Accessibility in the News — 1/26/2024.

Outdoor activities offer numerous physical, mental, and emotional benefits, and everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy these experiences, regardless of their abilities. Accessible outdoor recreation promotes social integration, allowing individuals with disabilities to participate in shared activities with friends and family. Beyond the social aspect, exposure to nature has been proven to have therapeutic effects, contributing to improved mental health and reduced stress. Creating inclusive outdoor spaces also promotes physical health by encouraging individuals with disabilities to engage in activities that support mobility and fitness. Furthermore, accessibility initiatives contribute to breaking down societal barriers and challenging stereotypes, fostering a more inclusive and understanding community. Ultimately, making outdoor recreation accessible to people with disabilities not only enhances their quality of life but also enriches the entire community by promoting diversity, equality, and a shared appreciation for the outdoors.

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AITN Quote of the Week

Accessibility in the News- Knowledge is Power

“The evening is an abyss where our daily stresses and anxieties seem to flow freely, like lava released from an erupting volcano. The deafening silence and the darkness of the night invite our minds to wander effortlessly. As we lie awake and stare into the searing blackness, we realize there are no boundaries to our thoughts, so we endeavor to reconcile our ever-present emotions, fears, anxieties, challenges, conflicts, and relationships. By the morning, the rising sun and the evolving day seems to calm the nightly ritual down and the only remnants of the unsettled evening are the ripples left for our next visit to the abyss.” ― Jack McElaney

Rough Sleepers

Feature Stories

Georgia DNR making hunting more accessible

January 19, 2024 | Source: Statesboro Herald & AllOnGeorgia and Now Habersham and Rockdale Citizen and Grice Connect

Minnesota DNR advances implementation of Get Out MORE funding

January 22, 2024 | Source: Minnesota DNR and KARE 11

Accessible Outdoor Recreation Needs Growth In West Virginia’s Blooming Tourism Economy

January 22, 2024 | Source: West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Georgia Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Walter Rabon said the agency is committed to developing accessible opportunities for people with disabilities. Earlier in January, DNR held its third adaptive hunt since 2021 when five hunters and a hunting buddy were paired with a guide for a two-day “Hunt and Learn” experience on private property in Newton County. The hunt, specifically designed for novice deer hunters with mobility impairments, is a priority initiative for Georgia DNR, according to a release from the agency, and reflects its commitment to providing inclusive hunting, fishing and outdoor opportunities for all Georgians…

National News (U.S.)

Irvine student advocates for access to Braille literature

January 19, 2024 | Source: OCDE Newsroom and ABC7

William Shakespeare, John Keats and Emily Dickinson — these are just a few of the authors that University High School student Henry Hill counts as his favorites. Henry, an Irvine Unified School District junior, has dedicated himself to helping increase accessibility to classic works in Braille so that other students who are blind can have more knowledge available at their fingertips. Due to these efforts, Henry recently received the Elphie Award from the producers of the musical “Wicked” for his commitment to enacting change for good…

Santa Rosa accessibility advocate praises city’s quick response to blocked sidewalk report

January 20, 2024 | Source: The Press Democrat

A mass of wet leaves on a sidewalk might not seem like a big deal. But to Ken Rossi, a stretch of sidewalk slick with fallen leaves, poses a significant problem. That’s because he can’t sidestep them, or skip over any other obstacle or pothole. Blind since he was a junior at Piner High School, Rossi, 59, has used a wheelchair for nearly that long after he lost his ability to walk because of a sensory motor disorder. But make no mistake, he gets around. Case in point: One afternoon earlier this month, Rossi left his home just east of Montgomery High School and made his way to Montgomery Village…

Parkinson’s advocates push for more accessible resources

January 20, 2024 | Source: Spectrum News 1

It’s a disease that can often be invisible for some. “Parkinson’s is a disease that you don’t see,” Yvonne Hylton, board member of Rochester Parkinson Network, said. “It’s progressive, starts out very slowly and people go a long period of time without being diagnosed in some circumstances. So living with Parkinson’s is challenging in that people don’t always see what the struggles are.” Diagnosed in 2007, Hylton, alongside her husband Kevin, wanted to make a difference. In doing so they founded the organization Rochester Parkinson Network, creating advocacy and education around Parkinson’s disease…

‘Maybe we should let me go’: Christopher Reeve documentary brings tears to Sundance

January 21, 2024 | Source: The Guardian

A powerful new documentary about the life and work of Christopher Reeve has premiered to tears and applause at this year’s Sundance film festival. Met with a rousing standing ovation, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story traces the career and activism of the Superman actor before and after the 1995 accident that paralysed him from the neck down. The film, directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, features an intimate collection of home video footage and new interviews with Reeve’s three children and the actors who knew him…

Justice Department Secures Agreement with Oklahoma State Agency to Ensure Oklahoma Mobile Apps Are Accessible to People with Disabilities

January 22, 2024 | Source: DOJ and Settlement Agreement (PDF) and Findings (PDF) and KOKH and StateScoop

The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with Service Oklahoma, a state agency, to resolve its findings that the agency violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by maintaining a mobile application that is inaccessible to individuals with disabilities. “When public entities make services available through mobile apps, they may not exclude people with disabilities by failing to make their technology accessible,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division…

Bringing birds to the people: Organization finds and details accessible sites for successful outings

January 22, 2024 | Source: The Advocate

When Alex Landry was researching a final course project for the Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater Baton Rouge, he was excited to find a website that helps connect people with disabilities to birding, one of his favorite hobbies. Birdability is an organization that strives to help people with disabilities and other health concerns enjoy the outdoors. This includes those with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, chronic illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness, and those who are neurodivergent, deaf, hard of hearing, or experiencing other health concerns…

Accessible Subway QR Codes: Colorful QR Codes

January 22, 2024 | Source: Trend Hunter

Enhancing accessibility in New York subways, colorful QR codes are set to revolutionize navigation for users with diverse needs. Colorful QR codes will begin appearing in stations throughout the city, catering to individuals with varying mobility, linguistic, or sensory challenges, ensuring a more inclusive and user-friendly public transportation system. To read the QR codes, users can simply download the free NaviLens app, compatible with 34 languages, which reads these codes aloud, aiding visually impaired commuters in comprehending signs and obtaining real-time travel information…

Despite legislative progress, accessible cities remain elusive

January 22, 2024 | Source: The Conversation

Amid a complex web of disability civil rights legislation in Canada and the United States, one could easily be lulled into thinking that the work is done. Some of this legislation is now several decades old; more recent additions include accessible design standards and guidelines and barrier-free elements of building codes. But if only this were true. Watching Toronto and other cities in North America work on accessibility feels a bit like watching a snail moving through molasses: the best route is unclear, progress is slow and they often become stuck…

Following in her mom’s footsteps, a doctor fights to make medicine more inclusive

January 23, 2024 | Source: NPR and New York Times & Essence and CBS and Capital B and Washington Post

When Dr. Uché Blackstock was a medical student at Harvard, she had a near-death experience that gave her a sobering outlook on the state of medical care in the U.S. Suffering from excruciating stomach pain, Blackstock took herself to the E.R., where, after hours of waiting, she was told she had a stomach bug and sent home. But in days that followed, Blackstock felt worse; it would take two more E.R. visits before she was diagnosed with appendicitis. Because it took so long for the diagnosis, her appendix ruptured, requiring emergency surgery, followed by a painful recovery that sent her back to the hospital…

New Hampshire primary made accessible for voters with disabilities

January 23, 2024 | Source: Boston University News Service

Around one million New Hampshire residents gain access to the polls today as the Democratic and Republican presidential nominee voting commences in over 300 polling locations. However, as straightforward as this seems, driving to the booths and checking off a few boxes isn’t so simple for everyone. For the nearly 1 out of 8 New Hampshire residents who identify with a disability, permittance of mail-in ballots and accessibility laws offer a side road to the process, ensuring that their voices are heard…

Reporter’s Notebook: Investigating accessibility in public transit

January 23, 2024 | Source: Connecticut Public Radio

It started as a tip: You should look at what’s going on with the bus system in Bridgeport. Last year, as I was speaking with people about public transportation in Connecticut, and some of the accessibility issues that riders with disabilities face, I received a cryptic piece of information about the bus system in greater Bridgeport. It was clear there were concerns about equitable access to public transportation. But it took a few months of reporting to uncover the story…

White House is ‘doubling down’ on accessibility when it comes to digital experiences

January 23, 2024 | Source: FedScoop

As federal agencies check off boxes in the Office of Management and Budget’s digital-first public experience mandate, the White House is “doubling down” on the policy document’s callout for strengthened accessibility across platforms. Jonathan Finch, the White House’s acting director for digital experience, said during a webinar Tuesday that the General Services Administration’s Technology Modernization Fund is staying especially busy with requests of that kind, which are coming in the aftermath of OMB M-23-22, released last September…

LAFLA and DREDF File Lawsuit to Defend Tenant Denied Access to Her Wheelchair

January 23, 2024 | Source: Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund and Complaint

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) and co-counsel Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) have filed a lawsuit against Beach Front Property Management, Inc. for alleged disability discrimination. Beach Front, which manages hundreds of properties across Southern California, is accused of refusing to allow a long-term tenant to store her motorized wheelchair in an accessible location, making it impossible for her to enter or leave her own apartment…

Dialogue on Disability: How to eliminate barriers to accessible housing and transportation

January 24, 2024 | Source: WXXI News

It’s Dialogue on Disability Week. The annual initiative – a partnership with the Al Sigl Community of Agencies – is designed to stimulate community dialogue about the perspectives and abilities of people with physical, developmental, and intellectual disabilities. When Courtney Davis became ill with a rare condition, she learned almost overnight what the disability community has to contend with. One of the challenges was simply convincing her property manager to remove snow from sidewalks and walkways…

Jack Fact — The World Health Organization-Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. In at least 1 billion of these, vision impairment could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed.

Hit The Road Jack — Discover the best resorts for skiers with disabilities in the US and Europe and How to choose your accessible winter staycation break

International News

The new year should bring in a new focus on accessibility

January 19, 2024 | Source: Canada’s National Observer- Canada

Accessibility has become an increasingly prominent topic over the last few years. It is one of the leading issues in community design, and cities, provinces and organizations tout their accessibility strategies as evidence of their commitments to inclusion. But despite this attention, there are still several areas where accessibility gaps are overlooked, two of which I discuss below. On the surface, these deficits affect people very differently, but common to each is that continuing to neglect them will lead to a host of consequences felt beyond those immediately impacted…

How Primark is championing accessibility with its first adaptive collection

January 19, 2024 | Source: The Industry Fashion- UK and BBC

The retailer, along with the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers, uncovered that three in five disabled people struggle to find clothes they feel “happy and comfortable in”. To change this, Primark has not only created a clothing line but is committed to driving change across its stores and the business to better serve disabled colleagues and customers. Three in four of the 16 million people who live with a disability in the UK state adaptive clothing is essential to, or significantly improves their quality of life…

Disabled travel: finding accessible places to stay is the main problem

January 20, 2024 | Source: The Guardian- UK

Perhaps it’s a holiday in the sun or a weekend in the city to catch up on a show or similar event. Maybe it’s just to hook up with family and friends to re-engage. Whatever the reason, short or long breaks normally afford an opportunity to rest, recharge, let off some endorphins and improve your wellbeing. Me and my partner of 20 years, Julie, who is now my full-time carer, have had some fantastic trips home and away over the years. However, we can’t just throw a load of clothes into a suitcase and head off into the sunset any more…

Castleton: Praise for accessibility project in beauty spot

January 22, 2024 | Source: BBC- UK

A new online map has been produced to make it easier for disabled people to visit a Peak District beauty spot. The village of Castleton is popular for its caves, history, shops, Christmas lights and walks. Surrounded by hillsides and overlooked by Mam Tor and the ancient Peveril Castle, it is one the most popular villages in the area. Now a project, called Accessible Castleton, has resulted in the map that shows locations for wheelchair hire, disabled toilets and parking…

Adelaide Airport settles dispute with former disability discrimination commissioner over ‘upsetting’ security incident

January 22, 2024 | Source: ABC- Australia

Australia’s former disability discrimination commissioner Graeme Innes has settled a dispute with Adelaide Airport over a “humiliating and distressing” experience with security screening. Mr Innes, who is blind, lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission after travelling through Adelaide Airport with his assistance dog in May 2022. He said he was not treated fairly by security staff and the upsetting experience left him feeling angry and stressed. After conciliation meetings at the Human Rights Commission, Mr Innes said the complaint had been resolved…

ESRI study of ableism finds differences across disabilities

January 23, 2024 | Source: Irish Times- UK

More negative stereotyping of some types of disabilities can affect prejudicial attitudes, according to new research from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). The institute conducted a study that investigated different forms of ableism, or the stigma and discrimination that can be faced by people with disabilities. In the survey, which was funded by the National Disability Authority, a representative sample of 2,000 adults read short scenarios or vignettes describing instances of potential discrimination, such as a qualified candidate failing to secure a job…

European Accessibility Act Implemented into Irish Law

January 23, 2023 | Source: Mason Hayes and Curran- Ireland

In an important development, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) has been implemented into Irish law through the European Union (Accessibility Requirements of Products and Services) Regulations 2023. The EAA is significant for businesses in a number of sectors and industries including e-commerce, telecoms, banking, transport and for companies in the technology products space. It will apply from 28 June 2025 and will introduce accessibility requirements for in-scope products and services. These have been outlined in previous updates here and here…

BBC reforms will stop broadcaster posting uncaptioned content with impunity

January 24, 2024 | Source: Liam O’Dell- UK

The UK Government’s Mid-Term Review of the BBC includes a commitment to grant Ofcom regulatory powers over the broadcaster’s social media content on sites such as YouTube, potentially ending the laughable practice of marking its own homework when it comes to online accessibility. Unlike the BBC’s radio, TV and on-demand content (as its staff were all too happy to point out in response to an earlier complaint) materials shared on platforms such as Instagram are not overseen by the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, meaning when it comes to my #BringBackCaptions campaign…

‘I think that accessibility is just such an afterthought’

January 24, 2024 | Source: Echo- Ireland

A Terenure man who became wheelchair-bound after a devastating cancer diagnosis has set his sights on reshaping how businesses and society implement and perceive accessibility measures. James McGill was aged just 33 when he received an unexpected diagnosis of a rare form of blood cancer called lymphoma in December 2019. The disease was discovered after James was admitted to hospital with a broken arm, with tests later showing that it was a symptom of lymphoma…

Successful conclusion of project “Works on improving accessibility of public buildings and centres for social work in Montenegro,” supported by the European Union

January 24, 2024 | Source: EES- Montenegro

Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Naida Nišić and the Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro Oana Cristina Popa visited the Social Welfare Centre in Tuzi to mark the completion of the project “Works on improving accessibility of public buildings and centres for social work in Montenegro.” The project was implemented through the One-Year Action Programme for Montenegro for the year 2018, within the framework of the action “Support to the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights sector in Montenegro.”…

Kakao Mobility launches app tool for calling accessible taxis

January 24, 2024 | Source: Korea JoongAng Daily- South Korea

Kakao Mobility, Korea’s largest taxi-hailing service provider, will launch a new feature aimed at providing better access to cab-calling for disabled people, older adults and pregnant women. The new feature will allow users, when they are calling a ride, to specifically select different types of cars that cater to their transit needs, just as they might select a Kakao Venti, Blue or Black cab. Previously, such specific cars could only be requested online or by phone, or in Daejeon, through the “Sarang Nanum Call” service…

An Accessibility Conundrum in the Philippines

January 24, 2024 | Source: The Asia Foundation- Philippines

The question had long confounded proponents of disability inclusion in the Philippines. Laws had been passed and budgets were in place, but public schools in the Philippines remained stubbornly inaccessible to people with disabilities. Everywhere, school buildings with wheelchair-blocking staircases, inaccessible restrooms, and no tactile cues for the blind continued to thwart the full access and participation of a substantial part of the population. Every Filipino will use a public-school building at some time in their life…

Vancouver’s accessible sensory park won’t happen — for now

January 24, 2024 | Source: Vancouver Sun- Canada

The idea of turning a Vancouver park into an accessible, sensory play zone catering to those with mobility challenges and neurodivergent children has been shot down. ABC Vancouver said the proposal for a sensory park suggested by commissioner Jas Virdi was amended this week by non-ABC park board members so thoroughly that it effectively killed the proposal. Instead of a dedicated facility, the board called for a review of accessible and inclusive parks and playgrounds around the city and for the Vancouver Park Foundation to start a private fundraising campaign to raise money for equipment…

Icy, slushy sidewalks create roadblocks for Calgarians with mobility issues

January 24, 2024 | Source: CTV News- Canada

The warmer weather in Calgary is causing sidewalks to become icy and slushy, creating another roadblock for people with mobility challenges. Getting around during the winter months isn’t easy for Elaine Lee. Even with her electric wheelchair, she can get stuck.“It’s been pretty hard with all the snow built up, especially where it’s not plowed or shovelled,” Lee told CTV News. Lee says crosswalks and ramps are often the hardest to navigate as they aren’t always fully cleared…

Madras High Court Directs CMDA to Ensure Accessibility Standards in New Bus Stands

January 25, 2024 | Source: Times of India

Madras high court has directed the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) to ensure that the upcoming bus terminals at Koothambakkam, Venpakkam, Varadarajapuram and Mamallapuram are all constructed in compliance with the Harmonized Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India, 2021. “We would appreciate if the Access Auditors would make periodic inspections during the construction activity of the bus stands and make necessary suggestions as and when required,” the court said on Wednesday…

Cambridge ‘nowhere close’ to being fully accessible by 2025: advocates

January 25, 2024 | Source: CambridgeToday- Canada

Advocates for people with disabilities say efforts designed to make it easier for them to access services in Cambridge are nowhere near to meeting requirements of the province’s Accessibility for Ontarian’s with Disabilities Act (AODA). And as the deadline to implement the act approaches, some local accessibility rights advocates are speaking out about the shortfalls they continue to experience. Cambridge resident Ken Roche knows all too well the pitfalls of getting around since losing his sight as a child…

Fact check: Did Alberta’s health minister reserve accessible parking spaces at a Calgary hospital?

January 25, 2024 | Source: Canada News

On Tuesday, a Reddit post began circulating on various social media platforms after it included a photo of a sign that appeared to be reserving multiple accessible parking spaces for Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange as well as her deputy minister at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary. The image is of a sandwich board-style sign that reads “reserved for minister of health and deputy minister of health” in all capital letters, while the accessible parking space sign is covered with what appears to be a garbage bag…

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