Brass plaque points the way to a government building's accessible entrance. Image copyright 2017, Microassist.

Accessibility in the News — 1/12/2024.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) aims to make the province fully accessible by 2025, but challenges persist, particularly in Toronto, home to an estimated 900,000 people with disabilities. Hard of hearing individuals face difficulties navigating public transit due to insufficient aids, leaving them reliant on others. Although Metrolinx claims to have visual displays of route stops, users argue their effectiveness. Advocates emphasize the need for clearer targets and funding to meet AODA goals. While Toronto acknowledges shortcomings in 13 subway stations, officials express optimism, citing progress in meeting accessibility goals. However, challenges extend beyond transportation, with the built environment presenting obstacles to retrofitting older structures and limited awareness of accessible design needs. Accessibility advocates urge increased funding, clearer objectives, and provincial leadership to ensure broader inclusivity, especially in smaller municipalities facing resource constraints. Despite recent investments in accessible transit, skepticism remains.

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Microassist Accessibility In the News | Jack McElaney, Publisher | Weekly Curation of news on accessibility, including digital accessibility, trends, and litigation

Accessibility in the News Archives- 2016 to Current

Feature Stories

How does Ontario enforce its accessibility legislation? It doesn’t, advocates say

January 4, 2024 | Source: CBC- Canada

Ontario cities need help — and cash — to meet 2025 accessibility deadline, advocates say

January 5, 2024 | Source: CBC- Canada

Ontario has an accessibility gap. Here’s how to start closing it, according to advocates

January 5, 2024 | Source: CBC- Canada

In her years of advocating for people with disabilities, Alex Wilding says complaints to the province about organizations failing to comply with its accessibility law have gone nowhere. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was meant to remove barriers for those with disabilities to ensure their full participation in society. But the Peterborough community advocate says there’s no clear guidance on what recourse citizens have when organizations don’t comply…

National News (U.S.)

Comedian Tina Friml on Vermont jokes, Jimmy Fallon and making comedy more accessible

January 4, 2024 | Source: Vermont Public

“I’m unconventional,” comedian Tina Friml said on a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon. “A lot of people, they see me and they think I suffer from cerebral palsy. Which I don’t.” She paused. “I have cerebral palsy,” she went on after a beat. “I suffer from people.” The audience roared — it was a dream moment for a standup comic like Friml. The Middlebury native’s “Tonight Show” set was the latest in a long string of triumphs for the 30-year-old comedian, who now lives in New York City…

How They Made How to Dance in Ohio Accessible for Its Autistic Cast, Crew, and Audiences

January 5, 2024 | Source: Theater Mania

“If you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person.” These words come near the top of How to Dance in Ohio, a new musical currently on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre. Autistic people have some things in common, but every autistic person experiences autism differently. Creating a welcoming environment that acknowledges all those differences backstage, onstage, and in the audience involves “an endless series of small details that together make up an accessible process,” says director Sammi Cannold…

Dozens of businesses facing ADA lawsuits; one claims LA restaurant’s website wasn’t accessible

January 5, 2024 | Source: ABC7

A person who is legally blind is suing an Echo Park restaurant, claiming its website violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to court documents, that same person has filed dozens of lawsuits over the last few years.

“Just as a business, it’s really scary to get this court summons in the mail,” said Bryan Sharafkhah, the owner of Sticky Rice in Echo Park. He said he’s very conscious of people with disabilities. “My mom was disabled when I was in middle school, and she’s used a wheelchair since then, so to me, it’s very personal when somebody says we’re not accommodating,” said Sharafkhah…

Blind Bowling League started among friends. 50 years later it’s a tightknit community

January 6, 2024 | Source: NPR

Fifty years now, a group of friends has been gathering on Saturdays at Crown Lanes in Denver to roll balls and knock down pins. It’s the Colorado Blind Bowling Association. Colorado Public Radio’s Kevin Beaty caught a few frames and says these bowlers come to play. Veronica Rodriguez, age 70, has short, gray hair and wears dark sunglasses and a wide grin. She’s holding a heavy ball that’s ready to be let loose…

Karns High School senior creates museum accessibility program for visually impaired

January 7, 2024 | Source: WVLT

A new program by a Karns High School senior is making it more accessible for people with visual impairments to visit a museum. “I wanted to do something that could help her experience it more independently and not need a sighted person,” said Mia Warren about her friend, Campbell Rutherford, who is visually impaired. Museums offer various tools for visually impaired guests, but Rutherford said most are not ideal. “Regardless of the experience, there’s always someone else necessary. There is always a sighted person necessary. You always have to plan ahead. It’s a bit annoying…

Bishop Barber advocates for disability rights following theater incident

January 8, 2024 | Source: WCTI

A civil rights leader, Bishop William J. Barber II, held a second news conference today on Monday, Jan. 8 regarding the incident at a movie theater the day after Christmas. The staff asked him to leave, for creating what the staff deemed a fire hazard. Barber argues this action was unjust, particularly for people with disabilities. We were at the press conference where Barber met with legal experts and disability advocates. A 1.5-hour press conference at the First Christian Church of Greenville centered around Bishop Barber’s desire to champion equal treatment for people with disabilities…

American Cruise Lines to Improve Fleet Accessibility in ADA Settlement

January 9, 2024 | Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Connecticut and Cruise Industry News and WTNH and New Haven Register and The Maritime Executive and TravelPulse

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with American Cruise Lines, Inc., headquartered in Guilford, Connecticut, to resolve allegations that the company was not operating in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”). This matter was initiated based on six complaints received by the U.S. Department of Justice that American Cruise Lines was not accessible to or usable by individuals with disabilities who use wheelchairs…

The unemployment rate for disabled workers is increasing

January 9, 2024 | Source: Fast Company

When the last jobs report of 2023 was released on Friday, it confirmed that the labor market is still going strong, with 216,000 jobs added in December and the unemployment rate holding steady at 3.7%. That brought the total number of jobs added over 2023 to about 2.7 million—a drop from the record highs of 2021 and 2022, but nevertheless a stronger showing than economists had anticipated. For certain workers, however, the outlook is more complicated. Disabled workers have long faced greater barriers to employment, but much like the rest of the labor force, they have seen significant gains over the past two years…

Autism-friendly Bay Area airports, hotels offer travel accessibility for families

January 9, 204 | Source: The Mercury News

Traveling with kids can be tricky. Traveling with kids with autism can be downright daunting. And with roughly 1 in 36 children on the autism spectrum in 2020, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and rates rising significantly — a 318% increase since 2000 — the travel industry is taking notice. Hotels in Concord began offering free “practice stays” for families with autistic children in December. San Francisco International Airport provides check-in and boarding “rehearsals.” San José’s airport gives sunflower lanyards to visitors who might need additional help from TSA or airline staff…

Justice Department Advances Proposed Rule to Improve Access to Medical Care for People with Disabilities

January 9, 2024 | Source: U.S. Department of Justice and Modern Healthcare

The Justice Department today sent to the Federal Register for publication a notice of proposed rulemaking under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that aims 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 equipment. Accessible MDE is essential for people with disabilities to have equal access to medical care…

Department of Education investigating University over former student’s complaint of disability-based discrimination

January 9, 2024 | Source: Brown Daily Herald

The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights is investigating a former student’s allegations of discrimination and retaliation by Brown University on the basis of their disability status, according to a Jan. 4 letter reviewed by The Herald. OCR will investigate three allegations of retaliation and discrimination made by the student, who was dismissed from their program last year. The student alleged that the University failed to promptly address a request for accommodations related to their disability status…

The Care Crisis: Was disability direct support included in Gov. Hochul’s State of the State?

January 10, 2024 | Source: WXXI

New York Governor Kathy Hochul shared her vision for New York in her State of the State address, which often previews what may be included in her budget proposal. WBFO’s Disability Reporter Emyle Watkins spoke with the head of a local disability services agency to get her reaction. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Governor Kathy Hochul’s 181 page State of the State book had several proposals regarding disability, including creating a plan to ensure people with disabilities are living as integrated as possible, issuing an executive order focused on improving employment, expanding transitional and specialized mental health housing and more…

Disability committee targets accessible housing needs for next city budget

January 11, 2024 | Source: Austin Monitor

Members of the city’s disability committee want to focus requests for next year’s budget on addressing the shortage of housing affordable for those who receive federal or state disability assistance, which typically falls short of the local threshold for affordable housing. Last month’s meeting of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities featured presentations and discussion from the Housing Department and Accessible Housing Austin that looked at the variety of city programs to address the shortage of housing in all demographic levels, including low-income populations…

ACLU alleges disability discrimination, ‘pervasive mistreatment’ of people who are deaf by LVMPD

January 11, 2024 | Source: The Nevada Independent

A federal lawsuit filed in Las Vegas on Thursday on behalf of a person who is deaf and was incarcerated in the Clark County Detention Center charged law enforcement personnel with disability discrimination, among other violations of rights guaranteed in the Nevada and U.S. constitutions. In the lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada said the action against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department came in response to “the pervasive mistreatment” of deaf and hard of hearing people incarcerated at Clark County Detention Center (CCDC), the largest jail in the state…

How to ensure the NIH’s decision to recognize people with disabilities as a health disparity population makes a difference

January 11, 2024 Source: STAT

My daughter Katie was born with severe disabilities. She went on to develop profound autism, attention deficit disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The hardest part for her is knowing that she’s different but not understanding how or why. My career as a health care manager and now a researcher has been derailed and fragmented because I have a profoundly disabled daughter who has undergone so many treatments and required special schools…

Jack Fact — The World Health Organization- The leading causes of vision impairment and blindness at a global level are refractive errors and cataracts.

Hit The Road Jack — Diving into inclusivity: Regina’s Wascana Pool aims to set a new standard in Canada and 20 Most Disabled-Friendly Countries in the World and 2024 State Park Accessible Cabin Reservations Open Jan. 10

International News

Advocates say London needs to tackle these 4 issues to make the city more accessible

January 4, 2024 | Source: CBC- Canada

The City of London is on a time crunch to make all public spaces accessible by next year. In 2005, Ontario’s Legislative Assembly passed the Accessibility for Ontarians With Disabilities Act (AODA) to make the province accessible to people with disabilities by 2025. While disability advocates in the city are uncertain the province will be able to meet that deadline, CBC London spoke with four Londoners highlighting critical issues they say the municipality needs to prioritize to improve accessibility across the city…

Disability rights activist challenges province to craft strong Accessibility Act

January 4, 2024 | Source: NB Media Co-op- Canada

A disability rights activist has issued a challenge to the New Brunswick government, after the province published its “blueprint” for a long-awaited Accessibility Act. Shelley Petit, chair of the NB Coalition of Persons with Disabilities, says the provincial government of Premier Blaine Higgs has a credibility problem when it comes to issues affecting people with disabilities, such as housing and poverty. She doubts the legislation will result in tangible improvements…

Voting hurdles: Accessibility, transportation issues deter differently-abled voters

January 6, 2024 | Source: Dhaka Tribune- Bangladesh

The lack of accessibility to polling stations, transportation challenges, and security concerns have led to the reluctance of certain demographics, such as disabled, pregnant women, and elderly people, to exercise their franchise in tomorrow’s general election. They feel that their voting needs are not adequately addressed, considering there are over 3 million people with disabilities and 1.4 million senior citizens in the country, according to the Department of Social Services and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics…

Disabled people ‘waiting very long time’ for accessible travel

January 6, 2024 | Source: BBC- UK

Disabled people are “often waiting a very, very long time” for accessible travel arrangements, a charity has said. Transport for All’s comments come after an MP said the delay in constructing lifts and a new bridge at Theale train station in Berkshire was a “case study” in bureaucracy. Redevelopment work was originally due to be completed by February 2014, but has been delayed until this year. Network Rail said the project was not fully funded when it was first announced in 2013, and work began after funding was obtained in 2021…

Closed captions, sign language interpretation to make films more accessible: Draft guidelines

January 8, 2024 | Source: Deccan Herald- India and Storyboard18 and The Statesman

In a bid to make cinema accessible to hearing and visually impaired persons, the government on Monday issued draft guidelines seeking the incorporation of sign language interpretation and audio description in feature films within three years. The draft Guidelines of Accessibility Standards in the Public Exhibition of Feature Films in Cinema Theatres for Persons with Hearing and Visual Impairment also ask cinema theatres to provide accessibility features in a regular show by making available at least two equipment per 200 seats or less for both closed captions and audio description…

The Activist Who Made Toronto Transit More Accessible

January 9, 2024 | Source: The Walrus- Canada

For forty years of her life, Beryl Potter navigated the world as a relatively healthy, able-bodied person. She never struggled to find an accessible entrance or washroom. People did not stare at her as she went down the street. No one ever offered unsolicited prayers. She never had to field awkward questions from strangers about her body. She never felt the need to put at ease others who were uncomfortable in her presence. She never had to endure the patronizing tone of those who questioned her comprehension of what was being said to her…

Accessibility required: Municipalities pushing to make accessible EV chargers the norm

January 9, 2024 | Source: Electric Autonomy- Canada

Walking past a row of electric vehicle charging stations in Gananoque, Ont., a town located halfway between Montreal and Toronto, Mayor John Beddows noticed something that made him raise an eyebrow. “There were no wide parking spaces to accommodate an individual who needs to open a door all the way to get out of their car if they have a walker or two canes,” Beddows recalls in an interview with Electric Autonomy. “And the charging stations themselves were set back behind the curb and protected behind poles. This means somebody with a walker or in a mobility assistive device can’t get to the charging cord.”…

Manitoba window of opportunity open to boost accessibility standards: advocate

January 9, 2024 | Source: Winnipeg Free Press- Canada

Manitoba Government Makes Transit More Accessible

January 10, 2024 | Source: Province of Manitoba- Canada

Manitoba is in a “sweet spot” to advance accessibility standards and the time for action is now, says a leading disability rights advocate and constitutional law expert. David Lepofsky is a member of the Order of Canada and Order of Ontario, and an adjunct law professor at Western University (London, Ont.). He was in Winnipeg this week to speak to advocates, the public and University of Manitoba law students about the future of accessibility in the province…

After ECI guidelines, charting a path to disability inclusion in politics

January 10, 2024 | Source: The Indian Express- India

On December 21, the Election Commission of India released an advisory for political parties to follow disability-sensitive terminologies. The 11 guidelines can broadly be put into three categories: Disability-inclusive communication by political parties and their members, accessibility of information and inclusion within party frameworks. The guidelines on communication relate to the usage of ill-health terminologies for persons with disabilities (PwD), dehumanising or using PwDs to depict incapacity or perpetuate stereotypes…

European Accessibility Act: is it time to update your websites, products and services to meet Europe’s accessibility requirements?

January 9, 2024 | Source: Bird and Bird- Ireland

From 28 June 2025, new requirements will apply across the European Union concerning the accessibility of some products and services for persons with disabilities. Directive (EU) 2019/882 (the European Accessibility Act or EAA) introduces these changes with the aim of harmonising accessibility requirements for consumers across the EU’s internal market. It follows the ratification of the EU and all Member States of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)…

Accessibility Initiatives Make GO Transit Travel Easier Across Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and Beyond

January 10, 2024 | Source: The Hamilton Spectator- Canada

Metrolinx is taking action to make travel easier for people who are neurodivergent or have invisible disabilities, via the recently-released MagnusCards step-by-step travel guides and the adoption of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower pins. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower pins, lanyards, and wristbands are already used at airports and other travel hubs across the world for people to signal that they may require a helping hand, a bit of extra time to board and disembark from trains, planes, or buses — or simply some understanding and patience; Metrolinx began offering complimentary sunflower pins to customers late last year…

How RNIB created its ‘sonic logo’

January 11, 2024 | Source: Charity Digital- UK

Online accessibility is vital for charities to ensure they can appeal to as wide a range of users as possible. This should ensure there are no barriers based on ability and provide engaging content – for people with sight or hearing loss, for example. Among charities paying close attention to their online accessibility in recent years is sight loss charity Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). In December 2023 this stepped up a gear with the charity’s creation of a ‘sonic logo’ so that those with sight loss can immediately recognise the charity online by sound, rather than visual branding…

5 life-changing accessibility projects from around the world

January 11, 2024 | Source: Happiful Magazine

It’s estimated that 16 million people in the UK have a disability – that’s around 24% of the total population. And, yet, navigating our towns, cities, and villages isn’t always straightforward. Buildings without accessible entrances, media without inclusive options, transport without the appropriate infrastructure, and overstimulating or hostile environments, are just a few examples of the barriers people may come up against. And those aren’t the only things to contend with…

Air Canada contests decision on power wheelchairs after touting accessibility efforts

January 11, 2024 | Source: The Chronicle-Journal- Canada

Air Canada has appealed a decision by the country’s transport regulator that seeks to boost accessibility for travellers living with a disability. If successful, the move would overturn a requirement to fully accommodate passengers whose wheelchairs are too large to move into airplane cargo holds. The Canadian Transportation Agency’s ruling marks the culmination of a case that has dragged on since 2016, when flier Tim Rose was told his power wheelchair wouldn’t fit on the aircraft, preventing him from travelling to Ohio as planned…

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