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Theater Accessibility Improves as Artists Attempt to Reach Wider Audience

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Red theater curtain | Microassist Accessibility in the NewsAccessibility in the News― September 27, 2019.

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“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” ― Soren Kierkegaard

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INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF THE DEAF 2019

Feature Story

 

Arts Council Of Princeton And Eden Autism Partner To Increase Arts Accessibility

September 23, 2019 |  Source: Broadway World  |  

Kauffman Center Announces New Accessible Resources

September 23, 2019 |  Source: Broadway World  |  

Institute On Disabilities, People’s Light And The National Theatre Of Great Britain To Present Smart Caption Glasses

September 23, 2019 |  Source: Broadway World  |  

Parent Suite, Gala Pro Make The Arts More Accessible At The Fox Cities P.A.C.

September 25, 2019 |  Source: Broadway World  |  

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) and Eden Autism are proud to announce a new joint program that brings hands-on art to adults with autism. The 12 week trial, which ran over the spring and summer of 2019, has been extended and will now meet weekly at the Art Council’s Paul Robeson Center the Arts in downtown Princeton. Approximately eight of Eden’s participants will take part in the program. “Our mission of ‘Building Community through the Arts’ is strengthened with each new partnership,” noted ACP Interim Executive Director Jim Levine…

National News (U.S.)

 

Blind Retired Federal Employee Sues over Access to Health Benefits Information

September 19, 2019 |  Source: Yahoo and NFB  |  

Jamal Mazrui, a blind retired federal employee now living in the Seattle area, has filed a lawsuit against the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and one of its major health insurance contractors, the Chicago-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), because he cannot access or interact with information about his federal health benefits on fepblue.org, the website maintained by BCBSA for its federal employee program. The National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans, which has a division consisting of blind federal employees, is also a plaintiff…

Increasing accessibility: Navigating campus with disabilities and how improvements are made

September 19, 2019 |  Source: Red and Black  |  

When Tyler Burrell was assigned to a class in Peabody Hall her sophomore year, it was virtually impossible for her to get around due to her physical disability. Often times, pain from her conditions makes it difficult to move around campus without her wheelchair or walker, which makes finding elevators necessary. Navigating the many hills and countless sets of stairs on the University of Georgia campus with relative ease is something many people take for granted…

Church service for blind gives new way of seeing

September 19, 2019 |  Source: Long Island Advance  |  

There was the Blessing of the Stuffed Animals. Also, music of famous groups and composers, like the Beatles and Broadway tunes. And art shows. They took place all within the sanctuary of the Congregational Church of Patchogue, representing different ways to experience spirituality and faith. But this Sunday, Sept. 22 at 10 a.m., another sacred endeavor will take place. The children’s choir will sing blindfolded, as will the adult choir. Church participants will be invited to wear one for 15 minutes, if they so choose, in an interactive service, “Intentional and Unintentional Blindness.”…

‘Harry Potter’ Game Reveals New Character Who Uses a Wheelchair

September 20, 2019 |  Source: The Mighty  |  

If you’ve been tossing the quaffle or seeking the golden snitch during a quidditch match in the video game “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery,” you may have noticed a new character who uses a wheelchair, but like in real life, there are some areas of the game that still aren’t wheelchair accessible. Released in April 2018, “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery” allows users to play a student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry before the famous protagonist attended the magical school…

Brookline Bank App Will Help Blind and Low-Vision Customers

September 20, 2019 |  Source: Banker and Tradesman  |  

Brookline Bancorp and technology company Aira have teamed up to enhance physical and digital accessibility at all customer locations within the Brookline Bancorp network, including the 51 combined offices of Brookline Bank, First Ipswich Bank and Bank Rhode Island. The Aira Access Network will offer free services to blind and low-vision employees and customers at all Brookline Bancorp locations. The service will also provide assistance in navigating the website and conducting online and mobile banking…Want accessibility news more often? Follow us on Twitter! @A11yNews

How Can Blind and Partially Sighted Audiences Get a Complete Dance Experience?

September 20, 2019 |  Source: Dance Magazine  |  

While you might think of dance as a primarily visual art form, performances engage us on multiple levels. Our ears take in the score, the artists’ breathing patterns, fellow audience members’ reactions, and the physical percussion made by the dancers’ footfalls and partnering. All of this information is available to audience members with limited to no vision, and when it comes to providing them with the rest, there are multiple approaches being refined by experts in the field generally referred to as “audience accessibility.”…

ESPN crew blocks accessibility parking spots

September 20, 2019 |  Source: The Daily Evergreen  |  

Accessibility parking spaces have been blocked by ESPN’s production crew for the WSU football game against UCLA this weekend. The crew has set up along Troy Lane in between the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and Wilson-Short Hall, using up the entirety of the parking spaces in that area. The area contains seven accessibility spaces. WSU Access Adviser Davi Kallman said the Access Center was not notified by WSU Transportation Services that ESPN was going to use the parking spaces…

If historically Black colleges and universities can improve web accessibility, Black students with disabilities may have far greater access to educational opportunities

September 20, 2019 |  Source: USAPP  |  

In the digital age universities rely on their websites to attract new students and to interact with existing ones. For those students who have vision or hearing impairment, then web accessible websites are incredibly important. In new research, ZW Taylor examines the web accessibility of the landing pages of all 100 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). He finds that the websites of public HBCUs were more accessible than those of private HBCUs, but both had over 50 accessibility errors per webpage…

Blind Woman and EEOC Settle Lawsuit against California Hospital

September 20, 2019 |  Source: NFB  |  

Alina Sorling, a blind food service technician, has settled the lawsuit she brought against California’s Dignity Health for employment discrimination with the assistance of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the National Federation of the Blind. Ms. Sorling filed suit after she was fired from her job at Dignity Health’s Mercy Medical Center in Redding, California, after losing her vision and requesting reasonable accommodations to continue working there…

For the deaf and hard of hearing, movies are often out of reach. That could change.

September 20, 2019 |  Source: The Washington Post  |  

Now might be a good time to ask yourself: How do you feel about subtitles? I’m not talking about foreign language films, which are routinely released with the dialogue translated into English at the bottom of the screen. I’m talking about movies in English, with English subtitles. This isn’t idle speculation. There’s a growing movement to make open-captioned (OC) film screenings more widely available for deaf and hard-of-hearing moviegoers, which would probably mean that some hearing moviegoers might occasionally, and possibly inadvertently, have to sit through a movie with on-screen subtitles they don’t need…

Beyoncé Was Sued Over Her Website Violating the Americans With Disabilities Act. And You Could Be Too

September 21, 2019 |  Source: Fortune  |  

In January 2019, Beyoncé Knowles’ company, Parkwood Entertainment, became the defendant in a class-action lawsuit alleging that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The suit, filed by a blind woman from New York, claimed that the company’s website, Beyonce.com, did not provide accommodation for people with significant vision impairments, leaving an estimated 2 million blind people and others with vision impairments unable to access the primary portal for news about all things Bey…

Idaho’s rugged outdoors are now more accessible than ever for people with disabilities

September 21, 2019 |  Source: Twin Falls Times-News  |  

Roger Howard was inspecting an Idaho campground when a nearby camper said he hoped Howard didn’t “ruin the outdoors.” Howard was assessing the campsite for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, looking for features like accessible restrooms and parking spaces that would help more people use the site. It’s part of his role as the executive director of LINC Idaho, an organization that helps people with disabilities live independently…

HUD Charges Georgia Company with Discrimination

September 22, 2019 |  Source: AllOnGeorgia  |  

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it is charging housing professionals based in New York, Pennsylvania and Georgia with discrimination for failing to design and construct the 40-unit North 8 Condominium development in Brooklyn, New York, in accordance with the accessibility requirements of the Fair Housing Act. Named as respondents by HUD’s charge are Toll Brothers, Inc.; Toll Land XIII Limited Partner; Lendlease (US) Construction LMB, Inc; Greenberg Farrow Architecture, Inc.; and 51 North 8th Street LP…

Without Sign Language, Deaf People Are Not Equal

September 23, 2019 |  Source: Human Rights Watch  |  

We often take for granted our ability to interact with others in our own language. But significant barriers to communicating in sign language are depriving many deaf people of enjoying even these basic interactions. More than 70 million deaf people around the world use sign languages to communicate. Sign language allows them to learn, work, access services, and be included in their communities. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities calls on states to accept, facilitate, and promote the use of sign languages with the goal to ensure that people with disabilities can enjoy their rights on an equal basis with others…

Are Online Payment Systems Accessibility Friendly?

September 23, 2019 |  Source: Payments Journal  |  

Ecommerce has been steadily growing in popularity now that more and more consumers are shopping online. As a result, business owners both small and large are focusing their efforts on establishing an online presence and giving their customers the option to search for and buy their products online. Given that convenience and time is a factor for many shoppers, it’s important that businesses focus on streamlining their online shopping platform to make it as user-friendly, accessible and secure as possible, so that customers can search for and buy items in as fewer steps as possible…

Voters with disabilities feel left behind by paper ballot push

September 23, 2019 |  Source: Chicago Tribune  |  

Here’s how voting should work for blind voters like Ruth Sager: She walks into her polling place in Pikesville, Md., tells poll workers she wants to vote on an electronic voting machine instead of a paper ballot, and is handed a card she can place in the machine to begin voting. Using headphones, the 68-year-old listens to the choices in the various contests and, with a hand-held controller, makes selections by pressing a raised arrow and buttons in other shapes. The digital narrator confirms every selection before the machine prints a paper record of her finished ballot that she gives to poll workers…

They say they’re suing to help people with disabilities. Critics say they want ‘blood money.’

September 24, 2019 |  Source: WTSP  |  

At age 26, Jennifer French’s life changed forever. She suffered a spinal cord injury while snowboarding. She was suddenly paralyzed. “You have to re-learn how to get dressed, how to get out of bed, brush your teeth all those basic things you didn’t have to learn about before you have to learn again,” Jen explained to 10Investigates reporter Jennifer Titus. Before she goes to a shop or restaurant, the top thought on her mind is: Will the place be accessible? For Jen, an avid traveler, getting around depends on more than her personal home being accessible…

County to upgrade parking deck after ADA lawsuit

September 23, 2019 |  Source: Akron Beacon Journal  |  

The county will pay an Akron man $15,000 and make improvements to the county parking deck after he sued the county over the deck’s accessibility. Summit County Council on Monday passed a resolution authorizing the county executive to execute the settlement agreement with Spencer Neal of Akron, who has spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly. He uses a wheelchair, as he is paralyzed from the waist down, according to the lawsuit…

Group Files Lawsuit Against City Over Lack Of Accessible Crosswalk Signals

September 23, 2019 |  Source: CBS and Disability Rights Advocates and SmartCitiesWorld and Curbed  |  

Chicago is still far behind other cities when it comes to audible crosswalk signals for the blind, as CBS 2 first reported last year. But one group isn’t waiting any longer for the city to install more. They’re taking action. The American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago and three individuals filed a class action lawsuit Monday, alleging the city is violating federal law by not having proper signals to help the blind cross the street. Chicago’s lack of the signals forces blind pedestrians to ask others when it’s safe to walk…

Smart cities could give the visually impaired a new outlook on urban life

September 23, 2019 |  Source: GCN  |  

The ConversationTravelling to work, meeting friends for a catch up or just doing some shopping are often taken for granted by people with no known disabilities. For the visually impaired, these seemingly simple things can be a serious challenge. But imagine a city equipped with technology that enables the visually impaired to recognize people, places or even bank notes, helping them to live more independently whether indoors or in a public place. That’s the promise of so-called smart cities, which use things like internet-connected devices and artificial intelligence to improve services and the quality of life for their residents…

Family Dollar agrees to address accessibility issues

September 24, 2019 |  Source: Fairfield Citizen and The Washington Times and Patch  |  

Family Dollar has agreed to ensure that all 29 of its Rhode Island stores remain fully accessible to people with disabilities under an agreement reached with federal prosecutors. The U.S. attorney for Rhode Island said the agreement announced Tuesday follows an investigation prompted by complaints from persons who use wheelchairs, walkers and other mobility aids. The investigation determined that Family Dollar stores were not being maintained to ensure sufficient accessibility for persons with disabilities…

Atlanta App iAccess Helps Users Rate and Review Venues’ Accessibility

September 24, 2019 |  Source: American Inno  |  

When Brandon Winfield was a teen in California, he and his friends were obsessed with motocross racing—to the point that one of Winfield’s first words was motorcycle. All he ever wanted to do was become a professional motocross racer. He even made it so far as to sign with Honda as an amateur racer. But those dreams came to a screeching halt when Winfield was severely injured during a race. “I ended up getting hurt. I actually crashed right in front of my mom,” he said. At 14 years old, Winfield was paralyzed from the chest down as a result of his injury…

Committee to issue report on Syracuse University disability services

September 25, 2019 |  Source: The Daily Orange  |  

An external consulting firm conducting a disabilities service review hired by Syracuse University is expected to deliver its final report before the end of the fall semester. SU announced the formation of the Disability External Review Committee in April 2018. The committee is comprised of students, faculty and staff. Joanna Masingila, dean of the School of Education, and Michael Schwartz, associate professor in the College of Law, serve as co-chairs. Several updates regarding the external review have been provided to the campus community since the announcement…

Greenwich crafting new accessibility policy for people with disabilities

September 25, 2019 |  Source: Greenwich Time  |  

Greenwich is developing a policy designed to support people with disabilities who attend town-led events and who do business with the town. Officials and advocates for people with special needs are crafting rules to ensure town departments comply with Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act, a section that protects individuals from discrimination in services, programs and activities provided by state and local governments. “The new language is not just an act of legal compliance, rather, it is part of our philosophy that government works for everyone,” said Ben Branyan, town administrator…

LTD develops system for identifying service animals on city buses

September 25, 2019 |  Source: KVAL  |  

In January of 2018, Lane Transit District (LTD) introduced a paw print passport program for riders with service animals. The aim is to make public transport more accessible with riders with disabilities. Now, LTD has over a hundred participants in the program and is serving as an example for other public transportation services. John Ahlen, LTD’s Accessible Services Specialist, says, “We can have this model that the rest of the country can really look to us as a place to look at best practices policies and procedures, to try and simplify and make it easier for people who identify as disabilities to ride public transit.”…

Website Accessibility Claims on the Rise: A Higher Education Perspective

September 25, 2019 |  Source: Venable  |  

According to some estimates, the number of website accessibility lawsuits filed in federal court nearly tripled from 2017 to 2018, and there is no indication that this trend will slow down in 2019. Businesses across a wide spectrum of industries have reported exponential increases in the number of demand letters they received threatening suit over the accessibility of their organization websites. Organizations in higher education are no exception. As the number of plaintiff-friendly opinions stacks up, many higher education entities are asking: Does our website comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act?…

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among U.S. adults ages 20-74

September 26, 2019 |  Source: Kris 6 News  |  

More people than ever in the United States suffer from age-related eye diseases. One of the four most common conditions is a condition called diabetic retinopathy. This diabetic eye disease can cause damage to the small blood vessels in the lining at the back of the eye. It is estimated that more than 30 million people living in the United States have diabetes. Having diabetes increases the risk for vision loss and blindness from diabetic eye diseases. “Diabetic retinopathy is when someone has diabetes, either type 1 or 2,” said optometrist Dr. Ashley Setterberg…

Jack Fact — The US Department of Transportation reports 42% of all Americans living with a disability have self-reported travel-limiting disabilities. While the Surface Transportation Policy found that 20% of Americans over 65 do not drive at all.

Hit The Road Jack — 8 must-see, wheelchair-accessible destinations in New Orleans

International News

 

Gatwick Airport unveils new independent accessibility panel

September 19, 2019 |  Source: International Airport Review- England and Access and Mobility Professional  |  

Disabled people to help shape Gatwick’s new accessibility strategy

September 24, 2019 |  Source: County Border News- England  |  

A new independent panel – made up of experts in the travel needs of disabled passengers and people with reduced mobility – will help to shape Gatwick’s accessibility strategy and improve services for disabled passengers. The Independent Gatwick Accessibility Panel (IGAP) will take a broad view of accessibility provision and services at the airport, including setting new service standards and reviewing the airport’s performance against them. The panel will first meet on the 19 December 2019 and will build upon the ongoing work and achievements of two existing groups…

Over two-thirds of Brits say their homes are no-go zones for wheelchair users amid calls for greater accessibility

September 20, 2019 |  Source: THIIS- UK  |  

A new poll commissioned by Habinteg, the charitable housing association specialising in accessible housing, has revealed most people in Britain are unable to welcome wheelchair users into their homes due to poor access. Surveying 2,014 people across England, Wales and Scotland in August 2019, the poll found only one in five respondents say a wheelchair user would reasonably be able to access all areas of their home, whilst almost seven in 10 confirmed that such manoeuvrability would not be possible…

Indian Railways’ promise to launch disabled-friendly coaches on Modi’s birthday questioned

September 21, 2019 |  Source: NewzHook- India  |  

On the occasion of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on 17 September, the Indian Railways’ had announced plans to launch exclusive coaches for people with disabilities in all the trains. Many disability rights activists are calling this move impractical. They also say this is not going to be implemented. On 17 September, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 65, came this grand announcement by the Indian Railways’, that every train would have a coach exclusively for disabled people…

Holy rolling: Old City sites, lanes now accessible for travelers in wheelchairs

September 21, 2019 |  Source: The Times of Israel

George (not his real name) lives between two narrow lanes in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem. For the past 20 years he has been confined to a wheelchair – and the furthest from his home that he was able to wander was a little paved yard outside his door. He used to sit there, day after day, on an old couch that someone moved for him outdoors. And it wasn’t just in the Christian Quarter that streets and alleyways were impassable to his wheelchair. It was almost everywhere in the Old City, except the Jewish Quarter…

Sign language is key to inclusive human right: Expert

September 21, 2019 |  Source: Hurriyet Daily News- Turkey  |  

People from all walks of life should learn sign language as need for the language may arise in any setting, according to the head of an advocacy group for the disabled. “A person should not think they won’t need sign language because they are not deaf or there is no deaf member in their family,” Ilimdar Boztaş, head of the Association of all Disabled and Their Families (TEDAY), told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview. “We share the same institutions, the same parks, the same world,” said Boztaş — who lost his sight at age 20 — stressing that society could not ignore millions of hearing-impaired people…

Why tech giants are creating apps for people with disabilities

September 20, 2019 |  Source: CBC- Canada  |  

Tech companies like Google are stepping up efforts to create products for people living with disabilities as a way to make them more accessible and to boost business. Part of that effort is developing apps designed to facilitate communication between hearing and non-hearing people. “We have technology and capabilities, particularly in the realm of machine learning and AI that we can apply,” said Brian Kemler, product manager of accessibility for Google…

Mada Center receives membership of World Wide Web Consortium

September 22, 2019 |  Source: Gulf Times- Qatar  |  

Mada Center has received the membership of World Wide Web Consortium planning and consulting committee (W3C) as the only Middle Eastern organisation to localise and adapt digital access and assistive technology solutions to the needs of Arab people with disabilities and is now a key member of the W3C advisory committee. The membership was received as Mada wrapped up its participation in committee’s meetings W3C that primarily specialises in programmes and websites and that is responsible for setting up guidelines, standards and regulations on which websites are designed…

Sensational Sumo: Accessibility And Affect In Japanese Sports

September 22, 2019 |  Source: Accessible Japan  |  

Although Sumo was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 2018, no matches are scheduled to take places as part of the 2020 Games in Tokyo. Instead, fans are encouraged to travel to official tournaments, which take place six times a year. In this article, I take up the experience of viewing a sumo tournament and highlight how local food, history, and culture influence the way people perceive the games. My analysis focuses on the space of Ryōgoku, a bustling sumo town filled with small shops, stalls, and kiosks…

Local government must embrace accessible-first web design

September 23, 2019 |  Source: Public Technology- UK  |  

It wasn’t that long ago that desktop design was everything in local government. There was a tipping point when, even if not acted upon immediately, web teams recognised that if they wanted, or needed, users to carry out the majority of their council interactions and transactions online, they had to become mobile-first by design. That shift in mindset is now needed to ensure local government serves everyone, regardless of ability level or disability. Local government needs accessible-first design…

New Accessible Technology Hub Launched To Drive Disability-Led Innovation

September 23, 2019 |  Source: Business Leader- UK  |  

The UK’s most accessible technology hub to drive disability innovation and assistive technology has been launched today by UCL, Plexal and Here East. The East London Inclusive Enterprise Zone (ELIEZ) is the first fully accessible, specially designed space for entrepreneurs and businesses leaders who are disabled, or are focused on servicing disabled people. It will feature an innovation lab optimised for accessibility, which will accelerate the development of needed products and services through from idea stage to global deployment…

Wheel-Trans users fear loss of service under TTC’s plans to have thousands reassessed

September 23, 2019 |  Source: Toronto Star- Canada  |  

Some Wheel-Trans users fear they could soon lose access to the specialized service as the TTC is set to start compelling thousands of clients who for years have relied on the paratransit program to reregister for it. The TTC says that starting as early as this fall, users who signed up for Wheel-Trans before 2017 will have to be reassessed to determine their eligibility. The TTC estimates at least 25,000 customers will have to go through the process, which they expect will take years…

Meet Calls for raising awareness about differently-abled persons

September 23, 2019 |  Source: The Sentinel Assam- India  |  

A three-day ‘Sensitization and Awareness’ campaign on ‘Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwDs) Act-2016’ for State government officials called for a massive awareness drive among the masses as well as among the persons with disabilities (PwDs) across the State. The campaign was officially launched by Chief Secretary Nagaland, Temjen Toy at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat conference hall on September 19. The programme was organized by the Mission Mode Team, Accessible India Campaign, in collaboration with the Office of State Commissioner for PwDs, with a view to sensitize and create awareness on Rights of PwDs…

Websites to be more accessible for people with disabilities in Kent

September 23, 2019 |  Source: Kent Online- UK (Video)  |  

Public sector bodies in Kent are being urged to make their websites more accessible for people with disabilities. That is thanks to new government regulations which come into force today which forces websites to be more equal for their users. The changes will also soon include apps and to talk more about this we were joined by Harry Dance, the head of marketing at Kent Company Kayo Digital…

Mumbai: Election Commission gives an extra push to make voting accessible for disabled people

September 24, 2019 |  Source: NewzHook- India  |  

On 21 October the Election Commission of India will hold elections in the two legislative assemblies of Maharashtra. In keeping with the mission of making them free, fair and accessible, election officials in Mumbai have announced a series of steps. On 21 October, voters across Maharashtra will get a chance to have their say in who will govern the state for the next term. To make sure that ‘no voter is left behind’, the Election Commission is going the extra mile to include every eligible voter in Mumbai, including voters with disabilities…

Accessibility for all in Asia through website development

September 24, 2019 |  Source: Disruptive Asia  |  

Figures released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) state one out of six (16%) people in the region live with a disability, which amounts to roughly 650 million people. This means that a significant portion of the population faces barriers to readily access websites and other internet services. Now more than ever, new information and communication technologies designed for use in the region and other parts of the world need to foster accessibility…

Regulations on the accessibility of new public sector websites come into force

September 24, 2019 |  Source: GOV.UK and Government Computing Network and UK Authority  |  

From Monday 23 September 2019, public sector websites launched on or after 23 September 2018 must meet accessibility standards. This includes publishing accessibility statements, explaining how accessible their websites are. The deadline for public sector organisations to make all existing websites accessible is 23 September 2020, and the compliance date for mobile applications is 23 June 2021. Around a third of disabled people in the UK experience difficulties in accessing public, commercial and leisure goods and services…

A Guide To Toronto From One Of Its Biggest Accessibility Advocates

September 24, 2019 |  Source: Toronto Storeys- Canada  |  

Have you ever stopped to think about the number of stores, restaurants, transit stations and buildings you enter on a daily basis? In Toronto, a city of nearly three million residents—and millions of tourists each year—it probably seems like you have everything you could possibly need at your fingertips. However, this isn’t a reality for all Torontonians. In the city, there are over 400,000 residents who have a disability. And roughly 65 to 70 per cent of places in the city are not accessible, according to one of the city’s biggest accessibility advocates, Luke Anderson…

Meet the petitioners behind a citywide campaign to make Mumbai accessible for people with disabilities

September 25, 2019 |  Source: Newz Hook- India  |  

Accessible infrastructure or rather the lack of it in Mumbai is under scanner like never before after two petitions in the Bombay High Court highlighted the abysmal lack of wheelchair access and other facilities for disabled people. Even better, this has triggered a larger awareness campaign that is bringing together disabled people and senior citizens from across Mumbai. That’s our focus on #StoryOfTheWeek. ” I am a physically challenged person with 86% disability in the lower right limb. Due to one of my brothers filing at least 8 cases I have to appear in different courts”…

TTC holds accessibility meeting

September 25, 2019 |  Source: CityNews- Canada (Video)  |  

Transit riders had the opportunity to ask questions, express concerns and put forward their own solutions regarding accessibility issues on transit at a TTC public meeting Wednesday. Faiza Amin reports…

Make Way Day Marks Difficulty With Accessibility

September 26, 2019 |  Source: Clare FM- Ireland (Podcast)  |  

People in Clare are being asked to stop and look around themselves today and focus on the challenges facing people with disabilities on a daily basis. Today is Make Way Day, an opportunity to highlight all of these obstacles, such as high footpaths, low hanging branches and non-accessible toilets. It’s part of a national campaign organised by the Disability Federation of Ireland, which is encouraging people to share images online of obstacles they come across in the county, with the hashtag #MakeWayClare…

Virtual airport to improve accessibility for passengers with additional mobility needs

September 26, 2019 |  Source: Cranfield University- UK  |  

Researchers at Cranfield University have created a virtual airport environment to study and improve the air travel experience for passengers with additional mobility needs. The virtual airport, one of the first of its kind, will be used to conduct research as part of the Passenger experience laboratory in the new £67 million Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC), currently under construction at Cranfield. One of the first uses of the environment will be to help improve wayfinding and navigation provision for passengers with additional mobility needs, including those with unseen disabilities…

Public Transport Must Be Made Accessible To Elderly, Disabled, Vulnerable People, Warns EHRC

September 26, 2019 |  Source: RightsInfo- England  |  

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has warned that transport operators must make buses, trains and other public transport easily accessible to vulnerable communities of people, or risk facing legal action. The commission today launched a scheme which would help fund legal support for those who have experienced discrimination because of their age or disability while using, or attempting to use, public transport. As well as the legal fund, the ECHR will provide help with carrying out complaints, offer advice, and help with communication…

When blindness is no limitation

September 26, 2019 |  Source: The Nation- Nigeria  |  

President, National Association of Nigerian Visually Impaired Students, (NANVIS) University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter, Osho Abiodun Sunday, does not believe in impossibilities. He told DAMOLA KOLA-DARE that visually-impaired people wear their challenge with pride. For Osho Abiodun Sunday, President, National Association of Nigerian Visually Impaired Students (NANVIS), University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter, visual impairment is not a limitation and it does not diminish him in any way…

Hope for millions with hearing loss as scientists find 44 genes linked to age-related deafness in a discovery that could lead to a cure

September 26, 2019 |  Source: Daily Mail- UK  |  

Dozens of genes which could hold the key to curing deafness in old age have been identified by scientists. British researchers analysed genetic data from more than 250,000 volunteers who were over the age of 40. They found 44 strands of DNA were linked to loss of hearing – a complaint endured by around a third of the participants.  Academics say the breakthrough could pave the way for treatments and a clearer understanding of how deafness develops over time. Figures suggest around 40 per cent of Britons are affected by hearing loss to varying degrees by the time they are 65…

‘Can’t do without it’: Deaf Australians anxious about end of phone captioning service

September 26, 2019 |  Source: The Sydney Morning Herald- Australia  |  

Paul Philippa started to go deaf ten years ago, with the deterioration gradually affecting his quality of life and forcing him to use hearing aids. With his deafness becoming more profound, the 86-year-old business consultant on the NSW Central Coast recently signed up to CapTel, a telephone service that provides live captioning on a special handset. “I can’t do without it,” Mr Philippa said. “Because with normal telephone conversations, I might only understand what someone is saying about 50 per cent of the time.”…

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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:

 


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