Accessibility in the News — 1/27/2023.

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Feature Stories

Plaintiffs Set a New Record for Website Accessibility Lawsuit Filings in 2022

January 23, 2023 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw

ADA Lawsuits in the Last Five Years: Trends and Take-Aways

January 21, 2023 | Source: DigitalA11Y

2022 was another record setting year for website accessibility lawsuits filed in federal court. The total number of lawsuits filed in federal court alleging that plaintiffs with a disability could not use websites because they were not designed to be accessible and/or work with assistive technologies in 2022 was 3,255–360 more than 2021. This 12% increase in the number of lawsuits in 2022 is just slightly lower than the 14% 2021 increase, and matches the 12% increase we saw in 2020…

National News (U.S.)

One Way to a Better City: Ask Disabled People to Design It

January 19, 2023 | Source: Curbed

What would it be like to live in a city designed by, or at least with, the disabled? For starters, that metropolis’s main public library and its most august museum would not sit atop monumental staircases. The designer, historian, and Parsons professor David Gissen opens his book The Architecture of Disability with a description of the day in 1990 when dozens of protesters jettisoned crutches and wheelchairs and hauled themselves up the U.S. Capitol steps on their stomachs or backs…

Sundance Jury Walks Out of ‘Magazine Dreams’ Premiere Over Failure to Provide Captioning

January 21, 2023 | Source: IndieWire and MovieWeb and Deadline and Screen Daily and Vulture and MyNorthwest and HUFFPOST

Jurors for the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival walked out of Friday night’s premiere of “Magazine Dreams” due to a dispute about accessibility for hearing-impaired audience members. Jury members, including Jeremy O. Harris and Eliza Hittman, stood in solidarity with their fellow juror Marlee Matlin when a closed captioning device provided to her did not work. A Sundance spokesperson told IndieWire that the captioning devices, which are built into the backs of the seats in the theater, functioned properly in tech rehearsals but malfunctioned once a large audience was in the room…

Fountain Valley to build its first universally accessible playground

January 21, 2023 | Source: Los Angeles Times

Fountain Valley will be placing a playground suitable for all individuals in its central gathering place by the end of the year. Plans for a universally accessible playground were approved by the Fountain Valley City Council on Tuesday. The play area is expected to cost about $1.72 million. A $1.45-million contract was awarded to PlayPower LT Farmington for construction. The vendor will partner with Unlimited Play — a nonprofit that helps to have fully accessible playgrounds built — to fundraise for and promote the project to the community…

A towering debate in Door County about accessibility and historic preservation

January 23, 2023 | Source: Madison

What plan is ultimately approved, if any, is anyone’s guess. A $1 million proposal to repair and preserve the 75-foot-tall historic observation tower at Potawatomi State Park would appease preservationists but do nothing to make the structure near Sturgeon Bay accessible to those with mobility issues. The Department of Natural Resources is considering a plan that would either repair the tower or replace it. But in both cases it would include a 1,300-foot-long ramp that would add nearly $5 million to the price tag of the Door County structure…

Avondale’s Belmont Blue Line Station To Get Elevator, Other ‘Long Overdue’ Accessibility Upgrades

January 23, 2023 | Source: Block Club Chicago

A multi-million-dollar project will bring an elevator and other upgrades to Avondale’s Belmont Blue Line station, which locals say has suffered from a lack of accessibility for too long. The Belmont station, 3355 W. Belmont Ave., is among three Blue Line stations set to receive accessibility improvements thanks to an influx in federal funding. Chicago was awarded $185 million from the federal government to make CTA and Metra stations accessible under a $1 billion infrastructure bill signed by President Joe Biden last year…

Notre Dame College class action claims website inaccessible to blind, visually impaired

January 23, 2023 | Source: Top Class Actions

The Notre Dame College has failed to make its website fully accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired, a new class action lawsuit alleges. Plaintiff James Murphy claims Notre Dame’s website was not designed in a way that makes it independently usable for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Murphy, a blind man, argues Notre Dame’s website denies individuals who are blind or visually impaired equal access to the services it offers, in an alleged violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)…

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City and County of Honolulu Agree to Improve Paratransit for People with Disabilities

January 24, 2023 | Source: Department of Justice and Settlement (PDF)

The Justice Department announced today that it entered into a settlement agreement with the City and County of Honolulu (Honolulu) under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to improve its paratransit. Title II of the ADA requires that cities and counties, including Honolulu, that provide bus or rail service, also provide paratransit. Paratransit is a public service where individuals who are unable to use the regular bus or rail transit system because of a physical or mental impairment schedule a trip to be picked up (at home, for example) and dropped off at their destination…

Former Indiana Secretary of State candidate expresses ballot accessibility concerns

January 24, 2023 | Source: Tristate Homepage

Andrew U. D. Straw has expressed ballot accessibility concerns in a court document. According to a document Straw sent to the court, he said, “The State of Indiana denied me ballot access in 2012 when I ran for a federal office. Because it is physically impossible for me to gather these signatures, I ran in 2022 as an official write-in candidate for Disability Party… I believe forcing candidates who are both physically and mentally disabled from public service and in poverty as a result to gather 44,935 voter signatures represents discrimination.”…

Flying Has Become Hell for Passengers with Wheelchairs

January 24, 2023 | Source: Vice (Video)

For millions of wheelchair users, flying on an airplane means undergoing a series of indignities, and sometimes even dealing with a broken chair upon arrival. VICE News rides along with one traveler to see nightmare first hand…

Portugal The Man’s ADA accessibility mission

January 24, 2023 | Source: The Red Bulletin

Stairs, cobblestones, curbs, grass. As a guitarist who loved touring, Eric Howk traversed these surfaces every day without giving them a second thought. Then, in May 2007, everything changed. Howk was sitting against a wall in a friend’s backyard when it collapsed. He fell more than 12 feet into an unmarked construction hole and was instantly paralyzed below his sternum from a T4 spinal cord injury. From his bed in the ICU, the first thing Howk asked for was a guitar…

Hochul must help New Yorkers with disabilities

January 24, 2023 | Source: New York Daily News

The mission of the disabilities service sector is to empower individuals with disabilities and their families and ensure they have the support and resources they need. After working in this sector for more 30 years and now as the new president of New York Disability Advocates, a statewide coalition of more than 300 nonprofit intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) provider agencies, I have seen firsthand how our services transform the lives of our community members for the better…

6.8 million expected to lose Medicaid when paperwork hurdles return

January 24, 2023 | Source: NPR

Robert, who lives in Philadelphia, knows signing up for Medicaid can be tricky with his ADHD, so he brought his daughter along to help him fill out the paperwork. “If we miss one little detail, they would reject you,” says Robert, who has had the government health insurance for people on low incomes in the past. “I usually get two applications, so if I mess up on one. I can do the other one.” This time, with his daughter’s help, the application only took Robert a half hour. (NPR agreed to use Robert’s first name only because he has a medical condition he would like to keep private.)…

ADA Claim Improperly Rejected Based on Credibility Call

January 25, 2023 | Source: Metropolitan News-Enterprise

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed a judgment in favor of lessors who were sued for disability discrimination because their parking lot lacked a van-accessible space with an access aisle, with the panel holding, over a dissent, that that the District Court improperly took into consideration that the plaintiff is a serial litigant. Judge Ronald M. Gould authored Monday’s majority opinion, in which Judge William A. Fletcher joined. Judge Daniel P. Collins dissented…

Minnesota students ‘wouldn’t take no for an answer’ for accessible playground

January 25, 2023 | Source: KSBY

Students from a Minnesota elementary school were bullish about ensuring their fellow classmates with disabilities had accessible playground equipment, according to school Principal Jeff Radel. In recent months, Glen Lake Elementary School students in Minnetonka, Minnesota, have used whatever means possible to fundraise for their school to build an accessible playground. Donations big and small have piled up as the students have raised over $500,000, well enough to meet their original goal, but they have loftier goals in mind…

The Iconfactory Co-Founder Gedeon Maheux Talks Accessibility On Twitter, ‘The Blow’ Of Losing Twitterrific In New Interview

January 25, 2023 | Source: Forbes

Elon Musk’s Twitter took another turn for the worst this past week when the company announced an update to its developer agreement which reads in part that “you will not or attempt to (and will not allow others to)… use or access the Licensed Materials to create or attempt to create a substitute or similar service or product to the Twitter Applications.” The translation from legalese to plain English is simple: third-party clients can get bent—forever. The news came a week after notable Twitter clients like Tweetbot and Twitterrific unceremoniously and mysteriously stopped working…

Expedia Group Working With Tech Startups to Make Travel More Accessible

January 26, 2023 | Source: Skift

As the founder of a short-term rental software platform dedicated to people with disabilities, Lorraine Woodward said she sees a lot of lip service about accessibility from big travel companies. While many companies have internal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, all of them arguably are lacking when it comes to services for travelers. And it takes action — not just words — to make a difference. That’s why she is optimistic that her new partnership with Expedia Group could lead to an industry change…

Vasav Tackling The Accessibility of Public Transportation

January 26, 2023 | Source: Tech Times

When you think about public transportation, it feels like an accessible option for many. Whether they are rich or poor, locals or foreigners… However, did you ever stop to think about those less able-bodied and how accessible it is for them? In America, 61 million adults in the United States have a disability – that’s one out of every four people. Vasav Desai noted that there was a growing problem with the disabled population when it came to using public transportation, saying that, “their disability can be a barrier to enjoying the freedom of independent travel, something that results in an inequality that few understand and even fewer consider.”…

MTA Unveils Major Accessibility and Circulation Improvements at 34 St-Penn Station

January 26, 2023 | Source: City Life Org

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today unveiled a set of major station and accessibility improvements at Penn Station, part of its long-running effort to create a more accessible and comfortable station experience for the hundreds of thousands of daily Penn Station customers. The project’s new, fully accessible street entrance and fare control area at 7 Av and 33 St increases accessibility and reliability for all subway customers. The MTA also recently completed the full modernization of four existing elevators, three of which serve the 1, 2, 3 subways and one of which serves the Long Island Rail Road at 34 St-Penn Station…

Jack Fact — According to the Work Bank Group, of the rapidly growing 1.41 billion people in India, about 1 in 4 are under the age of 15 and nearly half are under 25. By comparison, China’s population is about 1.45 billion, but those under 25 make up only a quarter of the population

Hit The Road Jack — Deaf Family Praises Disneyland For “Top Notch” Accessibility and Costa Rica’s Junquillal Bay National Wildlife Refuge opens its first accessible walkway

International News

Sophie Morgan lists wheelchair accessible home on Airbnb

January 21, 2023 | Source: House Beautiful- England

Disability advocate and TV presenter, Sophie Morgan, is one of the hundreds of hosts who has listed her home on Airbnb’s newly-launched Adapted Category. The online rental platform’s new section of its site offers more than 1,000 homes that are accessible for people with disabilities. Each property is guaranteed to have ‘verified step-free paths into the home, bedroom and bathroom’, as well as additional accessibility features. Sophie’s one-bedroom London apartment is located on the Thames Path with views of Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Canary Wharf…

Residents living with disabilities share accessibility concerns during Sask. Accessibility Challenge

January 22, 2023 | Source: Global News- Canada

Karthik Babumenon was born with diplegic cerebral palsy, a condition that affects muscle control and coordination mostly in the legs. He uses a walker and a scooter to get around Saskatoon. It becomes challenging in the winter. “It was very difficult for me to get from point A to point B. Multiply it with a lot of snow,” he explained. “There are instances where I got stuck in the snow and my friends had to come and help me out.” Babumenon said snow removal efforts in the city are enough for most people to get by, but for those with mobility issues have extra hurdles to jump over…

Public transport remains inaccessible as 20-year targets are not met

January 23, 2023 | Source: Disability Support Guide- Australia

Australia’s public transport system has failed to meet all of its 20-year accessibility targets as people with disability continue to face obstacles due to construction, unsuitable facilities and restrictive public transport options. Under the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (Transport Standards), all of Australia’s tram, train and bus stops/stations were meant to be fully compliant with the relevant accessibility standards by the end of 2022. Standards included the availability of lifts, access paths, toilets, ramps, handrails and grabrails, lighting, hearing augmentation, and more…

Into the “Museum of Austerity”

January 23, 2023 | Source: Immerse- UK

Directed by Sacha Wares and based on the reporting of collaborator John Pring of Disability News Service, Museum of Austerity (2021) uses volumetric capture in a mixed reality project for the HoloLens headset to tell stories of disabled people in the UK who died as a result of welfare support cuts in the decade following the 2008 financial crisis. Co-produced by English Touring Theatre, National Theatre UK and Trial and Error, with creative technology by All Seeing Eye and Dimension Studio, the project previewed at London Film Festival Expanded in 2021, and subsequently won the IDFA DocLab Immersive Non-Fiction Award 2021…

Starting the year with inclusivity: how civil servants can become disability allies

January 23, 2023 | Source: Civil Service World- UK

Twenty two percent of the UK population report having a disability and 13.6% of civil servants declare themselves as disabled. It is important that we do what we can to better understand, support and celebrate our colleagues with disabilities. As we enter 2023, the value in fostering inclusivity and creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable bringing their whole selves to work should be a target for all of us. Disability awareness is not limited to the workplace: having knowledge about disability advocacy is useful both professionally and personally…

What does accessibility in the metaverse look like?

January 24, 2023 | Source: Vogue

Progress always seems to come at the cost of someone getting left behind, but as we enter a new age of the virtual world, it’s high time we change that. As creator of NFTY Collective, Giselle Mota works with brands and companies to ensure that people with disabilities are included in every step of the design process and metaverse experience. In the same way that the Internet has created new opportunities for the disability community, Mota believes the metaverse has the potential to vastly benefit the lives of people with disabilities…

Aging downtown arena falls short on accessibility, says advocate

January 24, 2023 | Source: Sudbury- Canada

Navigating the Sudbury Community Arena can be a lot of work for those with accessibility challenges. After walking into the building’s Minto Street entrance closest to its accessible parking spots, accessibility advocate Nadine Law found herself facing two sets of stairs and no ramps. Law, a regional client services co-ordinator for Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, was touring the facility with Sudbury.com to determine how accessible the building, which opened in 1951, actually is…

Victoria’s aging park washrooms must be accessible by 2030 as substantial work needed

January 24, 2023 | Source: Victoria News- Canada

Victoria will aim to have all of its public park washrooms be fully accessible by 2030 – at the latest – as most of the facilities have gone half a century without an update. Council approved an accessibility work plan for washrooms at its Jan. 19 committee of the whole meeting after receiving an audit on the conditions of current sites throughout the city. That review found the city’s 18 public washroom buildings, built between 1960 and 2021, are in need of substantial investment to meet current accessibility standards and 83 per cent (15) of those require moderate to extensive upgrades…

Jamaica tries new approach to disabilities

January 24, 2023 | Source: The Drop- Jamaica

On a warm November morning, residents of Kingston’s Bethlehem Home were gathered on a covered veranda, many in wheelchairs. A boy named Bob, with a bright, ready smile, zipped about on a skateboard. Upon meeting a stranger, several residents rushed over with a big hug. The 52 disabled children living at Bethlehem Home have been completely deserted by their families. Peram Prem Sagar works for Missionaries of the Poor, a Catholic charity that runs the home. He is in charge of the Bethlehem facility…

Accessible Tourism Alliance launched to help Qld businesses cater to people with disability

January 24, 2023 | Source: ABC- Australia

Bundaberg dad Steve Richter has often struggled to find accessible destinations and activities — but he doesn’t let that get in the way of enjoying holidays with his daughter. “I didn’t want her experience on holidays to be restricted because her dad had a disability,” Mr Richter said. “We have travelled and seen a lot of the tourist attractions around Queensland — I have always tried to do that as much as I could.” The professional photographer and competitive cyclist has lived with paraplegia since a motorbike accident on Fraser Island in 2008…

Elevators added to Tower of David museum, making ancient citadel accessible

January 25, 2023 | Source: The Times of Israel

Jerusalem’s Tower of David was never built to be accessible. The ancient citadel located near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City dates back to the Mamluk and Ottoman periods, with earlier towers constructed by Herod, the early Muslims and the Crusaders, all to safeguard the city. Its five guard towers, as well as the winding, narrow pathways, steep, narrow staircases, uneven stones and narrow tunnels, were all constructed as part of this defensive fortification, but when turned into a modern museum, those details made it impossible to navigate for anyone with disabilities…

Removing the barriers to accessibility in schools

January 25, 2023 | Source: Sanskriti IAS- India

Children with disability/disabilities (CWD) needed higher care to complete basic tasks which required physical involvement like playing or going to the toilet and became tougher in schools which do not have accessible spaces and other guiding infrastructure to get there safely. A UNESCO 2019 report mentioned that CWD comprises 1.7% of the total child population in India (Census 2011). As they are faced with physical, institutional, socioeconomic and communication barriers from an early age, more than 70% of five-year-olds with disabilities in India have never attended any educational institution, the report said…

Airbnb launches new accessibility features to help people with disabilities find suitable accommodation

January 26, 2023 | Source: AT Today- UK

The process of booking an Airbnb has become easier to use for people with disability requirements with its new Adapted category. The category features homes specifically adapted for wheelchair access, with verified step-free paths into the home, bedroom, and bathroom, as well as additional accessibility features. Each home in the category receives a review and detailed 3D scan, which uses specially designed cameras that are used to create a 3D model of every home in the category…

Swansea.com Stadium accessibility a lifeline for Sue and McKenzie

January 26, 2023 | Source: Swansea City- South Wales

Swansea City season ticket holder Sue has found attending matches at the Swansea.com Stadium with grandson McKenzie has helped her manage her Frontotemporal dementia diagnosis. The illness – also known as Pick’s disease – is uncommon and mostly impacts the part of the brain where language is stored, making it difficult for people to communicate and attribute meaning to certain words. Sue’s daughter, Joanna, has been speaking to the club’s 2021-22 charity partner, Alzheimer’s Cymru, about her mother’s diagnosis and how Swansea City has been a lifeline for the 67-year-old…

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