Accessibility in the News — 3/8/2024.

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth recently joined U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to highlight the U.S. Department of Transportation’s proposed rule aimed at improving the consumer experience for passengers with disabilities. The rule focuses on enhancing aviation accessibility, providing accommodations, and addressing the mishandling of wheelchairs by airlines. Duckworth, Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation, discussed her legislation and efforts to prioritize the rights of air travelers with disabilities. Emphasizing the importance of dignified treatment, Duckworth reflected on her past achievements, such as the first law requiring airlines to disclose the number of lost and damaged wheelchairs. The proposed rule and Duckworth’s ongoing initiatives aim to ensure full and total access in transportation systems for all Americans, promoting accountability, accessibility, and respect for passengers with disabilities.

NOTE: To get news like this every week in your inbox, before it hits our website, subscribe to our Accessibility in the News e-newsletter. There are no ads or graphics, and we never send spam. Just use the sign-up form on this page to subscribe and stay up to date!

Feature Story

Skip to National News (U.S.) | Skip to International News

More Accessibility Resources on this Page

Accessibility Blogs and Information | Accessibility Announcements and Products
Accessibility Fourms, Tips and Gaming | Accessibility Statement Pages
Higher Education Blogs and Information | Federally Speaking
Legal Blogs and Information | Microassist Accessibility Services

AITN Quote of the Week

Accessibility in the News- Knowledge is Power

“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” ― Raymond Linquist

New York Times Bestseller | Legacy | A black physician reckons with racism in medicine | By Uche Blackstock MD

Legacy- Uché Blackstock, MD

Feature Stories

Senator Duckworth Discusses Wheelchair Rule She Secured And Biden Administration’s Efforts To Improve Aviation Accessibility With DOT Secretary Buttigieg

March 1, 2024 | Source: RiverBender

Proposed Federal Rules Aim To Keep Airlines From Breaking Passengers’ Wheelchairs

March 1, 2024 | Source: HuffPost

DOT Proposes Consequential Changes to Air Carrier Disability Accessibility Regulations

March 5, 2024 | Source: Cozen O’Connor

What the DOT’s disability guidelines can teach us about accessibility comms

March 6, 2024 | Source: Ragan Communications

Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation—joined U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to highlight the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new proposed rule to improve the consumer experience for passengers with disabilities, prioritize aviation accessibility as well as provide accommodations and the repair or replacement of damaged wheelchairs if mishandled by airlines..

National News (U.S.)

Pilot program reviews New Haven businesses for accessibility: ‘Yelp for the disability community’

February 29, 2024 | Source: New Haven Register

Sarah Spear recalls the frustration of trying to find recreational activities for her daughter, who has multiple disabilities related to a rare genetic disease. They ended up finding a martial arts program that suited her, but that was after a lot of trial and error. Spear belonged to a virtual community of parents of children with disabilities that shared business recommendations, Spear said, such as praising a restaurant for wheelchair accessibility or handling a child’s meltdown. Now, Spear is using her business background to “digitize that word-of-mouth experience” as founder and CEO of Empowered Together…

Nonprofit founder for adaptive hiking in Colorado calls for more accessible trails statewide

February 29, 2024 | Source: KKTV

A Colorado adaptive hiking foundation has three events on its calendar taking place in Colorado Springs. These opportunities are for adapted athletes with limited mobility, but generally for anyone interested in a hiking community. A ‘trail trial’ is happening Saturday at the Garden of the Gods. The Lockwood Foundation says their trail trials are point-of-entry hikes. It’s where adaptive athletes, family members, friends, and volunteers can come and meet the team, check out and try their adaptive equipment, and then go for a short hike..

Disabled Actors Deserve To Blend Into The Background, Too

February 29, 2024 | Source: HuffPost

Towards the end of the first episode of Netflix’s newest Harlan Coben series, “Fool Me Once,” I animatedly turned to my wife and shouted “Look! A wheelchair user!” The scene was a backyard picnic, with two shots of a character in her wheelchair, and a few other shots where her wheelchair was not visible. It certainly wasn’t a moment calling for an Emmy, but the simplicity of it is precisely why I was so enthusiastic. Released at the top of the year, “Fool Me Once” is an eight-part British television series by Quay Street Productions as part of a multimillion dollar, five-year contract that Coben signed with the streaming service Netflix…

Discover Kalamazoo to use state grant to show community’s accessibility to travelers

March 1, 2024 | Source: Second Wave Media

Accessibility isn’t a new concept for Kalamazoo. In 1945, the country’s first curb cuts were added to sidewalks in the city’s downtown to accommodate wheelchairs. “That was created as a response to the advocacy of World War II vets because so many vets were injured during that war. But it doesn’t just help people in wheelchairs. It helps moms with strollers or dads with strollers or anyone else,” says Jane Ghosh, president and CEO of Discover Kalamazoo. Her office overlooks the last known original curb cut, on the northeast corner of North Church and West Michigan Avenue…

Museum Hopping in Downtown Detroit

March 1, 2024 | Source: New Mobility

For several decades, some very bad policy, politics and the loss of tens of thousands of good jobs placed Detroit pretty low on many people’s travel lists. Much has changed, especially for those who love urban vacations highlighted by historic architecture, world-class museums, countless entertainment and sports venues, eclectic eats and reliable public transportation. All this and other amenities give Detroit an enduring sense of place and significance befitting a great American city…

Why women are being diagnosed with ADHD more frequently

March 1, 2024 | Source: KFYR

When someone mentions ADHD, you might picture an energetic boy who has trouble focusing in class; however, more and more women are being diagnosed with ADHD. If you’re a woman with ADHD, it’s likely you weren’t diagnosed as a child. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Rebecca Woolsey at Archway Mental Health Services said in school, a lot of girls with this disorder fly under the radar. Their symptoms can look different from boys, and a lot of girls become good at “masking” their disorder…

‘VOICES’: Disabled Artists Showcase raises the standard for representation and accessibility in the performing arts

March 2, 2024 | Source: Daily Forty-Niner

Stomping Ground L.A. (SGLA), a community arts center located in the El Sereno neighborhood of East Los Angeles, held its first iteration of the Disabled Artists Showcase – a subset of the already running “VOICES” project.

According to their website, SGLA, “..is a community arts center for professionals and the public to engage in artistic work and inspire all people to lead creative and expressive lives.” The project began in February 2022 and has produced a variety of showcases that represent artists within the Black, Latinx/Indigenous, Asian American and Pacific Islander and LGBTQ+ communities…

Travelmation advisor champions accessible travel

March 3, 2024 | Source: Travel Weekly

Jordana Izzo has always been a traveler, well before the West Warwick, R.I., resident decided to become a travel advisor in 2019. Then, just shy of her first son’s second birthday in 2020, she learned he had autism. “When my son was diagnosed, there were so many people that told me, ‘You’re going to have to slow down’ and ‘You’re going to have to stop traveling,’ and I was like, well, why?” Izzo said. “Why can’t I travel? Why can’t I do that?” Salvatore is now 5 and a big brother to 2-year-old Leonardo. And the Izzos all travel…

Augusta preps for election season, helping with more accessibility at the polls

March 3, 2024 | Source: WRDW

The Richmond County Board of Elections teamed up with the “I Vote My Vote” campaign, to help voters with disabilities practice casting their ballots for upcoming elections. Poll workers and people from the National Federation of the Blind, Georgia Garden City Chapter, helped while encouraging people who are learning the process for the first time. It’s a learning process that comes in a few forms. People got to practice and cast their votes using headphones and a remote…

PROWAG Can Make Cities More Accessible — So Here’s What You Need to Know

March 4, 2024 | Source: Streetsblog USA

Accessibility in the United States has been guided by the Americans with Disabilities Act since the 1990s — but it doesn’t touch on the public right of way. Fortunately, the Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines — also known as PROWAG — address this subject, but they don’t fully incorporate the input of individuals who need accessible infrastructure the most. Adoption of the ADA and subsequent amendments have been the greatest achievements of the disability rights movement…

Charleston officials working on accessibility options within city boundaries

March 4, 2024 | Source: Live 5 News

Charleston officials are looking to bring better accessibility into the city while maintaining the character of historic properties. While many changes have been made since ADA was implemented in the 90s, ADA Coordinator Janet Schumacher says there is always more to be done. “There have been hundreds of curb cuts in the City of Charleston, almost all buildings to be perfectly accessible,” Schumacher says. “There is still a lot to do. We are working on our parks right now.”…

Following complaint, Guilford inn moves to enhance accessibility

February 25, 2024 | Source: Hartford Business Journal

A Comfort Inn in Guilford is making several changes to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), following a complaint lodged by a customer to federal authorities. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, it received an ADA complaint from an individual alleging that the hotel’s staff refused to allow him to stay there with his service animal. The man also alleged that the business wasn’t accessible to people who need to use wheelchairs…

The New York Times Sued After Firing Employee Needing Brain Surgery

March 6, 2024 | Source: The Daily Beast and HR Grapevine

A former disability accessibility manager for The New York Times claims the newspaper threatened her with a poor performance review for continuing to sound the alarm over the company’s disability access problems before ultimately firing her shortly after she informed the Times she needed time off for brain surgery. In a complaint filed in New York County court on Wednesday, Chandra Carney alleges that the newspaper violated the New York State and City Human Rights Law when it terminated her employment last year…

Black people half as likely to be evaluated for genetic testing as white people

March 6, 2024 | Source: Eureka Alert

Genetic testing has become a more common way to diagnose and manage many neurologic conditions including dementia, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy, but a new study has found not everyone may have the same level of access to these tests. Black people were half as likely as white people to be evaluated for genetic testing, according to a study published in the March 6, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology…

Missoula accessible housing residents raise concerns over unaddressed maintenance

March 6, 2024 | Source: NBC Montana

Several residents at Missoula’s Eagle Watch Estates tell NBC Montana their maintenance concerns aren’t being addressed. NBC Montana spoke with multiple residents at the affordable living facility over the last few weeks, which provides housing for people with disabilities. The property is owned by Accessible Space Incorporated and funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Residents did not wish to be identified out of fear of retaliation, but they allowed the inside of their apartments to be filmed…

NY library won’t let man with autism use children’s room; family protests ‘callous’ move

March 7, 2024 | Source: Lohud

Matt Maillet loves books. He loves music. And he loves libraries. At age 31 with dual developmental disabilities, autism and Prader-Willi Syndrome, Matt goes with his caregiver or parents to local libraries for children’s programs. A favorite has been the West Harrison Library. Their activities provide him entertainment and socialization opportunities. But Kayla Brown, who supports Matt, said during a recent visit to the children’s room at West Harrison, she was told Matt could not be in that area…

How accessible are Durham’s art spaces? An advocate weighs in

March 7, 2024 | Source: WUNC

If you’ve never needed accommodations to view, hear or experience the artwork in museums and galleries or the performances in theaters around the Triangle, you may never have considered the work it takes to provide an equitable experience to all. Dan Ellison has devoted much of his professional life to ensuring that this work is done in Durham, Raleigh and beyond. He joins Due South co-host Leoneda Inge to discuss the progress being made in art spaces throughout the community — and the work that is yet to be done…

Google Used a Black, Deaf Worker to Tout Its Diversity. Now She’s Suing for Discrimination

March 7, 2024 | Source: Wired

Jalon Hall thought she was being scammed when a recruiter reached out on LinkedIn about a job moderating YouTube videos in 2020. Months after earning a master’s degree in criminal justice, her only job had been at a law firm investigating discrimination cases. But the offer was real, and Hall, who is Black and Deaf, sailed through the interviews. She would be part of a new in-house moderation team of about 100 people called Wolverine, trudging daily through freezing weather to offices in suburban Detroit during the early pandemic…

A Recent History of the Academy’s Accessibility and Disability Inclusion Efforts

March 7, 2024 | Source: The Hollywood Reporter

The 2021 Oscars was the first time a front-facing ramp was an integrated element of the Academy Awards’ custom-built stage. Academy member Jim LeBrecht, who uses a wheelchair, initiated the effort and executed it alongside his Crip Camp co-director Nicole Newnham and executive producer Howard Gertler after an Oscar nomination for the Obama-produced Netflix doc seemed on the horizon. The ramp, present for years at disability-focused ceremonies like the Media Access Awards, marked a visible shift for mainstream Hollywood’s focus in the diversity, equity and inclusion space…

Jack Fact — According to the CDC, Over 7 million Americans are blind or have vision loss which is 2% of the total U.S. population.

Hit The Road Jack — Glenelg’s accessibility beach mats open 24/7 and Just Back From MSC Euribia: What’s It Like Cruising With a Mobility Scooter?

International News

Advocates say N.B.’s plan for improving accessibility misses the mark

March 1, 2024 | Source: CBC- Canada

The province is set to table legislation in the spring that aims to improve accessibility for those with disabilities, but advocates say the plan misses the mark. The legislation emphasizes what’s called “universal design,” which means everything — from buildings and the environment to individual products — is designed to be accessible to all people, regardless of their ability or disability. Shelly Petit, of the New Brunswick Coalition of Persons with Disabilities, hopes it will be a foundational shift in the province for the growing number of people who struggle with mobility…

Swan Businesses Lead Way With Accessibility

March 1, 2024 | Source: Mirage News- Australia

On the back of a highly successful pilot program, we are launching a campaign to help local businesses become more accessible and reach more customers. The Accessible and Inclusive Business Initiative will encourage businesses to conduct a review of their premises to identify any gaps in their accessibility. They can do this by completing a self-assessment, engaging a paid consultant or participating in a free program for businesses. The results of the review will provide business owners with recommended improvements…

Provide Wheelchairs, Budget Provision To Aid Members’ Environmental Accessibility, NAPWPD Urges Govts

March 1, 2024 | Source: Kogi Reports- Nigeria

The National Association of Persons With Physical Disabilities (NAPWPD) has urged federal and state governments, corporate organisations and wealthy individuals to provide more wheelchairs and budgetary allocations to members to make the environment accessible to them. Mr Rilwan Mohammed, NAPWPD National President, made the call at a news conference in Lokoja on Friday in celebration of the International Wheelchair Day. Mohammed said: “Today’s celebration serves as a reminder of how important wheelchairs are to millions of individuals around the world…

Advocate pushes Comox for better accessibility in downtown core

March 1, 2024 | Source: Comox Valley Record- Canada

Julia Tait was hoping for change, but it was a fall and subsequent injury that motivated her to take the next step in making Comox – and the larger Valley – a more accessible place. Tait, 27, is legally blind and was born with Apert syndrome, but strives for independence in the Valley. (Apert syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes fusion of the skull, hands, and feet bones. It occurs in one out of every 65,000 to 88,000 births.) Recently, she presented Comox council with a request to increase accessibility through painting or upkeep of existing markings of poorly marked curbs and steps, particularly in the downtown core…

With Para Nordic Games on the way, is Prince George accessible enough?

March 1, 2024 | Source: CKPG Today- Canada

Prince George will soon be welcoming hundreds of para-athletes for the Para Nordic World Cup Finals, but Rodney Hodgins, a community member with mobility impairments, believes Prince George isn’t accessible enough for many people. “I think Prince George has a lot of work to be done still with accessibility. It’s getting better, but they need to improve it,” he said. Many things that most people take for granted, such as walking down the sidewalk or parking your car, can be a significant challenge when you’re living in a wheelchair…

GO train rider raises ongoing accessibility signage concerns

March 2, 2024 | Source: Mississauga News- Canada

A GO train rider is raising concerns about signage onboard the accessibility coach he rides in daily from Mississauga to downtown Toronto. Mississauga resident Terry MacPhee says he takes the eastbound train from Port Credit station at 7:35 a.m. and sits in the accessibility coach with a friend who is deaf. The onboard sign that should display station stops often doesn’t work or doesn’t exist, he says. MacPhee said he has sent countless complaints to provincial transit agency Metrolinx, but the issue hasn’t been solved…

Public building lifts to have voice announcement: CPWD | India News

March 3, 2024 | Source: The Indian Express- India

Over one year after the Centre notified updated accessibility standards and guidelines in October 2022, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has now ordered all its regional offices to comply with some of its provisions, including adding audio announcements inside elevators and demarcating emergency evacuation routes inside all public buildings. Writing to all chief engineers across its regional offices, the CPWD headquarters last month asked them to make “all buildings accessible to persons with disabilities (PwD)”…

We can use curbs to shape the future of accessibility and mobility

March 3, 2024 | Source: The Varsity- Canada

The curb is an often overlooked feature of street design, but behind its unassuming presence lies the intermediary between pedestrian and driver, automobiles and bipedalism. Curbs are the mediator of urbanity — marking boundaries, dictating movement, and ensuring safety in a realm where vehicles might meet human vulnerability. But what happens when this aspect of road planning is neglected? How might we better utilize curbs to increase street safety for all transit modes? Better curbs, to me, start from building them for pedestrians who use them instead of constructing them with only cars in mind…

Creating accessible workplaces through education

March 3, 2024 | Source: Business in Vancouver- Canada

In considering accessibility, organizations in B.C.’s public and private sectors have been examining how the physical spaces they occupy can be made more inclusive of all employees and stakeholders. As a result, a growing number of business leaders are turning to educational resources to understand what accessibility means for their respective organizations and – ultimately – more light being shed on how fostering greater inclusion through accessibility can create a positive return on investment, according to those who spoke to BIV…

‘Excited for it to reopen’: Disability advocates weigh in on Portage and Main plan

March 3, 2024 | Source: CTV News Winnipeg- Canada

Disability advocates are looking forward to the possibility of Winnipeg’s iconic intersection reopening to pedestrians. On Friday, Winnipeg mayor Scott Gillingham announced his plan to reopen Portage and Main to pedestrians by summer 2025. The Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) and Barrier-Free Manitoba said the move will make the intersection more accessible and easier to navigate. “I’m kind of excited for it to reopen,” said MLPD executive director Melissa Graham. “I think it would be a big step towards bringing greater accessibility and inclusion to downtown and to the city.”…

Disability culture is something you are a part of — not something that is happening to you

March 4, 2024 | Source: CBC- Canada

As a child, I was often ashamed of my disability. I fell into the “bitter cripple” stereotype. I didn’t want to be around people with intellectual disabilities because I thought I would be more independent if I ran away from the community rather than toward it. I shunned disability culture. Fast forward 15 years, and I was performing in a theatre show with Listen to Dis’ Community Arts Organization, Saskatchewan’s only disability-led disability arts non-profit. (It’s an organization that I worked for and now consult with.)…

RBC empowers persons with disabilities to thrive

March 4, 2024 | Source: The Globe and Mail- Canada

Before Ahmed A. launched his career with RBC, he had spent six fruitless years looking for his ideal job. He says that despite his academic and professional qualifications, he could always tell by the tone of the questions about his visual impairment that he wouldn’t be invited back for a second interview. But in his first interview for a six-month internship with RBC, he says he spoke for the first time with someone eager to help him be successful. That included assurances upon receiving approval that the technology in the office where he’d be working could be made compatible with his personal screen-reading software…

Why digital accessibility is key to recruiting a neurodivergent workforce

March 4, 2024 | Source: HR Magazine- UK

A new and important government-backed report has outlined a raft of recommendations that are designed to support autistic people getting into, and staying in, employment. The Buckland Review of Autism Employment was commissioned by work and pensions secretary Mel Stride and led by Sir Robert Buckland KC, after figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) showed that only around 30% of working-age autistic people are in employment…

Visual and verbal cues are helping Metrobus improve its accessibility

March 4, 2024 | Source: CBC- Canada

Metrobus is taking more steps toward becoming more accessible, and riders will see and hear some changes — even if they do not need to rely on them. Over the past year, the company has seen record ridership numbers, and has even struggled to keep up with demand. But some new-to-St. John’s technology may makes things a little easier for riders. Metrobus general manager Judy Powell told CBC News changes are coming that include more wheelchair accessible buses and adding audible announcements for upcoming stops…

One quarter of disabled people avoid public transport due to inaccessibility

March 4, 2024 | Source: Learning Disability Today- UK

One quarter of disabled and elderly people say they avoid using the public transport system in the UK due to accessibility issues, according to a new survey. The research, conducted by Oak Tree Mobility, found that 93% of respondents who travelled by train in the past six months faced challenges such as getting on and off the train (60%), getting to and from the station (44%), and navigating the train station (40%). Over half of disabled passengers also said they did not feel confident planning a journey via public transport due to a lack of accessible information….

Kiryat Bialik Continues To Invest In Accessibility

March 4, 2024 | Source: Haipo- Israel

Kiryat Bialik Municipality continues to invest in accessibility both physically and educationally. Surveyors of the Kiryat Bialik accessible community continue to map the city to make it accessible to those with special needs. The reviewers went out to check the Sabinia shopping center, which is currently in the final stages of the renovation and upgrading process. The surveyors examined the sidewalks, the slopes, the intensity of the lighting and public disabled services…

Robots in social care: the human touch at risk

March 5, 2024 | Source: Social Europe- Europe

Can robots feel responsibility and commitment? Can they offer sympathy, compassion and kindness? Can they tell if someone is feeling lonely, sad, fearful or depressed? Can robots be caring? A report commissioned by the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)—‘Carebots’ and the care crisis—explores how technology is affecting care homes for the elderly and what it means for care work, now and in the future. It is said we are on the cusp of an automation revolution promising to revolutionise support and companionship for senior citizens…

Think tank calls on political leaders to close the transport accessibility gap

March 5, 2024 | Source: THIIS Magazine- UK

Barriers to transport curtail the ambitions and potential of disabled people, proving costly to the country, which misses out on their valuable contribution to society and the economy, according to a charter by cross-party think tank Policy Connect and the Accessible Transport Policy Commission. ‘Closing the transport accessibility gap: Making transport accessible for disabled people’, is a charter that calls for local and regional political leaders to eliminate barriers to travel…

Halifax student launches petition to improve school accessibility

March 5, 2024 | Source: CBC- Canada

Technology education is one of Lux Melanson’s favourite courses at Fairview Junior High School, so it bothers her that some students can’t get to the classroom. The school has an elevator but it doesn’t serve the lower-level, where the classroom is located, so students who use mobility aids can’t access it, the 15-year-old said. “It gets me so upset,” she said. “I can’t imagine how upsetting it must be for somebody to not be able to take part in a whole class.” Melanson, who is in Grade 9, started a petition as part of a school project, calling for the installation of a stairlift as well as accessible furniture and wider doorways…

What is India’s disability law; how accessible are govt buildings to PwD?

March 5, 2024 | Source: The Indian Express- India

The Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the central government’s flagship infrastructure construction and maintenance management agency, has asked its regional offices to ensure that “all [public] buildings [are] accessible to people with disabilities”. Lifts must have both audio announcements and visual displays, and emergency evacuation routes for persons with disabilities (PwD) must be “appropriately” displayed, with signage in Braille. The CPWD order aims at much-delayed compliance with a law that came into effect almost seven years ago…

Vancouver mayor playing ‘disingenuous’ accessibility politics, says critic

March 6, 2024 | Source: CTV News- Canada

When Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and Park Board Commissioner Jaspreet Virdi announced an “emergency motion” benefiting people with disabilities this week, not everyone was impressed by the city’s efforts. What Gabrielle Peters saw was politicians from the ruling ABC party taking credit for one inclusivity measure that effectively already exists – and taking credit for a separate proposal, developed independently from the party with input from the disability community, that is going before city council next week…

Group calls on government to withdraw Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill

March 7, 2024 | Source: RNZ News- New Zealand

A protest organiser said up to 100 people marched to Parliament this afternoon to deliver a petition to guarantee accessibility for everyone in New Zealand. Access Matters Aotearoa want the government to withdraw the Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill, and draft a new bill that aligns more closely with the expectations of the disability sector. Its calling for minimum enforceable standards that would help address accessibility issues that impacts millions of New Zealanders…

Websites in Japan becoming more friendly to people with disabilities

March 7, 2024 | Source: The Japan Times- Japan

Private business operators in Japan are gearing up to comply with upcoming legal requirements mandating “reasonable consideration” for people with disabilities. Against this backdrop, an increasing number of organizations, both in the private and public sectors, are embracing solutions provided by a French startup. The solutions allow for adjustments to website design settings in line with users’ visual, motor and cognitive capabilities, facilitating a more comfortable browsing experience for people with disabilities…

Uber ordered to pay user $35,000 and provide accessible rides in B.C.

March 7, 2024 | Source: Vancouver Sun- Canada

Uber Canada has been ordered to pay $35,000 to a man who uses a wheelchair after the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal found he was discriminated against because of his disability. The ride-hailing app was also ordered to offer those with disabilities accessible rides according to the ruling this week. Complainant Martin Bauer was granted the award “as compensation for injury to his dignity, feelings and self respect,” stated the ruling by tribunal member Amber Prince…

Accessible salon is a sanctuary for wheelchair users, balcony fall beautician says

March 7, 2024 | Source: BBC- UK

A beautician left paralysed after a balcony fall has opened an accessible salon where people should “not feel like a burden for needing extra support”. Maddi Neale-Shankster, from Coventry, made the decision after struggling to access beauty treatments. She said she hoped the salon would be a sanctuary for wheelchair users and the able-bodied alike. A place where people did not feel judged, she said. Ms Neale-Shankster was injured last year after falling 60ft (18.2m) while holidaying with friends on the island of Koh Phangan…

Accessibility Blogs, Information, and Videos

Federally Speaking

Higher Education Blogs and Information

Legal Blogs and Information

Accessibility Announcements

Accessibility Products

Accessibility Forums, Tips, and Gaming

Accessibility Statements

Microassist Digital Accessibility Services

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

Services include:

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

Learn More About Digital Accessibility

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

Our most popular commentaries include:

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

Subscribe to Accessibility in the News

Stay informed! Get your weekly update on digital accessibility standards, private and public sector trends, litigation, events, and more.

Name(Required)

First Last

Work Email(Required)

Job Title(Required)

Organization(Required)

Name

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.