Accessibility in the News — 1/10/2020.

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“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles”

― Christopher Reeves

Happy New Year to everyone. As we ring in the new year, I would like to look back at 2019, focusing on the many accessibility stories that received significant coverage throughout the year. Below is a cumulative grid showing the totals on the category types that I included in my weekly Accessibility in the News newsletter for 2019. The total inclusions for the combined categories for calendar 2019 were 10,209, the monthly average was 851 inclusions, and the weekly average was 208 inclusions. (That’s a lot of reading…it’s no wonder I needed new reading glasses in 2019!!)

2019 was an important year in accessibility news, from the Domino’s web accessibility suit, which from my account received the most media attention of any accessibility related news story to date, to big governmental successes in Canada and the EU passing key accessibility legislation. On the legal front it has been another busy year, the newest targets included, wineries, art galleries, state agencies, and restaurants. A new category of ADA lawsuits was introduced as the number of braille gift card cases continues to increase. Lastly, a few big name lawsuits came to an end answering some questions but leaving us with many more. The compilation and summary of all of these stories can be found at- Top “Accessibility in the News” Topics of 2019.

2019 Monthly Accessibility in the News Totals
Accessibility in the News Category	Yearly Totals	Monthly Average	Weekly Average
National News	1,557	130	32
International News	1,219	102	25
Accessibility Blogs and Information	1,157	96	24
Accessibility Training and Conferences	2,901	242	59
Accessibility Job Opportunities	1,141	95	23
Accessibility Announcements and Products	1,136	95	23
Accessibility Q&A and Tips	798	67	16
Accessibility Statements	510	43	10
Monthly Totals	10,209	851	208

Feature Stories

MTA will expand accessibility at 23 train stations – but more work needed

January 2, 2020 | Source: amNY & Mass Transit

MTA announces $51.5 billion capital plan with commitment to accessibility

January 3, 2020 | Source: The Architect’s Newspaper & GCR

NYC Transit announces surge of ‘excited’ feedback for Jay St-Metro Tech Accessible Station Lab

January 6, 2020 | Source: Mass Transit

Underground and Underserved: To Be Blind or Deaf and Ride the NYC Subway

January 8, 20202 | Source: City Limits

Is that subway art? No, it’s the MTA’s new accessibility experiment

January 9, 2020 | Source: Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The MTA is making good on its resolution to increase the number of ADA accessible subway stations — but there’s much more work ahead. The authority announced Thursday that it would expedite the process of installing elevators in 23 stations system wide in the 2020-2024 budget. The 23 expedited stations are a subset of 70 total slated for upgrades in the capital plan. The MTA will be using the design-build method to bring two to three elevators to each station in NYC Transit, Staten Island Railway, Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road…

National News (U.S.)

Special software can help the blind access the internet, but not every website supports it. A wave of lawsuits is pushing to change that

December 20, 2019 | Source: Chicago Tribune

Jose Martinez has been thwarted when buying concert tickets online. He changed banks after finding his financial institution’s mobile app wouldn’t work for him. Sometimes, when he can’t finalize a purchase on an e-commerce site, he simply takes his business elsewhere. Martinez, 37, is legally blind. The West Loop resident uses screen-reading software on his computer that converts text into descriptive speech, a technology that has made it possible for him to live independently…

Piecing Together the Future of Accessible Fashion

December 21, 2019 | Source: Carleton Newsroom

Fashion and function can co-exist, especially when you start from square one. A Digital Media PhD student at Carleton University is working to expand the range of accessible clothing, facilitating a co-design approach that aims to break down the physical and social barriers of existing assistive technologies and smart clothing, and place more power in the hands of users. Co-design allows for the user to be a partner in research, which can be complicated in the specialized field of wearable e-textiles…

I am Harvard Law’s first deafblind graduate. Here’s what college is like for students with disabilities

January 4, 2020 | Source: CNBC Make It

First Deaf and Blind Harvard Law Graduate Says Accessibility Isn’t Charity

January 3, 2020 | Source: VOA

“Can you hear me?” The voice coming through my earbuds sounds scratchy. The earbuds connect to an FM receiver, part of an assistive listening device. Harvard Law School hired American Sign Language interpreters with voice transliteration skills to provide access to audio and visual information in my classes. In the back, interpreters Celia Michau and Erin Foley whisper into a microphone, which has a wireless connection with the receiver, so I can sit anywhere in the classroom…

Wisconsin once had a ‘model’ voting rights program for people with disabilities. Officials have let it decline.

December 23, 2019 | Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Despite the clamor to turn out Wisconsin voters in 2020, some voters might be stopped at the doors of their polling places. Auditors have flagged hundreds of violations at Wisconsin polls that make it harder or impossible for voters with disabilities to vote in person. A Journal Sentinel review of audits found officials are missing required action plans to fix most of these issues from the last two years. Though Wisconsin once had a robust program for monitoring accessibility problems at polls, one that was lauded as a best practice by a presidential commission in 2014, state officials have let it wane…

NY U.S. Attorney Announces Agreement To Increase Accessibility Of The Vessel In Hudson Yards

December 23, 2019 | Source: Department of Justice, 6Sqft, Curbed, Gothamist, Archinect, New York Daily News

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Eric Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, announced today that Related Companies L.P. (“Related”) and ERY Vessel LLC have agreed to install a one-of-a-kind platform lift mechanism on the upper levels of the Vessel, a new public attraction in Hudson Yards, to increase the Vessel’s accessibility for individuals with disabilities…

At a meeting with Governor Baker, disability advocates push for more accessibility

December 24, 2019 | Source: Boston Globe

This month, the walls of bureaucracy that can insulate Governor Charlie Baker from unwanted human contact came tumbling down, and a small group of disability advocates got a chance to meet with him. Even better, he heard them out. Given recent history, that’s progress. In October, some of these advocates gathered at the entrance to Baker’s State House office suite to protest an effort by his administration to take autonomy away from the Architectural Access Board, a state board that advocates for equal access for people with disabilities…

Josephine County ADA park lawsuit settle

December 24, 2019 | Source: Mail Tribune

A wheelchair-bound man who claimed he spent five days at a Josephine County park unable to use its restroom or showers has settled his lawsuit with the county. Richard Wagner of Ohio, a paraplegic who claimed he had to leave Schroeder Park in Grants Pass in order to use the restroom or sponge bathe during a September 2016 family outing, agreed to drop his lawsuit against Josephine County in exchange for a cash settlement and the county’s pledge to hire an Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator at multiple county parks, according to a Dec. 20 filing in U.S. District Court in Medford…

Americans with disabilities have $200 billion in spending power. Comcast isn’t leaving them behind.

December 25, 2019 | Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer & The Intelligencer

James Baldwin thought he’d never see his granddaughter’s face again. The 18-year Army veteran started to lose his vision three years ago from an injury he suffered in the Gulf War. He lost his left eye and was left with limited vision in his right, reducing his sight to light and shadows. He can see shapes but not faces. That was until October, when Baldwin put on a pair of NuEyes electronic glasses, which enhance the vision of visually impaired people. Suddenly, he could clearly see his wife sitting beside him…

Assistive and Accessible—Three Life-Changing Technologies

December 26, 2019 | Source: CTECH

An audio sign that helps people with impaired vision travel using public transport, a touchless system for controlling smartphones, and a smart robotic wheelchair—these technological developments that are changing the lives of those with disabilities and influencing their surroundings. “Assistive technology has the potential to dramatically change the lives of people with disabilities and enable them to enjoy a healthy, independent, and dignified life while integrating into and contributing to all areas of life such as employment, education, and recreation,” according to Patricia Lahy-Engel…

The next decade will reshape how we think of technology accessibility

December 26, 2019 | Source: Fast Company

As more and more of our lives are spent in the digital world, it’s important that that world is accessible to everyone. Technology has allowed for huge strides in disability accessibility, from improved voice-to-text functions to apps that connect someone with a virtual assistant, but experts say there’s still a lot of work to be done—especially when it comes to simply using the internet. Americans with disabilities are three times as likely as those without a disability to say they never go online, according to the Pew Research Center…

An accessible-travel insider documents her trip on the world’s longest passenger train

December 26, 2019 | Source: Washington Post

Somewhere north of Orlando and south of Georgia, Sylvia Longmire rotates her right forearm to reveal 15 rows of three-letter abbreviations inked onto her skin. I’d first glimpsed the tattoo while we were waiting to board the Amtrak Auto Train in Sanford, Fla. Several hours later, with nowhere to go and not much to see, I ask her for a closer look. The tattoo, she explains, is a log of her travels written in International Standard country code, such as CUB for Cuba and PRY for Paraguay. She then redirects my gaze to the arm of her wheelchair, which is covered in tiny flags…

Actress Marlee Matlin calls out Delta’s lack of in-flight accessibility for deaf, hearing impaired

December 27, 2019 | Source: KIRO7 & Huffington Post

Academy Award-winning actress and deaf rights activist Marlee Matlin took Delta Air Lines to task Thursday for recent in-flight entertainment issues she experienced, multiple news outlets reported. The “Switched at Birth” star, who won the Oscar for best actress for her 1986 role in “Children of a Lesser God,” called out the airline on Twitter for its lack of closed captioning options for deaf and hearing-impaired passengers, USA Today reported. Her tweet, liked by more than 43,000 Twitter users by Saturday morning, drew wide support from disability advocates, NBC News reported…

Fair fares is unfair for disabled New Yorkers, lawyers say

December 30, 2019 | Source: Queens Daily Eagle

A group of lawyers say the city’s new half-priced transit fare initiative is unfair for New Yorkers with disabilities. Attorneys from the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest have criticized the city for excluding Access-A-Ride from the Fair Fares program, which halves the price of subway and bus rides for low-income New Yorkers. Open enrollment in the Fair Fares program will begin on Jan. 27, 2020. New Yorkers who are living at or below the federal poverty level and who don’t already receive discounted transportation from the MTA or the city will be able to apply for reduced-fare MetroCards via an online platform…

How Can Online Shopping Become More Accessible To Consumers With Vision Impairments In 2020?

December 30, 2019 | Source: Forbes

As the bustle and hustle of the holiday season settle down, millions of people around the world are entering the new year with all the latest gadgets and apparel they’ve received. Or, they are waiting on long lines either in stores or at post offices to return their gift mishaps. Whatever the case might be, there’s a good chance that the gift was purchased online. More and more consumers are turning to online shopping, especially during the holidays. In 2018, holiday season e-commerce spending in the United States amounted to 119.54 billion U.S. dollars, with the most money being spent online on Cyber Monday…

Smartphones Are Introducing Tech That Makes The World More Accessible For People With Disabilities

December 31, 2019 | Source: Well + Good

It’s easy to throw shade at smartphones for all the ways they suck us in, burn us out, and keep us up at night. But let’s not forget that our constant computerized companions have many qualities worth celebrating, too. For starters, they’re helping to make life easier for people with disabilities. This year alone, tech companies have introduced several groundbreaking accessibility settings that help blind, deaf, and cognitively and physically disabled people interact more seamlessly with the world around them…

Kevan Chandler Travels by Pack, Bending the Rules of Accessibility

January 2, 2020 | Source: Sierra Magazine

Three summers ago, Kevan Chandler was sitting alone in a field atop a hill in County Kent, England. It was something the 33-year-old had never done before for one simple reason: spinal muscular atrophy—a genetic disorder that withers nerves in the spinal cord and weakens muscles—had confined him all his life to a wheelchair. Until this moment, the last time he’d been on a hiking trail was on his father’s back as a much-lighter child. Not that Chandler hadn’t tasted adventure…

Elizabeth Warren Has A Plan To Make Technology Work For People With Disabilities — Not Against Them

January 2, 2020 | Source: Gizmodo

Warren holds Twitter town hall with disabled activists

January 7, 2020 | Source: The Hill

Citing the hard-fought victories and tireless dedication of disability activists like Judith Heumann and Joyce Ardell Jackson, Senator Elizabeth Warren on Thursday unveiled an exhaustive plan to support the equal opportunity and self-determination of Americans with disabilities—pledging to ensure that advancements in technology will be used to improve their lives, rather than discriminate against them. Part of Warren’s 2020 presidential platform, the 16-page plan, titled “Protecting the Rights and Equality of People with Disabilities,” aims to fulfill the promise…

Governor Ralph Northam signs sweeping executive actions expanding opportunities for disabled Virginians

January 2, 2020 | Source: 13NewsNow & WCAV

Governor Ralph Northam on Thursday issued the most comprehensive executive actions in Virginia history to ensure inclusion and opportunity for Virginians with disabilities. He issued Executive Order Forty-Seven and Executive Directive Six. Northam said Executive Order Forty-Seven and Executive Directive Six continue the equal employment initiatives outlined by former Governor Terry McAuliffe in a 2015 executive order…

In Library Renovations, When Do Discussions of Accessibility Arise?

January 3, 2020 | Source: Book Riot

Back in October, Book Riot reported on the $41 million newly opened Hunters Point Library in Queens, which has three floors that are only accessible by stairs. This construction project began in 2010 and was completed and opened on September 12th, 2019. It is astonishing to think that in the approximately nine years of this project, planners seemingly did not consult with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) experts, advocates for people with disabilities, or even librarians who work with a wide range of patrons each day—any of whom would likely flag the accessibility issues with the design…

This Texas Theme Park Is The World’s First Ultra-Accessible Amusement Park

January 3, 2020 | Source: Rare

As a society, we seem to be moving to a more sensitive place. Corporations are being called out for the causes they support and how they are treating their employees. Beauty and fashion brands are dragged daily for not including enough shades in their products. But what about things in the real world that fall outside of marketing and screened media? Nonprofit theme park Morgan’s Wonderland is making leaps and bounds in the name of the special needs community. They pride themselves in being a place “Where Everyone Can Play.”…

Changemakers: Making the beauty industry accessible

January 6, 2020 | Source: Pix11

Have you ever reached for the shampoo in the shower, only to discover that you grabbed the conditioner instead? A quick glance at the label can end the confusion. But for someone who is vision impaired, everyday tasks like this can be a challenge. Our changemaker is one of those people. She’s using her disability as an opportunity to make life a little easier for millions of people around the world just like her. Sam Latif started going blind as a young child…

ADA Title III Litigation: A 2019 Review And Hot Trends For 2020

January 6, 2020 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw

ADA Title III lawsuits flooded federal courts in 2019 and will likely continue to do so in 2020 with new theories for the courts to consider. We are still tallying up the end-of-year numbers, but the number of ADA Title III lawsuits filed in federal courts by the end of November 2019 (10,206) exceeded the number of such lawsuits filed in all of 2018 (10,163). California courts continue to be the busiest with roughly 43% of the lawsuits, with New York and Florida courts taking second and third place with 24% and 18% of the market share, respectively…

My Disability May Be Invisible, But Here’s Why I’m Done Hiding It

January 6, 2020 | Source: Huffington Post

On my way to a friend’s wedding just outside New York City in 2013, I made the mistake of trying to travel by bus rather than taking a taxi from the airport. At rush hour. As a frequent traveler, I considered myself quite adept at navigating public transportation, but I was not prepared for how inaccessible a seemingly mundane 45-minute bus ride around the city had become for me. Though I was in my mid-20s and looked reasonably healthy, my vascular system was collapsing on the inside…

Paralympian on mission to find Florida’s most wheelchair-accessible beaches

January 8, 2020 | Source: FOX 13 News

The sunshine state boasts more than 660 miles of beautiful, sandy beaches, but a day at the beach is not always easy for those who use wheelchairs to get around. A Paralympian originally from Cape Coral has made it her mission to travel around the state in search of the most accessible beaches, documenting what she sees – or doesn’t see – along the way. At age 10, Arielle Rausin was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident. But, at 16, at the Gasparilla 15K, she met Paralympian Adam Bleakney, who would become her future coach at the University of Illinois…

Movie theater accessibility

January 8, 2020 | Source: FOX 5 (Video)

The deaf-blind community is often forgotten. Filmmaker Doug Roland and the Helen Keller National Center are trying to change that through film and the film-going experience. Blaze Dallahassee, who is deaf and blind, told FOX 5 NY how he was able to experience Roland’s movie and why it gave him goosebumps…

New York Federal Court Limits Accessibility Litigation By Strictly Construing the Standing Requirement

January 8, 2020 | Source: Hunton Andrews Kurth

Could the onslaught of anticipated accessibility litigation surrounding Braille Gift Cards in 2020 be limited by a strict construction of the ADA Title III standing requirement? Maybe so. The cottage industry of accessibility litigation in New York was recently dealt a blow when the Eastern District of New York dismissed a serial plaintiff’s class action accessibility complaint by strictly construing the standing requirement and finding that the court lacked subject matter jurisdiction…

Oakland becomes the first city in the nation with accessible scooters for the disabled

January 8, 2020 | Source: FOX KTVU

Today Oakland’s political leaders made it a priority to show their support for the latest form of disability mobility following the city’s adoption of its accessible bicycle program began last year. As of now, Lime Accessible Scooters, scooters with seats, are available to pre-qualified members throughout Oakland. The scooters are available to those who have or download the Lime App. “Today, Oakland decided to be the first city in the nation, the nation, to launch the first adaptive scooter for people with disabilities,” said Oakland ADA Programs Manager Ahn Nguyen…

Websites: A Growing Compliance Concern – CCPA, HIPAA, Accessibility, State Laws…

January 9, 2020 | Source: The National Law Review

Websites play a vital role for organizations. They facilitate communication with consumers, constituents, patients, employees, and the general public. They project an organization’s image and promote goodwill, provide information about products and services and allow for their purchase. Websites also inform investors about performance, enable job seekers to view and apply for open positions, and accept questions and comments from visitors to the site or app, among many other activities and functionalities…

Jack Fact — AbleGamers, an organization that advocates for disabled gamers, estimates there are around 33 million gamers with disabilities in the United States alone.

Hit The Road Jack — MSC Cruises Offers New Accessible Shore Excursions Program

International News

This Egyptian NGO makes workplaces more accessible for people with disabilities

December 20, 2019 | Source: TNW- Egypt

Twenty-seven-year-old Nabila Saleh, who has been blind since birth, has become accustomed to angry responses and hateful words, as people wonder why she is left to walk alone in the streets of Cairo. Blind people are not expected to get around without assistance in Egypt, but Saleh defies the indignation of passersby and the challenges of navigating the roads, determined to live a normal life. Living independently is not easy for Saleh and others like her, with the lack of support services for blind people and those with other disabilities…

Government to introduce policy soon for accessibility of disables: Shafqat

December 21, 2019 | Source: TNS- Pakistan

Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood has said the government would initiate a special programme soon for facilitating and enhancing accessibility of people with special abilities in educational institutions. Talking to APP, he said, “We need to play a leadership role and it is government’s responsibility to facilitate special children in transforming their lives”. Shafqat Mahmood hoped that all public sector educational institutions would be made inclusive and accessible for special children…

Mental health should be considered in accessibility legislation: New West advocate

December 22, 2019 | Source: The New Westminster Record- Canada

As the B.C. government considers how it should develop accessibility legislation, a local advocate says the matter should include an “invisible disability” – mental health struggles. The Canadian Mental Health Association’s B.C. branch made a submission to that effect in the provincial government’s public engagement process for the new legislation. Jael Emberley, a community coach with the CMHA in New Westminster, said on top of physical barriers to accessing services, there are also barriers for people struggling with certain mental health diagnoses…

NGO working to make Islam accessible to the blind

December 24, 2019 | Source: Samaa- Pakistan

For a Muslim, Quran is the ultimate source of religious knowledge. If you suffer from a visual impairment or have a loved one who does, you may have felt an urge to read the holy book.

A Pakistani organisation has been teaching blind people read Quran across the country. The Blind Resource Foundation, which started in 2015, publishes and distributes copies of braille Quran across the country. It is being run by Waqar Yunus, who teaches Arabic braille and assistive technology…

Delhi Restaurants To Become Accessible To The Visually Impaired With Braille Menus

December 27, 2019 | Source: Inuth- India

While estimates say that nearly 40 million Indians are visually- impaired, in how many restaurants have you seen menus which are accessible for them? Well, restaurants in Delhi will soon have their menus printed in Braille. State Commissioner of Person with Disabilities (PWD) T D Dhariyal has recently passed an order to almost 400 hotels and restaurants stating that they should print menus in Braille for the benefit of the visually impaired, reports the New Indian Express…

TransLink installs tactile and braille signage at all Vancouver’s bus stops

December 27, 2019 | Source: Traffic Technology Today- Canada

The transportation authority for Canada’s greater Vancouver metropolitan area public, TransLink is moving ahead with its plans to implement an industry-leading program benefiting customers who are blind or partially sighted. The TransLink board has a long-standing commitment to making public transport available for as many people as possible and has recently approved C$7m (US$5.3m) for its new transit accessibility program. Beginning in 2020, tactile and braille signage will be installed at every bus stop, and tactile walking surface indicators (TWSI) will be laid at stations and bus exchanges…

Fresh deadline for accessible India drive set to March 2020, targets missed by 1 to 3 years

December 28, 2019 | Source: Economic Times- India

Centre, states asked to speed up disabled-friendly works under Accessible India campaign

January 9, 2020 | Source: Outlook- India

Four years after its launch, the government’s Accessible India campaign to ensure universal accessibility to public transport, buildings, and websites has yet to make much ground, with several targets and plans missing their deadlines by one to three years. The government has now set a final deadline of March 2020 to complete all works under the initiative. “We have achieved a lot in this landmark initiative over the last four years, but targets have not been met,” said social justice and empowerment minister Thawar Chand Gehlot who last week held a meeting of all nodal ministries responsible for implementation of Accessible India…

Transforming Lives: Barcelona 1992 accessible transport

December 28, 2019 | Source: International Paralympic Committee- Spain & Inside the Games (Video)

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office have published a second short film that showcases the transportation legacy of the Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games. The film, part of the “Transforming Lives Makes Sense for Everyone” campaign, focuses on some of the post-Games accessibility improvements made in transportation. The transport arrangements laid on for Para athletes during the Games provided a glimpse of how the integrated transport system of the future would look like…

Whitehorse teen can write emails using her eyes

December 29, 2019 | Source: CBC- Canada

Eva von Flotow won’t take no for an answer. The 19-year-old Whitehorse woman is fighting for more accessibility. It’s a cause close to her heart; von Flotow uses a wheelchair. She has quadriplegic cerebral palsy with dystonia, which means she has difficulty controlling how she moves. Von Flotow is already making change. The Vancouver International Airport is working on an accessible washroom with a lift after she wrote a letter saying none of the washrooms had a lift for people in wheelchairs…

In CAA-NRC debate, the impact on the 2.2% of Indians with disabilities is being ignored

December 31, 2019 | Source: Scroll.in- India

On December 19, I excitedly left my home in Gurgaon to attend a national workshop by the Election Commission in New Delhi on making elections accessible for Persons with Disabilities. My excitement soon led to frustration as I learnt that the Gurgaon border had been sealed (ironically due to a protest in Delhi). This ensured that I was stuck in my car for three hours and was unable to get to the venue. If I wasn’t disabled, I could have just walked through the barricade and then figured a way to reach the venue. Being on a wheelchair, that obviously wasn’t an option for me…

It’s about ‘universal accessibility,’ says Stephen Barker

January 1, 2020 | Source: NiagaraThisWeek.com- Canada

In Niagara-on-the-Lake there was a heritage trail that was going to be stone. In West Lincoln curbs on the road meant one couple had to add 20 minutes to get to the new arena. In Thorold, a visually impaired person may not be able to read important town documents. But all of those potential issues for people with disabilities have been rectified, thanks in part to the work of a local volunteer group. In 2020 the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act turns 15 years old. It aims to make all public buildings accessible by 2025…

Equality and equity in sports for the disabled

January 1, 2020 | Source: New Straits Times- Malaya

For most able-bodied individuals, participating in sports and recreational activities is somewhat routine in their daily lives. But not so for those with disabilities. For the disabled, there are barriers to sports that deter them from the physical, mental and social benefits that could be had from such participation. Among them are lack of understanding and awareness of how to include people with a disability in sport; limited opportunities and programmes for participation, training and competition; and the lack of accessible facilities, such as gymnasiums and buildings…

Advocates for the disabled alarmed about new e-scooter pilot in Ontario

January 1, 2020 | Source: Niagara Falls Review- Canada

A five-year pilot project allowing the use of electric scooters on provincial roads launched in Ontario on Wednesday, despite safety concerns raised by some advocates for the disabled. The Ontario government announced the pilot in November after holding several weeks of consultations, saying the move will expand business opportunities and help cut down congestion on provincial roads. But a longtime accessibility advocate said this week he still hopes to convince Premier Doug Ford’s government to require strict enforcement when the e-scooters hit the roads in the coming months…

Japan speeds up barrier-free initiatives ahead of Paralympics

January 2, 2020 | Source: Kyodo News- Japan & Inside the Games- Japan

Japan is speeding up its efforts to make accommodation and transport facilities more accessible ahead of the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, but some people with disabilities have questioned whether enough is being done. While the games are touted as a chance to create a more inclusive society, a Kyodo News survey showed 66 percent of respondents did not see any improvement in accessibility or understanding of disabilities since 2013, when Tokyo was awarded hosting rights. In comparison, 34 percent said they had noticed progress…

Here are Toronto’s new rules for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft

January 2, 2020 | Source: CBC- Canada & Narcity- Canada

The City of Toronto is now enforcing a stricter set of bylaws for ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. The updated “vehicle-for-hire” regulations went into effect on Wednesday with the aim of improving public safety. The new rules also apply to taxis and limousines. If you use ride-hailing services to get around, the changing rules won’t affect you much. However, there are major changes for drivers…

Hotels, restaurants in Delhi to be audited for accessibility to persons with disabilities

January 2, 2020 | Source: Hindustan Times- India

The Delhi government and the municipal corporations have been ordered to carry out an audit at all hotels and restaurants in the capital to check how accessible they are to persons with disabilities. Besides infrastructure such as ramps and lifts, hotels and restaurants are also required to have special menus printed in large fonts and Braille. The audit has been ordered by the Delhi state commissioner for persons with disabilities, a quasi-judicial body. HT has seen the order, which was issued on December 24…

Sadiq Khan pledges free travel for disabled people’s carers

January 2, 2020 | Source: Hillingdon Times- England

The Mayor of London has today promised a free travel pass to help disabled people get around. Carers and companions of disabled people would get free travel on all Transport for London (TfL) services, including the Tube, Overground and buses, under the new plans. The pledge is Sadiq Khan’s first policy announcement ahead of the London mayoral election in May this year. It came as rail fares rose by an average of 2.7 per cent nationally, meaning some commuters faced increases of more than £100 on annual travel cards…

Access all areas – inside GDS’s accessibility empathy lab

January 3, 2020 | Source: Civil Service World- UK

There can be few more frequent users of the government’s online services than Claudia, Ashleigh, Ron, Chris, Pawel, Simone, and Saleem. But, although they all share an enthusiasm for GOV.UK, this septet appear to have little else in common. Pawel is a 24-year-old chemistry graduate, while retired Ron is in his 80s. Saleem, aged 22, is currently unemployed, and 54-year-old Claudia is a social worker. The seven are united by one key similarity: none of them really exist…

Less than 2% of blind children are in school

January 5, 2019 | Source: The Nation Newspaper- Nigeria

The Director General of the Nigeria Copyright Commission, Mr John Asein has said that out of 500, 00 virtually impaired children in Nigeria, less than 2% of them are in school. He said this in an interview with The Nation at the Nigeria Association of Blind (NAB) fundraising dinner on “Equitable Education For Blind And Visually Impaired Persons In Nigeria” held recently at the YCC Hall, St. Dominic Catholic Church, Yaba, Lagos State. He said that abysmal numbers of virtually impaired students in school in Nigeria is as a result of the non-accessibility of readable materials for the blind…

Ljubljana Noted for Improved Accessibility

January 6, 2020 | Source: Total Slovenia News- Slovenia

Ljubljana has been working hard to improve accessibility for everyone – putting in ramps, adding lifts to buses, offering the free Kavalir electric “car” service and attachments to motorise ordinary wheelchairs, as well as supporting the excellent Ljubljana By Wheelchair project (and here we’ll also highlight the pridem.si project that covers the whole of Slovenia). These efforts have been recognized with the capital’s listing with four other cities as models for others to follow in the EU…

U of O students with disabilities voice concerns over inaccessibility, gaps in accommodations

January 7, 2020 | Source: The Fulcrum- Canada

When third-year psychology student Deandre Robinson was in the midst of applying to the University of Ottawa four years ago, she says one of the school’s resident advisors cautioned her to enrol elsewhere, due to the number of mobility issues that exist on campus for wheelchair users. “He told me — I thought he was lying — he told me that every single year, he had at least six people come in and not be able to stay because winter hits and they can’t get anywhere,” said Robinson, who’s been using a wheelchair for eight years now…

How a radical form of accessibility is pushing the boundaries of theatre performance

January 7, 2020 | Source: The Conversation- Canada

Have you ever been nervous about going to the theatre? Maybe you’re unfamiliar with theatre etiquette, maybe you have children or maybe you find it hard to stay still for hours feeling trapped in your seat. In Shakespeare’s day, theatregoers drank, ate and socialized their way through performance. There is a more generous way to engage with the arts, and related to this, much to learn from disability arts in particular…

ITU tasks Nigeria, others on inclusive ICT growth

January 8, 2020 | Source: The Guardian- Nigeria

United Nations arm in charge of global telecommunication development, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has charged member countries on inclusive information and communications technology (ICT) growth. Specifically, ITU said members, including developing countries such as Nigeria, should focus attention on the role of emerging technologies in promoting ICT accessibility. The body, which was founded May 17, 1865, also called for the deployment of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the design of innovative digital solutions to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities…

How Sinéad Burke Went From Elementary School Teacher to Accessible Design Advocate

January 8, 2020 | Source: Yahoo Lifestyle- UK

The first time Sinéad Burke met Edward Enninful, she was a former elementary schoolteacher attending her first-ever London Fashion Week. He was the editor-in-chief of British Vogue. That would’ve been enough to intimidate plenty of people, but not Burke: She tugged on his sleeve, said hello and told him they should get coffee. “I boldly introduced myself and word vomited at him about my big ambition for the fashion industry,” she chuckles on the phone. “I was being terribly sincere, and he responded to it.”…

Wheelchairs In Siberia: Disabled Activists Fight For Better Access

January 8, 2020 | Source: Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (Video)

Navigating a Russian city in a wheelchair is incredibly difficult — and the challenge is even greater in the middle of winter. One disability activist in the Siberian city of Tomsk says government projects intended to improve accessibility have largely failed to deliver on their promises…

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Microassist Digital Accessibility Services

Have you received an accessibility demand letter because of your website or application? Please contact us for any questions you have about our accessibility services and how we might support your organization.

Services include:

Accessible Website and Application Development— We rely heavily on accessibility best practices and using HTML5 and ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) standards to build WCAG-compliant and human-tested accessible environments. Our teams are proficient in open source technologies such as WordPress, Drupal and Moodle, as well as custom frameworks in .NET, PHP, AngularJS, and other frameworks. Our Learning and Development team can also help you create accessible custom training.
Accessible Document Services— Whether you’re dealing with a few or a warehouse of Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, or other files, there are several ways Microassist can enable your team to offer documents and materials that meet stringent accessibility standards.
Accessibility Remediation— Our accessibility remediation services help you fix existing materials so that they conform to WCAG, Section 504 and 508, Department of Education OCR, and ADA Title II/III requirements. We remediate websites, applications, documents, and elearning, recommending re-creation when that is more efficient and economical. Especially for website and applications, to find out what is in need of remediation, we’ll start with an Accessibility Audit.
Accessibility Training— With several courses available for developers, testers, and content creators, your team can become equipped to consistently and expertly produce accessible digital products and online environments.
VPAT^®Evaluation Services— Primarily used by government purchasers and government vendors during the procurement and sale of ICT products and services under Section 508, a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template^® (VPAT) attests to the accessibility of a given product or service. Contact us to make sure the VPAT you write or review is accurate and meaningful.

Learn More About Digital Accessibility

Our Digital Accessibility Digest blog covers our Accessibility in the News archives as well as expert commentaries on digital accessibility issues.

Our most popular commentaries include:

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

VPAT: What Technology Vendors Need to Know

mockup of website on laptop and mobile screens with heading 'WCAG 2.2"

WCAG 2.2 Explained - What Designers and Content Creators Need To Know

Chalkboard sign with "Welcome, Please Come In." Advocates remind readers that customer service is one form of disability inclusion.

Expanding Access: From Art to Voting, Initiatives Across the U.S. Push for Greater Inclusivity in Public Spaces and Services

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