Accessibility in the News — 8/16/19.

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AITN Quote of the Week

“There can be no meaningful politics which is ignorant of the facts.”

― Robert F. Kennedy

National News (U.S.)

‘One Albuquerque’ sculpture’s street placement raises concerns

August 7, 2019 | Source: Albuquerque Journal |

‘One Albuquerque’ sculpture moves to new location

August 12, 2019 | Source: KRQE |

The city has described its massive new “One Albuquerque” sculpture as a physical representation of a spirit “that calls our community together to solve some of our biggest challenges and unleash our city’s potential.” But one local disability advocate is calling it a hazard. The artwork currently sits on Third Street in a setup that runs afoul of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Terri O’Hare told the City Council on Monday night, citing particular concern for pedestrians who are blind. The sculpture is in the roadway between Civic Plaza and the Albuquerque Convention Center…

Traveling while disabled is four times more expensive

August 8, 2019 | Source: Quartz & Yahoo |

Five years ago, Kathleen Burt took a vacation to Puerto Rico with her parents. The trip itself was enjoyable. But traveling one way—from Edinburgh, Scotland, to San Juan, Puerto Rico—took nearly 22 hours, including a stop in Amsterdam and a long layover at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Because Burt and her mother have arthritis that often leads to flare-ups (and her mom also has vascular disease), sitting in basic economy seats for a prolonged period of time was out of the question, Burt told me over the phone recently…

It’s time to redesign the accessibility logo

August 8, 2019 | Source: The Week Magazine |

People with disabilities are on the move! From the workplace to the Broadway stage, inclusion is happening in a big way and strides toward better and more accurate disability representation are being made every day. And if the Ohio legislature had its way, progress in disability representation would extend to one more area: the accessibility logo. Lawmakers in that state have been trying to redesign the International Symbol of Accessibility — which currently shows a disabled person sitting stagnant in their wheelchair — to better reflect the reality that people with a disability are active and independent…

Where the sidewalk ends for disabled New Yorkers

August 8, 2019 | Source: City & State |

NYC Comptroller Wants Answers on Queens’ Inaccessible, Disrepaired LIRR Stations

August 14, 2019 | Source: Sunnyside Post |

Removal of M14 Select Bus Service stops violates the ADA: Lawsuit

August 14, 2019 | Source: amNY |

Nearly three decades after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and a quarter-century after a class action lawsuit was filed by the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association against New York City, a New York judge approved a plan July 23 to make all of the city’s sidewalk curbs accessible to wheelchair users within the next 15 years. This was necessary because, as The New York Times wrote in 2017, a federally mandated report “found that the majority of the city’s curb ramps are still not in compliance with federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act…

My Kid With a Disability Deserves to Be in the Same Classroom as Your Kid, Because His Future Depends on It

August 8, 2019 | Source: Pop Sugar |

As I walked through the lobby of my doctor’s office in a dreamlike state, my mind was hyperaware of the unfolding events, but everything around me was blurry. “Benfield . . . Benfield . . . Benfield?” I snapped out of it and walked to the front desk where I found a receptionist whose eyes were heavy with pity. It was clear everyone in the small-town office knew, but what did they know? I’d received a call an hour prior from my doctor saying that our noninvasive prenatal screening results were back, the results were not good, and we needed to come see him right away…

Website Accessibility and the ADA- Attorneys Eve Hill and Minh Vu discuss website accessibility litigation

August 9, 2019 | Source: Legal Talk Network(Podcast) |

Domino’s Pizza Sued By Blind Man Who Says He Can’t Use Their Website

August 13, 2019 | Source: NPR (Podcast) & The American Genius |

In a highly watched case, Robles, v. Domino Pizza LLC, Guillermo Robles, who is blind, filed a lawsuit against Domino’s back in 2016 after he was unable to order a custom pizza from the company’s website and mobile app. His attorneys argued that Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which entitles those with disabilities to equally partake in and benefit from goods and services from businesses such as restaurants, applies to the online sales platforms of those companies with brick-and-mortar locations…

Limited Accessibility: A Day in My Life

August 9, 2019 | Source: Cerebral Palsy News Today |

I’m going to take you through a day in my life. It was a day not long ago when I was by myself in public at the University of Southern California (USC). I woke up around 8:30 a.m. as usual, and my morning caregiver got me ready. I got into my Access paratransit vehicle and I was off to USC. I went to the bookstore to purchase some things, but as I was shopping, I dropped some items due to the fact that I am in a wheelchair. I spent two hours in the bookstore because it takes me a little while to do everything…

Philadelphia Eagles open sensory room for fans with autism

August 9, 2019 | Source: CNN |

The “no reentry” rule that’s applied at most major venues can make a family coping with sensory needs think twice about whether they go to an event like a professional football game. The Philadelphia Eagles built a sensory room in their Lincoln Financial Field so those fans don’t have to feel left out. The Eagles are the first NFL franchise to open a sensory room, constructed in the off season, exclusively for fans with sensory challenges who might need to decompress from all the excitement and noise happening out by the field…

‘Dancing With the Stars’ winner Nyle Dimarco on watching ‘What Would You Do?’ scenario resembling his experiences being deaf

August 9, 2019 | Source: ABC News |

“Dancing With the Stars” winner Nyle DiMarco, a deaf actor, model and advocate, joins ABC News’ John Quinones tonight on “What Would You Do?” for a scenario about a waiter losing his patience with a deaf customer. This situation was inspired by an Ohio Taco Bell drive-thru employee refusing service to a deaf diner. Although the customer typed his order on his phone for the employee to read, the employee refused to accept his order. The employee was fired and Taco Bell released a statement saying they are “committed to maintaining an environment free of discrimination or harassment.”…

Businesses on the Florida Suncoast- Is Your Website ADA Compliant?

August 10, 2019 | Source: The Sarasota Post (Video) |

The lawsuits continue to mount. Several businesses on Anna Maria Island, Florida were sued and other businesses in the Clearwater, Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice areas have been targeted. There is legal concern happening in the digital atmosphere that may affect your business. In the last couple of years there has been an uptick in Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuits when it comes to website accessibility. Advocates for the disabled say websites need to be as accessible for everyone, just as brick-and-mortar stores must be. There have been judgements / settlements in excess of $20,000…

Austin failed to give required accessibility inspections to 20 recent sidewalk projects

August 9, 2019 | Source: KVUE |

For Chase Bearden, trying to get to work every day is a challenge. “The sidewalks – it’s one of the major barriers,” said Bearden, the deputy executive director at Coalition of Texans with Disabilities. Between cracks, lifts, weeds and ramps, Bearden sees so many problems with accessibility on his streets. That’s why a recent audit of the City’s newest sidewalk projects does not surprise him, but it does have him worried. According to the report, 15% of all sidewalks that have been built and constructed as part of the 2016 Sidewalk Master Plan were not inspected by a third-party accessibility inspector…

Daytona man’s disabilities lawsuits cause records jams for cities in Volusia, Flagler

August 10, 2019 | Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal |

Daytona Beach resident Joel Price, who according to court documents is legally blind, has filed at least 130 federal lawsuits in Florida’s Middle District since 2016. His latest suit was filed against the city of Edgewater in June.

If you’re having trouble finding what you’re looking for on your city’s or county’s website, even information you know used to be there, you’re not alone. For years, common documents like commission agenda packets have been easy to download and view in minutes…

UVa project aims to ease book access for people with disabilities

August 10, 2019 | Source: The Daily Progress |

Every year, the University of Virginia churns out about 1,000 copies of textbooks, essays, books and files tailor-made for students with disabilities. Soon, however, researchers hope that, instead of creating new files every semester, universities will be able to search a massive online repository for existing accessible copies. To lay the foundation for that hub — called Education Materials Made Accessible, or EMMA — and spread the word for future work, a new white paper aims to reconcile universities’ copyright and civil rights obligations…

A Maryland deaf community gets closer to movie accessibility

August 11, 2019 | Source: U.S. News & World Report |

It wasn’t until they moved to Frederick that Trudy Suggs and her family could go to the movies. While it had a “deaf school and sizable deaf community,” the “small town” in Minnesota that Suggs lived in did not have a movie theater that provided any captioning services for people who are deaf like herself, her husband and their four kids. “So when we came to Frederick and learned that there were both open-captioned (screenings) and glasses available, we were happy because now we could go see the newest films,” Suggs wrote in an email…

Hearing aids: You ain’t heard nothing yet

August 11, 2019 | Source: CBS News |

Meet Dick Pogue, Cleveland lawyer. He’s 91 years old, he goes to the office six days a week, and he’s the father of “Sunday Morning” contributor and tech critic for Yahoo Finance, David Pogue. He doesn’t make many concessions to aging. About the only one David has noticed is that he wears hearing aids. David asked, “Under what circumstances do you wear them? Movies?” “I wear them at movies? Yes.” “And watching TV?” “I do wear them watching television.”…

Cultural plan feedback reveals desires for more accessibility, support for working artists in Akron

August 11, 2019 | Source: Akron Beacon Journal |

Increased accessibility to the arts and supporting working Akron artists as entrepreneurs are two big themes that have emerged from public input over the last several months for the city’s first Akron Cultural Plan, organizers say.

The citywide plan stems from in-person interviews, group creative sessions, neighborhood meetups, artist focus groups and online surveys as Akron residents brainstorm what they want to see in arts and culture. The goal of the collaborative plan is to advance cultural diversity and increase access to arts and culture for residents in all 24 of Akron’s neighborhoods…

Retired physician advocates accessible trails for disabled people

August 12, 2019 | Source: The Mountaineer |

Every day the weather is clear Dr. Doris Hammett puts on her sun hat and goes for a walk around the Smoky Mountain Health and Rehabilitation Center in Clyde where she is a resident. Hammett, who is 95 years old and has knee injuries and limited vision, uses her walker for stability as she exercises outdoors, which she says is beneficial to her health. “I’m the only one,” Hammett said of her regular outdoor walks, which are limited to the parking lot and surrounding sidewalks at the rehabilitation center…

High Standards Are Needed When It Comes to Accessibility at Our Schools

August 12, 2019 | Source: State College News |

It’s been 30 years since we built our house. It was such an exciting time. I remember poring over plans and looking at designs. I remember long conversations with our contractor as he helped us realize our vision for our home. I specifically remember one walk through, after the house finally had a roof, when he asked us where we wanted the light switches. He ended up putting them where we directed him to put them. After just weeks of living in the house, I found myself getting annoyed because the switches for the exterior lights over the garage doors are in a really stupid location…

How Breweries Are Making Space for Adults With Disabilities

August 13, 2019 | Source: VinePair |

Brewability Lab, the first brewery in the U.S. staffed by adults with developmental disabilities, is making moves. According to a recent announcement, the Denver operation is moving and rebranding as Brewability on Broadway. Founder Tiffany Fixter describes the new location as “far more accessible and conducive to business” than its original space. Brewability on Broadway joins a small but growing number of breweries around the world that are prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity by hiring adults with disabilities as brewers, bartenders, and servers…

Making live music accessible to everyone

August 13, 2019 | Source: Pamplin Media Group |

Cassie Wilson was just a teenager, and not quite a year out of Barlow High School, when she decided something had to be done about the lack of access for people with disabilities to live music venues. So the passionate rock music fan founded a nonprofit to do just that. Half Access is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making live music accessible to all. “Half Access came out of being frustrated because venues are only half accessible and they are literally half-assing accessibility,” Wilson says with her infectious laugh…

Lehigh Valley student wins award for research on accessibility in arts spaces

August 13, 2019 | Source: Penn State News |

Penn State Lehigh Valley student Elise Schaffer has a passion for making arts spaces accessible to people with disabilities and chose to do research about how most arts spaces are not accessible. “I think that art is about each individual person’s experience and everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy the arts in a way that is comfortable and accessible to them,” Schaffer said. Schaffer plans to graduate in December. Her time at the Lehigh Valley campus is defined by the strong interpersonal relationships she established with her professors and classmates…

World’s first and only fully accessible theme park attracts locals and tourists alike to San Antonio

August 13, 2019 | Source: mySanAntonio |

Morgan’s Wonderland – founded in 2005 when Gordon Hartman sold a successful homebuilding business so he and his wife, Maggie, could pursue their goal of helping those with special needs – is located right here in San Antonio and is the world’s first and only fully accessible theme park. Its founding was inspired by Hartman’s own daughter Morgan, who has cognitive and physical challenges and from whom the park takes its name. Morgan’s Wonderland first opened in April 2010, while the attached splash park, Morgan’s Inspiration Island, opened in June 2017…

30 Accessibility Designs That Are Straight Up Offensive

August 13, 2019 | Source: Bored Panda |

Accessibility is a vitally important feature of any civilized society – everyone, regardless of their mobility, should be able to access and enjoy public facilities. Poorly-designed accessibility for people in wheelchairs, for example, sends a pretty insulting message: “We added this feature because someone told us we had to, but it’s not important enough that we put any effort into making sure it actually helps.” Accessibility then becomes purely symbolic, something designed to show that ‘we care,’ but has no practical purpose…

A blind man is suing Wind Creek Bethlehem over its website. Here’s why.

August 14, 2019 | Source: Lehigh Valley Live |

A blind Bucks County man is suing the new owners of Bethlehem’s casino, claiming its website isn’t accessible to the millions of Americans who are visually impaired. John Mahoney filed the class action complaint against Wind Creek Bethlehem LLC on Aug. 7. The suit alleges the casino’s website violates Title 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act because it does not provide equal access to the visually impaired. It asks the court for a permanent injunction to force Wind Creek Bethlehem to make its website fully accessible to the blind…

Study looks at variety of accessibility issues at North Dakota Capitol

August 14, 2019 | Source: Bismarck Tribune |

Faraway parking spaces, little signage and unavailable seating are seen as early issues to resolve in improving accessibility at the North Dakota Capitol. The Legislature’s interim Government Administration Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a study of the Capitol’s accessibility. Several issues relate to when the North Dakota Highway Patrol in 2016 closed the building’s east, west and north entries to the public as security measures due to the ongoing Dakota Access Pipeline protests. The patrol is in charge of security for the building…

Miniature Horses Cleared For Take Off As Service Animals

August 14, 2019 | Source: CBS Detroit |

Miniature horses are among the service animals approved to take on flights, according to new guidelines provided Thursday by the federal government. Service animals on planes has been the subject of much debate over the past several years, especially when the animal is a little exotic. To curb some of the debate, the U.S. Department of Transportation clarified which common service animals should almost always be allowed…

New features at Sacramento Zoo welcome visitors with autism, dementia, PTSD and more

August 15, 2019 | Source: Sacramento Bee |

For some, going to the zoo can be just too much. That’s why this summer the Sacramento Zoo partnered with a nonprofit and medical professionals to make the space more accessible to sensory sensitive individuals that live with autism, dementia, PTSD and similar conditions. In collaboration with KultureCity, a nonprofit that works to increase accessibility for individuals with sensory needs in local communities, zoo staff brainstormed ideas and welcomed visitors’ suggestions. And within 24 hours of posting sensory awareness signs, Director of Education Ann Geger said requests began flowing in…

State bills on vehicle accessibility got their start in Oswego County

August 15, 2019 | Source: NNY360 |

A state bill that was born right here in Oswego County has won the support of the Oswego County Legislature. The bills — A.6215 in the state Assembly and S.05459 in the state Senate — would allow law enforcement personnel to ticket and/or arrest people who park in the access aisle areas next to parking space for the disabled. For example, disabled parking spaces for the loading and unloading of wheelchairs and other devices always have a lined area next to them to provide space for the disabled to get out of and into their vehicle…

Jack Fact — According to data from The China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF), there are currently 85 million Chinese people with disabilities and more than 40 million old people who suffer functional disability.

Hit The Road Jack — 5 European cities to visit for the disabled

International News

Tackling ageism: Cities need to do more for seniors, Concordia prof says

August 8, 2019 | Source: The Chronicle Herald- Canada |

Meghan Joy decided to research the role cities play to meet the needs of senior citizens while she was living in Toronto, after witnessing some of the struggles her senior neighbour faced. “We were helping her bring her garbage out to the curb, we were helping her get groceries — doing a lot of informal work,” Joy said, adding that the elderly woman eventually died by falling down the stairs. “It was kind of this moment where I was like, you know what, how many people are living in these difficult situations?”…

Lack of progress on human rights order frustrates accessibility activist

August 9, 2019 | Source: CBC- Canada |

Gus Reed got tired of waiting. Reed was part of a group successful in a human rights challenge against the Nova Scotia government, arguing he and other wheelchair users could not wash their hands in many restaurants where accessible washrooms are not available. A board of inquiry found the government was not enforcing its own accessibility regulations. That was in September 2018. Almost a year later, Reed said things haven’t played out the way he’d hoped and aren’t going nearly fast enough…

NLA looks to improve accessibility in the PRS

August 9, 2019 | Source: NLA News- UK |

The National Landlords Association (NLA) has joined with key players in the aged and disability sectors to promote the need for accessible housing within the private rented sector (PRS). In a roundtable hosted by the NLA, attendees discussed the current state of landlords’ awareness of housing modification grants, the challenges they face and potential incentives to encourage landlords to make their properties accessible. Attendees at the meeting included representatives from Age UK, Foundations, the Nationwide Foundation, the Centre for Aging Better and Abode Impact (a housing modification company)…

Assam depts served notices for ‘violating’ disability norms

August 9, 2019 | Source: EastMojo- India |

In its move to protect the rights and interests of specially-abled persons as per the provisions of the Constitution of India, the office of the commissioner for Persons with Disabilities in Assam has served notices to various Assam government departments for allegedly violating provisions of the Rights of Person with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016. It has also asked these departments to submit details on various works initiated under the Act in their respective departments within 30 days…

Disability Rights Activists Urge Apple to Allow Persian Speakers to Access VoiceOver Screen Reader

August 9, 2019 | Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran |

More than 1,300 people had signed a petition as of August 9, 2019, by Persian-speaking disability rights activists calling on Apple to make its VoiceOver technology available to Persian-speaking users. “Excluding a number of people with disabilities from using new technologies is against the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990… which emphasize identifying and eliminating barriers to access to information, communications and electronic services,” said the petition…

How will new Greater Anglia trains work for passengers with disabilities?

August 10, 2019 | Source: East Anglian Daily Times- UK |

Greater Anglia’s newest trains have received the seal of approval from a leading disability advisor after taking a trip on the new carriages. The new trains have entered services on the route from Lowestoft to Norwich and are due to come into service across Greater Anglia’s rural routes over the next few months. The have lower level floors and a retractable step at each door, which bridges the gap between station platform and train, making them more accessible for wheelchairs, buggies and people with mobility problems…

Awareness Campaign: ‘RPwD Should be Made Aware of Their Rights’

August 10, 2019 | Source: The Sentinel Assam- India |

The Social Welfare Department, Government of Assam in collaboration with Shishu Sarothi has taken up a Programme for Awareness Generation on Disability and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 under Section 39 of the said Act. Since the enactment of the RPwD Act, this was the first such awareness initiative was taken up by any State Government at such a large scale, in the country. Jishnu Baruah, Addl. C.S., Social Welfare Department, GOA made the opening remarks citing the directions of the Apex Court with regard to mandatory compliance of various provisions of the RPwD Act…

Dedication ceremony names beach accessibility mat after man who fought for equality for all

August 11, 2019 | Source: Bay Today- Canada |

It was an emotional day for family and friends of the late Adam “Wheels” Miller. Many travelled great distances to attend the official dedication ceremony naming North Bay’s first beach accessibility mat in his honour. Miller, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 36, had a passion for swimming, winning many medals as a competitive swimmer. A member of the Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee (MAAC), Miller made it his mission to make the beach and lake accessible for everyone to enjoy…

Be compassionate, bring out app for disabled, says PM Modi

August 12, 2019 | Source: Economic Times- India |

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked for introduction of a mobile application to help the disabled facing difficulty in accessing means of transport and government buildings upload pictures of their experiences. He has also asked officials to be “compassionate” towards the cause and to accelerate the implementation of the Accessible India Campaign (AIC). These directions were passed at the review of the AIC at a meeting of the multi-purpose and multi-modal platform PRAGATI…

Darlington: Sports Direct branded “disgraceful” over disabled lift plans

August 11, 2019 | Source: The Northern Echo- UK |

A retailer has been branded “disgraceful and appalling” after it tried to scrap plans to improve disabled access at a branch of one of its high end stores. A proposal submitted on behalf of Sports Direct suggested disabled customers “must make themselves known at the entrance” at a branch of Flannels in Darlington. Towards the end of 2017, the firm which took over the former TK Maxx unit on Crown Street, applied to Darlington Borough Council to convert the site into two separate units, which was approved with conditions in January 2018…

Age UK and Habinteg call for better accessibility standards in new homes

August 12, 2019 | Source: Ekklesia- UK & THIIS & Home Care Insight- UK |

Age UK and Habinteg have released a new campaigning factsheet, which calls for all new homes to be built to higher accessibility standards. There are currently 6.5 million people with mobility problems and 13.9 million disabled people in the UK and unless homes become more adaptable, future generations will be forced to ‘make do’ in homes that fail to meet their needs. The new factsheet Home Truths – rebutting the 10 myths about building accessible housing challenges the myths that delivering accessible housing is too costly, too difficult or simply undesirable for buyers…

This blind woman says self-checkouts lower the bar(code) for accessibility

August 12, 2019 | Source: CBC- Canada |

Self-checkouts seem to be popping up everywhere in St. John’s, from Walmart to Canadian Tire to Dominion, replacing cashier interaction with inanimate exchange. Some people love the control and convenience; others prefer a face-to-face chat and fear the machines are taking away minimum-wage jobs. Then, there are the people totally left out of these contrasting takes, because they physically cannot navigate them at all. One of those individuals is Kelly Picco, a St. John’s resident who has optic atrophy, a progressive condition that has left her legally blind…

Toward a barrier-free Philippines

August 13, 2019 | Source: The Manila Times- Philippines |

Back in 2013, the Land Transportation Office registered over 3.58 million motorcycles, including tricycles, in the entire country based on the Department of Transportation (DoTr) website. This is roughly four times the number of registered cars in the country, which is about 830,000, based on the same report. Given these data, this would mean that the two- and three-wheeled vehicles are dominating Philippine roads. And that the four-wheeled vehicles are a “minority” when it comes to numbers…

Edinburgh’s famous ‘Seven Hills’ must be accessible to all

August 13, 2019 | Source: Edinburg News- Scotland |

Rome was famously built on seven hills, and so was Edinburgh. Over the years, there has been some discussion in the Scottish capital about which seven hills are included in the list, but the consensus seems to be Arthur’s Seat, Blackford Hill, Braid Hills, Calton Hill, Castle Rock, Corstorphine Hill and Craiglockart Hill. Millenia ago, the retreating ice sheets deposited glacial debris behind the volcanic plug of the rock on which Edinburgh Castle was built, resulting in the distinctive crag and tail formation where the Old Town of Edinburgh stands…

Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought

August 14, 2019 | Source: Australian Hospitality Magazine- Australia |

It’s been over 27 years since the Australian government passed the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Designed to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities in a number of areas including employment, education as well as the provision of goods and services, it also aims to promote an inclusive community. Australian Bureau of Statistics data from 2015 reveals 4.3 million Australians report living with a disability. Of those aged 15 and over and living in a household, one in 12 reported experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment…

New Role Models Help Make Japanese Society More Inclusive of PWDs

August 14, 2019 | Source: JAPAN Forward |

People living with disabilities often have additional challenges to overcome, things their disability-free counterparts may not even consider. Some of these challenges can be as obvious as a step-up, which a wheelchair cannot climb, or enduring improper care that can be insulting or abusive (which is not commonly observed). Japan has made great strides in creating more accessibility and assistance for people with disabilities. Ms. Kimura Eiko and Mr. Funago Yasuhiko, two newly-elected officials of Japan’s Upper House who live with restrictive disabilities, are poised to shine a light on these concerns and more…

I&B implements accessibility standards for differently-abled starting 15 August

August 14, 2019 | Source: Livemint- India & Box Office- India& Outlook- India |

As a boost to the implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, the ministry of Information & Broadcasting has decided to implement accessibility standards for Persons with Disabilities in television programmes aired by private television channels starting this Independence Day. Public broadcaster Doordarshan has been carrying sign language interpretation of the address of President of India on the eve of Independence Day and the Prime Minister’s address from the ramparts of Red Fort on Independence Day every year…

Audit buildings for compliance with Accessibility Law – ADAP

August 15, 2019 | Source: Mindanao Times- Philippines |

The Association of Differently Abled Persons (ADAP) called for a review of newly constructed buildings that violate provisions of the BP No. 344 or the Accessibility Law. ADAP-Davao president Redendo Martinez submitted the petition to the City Council during the deliberation on the allocation of a budget for the construction of an elevator in the Sangguniang Panlugsod building. A total of P2.275 Million was allocated for the said project under the Supplemental Budget 1, which is set to be passed next week on third and final reading…

Government of Canada announces appointments to the Canadian Accessibility Standards Development Organization

August 14, 2019 | Source: Canada News Wire |

On the path towards a more accessible Canada with the creation of the Council of Federal Accessibility Agencies

August 14, 2019 | Source: Benzinga- Canada |

Accessibility in Canada is about creating communities, workplaces and services that enable everyone to participate fully in society without barriers. The Government of Canada believes that all Canadians deserve the same opportunities and chances at success. The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, today announced the appointments of Philip Rizcallah as Chief Executive Officer, Paul Claude Bérubé as Chair, and Mary Reid as Vice Chair of the Canadian Accessibility Standards Development Organization (CASDO)…

Why football grounds still need to tackle the problem of accessibility

August 14, 2019 | Source: The Offside Rule- UK |

Derby County fan Alex Steward tells Chelsea Harper about her experience as a disabled fan, the challenges she’s faced at games and why she refuses to let the problems surrounding accessibility prevent her from watching her favourite club. When we go to watch our beloved team play, we never realise quite how lucky we are to do it with such ease. We can attend matches without the reliance of someone else, we can choose where we want to sit (excluding money constraints, of course) and we can opt for the safer option of watching our team besides our fellow supporters at away games…

Bradford accessibility champions target local ‘vessels for change’

August 14, 2019 | Source: Bradford Today- Canada |

“You’re Felicia McCan, not Felicia McCan’t!” That’s a telling line from the children’s book, Felicia McCan, by Carolyn MacDiarmid and James Tuer, published by The Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work, in celebration of Canada’s sesquicentennial. The book is all about diversity, inclusion and acceptance and tells the tale of Felicia McCan, whose vision loss, use of a magnifier, and unique style don’t prevent her from making new friends at her new school…

People with disabilities lodge complaints over lack of access to city’s water taxi

August 14, 2019 | Source: CTV News- Canada |

Advocates for people with disabilities have gone to the Quebec Human Rights Commission over a popular new transit service. There is no wheelchair access for the water taxi, ferrying people from the east end to Old Montreal. A group of accessibility and inclusion activists with RAPLIQ say they’re frustrated that a pilot project could be granted for the second year in a row and overlook or dismiss the needs of people with mobility issues. The group made six separate complaints about the lack of access onto the water taxi and the lack of space on the vessel to safely secure passengers in wheelchairs…

Disability advocacy organization in limbo amid funding uncertainty

August 14, 2019 | Source: Winnipeg Free Press- Canada |

The Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities says it may be forced to close after repeated attempts to ask the province to restore its core funding, which was cut in December 2017, have been unsuccessful. “We’ve done everything we can do, except close the doors, to get by,” said treasurer Fred Dugdale. “You just don’t replace $50,000 overnight.” The organization has advocated on behalf of Manitobans with disabilities for more than 45 years. It has lobbied governments on issues such as accessible transit and having Braille ballots during elections. It also conducts accessibility assessments and training for organizations…

Niagara business campaign encourages accessibility

August 15, 2019 | Source: Niagara This Week- Canada |

Rhys Evans looks at the world much differently than most people do. The 27-year-old Pelham man, who has cerebral palsy, relies on a wheelchair to get around. “That’s been my mode of transportation my whole life,” the Niagara College student said. There’s a lot of planning that goes into leaving the house. When he goes out for weekly shopping trips, or out for a bite to eat with friends, or even just to stop for a coffee, Evans must first consider if he can even get his wheelchair into a business, if the door has an accessible button to open it for him, or whether he’ll be able to wheel his chair into a bathroom…

Universal Signage: The First Step in Making Cities More Accessible

August 15, 2019 | Source: ArchDaily- Spain |

Of all the steps a city can take to make itself more pedestrian-friendly, developing a integral system of signage is both a quick and easy improvement that makes a world of difference–as shown by initiatives like Legible London, New York’s WalkNYC, or Rio on Foot, in Río de Janeiro. In keeping with this trend is “Leer Madrid,” or “Reading Madrid,” a combined effort by Applied Wayfinding and local Spanish firms Paisaje Transversal (urban strategy), Avanti Avanti Studio (Design for All), Urban Networks, and Paralelo 39 (urban designers and architects), under the guidance of Dimas García….

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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:

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