Accessibility in the News — 9/6/2024.

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ESPN survey: Venues fall short on invisible disability needs

August 30, 2024 Source: ESPN

Professional sports teams have largely moved to accommodate the needs of fans with sensory issues, but many venues still fall short when it comes to addressing a range of other needs for fans living with conditions known as invisible or nonapparent disabilities, according to a nationwide ESPN survey. Tens of millions of Americans live with conditions that are not immediately apparent but significantly impact their daily lives, including autism, brain injuries, autoimmune diseases, chronic pain, mental health conditions, and loss of hearing and vision…

With U.S. Open in Swing, Fans Would Love to See Wheelchair Access at Willets Point

August 30, 2024 Source: The City NYC News

New program in NY offers outdoor accessibility for people with disabilities

September 2, 2024 Source: WCAX

Signs of progress are visible near Citi Field and the National Tennis Center, where cranes loom in the distance from the rickety wooden boardwalk that links the Long Island Rail Road and the 7 train. But with thousands of income-restricted apartments, retail space, a soccer stadium and a public school planned as part of a sprawling redevelopment of Queens’ so-called Iron Triangle, the LIRR and subway stops at Mets-Willets Point remain daunting to wheelchair users as the U.S. Open swings into its second week — nearly a decade after the MTA committed to installing elevators there…

National News (U.S.)

In Los Angeles, an Artist’s Studio for a Blind Potter

August 28, 2024 Source: The New York Times

For Don Katz, a typical day begins with a light breakfast at his home in Los Angeles before he heads to his backyard pool to swim a few laps. After a therapeutic soak in the spa, Mr. Katz prepares to go to work on his ceramics. His commute isn’t far: He passes through the French doors of his bedroom, down three steps to his backyard, makes a sharp right around the spa, then takes a few more steps before turning left into the free-standing ceramics studio behind his house…

They Want YOU: Massive Protest for Subway Elevators on Sept. 8

August 30, 2024 Source: Streetsblog NYC

Accessibility advocates will gather by the hundreds to remind straphangers why their subway station has no elevator: MTA under-funding and Gov. Hochul’s decision to cancel congestion pricing. Transit advocates will gather for a Citywide Subway Canvassing Day on Sunday, Sept. 8 and fan out across the city to talk to subway riders about how the impact of Hochul’s decision on the MTA’s plan install elevators at almost two dozen subway stations…

Some disabled workers in the U.S. make pennies per hour. It’s legal.

August 30, 2024 Source: The Washington Post

Tens of thousands of disabled people in the United States are paid less than the federal minimum wage — with some workers making as little as 25 cents per hour. These workers, most of whom have intellectual and developmental disabilities, are part of an arcane government program that is supposed to prepare them for higher-paying jobs in the community. But a Washington Post investigation has found that many disabled workers are paid low wages for years under a tangled bureaucracy that lacks accountability and oversight…

How a 12-year-old girl’s bad day shows the importance of accessibility

August 30, 2024 Source: Sioux Falls Simplified

A 12-year-old Sioux Falls girl wasn’t able to sing with the rest of her friends in the Sioux Falls Children’s Choir as back-up singers for rock band Foreigner earlier this week. It’s all because they couldn’t accommodate her wheelchair. Christa Bauman was getting ready to drive her daughter Halle to rehearsal for what was supposed to be her last-ever performance with the Sioux Falls Children’s Choir Wednesday afternoon when she noticed she had a few missed calls…

Indianapolis Zoo certified as sensory inclusive

August 31, 2024 Source: WRTV

The Indianapolis Zoo has been certified as Sensory Inclusive. It was recognized by KultureCity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting inclusivity and accessibility for individuals with sensory needs. KultureCity’s provides training and resources to help organizations accommodate individuals with sensory sensitivities. To achieve certification, the zoo trained its staff to recognize and assist guests with sensory needs. The Zoo also added sensory signage to notify guests of loud and quiet areas and areas with smells, weighted lap pads and sensory bags containing noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools and communication cards…

Creating accessible playgrounds in Philadelphia lags behind those in the suburbs

September 1, 2024 Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

Accessible playgrounds in Philadelphia come slower due to cost and space constraints

September 1, 2024 Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

To Thomasina Lee, it was clear that the mother and her child could not understand each other. Lee, a North Philly resident, was at a local playground when she saw a boy crying and frustrated with his mother. Lee is an early childcare educator and recognized that the boy was nonverbal and neurodivergent. He was trying to communicate with his mother, but she couldn’t understand what he wanted. “You could see the tears well up in her eyes,” Lee said…

Disability Voting Rights Week September 9-13: Advocating for Full Participation in Democracy

September 1, 2024 Source: City Sentinel

Voting is a fundamental right for all citizens and ensuring that people with disabilities can exercise this right is a critical component of an inclusive democracy. In Oklahoma, efforts have been made to improve accessibility and protect the voting rights of individuals with disabilities, but challenges remain. September 9-13 is Disability Voting Rights Week (DVRW) a nonpartisan movement hosted by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)…

Adaptive Technology: Amazing Lift Makes Horseback Riding More Accessible

September 1, 2024 Source: InspireMore

It’s amazing how adaptive technology can open doors for people with disabilities! United Spinal Association shared an incredible video on social media to demonstrate how a specialized lift could help a wheelchair user go horseback riding. In the clip, a woman who couldn’t normally mount a horse on her own was able to do so using this helpful device. She looked so happy to be in the saddle! It seemed like a fairly simple setup. There was a platform with a seat on it, protected by safety gates that could open and close…

Disney no longer magical to guests denied Disability Access Service

September 1, 2024 Source: Los Angeles Times

Eight-year-old Noah Roland lasted less than two hours inside Disney World’s Magic Kingdom one June afternoon before suffering an autistic meltdown. Days earlier, he was denied Disney’s Disability Access Service pass, intended to help disabled individuals wait for rides outside long lines. Northridge resident Rosie Keiser, who lives with multiple sclerosis, teared up outside the entrance lines of the Disneyland Resort in July. She had been approved for the pass, but only after answering several “intrusive” health questions…

Wheelies look fun, but they’re a serious skill for kids in wheelchairs

September 2, 2024 Source: PBS

Around 3.7 million wheelchair users live in the United States, each pushing themselves an average of 2,000 to 3,000 times a day. Some of that is straightforward, but wheelchair navigation sometimes includes negotiating unexpected curbs, stairs, steep hills and other obstacles— and most wheelchair users don’t have access to formal training to learn how to smoothly navigate on their own. A unique, free program called Skills on Wheels run by Indiana University Indianapolis aims to address the gap for young people…

The Utah Assistive Technology Program celebrates 35 years of accessibility

September 2, 2024 Source: The Utah Statesman

The Utah Assistive Technology Program marked 35 years of providing assistive technology to the Logan community and throughout the state with a day of assistive gaming, demonstrations and obstacle courses on Aug. 24. The fair showcased different types of assistive technology including a wheelchair obstacle course to help attendees gain perspective into the lives of those with limited mobility. Bora Lee is the program coordinator for UATP and has been with the program for six years…

Only 39% of Americans view national parks as accessible options. There’s a simple fix.

September 3, 2024 Source: USA Today

Kelly Dawson can’t walk for long periods of time, but cerebral palsy doesn’t stop her from adventuring through America’s national parks. She’s seen the sweeping vistas of the Grand Canyon’s rims and has done short walks through the massive cacti at Saguaro National Park. One of her favorite experiences was exploring the plethora of wildlife in the Everglades by airboat, which was easy for her to get on and off. “The difference between what a disabled person wants to see and what a non-disabled person wants to see is very small; it’s just how we go about it,” Dawson, a writer and disability advocate based in Los Angeles, told USA TODAY…

How More Accessible Eye Care Gives People More Of A Clearer Look Into The Future

September 3, 2024 Source: Forbes

Chris O’Shaughnessy lives on Long Island and works as a clinical specialist at Empire Visionworks, where he helps shape the patient experience by customers coordinate insurance claims and other duties prior to them meeting with the optometrist for an eye examination. Like yours truly, O’Shaughnessy has cerebral palsy yet is ambulatory. In a recent interview conducted by email, he said it made him “really sad” that people would talk to him but not friends of his in wheelchairs…

DOT accessibility upgrades welcomed by advocates | Cruising Altitude

September 4, 2024 Source: USA Today

I had the opportunity to sit down with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg last week. He told me about what the department he oversees is doing to boost accessibility for disabled travelers across the country’s transportation network. During our conversation, Buttigieg highlighted billions of dollars in investments the Department of Transportation is making to improve the physical infrastructure at airports, railroad stations and on other surface transportation networks…

Judge Mandates All New York City Taxi Cabs Become Wheelchair Accessible

September 5, 2024 Source: Black Enterprise and Portland Press Herald and The Daily Item and amNY and Sheppard Mullin

On Aug. 30, Judge George Daniels ordered the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) to make all new taxis wheelchair-accessible until the city meets the 50% requirement once agreed upon in a 2013 settlement. A host of disability advocates sued the group in early 2024 after they failed to reach the settlement terms, which included 50% of the city’s 13,587 yellow cabs being wheelchair accessible by 2020. The transportation options that flood the streets of the Big Apple have 3,752 handicapable yellow cabs accessible, only 28% of all cabs issued by TLC…

U.S Department of Justice and Washington State Parks resolve complaint over Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) violations

September 5, 2024 Source: U.S. DOJ

Washington to fix accessibility violations at its state parks

September 5, 2024 Source: Washington State Standard

The U.S. Department of Justice and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Washington State Parks) announced today that they have reached a settlement agreement to resolve a complaint that parks facilities fail to conform with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The original complaint concerned a camping area at Paradise Point State Park in southwest Washington. The complainant and his spouse reported non-conforming conditions at what was supposed to be a camping space for persons with disabilities…

How Audio Description Sets the Stage for More Accessible Theater

September 5, 2024 Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful

Standing in a small circle, a group of performers introduced themselves to a smaller group of audience members. The performers went into great detail, relating not only their names and pronouns but also describing themselves and their attire. The audience members, including myself, were then led around the performance space and invited to touch the minimal props and set pieces that would be used in the show — a dance production of short pieces called Solos Lost and Found, presented by the Deborah Slater Dance Theater company…

Jack Fact — According to recent Social Security Administration projections, over the past several years, about 10,000 Americans a day have turned 65. Based on census data, it is about 4.1 million a year in 2024 — more than 11,200 per day — and staying around that 4.1 million level through 2027.

Hit The Road Jack — Florida state parks create accessible, inclusive outdoor experiences and Which Finger Lakes recreation areas are ADA accessible? Check out DEC’s new map

International News

Greece Introduces ‘Eumaeus’ to Boost Accessibility at Cultural Sites for Visitors with Limited Mobility

August 29, 2024 Source: GTPGreece

The Greek Ministry of Culture is working to ensure unhindered access and participation in cultural activities for individuals with disabilities. On Thursday, the ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Confederation of Persons with Disabilities (ESAmeA) for a project named “Eumaeus”. The initiative aims to enhance accessibility across Greece’s cultural sites and is titled “Accessibility Conditions of Cultural Sites and Development of a Digital Platform for Visitors with Limited Mobility”. The digital platform will be known as “Eumaeus”…

Placing accessibility at the centre of house building

August 30, 2024 Source: LocalGovUK

The new Government’s plans for 1.5 million new homes places a big responsibility on local government. It will be sharing a major burden in building many of these homes and approving developments. But while people need more places to live, architects, builders and planners must place accessibility at the heart of the homes they create if they are to be fit for an ageing population. A quarter of Britons will be over 65, in just over 25 years’ time, up from the current 19%…

Don’t ignore accessibility in the race to build new homes

August 30, 2024 Source: Housing DigitalUK

It’s not just people with disabilities who desperately need homes that are readily accessible and adaptable; faced with an ageing population, it’s a crucial issue for us all, writes Amy Francis-Smith. It’s a damning fact that more than 100,000 people are on local authority waiting lists for an accessible or adaptable home, with many more hoping to secure other similar social housing properties. Some individuals may have to wait an additional 47 years for their local council to supply them with a new build home that completely fulfils their requirements; a dooming statistic as people’s lives are massively impacted in the meantime…

Accessible equipment range blends style and functionality so gardens can remain safe and beautiful

August 30, 2024 Source: AT TodayUK

Invisible Creations has announced its new Garden Accessibility Range, which is a range of products that blend style and functionality, ensuring that gardens remain safe, accessible, and beautiful. A 2013 study found that approximately half of falls occur in outdoor spaces. To help address this issue, the Garden Accessibility Range is designed to be practical and aesthetically pleasing, so that it encourages people to enjoy their gardens while increasing safety, confidence, and independence, without sacrificing visual appeal…

TIFF needs to start requiring captions for all films: advocates

August 30, 2024 Source: CBCCanada

The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the most prestigious events on the city’s cultural calendar, but according to one critic, accessibility issues prevent it from being something every movie lover can fully enjoy. Michael McNeely has been attending the festival since 2010 and is an accredited critic who reviews films for Accessible Media Inc. McNeely is deaf-blind but can read large text, meaning he needs captions to do his favourite thing: watch movies…

“Calm on set”: How Venice title ‘My Everything’ has helped to pioneer accessibility practices on set

August 31, 2024 Source: Screen DailyFrance

“I couldn’t believe the job I was doing didn’t exist already,” says Margault Algudo-Brzostek, France’s first ‘accessibility coordination manager’, on Venice premiere My Everything and French summer hit A Little Something Extra, which both star several actors with disabilities. Algudo-Brzostek’s role was to work with those actors and act as a go-between with the crew to facilitate the filming process. My Everything stars Laure Calamy as a single mother who discovers her adult son Joel, who has intellectual disabilities, has impregnated his co-worker Océane who is also disabled…

‘Unfair’ as Oasis fans call Wembley thousands of times for accessible tickets

August 31, 2024 Source: IndependentUK and Perspective Magazine and The Mirror

Oasis fans have said getting accessible tickets for Wembley Stadium is an “impossible task”, as they tried to call one phone number thousands of times. General tickets went on sale for the band’s comeback tour at 9am on Saturday, and fans requesting accessible tickets were advised to call a phone number for the Wembley concerts. But Frances Mobbs said trying to get accessible tickets for her son was an “impossible task”. Mrs Mobbs, from Norfolk, wanted to buy four tickets for her son Nick Mobbs, 41, his carer and two family members, for the concert on July 26…

Delhi HC Directs Rapido To File Audit Report On Accessibility For Persons With Disabilities

September 2, 2024 Source: NDTV ProfitIndia and Inc42

The Delhi High Court has asked bike-taxi aggregator Rapido to file an audit report on the accessibility of its services for persons with disabilities within three months. Justice Sanjeev Narula, while hearing a petition by disability rights activist Amar Jain and visually-impaired banker Dipto Ghosh Chaudhary, said the audit will be done by an ‘Access Auditor’ empanelled with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment…

Report points out ‘gaps’ in digital provision for people with disabilities

September 2, 2024 Source: LSMLatvia

A new report by Latvian company TestDevLab, titled “Digital Accessibility and EAA: Telco Industry Under Review” suggests the leading digital telecommunications (Telco) companies might not always be as marvellous and inclusive as they say they are. The report “has revealed gaps in the digital accessibility of leading telecom companies in the Baltic region,” TestDevLab claims. The study evaluated the websites of the region’s major telecom operators – LMT, Tele2, Bite, and Telia – and found that for people with disabilities, accessing telecom operator services independently can be challenging…

News is now accessible for children with autism

September 2, 2024 Source: Bangalore MirrorIndia

Kian Jacob, a 17-year-old student at Indus Valley International School has been making newsletters accessible to children with autism, helping them keep up with the happenings of the world. When Jacob was merely a 15-year-old, his interests leaned towards architecture, leading him to intern with an architectural firm which involved him in designing playgrounds for autistic children. After the internship Jacob, with the objective of bringing his design to fruition, contacted Ishanya Foundation, which has 75 kids in the spectrum of differently abled teenagers…

The rationale for accessible housing

September 2, 2024 Source: Times of IndiaIndia

When we think of “accessible housing” what comes to our mind is special housing for the elderly and the disabled. You probably also feel you don’t need accessible housing and that you had rather buy a beautiful home than an accessible one. You are not alone. Accessible housing has yet to make an appearance in our list of priorities when buying a house. It’s another matter that accessible homes are also aesthetically pleasing when designed with accessibility as a core feature…

Noticing This While Driving Could Be An Early Sign Of Dementia

September 2, 2024 Source: HuffPostUK

About 40% of people over 65 who have suspected dementia are not diagnosed with it in the UK, Alzheimer’s Research UK says. That’s hard news to hear, given that a diagnosis can help those with the condition to access specialised support and help; the earlier it’s spotted, the better, too. Perhaps some of that delay comes from the fact that most of us don’t know what the condition looks like. A YouGov study, made with Alzheimer’s Research UK, found that only 49% of participants named memory loss as a symptom of dementia; 22% said they had no idea how it affects people at all…

Disability: accessible voting

September 2, 2024 Source: Ville de ParisFrance

The City of Paris, in collaboration with the Departmental Council for Citizenship and Autonomy and various volunteer organizations, has established a system aimed at enhancing the accessibility of electoral events for individuals with disabilities. All Parisian polling stations have been made accessible to all people with disabilities and the elderly since the European elections on May 26, 2019. This system, the result of six months of work, takes into account people with mental or psychological disabilities, autistic syndrome or intellectual impairment…

London Gatwick Airport enhances accessibility with launch of detailed guides for passengers

September 3, 2024 Source: Future Travel ExperienceUK

London Gatwick Airport has partnered with AccessAble to launch a series of bespoke Detailed Access Guides, helping passengers navigate more easily, safely and confidently through the airport. The free guides cover 30 different areas of London Gatwick – including departures and arrivals, car parks and the train station – and provide passengers with information such as flooring types, signage, light and noise levels, step-free access, walking distances, seating, and accessible toilets, alongside a host of other details…

Study finds program boosts cognitive engagement of students with language and attention difficulties

September 3, 2024 Source: Queensland University of TechnologyAustralia

A new study has found high school students with disabilities impacting language and information processing were able to better comprehend content when teachers adopted evidence-based strategies to increase the accessibility of classroom teaching. The study, published in Learning Environments Research, was led by the Queensland University of Technology Center for Inclusive Education researchers Haley Tancredi, Prof. Linda J. Graham and Dr. Callula Killingly, and Prof. Naomi Sweller of Macquarie University…

Ensuring electric vehicle accessibility for all

September 3, 2024 Source: Open Access GovernmentUK

As the UK pushes forward with its ambitious targets for EV adoption, concerns about electric vehicle accessibility for disabled drivers have come to light. Former Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson has raised significant issues regarding the accessibility of EV charging points, highlighting barriers that currently hinder many disabled motorists from making the switch to electric cars, Energy Live News reported. Grey-Thompson, after attending an All-Party Parliamentary Group meeting on EVs, expressed her frustration at the lack of accessible charging stations…

Only 20 companies responded to accessibility challenge

September 3, 2024 Source: The Jerusalem PostIsrael

These days, Strauss, in collaboration with the “worth developing” project and the “Migdal Or” center Destinations Association for the North, is launching an innovative package for the salty snacks potato chips, Doritos and Cheetos, which have been developed in such a way that they will also be suitable for people with visual impairments this is as part of a A social movement to promote a more inclusive space and grant choices to a variety of populations and audiences…

Charities call upon Prime Minister to secure public transport accessibility

September 4, 2024 Source: Transport for AllUK

Transport and disabled people’s charities are calling for a meeting with the Prime Minister, and a commitment to urgent changes to the transport system to prevent harm to disabled people. Last week Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson spoke out about accessibility issues following an LNER journey into London Kings Cross. Baroness Thompson was abandoned on the train and forced to crawl out of her wheelchair and lie on platform after passenger assistance failed to meet her…

Grey-Thompson calls for accessible EV transition

September 4, 2024 Source: Highways MagazineUK

With the paraolympics in full swing in Paris, Baroness Grey-Thompson backed calls for all public electric vehicle (EV) charging sites to provide accessible designs. Baroness Grey-Thompson said: ‘We were very close to buying an electric car but when we started looking at the accessibility of the charging stations it very quickly became apparent that it was a complete no-go. ‘Many of the charging stations we looked at I would not be able to use for many reasons which include the height of the charging stations, high steps, gravel, and no wide spaces…

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