Accessibility in the News — 9/24/2021.

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Feature Stories

DOJ Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Discrimination by Developer and Owners of Eight Senior Living Complexes in Five States

September 17, 2021 | Source: US DOJ & The Tennessean & McKnight’s Senior Living

The Justice Department announced that the developer and owners of eight senior living complexes in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee have agreed to pay $450,000 to settle claims that they violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to build these properties with required accessible features for people with disabilities. As part of the settlement, the defendants agreed to make substantial retrofits to remove accessibility barriers at the complexes, including more than 1,500 units…

Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Lawsuit Regarding Self-Service Kiosks in Health Care Setting

September 20, 2021 | Source: ADA.gov

the Justice Department filed a Statement of Interest clarifying that Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that public accommodations provide auxiliary aids and services so that individuals with disabilities can fully and equally enjoy all of their services, including services provided through visual and electronic means on self-service kiosks. The Statement of Interest was filed in the Julian Vargas and American Council of the Blind v. Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Inc. et al. lawsuit in the Central District of California…

Monrovia settles with DOJ to provide more wheelchair-accessible transportation

September 21, 2021 | Source: The San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Monrovia has settled with the Department of Justice following a federal review that found the city’s GoMonrovia transportation program did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The program offered reduced-fare Lyft rides to residents 24 hours a day and seven days a week, but because Lyft did not offer wheelchair-accessible vehicles, the city limited individuals with disabilities to a separate dial-a-ride service, which did not operate after 10 p.m. or on certain holidays, according to a release by the DOJ…

National News (U.S.)

Seeking Long-Term Solutions to Problems Faced by Differently Abled Individuals

September 16, 2021 | Source: Diverse Issues in Higher Education

In the beginning of 2020, before the pandemic moved everything online, Nate Tilton was on his way to a classroom labeled as accessible. Except, when Tilton arrived, he realized the accessible spot in the classroom was actually too tight to maneuver his power wheelchair. So, he spent the entirety of the lecture (and the following lectures, until the classrooms were switched) facing the wall. Tilton has been a master’s student at the University of California at Berkeley since 2018, and, through trial and error, word of mouth and his own exploration, he has come to know the campus well…

Students with disabilities face challenges accessing campus buildings

September 17, 2021 | Source: The Daily Pennsylvanian

Although Penn’s campus is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, students with disabilities are struggling to find accessible entrances, navigate buildings without elevators, and secure accessible on-campus housing. Students with a range of documented disabilities receive University services, such as extended time on assessments, housing accommodations, and Penn Accessible Transit. Still, some students face many challenges to accessing sufficient accommodations, particularly regarding building accessibility…

Emmy Producers Promise a Fully Accessible, ADA-Compliant Ramp on Stage

September 17, 2021 | Source: Variety & Hollywood Reporter

Disability Advocate James LeBrecht Blasts CBS for Not Making Accessible Ramp on Emmys Stage Easily Visible on TV

September 19, 2021 | Source: Yahoo

Following concerns raised by the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, along with “Crip Camp” co-director James LeBrecht, the Emmys stage is believed to have added a fully accessible ramp compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act. That’s according to LeBrecht, who tells Variety that he has been assured by CBS — which is airing the Emmy Awards this Sunday — that the telecast’s production team have addressed any accessibility issues…

McDonald’s Starts Making Self-Service Easier for Blind Diners

September 17, 2021 | Source: The Wall Street Journal

McDonald’s Corp. is upgrading some of its self-service kiosks to make them more accessible to blind people. Company-owned McDonald’s restaurants are mounting new keypads and headphone jacks onto the touch-screen kiosks it introduced in 2015 as alternatives to ordering at the counter. Blind users can connect their headphones to the system and browse the digital menu using screen-reader technology and tactile arrow buttons, adding items to their basket by pressing a central button…

Capitol accessibility upgrades expected next year

September 17, 2021 | Source: KX News & The Bismarck Tribune

Those without disabilities might not think much about the difficulties with doors in the Capitol — like how hard they can be to open. “If they’re pushing this, it has to be less than five pounds,” Facility Management Director John Boyle said. Or if they’re wide enough to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act standard of 36 inches. “But each one of these doors is 30 inches,” Boyle said, pointing to doors that are too narrow. Or if the knob has a lever for those who might not be able to grip the handle…

5 Reasons It’s Hard For Disabled People To Trust Politics And Activism

September 18, 2021 Source: Forbes

Disabled people’s attitudes towards politics and activism are complicated. Distrust in politics is almost standard among Americans today. Some of that distrust extends to various forms of activism as well –– or to anyone trying to change public policy, or people’s beliefs and behaviors. But what about people with disabilities, who have historically benefitted from the fruits of politics and activism, but also felt let down by them more than once? Despite the urgency of problems and issues disabled people face, a great many of us remain alienated and suspicious of social and political action…

Adaptive Kayak Launches Offer Expanded Access To The Water

September 18, 2021 | Source: Simplemost

Your enjoyment of the great outdoors should only be limited by how much you want to be out in it, not by accessibility issues. That’s why developments in adaptive kayak launches, which take into consideration the input of those with disabilities, are such a useful and — dare we say — cool move forward. If you’ve ever kayaked, you know it can be a bit of a process getting into the water. First, you have to get the hefty kayak out there, then get your own body in it while the boat wobbles in the water…

Amazing 2nd Grader Helps Build The Most Accessible Inclusive Playground in New York

September 17, 2021 | Source: The Global Herald (Video)

Last Christmas we introduced you to Santii, an amazing 2nd grader from upstate New York who wanted to create swings in her local park that her neighbors in wheelchairs could use. Not long after the show, Santii got a call from the city and they decided to build the most state-of-the-art and inclusive park in all of New York! Listen to Santii’s inspiring story, and what she plans to do next with the playground. Pilot Pen awards Santii $1000 to keep making her dreams come true…

Our workplaces don’t work for people with disabilities

September 18, 2021 | Source: The Varsity

Summertime has finally come to an end and a new school term has begun. But before we fully submerge ourselves in piles upon piles of stress, I want to remark upon a frustrating discovery I made over the course of the summer: job hunting as a student with no experience is never easy, but as a person with disabilities, it is far more difficult. I am hearing-impaired, epileptic, and have poor motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Any job that carries the expectation of quick service, like a customer service job with long lines, will be overwhelming for me and might cause me to have a seizure…

Degree’s Kathryn Swallow: ‘The industry is not thinking about people with disabilities’

September 20, 2021 | Source: Glossy

Degree deodorant is stepping up to the plate to expand the conversation around inclusivity and diversity to include people with disabilities. On September 19, Degree launched a new campaign starting with ad placement in The New York Times print edition. Written as an open letter to the fitness industry, the ad takes aim at the lack of representation for people with disabilities. The campaign, using the hashtag #TrainersforHire, aims to encourage fitness companies like SoulCycle and Peleton to visit TrainersforHire.com…

How companies can make their remote working inclusive for the deaf and blind

September 20, 2021 | Source: CNBC

As remote working takes a greater hold amid the coronavirus pandemic, a wealth of opportunities can open up for people that may not have existed before. For example, less of a focus on the office can draw more people with disabilities into the workforce. But for companies, there are still a great deal of considerations to take into account when creating an inclusive remote environment for blind and deaf people. Martin O’Kane of the Royal National Institute of Blind People in the U.K. said in the case of people with sight loss, they may often rely on public transport to get to an office…

Jessica Oddi on the power of inclusivity, working for Yahoo and why design is subjective

September 20, 2021 | Source: Creative Boom

As someone who uses a wheelchair, Jessica Oddi knows only too well the barriers people face due to inaccessibility and why it’s so important that the design industry understands the importance of considering everyone’s needs. From alt text on logos to color contrast charts, legibility and access guides, Jessica is passionate about helping brands, and the industry, embrace accessibility standards in design, acknowledging that there are many disabilities, both visible and invisible…

Specialty Pharmacies Cater to the Blind and Those With Impaired Vision

September 21, 2021 | Source: The New York Times

During the pandemic, Curtis Chong has avoided the 2-½ hour journey to his grocery store pharmacy — including a round-trip bus ride — to pick up his prescription. Even though Mr. Chong, a retiree in Aurora, Colo., said he is readily identifiable as a blind person, because he uses a white cane for mobility, his pharmacist never suggested he could have his medications labeled in an accessible way. Through a Zoom meeting, Mr. Chong learned about Accessible Pharmacy Services, a start-up, that now delivers his medication with labels that convert text to speech…

How Nike Designed Hands-Free Sneakers for People With Disabilities

September 21, 2021 | Source: Bloomberg

Earlier this year a curious sneaker popped up on Nike Inc.’s website. Instead of lying flat on the ground, the shoe has a band that squeezes it so its sole bends in the middle, creating an unusually large opening for a person’s foot. Just slide your toes down into the gap and press down with your heel, and the band contracts to close the shoe into its proper shape and hold the foot firmly in place. This is the Go FlyEase, a breakthrough in Nike’s attempts to make a sneaker that’s effortless to put on and take off…

You may soon be able to buy hearing aids over the counter at your local pharmacy

September 21, 2021 | Source: The Conversation

Over-the-counter hearing aids may soon be hitting the shelves of community pharmacies nationwide. We are a pharmacist and audiologist who study the potential ways OTC hearing aids could be distributed and managed. In a market dominated by only a handful of manufacturers, hearing aids that are available without a prescription will be more accessible to the estimated 28.8 million U.S. adults who could benefit from their use. A hearing aid is a device worn around the ear that makes desired sounds more audible for people with hearing loss…

Facebook Rolls Out News Feed Change That Blocks Watchdogs from Gathering Data

September 21, 2021 | Source: The Markup

Facebook has begun rolling out an update that is interfering with watchdogs monitoring the platform. The Markup has found evidence that Facebook is adding changes to its website code that foils automated data collection of news feed posts—a technique that groups like NYU’s Ad Observatory, The Markup, and other researchers and journalists use to audit what’s happening on the platform on a large scale. The changes, which attach junk code to HTML features meant to improve accessibility for visually impaired users, also impact browser-based ad blocking services on the platform…

Truly Accessible Air Travel Could Be Coming Sooner Than You Think

September 21, 2021 | Source: TravelPulse

While most people’s greatest complaints about air travel are the seemingly ever-shrinking seats and available legroom, for individuals with certain accessibility needs, airplanes can be nearly impossible to access, navigate or use. Now, truly accessible air travel could be possible in the near future. The Transportation Research Board (TRB), a program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine that provides research and innovation in the field of transportation, has released a report entitled, “Technical Feasibility of a Wheelchair Securement Concept for Airline Travel: a Preliminary Assessment.”…

Limits to online accessibility could run afoul of ADA

September 22, 2021 | Source: BBG

Businesses should pay heed to whether their goods and services are accessible to those with disabilities from their websites to physical locations to stay on the right side of federal law and their potential customers. This year is on pace to be a record year for lawsuits filed under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act with federal filings on track to top 12,000, according to law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP. Title III prohibits discrimination “on the basis of disability in the activities of places of public accommodations.”…

A Deaf Traveler Opens Up About Making Travel More Accessible

September 22, 2021 | Source: Skift

Marlene Valle, a young deaf Mexican-American travel content creator, wrote off her dreams of traveling the world after losing her hearing as a child. A Los Angeles native, she believed it would be financially demanding and otherwise an impossibility because she was deaf, Valle signed in a special video presentation at Skift Global Forum on Wednesday about what the travel industry needs to “build on the other side of this crisis.” Valle said she initially internalized the fears others passed on to her…

Jack Fact — According to Statista, in 2015, there were about 417,000 individuals aged 100 and over worldwide. This figure is expected to increase to over 19 million in the year 2100.

Hit The Road Jack — Behind the scenes of the UK’s most accessible hotel & Accessible Adirondacks & Meriden blogger rounds up accessible fall activities & Accessible Travel Press

International News

5 projects will make Athens more accessible for people with disabilities

September 17, 2021 | Source: TheMayor.EU- Greece

On Thursday 16 September, the Mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis welcomed the athletes and members of the Greek delegation of the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo. At the Serafio Sports and Culture Centre, he rewarded them for their impressive participation where they won 11 medals in total. Bakoyannis expressed his gratitude on behalf of the municipal authority as he praised the Paralympians. More importantly, however, he admitted that the City of Athens has made many mistakes over the past several decades…

Thousands of disabled Iraqis may be left unable to vote in October’s election

September 17, 2021 | Source: The National- Iraq

Iraqi authorities must take the necessary steps to allow people with disabilities to participate in the coming parliamentary elections, a report by Human Rights Watch found on Thursday. On October 10, millions of Iraqis will head to the polls to vote. But many of the polling stations, located in schools across the country, are inaccessible to people with disabilities. The report, titled ‘No One Represents Us’: Lack of Access to Political Participation for People with Disabilities in Iraq said hundreds of thousands of people may not be able to vote in the elections without urgent changes taking place…

Supply textbooks in Braille format within 15 days

September 17, 2021 | Source: The Hindu- India

The High Court of Karnataka on Friday directed the State government to ensure that textbooks in Braille format are supplied within 15 days for all eligible visually-challenged persons studying in schools. A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum issued the direction on a PIL petition filed by the National Federation of the Blind, Karnataka. Earlier, it was pointed out on behalf of the petitioner that the government takes longer time to supply textbooks in Braille and many years, such textbooks are supplied to visually challenged during the second half of the academic year…

Edinburgh businessman angry over home for wheelchair user

September 17, 2021 | Source: Edinburgh News- Scotland

A businessman whose plans to build a garden home for a wheelchair user were thwarted by planning officials is fighting the decision, arguing councillors spent just five seconds on his application – but 45 minutes debating a tree preservation order. Lee Miller, of Craiglockhart Gardens, wants to build a two-bedroom annex in the garden of no.2 Mortonhall Park Terrace, on the corner of Mortonhall Park Drive. It would provide an accessible house for a wheelchair user and a resident carer, according to the planning application submitted in April…

Hilarious Video Reveals How Hard It Is To Rent As A Wheelchair User

September 18, 2021 | Source: UNILAD- UK

Searching for a home to rent is tiresome. You trawl letting websites for properties, doom-scroll through places you can’t afford, chase agents up for viewings, traipse around town to all the different ones, never really falling in love with anywhere – and then the process starts all over again until you find that perfect home, or somewhere you just settle for. However, having recently gone through it, it’s all been put in perspective by a recent episode of Got Your Back. My struggles are nothing compared to disabled people who have almost no means of filtering properties by how accessible they are…

Amid federal election promises and perks, more than 6 million voters with disabilities feel ignored

September 18, 2021 | Source: CBC- Canada

What the parties have promised for people with disabilities

September 19, 2021 | Source: CBC- Canada

Priorities for millions of Canadians with disabilities ‘left out’ of election campaign, say advocates

September 17, 2021 | Source: CBC- Canada

South Surrey polling-station lack of accessibility ‘shatters’ mobility-challenged senior

September 20, 2021 | Source: North Delta Reporter- Canada

Saskatoon voter frustrated over accessibility issues at polling station

September 21, 2021 | Source: CTV News- Canada

Michelle Hewitt can’t contain her frustration. The co-chair of Disability Without Poverty, a national movement dedicated to securing a federal disability benefit for low-income Canadians with disabilities, is discouraged that important issues have been ignored during the federal election campaign. That’s despite the fact that the disability community represents more than 20 per cent of the Canadian population — more than six million potential voters. Financial inequality is at the top of their list of concerns…

The pandemic highlights the importance of walkable and wheelable neighbourhoods

September 18, 2021 | Source: Halifax Today- Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of neighbourhoods and how they fare in terms of walkability and wheelability. Neighbourhood walkability and wheelability are defined as the “measure of how well a neighbourhood fosters active forms of transportation.” Very walkable and wheelable neighbourhoods have built environments, or human-made surroundings, that support physical and social activity. Built environment design features that characterize walkable and wheelable neighbourhoods can include sidewalks, curb cuts and pedestrian traffic signals…

The strange reason why some London Underground signs are coloured in and others are not

September 19, 2021 | Source: My London- England

Before Covid it was estimated that the Tube was used by around 2 million people every day, but how many actually know what all the signs mean is unknown. Tourists, workers and party goers are among the breadth of people who all use the London Underground regularly. With so many people using the different lines it might come as a surprise that there are still things to learn about the underground and its maps. It is not just tourists that struggle coming to grips with the many strange colours, signs and overlapping stations that the underground offers…

Julian Stein wants to make Toronto easier to navigate for those with disabilities. He says now’s the time for big changes

September 19, 2021 | Source: The Star- Canada

Julian Stein has spent a lot of time being “the first.” He was the first person with a visible disability to go to a YMCA camp; the first person to use a wheelchair on his high school track team; the first wheelchair user in his arts program in college. Stein was born with spina bifida, a congenital disorder that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly. He knows the challenges that come from being the first, but he also sees it as an opportunity to push for change. “If I can make it so that I can impact permanent change to something,” Stein says, “great.”…

More than just ramps: The ironic journey to making an accessible podcast

September 20, 2021 | Source: Stuff- New Zealand

“Hi there, I’m recording a podcast about disability and I’m wanting to know what your studio rates are,” was how one of the first phone calls started when I made this podcast. “We have hourly rates or full day rates, how much time do you need?” is usually how the voice would respond. I’d note down their quotes and availability, then ask an even more important question: “I use a wheelchair. Is the recording studio accessible?” One studio offered to build a ramp into the studio, but the bathroom was on another level of the building and there was no lift…

New phase of RampMyCity to make more places accessible to disabled

September 20, 2021 | Source: The Hans- India

The next phase of RampMyCity has been launched in the city. Currently, famous streets in Bengaluru like Church Street and DVG Road are being transformed entirely to make them completely accessible for disabled people. “The idea is to make maximum spots within these locations completely accessible. People who are disabled are constantly in the flux of having to choose hang-out spots that are open to them and this project is a solution to this. With the completion of this project, Church Street and DVG Road will transform into the most accessible locations in the city”, said Prateek Khandelwal, the founder of RampMyCity…

Young disabled Scots face ‘cliff edge’ leaving school

September 21, 2021 | Source: BBC News- Scotland

When Claire D’All was leaving high school she was advised against going to university. It was not because she wasn’t capable or didn’t have the grades but because the support systems were not in place to help her get there. “A lot of people said I wouldn’t manage university and that was kind of it. It wasn’t looked into any more,” says Claire. The 26-year-old, from Dundee, has congenital muscular dystrophy and has been a wheelchair-user since she was three years old…

Southeastern campaign encourages passengers to be mindful of those with accessibility requirements

September 20, 2021 | Source: The Railway Hub- UK & Rail Advent

Southeastern has launched a video to encourage passengers to support the accessibility needs of fellow travellers returning to the railway. The campaign aims to inspire passengers to have a little patience and understanding that others may need extra time or help whilst travelling across the network. Filmed at Sevenoaks and London Bridge stations, the video showcases the importance of being open-minded to the experiences of others and features a cast of actors with both visible and non-visible accessibility requirements…

How one man’s genius paved the way for more accessible spaces

September 21, 2021 | Source: Asahi Shimbun- Japan

Tactile paving, a system of textured ground surface indicators that is indispensable to visually impaired pedestrians, is composed of what are called “tenji burokku” (Braille blocks) in Japanese. A circle is a sign to stop while a line tells you to proceed. The system was originally developed in Japan by Seiichi Miyake (1926-1982) and eventually spread around the world. Miyake saw action overseas during World War II. After the war, he returned to his native Okayama Prefecture where he managed a ryokan Japanese-style hotel in the city of Okayama and became known as an engineer and inventor…

Creating a ‘trust mark’ for inclusivity

September 21, 2021 | Source: ArtsHub- Australia

‘It is absolutely critical that we engage with as many people on this journey to develop a national voluntary code of conduct for access in the arts,’ said Arts Access Australia’s CEO Matthew Hall about the current push for a National Access and Inclusion Code of Conduct for the arts. ‘It’s part of Access Australia’s plan to create change in the Australian arts sector that is meaningful, practical and valuable to secure a vibrant, diverse, accessible and equitable arts sector in this country,’ Hall continued…

Marked rise in registered voters with disabilities; EC to make upcoming state polls more accessible

September 21, 2021 | Source: Times of India & Yahoo

As many as 77.4 lakh ‘persons with disabilities’ (PwD) voters have been mapped by the Election Commission so far as part of its sustained efforts to identify such electors and offer them special facilities and assistance so as to boost their participation in elections. The updated PwD voter count marks a significant increase over 62.6 lakh PwD voters registered in 2019 Lok Sabha election. Emphasising EC’s commitment to make elections more “inclusive, accessible and voter-friendly” for PwDs…

Unhoused seniors with disabilities struggle to find accessible housing in Kingston

September 22, 2021 | Source: Global News- Canada

After his wife died in April, 63-year-old Will Towell struggled to cover the rent on his own. Towell, who uses a wheelchair, added his own accessible features to his home, but he says his landlord pushed him out when he fell behind on rent payments. He’s been looking for housing ever since. “I’m handicapped because I’m in this chair, but because I’m in this chair I’m handicap from renting,” Towell says. “Basically the only places that have wheelchair accessibility are the high-rise apartment buildings, and their rents are outrageous.”…

Optometrist highlights eye sight crisis in Liverpool

September 23, 2021 | Source: The Guide Liverpool- UK

Experts warn the impact of the pandemic is a ‘ticking timebomb’ on eye health, as new data is released. Giles Edmonds, Specsavers clinical services director, is highlighting the stark findings from a national report* which shows there were 4.3 million fewer eye appointments during the pandemic with 54,952 missed appointments at Specsavers’ locations across the greater Liverpool region. The State of the UK’s Eye Health Report 2021, commissioned by Specsavers in collaboration with leading eye health experts and charities, counts not only the additional financial burden now facing society as a result of the pandemic, but more worryingly, the very real cost to people’s sight…

Arthritis: That early sign in the eyes is symptom of inflammation; see a doctor to avoid complications

September 23, 2021 | Source: Times Now News- India

When one is young, arthritis is far from one’s mind and it is considered a disease that “can’t strike me”. But as age progresses, most people come down with some form of arthritis that hinders easy movement and even brings debilitating pain along. Based on a study carried out by SRL Diagnostic Laboratories across India over a period of 3.5 years, Business Standard reports that “Arthritis affects more than 180 million people in India – prevalence higher than many well-known diseases such as diabetes, AIDS and cancer. Around 14% of the Indian population seeks a doctor’s help every year for this joint disease.”…

Educated Irish people with disabilities is second highest in EU

September 22, 2021 | Source: Limerick Leader- Ireland

Ireland has the second highest number of educated people with disabilities in the European Union. That’s according to the latest report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), which shows 42% of people with disabilities have at least a post-secondary education. This has been noted as “well above” the EU average of 25%. The National Disability Authority commissioned report shows there is substantial variation in educational attainment across types of disability…

When you use your headphones for too long

September 23, 2021 | Source: The Star- Malaysia

My daughter loves her headphones. She will listen to music all day for hours and hours without stopping. She will also watch all her movies on her laptop using her headphones. But I don’t feel good about letting her wear headphones for hours on end. Will this cause her any medical damage? Actually, yes. There is a 60-60 rule for wearing headphones, according to the experts. You should only put the sound on at 60% volume, and you should only listen for 60 minutes. After that, you should stop and do something else…

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