Accessibility in the News — 6/28/19.

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“Nothing in life is more liberating than to fight for a cause larger than yourself, something that encompasses you but is not defined by your existence alone.”

― John McCain

Empower every person: reimagining accessibility

National News (U.S.)

This Is How Employers Weed Out Disabled People From Their Hiring Pools

June 18, 2019 | Source: Huffington Post |

Applying for jobs is a formidable task, but it’s even more challenging for people with disabilities — the largest and one of the most underemployed minority groups in the world. So when I came across an employment listing on Newsday’s careers website last Monday featuring job requirements related to mobility, strength, weight and size, I was shocked. The job listing advertised a general assignment reporter role for the Long Island-based newspaper in New York…

Did Santiago Abreu Actually Visit Riverbend Eatery? Does He Even Exist?

June 18, 2019 | Source: Westword |

The legal-looking envelope arrived at Riverbend Eatery in Bailey in February 2016. Owner Michael Abbondanza waited until he was home in Conifer with his son, Michael III, to open it. Inside was an eleven-page legal document filed with the U.S. District Court of Colorado claiming that Riverbend Eatery was out of compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. According to the complaint, plaintiff Santiago Abreu had moderately severe multiple sclerosis and used a wheelchair to get around…

A ‘blitz of lawsuits’ against Philly restaurants: Was it a ‘money grab’ or helping blind consumers?

June 22, 2019 | Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer |

For nearly three months, the Philadelphia eateries were under siege by a lawyer for blind New Yorkers. In December 2017, lawyer C. K. Lee represented a Long Island man who sued Federal Donuts, claiming the doughnut and fried chicken shops’ website wasn’t fully accessible to blind people. The next month, Lee sued again, this time for a client in Queens against the Oyster House in Center City. Lee later targeted Campo’s Deli on behalf of a Manhattan woman who, by that February, had already sued six Philly restaurants with Lee as her lawyer…

Charlotte County to pay $10,500 over ADA lawsuit; make website more accessible

June 22, 2019 | Source: Charlotte Sun |

A settlement was reached last week in a lawsuit Charlotte County faced over its website. The county was sued in federal court in January by Juan Carlos Gil, a blind man from Miami. Gil has filed dozens of other similar lawsuits against businesses and local governments claiming online access is not equal for disabled people, citing violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Gil’s screen reader which he uses to dictate words online, doesn’t work with content like PDF documents…

It’s A New Dog Day, At Home And On The Road

June 24, 2019 | Source: Forbes |

It’s Zero Hour on Monday, the first full day of our two week training stint at Guide Dogs for the Blind in Boring, Oregon. Like my five classmates, I am in my room after lunch and waiting for the knock on the door that will introduce me to the dog the school has chosen for me. While waiting in suspense, I managed to spill a bunch of kibble on the floor and have to clean it all up quickly because any smart dog would completely ignore me and go right for the grub; definitely a bad way to start…

Ensuring accessible content for all students

June 24, 2019 | Source: eSchool News & AODA |

There are four major areas educators can check to ensure digital materials include accessible content for all students. This summer, many faculty will work on developing or revising curricular content for their courses. One of the keys in developing new digital materials is verifying that those materials offer accessible content for all students. Today, most learning management systems (LMS) and software programs offer some level of accessibility compliance checking. However, they are not always thorough or error-free…

‘Toy Story 4’ and the Problem With Its Disability Narrative

June 24, 2019 | Source: Hollywood Reporter |

The Toy Story franchise has never been about disability, yet as a disabled film critic who writes about the topic regularly, I’ve found the Pixar series has always dabbled in that arena in some way. Plot devices such as Buzz Lightyear’s broken arm in the 1995 original film to Lotso Huggin Bear’s limp in Toy Story 3 (2010) have opened the series up to questions of disabled representation. The same can be said for the fourth installment, which contains a plotline that continues a disturbing trend in disabled narratives in cinema…

This Blind And Autistic Woman Has A Singing Voice That Will Blow You Away

June 25, 2019 | Source: BuzzFeed |

A blind and autistic woman has left people on the internet stunned after a video of her sublime singing went viral this week. The video of 24-year-old Lavender Darcangelo was recorded on Sunday by Rufus Gifford, 44, who worked as US Ambassador to Denmark under the Obama administration and who recently had an unsuccessful congressional run in 2018. Gifford had been invited to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, as a guest speaker by Wil Darcangelo, 49, a minister at First Parish Church, home to people who practice Unitarian Universalism…

My Student Loans Were Forgiven For My Disability, But It’s Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be

June 25, 2019 | Source: Elite Daily |

My family doesn’t yell. Sometimes we argue, and we are good at sarcasm, but fights hardly ever get loud. When I got the option to have my student loans discharged for disability, I remember all of the yelling as my family and I fought over whether I should accept. Total and permanent student loan discharge sounds great, right? Well, it’s not that easy. Student loans and their subsequent interest make financial independence a near Herculean task for millennials to achieve…

The Two Words No Person With A Disability Wants To Hear

June 25, 2019 | Source: Huffington Post |

I was 36 when my legs surrendered. I was diagnosed with a degenerative disc disease and arthritis a decade earlier, and it had finally progressed to the point where my spine refused to continue supporting my ungrateful body, and my legs put in their notice. It came as quite a blow. I had always been an active person. Until mere months before becoming disabled, I was walking my children all over the city, staying out from breakfast until dinner. The all-day adventures of my 36th summer suddenly became limped walks to the nearest park by fall, and I struggled to make it to the backyard by winter…

Parking spaces and bathrooms, sure – but is your website compliant with the ADA?

June 26, 2019 | Source: FW Business |

I was recently asked by a client about ensuring that their website is compliant with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). That’s right, while most employers are aware the ADA requires public places to be accessible to those with disabilities (i.e., parking spaces, ramps, curbs and bathrooms), few are aware that this obligation likely extends to the company website. Wait, the ADA applies to websites?! Yes. While the ADA does not explicitly mention the internet, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) — the primary enforcer of the ADA…

UW design student combines accessibility and design to solve problems with rideshare services

June 26, 2019 | Source: Dailyuw |

While sleep is certainly a touchy subject for college students of all majors, the statement: “Sleep is for the weak,” rings especially true for graduating seniors of the UW design program. The capstone project entails 10 weeks of intensive labor into the creation and development of a thoughtfully designed new product, service, or communication system. Recent graduate of the UW industrial design program Arya Kani left the Art Building at 5 a.m. on more than just a few occasions himself…

None of the 2020 Presidential Candidates’ Websites Are Fully Accessible to Disabled Voters

June 26, 2019 | Source: Time & Vox & Fast Company & The Hill |

When Virginia Jacko found out the first Democratic presidential debates of the 2020 election cycle were going to be held in Miami, she was excited to learn more about the candidates and their policies before they arrived in her city. But as she clicked on the candidates’ websites, she realized that most were not accessible to blind voters like her. As the CEO of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Jacko decided to take action. She and her staff reviewed the websites of all 20 Democratic presidential candidates…

Missoula puts finishing touches on ADA revisions around the city

June 26, 2019 | Source: ABC FOX Montana |

The Montana Department of Transportation is putting the finishing touches on a two-year project that improved accessibility in the garden city. Forty-six intersections on Orange Street, Stephens Avenue, Fifth Street, Sixth Street, Broadway and Higgins Avenue have been made accessible with new features like larger landing areas, gentler grades and reflective flashing beacons. Over 300 sidewalk ramps were upgraded to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards…

A History of Inclusion and Accessibility in America

June 26, 2019 | Source: KPFA – 94.1FM (Podcast) |

Disable accessibility laws in the second half of the twenty century are transforming society like no other laws before them by creating inclusive architecture and city design that enables fuller civic participation not just for disable people, but for everyone. Today we are in conversation with historian Bess Williamson to talk about the history of disability and design…

Trump Signs Law Improving Disaster Planning For Those With Disabilities

June 26, 2019 | Source: Disability Scoop |

The federal government will be required to do more to consider the needs of people with disabilities when hurricanes, fires and other disasters strike under a new law signed by President Donald Trump. The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act, which was signed by the president this week, calls for the creation of a national advisory committee specifically focused on disaster planning for those with disabilities…

Advancements in medical technology give man the gift of sight after 20 years of blindness

June 26, 2019 | Source: WMUR (Video) |

Imagine, after 20 years of darkness, you finally were able to see the light. For one man, this dream became a reality when he was fitted with a bionic eye that gave him a new lease on life. Advancements in medicine are changing lives, from robotic pets helping the elderly, to exoskeletons giving paralyzed people the ability to walk and golf again, to the bionic eye Steve Myers received. Watch the episode above to learn more about how technology is transforming quality of life for people all over…

Accessibility Is Hospitality: Why The Restaurant Industry Needs To Catch Up

June 27, 2019 | Source: WBUR |

As Alzheimer’s Awareness Month winds to a close, I’ve naturally spent a lot of time thinking about my dad. In 2002, a stroke left him physically disabled; in the years that followed, his memory and speech started to deteriorate. We tried not to let his cane, and later his wheelchair, affect the rhythm and quality of his life. We traveled and took vacations, went to the movies and out to eat. My unstoppable mother kept our family on course, insisting that we conduct business as usual and not deprive ourselves or our dad of a normal family life…

Paterson teacher alleges disability discrimination in lawsuit

June 27, 2019 | Source: Paterson Times |

A foreign language teacher has filed a lawsuit accusing the Paterson school district of failing to provide her “reasonable accommodation” for her disabilities in violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. Marbel Tamayo, a Spanish teacher at School 24, had extreme difficulty in walking and using stairs due to her ongoing cancer treatment for Lymphoma, severe arthritis, and torn meniscus, C-shaped piece of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber, in both knees…

Democrats Ignored 56 Million Americans in Their Debate. They Can Avoid That Mistake Tonight

June 27, 2019 | Source: Jewish Journal |

All ten Democratic presidential candidates made clear in their debate Wednesday night that, if elected, they would pay greater attention to the weak and vulnerable of our society—whether that means suffering migrants at our borders, people who lost their savings on medical bills, victims of gun violence, working class Americans who are victims of corporate profiteering, undocumented immigrants forced to live in the shadows, and so on. It was an evening of extraordinary social compassion…

An afternoon at Imagine That!, a dynamic hub for artists with developmental disabilities

June 27, 2019 | Source: The Pitch |

It’s Community Collage Day at Imagine That!, a Crossroads studio for artists with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and I’m sitting beside Johnny B, one of my favorite artists. The center of the gallery is filled with tables covered in magazines, glue sticks, and scissors to make collages. We — Johnny, other Imagine That! artists, myself — are sorting through stacks of old magazines like National Geographic, Better Homes & Gardens, and Vogue, seeking striking, collage-friendly images…

Jack Fact — The disability charity Scope estimate that there’re 13.9m people in the UK who are disabled, yet just 10% of those who are, are wheelchair users.

Hit The Road Jack — Where Europe’s Top 10 Cities Rank for Accessibility

International News

How charities can meet the new digital accessibility standards

June 20, 2019 | Source: Charity Digital News- UK |

In the past couple of years, accessibility has gone from being an afterthought at best, to an often spoken about subject at conferences and water coolers alike. Inclusive design is now close to joining buzzwords like blockchain, machine learning and big data. But it’s not without its merit. Building on the Equality Act 2010, new regulations (Sept. 2018) give the government more leverage and power to enforce legal compliance for public sector bodies such as central government, local governments, charities and other non-government organisations…

CSV MP slams lack of progress in making bus and train stations disabled-friendly

June 20, 2019 | Source: RTL Today-Luxembourg |

The Ministry of Mobility and Public Works is currently adapting bus stops and train stations to have better accessibility for disabled people, but one MP believes the works are not progressing fast enough. CSV MP Marco Schank told the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday that whilst bus and train station adaptations in the capital were progressing well, the rest of the country is lagging miles behind. He said that RTGR buses were often not adapted to the needs of people with disabilities…

Lack of accessible software for MTD opens up exemptions

June 20, 2019 | Source: Accountancy Daily- UK |

Changes to VAT reporting mean that anyone registered for VAT above the £85,000 threshold has to keep digital VAT record and report via commercial software, rather than using the old nine-box online reporting method. HMRC is not providing in-house software for Making Tax Digital for VAT and is pushing taxpayers to buy commercial software. However, there are still very few packages available for taxpayers who have accessibility needs…

Microsoft Soundscape can help Canadians with visual impairments find their way around

June 20, 2019 | Source: Mobile Syrup- Canada |

Microsoft’s Soundscape app, which uses 3D audio cues to help individuals who are blind or partially sighted navigate the world, is coming to Canada. The free app informs users about their surroundings, such as by identifying landmarks, nearby amenities, street crossings and even the users’ favourite stores. It helps users build a mental map, acquire spatial awareness and more. Essentially, Soundscape takes the map on your phone and plays it around you in three dimensional sound…

Canada’s first federal accessibility legislation receives Royal Assent

June 21, 2019 | Source: Newswire- Canada |

Accessible Canada Act passes, but Canada still lags behind the world in website accessibility

June 26, 2019 | Source: IT Business- Canada |

Every Canadian deserves the opportunity to participate fully in their community and workplace, and to have an equal chance at success. The Government of Canada developed the Accessible Canada Act to remove the barriers to inclusion persons with disabilities continue to face in society every day. Today, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, attended the Royal Assent Ceremony at the Senate of Canada for Bill C-81, the Government of Canada’s landmark accessibility legislation…

Canadian Transportation Agency announces plans to enhance accessibility of Canada’s national transportation system

June 21, 2019 | Source: Yahoo- Canada & Mass Transit |

Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act , which received Royal Assent today, will provide the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) with new tools to help advance the accessibility of the national transportation system. Once in force, this legislation will provide the CTA with: own motion powers to initiate investigations, upon approval of the Minister of Transport, regardless of whether a formal complaint has been made; new power to award compensation for lost wages, pain and suffering, and willful or reckless practice when an adjudication finds that there was an undue barrier to the mobility of persons with disabilities…

How accessible is the public transport system?

June 23, 2019 | Source: Easier- UK |

Across the UK a lot of the population choose public transport to get from A to B. The Department for Transport’s Transport Statistics, Great Britain 2018: Moving Britain Ahead, had leaked a report that revealed that 4.85 billion local bus passengers were completed through the UK during 2017/2018 and National Rail completed 1.71 billion passenger journeys. During the same period, 270 million passengers used light rail and tram systems, which is a record since comparable records were documented.

Accessible India. Is your website accessible for the differently abled?

June 24, 2019 | Source: Obhan & Associates- India |

In a move to better the lives of the differently abled in India, the Government of India, enacted the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (“Act”). After almost a decade’s wait, the Act came into effect on 30th December 2016 replacing the earlier act of 1995. Pursuant to this Act, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment issued the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2017 (“Rules”). The Accessible India Campaign or Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, a nation-wide flagship program launched by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3rd December 2015…

Commonly prescribed drugs are tied to nearly 50% higher dementia risk in older adults, study says

June 24, 2019 | Source: CNN- UK |

Tandridge businesses asked to provide accessibility improvements for people living with dementia

June 24, 2019 | Source: County Border News- UK |

Scientists have long found a possible link between anticholinergic drugs and an increased risk of dementia. A study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday suggests that the link is strongest for certain classes of anticholinergic drugs — particularly antidepressants, bladder antimuscarinics, antipsychotics and antiepileptic drugs. Researchers wrote in the study that “there was nearly a 50% increased odds of dementia” associated with a total anticholinergic exposure of more than 1,095 daily doses within a 10-year period…

Overhaul of sick pay and housing for disabled people announced

June 24, 2019 | Source: Hereford Times- UK |

An overhaul of sick pay and housing for disabled people has been announced by the Prime Minister. Up to 300,000 new accessible and adaptable homes could be delivered every year, Theresa May believes, and reform of statutory sick pay should focus on flexibility and covering the lowest-paid. The changes are among a package of measures announced by Theresa May to support the one in five working age people with a disability. Mrs May said: “My determination to identify and tackle injustices, wherever they exist in society, remains as strong as ever…

Lloyds becomes the first bank to sign up to ‘Mental Health Accessible’ standards

June 25, 2019 | Source: Money Saving Expert- UK |

Lloyds Bank has become the first major organisation to sign up to the Mental Health Accessible standards, which have been created to make essential services easier to use for millions of people. The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) – set up by MSE founder and chair Martin Lewis – has today launched the standards which aim to make life easier for those who struggle to make telephone calls, open post or navigate complex online forms due to mental health problems…

Accessibility and inclusion front of mind at City of Perths Winter Fest Theatre

June 25, 2019 | Source: Mirage News- Australia |

The City of Perth’s Winter Fest Theatre will focus on more accessibility and inclusion features this year, with select shows including an Auslan interpreter, audio description service and more. Located in Forrest Place, the Winter Fest Theatre is one of the major activations of Winter Fest 2019 and will see an impressive program of free shows across the winter school holidays featuring magicians, acrobats, comedians, jugglers, singers and more. The accessibility features will be rolled out across select shows…

Implementing SC Orders

June 26, 2019 | Source: Daily FT- Sri Lanka |

The Supreme Court on 18 April has ordered six Ministries, their Secretaries and three Government authorities to take immediate several effective measures to be enforced in the design and construction of all parts of new buildings and services the public needs to use – as defined in the Gazetted Accessibility Regulations No: 1 of 2006 – and thereby be made easy and safe to access and use, especially by persons with restricted mobility…

The National Disability Insurance website below best practice standard for accessibility

June 26, 2019 | Source: News- Australia |

You would expect the website for the National Disability Insurance Scheme to be accessible for anyone with a disability, right? A disability rights advocate warns navigating the site could be overly challenging for some, while a rating of online accessibility puts it below best practice. Paul Harpur, a law lecturer from The University of Queensland, lost his vision after a train accident and said the NDIS website is flawed for people that rely on screen readers…

Government launches consultation to make new homes more accessible

June 26, 2019 | Source: Property Wire- UK |

Higher accessibility standards for new housing are to be introduced in the UK as part of a wider plan to make sure disabled people are not facing discrimination. Prime Minister Theresa May said that it is widely recognising that too many disabled people still live in unsuitable homes and she announced a consultation on mandating higher accessibility standards for new homes. The aim is to deliver up to 300,000 new accessible and adaptable homes every year and guidance will also be published to help councils meet current standards for accessible housing in England…

London is ageing. How can the city’s form and services keep up?

June 25, 2019 | Source: City Metric- England |

Walk round parts of central London and you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a city of young people. This blind spot extends to the unthinking way those without mobility impediments get around the stairs, tube escalators, barriers, broken paving slabs and high pavements that crowd our streets. Yet for the 1.2 million Londoners with a disability, these streets are not a helpful pathway but an obstacle course that may be simply impossible to traverse. Despite the Mayor’s £200m extra investment to make the transport network more accessible…

Accessibility auditor fighting to ensure spaces are disability-friendly

June 25, 2019 | Source: Cape Talk |

Accessibility and inclusion auditor Tarryn Tomlinson speaks to CapeTalks Refilwe Moloto about some of the work she does in ensuring that public spaces are accessible to people with disabilities. She says she started working on auditing public spaces after she realised how frustrating it can be for a person using a wheelchair not to be able to access a bathroom due to small infrastructural design. Her focus is primarily auditing hotels. After spending time overseas, she realised that hotels in South Africa are not fully accessible to people with disabilities…

PM launches new accessibility standards for disabled people

June 25, 2019 | Source: Planning, BIM & Construction Today- UK |

Injustices faced by disabled people in the workplace, at home and in the community will be tackled through a new package of accessibility measures ordered by the Prime Minister. Higher accessibility standards for new housing, an overhaul of statutory sick pay, and greater workplace support are part of renewed efforts to ensure disabled people can fully participate in society. With around a fifth of the working-age population living with a disability, the Prime Minister has also announced a new cross-government disability team…

How accessible technology is overcoming barriers in the workplace

June 25, 2019 | Source: Verdict- UK |

From initial applications and training, to workplace systems and most forms of workplace communication, technology is becoming an integral part of almost every career path. While many employees take for granted the benefits of using technology in the workplace, for some technology risks creating barriers rather than making jobs easier. From learning difficulties such as dyslexia, hearing or visual impairments that impact communication to physical disabilities that may make using conventional hardware challenging…

Carleton Creates Canadian Accessibility Network

June 26, 2019 | Source: Carleton Newsroom- Canada |

Building on its reputation as Canada’s most accessible university, Carleton University is launching the Canadian Accessibility Network – the first entity of its kind in the country. The announcement follows the historic passage of the federal government’s Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act. The bill sets groundbreaking accessibility standards for the Government of Canada and organizations under its jurisdiction to ensure that public spaces, workplaces, employment, programs, services and information are accessible to everyone…

Making air travel accessible to all

June 26, 2019 | Source: Gulf Times- Qatar |

More than 1bn people live with disabilities around the world, representing 15% of the global population. This number is increasing due to population ageing and the rapid spread of chronic diseases, as well as due to refinements in the methodologies used to measure disability, says the World Health Organisation (WHO). While this signifies a huge potential market for travel and tourism, it still remains vastly under-served due to inaccessible facilities and services, as well as discriminatory policies and practices, according to the United Nations…

Funding for transport training centre for people with disabilities

June 26, 2019 | Source: Belfast Telegraph- Ireland |

People with disabilities will have access to a new national transport training centre next year to help them to confidently and independently use public transport, an Oireachtas committee has heard. Transport Minster Shane Ross announced funding for the centre at the Transport Committee on Wednesday where he updated members on the accessibility of public transport for people with disabilities. “This will be a state of the art indoor accessible transport training centre which will empower people with access needs when preparing for and during their journey using public transport,” Mr Ross said…

Progress, but not for people with disability

June 27, 2019 | Source: Pro Bono- Australia |

“Usually, the best way to do inclusion and access is that it’s already there,” Wolf told Pro Bono News. “So you don’t ask people if they need a ramp, the ramp is there. You don’t ask people if they need a lift, because the lift and the access to the lift is there already.” Upon entering the packed Melbourne Town Hall, where the conference was held last week, she realised there was no crowd control. For an able-bodied person, this might not be more than a minor inconvenience…

Music develops the spoken language of the hearing-impaired

June 27, 2019 | Source: Science Daily- Finland |

Researchers have compiled guidelines for international use for utilizing music to support the development of spoken language. The guidelines are suitable for the parents of children with hearing impairments, early childhood education providers, teachers, speech therapists and other rehabilitators of children with hearing disabilities, as well as the hearing-impaired themselves. Finnish researchers have compiled guidelines for international use for utilising music to support the development of spoken language…

Disabled students act over university’s ‘immoral and amoral’ discrimination

June 27, 2019 | Source: Disability New Service- England |

Disabled students are taking legal action against their university over claims of disability discrimination, claiming the way they have been treated is “immoral and amoral”. They have also launched a petition, which has been signed by more than 200 supporters. The claims centre on the failure of London South Bank University to provide the support needed by students with learning difficulties such as dyslexia. They say that about 20 disabled London South Bank (LSBU) students are supporting the petition…

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