Accessibility in the News — 7/3/19.

This week was a short one due to the 4th of July holiday, but it was still packed with accessibility news! The big news focused on last weeks democratic debates, wherein the presidential candidates did not even mention the word disabilities or disabled. In a country where more than 20 percent of the total population have a disability this is a concerning topic to leave out of discussion. In other governmental news, several states made the headlines this week for showing that they are willing and able to improve their accessibility practices.

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AITN Quote of the Week

“Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong.”

―James Bryce

Declaration of Independence

National News (U.S.)

Michigan dropped from ‘needs intervention’ list for special education

June 27, 2019 | Source: The Detroit News |

Michigan no longer needs “intervention” to meet federal special education requirements but still needs “assistance,” according to state education officials. The Michigan Department of Education said on Thursday the state’s performance on key special education factors improved over last year, which prompted the U.S. Department of Education to lift the state from its “needs intervention” determination to “needs assistance.” Michigan is rated for its annual performance on meeting a section of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act…

How the 2020 Candidates Have (and Have Not) Included People With Disabilities

June 27, 2019 | Source: Yahoo |

The first half of the first debate series concluded and the words “disabled” and “disability” were not mentioned once. When 20 percent of our country’s population have a disability — and a recent survey shows that fully three-quarters of likely voters either have a disability themselves or have a family member or a close friend with disabilities — it was a missed opportunity. If a presidential candidate hopes to have success in 2020, he or she must represent all Americans, especially those with disabilities…

The Candidates’ Silence on Disability Rights During the Debates Is Nothing New

June 28, 2019 | Source: Rewire.News |

Over two nights of debates, not a single Democratic presidential hopeful explicitly mentioned a traditionally overlooked voting bloc: people with disabilities. This failure to recognize disabled people is just one of the many ways 2020 candidates have disregarded disability issues. In 2016, 35.4 million disabled people—nearly one-sixth of the total electorate—were eligible to vote, according to researchers at Rutgers University. That number increased to 62.7 million eligible voters when it included those who live with disabled people…

Bad braille plagues buildings across US, CBS News Radio investigation finds

June 28, 2019 | Source: CBS News |

The federal government, corporations, cities and even medical facilities across the country are looking past the needs of blind Americans by failing to address problems with braille signage. CBS News has uncovered complaints to the Justice Department’s Disability Rights section about missing or incorrect braille at a number of public facilities, including Albuquerque’s bus system, restaurants in Kansas and Pennsylvania, and hospital and medical buildings in Chicago, among other locations…

Preserving the Private Vote? State Adopts New Policy on Accessible Ballots

June 28, 2019 | Source: Josh Kurtz |

When a Marylander votes using an accessible ballot-marking device, it’s not just the means by which they cast their vote that’s different, it’s the shape of their ballot too. So when only one or two voters use a ballot-marking device at a precinct, are their ballots still secret? That’s the concern of blind voters and their advocates in Maryland. A crowd of blind residents filled an Annapolis meeting room Thursday afternoon as the State Board of Elections voted on policies for using the ExpressVote ballot-marking devices…

The first black Barbie to use a wheelchair is here, and people are loving the message it sends to kids

June 28, 2019 | Source: Insider & Yahoo & Global Citizen |

A black Barbie who wears her natural hair and uses a wheelchair has become an internet sensation. The doll is the first black Barbie to use a wheelchair, and is featured in Mattel’s Fashionista line, which is a part of the company’s ongoing attempt to create more inclusive toys. The Barbie was announced during the New York Toy Fair in February 2019, and officially launched in June. Mattel’s newest doll retails for $19.99 and can be purchased from Target and other major retailers around the world…

Does your NYC Business Meet ADA Website compliance standards

June 29, 2019 | Source: Foreign Policy 2018 |

As companies around the globe try to bring the websites into compliance with the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (or for short, WCAG), their focus on other accessibility regulations has also increased. The US’ Americans with Disabilities Act, or for short ADA, is one of the most complicated pieces of accessibility regulations. In this article, you will be able to read about what is ADA compliance, what does it say about your website, and you will also learn if it is necessary for your site. Let’s take a look:…

Iowa State departments push textbook companies to be more accessible

June 30, 2019 | Source: Iowa State Daily |

Iowa State Information Technology services (IT services), Parks Library, the University Bookstore and Procurement Services are partnering with University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa to push textbook companies to be accessible for all. The departments have followed the Williams settlement that took place in California in 2004, which requires public schools in California to provide “sufficiency of instructional materials.” According to the California Department of Education website, “each pupil, including English Learners, has a standards-aligned textbook or instructional materials, or both, to use in class and to take home…

Will New York City Become the Most Accessible City in the World?

July 1, 2019 | Source: Ruderman Family Foundation |

Do you think New York City can be the most accessible city in the world? That’s Victor Calise’s goal. He’s the Commissioner for the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, and Jay spoke with him about how his disability catapulted him into his professional journey. They discussed what accessibility on a broad scale means, and how his office is tackling big-picture accessibility issues in the city such as disability employment, accessible transportation and accessible technology…

Attorney’s Office Of Louisiana: Justice Department And Dillard University Agree To Renewal And Extension Of Settlement Agreement

July 1, 2019 | Source: The Louisiana Record |

The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana announced the renewal and extension of a settlement agreement with Dillard University, a Historically Black College and University in New Orleans, Louisiana, under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The settlement agreement consummates a 17-year effort to resolve a compliance review of the campus that devolved from a complaint lodged against Dillard regarding an inaccessible building…

FAU’s online college ranked one of the ‘best’ online schools for students with disabilities

July 1, 2019 | Source: University Press |

FAU’s online college was rated among the top colleges in the nation for accommodating students with disabilities, according to a recent ranking. SR Education Group, which has helped students find online colleges since 2004, released their 2019 Best Online Colleges for Student with Disabilities list last month. The organization split the rankings into best online colleges for students with audio, visual, and learning disabilities…

Glaucoma can lead to blindness. Researchers foresee changing that.

July 1, 2019 | Source: Washington Post |

When Sylvia Groth steps through the doors of the Vanderbilt Eye Institute in Nashville, she knows she has a tough day ahead. Before she goes home, she’ll likely have at least one hard talk with a person whose sight has been ravaged by glaucoma. “When I make a diagnosis of advanced glaucoma, I do it with a heavy heart,” the ophthalmologist says. “It’s such an empty feeling to not be able to do anything.” An incurable eye disease that kills vital nerve cells at the back of the retina, glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world…

What Small Businesses Need to Know About Assistive Technologies

July 2, 2019 | Source: Business News Daily |

Approximately 18.6 million people with disabilities between the ages of 16 and 64 are currently in the American workforce. Assistive technologies (AT) can vastly improve such a person’s productivity in the office. But many small businesses don’t know exactly what AT means. By law, if you employ at least 15 people, your company must make “reasonable accommodations,” so long as the expense or challenges in implementing that accommodation don’t lead to “undue hardship” for the business…

All welcome: Grand Canyon accessible to those with mobility issues

July 2, 2019 | Source: Grand Canyon News |

Grand Canyon is often, and rightly, referred to as an outdoor lover’s paradise — there’s hiking, biking and camping and a host of educational opportunities. But what if physical pursuits like hiking, biking and camping aren’t doable because of mobility issues or developmental disabilities? Can you still enjoy Grand Canyon? The answer, of course, is yes. Brenda and Johnny Michelson of Bakersfield, California, have been to the Grand Canyon several times, and are now visiting with their granddaughter…

Listen to Disabled People When We Talk About Accessibility

July 2, 2019 | Source: Yahoo |

“Why can’t disabled people say something is not accessible to us or other disabled people, without people responding that we are whining, complaining, not being positive enough, being snowflakes, saying we are being too sensitive, or being downright hostile to us? All we are asking is for equitable treatment, accessibility and inclusion. Instead of being hostile and defensive, maybe start listening to us and help us figure out how we can make the world more accessible?”…

‘A long way to go’: A look at the MTA’s ‘accessibility desert’ in Bronx and Brooklyn

July 2, 2019 | Source: News 12 Bronx |

News 12 took a deeper look at how the Bronx and Brooklyn are impacted in what some have coined “an accessibility desert” in the city subway system. A report by the city comptroller in July 2018 showed that out of 28 Bronx neighborhoods serviced by the subway system – 19 do not have access for riders with disabilities. In Brooklyn, it’s not any better. Out of 44 neighborhoods with subway service, 26 are not accessible…

This Colorful House Was Ingeniously Designed to Be Wheelchair Accessible

July 2, 2019 | Source: Yahoo Lifestyle |

Like most creatives, designer Keia McSwain loves a good challenge. So, when the leader of Denver-based Kimberly + Cameron Interiors and president of the Black Interior Designers Network received a message through the network about a project one family needed help with, she couldn’t resist taking it on herself. They had some specific requirements: The military family was set to move to New York from Montana and needed a home completed, “like, yesterday,” the designer recalls…

Conference at Ohio State supports more accessibility in science

July 3, 2019 | Source: Ohio State University News |

A former Ohio State University student has combined her personal and professional passion with support she received from the President’s Prize to organize the university’s first conference devoted to making science more accessible to people with disabilities. The SciAccess conference, held in the Ohio Union last week, was led by Anna Voelker, the university’s astronomy accessibility program coordinator. Voelker was a 2018 recipient of the President’s Prize, an initiative founded in 2017 by President Michael V. Drake…

Making Unified Communications (UC) Accessible for All

July 3, 2019 | Source: No Jitter |

In recent years, accessibility has become a buzzword in the Unified Communications (UC) space and, as a result, a number of studies have been carried out to assess the scope of the requirement and different technologies for addressing various impairments. Accessibility is the term used in reference to individuals with disabilities, including visual impairment, mobility limitation, hearing impairment, and cognitive difficulty. Software and equipment adapted for or to serve such individuals is considered accessible technology…

After complaints from blind riders, Metro to offer travel help during shutdown

July 3, 2019 | Source: Washington Post |

Metro will give riders with disabilities expedited access to MetroAccess, its door-to-door paratransit service, for the duration of the summer-long shutdown. The transit agency also will explore ways to offer blind riders free or subsidized access to smartphone-based technology that allows sighted individuals to serve as remote navigators. The decisions, made at a meeting of the agency’s Accessibility Advisory Committee on Monday night, are meant to help blind riders navigate the 15-week closure of six stations along the Blue and Yellow lines in Northern Virginia for a platform reconstruction project…

Here’s How To Get A Guide Dog

July 3, 2019 | Source: Forbes |

“How do I get a dog like that?” asked a young man inside the lobby of a Midtown Manhattan office building as I headed toward the exit. He was eyeing my lovely German shepherd service dog, Joy, who weighed about 80 lbs. and was a soft sable color. I wasn’t sure what to tell him other than suggesting he lose his sight, but I didn’t think that was an appropriate suggestion. Unwilling to engage in a long explanation (or any conversation), we hit the street, Joy in the lead…

Michigan lawmakers want new look for state’s disability signs

July 3, 2019 | Source: MLive |

Signs marking accessibility for people with disabilities in parking lots, bathrooms, buildings and other areas could get an update in Michigan under two House bills recently considered in committee. House Bills 4516 and 4517, sponsored by state Reps. Beau LaFave, R-Iron Mountain, and Greg VanWoerkom, R-Norton Shores, calls for a gradual replacement of new and existing accessibility signs in parking lots and businesses to a modified design…

Single letter speaks volumes

July 3, 2019 | Source: The Harvard Gazette |

Scientists at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital have used a novel gene-editing approach to salvage the hearing of mice with genetic hearing loss, and have succeeded in doing so without any apparent off-target effects as a result of the treatment. The animals — known as Beethoven mice — were treated for the same genetic mutation that causes progressive hearing loss in humans, culminating in profound deafness by the mid-20s…

Jack Fact — According to the AARP, “87 percent of adults age 65-plus want to stay in their current home and community as they age.”

Hit The Road Jack — Tips for Visiting Madrid, Spain as a Wheelchair User

International News

How can Melbourne be made more accessible?

June 28, 2019 | Source: Time Out- Australia |

How does Melbourne rate compared to other cities, and whose responsibility is it to bring it up to scratch when it comes to making it livable for everyone? Ever heard of the city of Breda in southern Netherlands? The tiny municipality of just over 180,000 people is one of the most accessible places in the world, winning the 2019 Access City Award, which is handed out to European cities for exceptional work in the sector. Breda’s historical centre is wheelchair accessible; multiple municipal websites meet international standards for web accessibility…

Indian-American led NGO launches mobile app to locate accessible friendly buildings in India

June 28, 2019 | Source: Express Computer- India & NewzHook |

An Indian-American led non-profit organisation has launched a public utility mobile app to locate and identify disabled-friendly buildings in India. The NGO, Voice of Specially Abled People (VOSAP), announced the launch of mobile app during the United Nations Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities or COSP12, early this week. A mobile app to find accessible places (for persons with disabilities) is very important in a country like India, it said…

Prajith Jaipal aims to become first quadriplegic person to drive around the world

June 28, 2019 | Source: NewzHook- India |

When it comes to promoting awareness about disability rights and accessibility, there’s no distance that’s too far for Prajith Jaipal. This Kerala-based activist is now planning a cross country drive to motivate people with disabilities and is looking for sponsors. Eighty thousand kilometers, 80 countries in over 400 days through different terrain and weather conditions is not a feat for the faint-hearted. But when it comes to creating awareness about disability and reaching out to people with disabilities, Prajith Jaipal is willing to go that extra mile…

Accessibility a new focus for Open House Melbourne 2019

June 28, 2019 | Source: Architecture AU- Australia |

Open House Melbourne returns for a weekend in July with a new focus on accessibility and openness, and a companion program of events designed to “get people thinking about walking in each other’s shoes.” The 2019 iteration of the event includes an anchor program that will encourage people to consider how cities are designed for people dealing with accessibility issues. “It [has been] twelve years and the organization evolved greatly,” said Open House Melbourne executive director Emma Telfer…

Credit dispute mars prize-winning IKEA campaign

June 30, 2019 | Source: Globes- Israel |

Earlier this month, the entire advertising sector watched McCann Tel Aviv carry off 11 prizes for its ThisAbles IKEA accessibility campaign in the Cannes Lions Health and Wellness Grand Prix. Even from an international perspective, this is an impressive number of medals. Behind the celebrations, however, a battle for the credit has been taking place in recent weeks under the media radar. Sources inform “Globes” that the Reut organization, which operates the TOM project for developing products for people with disabilities, is claiming that it is behind the creative idea in the campaign…

Make shopping fun for people with disabilities, here’s how to do it

June 30, 2019 | Source: Newz Hook- India |

For some people, shopping is a great stress-buster and a fun experience. It’s as aspect that most people with disabilities tend to miss out for many reasons. Which is a huge loss from a brands perspective because people with disabilities are consumers too. Stores must also work on the accessibility aspect by reaching out to people with all kinds of disabilities. Like, training staff to be sensitive to people with different types of disabilities so that when a blind or deaf person comes shopping, they know how to help the customer…

Museum Educator Teaches Art Accessibility in Hong Kong

June 28, 2019 | Source: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art- Hong Kong |

A few months ago, Senior Museum Educator and Accessibility Coordinator Kim Crowell traveled to Hong Kong to teach a two-day workshop about her process for creating touchable paintings–tactile, mixed media representations function like maps of 2-Dimensional images for individuals with all levels of sight. Crowell was recruited for this opportunity by the Arts with the Disabled Association (ADA) Hong Kong…

Stroke prompts TripAdvisor-like app for disabled people

June 30, 2019 | Source: The Straits Times- Spain & Daily Monitor |

Willy Ruiz had a stroke while he was giving a presentation on iPhones, iPads and iPods. “I left with my boots on,” he jokes. Mr Ruiz had been Apple’s marketing manager in Spain for 10 years, but his life changed on that morning in 2013. “Everything was going very fast, and it stopped. Then everything started to go very slowly,” he says. He woke up from a coma to a world that was now hostile territory, and where he had to get used to having a brain he no longer controlled…

Disability rights are human rights

July 1, 2019 | Source: Montreal Gazette- Canada |

With the passing of the Accessible Canada Act: An Act to Ensure a Barrier-free Canada, into law last month, the full breadth of human rights is finally being recognized. One of the most important pieces of human rights legislation in decades, it enshrines the rights of millions of Canadians with disabilities. Until now, the rights of people with disabilities have been mostly disregarded. And not only by mainstream media, but by policy makers, governments and frankly by the broader human rights community…

How the corporate world can strive for real diversity and inclusivity at the workplace

July 1, 2019 | Source: Livemint- India |

I was 21 when I was assigned to revive one of our plants. This was my first uphill battle—I realized how gendered these spaces are as I experienced them first-hand. The matter becomes even more complex when leadership is from a wheelchair. People’s traditional perception of leadership was challenged—this led to daily obstacles with management, which led to some of the senior leaders constantly testing my decision-making. Such incidents made me learn about the relationship between equal opportunity and accessibility…

“Don’t just make it accessible, make it relevant, and make it representational”

July 2, 2019 | Source: The Upcoming- UK |

The pioneering free mini-festival, A Bit of a Do, from Drunken Chorus returns this summer, championing the work of artists with and without disabilities. Working with some amazing partners including BSL consultants, visually impaired performers, local apprentices with learning disabilities, disability charities, artists and audiences, their aim is to empower artists to create and access theatre and dance. We caught up with co-artistic directors Chris Williams and Sheena Holliday to discuss the festival’s journey and their visions for its future…

Accessibility initiative encourages schools to invest in sensory spaces

July 2, 2019 | Source: Access and Mobility Professional- UK |

A special sensory garden has been created to demonstrate to schools how outdoor spaces can be utilised and made more accessible to disabled children. The garden was unveiled at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival to celebrate the government’s Year of Green Action. Created together with young people with disabilities and the Sensory Trust, the garden aims to take visitors of all abilities on a journey through the senses, with plants specially chosen for their multi-sensory qualities…

Janelle Monae Fan Told Accessible Seating Is First-Come First-Serve

July 2, 2019 | Source: Ticket News- UK & Mixmag |

A Janelle Monae fan with a serious back condition bought a ticket to an upcoming show last year, making sure that she would be able to secure a seat. However, now, the venue claims that seats are “first-come, first-serve.” The concert is set to take place on July 4 at Castlefield Bowl as a part of the Manchester International Festival in the UK. According to BBC, Virginie Assal, who suffers from scoliosis, previously asked the venue if she could have a seat away from the crowd…

Upstreet artist residency exhibit project draws light on accessibility issues on PEI

July 2, 2019 | Source: The Guardian- Canada |

The creative juices have been flowing at a P.E.I. brewery. A crowd gathered at the Upstreet Craft Brewing artists’ space recently for the launch of a new beer collaboration with Washington state artist Peter Christenson and for the opening of his exhibition, “Noon Steps for Midnight: P.E.I. Archive”. Christenson was the brewery’s resident artist brought in for three weeks during June. “It’s been really lovely, everyone has been so welcoming and generous, and I felt immediately embraced by the community,” said Christenson, an associate professor of fine arts at Washington State University…

Lack of accessible toilets keeps disabled BC girl stuck inside

July 3, 2019 | Source: CBC- Canada |

Amy Diaz loves swimming as much as any 10-year-old but she doesn’t go to pools very often. Rec centres, movie theatres and other public places are usually off limits, too. Bathrooms are the problem. Even if they are labelled as accessible, they’re not accessible enough for Amy, who has cerebral palsy and is too big for child-sized changing tables. When Amy needs her diaper changed, she is lifted out of her wheelchair and placed on the floor, which breaks her sister’s heart…

Tibi Is Educating The Music Industry About Venue Accessibility For Everyone

July 3, 2019 | Source: scenestr- Australia |

Dina Bassile and her business Tibi have moved to Melbourne to continue her services to provide education and access consulting to festivals, venues and artists on accessibility in venues. Dina is working harder than ever to provide information and education to make music accessible for everyone. Dina has spent the majority of her life in a wheelchair due to muscular dystrophy and is striving to make a difference through Tibi (Latin: ‘for you’)…

Need an accessible, inclusive society for specially-abled people

July 3, 2019 | Source: WION- India |

Pranav Desai, an Indian American IT Professional, showcased his much talked about creation- a mobile application for people with disabilities, at the United Nations recently. The app will help create mass awareness and inspire everyone including government officials, the business community, the youth and the specially abled themselves in efforts to ensure a life of dignity and equality. Desai himself is a polio-survivor and is the founder of the Voice of SAP (Specially Abled People)…

Why I wouldn’t MND a holiday

July 2, 2019 | Source: Herald- Scotland |

While many of you might just be getting around to making last-minute plans for a summer trip, I’m glad that I booked mine a year in advance. That’s because I, like 450 other people living in Scotland, have Motor Neurone Disease (MND). I was diagnosed with MND in 2003 and that diagnosis brought with it a number of access requirements which means that my family and I struggle to find suitable accommodation when planning our holidays, and we’re not alone…

People don’t understand until they’ve seen it’: the power of disability sport

July 3, 2019 | Source: The Guardian- England |

Hit hard, flat, true and with a whip-crack report, the ball is still gathering pace as it thuds against the back wall of the training centre. Heads nod amid whoops of approval and excitement at what this talent could bring to England’s cricket team. Not the bunch currently scrapping in the World Cup, or the team that will face Australia later this summer, but the gaggle of richly talented amateurs united by two powerful things they have in common: sport and disability…

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