Row of accessible seating next to an airport gate.

Accessibility in the News — 4/28/2023.

Airline accessibility ensures that all passengers, including those with disabilities and mobility limitations, can travel safely and comfortably. Accessible features such as wheelchair ramps, accessible lavatories, and seating accommodations for passengers with disabilities or special needs allow these individuals to board and disembark the plane without difficulty. Moreover, it helps to promote equal access to air travel, which has become a fundamental right for all individuals. By improving accessibility on airplanes, airlines can offer an inclusive travel experience that caters to the needs of all passengers, regardless of their physical abilities. Ultimately, ensuring airline accessibility is not only a matter of compliance with disability laws and regulations but also a commitment to providing a more equitable and compassionate air travel experience for everyone.

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Feature Stories

‘You literally stole my independence’: What happens when an airline breaks a wheelchair

April 20, 2023 | Source: WGBH

When Boston resident Colleen Flanagan arrived in Washington, D.C., on Monday evening, she got the news every wheelchair user dreads: Her power wheelchair was badly damaged during her flight. “It wouldn’t power on because the whole joystick was smashed. There was no power switch anymore and the whole side is kind of dented in,” Flanagan said. She had to wait three hours for a loaner chair that doesn’t fit her properly, and she doesn’t know how long it will take until her wheelchair is repaired…

Will a Petition Force Airlines to Finally Make Planes More Accessible for Plus-Size Passengers?

April 24, 2023 | Source: InsideHook

Flying is uncomfortable. In fact, by president of FlyersRights.org Paul Hudson’s estimate, only 20% of the population today can reasonably fit in normal airplane seats. Yet, despite the fact that some airlines are accounting for amenities like bunk beds in newer models, wider plane seats — and more accessible planes on the whole — don’t seem to be a top priority. Per a report from Thrillist, one person is seeking to change that with a petition. Jae’lynn Chaney has launched a Change.org petition to the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation and Travel Security Administration calling for more comfortable and accessible seating for all…

National News (U.S.)

Metro agrees to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities at Union Station

April 21, 2023 | Source: 2UrbanGirls

Following an investigation that found Los Angeles Union Station was not accessible to persons with disabilities, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) today entered into a settlement agreement that requires the transit agency to remedy violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The United States Attorney’s Office announced the settlement agreement that resolves an investigation of Union Station under Title II of ADA…

Dying patients protest looming telehealth crackdown

April 23, 2023 | Source: AP

At age 93, struggling with the effects of a stroke, heart failure and recurrent cancer, Teri Sheridan was ready to end her life using New Jersey’s law that allows medically assisted suicide — but she was bedbound, too sick to travel.

So last Nov. 17, surrounded by three of her children, Sheridan drank a lethal dose of drugs prescribed by a doctor she had never met in person, only online. She died within minutes. Soon, others who seek Sheridan’s final option may find it out of reach, the unintended result of a federal move to roll back online prescribing of potentially addictive drugs allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic…

LA Metro agrees to comply with ADA, improve access at Union Station

April 24, 2023 | Source: Daily Breeze

LA Metro has agreed to improve access for persons with disabilities at Union Station, officials announced last week. Following an investigation that found the downtown Los Angeles train station was not accessible to disabled people, the transit agency entered into a settlement agreement with the government that requires the agency to remedy violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said the investigation revealed that Metro, which is responsible for Union Station, failed to make the facility readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, including people who use wheelchairs…

Are accessible EV parking spots limited to use by disabled?

April 24, 2023 | Source: Bellingham Herald

Can you use a disabled electric vehicle charge station without a disability placard if you stay in your vehicle ready to move for a disabled person? That would be in cases where all the non-disabled spaces are occupied. It makes sense; but what is the law? First, the easy part. Parking for disabled motorists has been around for decades. By now anyone who has been paying attention knows that if you see a parking spot marked with a white wheelchair on a blue background, that’s reserved for folks who have a special placard or plate…

For Amanda Stevens And AxeALS, Accessibility Is About Awareness And Treatment For Every Family

April 24, 2023 | Source: Forbes

Eric Stevens and his wife, Amanda, were married a month when he was diagnosed with ALS, colloquially known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in August 2019. Stevens is a former professional football player, the second such person to be featured in this space. After going undrafted in 2013 out of the University of California at Berkeley—affectionately known as “Cal” to lifelong Bay Area denizens like me—Stevens, who played fullback, signed with the then-St. Louis Rams. A member of the team’s practice squad, he was released in early October of that year. After his athletic career ended, he became a firefighter in Los Angeles…

New Haven group travels to Israel as ‘ambassadors’ for people with disabilities

April 24, 2023 | Source: New Haven Register

Chapel Haven Schleifer Center’s residents and their families are traveling to Israel this week for a “fully accessible” tour to advocate for universal accessibility in the United States. The group’s first accessible trip was at Rockefeller State Park in Pleasantville, N.Y., and the second was a week-long hike at West Rock Ridge State Park’s Lake Wintergreen and Sleeping Giant State Park. This time, they’re taking it abroad. “They’re going as tourists, and they’re coming back as ambassadors,” said James Lassner, executive director of Accessibility Accelerator…

This Is What No One Tells You About Having An Invisible Illness

April 24, 2023 | Source: HUFFPOST

It was the first time my husband and I took our three boys on an airplane. Everything had gone smoothly, and we were filled with anticipation to exit the plane after landing. When I entered the aisle to deboard, however, I realized I could not walk. The fact is, I never know when my body will decide not to cooperate. Sometimes, I am able to walk just fine, or with only some slight stiffness. Other times, it feels like my entire body has locked up like the tin man. My brain screams “move,” but my body is unable to comply…

How Ski Slopes Are Getting More Inclusive

April 24, 2023 | Source: Afar

As a kid, Annette Diggs had never been skiing. That wasn’t something anyone in her Memphis neighborhood did. It wasn’t until she was being bused from her predominately Black home school district to a predominantly white district for a program that addressed failed integration that she learned about snow sports. Her family didn’t have the means for her to participate, so she made a pact with herself—when she grew up, she would explore the outdoors…

Mattel introduces first Barbie doll representing a person with Down syndrome

April 25, 2023 | Source: CNN

Mattel on Tuesday introduced its first-ever version of the Barbie doll representing a person with Down syndrome. The new doll is part of Mattel Barbie Fashionistas line, which aims to offer kids more diverse representations of beauty and fight the stigma around physical disabilities. Previous Barbie Fashionistas have included a doll with a prosthetic leg, one with hearing aids, another that comes with a wheelchair and a doll with the skin condition vitiligo, which causes patches of skin to lose their pigment…

New Handicapped-Accessible Hot Air Balloon Takes Flight Over Temecula

April 24, 2023 | Source: Patch

A new handicapped-accessible hot air balloon will take flight over Lake Skinner next month during the three-day Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival, according to organizers. The new balloon, referred to as Pala Spirit, is a 120,000-cubic-foot balloon featuring the Pala Casino logo. It features a six-person custom-made basket with a viewing window and chair for any person who cannot stand for the duration of a balloon flight. Reach For The Stars Hot Air Balloon Foundation is a nonprofit that works to ensure hot air ballooning is accessible to people of all abilities…

Houston installs Accessible Pedestrian Signals to aid those with vision loss

April 25, 2023 | Source: FOX 26 Houston & City of Houston

The City of Houston announced they are improving safety and access to help people with vision loss cross street intersections in the downtown area. According to officials, Houston Public Works installed Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) with audible sounds, vibrations, and messages to assist people crossing an intersection. The audio alerts commuters when the “walk” interval begins and ends. Officials said the signal installations will be complete in time for the National Federation of the Blind for its 2023 National Convention in downtown Houston this July…

State & Federal Courts Grant Final Approval to Historic Settlement to Make the NYC Subway Accessible to People Who Stair-Free Access

April 25, 2023 | Source: City Life Org

NYC subway stations to get more elevators, ramps after MTA legal settlement

April 26, 2023 | Source: Smart Cities Dive

Yesterday both the Southern District of New York (the federal court) and the New York State Supreme Court (state court) granted final approval to a settlement agreement that will make the New York City subway accessible for more than half a million people with disabilities who cannot use stairs to access the system. Presently, only about a quarter of stations are usable by people with disabilities affecting their mobility, but under the terms of the agreement, the MTA will add elevators or ramps to create a stair-free path of travel at least 95% of the system’s currently inaccessible subway stations by 2055…

Adore Me class action claims website not accessible to blind, visually impaired users

April 26, 2023 | Source: Top Class Actions

Beachbody class action claims website denies blind, visually impaired users equal access to goods, services

April 27, 2023 | Source: Top Class Actions

Adore Me is facing a class action lawsuit because Plaintiff Kevin Yan Luis alleges that he and a class that can include all 8.1 million visually impaired people in the United States cannot access the Adore Me website. The plaintiff’s complaint in the Adore Me class action said that the Adore Me website is inaccessible due to its lack of alternative text, accessible forms, descriptive links, resizable text or compatibility with tables and JavaScript, which prevents individuals who are visually impaired and using screen readers from accessing the website or making online purchases from Adore Me…

Disability groups say California’s assisted suicide law discriminates against them

April 27, 2023 | Source: NPR

Four disability groups have filed a lawsuit to overturn California’s assisted suicide law — saying it devalues their lives and encourages discrimination against them. Disability groups are challenging a California law that allows terminally ill people to get drugs to end their lives. The groups say that people living with disabilities are at greater risk of being coerced into seeking those medications for assisted suicide. NPR’s Joseph Shapiro has this report. People with disabilities often have a complicated relationship with the medical system…

Viral TikTok Invention ‘Single-Handedly’ Offering Improved Accessibility

April 27, 2023 | Source: Good Good Good

In a TikTok that has now amassed over 450,000 views, Robert Simpson wiggles a little blue silicone device asking “what in the heck is this?” It’s a “Grip Toggle,” Simpson’s latest invention under his brand Single Handed. The company is a “small and innovative home and hospitality brand” that creates simple, sustainably-designed products that make life easier for able-bodied and disabled folks alike. The Grip Toggle includes a suction cup and pulley mechanism that allows people with limited grip ability or hand motor function to open cabinets or gain a better grasp on cooking utensils…

Jack Fact — NYC is home to 8.5 million people, including nearly 1 million individuals with a disability, and based on 2020 estimates from the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, an annual destination for approximately 6 million visitors with a disability.

Hit The Road Jack — Planning a Summer Vacation? Five Reasons to Book an Accessible Hotel Room with accessibleGO

International News

Chandigarh administration spends Rs 1 cr for a bumpy ride, flouts accessibility rules

April 21, 2023 | Source: Indian Express- India

The newly constructed 180-metre tabletop behind the Neelam Theatre in Sector 17, has come under fire for ignoring the Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021, and para 41 of The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. The project, which cost nearly Rs 1 crore, fails to meet minimum requirements for accessibility, including a clear width of 1200 mm (3.9 feet) and a manoeuvring space of 1500 mm (4.9 feet) for wheelchair users…

ISBT Kohima lacks accessibility for PwDs

April 21, 2023 | Source: The Morung Express- India

The State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (SCPwD) team today visited the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) Kohima and observed that “nothing has been done as per accessibility norms.” Led by the State Commissioner Diethono Nakhro alongwith Nagaland State Disability Forum and legal team, it inspected disability compliance at the terminal and on public vehicles in the presence of officials from the state’s Transport Department…

FEI Accessibility Guide Launched for Event Organisers

April 21, 2023 | Source: Everything Horse- UK

A new FEI Accessibility Guide has been launched which is designed to assist Event Organisers with improving accessibility for athletes, staff, and spectators with disabilities, ensuring that everyone can enjoy equestrian events regardless of their disability and mobility levels. This Guide, which is the result of consultation and collaboration with accessibility experts, individuals with disabilities, and professionals in the equestrian industry, covers venue layout, accommodation, and transportation among other areas of Event planning and delivery…

Advocates want promise of Alberta accessibility legislation in election platform

April 22, 2023 | Source: CBC- Canada

Alberta is one of the last provinces without accessibility legislation prompting advocates for people with disabilities to get the issue on the agenda in the upcoming provincial election. Members of Barrier-Free Alberta have been meeting with MLAs, caucuses and cabinet ministers over the past number of years. With the election campaign starting on May 1, they are now reaching out to candidates. Sam Mason, a community advocate with Barrier-Free Alberta, said people have expressed support for the legislation but other issues like COVID-19, health care and affordability have been more of a priority for government…

Brazil leads way in making football accessible to autistic fans

April 22, 2023 | Source: Al Jazeera- Brazil (YouTube)

One of Brazil’s top football clubs, Corinthians, is leading the way in improving the matchday experience for fans with autism. Autistic fans often have difficulty with social interactions and communication; up to 10 million Brazilians suffer from the condition. Al Jazeera’s Rahul Pathak reports…

Touch screens are causing serious accessibility issues for blind and visually impaired people

April 22, 2023 | Source: RSVP Live- Ireland

In the past ten years, the rising trend of sleek and ‘modern’ design styles has led to touch screens being introduced to more and more technology products, from phones, washing machines, microwaves, hobs, lifts and card machines. While this style may suit some, it is leading to serious accessibility issues for the blind and visually impaired community. Kevin Kelly, National Strategic Partnerships Manager at the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) said the widespread use of touch screens has been a huge source of frustration for blind and visually impaired people like himself…

Touchable miniatures make the latest Dinosaur exhibit at the Royal BC Museum more accessible

April 23, 2023 | Source: Chek- Canada (Video)

Royal BC Museum staff are mixing new and old technology to create touchable versions of their precious exhibit items for visually impaired visitors. For example, ‘Buster’ the Ferrisaurus sits at the centre of the new ‘Dinosaurs of BC’ exhibit. Next to the life-sized ‘Buster’ model is a miniature version visitors can touch. Anyone can use the miniature to get a feel for the texture and proportions of a Ferrisaur. Museum staff made the model by taking hundreds of photos of ‘Buster’ and creating a 3-Dimensional computer model…

Prioritise Accessibility for Games, Brisbane Urged

April 23, 2023 | Source: The Urban Developer- Australia

Accessibility in all its forms needs to be urgently considered in Brisbane ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2023 and beyond, according to a panel of experts at the Committee for Brisbane event last week. The calls come at a difficult time for the construction industry, with price and labour pressures, in addition to onerous changes to the National Construction Code due to be adopted this year. But the focus on accessibility should not be scrapped because it adds an extra hurdle for developers and construction companies, according to the panel…

Sustainability and Accessibility – Central Queensland Today

April 24, 2023 | Source: CQ Today- Australia

Sustainability and Accessibility are two incredibly important actionable factors for not just the tourism industry, but the broader community. Queensland has a keen focus on both, with the state government offering grants and incentives to both local government and businesses to improve hard and soft infrastructure to meet increasing consumer demand and expectations. 2023 is the “Year of Accessible Tourism” with the Qld government inviting applications until 31 st May for these two grants programs…

Electric rail carriages in Ireland to feature improved accessibility for disabled users

April 24, 2023 | Source: AT Today- Ireland & THIIS

A life-size prototype of new electric and battery/electric powered train carriages set to be used in Ireland demonstrates improved accessibility features for disabled users. Iarnród Éireann or Irish Rail, the operator of the national railway network of Ireland, supported by the National Transport Authority (NTA) and in partnership with railcar provider Alstom, has provision for commissioning up to 750 electric/battery electric powered vehicles over a 10-year timescale…

Passenger Assist Points at Northern stations to help people with accessibility needs

April 24, 2023 | Source: THIIS Magazine- UK

TfL launches new priority seating to enhance accessibility on buses

April 25, 2023 | Source: Intelligent Transport- UK

Eight Passenger Assist Points will be installed across Northern stations in the coming months to help make travel easier and more accessible for people with accessibility needs. These new designated areas at key stations across the network will feature clear and accessible signage, as well as seating to make it easier for passengers to get the assistance they need when travelling on Northern services. Locations will include Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool North, Bolton, Halifax, Harrogate, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Victoria and Meadowhall stations…

Union GO rider frustrated with lack of accessibility, directional signage

April 24, 2023 | Source: Sign Media- Canada

A GO train passenger with a visual impairment has expressed concerns over the lack of accessibility and directional signage at Toronto’s Union Station. According to a report from CityNews, Tara Small and a friend had difficulty trying to locate the accessibility coach on a recent trip back to Hamilton. “We looked up and down,” she said. “I couldn’t find the one. My friend even got on the train and went over to the other track on the other side of the train.”

Small has low vision and uses a guide cane…

Theatres Trust Funds Vital Accessibility and Sustainability Projects at 19 Theatres

April 25, 2023 | Source: Broadway World- UK

Theatres Trust, the national advisory body for theatres, is awarding more than £93,000 from its Small Grants Programme supported by The Linbury Trust to 19 theatres to help them to improve their sustainability, access and viability. Addressing barriers to accessibility and supporting the diversification of its programmes, Rich Mix in the East End of London will install a new infrared hearing system in its Studio Theatre. Judith Kilvington, CEO of Rich Mix, comments, “It’s fantastic that the Theatres Trust has a small grants programme where you can apply for small pots of funding on a regular basis…

The critical role of accessibility in health information

April 25, 2023 | Source: World Health Organization- Europe

Around 135 million people in the WHO European Region have some form of disability. For some of them, being able to access and understand health information may come with extra challenges. Medical or health-care information can be complex, or the format in which it is presented can be inaccessible. If people don’t receive clear information, they might face difficulties making important health decisions or accessing services at all. As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, Poppy Field, a 26-year-old resident of southern England, found herself struggling to understand the ever-changing situation…

Vancouver’s goal to be ‘most accessible city in world’ will cost millions

April 26, 2023 | Source: Vancouver Is Awesome- Canada

A city staff presentation to city council Tuesday showed work is being done to reach that goal but a long list of recommended expensive upgrades to city facilities and sidewalks make it an improbable target in the short term.

Council heard from Aftab Erfan, the city’s chief equity officer, that it would cost $400 million to complete the many kilometres of unfinished or missing sidewalks in Vancouver and another $400 million to repair sidewalks in poor condition…

Disabled rights protests before Paris Olympics draw pledges

April 27, 2023 | Source: AP- France

Macron vows €1.5 billion to improve access as disabled people protest decades of inaction

April 27, 2023 | Source: France24 & InsideTheGames

Angry about decades of unmet promises, people with disabilities protested in France Wednesday by showing how difficult and frustrating it is for them to travel alone by train into Paris, delivering a stinging rebuke to government inertia before the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. President Emmanuel Macron, hosting a national conference on disabilities, conceded failures, noted slow progress, and promised concrete action for France’s 12 million people with disabilities, including ahead of the Games…

Harrow station in ‘dire need’ of accessible toilets for wheelchair users amid calls for change

April 26, 2023 | Source: Harrow Online- UK

Navin Shah CBE, Chair of Harrow West CLP and a prominent advocate for accessibility, disability, planning and regeneration and equality, has been leading efforts to improve accessibility at Harrow On The Hill station. Recently, Shah tweeted about a walkabout conducted by Harrow Association of Disabled People (HarrowHAD) trustees and the Transport for London (TfL) team to address the station’s accessibility issues. During the walkabout, which was held both inside and outside the station, the team examined the need for accessible toilets, drop-off points for wheelchair users, and new signage…

Heathrow Express launches accessibility charter

April 27, 2023 | Source: Railway Technology- UK

Heathrow Express has partnered with one of the UK’s leading wheelchair basketball teams, London Titans, and launched a new ‘Heathrow Express charter’. The charter was created by the airport rail link operator to support the team’s travel to this year’s EuroCup tournament and ensure a suitable experience on its trains for everyone by making accessibility for all a priority. Heathrow Express says that the charter’s goals are to “continuously improve” the quality of the operator’s accessible travel offering…

Landor & Fitch reveals accessible toothbrush adaptors

April 27, 2023 | Source: Design Week- UK

Landor & Fitch has designed a first-of-its-kind accessible oral care solution called {access}ories, comprising bespoke 3D-printed toothbrush add-ons for people with dexterity issues. Around 360 million people worldwide suffer with dexterity issues, from arthritis and carpel tunnel to tremors, says Landor & Fitch product innovation design director Jack Holloway. When people who suffer with these conditions try to grasp a standard toothbrush – which are generally “very thin” – they experience pain, he adds. The {access}ories add-ons are compatible with both manual and electric toothbrushes and come in 114 variations…

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