Accessibility in the News — 3/28/2025.

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Feature Stories

Citing Trump order, Justice Department cuts disability guidance for businesses

March 25, 2025 | Source: USA Today

The Justice Department this week announced the removal of 11 guidelines for businesses seeking to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The agency said removing the “unnecessary and outdated guidance” will help businesses comply with the federal disability law and eliminate unnecessary review. The agency cited a Jan. 20 executive order signed by President Donald Trump that called on federal agencies to take action to lower the cost of living…

National News (U.S.)

Arkansas education department sued for failure to make survey accessible to deaf, blind respondents

March 21, 2025 | Source: Arkansas Advocate

A federal lawsuit filed Thursday alleges the Arkansas Department of Education violated federal law by failing to equip an online survey seeking input on the future of the state’s deaf and blind schools with auxiliary aids. The plaintiff in the lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas Central Division, also filed a motion for a preliminary injunction ordering the defendants to cease construction of the schools’ new campus, immediately republish the ADE survey with appropriate accessibility measures and include plaintiffs in ongoing “stakeholder” meetings…

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force offers sign language tours, installs Braille signage to increase accessibility options

March 21, 2025 | Source: Spectrum and Dayton 247Now

The new features include Braille signage throughout the museum, Sign Language Interpreted Tours and Touch Tours. The Sign Language Tours are in partnership with Sinclair Community College’s Interpreter Education Program Practicum course. Interpreters will guide guests on tours on Saturday, March 22 and Saturday, April 26. In addition to the tours, the museum’s Education Division also incorporated sign language interpretation into its virtual Read Across America videos…

Petersburg Transit unveils modernization plans to improve services, accessibility

March 21, 2025 | Source: Petersburg Progress-Index

Representatives from Petersburg Area Transit (PAT), the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and consulting firm Kimley-Horn provided updates on PAT’s ongoing Transit Modernization Initiative during Tuesday’s regular City Council meeting. The Petersburg Transit Modernization Initiative aims to improve the accessibility and efficiency of Petersburg’s transit system and modernize PAT’s operations throughout the city, including by promoting the use of electric buses…

Accessibility Drives Business Success

March 21, 2025 | Source: HRO Today

Over 70 million people reported having a disability in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the unemployment rate among people with disabilities is nearly twice as high (7.5%) as for those without disabilities (3.8%). Organizations willing to make accommodations—which often cost little to nothing for the employer—to support employees with disabilities can leverage this underutilized workforce to drive business outcomes, says Amanda King, vice president of human resources at SourceAmerica…

Teacher making hockey more accessible for visually impaired

March 23, 2025 | Source: WXOW

A Horsham, Pennsylvania, native is making hockey more accessible for the visually impaired. In 2022, Kelsey McGuire founded Philadelphia Blind Hockey, the first and only blind hockey team in Philadelphia. Combining her background as a teacher of the visually impaired with her favorite sport, hockey became accessible to everyone. She trains all the coaches to understand each child’s needs so they have the tools to make their experience seamless…

How to Talk to a Neurodiverse Colleague

March 24, 2025 | Source: The New York Times

A few weeks ago, in the Jan. 26 edition of “Work Friend,” a reader wrote to inquire about what she should do regarding a colleague on the autism spectrum who interacts with a wide variety of other colleagues in a semipublic role and who behaves, as the reader put it, in ways that are “brusque” and “rude” to them. In addition, the reader wrote, the employee is dismissive of the idea that care with interpersonal skills requires his consideration. (There are other problems with this employee’s work, but for the purposes of this column, let’s focus on the interpersonal issues…

Breaking The Silence: Activist Fights For Access As Section 504 Faces Threat

March 24, 2025 | Source: The Sacramento Observer

At any given day, you can find Tremmel Watson either at the California State Capitol, a community forum, or local event advocating on disability rights. As a member of the Sacramento Disability Advisory Commission, his passion for advocacy lies in a unique journey. Watson became deaf in adulthood and was suddenly thrust into a life where communication was no longer simple and every interaction became a fight for basic human connection. After a pool accident as a toddler, Watson’s world started to grow quieter…

Minnesota Legislature should rethink Walz’s proposed cuts to disability services

March 24, 2025 | Source: News From States

Minnesota is at a critical moment. The state’s commitment to supporting people with disabilities is at a crossroads. Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed budget includes an array of cuts to disability waiver services, notably to the inflationary adjustment for service providers. This threatens to undo years of progress. These cuts — from an 11% adjustment increase in 2026 to just 2% — are not mere numbers on a spreadsheet. They represent a threat to the quality and accessibility of disability services across Minnesota and serve as a blow to an already reeling workforce that provides these life-saving services…

Accessibility Commission to Mull Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Support Letter

March 24, 2025 | Source: Pasadena Now

The Pasadena Accessibility and Disability Commission will review several important agenda items, including the discussion of a letter to City Council in support of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA), at its upcoming regular meeting on Tuesday, March 25. The discussion stems from a request made by Commissioner Liz Schiller at the February 25, 2025, meeting to “agendize and discuss” such an initiative. The Commission, which serves as an advisory body to the City Council on accessibility issues in Pasadena, will also address several ongoing initiatives from its 2024-2025 workplan…

Advocates keep heat on MTA for more subway elevator access

March 24, 2025 | Source: amNewYork

Dozens of advocates for accessibility in transit rallied outside MTA headquarters in Lower Manhattan on Monday as part of their ongoing push for better subway elevator maintenance. The protest, led by members from Disabled In Action Metropolitan NY and the Elevator Action Group, has a nearly eight-year federal lawsuit against the MTA to ensure elevator maintenance throughout the system in order to bring the subways fully into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990…

Trump’s back-to-office order will hurt veterans, VA docs and therapists say

March 25, 2025 | Source: NPR

As the Department of Veterans Affairs calls staff working in telehealth into offices across the country, a widespread concern about lack of space has emerged. The change will compromise medical ethics and patients’ privacy, clinicians and advocates at multiple VA locations told NPR. Telehealth has become common in recent years among medical professionals — especially for mental health therapists — and the VA hired many clinicians on a remote basis…

How this architect brings lived experience to accessibility, inclusion on the Oregon coast: Q&A

March 25, 2025 | Source: Oregon Live

A wheelchair user since the age of 15, Ashley Schahfer knew all too well the feeling of being left out, so the idea of helping others avoid the same seemed a natural fit. As she soon discovered, however, “a career based around activism” could feel a little heavy. It was only when Schahfer began pursuing her passion for architecture that she found architecture combined with advocacy can make for a pretty inspired pairing. Today, Schahfer is the founding owner of Empowering Access, a Bend-based consulting firm built on her “life mission to create thoughtful experience-based design and inclusion for the intersectional community with disabilities.”…

A new way to make graphs more accessible to blind and low-vision readers

March 25, 2025 | Source: MIT News

Bar graphs and other charts provide a simple way to communicate data, but are, by definition, difficult to translate for readers who are blind or low-vision. Designers have developed methods for converting these visuals into “tactile charts,” but guidelines for doing so are extensive (for example, the Braille Authority of North America’s 2022 guidebook is 426 pages long). The process also requires understanding different types of software, as designers often draft their chart in programs like Adobe Illustrator and then translate it into Braille using another application…

How will Education Department cuts impact special education?

March 25, 2025 | Source: K-12 Dive

A swell of parents, advocates, educators and Democratic politicians are sounding alarms that the dramatic downsizing of the U.S. Department of Education will chip away at civil rights protections for students with disabilities and even negatively impact their classroom supports. In just the past two months, the Education Department under the Trump administration has laid off half of its 4,133-person workforce, paused federal funding, eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion programs, canceled research and teacher preparation grants, and promoted private school choice…

Access Billings walkout highlights local ADA compliance issues at Old Chicago

March 25, 2025 | Source: KULR-8

A group called Access Billings conducted a walkout at Old Chicago to address accessibility challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in Billings. During the walkout, members of Access Billings entered Old Chicago and requested seating in the bar area, knowing it could not accommodate their friend in a wheelchair due to the high-top tables. They asked to move a lower table from the dining area into the bar but were told it wasn’t possible…

Astros fans left wondering where handicap spots are around the ballpark ahead of Opening Day

March 26, 2025 | Source: ABC13

Some Astros fans are yelling foul ahead of the season opener, not because of the team, but because of missing handicap spaces near the ballpark. George Ware is used to making cuts. The hairstylist works in a studio downtown. But he’s baffled about one cut he’s spotted on city streets. “I put a placard up, and I got a ticket anyway,” Ware recalled. Ware parked in a spot on Texas Avenue near San Jacinto Street, a street that recently went through a pavement project…

Tilt Beauty Exemplifies DEI in the Design Practice

March 26, 2025 | Source: PRINT Magazine

If you’ve ever struggled to open a package—wrestling with stubborn plastic, squinting at tiny instructions, or fumbling with an awkward design—you’ve experienced the silent power of design. It’s something we rarely think about when it works well, but when it doesn’t? Frustration sets in fast. Now imagine that frustration multiplied for someone with limited dexterity, low vision, or other accessibility needs. Suddenly, what seems like a minor design flaw becomes a major barrier…

Only Four Percent of Disabled Moviegoers Report Ideal Theater Accessibility Conditions, Study Finds

March 26, 2025 | Source: The Hollywood Reporter and Variety

A new study finds that 65 percent of disabled moviegoers said they would prefer to watch a movie at theaters as compared to at home, but only four percent of respondents say that movie theaters meet their ideal accessibility needs. The study from the Inevitable Foundation, the non-profit that advocates for disabled filmmakers, surveyed over 100 disabled moviegoers about their experiences at theaters over the past two years, with questions ranging from wants and needs for accessible seating to open captioning…

Jack Fact — Over 37 million Americans are providing unpaid eldercare to someone aged 65 or older, according to 2023 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Hit The Road Jack — Top 10 tips for accessible travel and These Big Hotel Brands Have Embraced Accessibility — Here’s Why That Matters and Accessibility in Algarve

International News

Unsung Heroes: Bridging tech and inclusivity, how ATF empowers accessibility for all

March 22, 2025 | Source: The Indian Express- India

In 2012, Prateek Madhav stood amidst a sea of spectators at the Blind Cricket World Cup, an event he had helped organise against all odds. The moment was more than just a sporting victory; it was a turning point in his life. From a successful corporate career at Accenture to co-founding the Assistive Technology Foundation (ATF), the 49-year-old’s journey has been one of transformation—both personal and societal. Today, Bengaluru-based ATF is at the forefront of making India more inclusive, particularly in Karnataka, through technological innovations and policy advocacy…

Mencap urges NHS to improve disabled patient care

March 22, 2025 | Source: BBC- UK

Greater awareness is needed in how to treat people with disabilities after a man died in a hospital following complications from kidney dialysis, a charity said. Jordan Tooke, 30, from Norwich, died in August after a line from a dialysis machine became detached, causing an air embolism that triggered a fatal brain injury. Mr Tooke’s mother, Camilla Tooke, believed her son had been subjected to discrimination at the hospital based on his disability and questioned whether doctors had done all they could to save his life…

My son loves to swim but felt unwelcome at pool

March 22, 2025 | Source: BBC- Wales

Learning to swim is something many disabled children enjoy – but one mother described how her son was made to feel unwelcome at the pool. Jamie, seven, who is autistic, now attends a specialist centre in Newport, with its survey finding 81% of parents struggled getting suitable lessons at a local pool. A new plan to enhance the rights of disabled people, which will be published shortly, is looking at all aspects of people’s lives, from independent living to travel…

Mission is looking to become more accessible

March 23, 2025 | Source: Mission City Record- Canada

A new accessibility plan was approved by council on Monday (March 17) with a 4-0 vote. As part of the plan, the city will audit its buildings and facilities to ensure accessibility. Key buildings and facilities listed for the initial audit include city hall, Mission Leisure Centre, Welton Common, Mission Youth Centre, Boswyck Seniors Centre, Clarke Theatre, Centennial Park, Fraser River Heritage Park, Mission Roatary Sports Park and Griner Park…

Disability advocates say Alberta government is ‘clawing back’ benefits

March 23, 2025 | Source: Globalnews- Canada and CBC

The Alberta government is being accused of clawing back a federal disability benefit by Disability advocates, and they’re concerned about people missing out on vital income supports. Starting in June, eligible Canadians can claim up to $200 per month in financial support through the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB). Inclusion Alberta says the provincial government is taking the money away from Albertans who receive Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH)…

Disabled campaigners fears over benefits crackdown

March 24, 2025 | Source: BBC- UK

Disability campaigners have said they fear people could be pushed into poverty and homelessness by the government’s benefits crackdown. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has unveiled sweeping changes to the benefits system, aimed at saving £5bn a year by 2030. The changes will make it harder for people with less severe conditions to claim disability payments. Campaigners in Birkenhead, which has some of the highest levels of people claiming benefits in the country, said they were “anxious” for the future…

UN Tourism calls for inclusive employment, accessibility

March 24, 2024 | Source: TTN Worldwide- Germany

UN Tourism has joined Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to shift the mindsets of destinations and businesses regarding workers and customers with disabilities. About 1.3 billion people live with a significant disability worldwide, with 80% of them living in developing countries and emerging destinations. When people with disabilities do travel, they are accompanied by 2 to 3 other people. Including accessibility in a business strategy entails new sources of revenue and better economic performance, according to UN Tourism…

Barriers to Accessibility in Canada: Communication and Internet Use, 2022

March 24, 2025 | Source: Statistique Canada

In 2022, out of 8 million Canadians aged 15 years and older with one or more disabilities, 3.8 million (48%) faced communication barriers and 1.4 million (17%) faced Internet use barriers during the 12 months prior to the Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD). Furthermore, in 2024, 46% of persons with long-term conditions or disabilities had experienced difficulties, during the preceding three months, while using a technological device such as a smartphone or laptop because of their condition…

Delhi HC Asks Centre To Submit PwD Accessibility Framework for Ride-Hailing Apps

March 24, 2025 | Source: MediaNama- India

The Delhi High Court ordered the Central Government to notify it of the regulatory process for guaranteeing that ride-hailing applications are accessible to people with disabilities before their launch. Justice Sachin Datta granted the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways the last opportunity to furnish such information within four weeks from March 19, 2025, failing which the Joint Secretary of the Ministry must be present in court for the next hearing…

Program to help Revelstoke tourism businesses boost accessibility

March 24, 2025 | Source: Revelstoke Review- Canada

Have a tourism business in town that goes the extra step to accommodate diverse accessibility needs? The Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce will help you spread the word, thanks to an initiative now coming to the city. Since 2018, the non-profit Spinal Cord Injury BC and Kootenay Rockies Tourism have collaborated to offer free accessibility assessments for tourism-related businesses across the Kootenays and help them boost their traffic. Most recently, they’ve announced plans to expand the program to Revelstoke and put Destination BC (DBC)’s six-page Accessible Attributes guide to the test on local tourism businesses…

Disabled people from Hampshire slam ‘terrifying’ changes to PIP

March 24, 2025 | Source: BBC- UK

Two people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have told the BBC that government plans to reform disability benefits are “terrifying”. The government is planning to change the eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) as part of its reforms to try and save £5bn. PIP is paid to people in England and Wales who have difficulty completing everyday tasks or getting around as a result of a long-term physical or mental health condition. Phoebe Day, from Alton in Hampshire, said the benefit was “a lifejacket for those of us who are drowning with the rubbish situation of having a disability”…

Federal Court of Appeal upholds decision to boost accessibility at Air Canada

March 25, 2025 | Source: The Canadian Press- Canada

The Federal Court of Appeal is upholding a decision by the country’s transport regulator that aims to boost accessibility for air travellers living with a disability. A judicial tribunal has dismissed an appeal by Air Canada that sought to overturn a requirement to fully accommodate passengers whose wheelchairs are too large to fit through the cargo doors of some aircraft. The ruling Friday marks the culmination of a case that has dragged on since 2016, when Tim Rose was told his power wheelchair would not fit on an aircraft, preventing him from travelling to Ohio as planned…

Parliament Question: National Accessible Library Initiative

March 25, 2025 | Source: Press Information Bureau- India

The Government has implemented significant measures to expand the number of libraries under the National Accessible Library Initiative, ensuring that visually impaired individuals have access to learning materials in various accessible formats. Currently, 16 libraries are empanelled with Sugamya Pustakalaya, a digital repository of accessible books. The National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD) has partnered with the DAISY Forum of India (DFI) to facilitate this online repository for persons with visual disabilities…

South Australians living with a disability subjected to ‘terrible’ abuse, domestic violence royal commission hears

March 25, 2025 | Source: ABC News- Australia

South Australians living with a disability have reportedly had their hands shackled with rope, their wheelchair tyres punctured and food withheld by family members and carers, the state’s domestic violence royal commission has heard. SA’s Chief Adult Safeguarding Practitioner Belinda Lake told the royal commission that over the past five years, her office had received “terrible” reports of abuse directed toward people living with a disability. She said most of the suspected abuse was reportedly perpetrated by the mothers of people living with a disability, followed by service providers, fathers and siblings…

Former committee chair fed up with permit-less cars taking up accessible spots

March 25, 2025 | Source: Cambridge Today- Canada

Cambridge resident Devin Sisak is having a hard time wrapping his head around how to address issues the city has around accessible parking spaces, particularly when it comes to people parking in them without a proper permit. Staring down the upcoming spring and summer season where his family will plan to be out and about more, Sisak knows something needs to change but has become frustrated with a lack of action on this issue to the point where he resigned from the city’s accessibility advisory committee…

Disabled visitors report struggles with online ticket booking

March 25, 2025 | Source: Arts Professional- UK

Disabled audience members are nine times more likely to struggle with an online booking to attend an arts event, according to research from audience specialist consultancy Indigo. Indigo’s Access Culture report features over 19,500 responses to a survey conducted between December 2024 and January 2025 from audience members of 85 theatres, orchestras, touring companies and other performing arts organisations. The research found two in five disabled visitors lack confidence their access requirements will be met by arts venues, while 38% said they miss out on cultural events due to accessibility uncertainties…

Olena Zelenska: Equal Opportunities for Everyone – This is What Accessibility is All About

March 26, 2025 | Source: President of Ukraine- Ukraine

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in a meeting of the Accessibility Council chaired by Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine – Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine. The President’s wife noted that, according to a recent survey conducted by the Center for Social Change and Behavioral Economics at the initiative of UNICEF, accessibility is one of the new social values for 87% of Ukrainians…

Bengaluru Unites for World Accessibility Day: Over 150+ Volunteers Conduct Accessibility Audits Across the City

March 27, 2025 | Source: NewsVoir- India

Over 150 volunteers conducted accessibility audits of public spaces across Bengaluru to assess the inclusivity of the city’s infrastructure for people with disabilities and the elderly. The audit drive was organized by the Association of People with Disability (APD) to commemorate World Accessibility Day, an initiative conceptualized by Svayam and supported by APD, aimed at raising awareness about the urgent need for accessible public spaces…

India’s Energy Transition Needs Focus on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility

March 27, 2025 | Source: The Diplomat- India

India’s announcement of its 2070 net-zero emissions goal in 2021 has led to a substantial uptick in the development of policies and tools to assess the impacts of macro-level energy transition strategies across different sectors.

As India balances its need for sustained economic development and the well-being of its citizens, energy transition efforts must address the intersecting energy, health and socio-economic inequalities experienced by individuals and communities…

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