Accessibility in the News— 08/25/17.

Parents are striving towards universal design for their children with disabilities. Universal design focuses on making everything accessible to everyone… “Play day becomes all-inclusive in Olive Branch”… “Target Debuts Sensory-friendly Clothing For Kids”… “Father creates games for visually impaired after daughter loses sight”

AITN Quote of the Week

“We need to make every single thing accessible to every single person with a disability.”

— Stevie Wonder

National News (U.S.)

In the Interest of Greater Accessibility

August 17, 2017 | Source: White Water West | Digital Accessibility, Web Design, Inclusion

We asked Bob McCullough, Morgan’s Communications Director, about ways in which all waterparks can improve their accessibility. Morgan’s Inspiration Island recently opened in San Antonio next to the unique Morgan’s Wonderland theme park. Both non-profit, ultraaccessible parks were designed with special-needs individuals of all ages in mind and built for everyone’s enjoyment. To create these parks, Gordon Hartman, founder of The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation, brought together teams of passionate people that included doctors, therapists, special-ed teachers, caregivers, and parents of special-needs children to brainstorm what would constitute ultra-accessibility. This means anyone with a physical or cognitive challenge can do just as much and have as much fun as individuals without special needs in an inclusive, safe, barrier-free, and non-judgmental environment…

Mobile Applications and Litigation: Why Accessibility is Important and What to Consider before Launching,

Part 2 of 2

August 18, 2017 | Source: Microassist & Paul J. Adam | Digital Accessibility, Mobile App, Accessible Design | Texas

In “Mobile Applications and Litigation: Why Accessibility is Important and What to Consider before Launching, Part 1 of 2,” we discussed the human and legal cases for accessibility, what makes accessible mobile application design similar to and different from accessible website design, and what you need to know to implement mobile app accessibility. In this article, we’ll look at thirteen specific accessibility issues that prevent users with disabilities from using a mobile application, thus exposing organizations to potential legal action or complaint. We’ll also cover how to test mobile applications for accessibility. While somewhat technical, this article will provide a substantive overview of development best practices to implement and snafus to avoid when designing a mobile application…

Everything Self-Storage Operators Need to Know About the Americans With Disabilities Act

August 18, 2017 | Source: Inside Self-Storage | ADA, Workforce, Accessible Design

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990. At the time, no one in the self-storage industry thought the ADA applied much to their facilities, except under Title III of the Act, which deals with public accommodations. If you built a storage facility after 1990, it would need an office that was accessible to those with all disabilities. This includes wheelchair access. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice began floating around modifications to the ADA, which included new and specific design and building requirements. Again, no one was certain if these requirements applied to our industry because most of what constitutes a storage facility isn’t an area of “public accommodation.”…

Taxi rivals pitch alternative to city’s wheelchair plan

August 18, 2017 | Source: Crain’s New York Business | Mobility, Transit/Transportation, Discrimination | New York

A historic meeting took place Friday morning at the Taxi and Limousine Commission offices in lower Manhattan: Companies that are normally at each other’s throats—from ride-hail giant Uber to mom-and-pop livery cab operators—came together to fight a proposed increase in wheelchair-accessible service. Representatives from the entire forhire vehicle industry outlined to Commissioner Meera Joshi their objections to her proposed rule, which would require that 25% of all trips be in wheelchair-accessible vehicles, whether or not their passengers are using a wheelchair. For-hire vehicles, or FHVs, make pickups requested by app or phone, but cannot legally respond to street hails…

Accessibility Testing 101: Getting Started and Catching Up

August 21, 2017 | Source: StickyMinds | Digital Accessibility, Accessible Design, Awareness

As with any other quality attribute, it is ideal for accessibility to be incorporated in the early stages of design and engineering. But organizations that didn’t initially take accessibility into account can still address it now—it’s better late than never. Here are the main attributes you should consider from the design, development, and testing angles, whether you’re building accessibility in from the beginning or adding it now. Accessibility has been experiencing increased visibility and adoption in recent years, mandated both by governmental regulations and end-users’ needs. As with any other quality attribute, it is ideal for accessibility to be incorporated in the early stages of design and engineering, but organizations that didn’t initially take accessibility into account can still address it now— it’s better late than never…

How does the refreshed Section 508 rule affect your agency?

August 21, 2017 | Source: GCN.com | ADA, Accessible Design, Digital Accessibility

A part of The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508 requires that government agencies provide individuals with disabilities equal access to their programs, services and activities. Specifically, Section 508 deals with electronic and services, including web page content, PDF documents and audio and video content and specifies requirements to ensure that all web content is accessible to people with disabilities. The latest update to Section 508, known as “the refresh,” went into effect March 21, 2017. The number of people affected by Section 508 is significant. As much of the 10 percent of the population may be affected by blindness, low vision, learning disabilities or other difficulties that impair their abilities to access information…

Play day becomes all-inclusive in Olive Branch

August 21, 2017 | Source: DeSoto Times-Tribune | Inclusion, Universal Design, Parenting | Mississippi

Saturday was a great day to head out to the playground and enjoy the summer sunshine. In Olive Branch, it was an even greater day to play, because a new segment of the playing public was able to do something they had previously not been able to do. That’s because the new all-inclusive playground at the Olive Branch City Park was officially opened with a ribbon cutting, food and refreshments, and, of course, fun. The new playground at the park is unique in a number of ways, but most prominently by its ability to allow all youngsters, with or without disabilities, the opportunity to savor the same level of playing enjoyment…

Target Debuts Sensory-friendly Clothing For Kids

August 21, 2017 | Source: Bismarck Tribune | Cognitive, Fashion, Parenting, Innovation

Raising a child with sensory issues can be a difficult undertaking when something as simple as choosing clothes to wear can be a struggle. A nationwide chain seeks to make the lives of parents of children with these challenges a little bit easier: Target announced last week it is introducing a new limited selection of sensory-friendly clothing for kids. The pieces are part of the store’s popular Cat & Jack line of kids’ clothing. Features that make the pieces functional for children with sensory issues include heat-transferred labels in place of tags, flat seams and one-dimensional graphic tees. They are all designed to minimize discomfort when the clothing comes in contact with the skin…

League of Women Voters of Lafayette press local leaders to make early voting more accessible

August 22, 2017 | Source: The Advocate | Accessible Design, Advocacy, Government | Louisiana

The League of Women Voters of Lafayette is calling on local government leaders to make early voting more accessible to residents, citing problems early voters encountered when trying to cast ballots in last fall’s election at the parish’s sole early voting site. The League says the space on the third floor of the Court Annex building at 1010 Lafayette Street, where the Registrar of Voters Office is located, is too small to accommodate the crowds in high turnout elections like those for president and governor. And, they say, it is difficult to get to for people who are handicapped, in wheelchairs or have other physical challenges…

Website Accessibility Lawsuit Filings Still Going Strong

August 22, 2017 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw | Digital Accessibility, Lawsuits/Litigation, Awareness

The number of federal lawsuits alleging inaccessible websites continues to increase, along with the number of law firms filing them. Businesses remain well-advised to seek advice from counsel experienced in website accessibility to manage risk. Different year, same news: Website accessibility lawsuits show no signs of slowing down. In fact, with the DOJ’s recent placement of website regulations on the “inactive list”, litigation will likely only continue. As we have written about extensively, most recently here, court orders are issuing more and more from courts across the country, slowly creating a body of jurisprudence around this issue; though the rulings differ vastly by court and even judge…

US businesses are becoming increasingly accessible to people with disabilities

August 23, 2017 | Source: USA TODAY | Businesses, Accessible Design, Deaf/Hearing Impaired

More than a decade ago, when Jenny Lay-Flurrie was looking for a job, she told an interviewer at Microsoft that she had some trouble hearing. “I didn’t tell them I was profoundly deaf,” Lay-Flurrie tells USA TODAY through an American Sign Language interpreter. “It was Microsoft that educated me. They helped me realize that my disability is a strength that makes the company better.” Thirteen years later, Lay-Flurrie is the chief accessibility officer for Microsoft…

Walmart joins forces with Google on voice-activated shopping

August 23, 2017 | Source: Associated Press & BBC | Innovation, Assistive Technology, Inclusion

Walmart is diving into voice-activated shopping. But unlike online leader Amazon, it’s not doing it alone. The world’s largest retailer said Wednesday it’s working with Google to offer hundreds of thousands of items from laundry detergent to Legos for voice shopping through Google Assistant. The capability will be available in late September. It’s Google’s biggest retail partnership — and the most personalized shopping experience it offers — as it tries to broaden the reach of its voice-activated assistant Home speaker. And it underscores Walmart’s drive to compete in an area dominated by Amazon’s Alexapowered Echo device…

How tech helped blind students ‘watch’ the solar eclipse

August 23, 2017 | Source: CNET | Blindness/Visual Impairment, Inclusion, Nonprofit

Public relations manager Becky Snider greets me at the entrance to the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky. “There are like 280,000 square feet,” she says as we descend far into the bowels of the building. “We have to take people on guided tours or they’ll get lost down here.” I can easily believe it. We walk nearly five minutes before reaching our destination, a nondescript basement-level conference room. The American Printing House for the Blind, or APH, has been a Louisville institution since 1858. Not only does the non-profit organization provide braille textbooks and other educational aids through the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind, its research department also develops new technologies…

Prioritizing accessibility made Way of the Passive Fist much better

August 24, 2017 | Source: Gamasutra | Gaming, Accessible Design, Inclusion

As a creator, I of course want everyone to experience what I create. For any game that I develop I want as many people to play it as possible. Some will enjoy it, some less so, but it is important that as many as possible be able to.” Way of the Passive Fist is an arcade brawler that takes players to a colorful world of misfits and danger, but one that turns the genre on its head through a defensive style that emphasizes learning the enemy and playing smart, rather than brute force takedowns. Not only is Jason Canam, who directed development with the team at Household Games, looking at the genre in new ways, but he’s also looking at games in new ways, working on accessibility to ensure that as many players can enjoy his game as possible…

3 On Your Side Investigates: Access Denied

August 24, 2017 | Source: Mississippi News Now | ADA, Transit/Transportation, Building/Facilities Access | Mississippi

Six years ago, Jackson city leaders drafted a plan to finally bring the Capital City in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now we’re learning that most of those changes to sidewalks, bus stops and buildings haven’t even been started yet. “Crossing the street near my apartment complex is tough,” said resident John Chaplain. Each day, Chaplain goes downtown, a mile-and-a-half trek he calls essential to his quality of life. Most days, though, he’s just trying to stay alive by navigating the twists and turns of a sidewalk system working against him…

What to Know About Mass Transit Accessibility for People With Disabilities

August 24, 2017 | Source: NBC New York | Transit/Transportation, Discrimination, Disability Rights | New York

From broken elevators to inaudible announcements, people with disabilities have a unique set of mass transit challenges. Below is a transcript of an ADA-focused episode of News 4 New York’s podcast “Listen While You Wait,” which is hosted by Michael Gargiulo and focuses on mass transit issues in the region. This week’s episode focuses on mass transit accessibility for those who are disabled. We have provided this transcript of the episode so that everyone can access the information…

Edgartown Courthouse Access for People with Disabilities Found Severely Lacking

August 24, 2017 | Source: The Vineyard Gazette Martha’s Vineyard News | Government, Mobility, Building/Facilities Access | Massachusetts

At the Edgartown courthouse, access for people with handicaps is severely lacking to nonexistent. The only wheelchair ramp into the courthouse is in disrepair. The bare wooden boards are slippery when it rains, and the ramp leads to a locked door. The wheelchair lift on the back stairs leading to the second floor courtroom has been broken for months. The basement level of the courthouse, where juries organize and wait to be called, and where court sessions are sometimes held, has no access at all for people who are disabled…

Jack Fact — According to Consumer Technology Associations’ Active Aging report, the market for technology for seniors and their caregivers is projected to reach $42.7 billion by 2020.

International News

Province assessing WIDC accessibility

August 17, 2017 | Source: Prince George Citizen- Canada | Innovation, Building/Facilities Access, Inclusion | Canada

The Ministry of Citizens’ Services said Thursday it is looking into concerns brought forward by Spinal Cord Injury B.C. about the Wood Innovation and Design Centre in downtown Prince George. “The ministry has plans underway to assess the current condition of the property before the end of September, guided by the current building code standards for accessibility, and will look at all feasible options,” an email from the ministry sent to The Citizen said. The ministry representative said the province is committed to making sure all buildings they own are accessible to all citizens and the architect met all building code standards during its construction, including accessibility requirements…

Nine wheelchair-accessible SBS Transit bus services to be rolled out

August 18, 2017 | Source: The Straits Times- Singapore | Mobility, Transit/Transportation, Accessible Design | Singapore

Come Monday, all SBS Transit bus services will be wheelchair accessible. Currently, nine out of the 205 services operated by SBS Transit cannot take wheelchairs. These nine services, which from next week will be able to service wheelchair users. Mr Gan Juay Kiat, SBS Transit’s chief executive, said this move opens up more destinations to wheelchair users. “They will find it easier, more convenient and affordable to get around on public transport, be it to hospitals, schools, shopping malls, parks, places of interest,” he said…

Four accessible Lake District activities for those with limited mobility

August 18, 2017 | Source: The Westmorland Gazette- UK | Mobility, Leisure/Entertainment, Inclusion | United Kingdom

Accessible tourism expert Carrie-Ann Lightley, of Kendal, suggests four accessible Lake District activities. The Lake District is a popular holiday destination, and was recently the first UK National Park to be named a World Heritage Site. It’s not difficult to see why, with stunning countryside and outdoor activities to suit every level of ability. My favourite is Tarn Hows, a stunning, accessible walk near Coniston…

Accrington man, 21, vows to take disabled facilities petition to PM

August 18, 2017 | Source: Accrington Observer- UK | Advocacy, Inclusion, Building/Facilities Access | United Kingdom

An Accrington man has vowed to take his campaign for better disabled facilities at motorway services to Downing Street. Zack Kerr, 21, set up a petition on the change.org website on August 4, and it has already been backed by nearly 3,000 people. He intends to deliver it to the Prime Minister Theresa May, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, and north west MPs including Hyndburn’s Graham Jones. Zack, of Howard Close, wants to see accessible changing room facilities installed at all UK motorway service stations…

Yazd ranks first in providing accessibility for the disabled

August 18, 2017 | Source: Tehran Times- Iran & Financial Tribune- Iran | Inclusion, Accessible Design, Disability Rights | Iran

In terms of access facilities, Yazd Province ranks first in observing the Comprehensive Law on Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an official in Iran’s Welfare Organization says. Kurdistan Province is the runner-up and Tehran Province comes third, Ebrahim Kazemi Momensaraie announced. The accessibility for people with disabilities in Yazd province has risen 54%, in Kurdistan 41% and in Tehran 21%, he said…

Invictus Games are an opportunity to advocate for disability rights

August 18, 2017 | Source: Toronto Star- Canada | Gaming, Advocacy, Disability Rights | Canada

I Am. These two diminutive words have featured prominently in arguably one of the most patriotic advertising campaigns in this country’s history. And while Molson was able to capitalize on nationalistic pride by creating the “I am Canadian” commercials, the slogan I Am, inspired by key phrases of the Invictus poem, will carry an entirely different meaning in the coming weeks. From Sept. 23 to 30, Toronto will play host to the Invictus Games, an initiative started by Prince Harry with his vision to create an international version of the U.S.-based Warrior Games for wounded, ill and injured military personnel and veterans. Invictus – Latin for unconquerable – is also the title of the poem that inspired the I Am slogan…

Disability and travel: surprisingly accessible Chichester

August 17, 2017 | Source: Disability Horizons- UK | Travel, Building/Facilities Access, Architecture | United Kingdom

With the bank holiday weekend fast approaching, deputy editor Karen Mogendorff, who walks with a limp, talks about her recent trip to Chichester. You may not have considered it as a place to visit before, but Karen tells you why you most certainly should, especially if you have access needs and love visiting historical sites. Chichester is originally a Roman settlement that grew in importance during Anglo-Saxon times. But in this small town, it’s not just the historical buildings that stand out, but also its people. Cicestrians, as they’re called, offer assistance to strangers easily and with a smile…

Accessible travel for tourists with mobility issues

August 19, 2017 | Source: Stuff- New Zealand | Travel, Mobility, Accessible Design | New Zealand

Travel can be frustrating and exhausting for even the nimblest of tourists, but I can’t say I’ve ever chosen a destination based on its kerb policy or cobblestone risk factor. For those with mobility issues these are just one of a myriad issues they must face when wanting to go abroad. Airports and airlines appear to have accessibility solutions perfected down to a fine art – if they are given advanced notice, but that shouldn’t be the end point for hospitality. Ideally, the biggest and best tourist attractions and global cities would be accessible to all rather than seeing it as a nice-to-have feature. Sadly this is not the case…

Patients diagnosed using EMAILS: NHS invests in new electronic GP consultations

August 20, 2017 | Source: Express- UK | Accessible Design, Health/Medicine, Inclusion | United Kingdom

NHS ENGLAND is to invest tens of millions of pounds in electronic GP consultations, where patients are diagnosed using email, after nationwide trials were hailed as a success. The £45million fund is set to be released this autumn following trials of the service, which supporters say has seen many patients avoiding the need to visit their practice altogether. However the service has been criticised by some doctors who say online consultations are only in place to cut costs at the expense of patient safety. They say a virtual service will mean vital and potentially lifesaving health information could be missed. Currently over 400 doctor’s surgeries have been trialing the new system and preliminary data shows the eConsultation service leads to as many as 60 per cent fewer face-to-face family doctor visits because health problems are resolved online or with a follow up call…

Father creates games for visually impaired after daughter loses sight

August 20, 2017 | Source: Sky News- UK | Gaming, Blindness/Visual Impairment, Parenting | United Kingdom

A developer whose daughter became blind set up his own games studio to specialise in titles that are more accessible for people with sight loss. Eighteen-year-old Daisy Lloyd lost her sight completely when she was four due to the eye cancer retinoblastoma, but thanks to her dad, she’s able to play video games. Selwyn Lloyd set up Audazzle with the aim of making games more accessible for blind and visually impaired people. “As an art school graduate and being obsessed with how things look, when Daisy became blind I had to rethink what inspired me,” said Mr Selwyn…

Third-level improvements for students with disabilities

August 21, 2017 | Source: Irish Times- Ireland | Education, Mobility, Building/Facilities Access | Ireland

The late disability campaigner Martin Naughton told a story of arriving in his wheelchair at Dublin’s Mater Hospital in the 1970s and being faced with a vertiginous flight of steps at its entrance. With no other options, some kindly volunteers hoisted him to the front door. This ignominious scenario, recounted as it was with the characteristic cheer of a man who spent his life fighting to change attitudes, was a metaphor for the many obstacles faced by those with disabilities. However, there has been an increasing effort to make things easier. Services, and access have followed, and in third-level education, this can be seen to be especially the case. Today, colleges, universities and other institutions are obliged to provide support services but, more than that, there is an enthusiasm behind them…

The type of inclusion that many employers overlook

August 21, 2017 | Source: Human Resources Director- Australia | Inclusion, Businesses, Workforce | Australia

Most HR professionals are aware of the many benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workforce. Over the last decade, employers across Australia have made impressive progress in the areas of gender, ethnicity and sexuality diversity. But there are still major shortfalls in terms of inclusion of people with disabilities. HRD chats to Philip Jenkinson from Media Access Australia about the practicalities of creating a workplace that is inclusive of people with disabilities. Overall, working aged people with disability currently have both lower participation (53%) and higher unemployment rates (9.4%) than people without disability (83% and 4.9% respectively), according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data (4430.0) from 2016…

Accessible Public Transport: The Whole Journey

August 21, 2017 | Source: Sourceable- Australia | Transit/Transportation, Accessible Design, Awareness | Australia

The Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport (2002) (Transport Standards) have a five-year schedule for review, with the most recent review having been undertaken in 2012 and a new one scheduled to commence sometime this year. These are of course the standards related to transport systems including aircraft, buses and coaches, ferries, taxis, trains, trams, light rail, motor rail, rack railways, and other rolling stock, and are formulated under the Disability Discrimination Act (1992). The review, which began in 2012, recognised a number of areas where improvements could be made, with one of the recommendations being to develop accessibility guidelines for a ‘whole-of-journey’ approach to public transport planning…

J.K. Rowling lends her support to female author after man on Twitter insists she didn’t ‘write a book’, she wrote a ‘text’ that other people turned INTO a book

August 21, 2017 | Source: DailyMail Sweden | Digital Accessibility, Discrimination, Leisure/Entertainment | Sweden

J.K. Rowling came to the rescue when a man condescendingly lectured a young female author about her new book. Laura Kalbag, a 30-year-old British designer based in Sweden, took to Twitter on Friday to excitedly announce that she has written a book that’s about to be published. Unfortunately, the happy news of her professional success wasn’t met with congratulations from all. In fact, one man seemed to decide that he needed to take her down a peg, patronizingly explaining why he didn’t believe she deserved to claim her success. After putting in three years of work, Laura was naturally thrilled to share news of her book with her 16,000 followers. Called Accessibility For Everyone, the volume is about web accessibility and will be published by A Book Apart in a few months…

Calgary airport reverses decision to change accessible parking to Lexus-only spots

August 22, 2017 | Source: Globalnews.ca- Canada & Lexus cancels event after another ‘failed’ campaign covers accessible parking stalls in Calgary | Accessible Parking, Discrimination, Disability Rights | Canada

The YYC Calgary International Airport has posted a public apology to its passengers after a decision to change its accessible parking stall locations spurred concerns. “YYC Calgary International Airport would like to apologize to our passengers impacted by the decision to change the location of the accessible parking stalls at the airport; it is clearly out of touch with our commitment to being an accessible facility,” said the airport in a statement on its website Aug. 21. The airport came under fire after turning accessible spaces to Lexus-only spots as part of a marketing campaign that saw the Lexus logo and “reserved parking” painted on the ground of stalls that used to be reserved for people living with disabilities…

Making metros accessible

August 22, 2017 | Source: Metro Report International- UK | Mobility, Government, Transit/Transportation | United Kingdom

Most metro stations around the world rely on stairs for access to platforms. These are easy to build, especially for stations not far below the surface. However, this arrangement offers no accessibility for many people with disabilities — not only people who are permanently wheelchair-bound, but also passengers who have chronic pain, who rely on walking aids or who are temporarily injured. Furthermore, passengers carrying heavy luggage, such as those bound for airports, might prefer to avoid steps if possible. As governments pass tighter disability access laws, and as the proportion of old people in developed countries rises, public transport operators have begun painstaking programmes of investment into accessibility, especially step-free access for passengers in wheelchairs…

Officials decry ‘unfortunate’ case of couple denied B&B over service dog

August 22, 2017 | Source: CBC Canada & County Live & County Weekly News | Discrimination, Leisure, Disability Rights | Canada

Prince Edward County officials are trying to make things right after a couple with a service dog were barred from a local bed and breakfast earlier this summer. David Greenwood and his wife, Jill, had planned to spend the weekend at a bed and breakfast in the town of Bloomfield, Ont., about 200 kilometres east of Toronto, but were told they couldn’t stay there with Greenwood’s black Labrador service dog, Romy. Emily Cowan, the executive director of the county’s chamber of commerce, called the situation

“unfortunate” in an emailed statement. Given the number of bed and breakfasts in the area, Cowan says she’d like to see some legislative clarity around what the rules are when it comes to service animals…

Mercury Theatre brings drama to life for deaf and hard of hearing audiences in Essex

August 22, 017 | Source: Gazette- UK | Deaf/Hearing Impaired, Performing Arts, Entertainment, Accessible Design | United Kingdom

DEAF and hard of hearing audiences will have greater access to theatre now Colchester’s most renowned venue has its own captioning unit. The Mercury Theatre no longer has to share the equipment – which provides a written description of what is happening on stage after receiving a £6,000 grant from Essex County Council’s Community Initiatives Fund. It means the Mercury can improve upon the 18 accessible performances staged over the past year while making the unit available to visiting companies, and continuing to provide audio-described and captioned performances…

Pedestrian crossings must allow time for old and disabled, says NICE

August 22, 2017 | Source: RCNi- UK | Building/Facilities Access, Mobility, Aging | United Kingdom

Councils need to ensure that older and disabled people and parents with prams have enough time to cross the road when using pedestrian crossings, says the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The number of road crossings, and how accessible they are, may not be meeting people’s needs and this can put people off going out and about, according to a draft guideline. NICE’s guidance on encouraging physical activity in local communities calls on councils to ensure that people with limited mobility are given enough time to cross safely when using pedestrian crossings…

Accessibility concerns flagged on Bell Island ferry service

August 22, 2017 | Source: The Telegram- Canada | Advocacy, Government, Mobility, Transit/Transportation | Canada

Advocates are calling on the provincial government to acknowledge and address accessibility concerns on the ferries that serve Bell Island. The Coalition of Persons with Disabilities — Newfoundland and Labrador (COD-NL) says it has heard complaints that ferry users of the ferry service are put in “a compromised position” on the boats. “The coalition has heard claims of persons with disabilities being injured or having their mobility devices damaged while using the ferry’s elevator system, which has a barrier that requires lifting people and their chairs up and over a lip in order to access it,” the organization said in a news release…

Tehran’s disabled face accessibility crisis

August 24, 2017 | Source: Daily Mail- Tehran | Discrimination, Transit/Transportation, Disability Rights | Tehran

The chaotic, impenetrable streets of Tehran have left Navid, a multiple sclerosis sufferer, feeling like a prisoner in his home. Even for the able-bodied, the uncontrolled building spree of recent years means the Iranian capital can often seem like an assault course of narrow broken pathways, gutters full of rushing water, and cars shoved into every available inch of space. For the thousands of disabled people in Tehran, the hilly streets are effectively a no-go zone. The city council offers a disability bus service, which must be booked two days in advance, and which gets him to work at a disabled rehabilitation centre every day…

Janine Shepherd: a broken body is not a broken person

August 24, 2017 | Source: Disability Horizons- UK | Advocacy, Awareness, Sports/Athletics | United Kingdom

Former elite athlete and now celebrated author, Janine Shepherd, shares her inspirational story in the best-selling memoir, Defiant: A Broken Body is not a Broken Person. It chronicles her journey following a tragic accident that cut short her bid to compete in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Partially paralysed and suffering life-changing injuries, Janine made the courageous decision to let go of her former life and face adversity headon, creating a new dream for herself. Disability Horizons writer, Carrie Aimes, speaks to her about her journey, the challenges she has faced and how she’s reinvented herself and her outlook…

This Man Helps Visually Impaired Art Lovers ‘Touch’ & ’See’ Art

August 24, 2017 | Source: The Quint- India | Blindness/Visual Impairment, Arts/Entertainment, Inclusion, Accessible Design | India

Good, inclusive design thinking can change the world. For Mumbai-based heritage architect Siddhant Shah, helping cultural organisations become more accessible to the differently-abled was the way to do this. An accessibility consultant, Shah has been doing some excellent work with his organisation ‘Access For All’ to bridge the gap between heritage and disability by creating new definitions of physical, intellectual and social accessibility. It started back in NMIMS Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, when Shah his friends and he decided to participate in a competition by UNESCO and Archaeological Survey of India to make heritage sites in India disabled-friendly…

DfT launches consultation to improve transport for disabled passengers

August 24, 2017 | Source: Rail Technology Magazine- UK | Transit/Transportation, Mobility, Accessible Design | United Kingdom

A plan to remove barriers for disabled people to use transport in the UK has today been launched for consultation by the DfT. Among some of the ideas in the draft accessibility action plan are ambitions to improve accessibility toilets on the railways and ensure better use of Blue Badges. Alongside the consultation, the DfT is launching a pilot study in October to explore opportunities to increase the availability of accessible toilets on trains and improve their reliability through better tanking facilities. “I take the issue of accessibility across all modes of transport very seriously,” said rail minister Paul Maynard, who launched the plan in Leeds…

Accessible Travel And Mental Health – Anxiety, Stress, Triumph And Joy

August 24, 2017 | Source: Huffington Post- UK | Health/Medicine, Travel, Accessible Design, Mobility | United Kingdom

At first glance you’d probably think my impairment is easy to spot – I have Cerebral Palsy, and use a wheelchair. But there’s something else that isn’t obvious; for the last ten years I’ve battled with anxiety and panic disorder. Most people know that I love to travel, to the next town or somewhere far away. I’m an organiser, a planner, and a list maker. Researching new places to go is what I love to do, and it’s also been part of my role as Information Service Manager at Tourism for All for the last 12 years…

Uber and City of Ottawa agree seven cents per trip will go to accessible transportation

August 24, 2017 | Source: MobileSyrup Canada & MetroNews Canada | Transit/Transportation, Mobility, Accessible Design | Canada

Uber and the City of Ottawa have agreed to a surcharge amount that will go towards supporting accessible transportation in the city. The two entities arranged the solution due to the fact that Uber’s wheelchair-accessible fleet is not available in the area. According to Anthony Di Monte, the city’s general manager of emergency and protective services, within a memo to City council, seven cents from every Uber trip will now be applied to the municipal reserve fund…

Workshop for national science congress on Aug 26

August 24, 2017 | Source: Times of India- India | Innovation, Technology, Universal Design | India

The Environment Society of India, working under the aegis of department of science and technology, will organize the orientation programme for the school teachers of rural and urban region on August 26 preparing them for the upcoming National Children’s Science Congress (NCSC). The workshop will be held in auditorium of National Institute for Technical Training and Research, Sector 26. Two teachers from each school of the city have been invited to attend the workshop. The theme of this years’s NCSC is ‘Science, technology and innovation for sustainable development with special emphasis on accessibility for people with disability’…

First Nations monument to be fully accessible

August 24, 2017 | Source: Welland Tribune- Canada | Awareness, Universal Design, Inclusion, Mobility | Canada

Had it not been for the Haudenosaunee who guided Laura Secord along the last leg of her fateful journey to Decew House, where she warned British commanders of an impending U.S. attack, we might be waving an American flag, says Joey Hewitt. The Thorold resident, who has mobility limitations, attended a sod-turning event at Decew House Heritage Park Thursday, where inclusiveness and a spirit of reconciliation were celebrated as integral parts of a “Barrier Buster” Canada 150 collaborative project. With help from many contributing partners, The Friends of Laura Secord are constructing a First Nations Peace Monument at the Thorold park and ensuring accessibility for people with mobility and other physical as well as mental limitations…

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Digital Accessibility Digest

One of our three industry blogs, Microassist’s Digital Accessibility Digest is the “umbrella” for much of our accessibility content. It features commentary, guidance, curated news, and event information.

Accessibility in the News is a regular feature of the Digital Accessibility Digest. To receive Accessibility in the News first (before it hits our website!), please subscribe below for our email version. As a bonus, the newsletter version also includes information on upcoming training and resources.

Microassist Accessibility Services

Outlining a host of accessibility-related services, Microassist Accessibility Services: Barrier-Free Digital Development, provides background on Microassist expertise and the various offerings available for digital content and platforms. Services cover accessible elearning, website, and application development, audit and remediation services, and accessibility testing across various formats.

Have Questions?

Please contact us for any questions you have about our accessibility services and how we might support your organization.

mockup of website on laptop and mobile screens with heading 'WCAG 2.2"

Subscribe to Accessibility in the News

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

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