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Harvard Settles ADA Captioning Suit, Making Online Courses More Accessible

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University LibraryAccessibility in the News — 12/6/19.

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Feature Story

Settlement Reached in Suit Over Video Captioning at Harvard

November 27, 2019   |  Source: NBC10 & NAD & Forbes & Harvard Crimson & IBL & Campus Technology & (PDF)

Harvard University agreed to make its website and online courses friendlier to those who are deaf or hard of hearing as part of a settlement announced Wednesday in a federal lawsuit. The suit, filed in 2015 by the National Association of the Deaf, alleged that many of Harvard’s online videos, courses and podcasts did not include captions or were inaccurately transcribed. By offering the content to the public without captions, the suit alleged, Harvard was violating federal civil rights laws protecting those with disabilities…

National News (U.S.)

U.S. attorney’s office resolves ADA compliance review of Mcity driverless shuttle program

November 21, 2019   |  Source: The Michigan Daily

The Americans with Disabilities Compliance Review of the University of Michigan’s Mcity Driverless Shuttle Program has been resolved “amicably,” the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced today. The Office, a part of the Department of Justice, initiated the review after seeing media reports of the program showing “vehicles inaccessible to individuals with disabilities, especially those with mobility impairments.” …

How See’s Blindness Consultant Helped Demystify a Sightless World

November 22, 2019   |  Source: Vulture

You can’t make a show about a world without vision without first understanding what it’s like to be blind. See, the big, sprawling flagship science-fiction series on Apple’s new subscription service Apple TV+, is set hundreds of years in the future, well into the aftermath of an epidemic that devastated the global population and left Earth’s last million-odd survivors totally blind. Sight was lost so many generations ago that it exists now only as the vaguest myth, considered by those in power a dangerous heresy; the world, primitive and tribal, is built to navigate without vision, designed instead for hearing and touch…

Counties, cities face lawsuits to make websites compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act

November 22, 2019   |  Source: Florida Today

Last year, the Brevard County attorney’s office received a pair of lawsuits, claiming that the county was violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. The reason? Its website was not fully accessible to people who are blind.

Versions of those lawsuits are familiar to government attorneys around Florida. Hundreds have been filed around the state against counties, cities, towns, school districts and other entities. Often, they come with little notice, and take governments to court without first giving them a chance to fix the problem before the legal action begins…

Disability advocates applaud bill to remove barriers for voters, continue to seek accountability

November 25, 2019   |  Source: WKOW

Disability rights advocates are applauding a new law to removing barriers for voters with disabilities but said work to expand accessibility is far from over. On Friday, Governor Tony Evers signed into law a bill that will no longer require people with disabilities to say their name and address in order to vote. Instead, someone else can say it for them after disability advocates said the requirement prevented some people from voting…

Want accessibility news more often? Follow us on Twitter! @A11yNewsHunters Point Library hit with lawsuit over accessibility issues

November 26, 2019   |  Source: Curbed NY & The Architect’s Newspaper & Fox5

Disability rights advocates have filed a class-action lawsuit arguing that the brand new Hunters Point Library in Queens prevents people with mobility issues from “full and equal access” to the branch. The lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn federal court by the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York (CIDNY), argues that the Steven Holl Architects-designed library violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)…

How’s The ADA Working?

November 26, 2019   |  Source: CBS Chicago

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else since it became law in 1990. Although it requires public buildings to be ADA compliant, nearly 30 years later, many facilities still lack handrails for balance and wide doors for wheelchair accessibility. According to the law, state and local government facilities constructed prior to 1990 only need to guarantee “program access.” Program access means only the program or service offered needs to be accessible – the building does not…

RICO suit against disability law firm settled

November 26, 2019   |  Source: Mountain View Voice

A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit against a San Jose law firm notorious for filing thousands of disability lawsuits against small businesses. As of Oct. 20, all parties notified a federal judge that they had agreed to a settlement deal before the case was scheduled to go to trial. The rush to settle the case came as the defendants, accused of running a criminal enterprise, were being ordered by the court to produce more than 70,000 emails, text messages and other documents relevant to the case…

Illness, injury and aging mean homes with accessibility are in great demand. But that doesn’t mean they’re easy to find.

November 28, 2019   |  Source: Herald & Review

Matthew Gill, 25, was 19 years old when he jumped into the Rock River in Wisconsin. He dove in, not realizing the depth of the water he was diving into, and hit his head, according to his father, Bill Gill. Matthew’s spinal cord injury put him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. The accident changed the trajectory of the Gill family in many ways, including in terms of housing. Matthew’s childhood home in Lisle was no longer conducive to his new mobility. The split-level, five-bedroom, three-bath residence was too small…

Handicap-Accessible Homes May Improve Brain Function In Seniors With Disabilities

December  1, 2019   |  Source: KBIA

Seniors with disabilities who live alone show faster declines in brain function than those who live with others, according to Washington University research. But there’s an encouraging finding: Seniors who live in homes with handicap-accessible features stay mentally sharp longer. More than 12 million seniors in the U.S. live alone. Many are opting to age in their homes, rather than move into nursing facilities. But most homes in the U.S. lack features that make them accessible for disabled people…

The Transit Authority boss outlines his agency’s commitment to helping all people get around New York

December  1, 2019   |  Source: Daily News & Fox

When I begin my morning commute and make my way down the stairs to get onto the Lexington Ave. line, I am made aware of the simple fact that the MTA system remains a challenge for so many New Yorkers with limited mobility. As the head of NYC Transit, I have made it a priority to tackle the issue of accessibility systemwide — from Astoria to Inwood — so we can ensure all our customers can get where they need to go in a New York minute…

If you’re disabled, accessing transit can be like solving a puzzle with a lot of missing pieces

December  2, 2019   |  Source: Chicago Tribune & WTTW

It used to take Michele Lee three hours to get to downtown Chicago from her suburban home. The trip required a mix of buses and trains, and missing one connection would throw everything out of whack. Lee uses a wheelchair, and regional public transit for disabled riders can be a confusing patchwork, with multiple obstacles to getting around, according to a new report. The commute forced Lee, 37, to move to the West Loop for easier transit, leaving her hometown of Glenview…

The Digital Courseware Accessibility Problem

December  2, 2019   |  Source: Inside Higher Ed

Educational publishers such as Cengage, McGraw-Hill and Pearson are investing heavily in digital courseware — interactive, personalized course content that aims to improve the learning experience. Videos, simulations, quizzes and built-in homework assignments make these products an attractive option for faculty and students alike. But not every student’s learning experience is enhanced by them. College accessibility staff say that digital courseware is frequently inaccessible to students with disabilities, particularly blind students who use screen readers…

Officials look to transportation solutions to employ those with disabilities

December  2, 2019   |  Source: VT Digger

Former college hockey player turned philanthropist Travis Roy told state officials and disabilities advocates he knows how it feels to be ostracized as a person with a disability, but he also knows how empowering if can feel for those who have a disability to find employment. As a college freshman at Boston University, Roy became paralyzed from the neck down after suffering a neck injury in the first 11 seconds of his first collegiate hockey game. He’s used a wheelchair for the last 24 years of his life…

How I’m making Maps better for wheelchair users like me

December  3, 2019   |  Source: Google (Video)

If you visit a city and don’t see anyone using a wheelchair, it doesn’t mean they’re not there. It means the city hasn’t been built in such a way as to let them be part of things. I know this firsthand: I’m one of 65 million people around the world who uses a wheelchair, and I see every day how a city’s infrastructure can prevent people like me from being active, visible members of society. On July 29, 2009, I was taking my usual morning walk through New York’s Central Park when a dead tree branch snapped and fell on my head…

Invisible burdens: students talk accessibility challenges

December  3, 2019   |  Source: The Rice Thresher

Each semester a Rice student will spend hours carefully crafting a course schedule that fills their major requirements, impresses future employers, and avoids that dreaded 8 a.m. section. But students with disabilities often have to worry about another factor: accessing their classrooms. A pending case against Rice by the Department of Education for disability discrimination motivated a deeper investigation into the experience of students with disabilities on campus…

Stanford Researchers Develop Tactile Display to Make 3D Modeling More Accessible for Visually Impaired Users

December  3, 2019   |  Source: Core77

A team of engineers at Stanford University is working on a “2.5D” display system to make 3D modeling and printing more accessible for visually-impaired and blind users. The project aims to increase access to making by providing a touchable system for evaluating works-in-progress. Like a pin art toy, the display forms shapes from a field of pegs that move up and down to create real-time representations of forms created in an accompanying 3D modeling software…

Wheelchairs can’t get into playground built to be handicapped accessible

December  4, 2019   |  Source: WPRI

A six-figure state grant was given to the town to build a handicapped-accessible playground, but now there are issues stopping wheelchairs from even getting through the front gate. Less than a year since a town inspector gave the playground the OK, Bob Cooper, executive secretary of the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities, told Target 12 “most kids using a wheelchair” probably cannot get past the fence. Cooper pointed out the asphalt path leading to the gate is not wide enough under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, and the pitch is too steep…

The Physics (and Economics, and Politics) of Wheelchairs on Planes

December  3, 2019   |  Source:  Undark Magazine

When Shane Burcaw flies on an airplane, he brings along a customized gel cushion, a car seat, and about 10 pieces of memory foam. The whole arsenal costs around $1,000, but for Burcaw it’s a necessity. The 27-year-old author and speaker — who, alongside his fiancée, Hannah Aylward, is one half of the YouTube duo Squirmy and Grubs — has spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disorder that affects motor neurons and causes muscle wasting and weakness. The disorder contorted his limbs and he has used a wheelchair for mobility since he was 2 years old…

Feds settle lawsuit with Galveston apartment owners over disability access requirements

December  4, 2019   |  Source: Houston Chronicle

The federal government settled a lawsuit Wednesday with a Galveston apartment complex owner and site engineer alleging that they had broken the law by designing an addition that didn’t meet requirements for accessibility to people with disabilities. The Justice Department filed the suit in February against TFT Galveston Portfolio LTD, the owners of the Seasons Resort, an apartment complex on Seawall Boulevard, and James Gartrell Jr., a Texas City-based engineer…

People with Down syndrome are finally getting accessible fashion

December  4, 2019   |  Source: York Dispatch

When Jayden Niblett wakes up each morning, his mind races to remember what he is doing that day, and what he can wear to impress his friends. The last often leads to annoyance. Jayden, 11, who has Down syndrome, struggles to find clothes that fit his unique body type and are accommodating of his motor deficits, an issue that people with physical disabilities face every day in a world where fashion is built on single-size body standards. “It’s really frustrating for him,” said Janet Littleton, Jayden’s grandmother. “It absolutely affects his mood and how his whole day is going to go.”…

Cape Hatteras National Seashore builds park’s first wheelchair accessible duck blind

December  4, 2019   |  Source: Virginian-Pilot

A new duck blind built wide and sturdy stands in prime waterfowl habitat just 200 feet from N.C. 12 and a paved parking lot. The structure made from treated wood is the first wheelchair accessible blind at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and among the few available anywhere. “It was just something we needed to do,” said Lynn Edwards, Bodie Island district ranger for the park. The Outer Banks lies within the Atlantic Flyway where waterfowl travel south for the winter after breeding in northern prairie ponds…

‘Show Me a Sign’ recounts the deaf experience for young readers

December  4, 2019   |  Source: MV Times

More happens to 11-year-old Mary Elizabeth Lambert in a single year than many of us experience in a lifetime. Ann Clare LeZotte’s novel “Show Me a Sign” is an unusual coming of age tale — a remarkable story, and although aimed at middle schoolers 8 to 13 years old, engaging for all ages. Mary lives in Chilmark in the early 19th century — a time where Chilmark had a notably high percentage of deaf folks, both in the novel and in real life. Chilmark’s prominent deaf community dates all the way back to the 1640s…

Digital Disruption Within Government

December  5, 2019   |  Source: Forbes

When it comes to digital innovation, government is not often the first place most people will look. Government entities are known for moving slow and not being very collaborative. However, my recent experience has shown there are small pockets of innovation within government that we can learn from. The following are three examples of where digital disruption is happening in government and some recommendations for how you can apply it to your business or organization…

VPAT 2.X, The Evolution of the Accessibility Conformance Report | Part Two: WCAG Edition

December  5, 2019   |  Source: Microassist

The VPAT 2.3 WAG Edition template is widely requested by purchasers in state government, private and public universities, and the public sector. In short, purchasers who do not fall under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or require compliance with European EN 301 549 accessibility standards, frequently request the WCAG edition. The following are features that make the WCAG edition unique and attractive to these procurement offices…

Business Travelers With Disabilities Face a Pervasive Lack of Accessibility

December  5, 2019   |  Source: Skift

Business travel is often exhausting and tedious, as travelers cope with being away from home, navigating airport security lines, and the stress of living out of a suitcase. Travelers who have disabilities face an extra set of problems on top of this, since a lack of information about accessibility at airports, hotels, and car services can turn an average work trip into a gamble. Michael Swiatek, chief strategy and planning officer for Avianca, has worked in the airline industry for over 25 years and spends part of his time raising awareness about the importance of accessibility in travel…

As SLO public transportation usage grows, city leaders reaffirm commitment to accessibility for all

December  5, 2019   |  Source: KSBY News

San Luis Obispo City leaders are holding a pair of meetings Thursday where they plan to recommit to a federal mandate that requires access and prohibits discrimination in public transportation. Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects people from discrimination, regardless of nationality or race. In accordance with federal law, San Luis Obispo City leaders invite the community to a forum Thursday that examines how transport leaders communicate with riders…

What to Do If You Think Your Child Is Color Blind

December  5, 2019   |  Source: Life Hacker

Little kids are learning so much in their earliest years. They’re learning to walk and talk and identify all sorts of things—people, animals, numbers, letters and colors. And it turns out that the way we use colors in English—typically prenominally, or before nouns—doesn’t help. We tend to say, “There’s a blue car,” rather than, “there’s a car that is blue,” which makes it harder for a child to discern what about the car makes it “blue.” But what if it seems like your child is always mixing up red with brown, even though your instincts tell you that they should be able to distinguish between the two by now?…

Scientist regrow ear hairs in discovery which paves the way for a deafness cure

December  5, 2019   |  Source: Metro

Scientists have successfully ‘reprogrammed’ ear cells to make them grow the hairs which allow humans and animals to hear sounds. The astonishing discovery brings us ‘a step closer to developing treatments that regrow the missing cells that cause hearing loss’, although applying the treatment to our species is still a long way off. A team from Harvard University ‘reprogrammed’ the inner ear cells of mice and made them regrow hairs…

The truth about NYC Transit and people with disabilities

December  5, 2019   |  Source: New York Daily News

Andy Byford talks a good game on accessibility. And, after the MTA’s decades of official neglect and, often, just plain violations of federal and state law, that’s at least something. But rhetoric gets you only so far. And in the case of the subways and Access-A-Ride, not very far at all. Before Byford arrived, NYC Transit rolled out an innovative program for Access-A-Ride, the beleaguered paratransit system for people who can’t ride the subways or buses because of a disability…

Jack Fact — According to the NY Times, Alzheimer’s affects about 44 million people worldwide, including 5.5 million Americans. It is estimated that those numbers will triple by 2050.

Hit The Road Jack — Mission accessible: how travel is changing for people with disabilities

International News

‘JAM Card’ aims to make transport in Ireland accessible for all

November 26, 2019   |  Source: Intelligent Transport- Ireland

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has introduced the JAM Card on all public transportation platforms in Ireland – a discreet for way for those with a learning disability or a communication barrier to indicate easily and discreetly that they might need ‘Just A Minute’ when accessing public transport. The JAM Card is a social innovation from NOW Group, an organisation based in Belfast. The NTA’s aim in introducing the card is to make public transportation safe and accessible for all passengers, regardless of their circumstances…

Making movies accessible will send out a message of inclusion: Dipendra Manocha

November 26, 2019   |  Source: Education Diary- India

The golden edition of the International Film Festival of India is also noted for its inclusiveness. Three films for those with special needs were screened at IFFI under the ‘Accessible India-Accessible Films’ section. Sakhsham Trust, a Delhi based NGO working in the field of empowerment of persons with blindness and low vision made this possible along with the collaboration of IFFI and UNESCO. Accessibility of cinema was the central focus of discussion when the founders of Saksham Trust meet the press at a media conference organised at IFFI today…

Melbourne’s wheelchair-accessible tram plan is way off track, Victorian disability and transport advocates say

November 26, 2019   |  Source: ABC- Australia

Ambulance Victoria and Vision Australia launch new accessibility initiative

November 28, 2019   |  Source: Talking Disability- Australia

As the red lines show, most of the routes are completely inaccessible. On other lines, you might have to wait an hour for a low-floor tram to arrive at a level-access stop. The Victorian Government is required by law to make all public transport accessible, including every tram line, by 2032. But it’s way behind schedule. “As a wheelchair user, Melbourne’s tram network is unusable on most routes and most stops,” former Labor public transport minister Tom Roper says. “At the rate they’re going, meeting that target is impossible — they’re only doing three or four stops a year.”…

Public responds to ministry’s visit to Terrace discussing disability, accessibility issues

November 27, 2019   |  Source: Terrace Standard- Canada

Earlier this month, the Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Shane Simpson visited Terrace to discuss the development of accessibility legislation for the province. Approximately 20 residents from the region came to the Terrace Sportsplex on Nov. 9 to share their thoughts and experiences on how to shape the accessibility legislation for B.C. that will oversee new laws, standards and policies to better serve people with disabilities. “It’s been a great discussion here because you hear from people, about the uniqueness of their community, the demographics and the region,” says Simpson…

Sarnia gauging accessible taxi availability

November 27, 2019   |  Source: Sarnia Observer- Canada

Does Sarnia have enough accessible taxis? That’s a question the city is asking as part of an Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requirement to gauge availability and demand for on-demand cabs that can accommodate people with wheelchairs and other accessibility devices. A trio of focus groups to hear from people has been scheduled for December, following about two months of feedback via an online survey, said Dale Mosley, accessibility co-ordinator with the city…

‘No captions no vote’: why deaf voters are calling for more accessible campaigning this general election

November 28, 2019   |  Source: iNews- UK

Online voting is a difficult problem, but the results would be worth it

December  3, 2019   |  Source: New Statesman- UK

When I tell you that potentially 11 million people are at risk of not being able to engage in political debate in this general election, you may think I was exaggerating. Yet this figure represents the number of people in the UK with deafness or hearing loss and when you consider the vast amount of parliamentary candidate campaign videos without captions – you can see how large numbers could be excluded from online discourse. That’s why we’re calling out this oversight on accessible campaigning by warning potential MPs that captions matter for them to get our votes…

Big FM makes radio accessible for the hearing-impaired community through Frequen-See

November 28, 2019   |  Source: Best Media Info- India

Big FM has launched an initiative Frequen-See to make radio accessible for the hearing-impaired community. This innovation has been brought about via a web application that has been created especially for people with a “hearing impairment. It performs real-time transcription of speech and sound to help them ‘see’ what’s being streamed live on air. Radio as a medium has been entertaining millions of listeners globally since its inception. Through the landmark innovation of Frequen-See, Radio will now reach out to the only community which was far from its reach…

Recommendations Made To Make Polling Stations More Accessible For Blind And Partially-Sighted Voters

November 28, 2019   |  Source: AOP- UK

London Vision and the Thomas Pocklington Trust have published ‘urgent recommendations’ to local authorities in the run up to the general election on 12 December. The charities are urging local authorities to make polling stations more accessible for voters who are blind or partially-sighted. The recommendations follow findings from a joint Thomas Pocklington trust and Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) survey, which found that 74% of blind and partially-sighted people said they felt ‘partially’ or ‘totally’ unable to vote in secret and without assistance…

Election 2019: Lib Dems copied disability policies from 2017 manifesto

November 28, 2019   |  Source: Disability News Service- UK

Election 2019: Labour pledges to ‘make independent living a reality

November 28, 2019   |  Source: Disability News Service- UK

How can political parties claim to look out for disabled people when they won’t even make their manifestos accessible?

November 30, 2019   |  Source: Independent- UK

The Liberal Democrats have been unable to explain why several of their general election policies on disability were copied word-for-word from their 2017 manifesto. Last week, Disability News Service (DNS) reported that the party had refused to explain why it had omitted disabled people from key measures in its equalities manifesto, and had failed to provide any detail on other measures. Now, nearly two weeks after the equalities manifesto was published, the party has tried to provide further clarity, but has only succeeded in revealing that it has copied several of its disability policies word-for-word from its 2017 manifesto…

Blind climber Jesse Dufton pushing boundaries after leading 449-foot climb

November 28, 2019   |  Source: CNN- Scotland

Climbing a huge rock tower above crashing waves off a remote Scottish island is difficult enough, but imagine trying to do it if you’re blind. Briton Jesse Dufton has just 1% of his vision but he became the first blind person to lead a climb up the formidable Old Man of Hoy sea stack in the Orkney Islands. Legendary mountaineer Chris Bonington was the first to scale the column in 1966, and a number of blind climbers have since followed sighted partners on the famous route…

4-Year-Old Girl with Down Syndrome Warms Hearts as She Walks in Fashion Show

November 28, 2019   |  Source: People- UK

A four-year-old girl from Malta brought smiles to the faces of onlookers at a recent fashion show — but none wore a bigger smile than her. Francesca Rausi, who has Down syndrome, emanated joy as she strutted down the catwalk at a charity fashion show for models with disabilities earlier this month in the small European country. In a clip from the show, Francesca can be seen walking along with more than 20 other models aged between four and 24. “Francesca has been modeling since she was very young,” the girl’s mom, Michelle Rausi, told Metro UK…

Disabled people ‘shut out of online shopping by inaccessible websites and apps’

November 29, 2019   |  Source: BT- UK & Silicon Republic & E&T & Retail Gazette

Disabled people are being shut out of online shopping by inaccessible websites and apps, a survey suggests. Charity Scope called on retailers to ensure they were not missing out on billions of pounds from would-be customers every year by unwittingly preventing the UK’s 14 million disabled people from using their sites. A poll for the charity found half of those surveyed had chosen not to buy an item due to difficult-to-use web pages or apps…

Pilot project testing tech to help vision-impaired pedestrians use crosswalks

November 29, 2019   |  Source: CBC- Canada

Municipalities on the northeast Avalon are testing new technology to increase the safety and ease of using crosswalks for people with disabilities including sight loss. The pilot project, called Key2Access, allows pedestrians to access crosswalk push buttons with a fob or through a mobile app that includes audio instructions. “An announcement like this means, absolutely, freedom, it means confidence, it means safety, it means accessibility — which is a real catchphrase I know, but that’s what it means,” Cindy Antle, who is legally blind, told CBC News…

TransLink to spend $7 million on new bus stop tactile strips and braille signs

November 29, 2019   |  Source: Daily Hive- Canada

In a major move that makes Metro Vancouver’s public transit system more accessible and safer for passengers with vision loss, TransLink plans to install new tactile walking surface indicators (TWSI) and braille and tactile signage for bus stops across the region. The public transit authority’s board of directors is expected to approve a staff recommendation next week to provide $7 million in funding from the 2020 budget’s capital plan to deliver the new accessibility features. The installation work will be completed over a three-year timeframe beginning early next year…

Urban transportation solutions for persons with disabilities: The 180 billion dollar opportunity sitting in plain sight

December  2, 2019   |  Source: Financial Express- India

Go to any start-up meet or a business conference today, and you would have one common takeaway – a problem is really an opportunity waiting to be unlocked. What’s great is that everybody – from students to small businesses, large enterprises and even the Government – is adopting this perspective. As a result, India is getting recognized as the land of a billion opportunities. One such unlock for a multi-billion-dollar opportunity is building safe, reliable and affordable urban transportation solutions for Persons with Disability…

How Israelis are going to help us hear better

December  2, 2019   |  Source: ISRAEL21c

An air-raid siren awakened Erez Lugashi one night in 2014. As he ran for shelter, he wondered: What would a deaf person doin this situation? That question led the experienced Tel Aviv entrepreneur to start Abilisense. The idea was to develop software for IoT devices, such as smart watches, that sends vibrating or visual alerts to hearing-impaired individuals about anything from an air-raid siren to a crying baby. Abilisense was incubated at the A3i Israeli accelerator for assistive technologies…

Beacons boost city access for people with low vision

December  2, 2019   |  Source: Mirage News- Australia

New beacons along Bourke and Swanston streets will send audio messages about potential obstacles to users’ phones, to help people with low vision or blindness get around the city. Chair of the People City portfolio, Councillor Beverley Pinder, said the City of Melbourne had commissioned Guide Dogs Victoria to develop a program, which uses a phone app to provide information about intersections, construction and public transport. “Accessibility is an important part of everything we do at the City of Melbourne, including helping people find their way around our city,” Cr Pinder said…

Disabled Workers in London Paid 15% Less Than Peers, ONS Says

December  2, 2019   |  Source: Bloomberg- UK

Disabled workers in London face the U.K.’s biggest difference in pay compared to their non-disabled peers, earning on average 15.3% less, according to 2018 data from the Office for National Statistics. Median pay was 12.2% lower for disabled employees across the country, the ONS said Monday. The pay gap was wider for men than women, and those with mental impairment experienced the greatest disparity with hourly earnings that were 18.6% less…

English Councils struggling with IT accessibility

December  2, 2019   |  Source: Verdict- UK

Freedom of Information requests have revealed that while 95% of English Councils have disabled employees, only 38% have official digital inclusion and IT accessibility strategies in place. The investigation by SoftwareONE, a cloud technology solutions company, found that almost three-quarters of English councils are planning to make their IT systems more accessible in the coming years. The investigation also found that 60% of councils had struggled to make their IT systems more accessible and that despite all not having IT accessibility plans, all councils provided accessibility solutions to their staff where needed…

Access to employment critical step for people with disabilities

December  2, 2019   |  Source: The London Free Press- Canada

Dec. 3 is United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The theme this year is “The Future is Accessible.” It’s a future all of us in the disability sector envision, especially in terms of employment for people who have a disability. An idealistic vision? I don’t think so. Here’s the thing, though: the future starts now. We need to do more now about employment accessibility. This demands asking two essential questions: How do we make the future more accessible? And what does accessibility mean, especially when it comes to employment?…

Beijing to boost accessibility for disabled people

December  3, 2019   |  Source: China.org

Beijing aims to become more accessible for seniors and the disabled. The move is part of the city’s three-year action plan to help people with disabilities to live and work better in the city, according to Guo Xusheng, a senior official at the Beijing Disabled Persons’ Federation. The plan launched by the Beijing Municipal Government covers 17 projects, including the overhaul of roads and public transport, as the capital prepares for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games…

Why Deny the Disabled Population Digital Access?

December 3, 2019   |  Source: The Quint- India

You are on Twitter on a fine weekend evening, scrolling through your timeline. A static image appears on your timeline. It has 1,268 retweets and 39,567 likes. But you have no idea what the image is. You are blind and the image is not described. You turn to the non-disabled person or a sighted person next to you and ask: So what is this photo? The person has to explain it to you. This is a common experience of a blind user on the internet…

Q&A: Towards a world with access for all

December  2, 2019   |  Source: SciDev- Brazil

Legislation aimed at improving the rights of people with disabilities is well established. But barriers to full inclusion in scientific fields have been much slower to break down, says Brazilian researcher Jessica Norberto Rocha.

Rocha, who has worked for more than a decade in public engagement in science and technology, has been conducting studies to map disabilities legislation and better understand how Latin American science institutions have been tackling — or failing to tackle — the issue of accessibility…

“Believe in yourself”- My Take by disability rights activist Smitha Sadasivan

December  3, 2019   |  Source: Newz Hook- India

Smitha Sadasivan is a prominent disability rights activist from Chennai. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis twenty years back and has been using a wheelchair since the past ten years. Smita has been working towards increasing accessibility across Tamil Nadu. Smitha works as an accessibility consultant with the Election Commission of India. Her journey towards empowerment is truly inspiring. I was affected by Multiple Sclerosis almost twenty years back. Since the last ten years I have been using a wheelchair…

Thousands have their say on proposed accessibility legislation in BC

December  3, 2019   |  Source: My Powell River Now- Canada

Judging from their response, British Columbians want to see better accessibility in their province. More than 6,300 people shared their experiences and feedback on proposed accessibility legislation for B.C. The public consultation was held from Sept. 16 to Nov. 29. Over that time, nearly 500 people attended 10 community meetings across the province, while 75 independent community consultations were held and over 50 formal submissions were received. Of the 6,352 people who filled out the online questionnaire, 3,776 identified as having a disability…

Accessibility remains main challenge for the disabled

December  3, 2019   |  Source: Daily Sabah- Turkey

Social inclusion is viewed as key for improving the lives of disabled people. Yet, the community often faces obstacles in accessibility, something that is crucial for social inclusion. A lack of ramps for wheelchairs and cars parked in parking spaces for the disabled or in lanes on sidewalks designated for disabled citizens hinder accessibility for many. Turkey, home to 4.8 million disabled citizens, marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Tuesday…

Public bodies in Nova Scotia have one year to develop accessibility plans

December  3, 2019   |  Source: CTV News- Canada & The Signal- Canada

Municipalities and universities will have a year to develop plans to remove barriers to accessibility as Nova Scotia continues to move towards its legislated goal of making the province more accessible to people with disabilities by 2030. Justice Minister Mark Furey announced a step Tuesday that would see municipalities, villages, universities, the Nova Scotia Community College and provincial libraries designated as public sector bodies under the provincial Accessibility Act on April 1…

Disability should not be a workplace handicap

December  3, 2019   |  Source: The Parliament Magazine- Europe

Persons with disabilities face lower incomes and higher unemployment rates and, in many cases, have insufficient social protection. The situation is aggravated when it comes to women with disabilities and young people. Young persons with disabilities face a difficult period of transition towards the achievement of an independent life and access to the labour market. Member states, in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of the United Nations (UNCRPD), should remove all legal barriers to access to the labour market…

20% of disabled Israelis experience workplace discrimination

December  3, 2019   |  Source: The Jerusalem Post- Israel

Significant proportions of disabled people in Israel say they have experienced discrimination in the work place, and avoid doctors’ visits and leisure activities due to lack of accessibility, according to a poll published Tuesday for the International Day of Disabled Persons. The poll also demonstrated substantive dissatisfaction with disabled peoples’ quality of life, with their work place conditions, and with the medical care they receive from doctors…

French researchers study the capacity of artificial eyes to restore sight in AMD patients

December  5, 2019   |  Source: Yahoo- France

Scientists at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (inserm) have developed an ocular implant to replicate the role of the retina’s light-sensitive cells (photoreceptors) to help restore the sight of patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The results of initial studies on animals and AMD patients are encouraging.  A team from Institut de la Vision (Inserm-CNRS- Sorbonne Université) led by Inserm researcher Serge Picaud has shown that a device could be used to induce high-resolution visual perception…

Facts & Figures: Disabilities in developing countries

December  5, 2019   |  Source: SciDev- Africa

Stigma and varying definitions obscure the true scale of disability and its challenges in lower-income countries. An estimated 1 billion people – 15 per cent of the world’s population – live with a disability, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and 80 per cent of these are in developing countries. Yet people with disabilities have remained conspicuously absent from policies aimed at development and wellbeing, especially in the global South…

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