Accessibility in the News — 10/21/2022.
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AITN Quote of the Week
“Gradually I got used to the silence and darkness that surrounded me and forgot that it had ever been different until she came—my teacher—who was to set my spirit free.” ― Helen Keller
The Digital Accessibility Legal Summit 2022
Feature Stories
FDA ruling makes hearing aids more accessible, cost effective
October 14, 2022 | Source: CBS Miami and WKYT (Video) and NPR and ABC News 4 and KOMU and News-Press NOW
Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids: Disability Experts Weigh Benefits And Concerns
October 19, 2022 | Source: HUFFPOST
It’s being hailed as a historic ruling. As of Monday, October 17, millions of Americans will have access to over-the-counter hearing aids. The FDA issued its ruling in August, allowing people who feel they have mild to moderate hearing loss to buy the devices without a prescription directly from stores or online. “Hearing loss is very common, but that doesn’t mean that it’s something that’s normal or that needs to be tolerated,” said Dr. Sarah Sydlowski, president of the American Academy of Audiology. She said research shows hearing loss can impact many aspects of health…
National News (U.S.)
This town is helping throw a retirement party for an employee with Down syndrome who was fired from a local Wendy’s
October 12, 2022 | Source: CNN
A popular North Carolina Wendy’s employee will soon be celebrating his retirement. But now, it’s on his own terms. The fast food restaurant, located in the town of Stanley, around 18 miles outside of Charlotte, was under scrutiny after firing Dennis Peek, an employee of over 20 years with Down syndrome. Peek, 52, is described by his sister as a caring person with a contagious smile who never met a stranger. “He doesn’t see bad in anyone. He loves people,” Cona Young Turner told CNN…
Most Top U.S. Hospitals Have Home Pages that Do Not Meet Web Accessibility Standards
October 13, 2022 | Source: Mathematica
New research suggests U.S. hospital websites frequently fall short of international standards for digital accessibility, presenting challenges for older adults and people with disabilities. A new issue brief from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Foundation and Mathematica highlights findings from an accessibility audit of hospital websites and recommends steps that hospitals can take to make their websites more inclusive…
Meijer selling adaptive, accessible Halloween costumes
October 14, 2022 | Source: The Holland Sentinel
Parents now have more options to choose from when picking out a Halloween costume for a child with a disability. For the first time, Meijer stores are introducing adaptive Halloween costumes. “This a big step for the disability community,” said Carrie Prater, co-lead of the Meijer Disability, Advocacy and Awareness Team. Prater is also a mother and knows the challenges parents can face when their child has a disability — which is why she’s working hard to advocate for inclusivity…
Intelligent AI to enhance health product accessibility for people who are blind or partially sighted
October 14, 2022 | Source: AT Today and Technology Record and PMLiVE
Technology giant Microsoft and Haleon, a multinational healthcare company, are working together to make health products more accessible for people with vision impairments via AI technology that narrates product labels.
Together, the companies are expanding functionality in the Microsoft Seeing AI app to give users more detailed labelling information for over 1,500 Haleon products across the US and UK. This includes for products from Sensodyne, ChapStick, and Aquafresh. Seeing AI is a free mobile app designed to help people who have trouble seeing by narrating the world around them…
Grants will help make adaptive sports more accessible to veterans
October 14, 2022 | Source: Hometown Focus
The Department of Veterans Affairs awarded nearly $16 million in grants to qualifying organizations to help more than 13,000 disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces participate in adaptive sports. Adaptive sports are competitive or recreational sports and activities customized to fit the needs of disabled veterans and athletes, including Paralympic sports, archery, cycling, skiing, hunting, rock climbing and sky diving. These activities allow veterans to rehabilitate through recreation and encourage an active and fit lifestyle…
Broadway Actor Thought Fan Was Recording Play. She Was Way Wrong.
October 14, 2022 | Source: HUFFPOST
A Broadway theatergoer who said a “Hadestown” actor accused her of recording the musical has received an apology for the “embarrassing” misunderstanding. Audience member Samantha Coleman explained in a tearful Instagram video Wednesday that she has hearing loss and was actually using a captioning device to better follow along. Coleman said Lillias White, a Tony winner who began playing Hermes in the show last month, called her out at least twice during the performance that day. Coleman sat in the front row…
IU Health Bloomington accessibility complaint raises awareness for people with disabilities
October 16, 2022 | Source: Indiana Daily Student
On June 27, 2022, Lesamarie Hacker, an IU Health Bloomington volunteer and wheelchair user, submitted complaints to the Herald-Times about the heights of soap dispensers in the hospital’s bathroom facilities and the inaccessible nature of the cafeteria. Hacker said she was concerned with the lack of accessibility, having waited months for the hospital to address her complaints. Two days after the article was published, her concerns began to be addressed…
Philly agrees to settle accessibility lawsuit, plans to install or fix at least 10,000 sidewalk curbs
October 14, 2022 | Source: Philadelphia Inquirer and Mass Transit
The city of Philadelphia will settle a federal lawsuit filed by disability activists by agreeing to a 15-year plan to install or fix at least 10,000 sidewalk curb ramps to allow or improve accessibility for people with mobility limitations or blindness, both sides announced Friday. The parties in the case jointly filed for preliminary court approval, and a final OK from a judge could occur in February, city officials said. The 2019 lawsuit alleged the city failed to comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and a 1977 law requiring that streets be accessible…
‘They just want to get around it.’ 5 things restaurants should know about accessibility
October 17, 2022 | Source: The Leader
Most people will experience having a disability ― whether temporarily or permanently ― at some point in their lives. They might suffer an illness or an injury, or the effects of aging will catch up with them. Until then, most people don’t give accessibility much thought. “So often, accessibility really is kind of overlooked,” said Jennifer Perry, access specialist for The Northeast ADA Center, which provides training and information about rights and obligations under the ADA. “Many people really just don’t think about it until they’re personally impacted ― a friend or a family member. And then all of a sudden, people start to realize.”…
Why Be Normal?: Disability and Design Now
October 17, 2022 | Source: Art in America
What is design? Is it a professional pursuit, confined to specialties such as product design, graphic design, user-experience design, or architectural design? Or should we think of it more broadly, as a way to understand and transform our physical surroundings, as an act of world-building and world-changing? In either view, design happens when attention is paid to how things are used, how they look, and how they change some aspect of human experience…
Blind to problems: VA’s new medical record system is shutting out visually impaired patients
October 18, 2022 | Source: USA Today
Sarah Sheffield, a nurse practitioner at a Veterans Affairs clinic in Eugene, Oregon, had a problem. Her patients — mostly in their 70s and beyond — couldn’t read computer screens. It’s not an unusual problem for older people, which is why you might think Oracle Cerner, the developers of the agency’s new digital health record system, would have anticipated it. But they didn’t. Federal law requires government resources to be accessible to patients with disabilities. But patients can’t easily enlarge the text. “They all learned to get strong reading glasses and magnifying glasses,” said Sheffield, who retired in early October…
Disability justice activists demand more accessible emergency transportation in Chicago area
October 18, 2022 | Source: The Daily Northwestern
For local disability rights activist Michael Grice, having his motorized wheelchair with him is essential. His ability to move freely determines his independence. Because ambulance vehicles lack the space to carry assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers and speech boxes for patients with disabilities, many people who are taken to the hospital are forced to leave their wheelchairs behind. Motorized wheelchairs are especially difficult to transport due to their large size and weight. But some people, like Grice, who only has use of one of his arms, can’t use the manual wheelchairs provided at hospitals…
Sellinger announces settlement over NJ Transit accessibility
October 18, 2022 | Source: New Jersey Globe and northjersey.com and NJ.com and New Jersey Monitor and Trains
U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced this morning that his office and New Jersey Transit have reached a settlement over the accessibility of the state’s train stations, with NJ Transit agreeing to make five of its major stations along the Northeast Corridor line – Newark Penn, MetroPark, New Brunswick, Princeton Junction, and Trenton – accessible to those with disabilities. “For too long, people with disabilities have been deprived of equal access to intercity rail stations operated by NJ Transit,” Sellinger said in a statement…
Making nature accessible
October 18, 2022 | Source: Oregon Metro
Metro strives to create accessible outdoor spaces for diverse visitors and bodies. Will Cortez, accessibility project manager for the 2019 parks and nature bond, says the agency’s philosophy on accessibility has evolved over the years, going beyond basic compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) standards. He points to picnic tables as an example. “Previously we would have said, ‘We’re going to make sure this is compliant with ADA standards and regulations and we’re going to make sure that a certain percentage of our picnic tables have a place for someone with a mobility device.”…
The government’s Section 508 transparency problem
October 18, 2022 | Source: Federal News Network and FEDweek and MeriTalk
Agencies have a transparency problem when it comes to Section 508. It’s not that agencies are ignoring the law Congress passed 24 years ago to ensure federal technology is accessible to people with disabilities. It’s the lack of discussion, data, evidence or even reporting of progress that is causing concern on Capitol Hill and among other experts. The Biden administration’s clarion call for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIand A) is ringing hollow unless agencies do more to show and tell how they are meeting both the spirit and intent of Section 508…
Michael B. Jordan Took Accessibility And Inclusion Very Seriously When Making Creed III
October 18, 2022 | Source: Looper
“Creed III” is scheduled to premiere on March 3, 2023 in theaters, serving as the latest chapter in the “Rocky” sequel series kicked off by “Creed” in 2015. Not only is Michael B. Jordan reprising his titular role as Donnie Creed — son of Carl Weathers’ iconic “Rocky” character Apollo Creed — but “Creed III” will mark a milestone in Jordan’s career as his directorial debut. Jonathan Majors described the story of “Creed III” as intimate, suggesting that his character and Jordan’s Donnie will have some sort of personal stakes in their eventual climactic fight against one another…
Ladies Professional Golf Association class action claims website not accessible to blind, visually impaired
October 18, 2022 | Source: Top Class Actions
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) failed to make its website fully accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired, a new class action lawsuit alleges. Plaintiff Lawrence Young claims the LPGA’s website is not independently usable for individuals who are blind or visually impaired due to it not being fully compatible with screen-reading software. Young argues that not having full and equal access to the LPGA website is a “denial of its products and services offered” and is therefore in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)…
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers program gives physically disabled accessible hunting
October 18, 2022 | Source: KY3
The United States Army Corps of Engineers held its 24th annual Non-Ambulatory Deer Hunt. The hunt consists of eight physically disabled hunters, who are veterans, first responders, or kids, who applied and were randomly selected from a drawing. It occurs in an overpopulated area of deer in Ozarks Isle near Bull Shoals Lake. Hunters use black powder/muzzleloader rifles and are assisted to ground-level accessible blinds that are optimal for hunters in a wheelchair…
70 percent of blind adults are unemployed. Miami Lighthouse is helping to change that
October 19, 2022 | Source: Miami Herald
The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired may be best known for its impactful work bringing free eye exams to local schools and hosting early childhood education for vision impaired youth. A year ago, Miami Lighthouse opened Florida’s first CVI center to respond to the leading cause of pediatric visual impairment. All this work continues, of course, but this 91-year-old award-winning Miami nonprofit organization has also long supported adults as well, and recently has been doubling down on its digital literacy programming as well as its website accessibility advocacy…
Accessibility in sailing and beyond
October 19, 2022 | Source: Scuttlebutt Sailing News
Spending summers in the Dominican Republic, Arroyo grew up in the water. He was also a bit of an adrenaline junkie, seeking out new experiences. “I very much identify with the water as a core pillar of my identity,” he said. “Being able get into the water was so important to me.” Arroyo began sailing in New York City as a high school freshman at the Outward Bound School, where he was able to participate in a three day sailing expedition around Long Island Sound. He and a group of about six other students and staff were able to explore the city from the water – his first exposure to the world of sailing…
Family of Miami Dolphins autistic, disabled teen fan requesting better accessibility seating for people with special needs
October 19, 2022 | Source: Local 10
The family of an autistic, disabled Miami Dolphins fan have expressed that they would like to see changes when it comes to accessibility seating for disabled fans or ones with special needs after attending the game on Sunday at Hardrock Stadium. 13-year-old Andrew Alvarez, his father and uncle attended the Vikings-Dolphins game around 1:00 p.m. Sunday when Andrew and was asked to move from his wheelchair to get to his seat. According to his family, Andrew is a diehard Miami Dolphins fan that has a genetic disorder, is autistic and recently had spinal fusion surgery…
‘My last work:’ Windber man with ALS produces documentary with daughter
October 19, 2022 | Source: WJAC
Production is in progress for a documentary about the small town of Windber, nestled in the rolling hills of Somerset County. It’s called Berwindland, and is written, produced, and directed by father-daughter duo Dave and Anna Louder. “It’s been really good to see him still working on this, even as he’s declining,” Anna told 6 News. Dave and Anna started bringing their idea to life back in 2017, stomping through Dave’s old stomping grounds to tell the story of his hometown…
‘I Am Not The Doctor For You’: Physicians’ Attitudes About Caring For People With Disabilities
October 19, 2022 | Source: Health Affairs
People with disabilities face barriers when attempting to gain access to health care settings. Using qualitative analysis of three physician focus groups, we identified physical, communication, knowledge, structural, and attitudinal barriers to care for people with disabilities. Physicians reported feeling overwhelmed by the demands of practicing medicine in general and the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 specifically; in particular, they felt that they were inadequately reimbursed for accommodations…
‘It’s about the attitude:’ Syracuse advocate encourages businesses and local governments to go beyond the ADA
October 20, 2022 | Source: Spectrum
A Syracuse advocate is pushing local businesses and government officials to go beyond the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Agnes McCray, who has Cerebral Palsy, says the City of Syracuse is in a pretty good spot when it comes to accessibility for individuals with disabilities, but there is always room to improve. “When I was in high school there was only three places accessible in Syracuse,” McCray said. McCray has seen almost the entirety of the city’s evolution when it comes to accessibility, and is continuing to be an advocate, day after day…
More wheelchair-accessible seating, repaving projects at Red Rocks underway to help concertgoers with disabilities
October 20, 2022 | Source: The Colorado Sun and Denver Westword and Clear Creek Courant and KDVR
More wheelchair-accessible seats and paving projects at Red Rocks Amphitheatre are among the changes proposed to improve the concert experience for people with disabilities, nearly two months after Denver paid $48,000 to settle a claim that alleged wheelchair-accessible seats were more expensive than other seats in the city-owned venue. Denver’s Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships partnered with Red Rocks to host an open house for the people with disabilities Tuesday to preview the proposed changes…
Jack Fact — According to a recent report from MMGY Global, “Portrait of Travelers with Disabilities: Mobility and Accessibility,” approximately 12.5 million disabled people traveled in 2018-19. Factoring in the growth of baby boomers expected to acquire a disability as they age, MMGY estimates that number to nearly triple to 33.4 million by 2028. Travelers with mobility disabilities spend $58.2 billion per year on travel, MMGY found, and take leisure trips with nearly the same frequency as those without mobility issues.
Hit The Road Jack —Where are accessible hiking trails in MA? Here are parks, trails and reservations to try and Out and About: Fall for all — accessible hikes for leaf-peeping in the Upper Valley
International News
Blind, partially sighted Nova Scotians say they’re being denied access to spaces because of their guide dogs-
September 29, 2022 | Source: Halifax Examiner- Canada
Three Nova Scotian women who are blind say they face questioning and have been denied entry to restaurants and stores because they use guide dogs. Milena Khazanavicius and Kim Cusack were waiting for a table at Modern Orchid, a restaurant in Dartmouth Crossing, when they say the server told them they couldn’t dine in because of their guide dogs. Khazanavicius has a German Shepherd named Louis that was trained at The Seeing Eye Inc., a guide dog school in Morristown, New Jersey, while Cusack’s dog is a Black Labrador named Georgia that was trained at Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind in Manotick, ONT…
Game-changing new collaboration set to enhance health product accessibility for the blind and partially sighted
October 13, 2022 | Source: Yahoo- UK
More than two million people are living with sight loss in the UK, with 8.5 million having very poor literacy skills and an independent study of visually impaired people revealing that 93% of respondents don’t feel health products are accessible enough. And almost one in five have taken the wrong dosage as they couldn’t read the packaging effectively. But on World Sight Day 2022, a game-changing new partnership looks set to ensure that everyone who is blind and partially sighted has significantly enhanced access to health products…
Accessibility for EV charging: When will it be addressed in Australia?
October 14, 2022 | Source: The Driven- Australia
Fossil fuel station forecourts have long been laid out with at least a nod to disability access. Flat areas around the pumps, waist-height access to the nozzles, vertical bollards beside the pumps, gentle ramps to the shop rather than steps – oh, and pull-through parking spots beside the pumps so you can best align the car next to the fuel pump. (Only to realise you’ve parked with the car’s filler on the other side ;-). At least, where it comes to fossil fuel pumps, all-ability driver access is there for the pump body, filling nozzle and paying at the counter…
People with disabilities encouraged to take part in UK’s largest accessibility survey
October 14, 2022 | Source: Association of Optometrists- UK
People with disabilities and those caring for them are being encouraged to take part in a wide-ranging accessibility survey this autumn. The Access Survey, run by Euan’s Guide and Mobility Operations Ltd, seeks to highlight views and experiences on subjects including parking and toilet accessibility, COVID-19, and the cost of living crisis. Euan’s Guide, a disabled access charity and review website, is urging those who have ever had to consider disabled access, including carers, to share their opinions…
New standard to make government websites and applications more user-friendly for everyone in Ukraine
October 15, 2022 | Source: The New Voice of Ukraine- Ukraine
Daria Korzhavina is an active young woman. She is a journalist, civic and political activist, co-founder of the Fight for Right NGO, human rights activist, winner of the Top 30 Under 30 award, and a mother of a seven-year-old daughter. She constantly uses websites and social networks, and reads and writes a lot on the Internet. She is also blind. A screen reader helps her work online. This is a software application that renders text and image content as speech, and many mobile phones also have this software…
Woman with breast cancer creates accessible clothing for chemotherapy patients
October 15, 2022 | Source: Independent- UK
A woman with breast cancer has created an accessible clothing line for other patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. Alexia Baron, who was diagnosed with the disease in March 2020, underwent a double mastectomy and 18 sessions of chemotherapy. After struggling to find accessible clothing to wear during her own treatment, she set up a company which makes tracksuits with zips, pockets and holes to make inserting a chemotherapy port easier and more comfortable…
Visual Impaired Persons Canvass Access to Education, Conducive Environment
October 16, 2022 | Source: This Day- Nigeria
The Nigeria Association of the Blind, Edo State Chapter yesterday urged governments at all levels to make education free and create a conducive environment for them to move around and pursue their legitimate business. The National White Cane Day is celebrated October 15 to commemorate those living with visual impairment. The association on a road walk to the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council in celebration of the National White Cane Day urged the Edo state government to assent to the Disability Bill that has been passed by the State House of Assembly…
Cambridge aiming to make trick-or-treating more accessible
October 16, 2022 | Source: Cambridge Today- Canada
Calgary artists making art more accessible with Halloween display at CrossIron Mills
October 15, 2022 | Source: CBC- Canada
Hamilton Mountain Halloween event pairs trick-or-treating with accessibility movement
October 14, 2022 | Source: Global News- Canada
The city of Cambridge will be offering free accessible trick-or-treating lawn signs beginning Oct. 17. In partnership with RE/MAX Real Estate Centre, residents will be able to pick up their sign at one of five designated locations across the city. Those locations are the John Dolson Centre, W.G. Johnson Centre, Cambridge City Hall, William E. Pautler Centre and the RE/MAX Real Estate Centre. By putting up one of these signs, residents are informing trick-or-treaters that their house is accessible for all children. In addition, signs also help raise awareness for accessibility related issues…
How The Cup Is Making Qatar Bridge The Accessibility Gap
October 16, 2022 | Source: MENAFN- Qatar
Accessibility actions have grown by leaps and bounds in Qatar in recent years. So says Josélia Neves , professor at in Qatar and one of the Gulf country’s leading experts in the field. She believes the World Cup to be held in Qatar in November is one of the factors that have spurred investments to make venues and events more accessible. “Due to the World Cup, by imposition of FIFA and above all because the country is more open to [welcome people with] deficiency, the opportunity arose to drive efforts that were already being made across the country…
10,000 Kiwis demand ‘more grit’ in accessibility bill
October 17, 2022 | Source: 1News- New Zealand
Advocates say the Accessibility for New Zealander’s bill as it stands, is “a paper tiger with no real teeth”. Concerns were discussed in an online panel tonight. Barrister and Researcher Warren Forster, who’s an expert in disability law told 100 participants tuning in for the panel, “at best it won’t make a difference to our lives and at worst it could do harm”. It comes as the number of signatures on an online petition calling for the bill to be strengthened has soared past 10,000…
New guidance on public EV chargepoints accessibility released
October 18, 2022 | Source: Environment Journal- UK
New design guidance to make public electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints more accessible has been released, based on the work of two disability charities. National disability charities Designability and Motability worked in partnership to create freely available design guidance for manufacturers, installers and more. Now the organisations have worked with Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and the British Standards Institute (BSI) to create a new accessibility standard for public EV chargepoints, so disabled people don’t get left behind in the transition to green transport…
Museums fail to improve online access information for some disabled visitors
October 19, 2022 | Source: Museums Association- UK and The Limping Chicken
A new report tracking the online access information provided by UK museums has found that, although this has increased significantly since 2018, there have no major improvements in provision for some disabled visitors. A team of digital volunteers, who reviewed more than 3,150 museum websites using a checklist over a 15-week period, found that nearly 20% provided no access information for potential visitors who have historically been under-recognised as requiring accessibility measures, including blind and visually impaired people, D/deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people, and neurodivergent people…
Digital accessibility: Making sure technology works for everyone
October 20, 2022 | Source: Gulf Business- UAE
The UAE leads the world in several arenas. The government’s willingness to face down societal issues with clear-eyed decisiveness has led to a society that is envied and set as a benchmark by regional peers. For example, a series of federal laws and resolutions lays the groundwork for what is repeatedly referred to as “an inclusive society”, and prohibits discriminatory actions with regard to care or employment for people of determination. In this instance, the UAE is reacting to a global issue with compassion and vision…
Updated accessibility guidelines notified
October 20, 2022 | Source: The Hindu- India
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry this week notified the revised accessibility guidelines and standards for public buildings and spaces, superseding the earlier set of rules. The Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021 were notified by the Ministry on Tuesday, replacing the Harmonised Guidelines 2016. Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the Central government is required to formulate accessibility standards for physical environment…
1Accessibility bill ‘unlikely to lead to change’, disability advocates say
October 20, 2022 | Source: Stuff- New Zealand
A policy that aims to remove barriers for disabled people is continuing to receive criticism from the community. The strengths and shortcomings of the Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill were debated at a panel discussion on Monday. The Government says it will set up a new legislative framework, but critics believe it is unlikely to lead to change and is potentially harmful. Workbridge is an organisation that helps disabled people find employment and chief executive Jonathan Mosen said the bill has suffered from a lack of consultation…
Accessibility Blogs and Information
- DIVERSEability Magazine- Fall 2022
- Happy World Sight Day- Braille Works
- Accommodation and Compliance: Allergies- JAN
- What is the European Accessibility Act?- Applause
- Dyslexia Basics- International Dyslexia Association
- Digital Accessibility Guide- University of Waterloo
- Deaf Culture And Live Entertainment Accessibility- KALW (Podcast)
- The digital accessibility of technology platforms- Ikigai Law
- The Enormous Impact of Education Accessibility- Lucy Greco
- Accessible syllabus templates available for instructors- Penn State
- Is Closed Captioning an Accessibility Feature? – Nova Scotia Today
- Tech Created The Web’s Inequality Gap, And Now It Should Fix It- Forbes
- A Proclamation on Blind Americans Equality Day, 2022- The White House
- Kiwi Online Shopping Companies Failing People With Disabilities?- Scoop
- Discovering Accessibility In Brands And Beyond With Alexa Heinrich- Forbes
- Is Your Organization Inclusive of Deaf Employees?- Harvard Business Review
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Accessibility Review- Disney World
- Quemuel Arroyo: Championing Accessibility in Sailing and Beyond- US Sailing
- Hispanic Workers with Disabilities in the Labor Force- U.S. Department Of Labor
- Air Canada mishandled transport of wheelchair: Accessibility advocate- City News
- Accessible to All: Overcoming Barriers to Passenger Transport Use- Railway News
- ADA ‘tester’ can sue over website’s non-compliance- Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
- Why Accessibility Must Be a Part of Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Initiatives- EdSurge
- Access Board Seeks Accessibility for Self-Service Touchscreens in Facilities- FacilitiesNet
- College of Education offers American Sign Language, proposes Deaf studies minor- Today@Wayne
- First Circuit Gives Green Light to ADA Suits Against Hotels Based on Booking Sites- Pierce Atwood
- Toward an Accessible Penn: Student Experiences with Disability–Related Accommodations- 34th Street
- We should expand, not reduce voting accessibility for Minnesotans with disabilities- Minnesota Reformer
- Franchising, Drunk Guests and ADA Compliance: How Hoteliers Can Prepare for Liability Issues- CoStar
- Staff Senate group raises awareness about disability resources at VCU- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Four Questions for Making a More Inclusive Work Environment for People with Disabilities- U.S. Department Of Labor
- Tufts Senior Mindy Duggan shares her passion and advocacy work for disability rights and accessibility- The Tufts Daily
- TWN holds panel on disability awareness and casual ableism in the University and beyond- The Johns Hopkins News-Letter
- A Broadway Audience Member Tearfully Recalled How An Actor Called Her Out On Stage After She Mistook Her Captioning Device For An Illegal Recording- BuzzFeed
Accessibility Announcements and Products
- BUET holds ICT seminar
- NERV Disaster Prevention App
- Telephone Accessibility- Iowa Utilities Board
- Hotel Intel: Montreal’s Monville is accessible for all
- New program aims to make UMD ELMS more accessible
- Gates Foundation pledges $1.2B to eradicate polio globally
- Committee works to make Laredo a disabled-accessible city
- Blindness prevention group exceeds goal for eye test pledges
- Airlines target bolstered passenger accessibility commitment
- Barnstable completes accessibility review, seeks public input
- Underline Furthers Inclusion With Website Accessibility Update
- York Region’s Accessibility Advisory Committee passes the torch
- New website provides overweight people with accessibility information
- FCC Certifies Perkins School for the Blind to Administer Maine NDBEDP
- City of Boise Seeks Feedback on Disability Community Accessibility Plan
- Council Candidate Doug Jeffery wants more accessibility in Prince George
- Thunderbird Global Headquarters recognized for excellence in accessibility
- Santa Barbara City Council to review accessibility for people with disabilities
- You can be on our Instagram team, consultants wanted and a survey – Issue #26
- LinkedIn Adds New Accessibility Features, Including Auto-Captions on Videos
- Sony CRE-C10 self-fitting hearing aids improve over-the-counter accessibility options
- Governor’s Council on Disability seeks nominations for 2022 annual recognition awards
- Shopping centre improves visitor accessibility with new modular Changing Places facility
- Pennington Biomedical works to improve precision and accessibility in dementia research
- Apple Glasses Accessibility features could be a huge benefit, suggests disability campaigner
- New, Free Report From ALA and Knology: “Accessibility in Libraries: A Landscape Review” and PDF
- UnlockedMaps provides real-time accessibility information for urban rail transit in six metro areas
- Isla Vista Community Services District Hires Community Engagement Intern/Accessibility Advocate
- Deaf actor and advocate Rose Ayling-Ellis recognised as most influential disabled person in Power 100 list 2022
Accessibility Forums, Tips, and Gaming
- ARIA and HTML
- Why we need CSS Speech
- Google on Alt Text SEO and Accessibility
- 4 Required Tests Before Shipping New Features
- Xbox Accessibility Showcase 2022 introduces more inclusive resources
- Gaming industry explains how accessibility can improve games for everyone
- Xbox Celebrates the Disability Communities with New Accessibility Updates
- Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope’s resolution and accessibility options detailed
- 7 Ways To Make Your Website Content More Inclusive for Neurodivergent Users
- How to Open Your iPhone’s App Library Faster from Your Home Screen or Anywhere Else
- Have You Noticed The Different Text Bubble Colours On iMessage? Here’s What It Means
- Street Fighter 6’s innovative accessibility settings are a huge leap forward for visually impaired players and the genre
Accessibility Statements
- LMS365
- Vertafore
- Pure Cork
- Travis Medical
- Williams College
- Thameslink Railway
- University of Vienna
- Federal Office of Justice
- Facing History and Ourselves
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Microassist Digital Accessibility Services
Have you received an accessibility demand letter because of your website or application? Please contact us for any questions you have about our accessibility services and how we might support your organization.
Services include:
- Accessible Website and Application Development— We rely heavily on accessibility best practices and using HTML5 and ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) standards to build WCAG-compliant and human-tested accessible environments. Our teams are proficient in open source technologies such as WordPress, Drupal and Moodle, as well as custom frameworks in .NET, PHP, AngularJS, and other frameworks. Our Learning and Development team can also help you create accessible custom training.
- Accessible Document Services— Whether you’re dealing with a few or a warehouse of Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, or other files, there are several ways Microassist can enable your team to offer documents and materials that meet stringent accessibility standards.
- Accessibility Remediation— Our accessibility remediation services help you fix existing materials so that they conform to WCAG, Section 504 and 508, Department of Education OCR, and ADA Title II/III requirements. We remediate websites, applications, documents, and elearning, recommending re-creation when that is more efficient and economical. Especially for website and applications, to find out what is in need of remediation, we’ll start with an Accessibility Audit.
- Accessibility Training— With several courses available for developers, testers, and content creators, your team can become equipped to consistently and expertly produce accessible digital products and online environments.
- VPAT®Evaluation Services— Primarily used by government purchasers and government vendors during the procurement and sale of ICT products and services under Section 508, a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT) attests to the accessibility of a given product or service. Contact us to make sure the VPAT you write or review is accurate and meaningful.
Learn More About Digital Accessibility
Our Digital Accessibility Digest blog covers our Accessibility in the News archives as well as expert commentaries on digital accessibility issues.
Our most popular commentaries include:
- What is a VPAT®? A VPAT Primer
- Understanding Digital Accessibility in the Procurement Process
- Accessibility in the News, Legal Edition: Updates on ADA Title III News and More
- What Lawyers Need to Know: A Primer on Digital Accessibility Terms and Today’s Legal Landscape
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