Accessibility in the News — 3/15/2024.

Advances in technology offer transformative benefits for people with disabilities, enabling greater independence, accessibility, and inclusion. We have already seen incredible innovations with accessibility tools like screen readers and speech recognition software, mobility aids including advanced prosthetics and smart wheelchairs. With communication devices like augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, individuals with disabilities can access information, communicate effectively, and navigate their environments more easily. By leveraging technology, individuals with disabilities can overcome barriers and achieve greater autonomy and empowerment in their daily lives.

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Feature Stories

How we can make AI less biased against disabled people

March 11, 2024 | Source: Fast Company

AI continues to pervade our work lives. According to recent research by the Society for Human Resource Management, one in four employers use AI in human resources functions. Meanwhile, technology is becoming an increasingly common presence in everything from education and healthcare to criminal justice and law. Yet we largely aren’t addressing bias in any meaningful way, and for anyone with a disability, that can be a real problem. Indeed, a Pennsylvania State University study published last year found that trained AI models exhibit significant disability bias…

How can driverless cars broaden access for people with disabilities?

March 12, 2023 | Source: KXAN

Less than a week after Waymo announced it began testing fully autonomous vehicles in Austin, company heads joined panelists from different subsectors of the disability community to discuss how the technology can expand accessibility for riders. The panel was held as part of the 2024 South by Southwest Conference and Festivals. Among those speaking Tuesday included Emily Coleman, the superintendent of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Austin…

National News (U.S.)

Mona Minkara advocates for accessibility in science

March 4, 2024 | Source: C&EN

At age 7, Mona Minkara was diagnosed with macular degeneration and cone-rod dystrophy, which eventually led to blindness. A doctor “point-blank told my mom that it wasn’t worth spending a penny on my education,” she recalled years later as she delivered a speech at her commencement from Wellesley College. Minkara completed her PhD in chemistry at the University of Florida, and in 2019, she joined the faculty at Northeastern University in Boston…

Modernize the Older Americans Act to Meet the Needs of Today’s Seniors

March 8, 2024 | Source: National Council on Aging

Supporting healthy aging, economic security, and senior centers are NCOA priorities for this year’s Older American’s Act reauthorization. On March 7, NCOA President and CEO Ramsey Alwin testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor | Source: Pensions and stressed the importance of modernizing the law to meet the needs of today’s older adults. As Alwin said in her testimony, “Reauthorization of the OAA provides a critical opportunity to strengthen and revitalize its many important provisions…

Lindsay Cagely: The adaptive leader in Aspen who fights for accessibility

March 8, 2024 | Source: The Aspen Times

Challenge Aspen Chief Executive Officer Lindsay Cagley understands how important access to the outdoors is for the residents of the Roaring Fork Valley and believes in making it accessible to everyone, regardless of disability or challenges. “The nature of Colorado and this valley is to be outside as much as possible,” she said. “People here understand what being outdoors means to our physical health, mental health, our community, and our social life. Challenge Aspen wants to make sure that what we know and love about this place is accessible to everybody.”…

An Instagram-Ready Immersive Museum Uses Braille. But Is It Accessible?

March 8, 2024 | Source: The New York Times

While he was settling into Manhattan after moving from Israel in 2004, the 24-year-old artist Roy Nachum decided to contend with a second challenge: Inspired by his grandmother who had lost her sight, and in search of new inspiration for his artwork, he blindfolded himself. For the next 168 hours, he felt his way around his apartment in the East Village and used a cane to navigate to and from the nearby grocery store. That experience of being engulfed in the sounds and the chaos of a new city helped inspire the exhibits in his new immersive installation, Mercer Labs…

Compliant vs. accessible: A reporter’s story about St. Paul City Hall

March 8, 2024 | Source: KARE 11

After 30-plus years reporting news across Minnesota, James Walsh admits he covers less ground than he used to. “I don’t go anywhere fast anymore,” he said. “I don’t do well on stairs anymore. This is about the extent of it for me now.” After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014, he knew his body and mobility would deteriorate, so he focused on covering St Paul. And these days, even that would be nearly impossible without the use of his wheelchair…

Big Island brothers with disabilities advocate to make voting more accessible

March 8, 2024 | Source: KITV

Ivan and Allan Hegent are brothers who are blind. They are from Hawaii Island, where they say resources for people with disabilities are limited. “In order for us to be able to get proper training for us to live independent lives and to be productive, we would have to go over to Honolulu to get this training because they don’t really offer anything here on the Big Island,” said Ivan. Ivan said if more people with disabilities voted, it would show the need for resources, especially on other islands…

Disability programs face ‘severe’ labor shortages in NJ, nation. Here’s how to fix it

March 9, 2024 | Source: northjersey.com

The vast majority of companies that provide housing and therapy for people with developmental disabilities have faced “moderate to severe staffing shortfalls” and almost half have had to discontinue services, according to a national survey released this week. The annual “Case for Inclusion” report found a “stubbornly persistent” labor shortage that the authors blamed on low pay and poor benefits for the home aides known in the industry as direct support professionals. The study looked at 2021 data, but advocates said pay and staffing remain a serious problem…

5 DCPS families file class action lawsuit over disability accessible buses

March 10, 2024 | Source: WJLA

Joann McCray wants what all mother’s want, a fair chance for her child to succeed. Instead, because of difficulties with student transportation, she said it has been stop-start, with roadblocks around every corner for her autistic 12 year old son J’Don. “’No kid left behind,’ and you guys are leaving a lot of kids behind,” said McCray. 7News first spoke with McCray in 2022 when she was racking up large Uber bills to get her son to school. In 2024, she tells 7News that J’Don is still facing issues, often getting to school hours late and missing both math and science classes…

New website simplifies search for accessible public transportation in Michigan

March 11, 2024 | Source: Second Wave Media

Kristen Milefchik grew up in an area in Oakland County where there were few public transportation options. It was a barrier for Milefchik, who was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy. “It was really hard because when I wanted to look for a job and start being more independent, there were very few options for me,” she says. Years later, that experience drove Milefchik’s approach when she oversaw the creation of a statewide transportation website for Disability Rights Michigan (DRM)…

What’s the fairest way for candidates with disabilities to get on the ballot? Advocates say caucuses

March 11, 2023 | Source: Colorado Public Radio

Running for office, especially for local office, can require a lot of on-the-ground campaigning. Many candidates have to go door-to-door just to get the signatures needed to put their name on the ballot. But for political hopefuls who use a wheelchair or have a variety of other disabilities, that kind of approach is often literally out of reach. “If you think about the way the houses are built, and I’m in a wheelchair — every home has stairs or steps going up to it. I can’t reach the doorbell. I can’t reach the door to knock on it,” said Democratic state Rep. David Ortiz of Littleton…

Ensuring Live Events are Accessible to All

March 11, 2024 | Source: PCMA

When a car accident at 18 left Austin Whitney with a permanent spinal cord injury, the idea of living out the rest of his life in a wheelchair left him feeling “hopeless.” “At that point in my life, I never knew anyone in a wheelchair. I just figured my life was kind of over,” Whitney said. But that outlook shifted when he went to his first music festival, just six months later. That experience, he said, “changed my life.” A lifelong music lover who played in bands in high school, Whitney said festivals became his escape — even though navigating the venues in a wheelchair, often outside within temporary setups, was challenging…

NYC denies disabled people more accessible transportation

March 12, 2024 | Source: Prism Reports

Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) and the law firm Sheppard Mullin have filed a motion against the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) over their failure to follow through on an agreement to make at least 50% of cabs wheelchair accessible by 2020. The motion was filed on behalf of a coalition of people with disabilities, including the Taxis for All Campaign and Disabled In Action. The TLC made the agreement in a 2014 settlement to a federal class-action lawsuit, which was filed in 2011 under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act…

Prescription Label Accessibility for Blind Coloradans Passes Committee

March 12, 2024 | Source: Colorado House Democrats

The House Health | Source: Human Services Committee today passed legislation to make prescription drug labels more accessible to blind or vision and print-impaired Coloradans. HB24-1115 passed unanimously by a vote of 11-0. “The information on prescription labels provides important details that enable patients to safely and effectively take medication. Vision and print-impaired and blind Coloradans deserve for this information to be shared with them in a way they can understand,” said Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley…

How and why to disclose a disability at work

March 12, 2024 | Source: GBH

Deciding whether to disclose a disability to a potential or current employer can be a challenge. And it’s a question many people encounter. About one in four adults in Massachusetts has a disability, according to 2021 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To help them weigh the pros and cons of disclosing, and navigate that process, the Massachusetts Office on Disability held a public workshop Tuesday. “Do you want to disclose that you have a disability?…

Paul Alexander, forced into an iron lung by polio in 1952, dies at 78

March 13, 2024 | Source: NPR | Source: Dallas Morning News

Jess Curtis, Choreographer and Accessibility Champion, Has Died

March 13, 2024 | Source: KQED

Polio struck Paul Alexander in 1952, when he was just 6 years old. Within days, the disease robbed him of the use of his body. But he fought through the illness, using an iron lung for more than 70 years — and inspiring people with his determination to live a full life. He painted, wrote a book and worked for years as an attorney. “Paul took a lot of pride in being a positive role model for others,” his friend Christopher Ulmer, who organized a GoFundMe page for Alexander in 2022, said in a message to NPR. “More than anything I believe he would want others to know they are capable of great things.”…

Madonna’s comments at concert points out larger impact of casual ableism and accessibility issues

March 13, 2024 | Source: Salon

Pop icon Madonna is in hot water for a recent comment about a fan in a wheelchair at one of her concerts, igniting debate on ableism and accessibility. During a March 9 stop on her Celebration Tour, the “Like a Virgin” singer is seen in a video recorded by an audience member yelling from the stage while pointing into the crowd, “What are you doing sitting down?” The implication was that the concert attendee should be standing up and/or dancing to show they were having fun or into the music…

Disney’s ‘Wish’ has a character with a disability. A North Texan helped them get it right

March 13, 2024 | Source: Dallas Morning News

In the magical world of Disney’s movie Wish, the protagonist wishes on a star, which leads to a quest to support her community. That mirrors North Texan Maddy Ullman’s experience working on the movie as an authenticity consultant. Growing up in a small town in Colorado, she didn’t see a lot of characters who reflected her experience as a Chinese American adoptee with cerebral palsy who’s also diabetic and neurodivergent. She once thought: ” ‘Oh, I’m never going to be able to get into Hollywood…

Following Damning Report, Casey, Colleagues Urge VA to Make Federal Websites More Accessible

March 14, 2024 | Source: Senator Bob Casey

Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, joined his colleagues on the Aging Committee Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to send a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) urging the agency to take action to address concerns raised by a recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) report that found VA has still widely failed to make its websites fully accessible for people with disabilities. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires the federal government to make its technology accessible for and useable by people with disabilities…

Rochester event incorporating accessibility devices to make solar eclipse an inclusive experience

March 14, 2024 | Source: Spectrum News

As the total solar eclipse gets closer, there is a lot to look forward to and that includes an opportunity for people who are blind or visually impaired. The April 8 eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime event, so making it accessible to all is possible through community collaboration and sharing of resources from NASA to Rochester and across Western New York. After Kiki Smith says she missed out on the 2017 eclipse, she says there is no way she is going to stay home and miss the total solar eclipse…

Jack Fact — According to the CDC, Over 7 million Americans are blind or have vision loss which is 2% of the total U.S. population.

Hit The Road Jack — The most walkable cities in the US, ranked | Source: Accessible adventures without limits: How to travel with a disability | Source: Travel Visions Aloha, adventures for the blind

International News

Experts of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Commend Zambia on Disability Legislation, Raise Questions on Persons with Albinism and Land Bursaries for Persons with Disabilities

March 7, 2024 | Source: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights- Zambia

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today concluded its review of the initial report of Zambia, with Committee Experts commending the State for the work done so far, including the Persons with Disabilities Act, while asking questions about persons with albinism and land bursaries for persons with disabilities. Samuel Kabue, Committee Member and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Zambia, said Zambia had done a lot of work so far. Some of the key achievements made by the State included the formulation of the Persons with Disabilities Act of 2012 which had managed to successfully domesticate the Convention…

Staff with disability underrepresented in financial sector

March 8, 2024 | Source: Luxembourg Times- Luxembourg

People living with a disability in the Grand Duchy have a harder time finding jobs in the country with access to certain sectors like the financial industry especially difficult. About 15% of Luxembourg residents said they had a disability when surveyed during Statec’s population census in 2021. Of these respondents, only slightly more than half of those aged 20 to 64 had a job (57%) while 26% were declared permanently incapacitated, 5% were students and 5% lived off unemployment benefits…

New Brunswick mother speaks out about lack of learning disability resources in schools

March 8, 2024 | Source: Global News- Canada

Fredericton mother Laurel Richmond is busy, homeschooling her son and working part-time as a clinical psychologist. She said she took her son out of public school in three years ago because the school he used to attend didn’t give him the resources he needed as a child with dyslexia and dysgraphia. She said he first noticed he was different in Grade 1. “He was saying that he was stupid, he said that all the other kids were learning how to read and he was not catching on as quickly,” she said…

Vancouver councillor calls for city to address failure to meet accessibility standards at Stanley Park Train

March 9, 2024 | Source: Vancouver Sun- Canada

A Vancouver city councillor is calling on the city to address its failure to provide wheelchair accessibility at a popular train ride in Stanley Park. Pete Fry will bring the motion forward on Wednesday on behalf of the city’s planning commission after the city went ahead with re-opening the Stanley Park Train in November without the wheelchair-accessibility car, which excluded children and adults with disabilities from taking part in the Bright Nights holiday train…

Telford PCSO to take on London marathon supporting disabled young people access sport

March 9, 2024 | Source: Shropshire Star- England

A Telford Police Community Support Officer is preparing to run the London marathon to raise money for a charity helping disabled young people access sport. In just six weeks, 55-year-old PCSO Andy Hudson will undertake his first ever marathon to raise money for Get Kids Going. The charity aims to provide sporting opportunities for disabled children and young people up to Paralympic level. The Telford-based PCSO provides support for two Telford schools, Hadley Learning Community and Charlton School, and has been taking part in weekly parkruns and “the odd 10k” since starting the job 14 years ago…

How an Edmonton man is helping businesses become more accessible

March 10, 2024 | Source: Edmonton Journal- Canada

Brad Bartko, was born with Cerebral Palsy and has spent his entire life using a wheelchair. Twelve years ago, he went to the washroom at a bar which he describes a “glorified storage closet.” Wet floor signs, tables, chair and mops all littered within what was supposed to be the restroom. At the back, hidden behind all the storage, was the toilet. Bartko went to the staff manager and asked him how he was expected to get into the washroom with his wheelchair due to all the clutter, and secondly, how he was supposed to safely get on and off the toilet since there was no bar…

Empowering Accessibility: AI Revolutionizes Art Appreciation for the Visually Impaired

March 10, 2024 | Source: WebProNews- Amsterdam

A cultural transformation is underway in the hallowed halls of the Rijksmuseum. Spearheaded by Floris Horsman, Cathelijne Denekamp, and a dedicated team of collaborators, this initiative seeks to democratize art appreciation for individuals with low vision and blindness through innovative technology and artificial intelligence (AI) integration. Floris Horsman, a member of the low vision community himself, recognizes the profound impact of art on humanity. With a vision of inclusivity, he champions the use of AI to enrich the art-viewing experience for all…

Providing proper accessibility key to bringing more international para events to India

March 10, 2024 | Source: Sportstar- India

Former Paralympic Committee of India chief Deepa Malik said providing proper accessibility to athletes with disabilities was the key to hosting major international para competitions in the country. The celebrated former para athlete, whose term as PCI president ended on Saturday with two-time Paralympics gold-medallist javelin throw Devendra Jhajharia succeeding her, added that hotels, hostels and public transport should be made more user-friendly for athletes with disabilities…

RIDC and Which? address issues disabled people face when booking or attending an event

March 11, 2024 | Source: THIIS Magazine- UK

A survey by the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RIDC) and Which? has revealed disabled consumers experience poor accessibility when booking tickets and attending some live events. Ticketing sites, venues and organisers all have a responsibility under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure people with disabilities can access their events, but some companies could be falling short of their responsibilities, says the RIDC. RIDC and Which? address some of the issues disabled consumers face and how to take action if discrimination is experienced when booking or attending an event…

Wiltshire Council to review accessibility of taxi ranks

March 11, 2024 | Source: BBC- UK

A review of taxi ranks to gauge their accessibility is set to go ahead. Wiltshire Council will look at issues such as dropped kerbs and shelters at taxi ranks in towns across the county. The move comes after recent government guidance placed a greater emphasis on accessible transport for disabled people. Council compliance officer Tom Ince said that the review would also look into how to implement electric vehicle charging points. He described the electrification of Wiltshire’s taxi fleet as a “big challenge”, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service…

Metrobus has accessibility plans for blind passengers, but resident voices concerns

March 11, 2024 | Source: CBC- Canada

Metrobus says it’s making public transportation more accessible for blind passengers by installing a bus stop announcement system. General manager Judy Powell says Metrobus partnered with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to implement an app that will assist blind pedestrians to locate the bus stops and alert them when a bus is arriving. The change will be slowly introduced over the coming months. Philip Strong, a blind man living in St. John’s who uses the Metrobus, says it’s nice to see the service trying to make buses more accessible — but he still harbours concerns…

Accessibility advocate challenges city council to take a ride in a wheelchair

March 13, 2024 | Source: Prince George Citizen- Canada

Ken Biron has challenged Prince George Mayor Simon Yu and city councillors to put themselves behind the driver’s seat of his mobility scooter. Biron, 58, drove his scooter 14 blocks from his Third Avenue and Winnipeg Street apartment to City Hall so he could attend Monday’s public meeting to provide a report as acting chair of the city’s Advisory Committee on Accessibility and Inclusion. Biron spoke about the group’s efforts to implement the 2023 work plan and outlined the work they have done to identify and remove barriers (physical, social and attitudinal) that make it difficult for people with mobility problems to access public buildings, sidewalks and roadways…

Disability advocates call for stronger accessibility laws

March 13, 2024 | Source: NZ Herald- New Zealand

The Beehive has been given a clear message from the disabilities community – we deserve change. More than 100 people, including those with disabilities and supporters, have marched to Parliament to deliver a petition calling for better accessibility legislation. The Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill came into force in August 2022. It aims to ensure disabled people and their families’ needs and allow for opportunities to achieve their goals and aspirations. Disability advocate and Access Matters Aotearoa campaigner, Juliana Carvalho, lives with lupus and uses a wheelchair…

Vancouver council heavily amends accessibility motion

March 13, 2024 | Source: CityNews- Canada

A disability advocate says she’s shocked and upset after Vancouver city council heavily amended a motion meant to ensure the Stanley Park Train is accessible to those who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Gabrielle Peters, a disabled writer and policy analyst, says she’s bewildered that the city couldn’t pass the motion — which already had its language couched — without the significant amendment. Coun. Pete Fry, who brought forward the motion on behalf of the Vancouver City Planning Commission, says the motion lost its “teeth and intention” when an amendment by Coun. Peter Meiszner was passed by the eight ABC councillors present…

Seniors ditch inaccessible websites, costing retailers

March 14, 2024 | Source: Retail Insight Network- UK

Retailers are facing a silent drain on their online revenue due to websites and apps that fail to consider the needs of senior shoppers. Research by Hassell Inclusion, a digital accessibility firm, reveals a concerning gap. While over-65s spend an average of £163 ($211.22) online monthly, this translates to only 6% of their disposable income. The research was carried out for Hassell Inclusion by Yolo Communications in November 2023 via online and telephone survey. The sample comprised 1,296 UK adults aged 65 and over…

UN Experts Laud Azerbaijan’s Inclusive Education, Question Accessibility

March 14, 2024 | Source: Mirage News- Azerbaijan

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today concluded its review of the combined second and third periodic report of Azerbaijan, with Committee Experts recognising as positive the approval of the State’s national programme for inclusive education, while asking questions about access to public transport and assisting persons with disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies. Miyeon Kim, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for the report of Azerbaijan, said the Committee recognised the approval of the Government’s national programme for the development of education for the inclusion of persons with disabilities…

Accessibility is the housing crisis that no one is talking about

March 14, 2024 | Source: Financial Post- Canada

For Kate Chung, Canada’s shortage of accessible housing hits close to home. When she and her husband were recovering from knee and hip replacement surgeries and began using mobility aids long-term, their apartment was no longer accessible to them. Not wanting to enter long-term care, the two realized that the only choice was to renovate. They took out the bathtub to make room for a shower, which would take up less space, purchased a stackable washer and dryer to give them more room, and took out the linen closet…

One in five Aussies miss out on beach fun due to accessibility issues

March 14, 2024 | Source: Surf Coast Times- Australia

New data has revealed that nearly all of Australia’s beaches are out of reach for people with disabilities. According to Accessible Beaches Australia research less than 2% of the country’s beaches are wheelchair-friendly.Founder | Source: Board Chair of Accessible Beaches Australia, Shane Hryhorec, said everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy the beach. “It’s a fundamental part of this country, this culture, this summer lifestyle.” “Unfortunately, we exclude so many people as beaches in Australia are not accessible to people with disabilities, due to a lack of facilities such as ramps, matting, and accessible toilets.”…

Accessibility must become a culture, a way of life: Nakhro

March 14, 2024 | Source: Morung Express News- Nagaland

Accessibility must become ingrained in our culture and daily lives, to the point where it is no longer a topic of discussion or consideration. The State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Diethono Nakhro, stressed the importance of this during a joint inspection conducted at the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, along with the legal team and NLA staff today. Sharing her observations with media personnel following the inspection, Nakhro said the NLA complex has taken some steps towards improving accessibility, however stated that more needs to be done, particularly in the assembly hall where accessibility is still a major issue…

Neurological conditions now leading cause of ill-health worldwide, finds study

March 14, 2024 | Source: The Guardian- UK

Neurological conditions ranging from migraine to stroke, Parkinson’s disease and dementia, are now the leading cause of ill-health worldwide, causing 11.1 million deaths in 2021, research has revealed. The number of people living with or dying from disorders of the nervous system has risen dramatically over the past three decades, with 43% of the world’s population – 3.4 billion people – affected in 2021, according to a study published in the Lancet…

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