New York Subways Continue to Receive Accessibility Upgrades, Still Far From Fully Accessible.

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New York City Subway Entrance

Accessibility in the News — October 25, 2019.

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“I’m officially disabled, but I’m truly enabled because of my lack of limbs. My unique challenges have opened up unique opportunities to reach so many in need.”

— Nick Vujicic

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Feature Story

MTA Unveils New Subway Accessibility Features

October 17, 2019   |  Source: Spectrum News & Intelligent Transport

The MTA says making the subway more accessible is not just about installing more elevators. “There is way more to it than that,” Andy Byford, president of NYC Transit, said. “There are sensory disabilities, there are cognitive disabilities. There’s a whole spectrum of disabilities.” MTA officials, visited the Jay Street station in Brooklyn to show off new accessibility measures, including tactile strips on mezzanines and platforms, brightly colored directional markings, maps in Braille, and five new apps…

National News (U.S.)

 

Fox Theatre To Boost Deaf, Hard Of Hearing Accessibility

October 17, 2019   |  Source: Patch

The Fox Theatre has made an agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to improve the theater experience for the deaf and hard of hearing. The agreement culminates negotiations between the two entities to lead to better accessibility. The changes come after complaints alleging that the theater denied effective communication to customers with hearing disabilities, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act…

First deafblind woman to graduate from Harvard Law talks accessibility, ableism

October 17, 2019   |  Source: The Stanford Daily

Haben Girma is an Oakland native, disability rights lawyer and the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School. At age 27, she was recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2016 for her work and advocacy in law and policy, and was also honored by Obama as a Champion of Change in 2013. On Wednesday, she shared her experiences and insights at Stanford Law School. Reading from a brail tablet that produced questions as event moderator and Stanford lecturer Lindsey Felt typed them, Girma addressed questions about pursuing her dreams despite her disability, as well as the powers of technology in advocacy…

Study finds accessibility issues at several SC polling places for people with disabilities

October 18, 2019   |  Source: Live 5 News WCSC

A new report out Thursday shows several polling places in South Carolina didn’t have the necessary accessibility requirements for people with disabilities during the 2018 midterm elections. Among the issues listed were inaccessible parking, walkways, entrances, voting areas and machines which suppressed the voting rights of those with disabilities and violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The group Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities went to 32 polling places across 20 counties in South Carolina, the same places surveyed in 2014, and found little improvement…

Shaquille O’Neal donates home to family of Atlanta boy paralyzed in shooting

October 18, 2019   |  Source: CBS& People& News One

A 12-year-old Atlanta boy who was shot in August has been recovering in the hospital ever since. But when he’s released, he will have a new house to come home to – thanks to Shaquille O’Neal. Isaiah Payton was struck by a bullet during a high school football game at Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta on August 16. Payton was paralyzed in the shooting and another 15-year-old boy was hit in the leg, according to CBS Atlanta. A 15-year-old boy has been arrested in connection to the shooting, CBS Atlanta reports…

Disabled Ride Share User On Proposed Tax Hike: ‘It’s Basically A Tax On Accessibility’

October 18, 2019   |  Source: CBS Chicago

A proposed Chicago ride share tax increase has some in the disabled community upset because they say they need Want accessibility news more often? Follow us on Twitter! @A11yNewsthe service and cannot afford the extra fee. And they find it ironic because Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, herself, is part of that community. Lightfoot plans to hike taxes on most ride-share trips, including more than quadrupling the fee charged for solo rides in and out of downtown. Bryen M Yunashko is DeafBlind and works as an advocate and business owner who lives near Midway Airport in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood…

Crow’s Nest sued for lack of accessible public facilities

October 18, 2019   |  Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel

A Berkeley man is suing the Crow’s Nest Restaurant for not having public facilities accessible to people who are physically disabled. Walter Delson of Berkeley filed a complaint for injunctive relief and damages Oct. 7, according to Delson’s attorney Paul Rein of law firm Rein & Clefton. Delson filed the complaint after going to the Crow’s Nest in April with his children and girlfriend and not being able to find an accessible parking spot or use the bathroom…

Blind man, who filed complaint over accessible voting, is unhappy with outcome

October 18, 2019   |  Source: KBBI

When Rick Malley went to vote in a 2015 local election, he assumed it would be easy. “I didn’t want to have to do a bunch of paperwork,” he said. “I didn’t want to have to argue with people about my access to voting. I just wanted to vote.” Malley is visually impaired and when the former Homer resident went to city hall, there weren’t any voting machines that could help him cast his ballot. None of them could read him the information through a headset…

People with disabilities face mobility challenges in downtown Portland construction zones

October 18, 2019   |  Source: KGW

Portland’s ever-changing skyline causes headaches for a lot of pedestrians. It’s hard enough to get through construction zones and detours across downtown. But for people with disabilities it can really be a daunting task. KGW Investigates’ Morgan Romero hit the streets and tagged along as disability rights advocate Jan Campbell, who uses a wheelchair to try to get around, as she navigated construction zones in the city and encountered plenty of closed sidewalks near large construction sites…

Employee Makes Rochester A Leader In Accessibility

October 19, 2019   |  Source: Wanderer

Andrew Daniel isn’t a suit-wearing kind of guy, and he’s not the type who is comfortable speaking before an audience of 400. As manager of the one-man facilities department, Daniel is more of a work boots, flannel, and baseball cap guy more accustomed to a workday mostly spent interacting with familiar co-workers or on his own fixing whatever needs fixing and doing what needs done.       Daniel has worked on many projects over the last three years, but only one of them in particular awarded him an invitation from the state to attend the 2019 Disability Summit…

The accessibility of NYC hearts: The view from my wheelchair

October 20, 2019   |  Source: New York Daily News

You may have rolled your eyes when you saw me getting on the bus, worrying about the time it would take for me to get off at my stop. Perhaps a part of you cringed when I headed towards a packed subway car. I’m in a wheelchair. But despite the way you might have momentarily felt, let me say thank you. This city often gets disparaged for its accessibility and its gruffness, but New Yorkers deserve a bit of gratitude. Why am I thanking you? I’ll start with the time I was rushing to hop on the subway…

Lawyer weighs-in on obese ‘serial filer’

October 19, 2019   |  Source: Mail Tribune

Local businesses aren’t helpless against Jose Velez, a Florida man who’s filed numerous Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits against businesses across the country, including three restaurants in Medford, according to a Southern California lawyer who beat Velez at his own game last year. But businesses can’t overlook the same disability laws that “serial filers” such as Velez capitalize on, says Ara Sahelian, a wheelchair-bound lawyer whose practice in Laguna Hills, California, specializes in defending businesses in ADA lawsuits…

This Constitutional Change Would Make It Easier For Mainers With Disabilities To Help Questions Get

October 20, 2019   |  Source: Maine Public

A Mainer with a disability preventing them from signing a petition for themselves has not been able to help referendum questions get to the ballot in the past, but a constitutional amendment voters will decide on in November would change that. Mainers will decide Nov. 5 whether alternative signatures can be used to sign a citizens’ initiative or people’s veto petition. People with physical disabilities are already allowed to use alternative signatures on forms to register to vote, change political parties, or help candidates get on the ballot by signing nomination petitions or contributing under the Maine Clean Election Act…

Bill would require all sign language interpreters in SC hospitals, courtrooms and schools to become certified

October 21, 2019   |  Source: WIS10

Lawmakers are mulling over a piece of legislation that would require all sign language interpreters in the state to be nationally certified before they can be hired to work in hospitals, courtrooms, and public schools. Anita Steichen-McDaniel, the executive director for the South Carolina Association of the Deaf. She said uncertified interpreters could be causing issues for people in the deaf and hard of hearing community in South Carolina. “It’s so frustrating,” Steichen-McDaniel said through an interpreter…

Access For All: Why Digital Accessibility Matters And What Tech Professionals Can Do About It

October 22, 2019   |  Source: Forbes

The success of a product — of an entire company — depends on its ability to reach people and impact their lives. This is especially true in the world of technology, where the value of connecting and serving unique individuals on a global scale is priceless. People of all ages, cultures, socioeconomic groups and varying levels of ability rely on the internet for an ever-increasing number of daily activities. It’s forever changed the way we learn, shop, socialize, work and apply for jobs…

Fresno looks to help small businesses navigate ADA headaches

October 22, 2019   |  Source: The San Joaquin Valley Sun

The Fresno City Council on Thursday will consider extending the contract with Taylor Group Architects, a consulting firm. The issue at hand is the complex and sometimes controversial interaction between the survival of small businesses and the enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Taylor contract is for one year and is not to exceed $105,000. The Taylor Group will provide services for something called the “Accessible Fresno Small Business Initiative” (or Accessible Fresno for short)…

New Image Of Eye Structure Could Improve Glaucoma Treatments

October 22, 2019   |  Source: WBOI

The first accurate picture of the part of the eye where glaucoma starts has been captured. Researchers out of Indiana University recently accomplished this task. Even with a microscope, it’s difficult to clearly see the structure of the eye related to glaucoma because of its location, moving fluid and a reflection.  To correct this, the team of IU researchers adapted mirrors that astronomers use to view stars to see through the eye. Dr. Thomas Gast is a senior scientist at the IU School of Optometry…

Focus on Eyes: Eye damage another reason not to smoke

October 22, 2019   |  Source: Florida Today

Tobacco smoking can cause heart disease, emphysema, lung cancer and many other serious health conditions. But did you know cigarette smoking can also damage your eyes? There are many eye problems affected by smoking.

People with dry eyes are not making enough tears. Smoking worsens dry eye condition. The eyes feel scratchy, burning and red. In order to alleviate the symptoms, artificial tears need to be applied frequently. Occasionally, medications such as Restasis or Xiidra are prescribed to lessen the eye irritation…

The Next Generation of Hearing Aids Could Cure More Than Deafness

October 22, 2019   |  Source: Beincrypto

Two of the rarer types of hearing loss occur in people who either have inner ear damage or suffer from auditory nerve problems. These types of hearing loss are much harder to correct than simple age-related hearing loss, even with brainstem implants that are purpose-built to address these hearing defects. Now, thanks to recent advances in research, otolaryngologists have invented a new solution that uses a flexible silicone-wrapped platinum electrode implant to offer hope to those with serious hearing impairment…

Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando Fights to Stay Accessible Amid Beef with Developer

October 22, 2019   |  Source: News 13

A downtown Orlando restaurant known for its drag shows and burgers says it’s fighting to keep their restaurant accessible to everyone. Part-owner of Hamburger Mary’s John Panessa doesn’t want his restaurant to be known for being difficult for those in wheelchairs. “It should not be an inconvenience for anyone coming to the dining room,” he said. Panessa says they used to have a ramp for people in wheelchairs or otherwise disabled to use through a set of doors near their property…

LSAT to be made more accessible for visually impaired students after lawsuit

October 23, 2019   |  Source: Daily Bruin

The analytical reasoning portion of the Law School Admission Test will be redesigned following a recent settlement with a legally blind test taker. Angelo Binno, who is legally blind, filed a lawsuit against the Law School Admission Council in May 2017 after the organization denied his request to skip the Analytical Reasoning section of the LSAT, according to a press release from Nyman Turkish PC, the law firm representing Binno. Following an Oct. 7 settlement with Binno, the LSAC will be looking for a new, more accessible way of assessing analytical reasoning…

 Millennial entrepreneur in Mission Valley wins $10K for making beaches more accessible

October 23, 2019   |  Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

A local startup competition just awarded $10,000 to 28-year-old Kelly Twichel, an occupational therapist in San Diego who’s making California’s beaches more accessible for those in wheelchairs. Twichel is the founder of Access Trax, a startup that makes modular mats that can be arranged in any configuration to be used as pathways on rough terrain. The mats were designed with adaptive surfers in mind, who are often arriving at the beach using wheelchairs or other assistive technology…

Lessons From Oakland’s Adaptive Bikeshare Pilot

October 23, 2019   |  Source: Next City

In 2017, the Bay Area Bike Share program got its start with a smattering of bike-share stations in Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, San Francisco and San Jose. It has since exploded to 4,450 bikes across those five cities, with plans to expand to 14,200 in coming years. In the same timeframe, shared electric scooters and dockless e-bikes were added into the mix of alternative transportation throughout the Bay Area. The rapid growth of bike and scooter share mirrors many cities across the United States…

Polk County to debut ADA-compliant website updates in December

October 23, 2019   |  Source: Winter Haven Sun

In 2018 and through much of 2019, hundreds of lawsuits were filed against Florida counties, municipalities and corporations alleging that disabled residents did not have equal access to government and corporate administered websites. The litigation alleged that blind residents could not read documents on government websites and deaf residents could not listen to public hearings posted online, for example. Litigation was filed against Polk County in September 2018 by a Daytona Beach resident named Joel Price, who is blind…

Starship’s Robots Pulled From University of Pittsburgh After Accessibility Incident

October 23, 2019   |  Source: The Spoon

The University of Pittsburgh has paused its recently launched robot delivery program with Starship after the autonomous rovers impeded the movement of people in wheelchairs. According to WESA in Pittsburgh: Pitt doctoral student and wheelchair user Emily Ackerman said on Monday that she got trapped on Forbes Avenue as traffic approached because a Starship Technologies robot was blocking the only accessible entrance to the sidewalk…

 Rampant sidewalk parking at the Free Library makes ADA entrance hard to access

October 23, 2019   |  Source: Billy Penn

The wheelchair-accessible entrance at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s main branch is hidden at the back of the palatial Beaux-Arts building. The ramp on Wood Street is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and is newly surrounded by curb cuts and painted lines. More often than not, it’s also surrounded by cars. Cars blocking the sidewalk, cars blocking the roadway — there are sometimes enough cars crammed on the one-way street that you’d think it was a low-key auto show instead of an entrance to one of the city’s main cultural hubs…

‘There is no greater advocate I have in my life than my sister,’ says Beto O’Rourke

October 23, 2019   |  Source: The Washington Post& Washington Examiner

In between the campaign events, town halls, television hits, and flights across America aimed at winning the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, there’s one person that Beto O’Rourke always makes time to catch up with: his 39-year-old sister, Erin, who was born with intellectual disabilities. The former Texas congressman, who once served as his younger sister’s legal guardian, hops on the phone with Erin at the end of many of her workdays at a residential facility for adults and children three hours from El Paso, N.M., where she lives and works…

How digital technologies affect people with visual impairment

October 23, 2019   |  Source: KSAT San Antonio

Navigating the computer and the internet can be a challenge for the blind, but it’s far from impossible. Michael Guajardo works at the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind and Vision Impaired where a team of employees helps people navigate online. “I was starting to see everything kind of in a yellowish hue. I didn’t really think anything of it. I mean, I was nine at the time, and I take nothing seriously, you know. And it concerned my parents, of course,” Guajardo said…

Honor the ADA: Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility

October 23, 2019   |  Source: Chicago Daily Herald

Last month I stood at the base of a waterfall at Yosemite National Park, thinking, “How am I going to hike 3,327 feet of elevation?” I looked up to see the rugged terrain–shuffled rock, slippery from the waterfall mist, with trees impeding the paths. It seemed daunting. I think of moments like this when a challenge seemed insurmountable. But then I think of my younger brother who was born with Spina Bifida, a defect that disables him from the waist down. For him, the hike would certainly be impossible…

The Internet Is for Everyone, Right? Not With a Screen Reader

October 24, 2019   |  Source: WIRED

A few weeks ago, Lucy Greco heard a story on NPR about more clothing retailers shuttering their stores and moving online. Oh, great, she thought, recalling some of her past experiences with online shopping: “You’re clicking on something that says, ‘graphic graphic graphic,’ or some numbered file name, or some gibberish like that.” The internet can be like this for Greco, who is blind and uses a screen reader to wayfind online. Screen readers convert display text into synthesized speech or refreshable Braille, giving visual displays an audio equivalent…

Startup Stage: Wheel the World wants to make travel more accessible

October 24, 2019   |  Source: PhocusWire

Wheel the World is an online travel marketplace, where people with disabilities can find and book accessible hotels and tours the easiest way possible. We are mapping the accessibility information of tour operators and hotels to provide it to our community of people with disabilities so they can travel without limits. Booking.com and Expedia and others are multi-million dollar companies, with a great business model (online travel marketplaces), but they missed one thing–accessibility…

Jack Fact — Projections from the Association of American Medical Colleges say the U.S. will see a shortage of 46,900 to 121,900 physicians by 2032 in primary and specialty care.

Hit The Road Jack — Making The Skies Of Yamagata Accessible To All

International News

How Accessible Is It To Vote This Federal Election?

October 17, 2019   |  Source: The Eyeopener- Canada

With the election just around the corner, voters have plenty on their minds to think about before hitting the polls this coming Monday. Some, however, are concerned if they can even reach the polls at all. The Eyeopener spoke to Adam Asmar, lead coordinator of RyeACCESS, one of seven equity service centres from the Ryerson Students’ Union, about the accessibility issues surrounding polling stations. “I’ve heard stories of voters who will go to a polling station and there’s no elevator, or the doors aren’t wide enough, or they’re unable to access the polling stations,” said Asmar…

‘A lot of disappointment’: Little talk about accessibility during campaign

October 17, 2019   |  Source: CTV News- Canada

Liberals vow to implement disability lens for all government policies if re-elected

October 17, 2019   |  Source: CTV News- Canada

Voting more accessible this federal election, but some feel more needs to be done

October 19, 2019   |  Source: CBC- Canada

Famous Canadian Rick Hansen is among those wondering why accessibility has not become a more prominent campaign issue. Hansen is the founder of the Rick Hansen Foundation and is best known for his Man in Motion Tour, in which he travelled around the world using his wheelchair in 1985 to raise money for spinal cord research and accessibility initiatives. Hansen has noticed a lack of discussion on accessibility issues thus far in the campaign…

Initiative makes cinema accessible for visually and hearing impaired

October 18, 2019   |  Source: Kyiv Post- Ukraine

Maryna Starusiova hasn’t seen a movie in many years. She started losing her vision when she was seven. Today, the 38-year-old can only vaguely see silhouettes. She says that she used to go to the cinema, she listened to dialogues while her friends quietly described what was happening on the screen. But it could be unsatisfying. “You check in at the cinema but don’t really feel those emotions,” Starusiova told the Kyiv Post. “Everyone is laughing and you don’t understand why.”…

NGO Vidya Sagar’s course aims to train professionals to modify homes for disabled people & enable independence

October 18, 2019   |  Source: NewzHook- India

Vidya Sagar, the prominent Chennai NGO has finished a three-month course to create a pool of professionals who can support people with disabilities and the elderly to become independent in their homes. Accessibility in public spaces is coming in for attention and that’s needed and welcome. But what about accessibility within homes and other personal spaces? That is what prominent Chennai NGO Vidya Sagar is focusing on in its project which is called Begin to Live Interdependently with Support Systems (BLISS)…

My Search for an Accessible Venue in Delhi

October 19, 2019   |  Source: NewzHook- India

A part-time Programs Coordinator, Chayanika Iyer is currently pursuing her MA in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University and hopes to work at the intersection of accessibility, queer rights, and peace and conflict studies. I remember just writing down in my to-do list, look for an accessible venue. Little did I imagine what that search would look like. It just seemed obvious that in the capital city of the country, it wouldn’t be so hard to find an accessible venue…

Access: A day in the life using a wheelchair in Victoria

October 18, 2019   |  Source: Victoria News- Canada

Cracks, bumps, inclines and gum. All things I’d never paid much attention to while walking around downtown Victoria, but which matter a lot while using a wheelchair. Wendy Cox, executive director from the Victoria Disability Resource Centre, invited me to take a roll with her in June to see where the barriers are for people using a wheelchair in the downtown core. Together, along with Black Press Media reporter Nina Grossman, we’d document the everyday triumphs and challenges of a simple task: heading to the mall and grabbing lunch…

Accessible rentals prove hard to find

October 20, 2019   |  Source: Otago Daily Times- New Zealand

People with disabilities are struggling to find accessible homes in Dunedin’s tight rental property market. Among them is Dunedin Disabled Persons Assembly kaituitui-liaison worker Chris Ford, a wheelchair-user, who has been searching for months to find a new home. Mr. Ford has lived happily in his Kaikorai Valley home for nearly 19 years. With a wet-floor shower area, railed toilet, lowered benchtop, wide hallway, and relatively large rooms, the house has been perfect for his needs…

Disabled community confident of better access to public transport

October 20, 2019   |  Source: New Straits Times- Malaysia

The inclusion of the disabled community’s interests in the National Transport Policy 2019-2030 reflects the government’s efforts to ensure all segments of society benefit from development. Damai Disabled Persons Association Malaysia president V. Murugeswaran expressed confidence in the government’s commitment to include the community. “We are glad to hear that the prime minister (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) mentioned the disabled community, hence leaving nobody behind…

Bangla Sahib to be differently-abled, senior citizen-friendly

October 20, 2019   |  Source: The Tribune- India

As it prepares to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Delhi’s iconic Gurdwara Bangla Sahib is being made barrier-free to make it differently-abled and senior citizen-friendly, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (SGMC) President Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Sunday. The Delhi SGMC has initiated the movement to maintain, provide, renovate and repair existing infrastructure to ensure that the elderly and differently-abled have easy access to the gurdwara complex…

Carleton University creates video library focusing on people with disabilities

October 21, 2019   |  Source: Ottawa Matters- Canada

In an effort to include people with disabilities which are often excluded from historical records, Carleton University is making a special addition to its library. The Accessible Canada Act C-81, an act that focuses on creating inclusive and accessibility-friendly communities, workplaces and services, received royal assent on July 21, 2019. That same day, a film crew interviewed several key people, including the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Senator Jim Munson, James van Raalte, Sinead Tuite, Bill Adair and Frank Folino…

All Kerala Wheelchair Rights Federation starts online campaign for accessible tourist locations

October 21, 2019   |  Source: NewzHook- India

The All Kerala Wheelchair Rights Federation (AKWRF), an organisation that works towards empowering wheelchair users in the state, has been working on many activities in the past couple of years. Now, they are geared up towards ensuring that all tourist locations in Kerala are made accessible and disabled-friendly. Athirapally, one of the most prominent tourist locations is where AKWRF members are currently working on. They also visited adjacent Vazhachal and Thumboormuzhi…

Data shows a worrying amount of UK fireworks displays are not wheelchair accessible

October 21, 2019   |  Source: Response Source- UK

A UK based mobility company has found that 72% of UK fireworks displays do not advertise accessibility for wheelchair users on their websites. Research was recently undertaken by a Yorkshire-based online mobility company, Fenetic Wellbeing to determine how many fireworks displays across the country provide easy access for the disabled. They researched over 70 displays, analysing their websites to find any accessibility information made available for those who need it…

Accessible election exercise in Mumbai gets a mix of bouquets & brickbats from voters with disabilities

October 21, 2019   |  Source: NewzHook- India

It was a mix of bouquets and brickbats as far as the Accessible Election exercise in Mumbai was concerned. The state Election Commission had undertaken many efforts to ensure that people with disabilities could vote in a hassle free manner and while they got many things right, there was criticism too. Voting in Mumbai saw a massive turnout of people with disabilities and the feedback was mixed but largely positive. There was much praise for Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from social media user Voralogy, who was among the first to tweet her response…

How wheelchair basketball changed these women’s lives

October 21, 2019   |  Source: National Geographic- Cambodia

In a buzzing stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, Sieng Sokchan clenched her fists and waited anxiously for the announcement she’d been working toward for years: “Ladies and gentlemen, the women’s wheelchair basketball teams that will participate in the 2018 Asia Para Games are China, Japan, Thailand, Iran, Afghanistan, and Cambodia.” Sieng hugged and congratulated her teammates, who were seated next to her in wheelchairs, all wearing basketball shirts in blue and red—the colors of the Cambodian flag…

Accessibility and universal design not part of Building Act reforms

October 22, 2019   |  Source: Stuff- New Zealand

With just one ramp in his home, Pusa Finau says he would not survive if a fire broke out simply because he would have no way of getting out. The Porirua man became paralysed after a spinal cord operation in 2001. Since then, he has become an advocate for people with disabilities and works with Housing Action Porirua group. Before the operation, he never thought about what people with disabilities experienced. Now, he notices uneven footpaths, unsafe crossings and the things in houses that make it hard for people with disabilities to navigate…

Making Halloween on PEI accessible for all trick-or-treaters

October 22, 2019   |  Source: CBC- Canada

An Island woman is doing her part to make sure children with accessibility issues don’t miss out on trick-or-treating this year. Robyn Weeks of Clyde River has posted a bright orange sign on her front lawn, telling people her home is accessible for everyone trick-or-treating and helping to raise awareness. “It’s one of those things that you don’t think about till you live it, so we had never thought about it and then once I saw it, I thought that’s something that if we could make happen here would be just really great,” Weeks said…

Snowflake students at Oxford University are latest to demand clapping is banned because applause noise could trigger anxiety

October 23, 2019   |  Source: Daily Mail- UK

Snowflake students at Oxford University are the latest to demand that clapping should be banned because applause noise can trigger anxiety and want ‘jazz hands’ to be used instead. The idea for a British sign language alternative for clapping involving the waving of hands was put forward at the student union’s first meeting of the year on Tuesday. Sabbatical Officers Roisin McCallion, Vice President for Welfare and Equal Opportunity and Ebie Edwards Cole, Chair for Oxford SU Disabilities Campaign, successfully passed the motion to mandate the encouragement of silent clapping…

Making ancient sites accessible in England

October 23, 2019   |  Source: The Washington Post- England

The thought of visiting Tintagel Castle is enough to send shivers down any Arthurian legend-lover’s spine. But as my family prepared to visit England this past summer, we discovered two problems with a potential visit there.

Steps were the first issue. As many as 242 steps up and down, in fact, depending on the route visitors take to access the medieval cliff-top fortification on the rugged Cornwall coast. My 10-year-old daughter, Chloe, has a walking disability and gets around using forearm crutches and a lightweight transport chair..

Access: Technology lags for people with vision, hearing impairments

October 23, 2019   |  Source: Victoria News- Canada

Heidi Prop’s fingers run over the raised white cells on her BrailleNote Touch Plus. She easily reads more than 200 words per minute, consuming online content with the tips of her fingers faster than most people can with their eyes. Without vision since birth, Prop doesn’t ‘see’ the words in her head when the pins pop up to form braille words on the android-based braille tablet, she instead hears them like a narrator. She’s sitting in an office at the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind (PTCB) in Victoria, but the braille display allows her to read and write almost anywhere…

A mighty force has left us: Carleton Place accessibility advocate Florence Pye dies

October 23, 2019   |  Source: Inside Ottawa Valley- Canada

Carleton Place is mourning the loss of one of its own — Florence Pye. Pye, surrounded by her loved ones, passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 15. She was 78. Many residents know Pye for her work on the town’s accessibility advisory committee, and for years she organized the local Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides, a fundraiser for the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. Or maybe, they saw her walking around town with her beloved dog guide, CC, a black Labrador…

Disability access “getting worse, not better”

October 24, 2019   |  Source: CDB News- Australia

Disability access in the CBD has gone backwards and has failed to keep pace with the city’s growth, according to a six-time Paralympian and long-time resident. Brian McNicholl, a Paralympic weightlifting gold medallist for Australia, said cluttered footpaths and inaccessible public transport had combined to put Melbourne well behind other big cities. The CBD resident of 16 years said disjointed policy frameworks had made his life progressively more difficult within the Hoddle Grid…

Gatwick releases new films to encourage people with disabilities to travel

October 24, 2019   |  Source: Passenger Terminal Today- England

Gatwick Airport has released three new videos which have been developed to encourage people with disabilities to travel. The videos show the journey through the airport from the perspective of someone in a wheelchair and someone who is partially sighted. The films are designed to inspire confidence by demonstrating the possibilities for independent or semi-independent travel. The films include a demonstration of how the airport’s special assistance service works and other initiatives to help make passengers’ journeys smoother…

Driving Mobility’s ‘Hubs’ pilot scheme to deliver accessible travel advice receives backing from DfT

October 24, 2019   |  Source: THIIS- UK

Supported by the Department for Transport, Driving Mobility, the charity that accredits a nationwide network of driving assessment centres, has successfully introduced its new ‘Hubs’ pilot scheme to broaden information and guidance regarding accessible travel. Launched across seven regional centres, the new transportation information hubs comes amidst a shift towards a more accessible society championed by government initiatives including the ‘A Connected Society’ strategy and The Department for Transport’s ‘Inclusive Transport Strategy.’…

Making It Easier for Businesses and Communities to be More Accessible

October 24, 2019   |  Source: Government of Ontario News- Canada

When communities and businesses are accessible, everyone wins. People with disabilities can take part in everyday life, and businesses gain potential qualified talent, customers and higher profits. That is why the government is providing free online resources and guides that make it easier for businesses and communities to get the information they need to help them be more accessible and inclusive. Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, announced the “Accessibility in Ontario: Information for Businesses” resource at the Ontario Disability Employment Network’s Rethinking Disability Conference…

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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:

Subway Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

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