Accessibility in the News — 5/1/2020.
NOTE: To get news like this every week in your inbox, before it hits our website, subscribe to our Accessibility in the News e-newsletter. There are no ads or graphics, and we never send spam. Just use the sign-up form on this page to subscribe and stay up to date!
Skip to National News (U.S.) | Skip to International News
More Accessibility Resources on this Page
Accessibility Blogs and Information | Accessibility Announcements and Products
Accessibility Fourms, Tips and Gaming | Accessibility Statement Pages
Microassist Accessibility Services
AITN Quote of the Week
“There is a force more powerful than steam and electricity: the will.”
― Fernán Caballero
The 2020 Digital Accessibility Legal Summit, Online Summit, June 2020
Feature Stories
What If Colleges Don’t Reopen Until 2021?
April 24, 2020 | Source: The Atlantic
Skip college this fall? How some students are rethinking their school choices
April 25, 2020 | Source: Herald Mail Media
Coronavirus Leaves Colleges And Students With More Questions Than Answers
April 27, 2020 | Source: WBUR
Every two years, New Jersey’s higher-education secretary expects the state’s school administrators to present contingency plans for disaster scenarios. Dorm fires, mass shootings, extreme weather events—all types of threats are considered by these college representatives. University presidents, deans, and others in essential management roles have color-coordinated charts and go bags stashed in their offices. They conduct tabletop exercises: When do we cancel classes? Should we send students home? But these leaders weren’t adequately prepared for the onset of a pandemic, nor for the large-scale, indefinite shutdown that has taken place…
Secretary DeVos Forgoes Waiving Disability Law Amid School Closures
April 28, 2020 | Source: WGBH
U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will not recommend that Congress waive the main requirements of three federal education laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, known as IDEA. The federal law ensures that children with disabilities have a right to a free, appropriate public education whenever and wherever schools are operating. When Congress passed the coronavirus relief package, known as the CARES act, they included a provision that allowed the Secretary to request waivers to parts of the special education law during the pandemic…
TWU works to make online learning accessible for students with disabilities
April 29, 2020 | Source: The Lasso
As students were spending their spring break extension wondering what their classes would look like for the rest of the semester, Disability Services for Students and Teaching and Learning with Technology partnered up to ensure all classes were accessible for students with disabilities. Crystal Hill, the director of DSS, said that once national and local news started reporting about other schools closing and extending spring break, DSS immediately started to prep for classes to be moved online…
National News (U.S.)
Breaking deaf stereotypes and normalizing sign language through gaming
April 24, 2020 | Source: Ars Technica
The last decade has seen many advancements in video game accessibility. From hardware like the Xbox Adaptive Controller, to legislation that requires all communication options in online multiplayer to be as accessible as possible, to freely available in-depth development guidelines for interested developers, games have never been more inclusive to disabled players. As the 2010s come to a close, a game called Deafverse is trying to reach another milestone by becoming the first fully American Sign Language (ASL)-accessible game…
10 councilmembers ask mayor to repurpose streets for accessibility
April 24, 2020 | Source: Baltimore Fishbowl
A group of 10 Baltimore City Council members on Wednesday sent a letter to Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young encouraging him to repurpose travel lanes on essential routes for pedestrians, cyclists and people with mobility devices. The councilmembers said city sidewalks are generally not large enough for social distancing protocols requiring six feet of separation between people during the COVID-19 crisis, and “many” sidewalks and intersections do not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act…
Businesses Get Early Victory in Lawsuit Demanding Braille Gift Cards
April 24, 2020 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw & Business Insurance & Akin Gump
In a first-in-the-nation decision, Judge Gregory Woods of the Southern District of New York ruled that Title III does not require public accommodations to manufacture or sell Braille gift cards. It has been a gloomy month for businesses that (ordinarily) open their doors to the public, but there was a small bright spot yesterday: U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Woods issued a decision holding that Title III of the ADA does not require public accommodations to make and sell gift cards with Braille…
Nevada interpreters convey life-saving information to deaf community during pandemic
April 24, 2020 | Source: News3LV
You might recognize their faces, but more likely, their hands. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, they’ve become a fixture at state press conferences. Sign language interpreters using gestures and signs to convey critical information to Nevada’s deaf and hard of hearing community. In the past few weeks, they’ve provided life-saving information to thousands in our state. In one of many coronavirus press conferences, Jeff Jaech stands next to Governor Sisolak, quickly interpreting the governor’s words to American Sign Language. Critical information on the outbreak flows from his fingers, hands, and animated eyebrows…
It’s Time to Rethink Homework for Students With Disabilities
April 24, 2020 | Source: Yahoo
I’m just going to say it: Homework is a thorn in the side of most parents raising children with disabilities. In case you haven’t experienced it, let me explain: You wake up in the morning ready to implement your well-crafted morning routine that includes the most efficient way to get your child clothed, fed, packed up, and in the car with the fewest moments of frustration, tears and conflict with siblings. Because school is hard for your child, making it through the morning routine and into the school building is your child’s first triumph of the day…
To Access Online Services, New Jersey Students With Disabilities Must Promise Not To Sue
April 25, 2020 | Source: HuffPost
Some New Jersey schools have been forcing students with disabilities to sign waivers promising not to sue the district before giving them access to special education services, HuffPost has learned. A form distributed by districts asks families to “waive and relinquish; fully release and discharge; and indemnify and hold harmless” the school district and all of its employees “from all claims, liabilities, causes of action, costs, expenses, attorneys’ fees, damages, indemnities, and obligations of every kind and nature, in law, equity, or otherwise,” before providing students with the counseling and speech services outlined in their individualized education program, or IEP…
Blind voters sue Michigan for not making absentee ballots accessible during coronavirus
April 27, 2020 | Source: MLive
Absentee ballots aren’t an option for blind Michigan voters who want to vote on their own. And during the coronavirus pandemic – when state officials are encouraging people to stay home and vote absentee instead of congregating at the polls – that’s dangerous, said Jason Turkish, managing partner at Nyman Turkish PC. The firm is suing Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Director of Elections Jonathan Brater for failing to provide alternatives for blind people to vote absentee. The lawsuit requests a judge to require Michigan to implement an accessible absentee voting alternative by the May 5 election…
ADA Title III Considerations for Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 27, 2020 | Source: Fox Rothschild
While many potential targets for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III litigation are currently shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant number of cases remain pending on court dockets throughout the nation, and businesses will continue to be sued, particularly with the public’s increased reliance upon websites and mobile applications. The total number of ADA Title III lawsuits filed in federal courts has increased every year for the past several years, with more than 11,000 cases filed in 2019…
Meet the man behind the movements: Arkansas’ ASL interpreter
April 27, 2020 | Source: KATV
Nearly two months into the U.S. outbreak, President Donald Trump has yet to call for a sign language interpreter at his coronavirus briefings, even after a request made by the National Council on Disability (NCD) and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). Meanwhile, Arkansas’ COVID-19 briefing interpreter, Eddie Schmeckenbecher, knows how critical his place is next to Governor Asa Hutchinson. Schmeckenbecher has been an ASL interpreter for more than 40 years. He teaches at the Arkansas School for the Deaf and is one of only about 30 people with a national interpreting certification in the state…
Arizona taxi company settle lawsuit over added fee charged to ride accessible van
April 27, 2020 | Source: Tucson.com
A major Arizona taxi firm has agreed to stop charging an additional fee for accessible van customers. The Arizona Center for Disability Law says that Total Transit Inc. will no longer impose that $10 charge for an “on-demand van.” Rose Daly-Rooney, the organization’s legal director, told Capitol Media Services the move ends a 2015 lawsuit filed against the company accusing it of illegal discrimination against those with disabilities. There was no immediate response from the attorney for the company, though federal court records say there was an agreement which was sealed as confidential…
Needing At-Home Workers, Call Centers Turn to People With Disabilities
April 28, 2020 | Source: The New York Times
A workplace injury two decades ago when she was newly pregnant left Robin Ervin with neuropathy in her left leg and without a functioning bowel or bladder. She has been living on disability benefits since. Now as the coronavirus pandemic upends the economy, Ms. Ervin, 46, has found a way to get back into the work force: She is answering customer service calls for a regional retail chain. Call centers have had to adapt swiftly because the pandemic has dealt them a double blow. They are fielding more calls from customers inquiring about online orders or seeking refunds or forbearance…
7 Ways Our New Disability Accessibility Must Continue After the Pandemic
April 28, 2020 | Source: Yahoo
It’s the 30th anniversary of the ADA this year and the most amazing thing has happened. After years of hearing it was too difficult and couldn’t be done, the world became much more accessible basically overnight. The truth is the context of this dream-come-true hurts a little. It wasn’t done for us, the people who need accessibility every day. It was done because an emergency happened and everybody else suddenly needed it too. So as amazing as all these newly accessible options are, the COVID-19 pandemic being the catalyst for accessibility feels like a slap in the face to many disabled people…
Metro special needs students facing special challenges with online learning at home
April 29, 2020 | Source: Sentinel
With schools closed through the last few weeks of this school year, Aurora teachers and families have turned to computers and video calls to keep kids learning during the persistent COVID-19 pandemic. But that’s proved to be a challenge for special education students — kids with specific learning and physical disabilities in learning plans that don’t translate cleanly into online learning. Normally, nearly 12,000 special needs students attend public schools in both Aurora Public Schools and the Cherry Creek School District, which together cover Aurora and parts of Denver, Centennial and other municipalities…
Why social distancing is a challenge for the blind, and what can be done about it
April 29, 2020 | Source: Medical Xpress
Social distancing creates challenges for blind, visually impaired
April 29, 2020 | Source: ABC7NY
Service dogs adjust to social distancing regulations during coronavirus pandemic
April 29, 2020 | Source: WBALTV11
Social distancing rules can be difficult to follow. We all have been inside grocery stores and see tape on the floor marking off six feet. And the stickers designating one-way aisles. We’ve seen the photos of people cramming into beaches in parts of Florida. Miami-Dade will open parks, marinas and golf courses on Wednesday — with new rules to follow. Now, imagine you are blind or have compromised vision. How do you manage to navigate public spaces under the coronavirus restrictions?…
Who Is “Worthy”? Deaf-Blind People Fear That Doctors Won’t Save Them from the Coronavirus
April 29, 2020 | Source: The New Yorker
Rebecca Alexander volunteered shortly after Governor Andrew Cuomo appealed for mental-health professionals to help counsel first responders traumatized by the covid-19 crisis. A New York psychotherapist, she has taken calls from a young nurse who had trouble sleeping because she was haunted by the sounds of dying patients gasping for breath. A doctor described getting instructed not to intubate anyone over eighty on the day his mother turned eighty-two. A pediatric nurse who specialized in infant diseases recounted her lack of training after being abruptly transferred to caring for adults in acute respiratory failure…
The deaf community is facing new barriers as we navigate inaccessible face masks and struggle to follow news broadcasts and teleconferences — but the tools for accessibility are out there
April 29, 2020 | Source: Business Insider & My Journal Courier
How clear masks can help the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities
April 30, 2020 | Source: Eight West
Since President Trump declared a national emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak over a month ago, I have communicated in person with only one individual outside my home: the pharmacist who handed me my prescription from the drive-through window. Only I couldn’t really communicate with the pharmacist, because I am deaf and couldn’t read their lips through the opaque white surgical mask. Still, after a laborious exchange in which I used gestures and the little residual hearing I have, I valiantly left with what I came for…
Designing Our World: Accessibility In Tech
April 29, 2020 | Source: WWNO (Podcast)
Can someone who is blind easily use Instagram? And can someone who is deaf use YouTube? Every day thousands of new mobile apps are released, social media platforms develop new features, and more tech is integrated into our lives. But is this new technology being designed for everyone? It’s usually a toss-up. Not only are some companies losing a portion of the population, but they may be losing out on opportunities for innovation. Often, accessibility design like voice to text and Siri becomes the next big thing in technology…
Statement by Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Eric S. Dreiband Protecting Civil Rights While Responding to the COVID-19
April 29, 2020 | Source: Department of Justice
Yesterday, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights issued the statement, Protecting Civil Rights While Responding to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The statement reiterates that discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, and other protected classes continues to be unlawful during this public health emergency. The statement also provides information on how to report civil rights violations and obtain additional civil rights resources…
Gov. Cuomo sued for lack of sign language interpreter at briefings
April 29, 2020 | Source: New York Post & HuffPost
Four deaf New Yorkers are suing Gov. Andrew Cuomo for not having a sign language interpreter at his daily coronavirus press briefings — a service provided by every other state and New York City, a new federal lawsuit charges. Dennis Martinez, Douglas Nguyen, James Hallenbeck, Jill Wildberger and the nonprofit Disability Rights New York (DRNY) allege that Cuomo is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The suit says there are at least 208,000 deaf living in the city, 90,000 in Rochester and thousands more in the rest of the state, who need access to the “critical information” disclosed in the daily briefings…
The Curve Has Flattened for Federal Website Accessibility Lawsuits
April 29, 2020 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw
We’ve sheltered in place and finished our tally. The numbers are in for total website accessibility lawsuit filings in federal courts in 2019, they show a small decrease from 2018. The total number of website accessibility lawsuits filed in federal court (i.e. lawsuits alleging that plaintiffs with a disability could not use websites because they were not coded to work with assistive technologies like screen readers, or otherwise accessible to them) in 2019 was 2,256 — two fewer than in 2018. In short, the number of suits appears to be leveling out after businesses saw an explosive 177% increase in these suits from 2017 to 2018.
Disability Will Be Part Of The New Normal
April 30, 2020 | Source: Peter Slatin- Forbes
Predicting the highlights of the post-pandemic new normal is the new rage. But how should we begin to think about the new normal for people with disabilities? With “abnormal” a common stand-in for “disabled,” let’s jettison the “ab.” Disability is normal, even common, affecting some 20% of the U.S. population. The only abnormal part of disability is that much of society still blanches at moving beyond lip service or grudging regulatory compliance when it comes to providing access to the disabled in normal work, school and social environments.
What Are The Implications Of An Aging Population On The Mobility Industry?
April 30, 2020 | Source: Forbes
While no industry is recession-proof, the mobility solutions industry is in a very enviable position right now and should continue to flourish in the coming years. According to Statista (paywall), the U.S. population continues to see a greater percentage of the population become seniors, and many of them need mobility and accessibility solutions, including stairlifts, ramps, auto lifts, mobility scooters, elevators, vertical platform lifts and more — along with the services provided by installers, dealers and distributors of these products…
Once The Pandemic Is Over, Can We Keep The World This Accessible?
April 30, 2020 | Source: HuffPost
Over the past decade, I’ve created a career for myself built on autonomy, flexibility and the power to drop my laptop into my backpack and work from anywhere. (Poolside always felt like a win.) I fancied myself a digital nomad. But everything got slower and simpler and much closer to home once I became a mother 18 months ago. The benefits of working from anywhere gave way to the benefits of working from home — a surprising next-chapter byproduct that I felt equal parts grateful for and challenged by…
Jack Fact — According to the Disability Living Foundation, there are now 11.8 million people aged 65 or over in the UK. The number of people aged 65+ is projected to rise by over 40 per cent (40.77%) in the next 17 years to over 16 million. By 2033 the number of people aged 85 and over is projected to more than double again to reach 3.2 million, and to account for 5% of the total population.
International News
How a Cambridgeshire group made Joe Wicks’ workout videos accessible to the deaf community
April 23, 2020 | Source: Cambridgeshire Live- UK
A celebrity personal trainer has made his videos accessible to deaf people thanks to a Cambridgeshire team. Joe Wicks’ YouTube workouts have gone viral for encouraging people of all ages to keep fit while at home during the coronavirus crisis, and now with the help of the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association (CDA), those who are hard of hearing can join in too. The CDA contacted Mr Wicks about including subtitles and a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter in his videos, and the first one – aimed at those with limited mobility – has already been uploaded…
Morris calls for accessibility of banking facilities for persons with disabilities
April 25, 2020 | Source: Jamaica Observer- Jamaica
The Opposition spokesman on social security, Senator Dr Floyd Morris says the Government and the Jamaica Bankers’ Association must make banking facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. In a statement Morris said that Jamaica has entered into an era where most banking transactions are done through the use of technology. He said that organizations involved with commercial transactions have increasingly established online platforms to drive their operations. The spokesman said the Government must ensure that these platforms are fully accessible to persons with disabilities, and that their rights are fully respected…
Halifax non-profit ensuring accessibility, inclusion during COVID-19
April 27, 2020 | Source: Global News- Canada
How do you reach out to hundreds of clientele during a pandemic? If you’re reachAbility, you do it the old fashioned way: by telephone. “The first thing we did, was contact all 500 of our clients and asked them what they needed,” says reachAbility co-founder and CEO Tova Sherman. “We decided the first step was to do a needs assessment of all our clients and what we found was they require information and resources.” ReachAbility is a non-profit organization based out of Halifax, N.S., that provides supportive and accessible programs to individuals facing barriers to inclusion and community participation…
Women with Disabilities Face Systemic Abuse
April 27, 2020 | Source: Human Rights Watch- Afghanistan
Afghan women and girls with disabilities face high barriers, discrimination, and sexual harassment in accessing government assistance, health care, and schools, Human Rights Watch said today. The 31-page report, “‘Disability Is Not Weakness’: Discrimination and Barriers Facing Women and Girls with Disabilities in Afghanistan,” details the everyday barriers that Afghan women and girls with disabilities face in one of the world’s poorest countries. Decades of conflict have decimated government institutions, and development efforts have failed to reach many communities most in need…
Letters: why we need British Sign Language interpretations at all emergency briefings
April 27, 2020 | Source: Bedford Independent- UK
There are ten indigenous languages in the UK. Nine of them are spoken, one of them is visual. English is our official spoken language and all of our communications are delivered in it. We are educated in it, whilst also having specific lessons in its grammar and syntax. This provides our foundation, our ability to operate and make our contributions within society and ultimately influence our own destiny. English, both spoken and written relies on being able to hear it to learn it. It is an auditory language before it is a written language…
New rules for phones to assist people with special communications needs
April 29, 2020 | Source: Mirage News- Australia
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has registered updated industry rules to ensure information about the accessibility features of different phone models is readily available. These rules support people with specific communications needs, such as people with vision and hearing impairments. ACMA Authority member Fiona Cameron said accessibility features for phones vary greatly and the updated rules will help people make more informed decisions…
IN-DEPTH: Bathroom Accessibility
April 29, 2020 | Source: Access and Mobility Professional- UK
As well as the mainstream mobility products, AMP is keen to cover the entire spectrum of what access and mobility means for the industry. This month, in touch with Handicare and Closomat, we discover how their individual business offerings cater for their customers when it comes to toilet and bathing accessibility. We spoke to Karen Stockdill (KS), senior sales manager at Handicare and Robin Tuffley (RT), marketing manager at Closomat before the coronavirus outbreak to find out more…
States/UT urged to ensure accessibility features in PwDs centres for COVID related facilities
April 29, 2020 | Source: Devdiscourse & Outlook & The Hindu & India Legal
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has asked all States and Union Territories to ensure basic physical accessibility features for Divyangjan (PwDs) as per reasonable accommodation in the centres for COVID-19 testing and quarantine facilities as well as for treatment at hospitals and health centres. In a letter to the Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs, Smt. Shakuntala D. Gamlin, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has said that to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, many COVID-19 centres have been identified as containment units…
AGSA Launches Audio Guide Making Its Collection Accessible To All
April 29, 2020 | Source: Broadway World- Australia
The Art Gallery of South Australia today launches an Accessible Audio Guide, developed for Deaf, hard of hearing, blind and vision-impaired audiences. The Accessible Audio Guide gives these audiences the opportunity to watch Auslan videos, read transcripts and listen to audio-descriptions of works of art. The Guide builds on AGSA’s ever-growing Access Programs, which include Auslan-interpreted lunchtime talks, tours and openings, and interactive sessions for students from the South Australian School for the Vision Impaired…
Remembering Beethoven – a Genius with a Disability
April 29, 2020 | Source: IPS- Germany
Do you recognize this man? You do, of course. It is the silhouette of Beethoven, the famous composer and pianist, well known all over the world. The year 2020 marks his 250th anniversary and the UN city of Bonn, Germany is very proud of its famous son, born here, next to the river Rhine. The calendar for 2020 shows many festivals, musical events, and exhibitions, attracting tourists and people appreciating classic music from all around the globe. We all immediately recognize his famous Fifth Symphony with the sound known worldwide of ‘da-da-da-daaaa’…
Asia is neglecting disabled people during coronavirus outbreak
April 29, 2020 | Source: Asian Review- Indonesia
If the coronavirus outbreak is hard for everyone in Asia-Pacific, it is even more difficult for the 690 million people with physical or intellectual disabilities living there: they are less able to avoid catching COVID-19 than other people and more likely to die from it. We have already seen how fast it can spread. In Japan, for example, there were 86 cases of coronavirus at a center for the intellectually disabled in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo. In South Korea, medical facilities have been unable to protect the disabled from infection…
How vision impaired students are coping with online learning during COVID-19
April 30, 2020 | Source: Mirage News- Australia
Social distancing under COVID-19 has become an inconvenience for most Australians, but for blind people or people with vision impairment, socially isolating and distancing has presented a unique set of challenges. Some of those challenges include shopping, and for students, online learning. Melissa Fanshawe is a mathematics lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) who is writing a doctorate on the experience of students living with vision impairment and is a trained teacher for students with visions impairment…
Researchers uncover genetic cause behind glaucoma
April 30, 2020 | Source: Medical Express- England
New research has identified a genetic mutation linked to a type of glaucoma, known as primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), which could open up new avenues for the early detection and treatment of the disease. In the study, published in PLOS Genetics, researchers from Queen Mary University of London, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital studied the genetics of a Caucasian family with a strong family history of PACG to identify potential disease-causing genes…
Student seeks to alter public view of blind people in Tibet
April 30, 2020 | Source: Inquirer.net- China
In the documentary Land of Silence and Darkness, German director Werner Herzog portrays the life of disabled people by focusing on a deaf and blind woman. His care for the woman and their communication deeply touched Tsering Choekyi, a 23-year-old girl from Shannan city, Southwest China’s Tibet autonomous region. When the journalism major from Tsinghua University saw a public service advertisement on Tibet Satellite TV, she was attracted by the story of Tsering Dhondup, a blind masseur who dreams of organizing a band with six of his peers and decided to film a documentary about Tsering Dhondup and his colleagues as her graduation project…
Coronavirus: BSL-users launch mass legal action over government ‘discrimination’
April 30, 2020 | Source: Disability News Service- UK
More than 150 Deaf people have begun a legal class action against the UK government over its failure to provide a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter at its televised daily coronavirus briefings. They are seeking damages from the government – and a written apology – because they say it has discriminated against them under the Equality Act. They also want the government to promise to provide an interpreter at all the future televised coronavirus briefings…
COVID-19 Resources and Information
- Joining Zoom Meetings
- Department of Labor Coronavirus Website
- Latest Coronavirus News- Inside Higher Ed
- Job Accommodation Network Coronavirus Website
- Fall Scenario #1: Back to Normal- Insider Higher Ed
- Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology
- How to Pick an Accessible Virtual Meeting Platform- PEAT
- Which Is the Best Automatic Captioning Tool for Video Calls?
- Texans Helping Texans- The Governor’s Report To Open Texas (PDF)
- Google Meet videoconferencing now freely accessible to everyone
- Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion
- Accessibility Campaign- COVID19- International Disability Alliance
- COVID-19 Information for Vermont Schools- Ensuring Accessibility
- Digital Accessibility – Dealing with concentration fatigue- Drake Music
- All conferences should be virtual in a post-coronavirus world- Massive Science
- Microsoft Teams Is Changing The Way Persons With Disabilities Communicate
- Customized WordPress Website for Entrepreneurs Amid COVID- 19 Lockdown
- “Zoom fatigue” is taxing the brain. Here’s why that happens- National Geographic
- DeVos To Use Coronavirus Relief Funds For Home Schooling ‘Microgrants’- NPR
- Lockdowns Teach Us Accessible Air Travel is Essential- Reduced Mobility Rights
- Now More Than Ever, Companies Should Foster A Positive Workplace Culture- Forbes
- What Are the Employer’s Rights and Responsibilities During a Pandemic?- Braille Works
- Three Hours Longer, the Pandemic Workday Has Obliterated Work-Life Balance- Bloomberg
- Coronavirus Information and Resources- The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
- What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws- EEOC
- Texas Governor Abbott, HHSC Announce $54 Million To Support Older Texans and Texans with Disabilities During COVID-19 Pandemic
- National Federation of the Blind to Make Transportation Available to Blind Americans for Essential Services through Lyft during COVID-19
- Survey: Impact Of Covid-19 On Website Accessibility Software Market 2020 Industry Outlook, Opportunities in Market and Expansion By 2026
- Mattel made action-figure replicas of doctors, nurses, grocery store workers, and delivery drivers — and it’s donating proceeds from sales of the toys to frontline workers
Accessibility Blogs and Information
- A Future Date Day 1 (YouTube)
- A Future Date Day 2 (YouTube)
- A Future Date Day 3 (YouTube)
- Captioning Service Vendors
- Using MathJax for Accessibility
- Our Commitment to Accessibility in NYC- Lyft
- Global Accessibility Awareness Day May 21, 2020
- Service Animals in the Workplace – Part 1- Linda Carter Batiste
- Service Animals in the Workplace – Part 2- Linda Carter Batiste
- Accessibility At Waterloo- Select a building to view its accessibility
- Raising Awareness About Washoku Accessibility- Accessible Japan
- Next Stop, Section 508: Navigating Video Accessibility Laws- ATD
- A functional city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic- World Bank
- Accessibility must be part of your COVID-19 response- Sharron Rush
- Project Sidewalk creates big data for pedestrian accessibility- Dailyuw
- 5 Reasons Why There’s No Wrong Time To Fight For Disability Rights- Forbes
- Accessible Education Center helps students remote learning- University of Oregon
- 18 places around the world to ‘travel’ to while in self-isolation- Disability Horizons
- Packaging for visually-impaired people: Victoria Watts interview- Packaging Gateway
- Employment Resources for People on the Autism Spectrum- U.S. Department of Labor
- Run an online store? In the age of COVID-19, you can’t skimp on web accessibility- TNW
- On the hook: Website Developers may have ADA liability for inaccessible websites- Hunt Huey
- Good design should be inclusive and accessible — but what’s the difference?- TNW- Cameron Chapman
- A Guide to Accessibility at Walt Disney World Part 2: Visiting With A Cognitive Disability- Walt Disney News Today
- Remote Meeting Guide- A Guide to Effective and Inclusive Remote Meetings- Office of Accessibility at Minnesota IT Services
- Slow Down, Check for Phishing Attacks- An Accessible Way to Prevent Phishing- Office of Accessibility at Minnesota IT Services
Accessibility Announcements and Products
- eCabs launches accessible mobility service
- British Gas Energy Trust Launch Inclusive Website
- UNM’s Accessibility Resource Center director retires
- ARI Selects AudioEye as Digital Accessibility Partner
- Lyft makes it easier for wheelchair users to catch a ride
- Google Meet Would Be Accessible For Free To Anyone
- USDOT launches challenge to design accessible AV solutions
- Twitter PWA gets new improvements for accessibility and more
- Go North East pick up silver accolade at North East Tourism Awards
- Bend seeks to fill three positions on accessibility advisory committee
- The Cabinet Produces Branded Mini-Doc In Partnership With Verizon Media
- How Spirit Airlines Is Leading The Way With Narrowbody Wheelchair Access
- Recapd Enables Captions for Zoom and Webex Meetings as People Work from Home
- Crawford Technologies to host free Customer Communications Virtual Summit May 6
- John Slatin AccessU Conference 2020 pivots to offer four-day online training experience
- The City of Charlottesville will launch an improved website for the community on April 27, 2020
- Dallas ISD Occupational Therapy Department Helps Level The Field For Students With Disabilities
- Adobe Created a Tool That Could Make Building Accessible Websites as Easy as Using Spell Check
- Uniquely tailored platform, invaluable for academics, librarians and students alike wins best publisher UX award 2020
- Multifamily PropTech Innovator 365 Connect Brings Home Three Prestigious Vega Digital Awards for Its ADA-Certified Platform
- United Spinal Launches National Initiative To Expand Access To Inclusive Technology For People With Spinal Cord Injuries And Disorders
Accessibility Forums, Tips, and Gaming
- Creating Accessible Forms
- Best onpage SEO tools in 2020
- Our Project Manager’s Guide to Agile
- Prioritising Accessibility Considerations
- WCAG 2.1 Checklist with Filter and Links
- Use Google Chat with accessibility features
- Understanding SC 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast
- Gaming Sales Are Up, but Production Is Down
- 7 Best Practices for Live Auto Captioning Quality
- Moving Out Review – Delivering on Accessibility
- How to Design UIs for Accessibility and Inclusion
- Accessibility In Our New Client Area And Site Tools
- The New iPhone SE, Like Accessibility, Is All About Perspective
- Researchers seek next generation of VR for gamers with disabilities
- Gears Tactics: Accessibility Features and Options Available at Launch
- Predator, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Fallout 76 make April a good month for accessibility
Accessibility Statements
- Hagerty
- Shea Homes
- Wedgewood
- Voice of America
- The King’s College
- ACCES Employment
- University of Cambridge
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Skyxe Saskatoon Airport
- Museum at Eldridge Street
Microassist Digital Accessibility Services
Have you received an accessibility demand letter because of your website or application? Please contact us for any questions you have about our accessibility services and how we might support your organization.
Services include:
- Accessible Website and Application Development— We rely heavily on accessibility best practices and using HTML5 and ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) standards to build WCAG-compliant and human-tested accessible environments. Our teams are proficient in open source technologies such as WordPress, Drupal and Moodle, as well as custom frameworks in .NET, PHP, AngularJS, and other frameworks. Our Learning and Development team can also help you create accessible custom training.
- Accessible Document Services— Whether you’re dealing with a few or a warehouse of Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, or other files, there are several ways Microassist can enable your team to offer documents and materials that meet stringent accessibility standards.
- Accessibility Remediation— Our accessibility remediation services help you fix existing materials so that they conform to WCAG, Section 504 and 508, Department of Education OCR, and ADA Title II/III requirements. We remediate websites, applications, documents, and elearning, recommending re-creation when that is more efficient and economical. Especially for website and applications, to find out what is in need of remediation, we’ll start with an Accessibility Audit.
- Accessibility Training— With several courses available for developers, testers, and content creators, your team can become equipped to consistently and expertly produce accessible digital products and online environments.
- VPAT®Evaluation Services— Primarily used by government purchasers and government vendors during the procurement and sale of ICT products and services under Section 508, a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT) attests to the accessibility of a given product or service. Contact us to make sure the VPAT you write or review is accurate and meaningful.
Learn More About Digital Accessibility
Our Digital Accessibility Digest blog covers our Accessibility in the News archives as well as expert commentaries on digital accessibility issues.
Our most popular commentaries include:
- The WCAG 2.1 Update: A Brief Look at What’s Changed
- Introducing VPAT®0, the More Stringent Accessibility Reporting Tool Required for Government IT Procurement
- Accessibility in the News, Legal Edition: Updates on ADA Title III News and More
- What Lawyers Need to Know: A Primer on Digital Accessibility Terms and Today’s Legal Landscape
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.