Accessibility in the News — 9/11/2020.
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AITN Quote of the Week
“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” ― Aristotle
Feature Stories
Federal ADA Title III Lawsuit Numbers Drop 15% for the First Half of 2020 But a Strong Rebound Is Likely
September 2, 2020 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw
Businesses enjoyed a brief reprieve in ADA Title III lawsuits while the country was shut down but the rest of the year will most likely be business as usual. In the first six months of 2020, 4,759 ADA Title III lawsuits were filed in federal court, as compared to 5,592 of such suits filed in the first six months of 2019, for a decrease of 15 percent during this period. This downtick is largely due to the significantly fewer filings in April and May of 2020, when most of the country was shut down…
National News (U.S.)
Deaf and hard of hearing Iowans face accessibility, inclusion gaps during coronavirus pandemic
September 4, 2020 | Source: Ames Tribune
Some of Dylan Heuer’s recent trips to get takeout and groceries devolved into frustrating and awkward experiences. The 31-year-old Clive resident always wears a mask while running errands. Many Des Moines stores and restaurants were requiring it, even before Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie signed a mask mandate last week, aiming to make face coverings more universal, although police will not enforce the rule. But Heuer is deaf — and masks have made it difficult to communicate that to others…
Mind the Accessibility Gap
September 4, 2020 | Source: American Alliance of Museums
When we talk about equity, diversity, and inclusion in museums, we have a usual list of groups we mention: Black and Indigenous people, other people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, unhoused people, socioeconomically disadvantaged people, and formerly incarcerated people. To be sure, all of these groups deserve equity and inclusion in our field, but I have noticed that one group is frequently left off the list: disabled people. This is a problem, given how woven people with disabilities are into the fabric of our nation…
State website facilitates absentee ballot requests, accessibility
September 4, 2020 | Source: Rome Sentinel
The New York State Board of Elections has created a one-stop absentee ballot web portal that will allow all registered voters to apply for an absentee ballot simply and at the click of a mouse, pursuant to new legislation, the board announced. The system will record each entry so if a voter forgets and they re-apply, it will tell them the date of their original application and how to follow-up, said board co-chairman Peter S. Kosinski. The state board also enhanced the accessible absentee ballot application process used in the June primary to now also include an accessible web portal…
The Good Stuff: Loud and clear
September 4, 2020 | Source: KSLA
9-year-old Baleigh Berry is a 4th-grade cheerleader, and excels at dancing and playing the piano despite being born without the ability to hear. “Day one in the hospital,” says Shena Berry who admits its the last thing she ever thought a doctor would tell her shortly after having a baby. “You prepare for a lot of things in pregnancy because you don’t know what is going to happen. But deafness isn’t one of them,” she adds. But soon after, the family found reason to celebrate. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but a cochlear implant gave Baleigh her first real shot at listening and, one day, talking with others…
Guide to deaf awareness in new world of remote working
September 4, 2020 | Source: The HR Director
Coronavirus has forced many businesses to work remotely, and now, as the lockdown is gradually easing, both employers and staff are raring to get back to their normal places of work. For others, the shift could be a more permanent change, as those already under pressure to tightly manage costs have realized the financial benefits of a remote workforce. In fact, three quarters of CFOs surveyed said they expect some of their employees to remain remote after the pandemic ends…
Abilities in Motion Joins PA VOTES Nonprofit Collaborative
September 6, 2020 | Source: Berks Weekly
Through a collaborative grassroots effort, Abilities in Motion has partnered with PA VOTES to encourage and advocate for local voter participation ahead of the November 2020 general election. The PA VOTES program is a nonpartisan initiative of Nonprofit VOTE and the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania to support and evaluate the role of nonprofit service providers doing voter engagement. Its goal in recruiting nonprofit organizations is to increase the capacity of service providers to do voter engagement work and improve models for nonprofits to register and engage voters in the course of ongoing activities…
‘Cooking in a Wheelchair’ is a joyful, accessible YouTube show full of practical tips
September 7, 2020 | Source: Mashable
Cheese, joy, and an inordinate amount of garlic are just a few things in abundance in the new YouTube cooking show Cooking in a Wheelchair. The idea to make an accessible cookery show came during lockdown when disability campaigner Katie Pennick was shielding at home for three months, and unable to leave the house for any reason. Prior to the pandemic, Pennick tended to eat out quite often. So when she began shielding, she got stuck into cooking every day out of sheer necessity in addition to keeping herself busy…
Deaf and hard of hearing Iowans face accessibility, inclusion gaps during coronavirus pandemic
September 8, 2020 | Source: Des Moines Register
The 31-year-old Clive resident always wears a mask while running errands. Many Des Moines stores and restaurants were requiring it, even before Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie signed a mask mandate last week, aiming to make face coverings more universal, although police will not enforce the rule. But Heuer is deaf — and masks have made it difficult to communicate that to others. “It has become practically impossible for me to communicate with other people with masks,” Heuer wrote in an email to the Des Moines Register…
Deaf-blind, becoming a lawyer: Education considerations during COVID-19
September 9, 2020 | Source: The Lawyer’s Daily
Part one discussed Haben Girma’s memoir, The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law and what should be implemented in Ontario’s schools during the pandemic for children with disabilities. Part two will continue to discuss accommodations and considerations that must be given for disabled children returning to school and our obligations toward our young people. Accommodations must be individualized. Mask wearing, social distancing and school changes may, for example, be particularly challenging for some children with autism spectrum disorders…
For Blind or Deaf Students, Virtual Learning Brings Extra Challenges
September 8, 2020 | Source: NBC4 Washington
For the more than 3,000 blind or deaf students who will be attending local public schools virtually this fall, distance learning creates an added complication for those students, their families and their teachers, according to an investigation by the News4 I-Team. Virtual classes, ordered to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19, shift many of the challenges and burdens of educating children from public school professionals to parents and in-home caregivers. Blind and deaf students will lose access to in-person resource teachers who help those children navigate lessons and videos provided in class…
Hire People with Disabilities and Improve Your Organization
September 8, 2020 | Source: The University of Texas at Austin
On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. This landmark civil rights legislation prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and guarantees equal access to all public resources in areas including employment, education, transportation, public accommodations, communications and state and local programs and services. Thirty years later, there are over 61 million adults in the United States who live with a physical or intellectual disability…
Quadriplegic stands up from wheelchair for first time in 1,220 days: ‘An inspiration’
September 8, 2020 | Source: Yahoo
Some goals take exactly 1,220 days to achieve. But maybe that’s what makes the victory all the sweeter. Robert Paylor is a quadriplegic determined to walk again. On Labor Day, he stood up from his wheelchair for the first time. In 2017, the UC Berkley student and rugby player suffered a catastrophic neck injury during America’s National Championship final. The accident happened when a player grabbed him around the neck while another lunged at his legs…
Reps. Schakowsky, Clay, Sen. Duckworth Seek Answers on Availability of Accessible Public Housing
September 9, 2020 | Source: Insurance News Net
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois, issued the following news release on Sept. 8: Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, Congressman William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Chair of the Housing, Community Development and Insurance Subcommittee, and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) recently sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office requesting a report on the availability of affordable, accessible housing in the twenty-five largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Specifically, this request directs GAO to explore:..
Are these new MBTA armrests an aid for people with disabilities, or a hostile act against the homeless?
September 9, 2020 | Source: The Boston Globe
New armrests that MBTA officials say will improve seating on platforms for the elderly and disabled have generated a backlash among some riders, who accused the agency of making it harder for the homeless to use the stations as a refuge. At issue is a new design for benches inside stations that include black metal armrests. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said the armrests will make it easier for passengers who need assistance, such as the elderly and those with disabilities, to get on and off the benches, and were designed in consultation with the T’s accessibility department…
Disability rights group suing Texas counties, including 3 in East Texas, for alleged violations of federal election laws
September 9, 2020 | Source: East Texas Matters & PDF
A disability rights group has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that more than 80 Texas Counties, including several in East Texas, are violating federal election laws by not offering equal access to the ballot to people with disabilities. Disability Rights Texas filed a systemic class complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice on September 4. The suit claims that the voting websites on the counties named are failing to comply with federal laws because they do not offer equal access to people with disabilities…
Texans with developmental disabilities in state homes still don’t have visitors. Their parents worry they don’t know why.
September 9, 2020 | Source: The Lufkin Daily News
Stephanie Kirby saw her son Petre just three times in the past six months — visits that were possible only because he was in the hospital. Two of the hospital visits stemmed from Petre Kirby self-harming; the other was for a scheduled appointment. Outside of those painful and brief visits, Stephanie Kirby is otherwise unable to hug, comfort or see in person her 28-year-old son, who has an intellectual disability and functions at the level of a 3-year-old…
Masks Make Talking Even Tougher for People Who Stutter
September 9, 2020 | Source: HealthDay News
Face masks may be invaluable in the fight against COVID-19, but they can make it difficult for people who stutter to communicate with others. About 3 million people in the United States stutter, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The use of face masks in public is likely to continue for months or even longer. Solid face masks can lead to misunderstandings because they hide your mouth. Many people who stutter experience long, silent pauses (blocks) in their speech. Often, the only way a listener realizes that someone is having a block is by looking at their face…
Jack Fact — An estimated 25.5 million folks within the U.S. have disabilities that make touring outdoors the house troublesome, they usually make fewer journeys on common than these without disabilities, no matter age, according to the U.S. Division of Transportation’s 2017 Nationwide Family Journey Survey (NHTS). Seven out of 10 folks surveyed within the NHTS mentioned they cut back day-to-day journey due to their disabilities, and one-third of people that made zero journeys mentioned they stayed residence as a result of they are severely disabled or housebound.
Hit The Road Jack — 9 wheelchair accessible days out in Cambridge
International News
Mulan marks an age of more accessible blockbusters — just not for all blind fans
September 4, 2020 | Source: CNET- Australia
Just as the coronavirus pandemic began locking down day-to-day life worldwide, Olivia Muscat kicked off a new way to stave off isolation from her friends. A writer and art critic in Australia, Muscat started a weekly movie club. For six months, Muscat and three friends have picked a movie each week and discussed it on video chat. They loved The Half of It; they abhorred All the Bright Places. She’s very keen to see the new Mulan but not as keen to pay the $30 fee for it. The pandemic means watching all these films at home…
It’s high time BMTC got people with disabilities on board. Here are five steps to ensure this
September 4, 2020 | Source: Citizen Matters- India
Accessible and affordable public transport is central for persons with disability to lead dignified and active lives. Routine activities like work, healthcare, buying essential goods and maintaining a social life, are all dependent on their access to transport infrastructure. Despite international charters like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2008), national legislation like The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and pan-India campaigns such as the Accessible India campaign (2015), public transport in India is still largely inaccessible for persons with disabilities…
Disabilities advocate wins battle for ramp at voting site
September 4, 2020 | Source: CBC- Canada
Randy Dickinson smiled as wheeled up to the Elections New Brunswick returning office on Prospect Street Friday afternoon. Construction on a ramp for the front entrance of the Fredericton West–Hanwell returning office was well underway. “I’m really happy now. The other day I felt like I was punched in the stomach as a second class citizen,” he said. Dickinson is the chair of the Premier’s Council on Disabilities and a past chair of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission…
IIT Roorkee inks MoU with NIUA for collaboration in building accessible, safe and inclusive Indian cities
September 5, 2020 | Source: Web India 123- India
The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee for collaboration in areas of universal design principles and inclusive development in the backdrop of ‘Building Accessible Safe Inclusive Indian Cities’ (BASIIC) program. The MoU was signed between Professor Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee and Hitesh Vaidya, Director, NIUA. It will facilitate cooperation in the field policy research, technical support, knowledge creation and dissemination…
Prosus launches Prosus Social Impact Challenge for Accessibility
September 7, 2020 | Source: Your Story- India
Despite the obvious need, India lacks a vibrant market for technologies that assist people with disabilities. What is available is neither accessible nor affordable, says Chumki Datta, who is a successful entrepreneur and a paraplegic. Chumki believes the Prosus Social Impact Challenge for Accessibility (SICA), a national contest to discover the most innovative startups in assistive technology (AT), will provide what she lacked: grants, mentorship, and an ecosystem that inspires ideas and innovation…
Covid-19 impact: Will education for persons with disabilities change, as more universities go online?
September 7, 2020 | Source: India Today
With over 13 million affected across the globe and almost a million in India, Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on each one of us – the vulnerable have been more impacted than others. It has also aggravated the problems of persons with disabilities. They were already struggling with lack of access- but Covid-19 and social distancing took their caretakers and basic needs away. One significant aftermath of this pandemic that has impacted students with disabilities more than others is lack of inclusive education…
Closer look at India’s National Education Policy
September 7, 2020 | Source: Asia Times- India
After the Indian Ministry of Education launched a new National Education Policy on July 29, a range of important considerations, including some missed opportunities, surfaced based on the policy outlines (read here in Hindi). Broadly speaking, the NEP has put strong emphasis on multilingual education, especially at the elementary level, while attempting to bring in a multidisciplinary approach in higher education that is traditionally divided in a rigid structure of arts-sciences-commerce…
Prominent customers come together to help revive Mumbai restaurant employing deaf & hard of hearing staff
September 8, 2020 | Source: NewzHook- India
Good news coming from Mumbai. Well-known restaurants Mirchi & Mime and Madeira & Mime in Powai have announced that they will not shut down after all. In July, the owners said they were forced to announce a close down due to plummeting revenues after the lockdown. In a city which is spoilt for choice when it comes to food, both the restaurants have carved a special place in people’s hearts, both for the food and their inclusive spirit. The coronavirus lockdown has affected the food industry especially hard with many restaurants forced to shut down for good…
Flaws in Spain’s COVID-tracking app ‘are exposing blind people to virus’
September 8, 2020 | Source: Euronews- Spain
Thousands of visually impaired people have been left exposed to COVID-19 because of flaws in Spain’s official tracking app, it has been claimed. RadarCOVID, which was launched at the end of June, is not accessible on an iPhone to people with sight problems. Spain has more than 72,000 people classified as visually impaired and critics say it puts everyone at more risk. “It’s not just about preventing the blind from getting the virus, but also preventing the rest of the world from getting it,” Ramon Corominas, a visually impaired accessibility specialist, told Euronews…
How disability-led Birds of Paradise Theatre Company adapted to a post-Covid world
September 8, 2020 | Source: The Scotsman- Scotland
Covid-19 has created opportunities for greater accessibility, at least online. “We’re able to reach people in ways that wouldn’t have happened in the ‘real world’,” says the actor, writer and director Robert Softley Gale, of his own experiences during the Covid-19 lockdown. As the artistic director of disability-led Birds of Paradise Theatre Company, Softley Gale promptly switched the company to working online. “We still had to engage with disabled people, disabled artists and audiences,” he says, “so we’ve done a lot of things online…
Grammar school discriminated against visually impaired child, tribunal finds
September 8, 2020 | Source: The Guardian- England
Grammar schools in England will have to ensure their 11-plus entrance exams are accessible to disabled pupils, after a legal ruling found a visually impaired child suffered discrimination when he was refused the opportunity to take the exam. The boy had applied for entry to Reading School, an academy with grammar school status in Berkshire. But he was unable to sit the 11-plus because adjustments needed for him to take the exam, including the use of larger type on the exam questions, were not carried out…
PA Calls Israel’s Wheelchair Accessibility Plans for Cave of the Patriarchs a ‘War Crime’
September 9, 2020 | Source: The Jewish Press- Israel
PA labels Israel’s plans to make Cave of Patriarchs wheelchair accessible a ‘war crime’
September 9, 2020 | Source: World Israel News
Israel’s plans to make the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron accessible for disabled people in wheelchairs by installing an elevator has been condemned by the Palestinian Authority (PA) as “Judaization,” and the PA’s Supreme Shari’ah Judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash threatened that such “aggression” will “have a cost” and warned that “the Palestinians are prepared to do anything” while describing Israel’s activities at the Cave as “tantamount to igniting a religious war in the region and in the world.”…
Plan to make all new homes meet ‘lifetime’ standard
September 8, 2020 | Source: Housing Today- UK & Home Care Insight- UK & Disability News Service
The government is considering forcing all new homes to be built to be fully accessible and adaptable to suit older or disabled people. According to a consultation document issued late yesterday, the housing ministry is asking for industry views on changing building regulations to ensure all developments must meet the “category 2” standard for accessibility – broadly equivalent to the old “Lifetime Homes” standard. Category 2 means a home must be accessible to most people and able to suit older people, those with reduced mobility and some wheelchair users, and is estimated to cost developers an extra £1,400 per home…
Sign language teaching lessons and other small projects… deaf people support center in Kafr Nuran
September 8, 2020 | Source: Enab Baladi- Syria
To communicate with his three deaf children, the English language teacher, Omar Darwish, has learned the sign language and took the initiative to teach it with his daughter to other deaf people in his village of Kafr Nuran, west of Aleppo province. Darwish, together with his wife, Haloum al-Mustafa, and his daughter Bayan, who suffers from deafness (hearing impairment) for about ten years, have established a center for teaching sign language in their home in the village…
The star of the day. Professor Mélanie Lemaistre wants to introduce us to sign language
September 8, 2020 | Source: Pledge Times- France
Mélanie Lemaistre is a college professor, and since her birth 25 years ago, she has been deaf. “Deaf but not mute!”, specifies Mélanie Lemaistre who wants precisely to put an end to the received ideas on deafness. She has been posting “LSF tutorials”, French sign language, on Instagram, Youtube and Twitter for several years now, but everything has changed with the coronavirus epidemic, and especially the appearance of masks, enemies number 1 of those who read the lips…
#DontRemoveYoutubeCCs: Community captions ‘benefit everyone’
September 9, 2020 | Source: BBC News- UK
Charities are calling for YouTube to reconsider getting rid of a tool that helps people with hearing loss watch videos. Community captions – when users upload subtitles to other people’s videos – are being removed from the platform. The British Deaf Association and Action on Hearing Loss say YouTube should engage with the deaf community on the decision. YouTube says the feature is hardly used and is open to abuse or spam. The hashtag #DontRemoveYoutubeCCs trended online this week…
How a letter for better online classes for disabled students got lost between two ministries
September 10, 2020 | Source: The Print- India
What can you say when a bureaucrat asks you, “Why do you file so many RTIs?”. To my surprise, I was asked this question during a phone call from the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, now the Ministry of Education. As the convenor of the Javed Abidi Foundation, or the JAF, a youth advocacy group that works alongside people with and without disabilities, it is my job to raise a voice concerning disability rights from a youth perspective…
Interabled Nova Scotia couple inspiring others with videos about everyday life and adventures
September 10, 2020 | Source: The Chronicle Herald- Canada
YouTube vlogger Kevin Penny’s inspirational story of resilience in the face of a severe spinal cord injury begins in his hometown of Hants Border, where life as he knew it changed forever on Oct. 4, 1991. “My sister and I were on a tandem bicycle and lost the brakes going down a hill and, unfortunately, I went head-first into a ditch and suffered my spinal cord injuries,” the Halifax resident recalled in a recent phone interview. Then 15, he swerved to miss a car and landed on a patch of hardened concrete that had been disposed of in the ditch…
Rahul Dravid releases Eye Opener, an autobiography of a visually challenged man with extraordinary vision
September 10, 2020 | Source: MyKhel- India
Eye Opener, an autobiography of a visually challenged man with extraordinary vision, showcases one such extraordinary story. Rahul Dravid, legendary Indian Cricketer and former Indian Team Captain, Mahantesh GK, Founder Managing Trustee of Samarthanam, Satish Vishwanathan, Cricket Journalist, Rajendra KR, Mahantesh’s mentor and Subu Kota, President of Samarthanam USA have together launched the Autobiography, “Eye Opener,” virtually from their respective locations…
Schools ‘need to make 11-plus more accessible’
September 10, 2020 | Source: BBC News- UK
English grammar schools have been warned not to discriminate against disabled children sitting the 11-plus. It comes after a legal challenge from a visually-impaired child who was told the day before the entry exam at Reading School he could not sit it because adjustments could not be made. The First-tier Tribunal ruled the grammar school was responsible for putting the adjustments in place. Reading School said it would amend its processes in line with the ruling…
COVID-19 Resources and Information
- Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
- Zoom Accessibility Enhancements for NVDA
- Accessible COVID-19 statistics tracker- CVStats
- When visual communication is mission-critical- GCN
- COVID-19 Complaint Tracker- Hunton Andrews Kurth
- Accessible premises and disability discrimination- Ogier
- What is the Future of Online Learning?- eLearningInside
- #Masks4Disability – Masks for the Disability Community
- Keeping it real in virtual learning- The Providence Journal
- Class of 2020: Meet the educationists making e-learning accessible
- Additional Resources for Remote Instruction- American Foundation for the Blind
- Presentation and choice fuel accessibility — in-person or remote- Education Dive
- Forced Innovation, Accessibility & Virtual Conferences- School Transportation News
- SU, professors must better accommodate students with disabilities online- The Daily Orange
- Virtual learning brings advantages and drawbacks for students with disabilities- Daily Trojan Online
- 5 tips on how unis can do more to design online learning that works for all students- The Conversation
- Students upgraded to Zoom Pro at no additional charge, greater access to meetings, recording capabilities
- Universities Face Digital Accessibility Lawsuits as Pandemic Continues- Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
- Student Accessibility Services offers mask accommodations for differently-abled students- The Lion’s Roar Newspaper
- First Learning Game of Its Kind Helps Developmental Psychology Students Learn Virtually During COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
Accessibility Blogs and Information
- Make Accessibility Great Again- Joe Clark
- We need to chat about chatbots- InnovationAus
- Accessibility Guide for Architectural Designs- RaillyNews
- Deadline for Canadian Accessibility Law Approaches- Applause
- How great design impacts website accessibility- Digital Market News
- The Cost of Creating a Handicap Accessible Home- Daily Invest News
- Optimizing The Accessibility Of Your eLearning- Digital Market News
- Publish an accessibility statement- Universities of Oxford Humanities Division
- Fighting for the rights of disabled Americans: Janni Lehrer-Stein, Yale ’78 B.A.
- Disability Employment Awareness Month Poster- Office of the Texas Governor
- Court system sees proliferation of website accessibility claims- Lawyers’ Forum
- Mediating level two restrictions: accessibility for our disabled community- Salient
- What new UK web accessibility laws mean for public sector websites- The Big Hack
- Social distancing signs to help you stay safe as a disabled person- Disability Horizons
- Lex Frieden Employment Awards- Nominations are due by noon on September 18, 2020
- Document accessibility software automates remediation and increases compliance- GCN
- Talk: Turning Accessibility Into Your Advantage, Margot Gable from Build in Amsterdam (Video)
- Leverage Conformance Testing to Make Your Product Compliant with Industry Standards- Tech Funnel
- New technology eases accommodation process at Student Access Center, director says- K-State Collegian
- Digital Accessibility: A Modern Workplace Must-Have- National Business and Disability Council (NBDC)
- Accessibility and accommodation concerns rise to the forefront of student advocacy- The Georgetown Voice
- AB-2123 Accessibility: internet website- California Legislature— 2019–2020 Regular Session- Hearing cancelled at request of author May 2020
Accessibility Announcements and Products
- Accessibility Keyboard Is Modular And Practical
- Accessibility Standards Canada seeks public input
- Amazon Bans Emojis and Typos from Seller Messages
- Nominate someone for Manitoba’s accessibility awards
- Network to Promote Deaf-Led Sign Language Research
- Siteimprove partners with Nordic Capital to accelerate growth
- Twitter to add automated captions to audio, video by early 2021
- Robotic Research Wins Grant to Support DoT FTA AIM Project
- FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for September Open Meeting
- Perhaps AudioEye Has Found Some Support In The Market Place
- Braille Institute Coachella Valley will offer online classes this fall
- ASG kicks off semester with three members, looking to fill vacancies
- Scientist wins R20m prize for powerful research that could cure blindness
- The LG Velvet supports Google’s Live Caption for automatic media captions
- LMS365 Transforms On-Demand Learning through Microsoft 365 and Teams
- Paratransit Shuttle Deployed To Transport Detroit Senior Citizens To Hospital
- Responsum Health and Prevent Blindness Launch Innovative Glaucoma Platform
- UWM becomes 1st university in state to offer app for blind and visually impaired
- Android 11 Starts Rolling Out With Focus On Simplicity, Accessibility And Control
- Paralyzed Veterans of America urges people with disabilities to plan their vote ahead of time
- Veruschka Foundation starts online cooking modules for people with developmental disabilities
- Detroit Institute of Arts hires firm to lead ‘inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility’ initiative
- The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) consults on accessible housing proposals
- New online tool available to check hearing aid performance, help support those who may benefit from a cochlear implant
- Microsoft, Non-Profits and employer partners launch program to increase employability for people with disabilities in Asia Pacific
- Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capability to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion
- Lionel Messi Becomes OrCam Technologies Ambassador to Advocate for Technology-Enabled Accessibility for Blind and Visually Impaired Community
Accessibility Forums, Tips, and Gaming
- Microsoft Products accessibility
- Zoom Accessibility Enhancements
- Make plans for maintaining accessibility
- When there is no content between headings
- Apple Watch Zoom Mode: How To Zoom In Or Out Explained
- How to set up a mouse and trackpad on an iPad with iPadOS 13.4
- Google Docs becomes more accessible with better Braille support
- Reaction: Xbox Is Making Next-Gen Gaming More Accessible Than Ever
- How to add alt text to images in Squarespace to make your website more accessible
- SEO Trends You Need to Know About: Voice Search, Web Accessibility, and more…
Accessibility Statements
- LA28
- Audioholics
- HM Land Registry
- Sacred Heart University
- The True Colours Trust
- Musée du Luxembourg
- Government of South Australia
- Università degli Studi di Milano
- CSU Accessible Technology Initiative
- Barnard Center for Engaged Pedagogy
- Accessibility in the News: Accessibility Statement Pages
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:
- The WCAG 2.1 Update: A Brief Look at What’s Changed
- Introducing VPAT®0, the More Stringent Accessibility Reporting Tool Required for Government IT Procurement
- Accessibility in the News, Legal Edition: Updates on ADA Title III News and More
- What Lawyers Need to Know: A Primer on Digital Accessibility Terms and Today’s Legal Landscape
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