Accessibility in the News — 8/18/2023.

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Comptroller urges state parks to strengthen ADA compliance

August 12, 2023 | Source: Niagara-Gazette and Office of the New York State Comptroller and NYS Comptroller and FingerLakes1 and InformNNY and News 12 – Long Island

The New York State Comptroller’s Office thinks more needs to be done to improve the experience for people with disabilities who visit state parks. In an audit released Friday, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli urged officials with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to take the steps needed to ensure state parks and historic sites are accessible and accommodating to people with disabilities. The audit, which covered state parks operations from January 2018 to October 2022, determined that accessibility has not been actively incorporated into the process for maintaining and operating New York parks…

National News (U.S.)

The deaf artists making sure hip-hop is for everybody

August 8, 2023 | Source: MSNBC

By now, you’ve likely seen a viral video of an American Sign Language interpreter borrowing the limelight from a musician during a concert. The performances go beyond what many hearing people may understand as signing, leaning into dance and exaggerated facial expressions to more fully capture a song’s essence. These animated, visual personifications of music lend themselves to virality. The overdue proliferation of ASL interpreters at concerts underscores the critical need for accessibility…

Do sensory hours make stores more accessible to neurodivergent people?

August 10, 2023 | Source: WBFO

Imagine this, upon entering a store, the rattling of shopping carts and the unexpected loudspeaker announcements stifle your ears. The fluorescent lights from above make you wince. To finish it off, every moment you try to flee the noise, it seems like the busy shopping crowds simply won’t disappear. Though these shopping encounters are common, they can be painful and make shopping difficult for people with sensory disabilities. This back-to-school season, Walmart announced sensory hours every Saturday from 8 to 10 a.m. at some locations…

Audit finds many state parks lack proper amenities for disabled visitors

August 11, 2023 | Source: Times Union

Parks across New York have inaccessible entrances and restrooms, obstacles on trails and paths and limited parking for people with disabilities, according to an audit by the state comptroller’s office. The audit examined 40 parks managed by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation from January 2018 through October, including amenities in more than 1,400 restrooms, campsites, swimming areas, playgrounds, pavilions, elevators, parking areas and boat launches. The audit determined 62 percent of those amenities need to be improved to enhance accessibility…

Work Is Improving For Disabled Workers In The U.S.

August 11, 2023 | Source: The Hill

Workers with disabilities have long seen their fortunes ebb and flow with the economy. Federal law (ADA) prohibits most employers from discriminating against people with disabilities, and it requires them to make reasonable accommodations. But research has found that discrimination remains common––one 2017 study found that job applications that disclosed a disability were 26 percent less likely to receive interest from prospective employers. And even when they can find jobs, workers with disabilities frequently encounter barriers to success, from bathroom doors they cannot open without assistance, to hostile co-workers…

For this State Department operative, the wheelchair has been a challenge but not an obstacle

August 11, 2023 | Source: Federal News Network

She’s a successful State Department negotiator dealing with the United Nations, no less. She’s a lifelong athlete, excelling in several sports including rock climbing. And, she conducts her life from a wheelchair. Sofija Korac just received national recognition for work on behalf of people with disabilities. Let’s begin with what you actually do with the U.N. You have succeeded in getting elements of the United Nations to increase accommodations…

Behind the scenes of Iowa State Fair’s accessibility efforts

August 11, 2023 | Source: We Are Iowa

Making the Minnesota State Fair accessible to all

August 11, 2023 | Source: Star Tribune

Of all the priorities for Iowa State Fair organizers this year, accessibility has been top of mind. Each year, the Fair Board takes feedback from fairgoers and works to improve their offerings so that everyone feels welcome, according to Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons. “The Iowa State Fair, it’s a big property, so it is a challenge for some people obviously,” Parsons said. “That’s a constant goal of ours, is to continue to make improvements.” With the fairgrounds spanning nearly 445 acres, Hometown Mobility plays a big role in making the fair ADA accessible…

Morgan’s Wonderland: All to know about the unique theme park

August 13, 2023 | Source: mySA

Visiting theme parks with her kids isn’t an easy task for Sparkles Jones. Her son Maximus has autism, a speech and developmental delay, and a permanent lung condition. Jones said these conditions make “typical amusement parks quite the challenge for [her] family.” But recently, Jones heard about Morgan’s Wonderland, San Antonio’s fully accessible family theme park designed so everyone, regardless of physical or cognitive abilities, can enjoy a fun day playing together…

Price of elder care soars as demand increases, baby boomers age

August 13, 2023 | Source: The Hill

Many Americans who serve as caregivers are consumed by the immense cost of tending to ailing or aging family members. And as the baby boomer generation ages, more Americans are in for a rude awakening as to just how expensive caring for older adults has become. The price of nursing home care increased by an average of 2.4 percent each year between 2012 and 2019, for a cumulative increase of 20.7 percent, according to data from the health research group Altarum Institute…

‘I’m trying to inspire people’: Chelmsford disability advocate to pen autobiography

August 14, 2023 | Source: Lowell Sun

Before Frankie Radgowski could sit for Mass at St. Mary’s Church, he had to take his 200-pound wheelchair up a portable, metal ramp. To do so was “very dangerous,” he said. “I would not recommend it,” he said. “I’m not trying to go visit the hospital.” The 41-year-old Chelmsford resident, who was born with cerebral palsy, also watched as his friend, also a wheelchair user, had to be carried up the stairs. The issue posed a unique risk for disabled parishioners, so Radgowski decided to rise to the challenge…

Disabled people deserve concert venues that ensure full accessibility

August 14, 2023 | Source: Prism Reports

This has been the year of me attending concerts of artists that defined the soundtrack of my life: Janet Jackson and Beyoncé. Both of these women are icons in my book, and based on the number of fans in attendance yelling their names and singing their hearts out to each song performed at their respective tour stops, I am not alone in making that assertion. As a wheelchair user, concert-going is a fairly new experience for me. I attended my first major concert in 2019, and after having such a great time I had hoped to do more…

South Carolina organization launches campaign to enhance polling accessibility for disabled voters

August 15, 2023 | Source: WPDE

General elections are about three months away and one South Carolina organization is launching a campaign to make voting at the polls more inclusive and remove barriers. Voter turnout for citizens with disabilities rose about 10% between the 2016 and 2020 elections, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Executive Director for Disability Rights South Carolina Beth Franco said it’s time to make accommodations so voting is easier for everyone, and that’s why they’re launching their ‘Voting is My Right’ campaign…

PSA: Don’t Use The ADA Bathroom Stall If You Don’t Need To

August 16, 2023 | Source: HuffPost

When you use a public restroom with multiple stalls in the United States, there will often be at least one accessible stall option wider than the rest. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 was created to ban discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of American public life. And as part of the latest 2010 ADA design guidelines, public and commercial restrooms are required to have at least 5% clustered stalls accommodating people with disabilities…

How Big Brother made the game accessible for deaf contestant Matt Klotz

August 16, 2023 | Source: Entertainment Weekly

Big Brother season 25 has already been filled with big twists and turns. A “Time Laser” was set off. Survivor legend Cirie Fields entered the game. And just the other night, contestants were attacked by something called a “Nether Gorgan.” (I promise, all of that actually happened.) But the biggest change to both the house and to the game this season has revolved around the addition of Big Brother’s first ever deaf houseguest, Matt Klotz. Klotz had already proven himself to be a fierce competitor, representing the United States as a world record holding swimmer at the Deaflympics…

New Accessibility Rule Could Impact Employees with Disabilities

August 16, 2023 | Source: SHRM

Top tips to ensure inclusive and accessible job postings

August 17, 2023 | Source: Open Access Government

The U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) issued a final rule on Aug. 8 that provides guidelines for the accessibility of pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way—which, workplace experts say, could support the needs of employees with disabilities. Once adopted, these guidelines will inform federal, state and local government agencies on how to make their pedestrian facilities—such as sidewalks, crosswalks, shared-use paths and on-street parking—more accessible to people with disabilities…

Mayor Adams says all Ubers, Lyfts must be emissions-free or wheelchair-accessible by 2030

August 16, 2023 | Source: Gothamist

All Uber and Lyft vehicles must be either electric or wheelchair accessible by 2030, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Wednesday. “By championing the integration of zero-emission vehicles and wheelchair-accessible transportation, we are cutting dirty emissions and guaranteeing equitable transportation opportunities for every New Yorker,” Adams said in a statement. The mandate — which must be approved by the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission — is part of an effort to reduce emissions and fine particulate matter in the air. Taxis and for-hire vehicles account for 4% of carbon emissions from vehicles in the city.

In searing ‘indictment’ of Hollywood diversity, USC film study shows 16 years of stasis

August 17, 2023 | Source: Los Angeles Times and NPR

Today’s popular films are more inclusive in their casting than they were 16 years ago, according to a USC Annenberg study released Thursday. But who’s in leading roles in front of and behind the camera has hardly changed. Since 2007, the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative (AII), led by USC Communication Professor Stacy L. Smith, has tracked the gender and race/ethnicity of characters in each year’s top 100 domestic films. In 2014, the study added LGBTQ+ status to its data, and in 2015, disability status…

Museum exhibit showcases fight for accessibility across New York City

August 17, 2023 | Source: CBS News

This year marks the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A new installation in New York City highlights the prolonged campaigns waged for more accessibility. New Yorkers have a proud history of pushing back against disability discrimination. A new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York charts the progress from blind activists in the 1920s to World War II veterans fighting for access. Decades later, a new generation of activists organized the Brooklyn-based grassroots group Disabled In Action…

Jack Fact — Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa. said, about 26% of the U.S. population — or about 61 million people — have a disability. At the same time, 1 in 5 Americans will be older than 65 by 2030.

Hit The Road Jack — 5 BC provincial parks with accessibility features to check out this summer and Beaches, family travel and more news up in the sky from Finland! and New Great Smoky Mountain National Park partnership making trails more accessible and Accessible travel: Top wheelchair and disability-friendly destinations in the USA

International News

CSR initiative Empowers Accessibility and Care with Donation of 88 Wheelchairs at Secunderabad Railway Station

August 11, 2023 | Source: The CSR Journal- India

ConfirmTkt, India’s online train discovery and booking platform, reaffirms its commitment to social responsibility by donating 88 wheelchairs at Secunderabad Railway Station under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. This initiative is aimed at addressing the essential needs of elders, differently-abled individuals, and the needy population under the Secunderabad Division of Indian Railways. The distribution of the wheelchairs took place amidst a distinguished gathering at the Secunderabad Railway Station…

Enhancing Accessibility in Goa’s Schools: A Successful Orientation Session for Field Workers

August 11, 2023 | Source: Goemkarponn- India

Directorate of Social Welfare in association with the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities took a step towards fostering inclusivity and equal access to education by organizing an orientation session on school accessibility. The event was held with the primary goal of empowering Field Assistants and Field Workers to conduct on-ground accessibility surveys in over 450 schools. The core objective of the orientation session was to ensure that schools within the jurisdiction of the Directorate of Education adhered to the accessibility guidelines outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP)…

Access Israel founder shares goal to make Jewish state accessible

August 11, 2023 | Source: The Jerusalem Post- Israel

A group of 29 adults with disabilities stood near a Cobra helicopter at Palmahim Airbase in Israel, mesmerized as Yuval Wagner recounted that fateful day in 1987 when the helicopter he was piloting abruptly crashed and left him paralyzed and his commander dead. Wagner also explained how his new life as a paralyzed man with a desire to embrace life, travel and make his beloved country accessible for all, led to the creation of Access Israel, the Israeli NGO he founded nearly 25 years ago…

‘I refuse to get old’: how readers strive to keep dementia at bay

August 11, 2023 | Source: The Guardian- UK

When Sarah Chester retired from a frantically busy teaching career, she asked herself two questions: “What am I going to do with the rest of my life? And how am I going to live it?” Having been a keen cyclist all her life, she knew she wanted to devote some of her free time to being more active. But that was not just for reasons of general good health. Chester’s mother had first started showing symptoms of dementia 15 years ago, and she found herself thinking: “If I don’t really get my act together now, will I have the same trajectory?”…

Groundbreaking accessibility initiative launches on World Elephant Day at Chester Zoo

August 12, 2023 | Source: Deeside- UK

Chester Zoo has become the first zoo in the UK to create interactive signage to support the D/deaf community. The zoo has announced its groundbreaking collaboration to improve accessibility for British Sign Language (BSL) users with Deafness Support Network (DSN) on World Elephant Day which is today, August 12, 2023. The project aims to create a more inclusive environment at Chester Zoo for people who use BSL as their first language – so every visitor can fully experience the wonders of the charity zoo…

Manitoba organization aims to check out how accessible arts organizations are beyond Winnipeg

August 12, 2023 | Source: CBC- Canada

When Alesha Hildebrand started working as the executive director of the Winkler Arts and Culture centre less than a year ago, the first thing she noticed was a lack of online information about the building’s accessibility. “We have accessible washrooms, walkways, entries, parking — everything that would actually be required for someone who has limited abilities,” she said of the centre in Winkler, about 100 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, that holds exhibits and offers art classes. “Do [they] know that we actually have accessible spaces?”…

Delhi High Court Launches Accessibility Cause List For Visually Impaired, Digital Platform For Sharing Trial Court Record

August 15, 2023 | Source: Live Law- India

The Delhi High Court today launched a “digital platform for sharing trial court record” and its “web accessibility complaint cause list” for visually impaired lawyers, litigants and public at large by using accessibility text to speech software. The projects were inaugurated by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Rajiv Shakdher, Chairman of the Information Technology Committee, and other members including Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Justice Sanjeev Narula and Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav…

Call for action over lack of accessible taxis in South Australia

August 13, 2023 | Source: 9News- Australia

There are concerns vulnerable South Australians are being left stranded or forced to wait for hours for accessible taxis. The opposition is calling for a government review to be fast-tracked, saying more cabs and drivers are desperately needed. When Belle Owen books a cab, she says it’s pure chance whether her ride will show up. The 38-year-old from Brompton in Adelaide’s inner city even pre-booked an access taxi for spinal surgery, but it didn’t arrive…

Stormzy Interpreter On Making Grime Accessible

August 13, 2023 | Source: Dig!- UK

Stormzy has collaborated with British Sign Language interpreter Chris Fonseca to make grime accessible to deaf music fans. Fonseca provided sign language interpretations of some of Stormzy’s most loved songs for the Rockstar Press Play performance, now available to stream on Spotify or via YouTube – watch below. In an interview with Metro, Fonseca revealed how the grime superstar is breaking down barriers, “This is what I hope to be the first of many. I think it’s important to reach out to other companies, other artists and have them look at what Stormzy’s done and see that yes, this is possible…

Belinda’s vision for a more accessible and inclusive world

August 14, 2023 | Source: Moreton Daily- Australia

Travelling the globe as an athlete with a disability in her younger years, Belinda Harris has seen firsthand how inaccessible many hotels and tourist attractions are. After touring the world playing her chosen sport of Boccia, Belinda, who lives with cerebral palsy, has chosen to devote her life to improving accessibility and inclusivity for the one in six Australians who live with a disability. “After experiencing firsthand the many barriers that exist, I came to the realisation that I had the ability to do something about it,” Belinda says…

New Technology To Boost Tram Accessibility

August 14, 2023 | Source: The National Tribune- Australia and Infrastructure Magazine

Blind and low vision passengers on Melbourne’s tram network will be able to get to where they need to go more easily thanks to a new navigation app and the Andrews Labor Government. NaviLens codes, which look like brightly coloured QR codes, will begin to be installed on every tram stop on route 96 as well as on the interior and exterior of every tram travelling on route 96 from today. When the codes are scanned using the NaviLens app, the app audibly provides passengers with information on their current location, routes serving the location, as well as live tram arrival information…

Building a more accessible Philippines

August 14, 2023 | Source: Inquirer Business- Philippines

In the rich tapestry of human existence, diversity is a common thread that binds us all. This diversity is not just limited to race, religion, or culture but also extends to physical abilities and conditions. Among us are physically challenged individuals, seniors, and pregnant women. These individuals, while integral parts of our society, often face unique challenges in their daily lives due to the lack of accessible spaces. In the Philippines, a country known for its warm hospitality and inclusivity, it is essential to extend these values to the design and development of our built environment…

Teesside disabled gig-goer describes feeling scared at venues

August 14, 2023 | Source: BBC- UK

A disabled gig-goer who says he has been left in tears by conditions at venues says people like him need to be treated more fairly at concerts. Nick Copson – who lost both legs in a crash five years ago – said he had been to three gigs where he arrived to find no space on the accessible platforms. At another, he and his wife Nikki said they faced drunk and aggressive people while trying to leave. Venues have apologised and offered complimentary tickets to further gigs…

Cool careers in music: Ché Leader is creating an accessible music industry

August 14, 2023 | Source: MusicTech- UK

Ché Leader is a freelance producer, an artist (as Rivibes), and an accessibility consultant and social justice advocate who has been working with names such as Native Instruments. After a car crash that impaired his left eye, he embarked on a course at dBs Institute’s Bristol campus, becoming increasingly interested in how the creation and consumption of music can be made more accessible. There, he delved into sound design and created a unique concept that allowed users to perform music via hand movements…

N.B. disability advocate welcomes progress on accessibility legislation

August 14, 2023 | Source: Country 94- Canada

A disability advocate is pleased to see progress being made on creating accessibility legislation. New Brunswick is working on a legislative framework for consultation, with draft legislation to follow. Shelley Petit, chair of the New Brunswick Coalition for Persons with Disabilities, said the legislation is long overdue. “There’s so many things that I don’t think people realize happen to people with disabilities and we have no protections,” Petit said in a recent interview…

Delhi HC Chief Justice inaugurates IT projects on Independence Day

August 15, 2023 | Source: Deccan Herald- India

Delhi High Court Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma on Tuesday said that technology is going to be an integral part in determining the future of justice as he inaugurated three IT projects, including web accessibility compliant cause list which would be accessible to specially-abled persons. The chief justice said the Delhi High Court has entered into an advanced stage of using technology for improving the justice delivery system. On the occasion of Independence Day, the chief justice inaugurated Secure, Scalable and Sugamya Website as a Service (S3WaaS) of the Delhi District Courts, Digital Platform for Sharing Trial Court Record with the High Court…

‘A dream come true’: Ontario glamping resort provides free retreat for families of children with disabilities

August 16, 2023 | Source: Global News- Canada

Families of children with disabilities say a free “glamping” retreat this week at a resort east of Cobourg, Ont., was an “invaluable” experience. Located on 200 acres of land in Grafton, Whispering Springs Glamping Resort opened in 2015. The business touts itself as a wilderness escape but mixes traditional camping with “luxury,” including safari tents that feature the comforts of home such as large beds, a mini-fridge, a coffee maker and an in-tent sink and toilet…

School Edu Dept to make all institutions schools ‘disabled-friendly’ by 2024

August 17, 2023 | Source: Rising Kashmir- India

Following the directives of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), School Education Department Wednesday said that it will make all ‘schools disabled friendly’ by 2024 and will ensure all provisions for specially abled students. According to the news agency, Director of School Education Kashmir while referring to the directives of NHRC asked all Chief Education Officers (CEOs) of the region to implement Section 45 of Rights of persons with disabilities Act…

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