Accessibility in the News — 8/2/2024.

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Feature Stories

Tammy Duckworth Slams Trump’s Alleged Comments About Disabled Americans

July 26, 2024 | Source: HuffPost

My Uncle Donald Trump Told Me Disabled Americans Like My Son ‘Should Just Die’

July 24, 2024 | Source: Time

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) slammed Donald Trump for alleged remarks in which he dismissed the lives of disabled Americans, emphasizing the dangers of another Trump presidency. In a recent Time article, Fred C. Trump III, who has a disabled son, recounted a conversation he says he had in 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with his uncle in which Donald Trump said disabled Americans “should just die.” The conversation reportedly occurred after a meeting with advocates, doctors and White House staff to discuss how to mitigate and address challenges faced by disabled people…

Justice Department Secures Landmark Agreement with Los Angeles County to Increase Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities

August 1, 2024 | Source: Department of Justice and NBC Los Angeles

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a landmark agreement with the County of Los Angeles to resolve its lawsuit alleging that the county violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by denying voters with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in its voting programs, services and activities when it failed to select and use facilities as polling places that are accessible to persons with disabilities. “People with disabilities are entitled to full inclusion at the ballot box,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division…

National News (U.S.)

Some people with disabilities complain about lack of accessible parking at Blossom Music Center

July 25, 2024 | Source: Cleveland 19 News

After 22 years, Denver’s largest music festival hired its first accessibility team. Here’s what they came up with

July 25, 2024 | Source: The Colorado Sun

Blossom Music Center is one of the most iconic venues in Northeast Ohio. However, some people with disabilities say a lack of accessible parking spoiled their summer concert experience. 19 Investigates spoke with at least a dozen people who said they showed up to Blossom hours before the concert and were told that they had run out of accessible parking spots and they’d have to park in another lot nearly a mile away. Some of those people had to turn around and go home because they physically couldn’t do it…

Hundreds of veterans turned athletes navigating New Orleans in wheelchairs talk accessibility

July 25, 2024 | Source: FOX 8

The City of New Orleans is hosting hundreds of wheelchair-bound veterans for the 43rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games. While many said they love the city, they also noted accessibility problems. It’s nothing these veterans turned athletes can’t overcome, but there are some things they said the city could do to make their experience that much more enjoyable. “It’s improving a little bit but not fast enough,” Arthur Lee said. Navigating certain streets and sidewalks in New Orleans can be challenging enough, but doing it in a wheelchair can be an added layer of difficulty…

Could The Olympics Be A Catalyst For Making Cities More Disability-Inclusive?

July 26, 2024 | Source: HuffPost

When my husband and I got married in December, we decided to keep it small and save our money for a dream honeymoon. I love to visit new places and try new things but traveling as a wheelchair user can be challenging, so I often find myself sticking to what I know. From Ireland where we live, it’s relatively cheap and easy to visit other European countries, so that’s what I’ve (mostly) stuck to. Wanting to break this pattern and jump out of my comfort zone, my husband and I decided we’d go to Japan…

Justice Department to Publish Final Rule to Improve Access to Medical Care for People with Disabilities

July 26, 2024 | Source: Department of Justice and Disability Scoop and JAMA

On the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Attorney General Merrick B. Garland signed a final rule under Title II of the ADA to improve access to medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for people with disabilities. MDE includes equipment like medical examination tables, weight scales, dental chairs, x-ray machines and mammography machines. Accessible MDE is essential for people with disabilities to have equal access to medical care…

Equal Accessibility for Deaf and Hearing Audiences? It’s Possible!

July 26, 2024 | Source: American Theatre

The beautiful thing about theatre is that there is never just one way to do it. Directors are able to take a piece and stage it in new and creative ways, while holding true to the story and the text. As a director who specializes in Deaf theatre, I look at each script to find ways to increase the accessibility. My goal is always to ensure that the show is accessible to both Deaf and hearing audiences, while finding ways to challenge the traditional theatre norms…

For Students with Disabilities, Electric School Buses Could Transform the School Commute

July 27, 2024 | Source: CleanTechnica

School buses, intended to provide safe and secure rides for all children, are largely failing kids with disabilities, prompting urgent calls for improvements. “I experienced accessibility problems at least three times a week,” one youth reflected in a student discussion. Either there was not enough space to secure a wheelchair, or “the wheelchair securements were set up in a really awkward configuration that required me to contour myself like a pretzel.” They added that “the lift breaks all the time or it’s so slow that you are 20 minutes late to class.”…

34 years after passage of Americans with Disabilities Act, data sheds light on the disabled

July 28, 2024 | Source: USA Today

It’s been 34 years since President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act guaranteeing equal protection for people with disabilities. Modeled after the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the ADA provides equal access to government services, schools, buildings, private employers and commercial facilities. But some disability rights activists say the law doesn’t go far enough to protect those living with disabilities. “One in four adults in the U.S. report having a disability, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…

State to Pay For More Accessibility Home Repairs

July 28, 2024 | Source: BKReader

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed new legislation this week to support New Yorkers with disabilities by easing the financial burden on home repairs and taxes. Legislation S.9699A/A.10457, allows the Access to Home and Access to Home for Heroes programs to cover the cost of important home repairs that accompany accessibility modifications for low- and moderate-income households with disabilities, according to a news release. Legislation S.8903/A.9948 also expands the real property tax exemption for people with disabilities and makes it easier for New Yorkers with disabilities to apply for parking permit renewals…

Gov. Moore signs executive order making state resources more accessible

July 28, 2024 | Source: AFRO

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed a plain language executive order on July 23 that aims to make state services and programs more accessible. Moore also recognized 34 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “If a Maryland family cannot understand updates about a hurricane in their community because our website is hard to read, that’s not good government,” said Moore. “This executive order will help to ensure every piece of writing that comes out of this administration in print and online is simple, accessible, proofread and easy to read. This is not just going to help out some, this is going to help out all.”….

Lt. Governor Gilchrist announces projects to enhance National Park accessibility

July 29, 2024 | Source: FOX 47 News and UpNorthLive and Michigan Economic Development Corporation

Michigan is on a mission to make our parks more accessible for everyone. I’m your neighborhood reporter Ava Zanglin at the Capitol where three new projects were announced, aimed at boosting sustainability and accessibility in our parks. The National Park Service Mobility Grant provided the funding that is set to transform our parks, giving partners the ability to make parks more inclusive across the state. “This work is really and truly a component of collaboration and leaning in with a collected effort to really bring new mobility offerings and solutions,” said Justine Johnson…

A protein called Reelin keeps popping up in brains that resist aging and Alzheimer’s

July 29, 2024 | Source: NPR

A key protein that helps assemble the brain early in life also appears to protect the organ from Alzheimer’s and other diseases of aging. A trio of studies published in the past year all suggest that the protein Reelin helps maintain thinking and memory in ailing brains, though precisely how it does this remains uncertain. The studies also show that when Reelin levels fall, neurons become more vulnerable. There’s growing evidence that Reelin acts as a “protective factor” in the brain, says Li-Huei Tsai, a professor at MIT and director of the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory…

Reeve Foundation Campaigns For Inclusive Water Activities For Wheelchair Users

July 29, 2024 | Source: Forbes

Often, when it comes to making physical environments more wheelchair-friendly and accessible, low expectations and a lack of ambition amongst site operators can make things feel like an uphill task. There almost exists a sliding scale for what appears morally acceptable and legally enforceable with newly built downtown projects at the top, older buildings and transport infrastructure occupying a middle stratum and sadly, all too often, the great outdoors sitting right at the very bottom of the priority list…

County moves to make parks more accessible for residents with disabilities

July 29, 2024 | Source: The Downey Patriot

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion last week authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn and coauthored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger that directs the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Aging and Disabilities to jointly develop guidelines in collaboration with the county’s Commission on Disabilities that include accessible design recommendations for the county’s future parks and for renovations to existing parks…

Inclusive Innovations: An Accessible Natural History Experience

July 30, 2024 | Source: Smithsonian Magazine

From a towering T. rex skeleton to galleries of glittering gemstones, every visitor’s journey to the National Museum of Natural History begins with a sense of wonder. But beyond its enchanting exhibits, the museum is committed to creating an inclusive experience where all audiences can enjoy the marvels of the natural world. For the tens of thousands of people who wander the museum’s vast halls every day, accessible options and resources are front and center…

Local Gymnasium and Landlord Agree to Settle Allegations that They Violated the Americans with Disabilities Act

July 30, 2024 | Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Tennessee

United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee announced today that the United States has reached agreements with Ryan Stemper; Whole Strength CrossFit Smyrna a/k/a Inner Strength, LLC; Mark Gellner; and MCMM Properties, LLC to settle allegations that a Smyrna CrossFit gymnasium violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) by failing to remove architectural barriers to accessibility for individuals with disabilities patronizing the gymnasium…

‘I don’t want to see people get stranded’: WNY disabilities advocate pushes for broader access to paratransit

July 30, 2024 | Source: WKBW

Scheduling public transportation has proven to be difficult for people living with disabilities in Western New York. I spoke with Stephanie Speaker, a Cheektowaga woman who has had a decades-long fight behind “Stephanie’s Bill,” to expand bus routes at the state level. “I don’t want to see people get stranded,” “I don’t want to see people get stranded,” Speaker said. Speaker told me she went to an event on July 24, a senior picnic at Como Bowen Road Grove in Lancaster…

Jack Fact — Over 650,000 people in America experience homelessness on any given night, and roughly 40 percent of those individuals are sleeping outside on the streets, in cars, parks, train stations, and other settings not designed primarily for human residence. Federal data published in late 2023 shows a rise in homelessness in most states.

Hit The Road Jack — Curb Free With Cory Lee: How One Blogger Is Making a Difference in Accessible Travel and Traveling to New York without worrying about accessibility issues

and Navigating and hiking Berkshire County’s best wheelchair-accessible trails and These accessible Ontario Parks are offering beach mats this summer

International News

‘I was given Freedom of City but not freedom of room’

July 24, 2024 | Source: BBC- UK

A woman who was given the Freedom of the City of London for her disability campaigning says it is “absurd” she was unable to collect the award on stage due to not being offered an accessible ramp. Anna Landre has spoken to BBC London about how she was fighting back tears during the ceremony on Friday at Mansion House in the City. Ms Landre, who describes herself as a wheelchair-using activist, researcher and consultant, said: “It’s the absolute irony to be granted the Freedom of the City but not the freedom of the room. You couldn’t make it up.”…

Disability Pride Month works to end stigma, offer support

July 25, 2024 | Source: Global News- Canada

Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July and is a month dedicated to celebrating those with disabilities and all they can do in spite of their conditions. But disabilities are not always visible — so the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program stepped up to make a symbol to help. “Did you know there are … upwards of 900 invisible challenges that can limit someone’s participation or accessibility,” said Clare Kumar, the regional director for the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program…

Bahamas NewsNational Commission for Persons with Disabilities gauges ‘accessibility’ at ZNS, BIS as part of ongoing inspection schedule

July 26, 2024 | Source: Magnetic Media- Bahamas

Inspectors attached to the Inspectorate Division of the Secretariat of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) conducted assessments of the facilities at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, and Bahamas Information Services, as part of their ongoing efforts to ensure that all public facilities, and those private facilities that provide services to members of the public, are accessible for all. Both entities fall under the remit of the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting as does the Secretariat…

I’d given up on going abroad. But this accessible cruise changed everything

July 27, 2024 | Source: The Times- UK

There’s a moment of extraordinary emotional drama on a cruise ship, and it’s called the sail away party. As the vast ship slips its lines, deep in some remote fjord, and its side-thrusters roar in the water a tribute band on the open lido deck begin to belt out Sweet Caroline, Sailing and All Right Now. The horn sounds, booming at the mountains, and on cue the sun breaks through the rags of cloud, highlighting lingering patches of snow on the peaks. On board everyone’s clapping and cheering…

Project prioritises accessibility for persons with disabilities

July 27, 2024 | Source: Mossel Bay Advertiser- South Africa

A project aimed at making the lives of persons with disabilities easier, was officially launched in Mossel Bay. The project, Disability Accessibility Mossel Bay (DAM), is being incubated by the Education and Training Hub for Autism Needs (ETHAN). Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Jaco Londt, who attended the launch at the Bahia Bleu Restaurant and Lounge, congratulated Mossel Bay on the project. “This model is aimed at making Mossel Bay the first disability-friendly town in South Africa, and I am honoured that the Western Cape Department of Social Development can be a partner in such an important initiative.”…

PWD group disappointed over ignorance of Accessibility Law

July 28, 2024 | Source: Mindanao Times- Philippines

An official from the Association of Differently Abled Persons (ADAP) called out the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to strictly implement the Accessibility Law in the city. This was after discovering the absence of cut-out curbs and dropped curbs in some parts of the city’s coastal road. “It is very painful on our part that despite how many years of struggle, of promoting the accessibility law, our government is not very sensitive to our needs,” ADAP vice president Armando Amancio said on Thursday during Walk the Talk: A Presentation on the Results of the Citizen Walkability Assessment…

Marked shift in the way disability is looked at: CJI D Y Chandrachud

July 28, 2024 | Source: Deccan Herald- India and The Hindu

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said there was a marked shift in the way disability is looked at. Speaking at the inaugural session of India Accessibility Summit and State Disability Commissioners’ Conclave here in Bengaluru on Saturday, he said training, public meetings and policy-making have brought about the change. “There is a marked shift in the way we approach disability. Training academies for administrative officers have dedicated modules for disability sensitization…

Budget Gaps: How the 2024–25 Fiscal Plan Fails People with Disabilities

July 28, 2024 | Source: The Wire- India

Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rhetoric of ‘Divyang Kalyan (welfare of people with disabilities), the budget allocations and policy decisions in 2024-25 tell a different story. The demand from various disability rights organizations for allocating 5% of the total budget across ministries for the welfare and development of people with disabilities remains far from being realized, with the current allocation standing at a mere 0.025%. Key initiatives and bodies aimed at improving accessibility and support for people with disabilities have faced significant budget cuts, unspent funds and unmet targets…

Running towards inclusion: the power of sports

July 29, 2024 | Source: Social Europe- France

An accessible guide to Paris

August 1, 2024 | Source: CN Traveller- France

How one company helps visually impaired Olympics fans enjoy the games

August 1, 2024 | Source: WBUR- France

This is a summer of big sporting events in Europe, just about everywhere it seems—from the European Championships in football to the Olympic Games and the Paralympics in France, not to mention annual events such as the Tour de France and Wimbledon. While these major events trigger lots of excitement, emotions and unforgettable moments for fans and athletes, one question always accompanies them: what remains for society once they are over?…

Breaking barriers: Yasmine’s journey to revolutionise accessible tourism

July 29, 2024 | Source: Her Canberra- Australia

When Dr Yasmine Gray recounts the magic of her latest travel adventures, she lights up. A cold rainy day in Dunedin, New Zealand last summer didn’t deter her – it just meant activities moved indoors. She recalls: “An unexpected find was the indoor ‘Tropical Forest’ teeming with rain forest butterflies at the Tūhura Science Centre, which was both very warm and fascinating. “The butterflies were drinking the sweat from my son and partner, but on me they landed on my nose and started drinking out of my nostril! This is not a feeling I will forget anytime soon!”…

Advocates for persons with disabilities criticize education, transportation infra accessibility

July 29, 2024 | Source: ABS-CBN News- Philippines

Accessibility right most violated right of PWDs

July 21, 2024 | Source: Baguio Midland Courier- Philippines

As another school year officially opens, advocates for persons with disabilities asked anew how accessible public schools are to children with disabilities. In a press conference Monday, Life Haven Center for Independent Living said most schools have no improvement in terms of addressing the needs of children with disabilities. “Majority ng public school natin wala pang nagbabago in relation to physical accessibility,” Life Haven CIL President Dr. Jun Bernardino said…

Ageing Better and Habinteg call for minimum housing accessibility standards in new build homes

July 29, 2024 | Source: THIIS Magazine- UK and Housing Today and Inside Housing and Building Design

A quarter of a million more people could now be living in accessible and adaptable homes if legislation requiring higher minimum standards in newly built homes had been delivered as promised, new analysis from the Centre for Ageing Better reveals. Today marks the two-year anniversary of a government announcement confirming plans to require all new homes to have entrance-level step-free access and other accessibility features as a minimum requirement…

Embracing accessibility: A profitable opportunity for real estate developers in B.C. and beyond

July 29, 2024 | Source: Real Estate Magazine- Canada

Recent headlines have highlighted real estate developers’ concerns about changes to accessibility standards in British Columbia’s building code. The changes require all new large condominium and apartment buildings to have 100 per cent adaptable suites, and first-floor suites in smaller apartment buildings to be easily adaptable so persons with disabilities can live in them. Developers argue this will increase expenses for both builders and buyers. But what if, instead of seeing the new standards as a challenge, developers looked at them as an opportunity? …

Accessibility And Inclusivity In Education For Divyangs

July 29, 2024 | Source: PIB Delhi- India

The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education has launched an overarching programme for the school education sector-Samagra Shiksha Scheme. The scheme aims to look at education of Children with special needs (CwSN) in a continuum from pre-school to class XII. The scheme covers all CwSN with one or more disabilities as mentioned in the schedule of disabilities of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016…

Second Round of Accessible Buildings Award for Persons with Disabilities Launches

July 29, 2024 | Source: Jordan News- Jordan

The Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities announced the launch of the second round of the Accessible Buildings Award for Persons with Disabilities for 2024 on Monday. In a statement, the council detailed that this annual award recognizes the most accessible buildings in the Kingdom, focusing on features such as ramps, elevators, bathrooms, entrance and exit widths, and ground indicators. It evaluates the accessibility of information within these facilities, including websites, data, and information available in accessible formats such as Braille, large letters, and optimized color schemes…

Rebuilding Ukraine: Kharkiv establishes new department for inclusive accessibility and barrier-free environment

July 30, 2024 | Source: Rubryka- Ukraine

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, officials from the Kharkiv government have constantly touted Kharkiv as one of Ukraine’s most convenient and comfortable cities. However, many Kharkiv locals point out issues with architectural accessibility and inclusion in schools, museums, theaters, and supermarkets. Hundreds of thousands of individuals, including mothers with young children, senior citizens, and people with physical disabilities, visual or hearing impairments, and other health problems, have faced numerous barriers throughout the city…

Why are new buildings still being constructed with accessibility barriers in Ontario?

July 31, 2024 | Source: Toronto.com- Canada

In Ontario, why are so many buildings and outdoor spaces like sidewalks still not accessible to people with disabilities? After all, two decades ago, the Ontario legislature gave itself a standing ovation after unanimously passing the landmark Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It requires Ontario to become accessible by 2025, including buildings. We, in the disability community, tenaciously fought for a decade to win that law. When I say “inaccessible,” you’d likely first think about barriers in the built environment obstructing people who use wheelchairs…

Accessibility scholarship empowers outreach to most unreached group

July 30, 2024 | Source: Adventist Record- Australia

An Adventist school teacher has been awarded the Adventist Accessibility Scholarship (AAS) for her dedication to enhancing accessibility within the church and community. Jenaya Lewis, a teacher at Noosa Christian College in Queensland, received the scholarship to complete Certificate III in Auslan with Deaf Connect. AAS is an initiative of Christian Services for the Blind and Hearing Impaired (CSFBHI). Formerly called Personal Pursuit and Empowerment Scholarship, AAS received a new name and revised aim in 2023—to financially support individuals dedicated to contributing to the lives of those who are Deaf…

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