017 | Source: Metro News- Canada  |  Blindness/Visual Impairment, Voting, Awareness  |  Canada

For most people, a municipal election just means turning up and ticking a few boxes. But for the visually impaired, it can be an ordeal. “Depending on the ballot, one person’s condition might make it easy to access, but for another person it might not be,” said Kat Clarke, leader in advocacy with the Canadian National Institue for the Blind (CNIB) Ontario. “There are many barriers they face.” The city is looking to improve the experience ahead of next year’s vote and has scheduled a Nov. 15 information session on ballots. CNIB is urging people with sight issues to make their voices heard…

Accessible tourism makes inroads into Myanmar

November 13, 2017 | Source: Myanmar Times- Myanmar  |  Travel, Accessible Design, Inclusion  |  Myanmar

A UK-funded tourism initiative which promotes accessible tourism has collaborated with the government to draw up an action plan for the ASEAN-Japan Centre and said that the country is ready to embrace barrier-free travel. Myanmar Accessible Tourism Center (MATC), an organisation which promotes barrier-free travel, stated that the country is now open for travel by wheelchair travellers and senior travellers. The centre recently conducted a tour programme in the country’s major destinations in Myanmar in collaboration with a French wheelchair blogger, I Wheel Travel…

Hospitality professionals get training on receiving guests with special needs

November 13, 2017 | Source: Gulf Times- Qatar  |  Inclusion, Awareness, Cognitive  |  Qatar

More than 70 professionals from across 4 and 5-star hotels in Qatar have completed a training programme aimed at enhancing their establishment’s readiness and capability to receive and host guests with disabilities. The 15-hour intensive programme was delivered over three days, and addressed various accessibility challenges, including visual and hearing impairments, cognitive and physical disabilities. To mark the completion of the programme’s first round, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs (QSRN) held a recognition ceremony for the participants…

India cannot afford to ignore its 35 mn youth with disabilities

November 13, 2017 | Source: The Hans- India  |  Mobility, Advocacy, Awareness  |  India

For young Pratishtha Deveshwar, finding an accessible accommodation to live in with an automated wheelchair has been expensive. She has costs that students without disabilities don’t. Besides, traveling around the city, with cabs that cancel when told she is a wheelchair user is frustrating. But her spirit and family’s support keeps her going. Pratishtha Deveshwar was one of the inspirational participants at NCPEDP’s National Convention of Youth with Disabilities powered by Accenture…

‘Trying to build world’s first accessibility database’

November 13, 2017 | Source: Times of India  |  Education, Discrimination, Disability Rights  |  India

When Pranav Desai, a crusader for the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and VP of an IT major in the US, says that the world is built around people without disabilities, he is not bitter. Desai, who was struck by polio at the age of four, has experienced the hindrances – both mental and physical – in the way of PwDs especially in a country like India. “One cannot justify the barriers as it not only limits of physical movement but also chances of education and eventually employment,” said Desai who was one of the advocates for the new disability bill introduced by India…

These specially abled champions prove disability is no longer liability but asset

November 13, 2017 | Source: Times of India  |  Discrimination, Deaf/Hearing Impaired, Inclusion  |  India

It was his brother’s hearing impairment and the discrimination he had to face about 60 years ago that prompted former US senator Tom Harkin, one of those behind the Americans with Disability Act, 1990, to become a champion for the cause of disability. The sixth edition of the India Inclusion Summit 2017 on Sunday saw change makers like Tom Harkin and Pranav Desai, who brought together a movement across 18 countries to crowdsource an accessibility application for the disabled, sharing their experiences…

Minister announces accessibility improvements to voter registration service

November 14, 2017 | Source: Gov.UK  |  Government, Innovation, Inclusion  |  United Kingdom

The voter registration service has been made more accessible for users, following an audit by the Government Digital Service Accessibility team. The team carried out an audit of the register to vote website and recommended several ways to further improve accessibility. For example, changing the way webpage headings are displayed on screen readers and the use of colour contrast in error messaging. Since individual registration was introduced in 2014, over 30 million people have applied to register to vote and over three quarters of these applications have been made online…

Bunbury chosen to drive accessibility program

November 14, 2017 | Source: The West Australian- Australia  |  Inclusion, Advocacy, Disability Rights  |  Australia

Bunbury has been chosen as one of several locations across Australia to pilot AccessAbility Day which aims to bring together employers and people with disabilities in an attempt to allow businesses to explore new possibilities. Research suggests employers’ lack of experience in having staff with disabilities in their workplace was the main hurdle faced by people with disabilities hoping to gain employment. AccessAbility Day allows both parties to get first-hand, personal experience without further obligation in the hope more people will be prepared to give it a go…

Arts-Ability – Taking the Stage talent show at Market Hall on Thursday

November 14, 2017 | Source: Peterborough Examiner- Canada  |  Inclusion, Performing Arts, Advocacy  |  Canada

The spotlight will be shining on those who aren’t often in the limelight during a talent show at Market Hall on Thursday. Arts-Ability – Taking the Stage features more than a dozen artists who are disabled or face barriers to inclusion. There’ll be dancing, poetry, role playing, music and monologues. The show runs from 7 to 10:30 p.m. and is broken into two segments: family-friendly and mature audience. The production is a collaborative effort of Mysterious Entity, Dream Players and the local Canadian Mental Health Association…

Digital Inclusion Toolkit for smart cities now in Arabic

November 14, 2017 | Source: ITP- Spain  |  Digital Accessibility, Inclusion, Accessible Design  |  Spain

The Smart Cities for All Digital Inclusion Toolkit, which helps smart cities to ensure that their digital services are accessible to people with disabilities and older people, is now available in additional languages, including Arabic. The toolkit, which was launched by agencies G3ict and World Enabled, supported by Microsoft, has been created to help smart city authorities to ensure that their services are suitable for use by all people, to ensure accessibility and inclusion…

Mencap Journalism Awards 2017: changing attitudes towards learning disability in the media

November 14, 2017 | Source: Disability Horizons- UK  |  Cognitive, Awareness, Disability Rights  |  United Kingdom

The Mencap Journalism Awards was set up to encourage budding journalists to raise awareness and create discussions around learning disabilities in the media. I graduated with a journalism degree in June 2016 and am now continuing to expand my knowledge and skills in freelance and contribution writing. I am also passionate about changing people’s attitudes towards all kinds of disabilities, so was keen to enter the competition. Mencap is a leading charity that supports people with learning disabilities in England, Northern Ireland and Wales…

Simple design choices support accessibility

November 15, 2017 | Source: REMI Network – Real Estate Management Industry Network- Canada  |  Building/Facilities Access, Accessible Design, Innovation  |  Canada

Older condo buildings constructed in the 1980s and earlier are now facing challenges of providing amenities to owners who are 65 years or older. These buildings often lack accessibility and safety features now common in new buildings. In recent months, condominium boards and managers have been increasingly seeking advice on how to make accessibility improvements. These boards and managers are interested in limiting their legal liability, but are primarily motivated to enhance the overall living experience of owners…

How Helm is opening doors for 14 million Egyptians with disabilities

November 16, 2017 | Source: My Salaam- Egypt  |  Inclusion, Nonprofit, Advocacy  |  Egypt

Imagine a world where leaving the house is a choice between life and death. There are plenty of things we take for granted in our day-to-day lives. Simple actions like crossing the road are something most of us just do without a second thought. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the estimated 14 million people with disabilities in Egypt, a fact that has been highlighted in a new hard-hitting video by the non-profit organisation Helm. Directed by renowned film director Amr Salama, the short video opens with a man sitting down and stating that, before leaving his house, he has to “think about it a million times.”…

Persons With Disabilities Assured Of Accessibility To Courts In Ghana

November 16, 2017 | Source: News Ghana- Ghana  |  Government, Inclusion, Disability Rights  |  Ghana

The Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, has assured Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) that all efforts are put in place under her leadership to ensure that all the courts in the country are accessible to them to access justice. The Chief Justice gave the assurance when she paid a two-day working visit to the Upper East Region to assess the situation and condition of the Judiciary Service and to see how to improve upon the service. She was responding to some staff of the Judiciary Service who shared their experiences on how they carried PWDs to climb stairs to access justice…

Smartphones, apps make technology accessible for people of all ages

November 16, 2017 | Source: Daily Sabah- Turkey  |  Digital Accessibility, Aging, Inclusion  |  Turkey

Thanks to smartphones and apps, senior citizens can now stay better connected with the advancing world of social media while keeping their mind active and closing down the generation gap in the process. With our average lifespan on the up, the care and healthy aging of the older generations have become more and more important. According to the Older People’s Rights Association, around 7.7 percent of Turkey’s population is made up of people aged 65 or older. The United Nations defines countries with 8-10 percent of its population aged 65 and over as aged countries…

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