Accessibility in the News — 2/22/19.

NOTE: To get news like this every week in your inbox, before it hits our website, subscribe to our Accessibility in the News e-newsletter. There are no ads or graphics, and we never send spam. Just use the sign-up form on this page to subscribe and stay up to date!

Skip to National News (U.S.) | Skip to International News

More Accessibility Resources on this Page

Accessibility Blogs and Information | Accessibility Statement Pages
Accessibility Announcements and Products | Accessibility Q&A and Tips

Microassist Accessibility Services

AITN Quote of the Week

“Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.”

― Corrie Ten Boom

National News (U.S.)

A Company’s Website Is Not a “Public Accommodation” Under the ADA, a California Court Finds

February 11, 2019 | Source: Hunton Andrews Kurth

As we discussed in a previous post, the courts, the Congress, and the Department of Justice continue to grapple with the scope of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act as it relates to the accessibility of private businesses’ websites for disabled people. A decision by one state trial court in California seems to adopt a more strict reading of the definition of “public accommodation” than previous cases in California and in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the subject, which further demonstrates the difficulty that many courts are having with these ADA website accessibility cases…

Where the Subway Limits New Yorkers With Disabilities

February 11, 2019 | Source: New York Times

The subway is tightly woven into the daily routine of many New Yorkers, but it remains largely inaccessible or dangerous to hundreds of thousands of people throughout the city. The recent death of a mother who fell down a flight of stairs while carrying a stroller has drawn new scrutiny to the transit challenges many riders have to overcome every day. In the city, there are 550,000 residents who have difficulty walking. Two-thirds of them live far from an accessible subway station, a New York Times analysis has found…

To Get Companies to Take Action on Social Issues, Emphasize Morals, Not the Business Case

February 14, 2019 | Source: Harvard Business Review

More employees are asking their companies and leaders to tackle important social problems. If you are an employee who wants to create social change from within your organization, what is the best approach? Conventional wisdom is clear on this one: make the business case. Convince management that addressing the issue will help the company’s bottom line. We’ve seen the business case for a plethora of social issues: increasing diversity, sustainability, corporate social responsibility, corporate philanthropy, corporate volunteering programs, reducing poverty, and treating employees well…

Visually impaired Utah students push for accessibility in the arts

February 15, 2019 | Source: Deseret News

Mykol Clark, a high school student from St. George, loves to attend the theater and watch plays. But she is visually impaired, something that makes enjoying plays difficult if theaters don’t offer accommodations. Mykol and 14 other visually impaired students are learning how to address setbacks like this at Accessible Arts Academy, a program for visually impaired students statewide offered through Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind. “It’s helped me learn how to advocate for not just me, but the visually impaired community and the blind,” she said…

2nd Circuit Confirms Abstention From Case Challenging Protections Afforded Disabled New Yorkers

February 15, 2019 | Source: New York Law Journal

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit decided Friday against federal court intervention in a challenge implicating the New York state court system’s handling of certain surrogate’s court guardianship proceedings for failing to provide vulnerable people with proper protections. The panel of Circuit Judges José Cabranes, Gerard Lynch and Denny Chin opted to uphold the decision by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York to abstain in the suit…

Lawsuits Surge Over Websites’ Access for the Blind

February 17, 2019 | Source: Wall Street Journal

Businesses with websites that can’t be navigated by the blind are getting pummeled with lawsuits. The new frontier in federal disability litigation has accelerated dramatically in recent years, with some companies now getting hit by lawsuits for the second or third time even after they’ve reached settlements to upgrade their sites. The complaints typically detail roadblocks that visually impaired individuals face when using “screen reader” tools that read the contents of a website aloud. The lawsuits often seek improvements to websites to ensure the technology functions…

Galleries From A to Z Sued Over Websites the Blind Can’t Use

February 18, 2019 | Source: New York Times

On Dec. 13, a blind Manhattan resident named Henry Tucker filed federal lawsuits against 10 art galleries, saying their websites were not accessible to people who could not see. The galleries’ names included Adam Baumgold Fine Art, Adelson, Agora, Albertz Benda and Acquavella. The next day, Mr. Tucker and his attorneys moved on to the B’s. For decades, lawyers for the disabled have used the Americans With Disabilities Act to force businesses to make their spaces more physically accessible, by adding ramps, widening doorways or lowering countertops…

Gaps remain in phone accessibility for people with disabilities

February 18, 2019 | Source: Futurity: Research News

Mobile phones are increasingly more accessible for people with disabilities, but there are still some significant gaps in service, according to a new study. Researchers compared 2017 model year phones capable of receiving Wireless Emergency Alert notifications—a category that includes most top-tier phones—to 2015 versions and found improved accessibility across 10 of 13 features. However, phones offered through the federally subsidized Lifeline program for low-income people fell short in nearly every category when compared to phones offered through traditional wireless plans…

Ms. Wheelchair RI 2019 and Jr. Miss Wheelchair RI 2019 crowned

February 18, 2019 | Source: Turn to 10

A Johnston woman has been crowned Ms. Wheelchair Rhode Island 2019, while an 11-year-old girl from Lincoln has earned the title of the state’s first Jr. Miss Wheelchair Rhode Island. Ashley Nicole Cabrita said she will use her year as Ms. Wheelchair Rhode Island to share her platform, “Be Unique, everyone is handicapped, some just show it more than others.” In a press release, Cabrita, who was crowned February 8 during a ceremony in Cranston, described herself as “unique, charismatic, generous, comical, sharp and optimistic.” Her goal is to educate others on accessibility…

People who are visually impaired file lawsuits over ADA compliance

February 18, 2019 | Source: Wink News (Video)

Right now, lawsuits are pending across the country, as companies are being repeatedly sued for not having websites accessible to the blind. Southwest Florida is no exception. But when you think about Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, what comes into mind? For most, it is handicap parking, ramps, railings — all physical entities — and not websites. For the visually impaired, like Sandy Burke, they know website accessibility is not always easy. “There are some websites that you go on and it’s not always user-friendly,” Sandy Burke said…

Fort Bragg mom fights for school reassignment for son with disability

February 18, 2019 | Source: WTVD-TV (Video)

A local mom is fighting for an accessible and inclusive education for her five-year-old son with a disability. Thomas “Bubby” Mosher starts kindergarten in Hoke County next year but his family is already getting a lesson in red tape. Bubby’s mom said the school he’s assigned to isn’t accessible enough for his needs. She asked for her son to be reassigned but she was denied. Doctors weren’t expecting Thomas Mosher Jr. to live past age two, but just like his military father, he’s a fighter…

A Spate of Lawsuits Is Targeting Art Schools for Failing to Comply With Disability Act Standards

February 19, 2019 | Source: artnet News

Just a few weeks after more than 75 New York art galleries were hit with a wave of lawsuits alleging that their websites are not compliant with the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, a group of art and design colleges across the country have now been targeted. The new round of lawsuits accuses five schools—the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, the Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida, the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and the Stephens Institute in San Francisco—of failing to make their websites accessible to the hearing impaired…

The Current Landscape Of Website Accessibility Cases Under The ADA In Florida

February 19, 2019 | Source: Cole Schotz

Florida has long been considered a hotbed of lawsuits filed under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Certainly, that practice has continued with the most recent trend of ADA cases, namely lawsuits alleging that websites are not accessible to the legally blind or visually impaired. For those defending website accessibility cases under the ADA, unfortunately, three fairly recent court decisions on cases filed in federal courts in South Florida will probably only increase the number of such lawsuits in Florida and further embolden counsel representing plaintiffs…

Legally blind UNLV student works to make social media more accessible for the disabled

February 19, 2019 | Source: News3LV

Skye Dunfied is a 23-year-old junior at UNLV who is majoring in criminal justice and carrying a 3.9 GPA. Skye isn’t your average student, however. She’s been legally blind since she was born. She has a seeing eye dog named Cindy. Without Cindy, Skye’s college experience would be more difficult. “She’ll take me around things, find things for me, refuse commands if it’s dangerous to follow them,” Skye explained. “So she’s actually helped me a lot, especially commuting to and from school and saving me from cars that are running red lights and all that kind of stuff.”…

Accessibility issues plague Rollins

February 20, 2019 | Source: Sandspur

When Renée Rivera enrolled in Rollins last fall, she was eager to join a college that prides itself on inclusivity and service. However, as a student who uses a wheelchair, navigating the campus’ physical barriers was nearly impossible, making her feel excluded and disregarded. Participating in off-campus events was impossible because the college’s buses are not wheelchair accessible. Many buildings she needed to access for events and classes did not have accessible entrances or elevators…

Hernando County set to settle website accessibility lawsuit, one in a wave filed by prolific plaintiffs

February 20, 2019 | Source: Tampa Bay Times

On New Year’s Eve, Hernando County joined the company of dozens of other Florida public entities when it was sued by a Daytona Beach man who said the county’s website didn’t comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now, after a county commission agreement last week, Hernando is set to be among those who have paid the man. It’s one piece in what legal experts have called a growing wave of website accessibility lawsuits against municipalities…

Helping Institutions Reach Accessibility Goals

February 20, 2019 | Source: Inside Higher Ed

Champions of accessibility awareness have made strides in highlighting that all students, not just those with disabilities, benefit from multiple, flexible options for learning materials. A recent uptick in high-profile lawsuits alleging failure to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act has motivated many institutions to think carefully about how they work with students. But many colleges and universities still lack coherent policies around accessibility, and those that have them sometimes struggle to enforce or define them across the entire university…

North Carolina’s Department of Transportation begin to address accessibility

February 20, 2019 | Source: Carolina Coastonline

North Carolina’s Department of Transportation has taken cues from the town and concerned residents and remodeled a number of intersections along Live Oak Street. This is according to Beaufort resident Peter Crumley, who spoke at the town commission’s Feb. 11 meeting in the train depot. “The sidewalks are now in a straight line,” Mr. Crumley said. The changes entail a crosswalk realignment at the Live Oak intersections of George, 1st, 2nd and 3rd streets, as well as the intersection of Cedar and Turner streets…

Annie Segarra On Being A Millennial With A Disability And Accessibility In Miami

February 20, 2019 | Source: WLRN

Annie Segarra is a disability rights activist from South Miami-Dade. She uses Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to talk about living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder. In her videos and posts, Segarra tackles stereotypes, misconceptions and the media’s failures in covering people with disabilities. Segarra says she uses her online platform “to just get things out” and to educate. She talked to WLRN’s Nadege Green. You can hear/read some highlights of their conversation below…

CUNA Asks New Attorney General for ADA Guidance

February 20, 2019 | Source: Credit Union Times

Having failed so far to convince the Justice Department to issue guidance that would ward off attorneys threatening to sue credit unions under the Americans With Disabilities Act, CUNA is now appealing to Attorney General William Barr, who was sworn in just last week. “As of February 2019, lawsuits have been filed against credit unions in about 30 states with some suits being dismissed for lack of standing or other legal defects,” CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle said, in a letter to Barr on Tuesday…

High school coach calling out Oklahoma schools that aren’t wheelchair accessible

February 20, 2019 | Source: KFOR

A high school coach is taking a stand after years of frustration coming across facilities that can’t accommodate wheelchairs. The amputee is sometimes forced to use a wheelchair, and said there are several schools where he’s run into issues, most recently Harrah High School. Deion Lewis coaches for several Southeast High School teams, including girls basketball, soccer, and football. Getting his leg amputated in 2015 hasn’t slowed him down. Last Friday, he was with the girl’s basketball team when they played a game at Harrah High School…

Access all areas: EU takes measures to make tech products and services more accessible

February 20, 2019 | Source: Cooley LLP

t the end of last year, the EU Council’s Permanent Representatives Committee approved a provisional agreement on the text of the proposed Directive on Accessibility Requirements for Products and Services (also known as the European Accessibility Act (“EAA”)). The EAA is now being sent to the European Parliament for adoption in the plenary and final adoption in the Council is expected to take place later this year. The EAA is aimed at improving accessibility of products and services for people with disabilities or other functional impairments (such as the elderly)…

Can You Avoid an ADA Website-Accessibility Lawsuit?

February 20, 2019 | Source: Human Resource Executive

Website Accessibility Lawsuits Are on the Rise

February 21, 2019 | Source: SHRM

Lawsuits alleging that plaintiffs with a disability could not use company websites because they were not coded to work with assistive technologies, such as screen readers, spiked during the past year, according to research from employment law firm, Seyfarth Shaw. According to the firm’s analysis, federal website-accessibility lawsuits brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act nearly tripled in 2018. At least 2,258 such suits were filed last year—up from 814 filed in 2017…

American with Disabilities Act Investigations Ensure Accessibility at Three Medical Providers

February 21, 2019 | Source: Department of Justice& Bristol Herald Courier

The United States Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island this week concluded an investigation into violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at seven Landmark Medical Center offices in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman. As a result of the Government’s investigation, the healthcare provider promptly and cooperatively remedied ADA violations requiring accessible parking and medical equipment for individuals in wheelchairs…

After lawsuit settlement, Mannella Protocol established

February 21, 2019 | Source: The Dartmouth

Two-time Paralympic alpine skier Staci Mannella ’18, who is accustomed to overcoming challenges stemming from disability, has recently been a driving force behind Dartmouth’s policies toward students with disabilities. Mannella, who suffers from a congenital vision impairment and is legally blind, and her family recently reached an out-of-court settlement with the College in a lawsuit originally filed against Dartmouth in April 2017. Mannella alleged in the lawsuit that the College failed to adequately provide the accommodations that she was entitled to under the Americans with Disabilities Act…

4 Ways to Hire More People with Disabilities

February 21, 2019 | Source: SHRM

As companies face a war for talent and a lack of qualified workers in many fields, individuals with disabilities are being recognized as a source of engaged, committed employees. According to the 2017 Disability Statistics Annual Report from the Institute on Disability, nearly 1 in 8 people in the U.S. has a disability, and that number is rising annually. Companies that succeed in incorporating candidates with disabilities have seen 28 percent higher revenue and two times higher net income, according to an Accenture 2018 white paper on accessibility…

Jack Fact — The Alzheimer’s Society research shows that 850,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia. By 2021, one million people will be living with the condition and this will soar to two million by 2051. Dementia deaths are rising year on year and 225,000 will develop dementia this year – that’s one every three minutes.”

Hit The Road Jack — Machu Picchu is Finally Wheelchair Accessible Thanks to This Tour Company

International News

How to make your website more accessible to people with disabilities

February 15, 2019 | Source: Siliconrepublic- Ireland

While complying with standards is one thing, making your site truly usable is another. Every day, many of us take using the internet and accessing websites for granted, but the reality is far more difficult for many people with disabilities. While there are numerous standards that development teams can comply with to make their digital products as accessible as possible, glaring web accessibility issues continue, hindering a large volume of the world’s population from having equal access to information…

Activist Paul Vienneau gets job as Halifax’s accessibility guru

February 15, 2019 | Source: CBC- Canada

Community activist Paul Vienneau, who garnered headlines in the winter of 2015 when he cleared downtown sidewalks from his wheelchair, has landed a job as Halifax’s accessibility consultant. His focus will be to help the municipality implement Bill 59, recent provincial legislation to ensure Nova Scotia is more accessible to those who are physically or intellectually disabled. “My job is to push the city and challenge the city on how they work with the disabled community,” acting as the “eyes and ears” of Halifax’s CAO Jacques Dubé, Vienneau said in an interview Thursday…

Microsoft calls for greater collaboration of AI to empower people with disabilities

February 15, 2019 | Source: Education Diary- India& News18- India& NewzHook

Microsoft India is hosting the second edition of its Accessibility Summit – Empowering for Inclusion – in the capital city on February 15 and 16, 2019 in collaboration with The National Association of the Deaf and National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People (NCPEPD). The summit is a platform that brings together multiple stakeholders to spark a dialogue on inclusive technology, evangelize accessibility standards & highlight inclusive technology solutions, as well as assess policy’s role in creating an accessible India…

Accessibility strategy pushed to next year

February 15, 2019 | Source: The Charlatan- Canada

The implementation of Carleton’s new accessibility strategy will be delayed until December 2019. The new policy was originally set to be finalized by the end of this school year. Suzanne Blanchard, vice-president (students and enrolment), said the longer timeline is due to wanting more feedback since an accessibility policy is new to the university. “We’re continuing with the consultations because there’s a lot, and this is our first [policy on accessibility], so we’re going to take a little bit more time on it,” she said…

This new Pickering condo project is designed for people with disabilities, and their families

February 15, 2019 | Source: The Star- Canada

An innovative condominium project coming to Pickering is the first of its kind in the Greater Toronto Area — and, its developer believes, a first in the world. Each of the 336 units in Axess Condos, by Liberty Hamlets Inc., will be 100 per cent accessible with features including wider corridors and doorways to accommodate wheelchairs, and levered door handles. Twenty per cent of the units will be reserved for those with disabilities and their families; 10 per cent will be sold to individuals with cognitive disabilities, and 10 per cent to people with physical disabilities…

Plea in HC seeks accessibility compliance for government websites

February 16, 2019 | Source: Business Standard- India

A petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Centre to ensure all government websites were made Guidelines for Indian Government Websites compliant, incorporating website quality certification content (WQS) accessibility within a time-frame. As many as 63 websites of various Union ministries and departments have already been issued with WQC and the remaining 14 ministries and departments are still awaiting it, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) G Rajagopalan told the Second Bench of the High Court recently…

KSTDC takes a step towards inclusive tourism

February 16, 2019 | Source: The Hindu- India

‘Travel is for all’, but is it really? Many persons with disabilities, as well as people who travel with them, would beg to differ. From lacking in basic infrastructure to poorly maintained infrastructure, the ‘traveller’ experience has mostly been reserved for the able-bodied. The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) has now taken a step towards inclusive tourism. The corporation has not only promised wheelchair accessibility and a doctor on call for persons with disabilities, but is also offering huge discounts for them at its properties…

Paralympic medalists check accessibility of 2020 Tokyo Games venue area

February 17, 2019 | Source: The Mainichi- Japan

Paralympic medalists have inspected parts of the capital’s Koto Ward, host to two Tokyo 2020 swimming venues, to see if the area meets the growing demand for easier access for people with disabilities. A Mainichi Shimbun reporter joined the athletes’ first check of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics venue sites on Jan. 20. The aim: to assess the current environment as well as facilities with barrier-free concepts. The meeting point with Paralympians Association of Japan (PAJ) chairman Junichi Kawai was outside the Tokyo Metro’s Tatsumi Station ticket gate…

State vows to make booths accessible to differently-abled

February 17, 2019 | Source: Orissa POST- India

The state government has vowed to make all polling booths in the state accessible to the differently-abled so that they can exercise their power to cast their votes in the upcoming general elections. The state department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) has now planned to ensure facilitation of ramps and other tools for hassle-free experience of differently-abled voters living in the state. In a recent review meeting with the Chief Secretary, the SSEPD Secretary informed that procurement of wheelchairs would be done based on requirement…

Accessible parking still remains distant dream for people with disabilities

February 17, 2019 | Source: NewzHook- India

Being able to drive your own vehicle and move around freely is undoubtedly a way of being independent. Thanks to latest technologies, people with disabilities are able to drive around. But one of the biggest challenges faced by disabled people in India is lack of accessible parking in public places. From malls to parks, theatres and even hospitals, disabled friendly parking still remains a distant dream. Apart from other laws, even Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 has given prime focus on importance of providing disabled friendly and accessible parking spaces…

First private transport provider to offer an inclusive experience

February 17, 2019 | Source: Times of Malta

eCabs, a leading passenger transport service provider in Malta, is embarking on a ‘reduced mobility agenda’, intended to offer an improved passenger experience and ensure stronger accessibility and ease of use of it services. As part of this agenda, eCabs has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability, through which a collaborative programme is being established. This will introduce a set of measures intended to enable easier access to transport services for passengers with reduced mobility, including people with disability and the elderly…

Government & public sector websites to be accessible to visually challenged persons

February 17, 2019 | Source: Millennium Post- India

The state Information Technology and Electronics (IT&E) department, in association with the state Social Welfare department will soon undertake a drive to make government and public sector websites accessible to visually challenged persons. A discussion for making government websites visually impaired friendly was held on Friday, in presence of senior officials of both the departments. The IT department has plans to make websites read itself out, so that it can be of help to somebody who is too tired to have a look at the screen of the computer. He/she can simply close the eyes and listen…

Western Sydney Airport Recruits Wheelchair Rugby Players as Accessibility Consultants

February 15, 2019 | Source: BBG Architecture Life- Australia

Last week airport representatives announced a sponsorship agreement with the New South Wales (NSW) Wheelchair Rugby League that will see players act as accessibility consultants during development. In Australia, approximately 18.3 percent of the population has one or more disability. “We want to go over and above our legislative requirements when it comes to accessibility,” said Graham Millett, chief executive officer of Western Sydney Airport…

Jews with disabilities explain how communities fall short on inclusion

February 17, 2019 | Source: The Times of Israel

Discussions about accessibility and inclusion for those with disabilities have become more mainstream in the Jewish world. But there are plenty of issues that still need to be addressed — from concrete problems, such as synagogues that aren’t accessible to those in wheelchairs, to widespread ignorance about what it means to have a disability and how even well-meaning Jewish institutions make many people feel unwelcome. To coincide with Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month in February, Jews with disabilities share their thoughts on how the Jewish community is doing in terms of including them…

Doorway width mandated by Tokyo accessibility ordinance will leave many wheelchair users out in cold

February 18, 2019 | Source: The Japan Times

A group representing disabled people in Japan has said the doorway width stipulated in an amendment proposed for Tokyo’s barrier-free ordinance for hotels is unlikely to be wide enough for many wheelchairs. The amendment, which the Tokyo Metropolitan Government aims to put into effect in September — less than a year before the 2020 Olympics — will require new hotels with more than 1,000 square meters of total floor space as well as facilities expanding by 1,000 sq. meters from the beginning of September to ensure guest room doorways are more than 80 centimeters wide and bathroom doorways are over 70 cm wide…

Victoria installation for the blind causes problems for those with mobility issues

February 18, 2019 | Source: Victoria News- Canada

Accessibility advocates are finding that some tools for the blind community can be hindrances to those with mobility issues. In the summer, the City of Victoria installed truncated domes into the sidewalks at the intersection of Blanshard and Fort streets. The metal bumps which lead into the crosswalk are designed to provide people who are blind or partially-sighted a tactile confirmation of their location, and the direction they need to walk in. However, for people using wheelchairs or who have trouble walking, the bumps can be a disturbance…

Make accessibility part of your packaging design

February 19, 2019 | Source: Foodprocessing- New Zealand

It is not only the ageing population that has issues with difficult-to-open packaging, it is also people with disabilities, arthritis sufferers and even children. By insisting that ‘Ease of Use’ should be an integral part of packaging design, manufacturers can grow their market share by meeting changing consumer needs. Packaging needs to be accessible and easy to open, and recognising this, the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) and Packaging New Zealand have added a new Accessible Packaging Design category to the annual Packaging Innovation & Design Awards program…

Airport accessibility specialist boosts support for disabled passengers

February 19, 2019 | Source: Access and Mobility Professional- UK

Airport assistance services provider, OmniServ, has pledged to support two charities – Colostomy UK and Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) – throughout 2019 to improve air travel for people living with disabilities. The two new charity partnerships will see OmniServ working closely with representatives from both charities across the UK to collaborate on various initiatives aimed at helping to improve the airport experience for passengers…

Report finds official EU websites fail users with disabilities

February 19, 2019 | Source: Siliconrepublic.com- EU& New Europe& PDF

Many people living with disabilities are unable to fully politically participate and access information on EU websites. According to a new report from Siteimprove and the European Disability Forum, 89pc of member states fail to meet EU Web Accessibility Directive requirements. Researchers analysed the accessibility of the official websites of the parliaments of EU member states, including the European Parliament website. The latter was the worst performer, scoring 55.8 out of a possible 100, while Ireland scored just 62.7pc…

How accessibility in video games is moving on to the next level

February 19, 2019 | Source: Big Issue- UK

Adaptive Video Game Controllers Open Worlds for Gamers With Disabilities

February 20, 2019 | Source: New York Times

Microsoft’s Super Bowl advert showed a huge new audience how gamers with disabilities can tailor their controllers to play the latest games. So The Big Issue spoke to British charity SpecialEffect to see how they open up gaming to everyone who wants to play. Nestled among the £4m-per-30-second Super Bowl trailers for Game of Thrones and Avengers: Endgame was an advert with a difference. Microsoft used the world’s most sought-after ad space to publicise a game controller – showing kids with physical disabilities playing games with their new adaptive controller alongside the message: “When everybody plays, we all win.”…

63 government websites now accessible for disabled people, claims Centre. Not enough, says experts

February 19, 2019 | Source: NewzHook- India

Many government websites, both of the states and the Centre, remain inaccessible to people with disabilities. This is an issue that the disabled community and experts have raised time and again. In a recent development, the Centre informed the Madras High Court that over 63 government websites have been made disabled-friendly and that 14 more are on its way to being made accessible for people with different kinds of disabilities. This was said by in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) submitted by advocate Syed Ansari asking the government to make all its accessible…

Mohawk College students making for a better viewing experience

February 20, 2019 | Source: Hamilton News- Canada

People with visual or hearing difficulties should have better access to videos and other online services thanks to a collaboration between Mohawk College and Inclusive Media and Design of Toronto. The two are sharing a $163,000 grant from the Broadcasting Accessibility Fund to upgrade and bring back CapScribe a 20-year-old technology that had been helping creators and consumers to make captioning, nonspeech sounds and description for videos but is no longer available…

How Everton have revolutionised matchday experience for section of loyal supporters

February 20, 2019 | Source: Liverpool Echo- UK

Everton have revolutionised the matchday experience for a number of loyal supporters this season. Back in March 2018 the Blues began work on the Park End, which would help to improve accessibility for the club’s disabled fans, with the project being completed for the first home match of the 2018/19 season against Southampton. A new balcony was built which helped to offer some of the best elevated viewing facilities in the Premier League, with access to that balcony provided by two 17-person lifts…

For people with disabilities, mountains are more accessible than museums

February 20, 2019 | Source: Document Journal- Peru

Wheel the World, a travel company that supports an active, explorative lifestyle for people with disabilities, is now giving wheelchair-accessible tours of the iconic Peruvian landmark Machu Picchu. The company is using the specialized Joëlette trekking wheelchair to allow its users to trek the Inca Citadel. Resembling a wheelbarrow, the wheelchair is designed with one wheel and two sticks, making it light enough for the user to use comfortably over rocky terrain with the assistance of a trained guide…

Move over Google Maps, these researchers are creating wheelchair-accessible maps for India

February 21, 2019 | Source: The Indian Express- India& The Construction Index

Researchers from Global Disability Innovation Hub, a London-based not-for-profit platform for academicians and researchers to create innovations for differently-abled, including a team each from University College London (UCL) and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi are developing wheelchair-accessible maps of Delhi called Street Rehab. Under the project, students are understanding user needs, available technology and the accessibility of the city. Low-cost sensors are being identified to check how wheelchairs or tri-cycle users can propel themselves through a particular road…

Accessibility Blogs and Information

Accessibility Announcements and Products

Accessibility Forums, Tips, and Q&A

Accessibility Statements

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:

Icons representing government and technology, with caption "What is a VPAT?"

Subscribe to Accessibility in the News

Stay informed! Get your weekly update on digital accessibility standards, private and public sector trends, litigation, events, and more.

Name(Required)

First Last

Work Email(Required)

Job Title(Required)

Organization(Required)

Comments

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.