Accessibility in the News — 2/21/2025.
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AITN Quote of the Week
Accessibility in the News (AITN)- Knowledge is Power
“A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind, hospitals of the soul, theme parks of the imagination. On a cold rainy island, they are the only sheltered public spaces where you are not a consumer, but a citizen instead.” ― Caitlin Moran
Billion Strong- A Global Disability Movement
Feature Stories
Explaining Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA), The Trump Administration’s Recent Actions on DEIA, and the Impact on Disabled Americans
February 16, 2025 | Source: American Association of People with Disabilities and PDF
Donald Trump’s Next Diversity Target: People With Disabilities
February 18, 2025 | Source: The Nation
Since taking office, President Trump has taken several actions attacking diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (often called “DEIA” or “DEI”) in the federal government. AAPD has put together this resource to provide an overview of what DEIA is, why DEIA efforts are essential for disabled Americans, and how diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts have been affected by these recent Presidential actions, including Executive Orders and guidance related to them…
Elon Musk ridiculed a blind person on X. Then a mob went to work.
February 17, 2025 | Source: The Washington Post
First, Musk retweeted a post on X noting that the “blind director of watchdog group funded by George Soros testifies that he does not see widespread evidence of government waste” and added two laughing/crying emojis. The tweet garnered more than 21 million views, and sparked dozens of hateful messages to Hedtler-Gaudette’s account. “He couldn’t see s— … perfect excuse for being unable to perform your job,” one poster said. “The dei blind guy can’t see fraud. U can’t make up this garbage,” another wrote…
Kids’ disability rights cases stalled as Trump began to overhaul Education Department
January 20, 2025 | Source: KGET
It was obvious to Christine Smith Olsey that her son was not doing well at school, despite educators telling her to leave it to the experts. The second-grade student stumbled over words, and other kids teased him so much he started to call himself “an idiot.” Though her son had been receiving speech and occupational therapy, Smith Olsey said his Denver charter school resisted her requests for additional academic support. She filed a complaint with the state and then, in September, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights…
National News (U.S.)
Murfreesboro man creates trendy accessible shoes for people with disabilities
February 14, 2025 | Source: WSMV
Finding the right shoes can be tough, but for people who wear braces, the challenge is even bigger. One Murfreesboro man is working to change that by making name-brand shoes accessible for people with disabilities. For kids who wear an AFO brace, shoe shopping often means sacrificing style for function. But Aaron Warren understands that struggle firsthand—and he’s doing something about it. Warren, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, struggled for years to find shoes he liked that fit over his feet…
‘EXPLORE’ Act and Outdoor Accessibility
February 14, 2025 | Source: Living on Earth
From the geysers of Yellowstone to the grasslands of the Everglades, the United States has set aside countless state and national parks for the public to enjoy. But not everybody feels like the parks were designed with their needs in mind. People with disabilities often face significant obstacles when they’re venturing outdoors. So a key part of the bipartisan EXPLORE Act, passed in December 2024, seeks to expand access to the great outdoors for people with disabilities in public lands nationwide…
Texas lawmaker files bill to abolish the Texas Education Agency
February 16, 2025 | Source: CBS
Following the federal government’s potential overhaul of the U.S. Department of Education, a Texas lawmaker is seeking to eliminate the Texas Education Agency, responsible for overseeing public education in the state, and redistribute its authority to the State Board of Education, a 15-member elected body that sets policies and standards for Texas public schools. State Rep. Andy Hopper, R-District 64, filed HB 2657 to abolish the TEA and “the elimination of public school accountability and assessment systems,” like ending the STAAR test…
A visually impaired woman is suing Anodyne, Koss over their websites. Critics think it’s a money grab.
February 17, 2025 | Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Last month alone, more than 400 lawsuits were filed against businesses across the country alleging that their websites are not accessible to people with visual impairments and other disabilities. And a growing number of those cases are filed by Racine resident Melissa McCabe. A search of the federal courts system shows that McCabe, who is blind, has filed over 30 lawsuits over the past two years, including several against Wisconsin-based companies like Anodyne Coffee and Koss Corporation…
Federal employees with disabilities are worried and scared about gutting of workforce
February 17, 2025 | Source: WBUR
One of the largest employers of people with disabilities in this country is the federal government. Now, disability advocates are worried the Trump administration’s downsizing of this workforce will have a negative impact that could take decades to make up for. Here and Now’s Asma Khalid speaks with Maria Town, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities. The group is led by people with disabilities…
Could Section 504 be ruled unconstitutional in response to lawsuit filed by Texas, 16 other states?
February 17, 2025 | Source: KSAT and KXAN
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and 16 other state Attorneys General are engaged in a lawsuit at the federal district level against Xavier Becerra, the former Secretary of Health and Human Services, over a new rule in federal disability law. According to the lawsuit filed on Sept. 26 of last year, the Biden Administration added “gender dysphoria” to the definition of disability, which would ensure transgender people not be discriminated against, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)…
More adults are wondering if they have autism. Here are tips to seek a diagnosis
February 17, 2025 | Source: AP
Natasha Nelson, a 35-year old entrepreneur in Stone Mountain, Georgia, didn’t have an innate sense of social norms. She didn’t know why people meeting for the first time would choose to engage in small talk instead of deep conversations, or why people like to make their beds. Then, a few years ago, she was diagnosed with autism, just after her youngest daughter received the same. “If your life has always felt like it was in chaos and you don’t feel comfortable and you don’t feel like you thrive and you just feel like you’re constantly surviving and going from one thing to the next, what you got to lose?”…
Airlines Challenge Biden-Era Rule Over Wheelchair Accessibility
February 18, 2025 | Source: Bloomberg Law and USA TODAY and CBS
Some of the biggest US airlines are seeking to overturn a sweeping Biden administration rule that would impose higher standards for accommodating passengers with disabilities, particularly wheelchair users. American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., JetBlue Airways Corp., Southwest Airlines Co. and United Airlines Holdings Inc. joined the industry group Airlines for America on Tuesday to ask the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals to invalidate the rule…
Why Seattle’s housing density plans are a disability rights issue
February 18, 2025 | Source: Cascade PBS
Finding a place to live in Seattle can be challenging for just about anyone. Housing is expensive, competition is high, options often feel limited. For Cecelia Black, an organizer with Disability Rights Washington, finding an apartment in 2021 that met her needs was a daunting, eight-month process. Black is a wheelchair user and at a minimum requires housing in a wheelchair-accessible building. But ideally she wanted to find housing built with wheelchair-accessible design standards…
Accessibility of Rosa Parks, Helen Keller statues focus of state commission meeting
February 18, 2025 | Source: Alabama Reflector
The Alabama Women’s Tribute Statue Commission Tuesday got an update on the site preparation for statues of Rosa Parks and Helen Keller and their accessibility for those with disabilities. Keith Owens, president of MBA Engineers and charged with completing site preparation for the statues, said he was hesitant to call it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) but that “it’s as accessible, as reasonably permitted.” “It’s some issues that we could not control, that we cannot update because it would be a substantial disruption to the drive around the capital and substantial increase in cost,” Owens said to commission members…
Potential cuts to Medicaid could impact programs providing services to those with developmental disabilities
February 18, 2025 | Source: WEWS
The nation’s Medicaid Program, with its $880 billion budget, is an attractive target for Republican lawmakers in Washington who are looking for places to slash spending. Its programs impact around 80 million U.S. adults and children including nearly three million Ohioans like Breanna Sprenger of Parma. “I have caregivers 22 hours every single day, and they help me with all of my daily living activities,” she said. Breanna was born without her legs and her right arm. News 5 first introduced you to her in 2009 when she was involved in an adapted aquatics swim program…
A Lawsuit Threatens the Disability Protections I’ve Known My Whole Life
February 19, 2025 | Source: Time
Like so many Americans, I’ve been trying to avoid social media lately. My brain feels fractured and frazzled trying to keep up with the headlines that are only escalating with red-alert alarm. I’m trying to stay informed, while moving slowly and sustainably, focusing on the good I can do right in front of me. But just after supper on a recent Thursday night, as my kid heads off to his bath and the dishwasher waits to be loaded, my thumb finds the Instagram icon on my phone, and I’m sucked away from the table and into a post that stops me cold: “Section 504 is Under Attack.”…
Spotlight on Jen White-Johnson: Redefining Disability Design and Justice
February 19, 2025 | Source: Fun 4 The Disabled
At the intersection of art, education, and activism stands Jen White-Johnson, a neurodivergent Afro-Latina artist, designer, and educator. Through digital art and design, Jen challenges ableism and creates platforms for inclusion and representation. Living with Graves disease and ADHD, Jen draws from her personal experience to reimagine visual culture, centering neurodiversity and disability advocacy. Her journey as an artist and activist deepened when her son, Knox, was diagnosed as autistic at age two…
Ensuring accessibility for Rlers with disabilities is paramount to being inclusive
February 20, 2025 | Source: The Providence Journal
RAMP is making RI more accessible for all. Why inclusion matters
February 20, 2025 | Source: The Providence Journal
It’s difficult to separate the connectivity between accessibility and being an inclusive society. Whether in employment, education, community programs and activities, our facilities or with online content, everyone deserves equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of life. Unfortunately, accessibility eludes far too many people, the result of barriers that range from physical, communicative and systemic, to technological and attitudinal…
CM Selvena Brooks-Powers’ bill expands accessibility for NYC’s deaf community
February 20, 2025 | Source: QNS
The City Council recently passed a bill to increase accessibility for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. Sponsored by Southeast Queens Council Member and Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers, Intro138 will increase accessibility for public service announcements (PSAs) for people who are deaf or hard of hearing by requiring the creation of a program that will display ASL with accompanying captions on PSAs displayed on advertising structures…
PMJA 2024 – NCPR – Enterprise – Accessibility in the Adirondacks
February 20, 2025 | Source: North Country Public Radio
The Adirondack Park boasts millions of acres of recreational land, amassing nearly a fifth of the state’s land area. State land classifications, along with the “forever wild” constitutional clause, have helped regulators protect the park’s woods and waters for over a century. The Adirondacks are an international destination for people looking to experience rugged nature. Yet that experience remains largely inaccessible, even for people with the park’s boundaries – in part because of those “forever wild” regulations…
Jack Fact — According to the CDC, approximately 1 in 36, 8-year-olds, in the United States are on the autism spectrum, and the rate is slightly higher in New Jersey (1 in 35).
Hit The Road Jack — Accessible Cruising on Disney Cruise Line’s New Treasure Ship and Accessible Hotel Guides and Building a More Inclusive Fishing Tourism Industry in BC
International News
Accessibility for Manitoba Act, well intended, but insufficient
February 14, 2025 | Source: Rabble- Canada
It is a January afternoon in Winnipeg. Patrick Stewart and his colleague who uses a motorized wheelchair are waiting at a crowded bus stop in front of Portage Place Shopping Centre in downtown Winnipeg. A bus pulls up, the door opens. The crowd is thick and a person in a wheelchair who has already boarded must roll off to allow other able-bodied passengers to board and then roll back on again. There is no room left for Patrick and his colleague…
At last, accessibility for all
February 15, 2025 | Source: The Financial Express- India
In November 2024, a Supreme Court (SC) bench led by former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra delivered an order in Rajive Raturi vs Union of India. The case had begun in 2005 as a petition advocating accessibility for visually impaired individuals, but it has since evolved into a pivotal matter addressing various aspects of accessibility. In its ruling, the SC emphasised three critical elements that will have substantial implications for inclusivity across sectors like technology, transport, health, and social services…
UAE launches landmark US$60 million initiative to expand accessible education for visually impaired students in Ethiopia
February 15, 2025 | Source: WAM- UAE
Under the directives of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE announced a new US$60 million (AED220 million) initiative from the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for the development of schools to support the educational needs of visually impaired students across Ethiopia. This initiative will be led by the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, a portfolio entity of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, in collaboration with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia…
Election offers chance to make Ontario accessible: advocate
February 16, 2025 | Source: Simcoe- Canada
What will our next premier and government do to tear down the many unfair barriers impeding 2.9 million Ontarians with disabilities from riding transit, getting an equal education in schools, colleges and universities, making use of our health-care system, getting competitive employment and using vital public services? This is an issue rarely covered by media during an election campaign. Even if you don’t yet have a disability, this matters to your friends and family members who do…
ESA astronaut with physical disability medically cleared for ISS missions
February 16, 2025 | Source: SpaceNews- UK
In a first, a European astronaut with a physical disability has been medically cleared for missions to the International Space Station. The European Space Agency announced Feb. 14 that John McFall, a reserve member of the agency’s astronaut corps, had been certified by a multinational medical board for long-duration missions to the ISS. The certification is noteworthy because McFall lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident at the age of 19 and wears a prosthesis…
Approving policy on disabled estimable
February 17, 2025 | Source: Zambia Daily Mail- Zambia
Like in most developing countries, persons with disabilities in Zambia face several significant challenges. Many public buildings, transportation systems and other infrastructure are not accessible to people with disabilities, making it difficult for them to move around freely and independently. People with disabilities often face discrimination in the job market, making it harder for them to find and retain employment. Access to quality education is limited for children with disabilities, and many schools are not equipped to accommodate their needs…
Breaking Barriers: The Case for Accessible Venues
February 17, 2025 | Source: United Nations Development Programme- Maldives
Inclusion is more than just a principle; it is a commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind. Yet, for many persons with disabilities, physical and structural barriers often stand in the way of full participation in social, professional, and cultural spaces. Accessible venues are not just about compliance with standards; they are about dignity, opportunity, and equal participation in society. To address this pressing need, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP in the Maldives), in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (UN RCO), organized a sensitization session on February 13, 2025…
Public Transport in Curaçao Fails to Meet Accessibility Standards, Says Veteran Bus Driver
February 17, 2025 | Source: Curacao Chronicle- Curacao
Despite years of using outdated buses that fail to meet the needs of the population, Autobusbedrijf Curaçao (ABC) continues to introduce new vehicles with the same accessibility issues. The company recently inaugurated a new fleet, but veteran bus driver Andres Everitz argues that these vehicles still do not prioritize passenger comfort and accessibility. ABC’s buses require passengers to enter and exit via a high and narrow step, making it particularly difficult for the elderly and those with disabilities…
This Physical Change Can Predict Dementia Risk 12 Years Before Diagnosis
February 17, 2025 | Source: HuffPost- UK
Did you know that researchers have linked the size of your temporalis muscle (responsible for opening your jaw) to your risk of dementia? Yep ― the muscle’s volume can reveal how much age-related muscle loss called sarcopenia has taken place, which is itself linked to increased Alzheimer’s risk. When strength loss is a sign of frailty, scientists think it might predict dementia risk nine years ahead of diagnosis. But another physical change, which is easier for most of us to notice, has been associated with the condition over a decade before it’s clinically recognised…
‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame in Concert’ to offer tickets to disabled patrons following online criticism
February 17, 2025 | Source: Liam O’Dell- UK
The producer of the upcoming The Hunchback of Notre Dame concert at the Prince of Edward Theatre has confirmed it will release “a number” of tickets for those with access needs, as Delfont Mackintosh Theatres expressed “regret” that information for disabled patrons was not “immediately available in a clear and public manner”. The concert, based on the Victor Hugo novel with songs from the 1996 Disney animation, was announced on Thursday, with two performances taking place on 17 August…
How hospitality can improve accessibility for patrons with low vision
February 18, 2025 | Source: Hospitality Magazine- Australia
Refusing guide dog users access to publicly accessible spaces is illegal in Australia, yet research from Guide Dogs NSW shows that hospitality businesses are among the most likely venues to do so. Guide Dogs Community Mobiliser Dan Searle has experienced this refusal of access firsthand, which he describes as extremely distressing. “Even if you get to a point where you can explain what the law is and your legal right to be there, it’s still a horrible feeling and you don’t necessarily want to stay,” Searle tells Hospitality…
White Rock’s commitment to accessibility questioned
February 19, 2025 | Source: North Delta Reporter- Canada
The City of White Rock’s commitment to accessibility is being questioned again in the wake of a decision to remove Coun. Christopher Trevelyan as chair of the city’s reconstituted accessibility advisory committee – after only one meeting. Accessibility advocate Susan Bains, of the White Rock-based Equal Access Collective – calling it “a cause for concern” – noted Trevelyan has also been removed from the committee entirely, as of Jan. 27…
Ontario Election 2025: Simcoe County accessibility advocates call on the next government to add more teeth to AODA
February 19, 2025 | Source: Simcoe- Canada
A pair of advocates who assist individuals with disabilities in Simcoe County believe the laws governing accessibility need to be clarified. Maureen Smithers is a program co-ordinator, and Teresa Gal is executive director of Breaking Down Barriers, an independent living centre that serves thousands across Simcoe and Grey counties. As of Jan. 1, businesses, governments and organizations were slated to be fully compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)…
Beauty market shifts to target the young at heart in a rapidly aging Japan
February 19, 2025 | Source: AP- Japan
Yoshiko Abe is about to turn 89, but that hasn’t stopped her from going to the gym every day and trying the free-of-charge makeup course at her housing complex. “It was really helpful,” she said, all smiles and glowing after putting on foundation and pink lipstick, something she hadn’t done in years. Japan is the fastest-aging society in the world, where more than a quarter of its population is 65 and older, at 36 million people. In about a decade, the ratio will be one in three…
Accessibility and disability dilemma in Nigeria
February 20, 2025 | Source: Punch Newspapers- Nigeria
In Nigeria today, it is difficult for people living with disabilities to fully participate in public activities and enjoy the same way other persons without disability do. There are a lot of barriers in almost everything, and accessibility is difficult, especially in three critical pillars of our existence, such as information, services, and products. Someone may ask, what is accessibility? Ulster University (2025) described accessibility as removing barriers that enable users to engage and participate in everyday activities without difficulties…
Let’s think more intentionally about physical accessibility
February 20, 2025 | Source: The Standard- Kenya
My friend has a physical disability. She recently slipped in her hotel room and fractured her leg. She told me this was not the first time she was falling in highly inaccessible environments. She is not the only one. Others have developed phobias about falling. This is because they have fallen and ended up developing further disabilities. We recently toured a recreation facility in Naivasha and one of the buildings that we used to access boat rides had a steep step at the entrance…
Anger after government appears to drop Tory plans to put accessibility at heart of new national rail body
February 20, 2025 | Source: Disability News Service- UK
Labour appears to have dropped the Conservative government’s pledge to place accessibility right at the heart of the new national body that will run the railways. Concerns were raised by The Association of British Commuters when this week’s consultation on the government’s plans for rail reform failed to include any mention of a statutory accessibility duty. Last February, in The Plan for Rail (PDF), the Conservative government confirmed earlier pledges that it would introduce a legal duty on the new Great British Railways that would “underpin cultural change” and ensure GBR put accessibility “at the core of its strategic decisions”…
As the province falls short of accessibility goals, Huntsville leaders focus on workplace inclusion for people with disabilities
February 20, 2025 | Source: Muskoka Region- Canada
With Ontario failing to meet its goal of achieving full accessibility under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, communities and individuals are left with lingering questions about how the next provincial government will address the issue. In terms of disability support in the workplace, Coun. Dione Schumacher, chair of Huntsville’s accessibility committee, said she’s frequently asked, “So, how do you become a more inclusive employer?”…
Accessibility Blogs, Information, and Videos
- Forgotten- Disability Debrief- Rachel Litchman
- Don’t Test Accessibility With a Screen Reader- Erik Kroes
- Evaluating Overlay-Adjacent Accessibility Products- Eric Bailey
- The European Accessibility Act 2025: An internet for all- Bailey Bryan
- On the road to accessible transportation- Government of Prince Edward Island
- The fight for affordable and accessible housing for all- PBS NewsHour Classroom
- Importance of Digital Accessibility in Banking and Fintech – Global Trade Magazine
- Breaking Barriers: The fight for accessibility in Limerick and beyond- Limerick Voice
- LaDonna Eriksen envisions accessible homes for all at ISE 2025 – Hiddenwires Magazine
- In ‘Interabled,’ YouTube stars Squirmy and Grubs tell stories of love and disability- WBUR
- Inclusive Sans makes the case for accessibility being standard, not secondary- It’s Nice That
- Are you ready for this year’s sakura (Cherry Blossoms)?- Access Dispatch- Accessible Japan
- Rethinking Find-in-Page Accessibility: Making Hidden Text Work for Everyone- Der Schepp
- Why Accessibility Must Be At The Heart Of Lifelong Learning In Every Organisation – Scoop
- User experience questionnaire in sign language for native users of Slovenian sign language – Nature
- Inclusive Innovation: The role of AI in accessibility and neurodiversity – Source Asia- Microsoft News
- Breaking Barriers: The State of Workplace Accessibility for People with Disabilities in Greece- Eurofast
- How does limiting the Access to Work Scheme get more Disabled people into work?- Disability Rights UK
- Transforming the Mobility Industry: Trends and Innovations in Accessible Vehicles- World Business Outlook
- An investigation of access to library facilities and services for persons with disabilities in India- ResearchGate
- Empowering or Excluding: New Research and Principles for Inclusive AI- The American Foundation for the Blind (YouTube)
- Unlocking Inclusive Experiences: Real-Time Web Accessibility Enhancement with On-Device Machine Learning- ResearchGate
- Accessibility of Australian government online cancer screening information for people with intellectual disability- Journal of Public Health
- Transportation for Individuals With Disabilities; Adoption of Accessibility Standards for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way- Federal Register
- CAN-ASC-5.2.1: Part 1: Design and Delivery of Accessible Programs and Services: Accessible Service Delivery – Accessibility for federally regulated entities as defined by the Accessible Canada Act- The public review closes on April 14.
Federally Speaking
Higher Education Blogs and Information
- Campuswide accessibility audit – UIC today
- Tracking Key Lawsuits Against the Trump Administration- Inside Higher Ed
- “What College Should I Go To?” Student Accessibility Services for ADHD – ADDitude
- Accessibility in Walla Walla: How Project Sidewalk is Paving the Way – Whitman Wire
- Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is failing the disability community- The Maine Campus
- Diversity-focused pages, language begin to disappear from Pitt, CMU websites- PublicSource
- Department of Education warns schools to drop DEI policies or risk federal funding- The National Desk
- Online Schools Can Be for Everyone: How Accessibility Features Are Changing the Game- Times of India
- Developing Flexible Soft Robotic Arms for Enhanced Object Manipulation and Accessibility- AZoRobotics
- UT student proposes bill improving evacuation procedure accessibility in public universities- The Daily Texan
- A Year of Inclusion: How Disability Services is Shaping CU Boulder’s Future- University of Colorado Boulder
- Common Senses Festival Brings Inclusive Arts and Innovation to UNO This Spring- University of Nebraska Omaha
- NEH awards WSU professor $150,000 to further develop accessibility app- Wichita State News- Wichita State University
- Accessibility Resource Center announces open forums for director finalists- UNM Newsroom – University of New Mexico
- Different ways of thinking, different ways of thriving: How ASU is supporting students with autism- ASU News – Arizona State University
- Creating accessible and inclusive undergraduate studentship opportunities: the ENRRICH experience- BMC Medical Education – BioMed Central
- U.S. Department of Education Releases Dear Colleague Letter Addressing the Use of Race in Education, Announces Enforcement Forthcoming- Husch Blackwell
Legal Blogs and Information
- France – a pioneer in accessibility legislation- Datenschutz Notizen
- Lawsuit filed to Block trump DEIA Executive Orders- Lainey Feingold
- Can RI employers still promote DEI in the workplace? Here’s the legal guidance.- Providence Journal
- 155 establishments including central ministries fined for failing to meet digital accessibility standards- Times of India
- Disability Community Briefing: What You Can Do to Stop the Attack on Section 504- Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (Webinar Recording)
Accessibility Announcements
- MBTA opens first accessible commuter rail station
- Brantford to implement 2025-2029 Accessibility Plan
- Hovertravel retains leader status for inclusive transport
- Museum’s immersive mail train ride will aid accessibility
- Leyden officials plan for long-term accessibility upgrades
- What’s new at the British Colombia Accessibility Directorate
- State audit calls for accessibility improvements in Clifton Park
- Rep Buchanan Introduces Bills to Expand Access to Telehealth
- DVB publishes accessibility implementation guidelines for DVB-I
- Nominations open for Brantford Accessibility Improvement Awards
- Historic Parish Enhances Accessibility with New Pew Configuration
- Major improvements to improve accessibility at Surrey Quays station
- Principality Stadium launches Accessible Fan Guides in sporting venue first
- UK Golf Federation and EDGA Will Collaborate to Grow Accessible Golf in the UK
- Mobility at Sea Unveils ‘Brand Envoys’ to Enhance Accessibility for Cruise Passengers
- Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council Welcomes New Member Cristina Cortez
- Teach Access Collaborates With Microsoft to Advance Accessibility Education on MS Learn
- Peoria Police Department Becomes A Certified Autism Center™, Shows Commitment to Enhancing Accessibility
- Belfast venues and experiences recognised for work to support inclusivity at city’s first ever Inclusive Tourism Awards
Accessibility Products and Services
- Daniels opens accessibility standards to the industry
- Woolworths enhances accessibility with expanded Quiet Hour
- 7 accessibility features on Windows 11 you didn’t know about
- Unzip Your Style: Zipped Brands Revolutionizes Everyday Footwear
- The Girl Who Figured It Out- Minda Dentler, Illustrated by Stephanie Dehennin
- Refillable makeup packs feature tear strips and ergonomic grips for accessibility
- HopSkipDrive Powers Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle Rides for Students in 10 Cities
- Motability Foundation endorses Park Access scheme for checking EV charge point accessibility
- Surrey Schools continues accessibility series by understanding, addressing and removing barriers
- New playground at Broward Children’s Center provides inclusive space for kids with special needs
- Samsung’s latest smartphone has helpful accessibility features for people with sight and hearing loss
Accessibility Forums, Tips, and Gaming
Accessibility Statements
- Welsh Water
- Choice Hotels
- CEVA Logistics
- Osceola News Gazette
- Minnesota Digital Library
- S. Department of Commerce
- International Distribution Services
- Medical University of South Carolina
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
- POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
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:
- What is a VPAT®? A VPAT Primer
- Understanding Digital Accessibility in the Procurement Process
- Accessibility in the News, Legal Edition: Updates on ADA Title III News and More
- What Lawyers Need to Know: A Primer on Digital Accessibility Terms and Today’s Legal Landscape
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