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Home » Digital Accessibility Digest » Implementing Accessible Design on Campus, Online, and in Homes; Blindness Awareness Month Kicks Off

Implementing Accessible Design on Campus, Online, and in Homes; Blindness Awareness Month Kicks Off

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Accessibility in the News—10/06/17

A guide dog is assisting a woman as she goes for a walk.

October is World and Blindness Awareness Month and Meet the Blind Month, and  encompasses several days designated to bring greater awareness to vision health, low vision, and blindness. These include World Sight Day on October 12 and National White Cane Safety Day on October 15.

Primary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education are required to make accommodations for students taking their courses, including those with visual, hearing, mobility, or cognitive disabilities, but what does that mean? “A Welcoming Classroom” provides some ideas on UDL, or universal design learning. Assistive devices can certainly be part of that accommodation mix, but assistive devices are not always allowed. Meanwhile, rural schools are trying to find ways to respond to a slew of complaints that their public websites aren’t accessible, sometimes by taking websites down entirely.

And what does it take to have an accessible home? Sometimes building new accessible homes from the ground up, rather than trying to modify an existing structure (though home modification is sometimes a viable option). As far as location goes, this list of “best/worst cities for people with disabilities” could be a good place to start.

Get your updates on whether vending machines need to be accessible to patrons who are blind or visually impaired, the legal fees involved in the precedent-setting Winn Dixie case, and the latest in accessible gaming by reading more of this week’s issue.

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AITN Quote of the Week

“The only disability is when people cannot see human potential.” — Debra Ruh

National News (U.S.)

Verizon Supports Blindness Awareness Month

Everyone deserves technology that makes them feel connected, this includes the millions of adults in the U.S. who are visually impaired. This is why Verizon is proud to promote Blindness Awareness Month this October. For information on resources, and Verizon’s accessible products and services, check out the disability awareness page at Verizon.Follow our new accessibility news account! Microassist @a11ynews

A Welcoming Classroom

September 27, 2017   |  Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education

In 1945 a disabled World War II veteran named Jack Fisher petitioned the city of Kalamazoo, Mich., to make cuts in the street curbs in order to allow him and other wheelchair users to navigate the city more easily. Fortunately for Fisher, the son of Kalamazoo’s city manager also used a wheelchair, and so Fisher’s arguments found a sympathetic audience. Curb cuts were introduced around the city, and thus was born what has become a ubiquitous feature of our built environment today. In the decades that followed Fisher’s advocacy, as curb cuts became more commonplace, it became clear they were not just for wheelchair users…

Uber will teach you sign language to better communicate with deaf drivers

September 29, 2017   |  Source: The Verge

Uber launched a new tool yesterday to teach users how to sign simple phrases in American Sign Language for better communication with drivers who are deaf or hard of hearing. The website, ubersignlanguage.com, is an extension of an outreach effort launched by the company in 2015 to recruit more drivers from the deaf community. Now when you get matched with a deaf driver, you are offered the option of learning a few ASL signs in the app. The tool teaches you how to sign basic phrases such as “hello,” “I am [your name],” and “thank you,” as well as navigational instructions like “turn left” and “turn right.”…

More Accessibility Features Come To ‘Forza Motorsport 7’

September 29, 2017  |  Source: Tom’s Hardware

Even though the Forza Motorsport games have deep roots in simulation, its fanbase includes more than just die-hard racing fans. Players of different ages, skill levels, and abilities participate in its many virtual races. With the release of Forza Motorsport 7 today, Ryan Cooper, the executive producer at Turn 10 Studios, told Tom’s Hardware that it will include some new features to ensure that these players can enjoy all that the game has to offer. Forza Motorsport 7 will support multi-USB peripherals, which include special devices that allow those with disabilities to play. One example of these devices is Evil Controllers’ Left and Righty gamepads, which enable users to utilize just one hand on a modified version of the DualShock 4 or Xbox One peripherals….

Texas’ Hidalgo County Making Polling Places Accessible to Disabled Voters

September 29, 2017   |  Source: KRGV

Hidalgo County polling sites will be undergoing some changes. For more than a year, Hidalgo County had been working on improving polling locations by making them Americans with Disabilities Act complaint. Hidalgo County Elections administrator Yvonne Ramon said they began working with Disabilities Rights Texas to make sure their locations were accessible to disabled voters. Then the Department of Justice’s U.S. Attorney Office also reviewed 92 locations during the primaries of 2016. Inspectors were looking closely to determine if the changes necessary could be temporary or whether the facilities required more permanent repairs…

Tundra Homes builds its first wheelchair accessible home

September 30, 2017   |  Source: The News-Press

When David Gydosh set out to build his first fully wheelchair accessible home in Cape Coral, he learned that it was a lot more than wider doorways and no steps. The president of Tundra Homes took on the challenge to build the 4,000-square-foot home for his client that will move in mid-October. Gene Leber has been in a wheelchair for 38 years since an accident caused him to lose the use of his legs. He had a fully accessible house in Ohio, but when he moved to Cape Coral, he couldn’t find anything that worked. “When I first came, it was not my intent to build,” Leber admitted. “My intent was to modify…

One Inspiring Software Developer, And Why Accessibility Matters

September 30, 2017   |  Source: Forbes

Software developer Tuukka Ojala recently posted about how he works without the benefit of sight. Ojala, who is almost totally blind, explains how he does his work with the help of a braille keyboard and display, and synthetic speech. His situation is not unique. A Stack Overflow thread asking how blind people program includes responses from people all over the world, complete with thoughts on which tools are best suited to blind programmers, as well as technology under development. That particular thread is a few years old and surely outdated now, but much more has been published in the meanwhile, like Parham Doustdar’s Tools of a Blind Programmer, and Saqib Shaikh’s YouTube video demonstrating how he programs…

Battling ALS with accessible world travel

October 1, 2017   |  Source: Communities Digital News

As a passionate traveler, the idea of satisfying my wanderlust following my diagnosis with ALS seemed, at first, to be a daunting proposition. Oddly enough, not only is disabled travel relatively easy these days, it is also a growing market. Back in the day, when I was healthier and able to negotiate narrow cobblestone streets and other hazards, the idea of taking off on a tour as a disabled person seemed terrifying. For all the marvelous architectural wonders of the world, history did not design the planet for tourism; steps can be overwhelming for people with limited mobility. That said, tour operators and travel marketers are waking up to a new world of people who still want to be on the go, rather than confined to a wheelchair…

Assistive technology makes college accessible for students with disabilities, but only if professors allow it

October 1, 2017   |  Source: The Daily Orange

It’s 2017. We have voice assistants who can reorder groceries, and self-driving cars are just around the corner. But in the classroom, the pen still seems to be mightier than the MacBook. Many professors make students pack away their laptops, referring to studies about the benefits of taking notes with pen and paper rather than with fast-moving laptop keys. This very notion often discounts learning needs of a large subset of students: those with disabilities. A professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was placed on paid leave in September for withholding electronic lecture slides from a student who needed them prior to the class starting…

One year later, Schlenker weighs in on accessibility

October 2, 2017   |  Source: The Sunflower & Sunflower II

A year after her civil rights claim prompted Wichita State to appoint an accessibility coordinator and promise to make university resources more accessible to the visually impaired, Emily Schlenker, a blind pre-med student, said WSU should still be doing more in the realm of accessibility. “Yes, things are getting better, but in a lot of ways, the system is still broken,” Schlenker said. Schlenker said she is encouraged that the Student Government Association is striving to become more accessible to deaf students, but that they should not stop livestreaming weekly senate meetings…

Nordeen: Prepare to make your website ADA compliant

October 2, 2017   |  Source: South Florida Business Journal

It may be time to think about making your website ADA (American Disabilities Act) compliant, if it isn’t already. This has been a requirement for government websites and their vendors for nearly 20 years. However, as the general public’s online lives are merging with daily physical needs for acquiring products and services, lawsuits citing ADA accessibility on consumer websites have recently cropped up in several states, including Florida. This is despite the fact that it has been reported that Department of Justice (DOJ) regulations on ADA website compliance for the private sector will not be available until at least 2018. The good news is that, because regulations for government sites were established years ago, there are plenty of software vendors who will evaluate your site’s online compliance…

Accessibility, Usability, and the Design of Wearables and Wirelessly Connected Devices

October 2, 2017   |  Source: Wireless RERC (PDF)

Researchers at the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Inclusive Technologies (Wireless RERC) have conducted a review of representative applications and examples of currently available wearable and connected technologies. Drawing on the findings, the research brief explores the potential impact of inclusive design principles on future device development for users with disabilities – a critical approach to ensuring that these technologies truly meet the needs of this target population. Inclusively designed technologies can: 1) enhance accessibility, 2) increase independence and community participation, and 3) support a more inclusive society, a trend which we feel will become increasingly the norm in the future…

Stopping Drive-By Lawsuits

October 2, 2017   |  Source: Above the Law

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed by Congress in 1990 (and was later amended in 2009). It was the nation’s first comprehensive civil rights law focused on addressing the needs of disabled Americans. There are several different parts to the ADA. The two parts that get the most attention (and the only two I deal with) are Titles I and III. Title I prohibits discrimination in employment. Title III deals with public accommodations, i.e., making facilities and websites accessible to those with disabilities. Title III has provided significant benefits to individuals with disabilities, and the law was obviously well-intended. But, as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions…

Subway accessibility issues highlighted by officials who pledged stair-free commutes

October 2, 2017   |  Source: amNY

Elected officials encountered an out-of-order subway elevator immediately after pledging to take stair-free subway rides this week — a serendipitous affirmation of the need for accessibility improvements by the MTA. Six politicians joined activists from the TransitCenter outside MTA headquarters Monday to call for the agency to draft a long-term plan to add elevators to stations and improve maintenance of those currently in use. “The MTA is one of the least-accessible subway systems in the country, with only 23 percent of stations accessible; and the elevators are notoriously unreliable,” said Chris Pangilinan, program director at TransitCenter and wheelchair user…

Supreme Court Rejects Blind Man’s Appeal In Coke Vending Machine Accessibility Suit

October 2, 2017   |  Source: Vending Times & Bloomberg

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a blind Louisiana man’s appeal to require Coca-Cola Co. to equip vending machines in a way that blind people can access them.  In Emmett Magee v. Coca-Cola Refreshments USA Inc., Magee said that he was unable to make a purchase from glassfront Coca-Cola vending machines at a hospital and bus station because he could not see the items inside in order to select them for purchase.  The federal Americans with Disabilities Act covers retail stores and other “places of public accommodation,” requiring them to take steps to ensure that disabled people have access…

How a Brain Injury Ruined My Favorite Fruit

October 2, 2017   |  Source: Narratively

I am a brain injury survivor. I have a vascular disorder; scattered throughout my brain are tangles of malformed blood vessels. Two of them bled, causing brain damage and a variety of symptoms. I underwent multiple surgeries to prevent future bleeds. The surgeries themselves caused damage, too. Years later, my symptoms range from vertigo and loss of balance to poor short term memory and trouble with sequential thinking. I am also hypersensitive to sensory input. Sometimes new manifestations of my deficits sneak up on me and catch me unawares, at times leaving me frustrated or upset, often amused, and occasionally, like now, bewildered…

Lawyers awarded $100K for their work on historic verdict; Winn-Dixie appealing

October 3, 2017   |  Source: Legal News Line

What’s it worth for plaintiffs attorneys suing companies over their websites on behalf of blind clients to take the case to trial? In the only example, those lawyers have been awarded more than $100,000 for their efforts. Still, it’s unclear how much more will need to be spent now that the company has appealed a first-of-its-kind verdict against it. But that hasn’t stopped the plaintiff with the only trial victory from filing even more cases. On Aug. 15, U.S. District Judge Robert Scola granted the unopposed motion of Entin & Della Fera of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Scott Dinin of Miami. The firms were requesting $105,000 for their representation of Juan Carlos Gil…

AbiliTrek Takes Traveling with Disabilities to a New and Easier Level

October 3, 2017  |  Source: Whatcom Talk

When Daman Wandke first arrived at Western Washington University over a decade ago, he found there were few accessibility services or resources for students with disabilities like himself. He took the initiative to create the services desperately needed by those students attending the university, including the Disability Outreach Center. Daman Wandke saw the need to create a resource for people with disabilities when traveling and set out to create AbiliTrek…

New task force strives to improve campus accessibility

October 3, 2017   |  Source: The Vanderbilt Hustler

Earlier this year, the university created the Advisory Accessibility Task Force, a group of faculty, staff and students charged with aiding in the development of inclusion and accessibility strategies for future land use planning initiatives. Project manager Mark Petty, the vice chancellor for plant operations, said the task force was created to help the university to ensure that all of its facilities are as inclusive as possible. The members plan to give the university administration a five-year-plan that contains a series of accessibility improvements, which Petty said should materialize in the late winter or early spring of 2018. “The priorities follow a sustainability model with a triple bottom line of societal needs, environmental and sustainability needs and economic needs,” Petty said…

2017’s Best & Worst Cities for People with Disabilities

October 3, 2017   |  Source: Wallet Hub

When searching for a new place to call home, people with disabilities often have a longer and more complicated list of considerations compared with healthier individuals. In addition to common wish-list items, such as reliable public transportation and diverse entertainment options, people with major health conditions also must think about, for instance, accessibility of facilities or even the cleanliness of the air. According to the Social Security Administration, one in five Americans lives with a disability, and one in 10 has a severe disability. Managing poor health can be quite expensive, considering the high cost of U.S. health care. To add insult to injury, disability checks for most beneficiaries are insufficient for monthly living expenses — let alone disability-related costs…

Supreme Court Punts On ADA, Special Ed

October 3, 2017   |  Source: Disability Scoop

As the nation’s high court enters its new term, the justices declined to weigh in on what types of spaces the Americans with Disabilities Act covers and what counts as a child’s placement under special education law. In a slew of orders issued Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court said it would not hear a case brought by a man with visual impairment who argued that vending machines ought to be accessible under the ADA. The court also turned away a claim related to the “stay put” provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Rural schools struggling to make websites ADA compliant

October 5, 2017   |  Source: Great Falls Tribune

Melstone Public Schools, which has 88 students, is among the rural schools struggling to make its website compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A rash of complaints about websites failing to meet standards has prompted some Montana schools, such as Stanford’s, to take down their pages. Marcie Lipsitt, a Michigan civil rights advocate, told the Lewistown News-Argus she’d filed 1,800 complaints the day the reporter called and that her goal is to ensure people, even with disabilities such as blindness, can access information online through ADA compliant websites, with options such as ensuring nothing on the website has flashing that could cause a seizure, making sure everything can be accessed with only a keyboard and having images with text alternatives describing what’s pictured…

CVS Can’t Boot Suit Challenging Website’s ADA Compliance

October 4, 2017   |  Source: The Recorder

A California federal judge’s ruling this week keeps alive a suit that alleges CVS Pharmacy Inc.’s website and mobile apps do not ensure blind users can access services and could be a violation of federal disability laws. Uncertainty over the scope of ADA protections has only increased in recent years, sparking a wave of lawsuits that seek to push the reach of the law beyond entrance ramps and bathroom access for people with disabilities. This week, the U.S. Supreme Court turned away an appeal that sought Coca-Cola Co. and other companies to equip vending machines for use by blind people, agreeing with a lower court that the ADA’s protections for “places of public accommodation” does not extend that far…

Bump stocks were supposedly made for disabled people. That’s not how they’re actually being used.

October 5, 2017   |  Source: Mic

“Bump stocks,” an add-on accessory for semi-automatic weapons, are being thrust into the national spotlight after they were used in Sunday’s deadly shooting in Las Vegas. The tool enables a semi-automatic weapon to mimic the speed of an automatic one, which are largely restricted to the general public. Bump stocks replace a gun’s stock with a sliding stock and trigger guard, NBC News reported. The shooter’s finger comes in contact with the trigger by holding the pistol grip with one hand and pushing forward on the gun’s barrel with the other, according to the Associated Press, which allows the recoil action after the gun is fired to move the gun back and forth, “bumping” the shooter’s finger against the trigger at a high speed. But why were these deadly tools made in the first place? Supposedly, the devices were invented in 2010 to better enable those with disabilities to shoot a gun, according to the AP…

Is Home Accessibility and Modification a Growth Opportunity?

October 5, 2017   |  Source: HomeCare

Without the home accessibility industry, more people would have no choice but to move; however, ensuring accessibility in the home can present a complex set of needs that aren’t always easily met. Truly accommodating the mobility and care needs of individuals requires a range of specialties, from architecture, senior living interior design/space planning, construction expertise and project management, and home medical device and equipment supply and expertise. Families may seek to modify an existing home, widening doorways where possible; expanding the allowances and capabilities of the home to accommodate a wheelchair or rollator; removing obstacles from entryways and in the interior rooms; and repositioning cabinetry and countertops for usability…

Mizzou Unity Coalition holds panel on campus accessibility

October 5, 2017   |  Source: Columbia Missourian

Ellie Stitzer believes more work needs to be done to educate people about attitudes toward the disabled community. As part of MU’s Celebrate Ability Week, Mizzou Unity Coalition held a panel discussion on Thursday about campus accessibility and how to be an ally for students with disabilities. One way is through inclusive language, such as people-first language, said Stitzer, the adaptability and accessibility chair for Mizzou Unity Coalition. Instead of describing someone as autistic, people should say the person has autism, Stitzer said. It’s also better to say “person with autism” rather than “autistic person.”…

Second annual State of Accessibility meeting highlights accessibility initiatives on campus

October 5, 2017  |   Source: The Maneater

The Disability Center held its second annual State of Accessibility at MU meeting in order to highlight and publicly announce various initiatives regarding accessibility across campus Tuesday afternoon in the Stotler Lounge in Memorial Union. The meeting involved three different speakers who all shared their current and past projects involving the Disability Center. Abbie O’Sullivan, associate director of customer service and support at the Division of Information Technology, said that while there is still work to be done, MU ranks highly in terms of general accessibility for disabled students. She said that the campus is about where it should be considering accessibility…

Jack Fact

According to a report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, of the more than 25 million households of people age 65 and older, about 44% need some sort of accessibility feature because of disability or other challenges.

Microassist News

Microassist just released a new video, Josh and Lauren on Life, Blindness, and Online Accessibility, that focuses on the human side of online accessibility.

Watch the audio described version here:
Microassist Accessibility Video: Life, Blindness, & Tech, with Audio Descriptions

International News

 A million disabled people in the UK can and want to work, but are unemployed, according to Government findings

September 28, 2017   |  Source: Virgin- UK

A million disabled people in the UK can and want to work, but are unemployed, according to Government findings. Discrimination in the workplace isn’t a new thing, but thankfully it is something people are becoming less tolerant of, demanding solutions to a fairer and more equal workplace for all. Back in 2015 Virgin Media partnered with disability charity, Scope, to help transform the lives of disabled people through digital technology. It’s a partnership that has gone from strength to strength, and in light of recent findings, has led to the creation of a brilliant new initiative. ‘Work With Me’ is a ground-breaking, three-year campaign set to challenge the attitudes and discrimination disabled people can face throughout the recruitment process by focusing on tackling the barriers disabled people face getting into, and staying in, work…

 Arsenal open new sensory room for supporters allowing some to experience live football for first time

September 29, 2017   |  Source: Daily Canon- UK

 Arsenal have unveiled a new sensory room at the Emirates to help fans with ‘profound special needs’, their families and carers enjoy games at the stadium. Working with the Shippey Campaign, an organisation set up by the parents of three autistic children, the room will allow many fans with autism the chance to enjoy football for the first time. Peter Shippey told the Islington Gazette at the opening of the room,  “It’s fantastic that Arsenal have created a sensory room. This room will allow autistic supporters and their families to enjoy football, maybe for the first time in their lives…

Minister hosts ‘Call for Evidence’ roundtable to improve accessibility of elections

September 29, 2017   |  Source: Gov.UK

The Minister for the Constitution heard from disability rights campaigners about the barriers they face when participating in the democratic process. Minister called on the campaigners, who attended a roundtable hosted by the Minister, to share his Call for Evidence on how people with disabilities experience registering to vote and voting itself. At the roundtable held during National Inclusion Week, the Minister highlighted his visits to every part of the United Kingdom as part of his Every Voice Matters Tour, which have helped him understand how to tackle barriers to voter registration…

Specialist Equipment Riding Centres Use for Disabled Riders

September 29, 2017   |  Source: Everything Horse- UK

Horse riding has many benefits for disabled people and for those with conditions that effect communication, physical strength and balance. Part of the foundations for the success of Accessibility Mark is down to the horses and ponies that are required to quickly adapt between riding lessons for clients in a commercial riding school and the disabled riders during an Accessibility Mark session. Due to certain conditions riders can at times struggle to grip the reins properly or use the reins to balance, this is where centres can take advantage of specialist or modified equipment to ensure the safety of both horse and rider. Wherever possible it is recommended that regular equipment should be used, but there are a number of useful pieces of equipment for those who need them…

AIOU launches free education programme for transgender and disabled community

September 30, 2017   |  Source: Pakistan Today- Pakistan

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has launched a programme to impart free education to the transgender and disabled community of Pakistan, in an attempt to ameliorate the conditions of one of the most neglected segments of the society. Before this, AIOU is already running a number of programmes for the betterment of different marginalised and stigmatised groups. He said that AIOU has maintained its policy of providing free education to physically handicapped and visually impaired students for several years from Matriculation to PhD. According to the VC, the university also extended free education to special students and provided them with facilities such as a computerised accessibility centre in the central library which allowed visually impaired students to use the library independently…

A world first initiative to help build a more accessible NZ

October 1, 2017   |  Source: Scoop- New Zealand

CCS Disability Action is delighted to announce that the pilot of the Access Aware app is now live in Christchurch. And the early signs are that this ground-breaking app is set to prove incredibly popular. The app, which was developed in partnership with ThunderMaps and has now been launched as a pilot with Christchurch City Council, promises to revolutionise the reporting and enforcement of mobility parking abuse. The app connects people who encounter mobility parking misuse directly with Christchurch City Council’s Parking Enforcement Teams in real time meaning that people can actually report drivers who are misusing mobility parking spaces to enforcement personnel…

Increasing accessibility to theatre – which venues are open to all?

October 2, 2017   |  Source: What’s on Stage- UK

The listed status of theatres means that many are still trying to get around the problem of providing access to disabled theatregoers. Hannah, 35, who lives in London and relies on theatres providing access for her wheelchair said: “I love going to see shows, and although most try to be very accommodating, it can sometimes be awkward to manoeuvre around in them.” Most theatres are Victorian or Edwardian buildings and hence do not have permission to create the facilities required. However, more and more are accommodating for this. Newer venues, such as the Barbican, have the means to design from scratch with disabled access in mind, and therefore there are much easier opportunities available…

People with disabilities value shows of support

October 2, 2017   |  Source: Winnipeg Free Press- Canada

For the past few years, when October rolls around, I have been given the opportunity to write an article highlighting Dwarfism Awareness Month. Over the years, this article has primarily focused on facts about dwarfism, where I’ve previously shared that 75 per cent of little people come from average-height families, or that roughly one in 40,000 infants is born with a form dwarfism. I have told you that dwarfism is the result of a genetic mutation on the fourth chromosome that happens at the point of conception, and I have reminded you that the term “midget” is an offensive word that must be removed from your vocabulary…

Hovertravel Launches ‘Hovercare’ Program to Make Travelling More Accessible

October 2, 2017   |  Source: Global Accessibility News- UK

Hovertravel is announcing a major new initiative aiming at improving accessibility. Called HoverCare, this initiative starts with the world’s first accessibility training session on a passenger hovercraft. Hovertravel staff will undergo training from the Barclays Accessibility Team, which will include the opportunity to experience what it feels like to have mobility, vision and hearing disabilities by wearing a specially designed bodysuit and other simulation equipment. “We are delighted to launch HoverCare with our Accessibility Month and to be able to start by collaborating with Barclays on this innovative training session. Hovertravel is a sharing, collaborative, helpful organisation that is working to make the communities it works in more accessible to all…

Accessibility Stakeholders Gather for Wheelchair in the Cabin Symposium at Virgin Atlantic HQ

October 2, 2017   |  Source: APEX Media- UK

In June, APEX Media reported on Flying Disabled’s initiative, led by Chris Wood, to enable wheelchair users to fly in the cabin using their own wheelchairs, many of which are tailored to the individual medical and mobility needs of their owners, and are expensive and time-consuming to replace if lost or damaged. On Friday, September 22, the inaugural Wheelchair in the Cabin Symposium took place at Virgin Atlantic Airways’ (VAA) headquarters near Gatwick Airport. The event was supported by Virgin and the Queen Elizabeth Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) a national disability charity, complemented transatlantically by the research activities of All Wheels Up, and hosted by Geraldine Lundy, VAA’s Passenger Accessibility Manager…

Sasol invites WTD’17 visitors to understand accessibility

October 2, 2017   |  Source: The Peninsula- Qatar

Supporting an agenda for inclusive tourism, Sasol, the South African energy giant, unveiled its ‘Understand Accessibility’ programme in partnership with Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) with the inclusion of 9-dimensional virtual reality (9-D VR) chairs at the official World Tourism Day (WTD) celebrations hosted in Doha recently.  Organised by the UNWTO and QTA, WTD brought together representatives from tourism authorities and Ministries around the world to explore tourism’s contribution to countries’ long-term development and sustainable growth.  Accessible Qatar is an award-winning application and website, the first of its kind in the region, which provides the disabled community instant and reliable information about the accessibility of public and touristic locations in Qatar…

Govt working with businesses to cut paperwork for customers

October 3, 2017   |  Source: TODAY- Singapore

Customers may soon be able to do away with manually putting their signatures on paper, as well as fewer administrative processes, as the Government works on piloting digital signatures and document vaults with businesses. These are part of new digital services being tested out with businesses, said Minister-in-charge of the Government Technology Agency Janil Puthucheary in Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 3). Digital signatures allow consumers to sign online contracts and documents, enabling transactions to be made without the need to be physically present to ink signatures on physical contracts. It is particularly interested in platforms that would make the national identity system convenient for the elderly, the young and the disabled to use, he added…

Disabled racing driver driven by determination

October 2, 2017   |  Source: Disability Horizons- UK

Hi, my name is Christopher Carter and I was born in the 1980s and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth. The challenges, adversity and pain I have faced because of it began almost instantly. I was told I’d never walk or drive a car and would be confined to a wheelchair. In essence, the idea of a ‘normal’ childhood had been taken away from me at a very early age. From that point on, my family, friends and colleagues saw me as disabled. I was ‘different’, and unable to do many of the normal activities others could, whether in school, work or life in general. As a child, I didn’t walk until I was 7. I went to a specialist primary school and had to use a taxi to get to school as I couldn’t get on and off the school bus…

Art in Braille: How This 27-Year Old Is Making Beauty Accessible to Those With Disabilities

October 4, 2017   |  Source: The Better India- India

At DAG Modern in Mumbai’s Kala Godha, if you’re lucky enough, occasionally you can hear discussions on art that are unique. Often, the voices you hear are not of students of art or its connoisseurs, but of children from a blind school who regularly visit the gallery under a programme called ‘Abhas’, a tactile art walk. As a Heritage Architect and Access Consultant, this is what 27-year-old Siddhant Shah does. Since 2015, he has been working with museums like DAG Modern to help create a world where anyone can have access to our museums, art galleries and heritage, irrespective of the kind of disability. As an Architecture student, Siddhant and his team participated in a competition hosted by Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to make Indian heritage sites disable-friendly…

Dubai to retrofit thousands of buildings to improve disabled access

October 4, 2017   |  Source: The National- United Arab Emirates & Dubai Eye

Thousands of schools, hospitals and hotels in Dubai will be retrofitted over the next three years to make older buildings easier to access for people with disabilities. Similar work is being conducted across the UAE, with authorities at the federal level collaborating to understand the work required in the public and private sector. The move is part of a broader drive to create mobility, employment and opportunity for people with physical and mental disabilities. “The number is in the thousands if you put together the schools, health care facilities, mosques, parks and recreational areas, shopping malls and retail centres,” said Salem Al Shafei, a director of policies and programmes at the General Secretariat of the Executive Council of Dubai…

Stoke City become one of first clubs in country to create special seating area for fans with dementia

October 4, 2017   |  Source: Stoke Sentinel- UK

Stoke City fans with conditions such as dementia and autism will now be able to watch matches from a special glass-fronted seating area. The bet365 stadium is one of the first grounds in the country to create an ‘accessibility room’ for supporters with additional needs. It is based on the fourth floor of the main Q Railing stand and is fully wheelchair friendly with an excellent view of the pitch. The idea is to create a safe haven for fans who may be nervous of large crowds or need more space.  Angela Smith, chairwoman of Stoke City’s Supporters Council, said: “It is a great idea. You would have to go a long way to find a club that does more for the community than Stoke. “It’s the TV room that is being used when there isn’t a live televised match so people with dementia and mental health needs can go there…

Amadeus reveals biggest barriers to accessible travel

October 5, 2017   |  Source: Al-Bawaba- United Arab Emirates & TTG Asia  & Airport World

Accommodation, search/booking channels and airports are aspects of travel perceived to have the most satisfactory accessibility conditions, while train stations and trains lie at the other end of the spectrum, based on the Voyage of discovery: Working towards inclusive and accessible travel for all report released by Amadeus and conducted by consulting firm Ilunion. When it comes to trains (scoring 5.07 out of 10) and railway stations (4.99), respondents indicated that the biggest barriers are signage, digital panels and screens, coordination problems between stations in origin and destination points and a lack inconsistency in accessibility requirements across the system (such as different meanings of ‘wheelchair accessible’ at different stations)…

Why retailers risk losing £249bn by ignoring disabled consumers

October 5, 2017   |  Source: Marketing Week- UK

UK retailers are at risk of losing £249bn a year by ignoring consumers with a disability according to the UK Government’s estimate, leading panelists at the Festival of Marketing yesterday (4 October) to debate what more retailers, brands and advertisers could do to appeal to disabled people. Over 52% of people globally are affected by disability. Rick Williams, author of a research report called ‘The Click Away Pound’, asked brands to start by addressing the accessibility of the online experience. According to his study, 6.1 million UK shoppers – with a combined spending power of £16.5bn – have access issues when they shop online. Some 71% of disabled consumers also report clicking away from a website because they found it difficult to use, costing brands in excess of £11.75bn…

Persons with Disabilities Raise Concerns Over Accessibility of 2018 Election in Zimbabwe

October 5, 2017   |  Source: Global Accessibility News- East Africa

Persons with disabilities want the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to put specific registration measures that would allow their constituencies to participate in next year’s crucial elections —starting with the biometric voter registration exercise which got underway last week. Senator representing people with disabilities, Nyamayabo Mashavakure, said the importance of a friendly environment for persons with disabilities to exercise their right to vote cannot be over emphasised. “I have put it to Zec that we need things like sign language, voter education material in braille and that registration centres be easily accessible…

Researchers open doors to worshippers with disabilities

October 5, 2017   |  Source: The Catholic Register- UK

Places of worship should be more accessible for people with all types of disabilities, said David Pereyra, a project coordinator at OCAD University’s Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC).  Pereyra and his colleague Vera Roberts recently launched the project Our Doors Are Open, which provides training and resources for places of worship on how to be more inclusive to people with disabilities. The project has a diverse research team that includes six OCAD students of many faith backgrounds, including Catholic, Muslim and Jewish. Officially launched in March, it is now beginning to reach out to communities.

Navigating Kilkenny City blind is “all about attitude”

October 5, 2017   |  Source: Kilkenny People- Ireland

The local authority have gone to great lengths to make the city navigable for those who are blind or visually impaired but a well-known stalwart of the local community says it still boils down to a person’s attitude. Tom Kennedy, who is blind, works for the local authority and is a fitness enthusiast, he says things have improved dramatically in Kilkenny City for those who are blind or have difficulties seeing. Speaking to the Kilkenny People, he said: “More could be done with talk of street furniture and that but the world can’t be changed for a few blind people. It’s not that simple. I could see one time. I’ve seen life from both sides. A lot of it is attitude…

More passengers blame WestJet for damaging their wheelchairs

October 5, 2017   |  Source: CTV News- Canada

The Canadian Transportation Agency has promised to make the friendly skies more accessible to those with disabilities, but if you ask some people who travel in wheelchairs, they’re not doing a very good job. After a CTV News report first exposed a Vancouver man’s struggle to get WestJet to fix his damaged wheelchair, more passengers have come forward to complain about the way their mobility devices were handled while travelling with the airline. Teresa and Richard Eschelmuller watched in horror from the window of their airplane in August as baggage handlers incorrectly maneuvered their two wheelchairs onto their plane…

A sweet, pure moment

October 5, 2017   |  Source: The Kingston Whig-Standard- Canada

I’m having a really hard time writing this month. Events keep happening that bounce me back and forth between love and sheer frustration. It is exhausting to constantly battle for accessibility needs and battle to exist and venture out in public. It continues to be worth it for the incredible people and experiences that I often do encounter but sometimes it is draining beyond belief. I had the privilege of being around a one-year-old the other day. I had not seen him for a few months and the last time that I did, he did not really have an opportunity to notice my feet. This time, however, we were sitting on the ground together and it was incredible to watch what happened…

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Our digital and web accessibility services cover

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  • Accessible Website and Application Development — An inaccessible website or application is increasingly seen as violating the ADA. Let’s talk about creating an online presence that reaches all your customers and reduces your litigation risk.
  • Audit and Testing Services — A thorough accessibility audit against recognized accessibility standards will show you where you may be under-serving your customers and putting your organization at risk.
  • Accessible Document Services — Digital assets such as Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, and audio and video files need to be accessible to individuals with disabilities, too. We can help you establish creation processes or remediate historical documents so that they meet accessibility standards and are usable by people with disabilities.
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  • Accessibility Training — Contact us to get your teams introduced and informed about accessibility best practices.Please contact us for any questions you have about our accessibility services and how we might support your organization.

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One of our three industry blogs, Microassist’s Digital Accessibility Digest is the “umbrella” for much of our accessibility content. It features commentary, guidance, curated news, and event information.Accessibility in the News is a regular feature of the Digital Accessibility Digest.

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