Accessibility in the News — 10/14/2022.

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Feature Stories

City of Madison talks accessibility at the polls

October 10, 2022 | Source: Channel3000

Minnesota Elections: Accessible, Secure, Accurate

October 11, 2022 | Source: Minnesota Secretary of State (YouTube)

New accessible Vote-By-Mail ballot option for voters with disabilities

October 11, 2022 | Source: Chronicle Online

The city of Madison is working to make sure every eligible voter has options when it comes to casting their ballot this November. Meeting people where they are is the goal behind the city’s efforts to highlight their efforts so voters of all abilities can choose for themselves what makes the most sense. To name a few, the city offers curbside voting if you find it difficult to access the polling room, ExpressVote, a ballot marking machine which offers braille ballots in English or Spanish with heads, and onsite assistance for people who need help physically marking their ballots…

National News (U.S.)

Disturbing new data shows doctors are biased in treating patients with disabilities

October 7, 2022 | Source: GBH

Patients with disabilities often find trouble getting the proper medical care, and new data confirms doctors are biased in their care of those with disabilities, sometimes even discharging them from their practice. Authors of a recent study showing this bias spoke about their concerns on Greater Boston, saying some of the anecdotes they heard from doctors about treating patients with disabilities moved them to tears. Dr. Tara Lagu, researcher with Mass General Hospital’s Mongan Institute said, “some of the attitudes expressed were inflammatory to the point where some of our research staff became tearful while they were reviewing the focus groups.”…

‘He really was just a resilient little buddy’- Accessible playground will honor young boy

October 7, 2022 Source: 9News

Kids at Grand View Elementary School are making sure their classmate, Kamden “Kam” Jones, will always be remembered. Student council, along with the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at the school, are raising money for a playground in his honor. “Kamden, right after brain surgery, went wheel chair bound so we want it to be a place where all kids can come and be kids because that’s what they deserve,” said Erica Warembourg, Kam’s mom. “There’s not many places where we could take him to where he could do normal, everyday kid things.”…

Feds: City’s Interpretation of Disabilities Act is ‘Wrong’

October 7, 2022 | Source: Streetsblog NYC

The federal government says the city’s interpretation of the Americans With Disabilities law is wrong, and that the city must clear pedestrian pathways and remove any interferences to the disabled — and that includes placard abusers or illegal parkers. The Oct. 5 brief was submitted by the Department of Justice in a lawsuit brought in June by the advocacy group Disability Rights New York on behalf of residents of the Mount Eden neighborhood of the Bronx and two disabled residents who say they can’t navigate their neighborhood because of illegally parked cars…

Casey: VA must do more to make websites accessible for disabled

October 8, 2022 | Source: Bradford Era and McKnight’s Senior Living

Proposed web and software accessibility legislation introduced in United States Congress

October 9, 2022 | Source: Lainey Feingold

On Friday, U.S. Senate Aging Committee Chairman Bob Casey, D-Pa., Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., and House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, urging the VA to do more to make the agency’s websites and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. The Members of Congress called on the VA to accelerate its efforts to remediate long-standing accessibility issues and provide consistent transparency into which of the VA’s websites are not yet accessible…

Period Care Ads Are Woefully Lacking in Disability Representation

October 9, 2022 | Source: Allure

It’s time to have “the talk.” No, not the heteronormative talk about the birds and bees, but an equally important topic about the body that affects billions of people each month. That shared experience: menstruating. The conversation around having a period has thankfully evolved past cisgender women wearing white yoga pants in pad and tampon commercials. People of all genders and abilities can menstruate, with the latter being left out of the conversation in media too routinely…

Artificial intelligence could soon diagnose illness based on the sound of your voice

October 10, 2022 | Source: NPR

Voices offer lots of information. Turns out, they can even help diagnose an illness — and researchers are working on an app for that. The National Institutes of Health is funding a massive research project to collect voice data and develop an AI that could diagnose people based on their speech. Everything from your vocal cord vibrations to breathing patterns when you speak offers potential information about your health, says laryngologist Dr. Yael Bensoussan, the director of the University of South Florida’s Health Voice Center and a leader on the study…

Disability community mourns the death of ‘fierce’ advocate Paul Spooner

October 11, 2022 | Source: GBH

Paul Spooner, a longtime disability advocate whose work is credited with improving the lives of thousands of people in Massachusetts, died unexpectedly early Saturday morning after a brief illness and hospitalization. He was 66.

Spooner had a form of muscular atrophy since he was a child, and he used a power wheelchair. His 40 years of advocacy spanned key moments in disability history, including being on the White House lawn when the Americans With Disabilities Act was signed in 1990…

Ukrainian soldier injured in war gets new limb in Maryland

October 11, 2022 | Source: WBAL

A new program aimed at helping the most seriously injured Ukrainian soldiers is starting to see the fruit of its labor. Operation Renew Prosthetics for Ukrainian Soldiers shared its first success story with help from Washington and the Silver Spring-based Medical Center Orthotics and Prosthetics. Oleksandr Chaika, 33, was born in Ukraine and is an athlete, choreographer and acrobatics coach who joined the military to fight for his country. On April 4, while in close combat, a tank shell burst close to him and he lost his leg…

DOJ Finds Alabama’s Foster Care System Violates the Americans With Disabilities Act by Discriminating Against Students With Disabilities

October 12, 2022 | Source: DOJ

The Department of Justice today notified the state of Alabama of its findings that the state illegally discriminates against children in foster care with emotional and behavioral disabilities. The department concluded that Alabama has relegated hundreds of students with disabilities to segregated and inferior educational programs in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The department’s findings follow an investigation into allegations that the state denies children in foster care equal opportunity to basic educational services on the basis of disability…

Former Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin aims to make dancing accessible to all

October 11, 2022 | Source: WMSN

Dance is a creative way for anyone to convey their emotions, feelings, thoughts, and experiences. Dance can connect people together or help us discover something inside ourselves. Dancing can tell a story. This is Martha Siravo’s story. At 18 years old, she was a passenger in a car traveling in snowy conditions. They got into an accident. Martha sustained a spinal cord injury and has been in a wheelchair ever since. That was 20 years ago. Now, this former Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin is kicking her heels in her wheels on the dance floor at Fred Astaire Dance Studios – Brookfield. She’s taking ballroom dancing lessons…

New Albany County trail makes nature accessible to all

October 11, 2022 | Source: Spectrum News

Fall has arrived, the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy leaf-peeping. But for those with disabilities, it’s not as easy. That’s why outdoor enthusiasts in Albany County are celebrating the Fisher Trail at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Bethlehem. “This is a classic case of it takes a village,” Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy Executive Director Mark King said. The path is complete, and it’s not your ordinary trial. It’s a little less than a mile long, and is accessible to just about anyone…

DoE Grant to Fund Digital Materials for Disabled Students

October 11, 2022 | Source: Government Technology

The U.S. Department of Education (DoE) has doled out several grants this year with the hopes of improving education across the board, including one given to a company to address literacy and learning loss, and another to study the efficacy of a math tool earlier this year. The latest beneficiary of the department’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the California-based global nonprofit Benetech, has received a five-year grant to open doors for students with special needs…

Human cells in a rat’s brain could shed light on autism and ADHD

October 12, 2022 | Source: NPR

Scientists have demonstrated a new way to study conditions like autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and schizophrenia. The approach involves transplanting a cluster of living human brain cells from a dish in the lab to the brain of a newborn rat, a team from Stanford University reports in the journal Nature. The cluster, known as a brain organoid, then continues to develop in ways that mimic a human brain and may allow scientists to see what goes wrong in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders…

AI eye checks can detect heart diseases in less than a minute

October 12, 2022 | Source: ZME Science

The AI-based retinal scanning system is called QUARTZ (QUantitative Analysis of Retinal vessels Topology and siZe), and it’s developers says it makes the diagnosis of heart diseases more accessible and affordable than ever. Whereas traditional heart-health checkup methods such as blood-pressure analysis and blood tests require blood samples of the patients and are relatively time-consuming, QUARTZ represents a quick and non-invasive technique capable of delivering results with the same accuracy as that of blood tests…

Harvard University class action claims website inaccessible to visually impaired, blind

October 12, 2022 | Source: Top Class Actions

Harvard University failed to design its website so that it would be fully accessible to blind and visually impaired individuals, a new class action lawsuit alleges. Plaintiff Milagros Senior filed the class action lawsuit against Harvard University Oct. 7 in a New York federal court, alleging violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Senior is a legally blind person who uses a screen reader to browse website content. According to her lawsuit, Harvard has failed to design and operate its websites—harvard.edu and gocrimson.com—to be fully accessible to her and other blind or visually-impaired persons…

Impairment as Impetus: Five Historic Works Spurred by Disability

October 12, 2022 | Source: ARTnews

These five artworks by disabled artists show that impairment has served as a creative force throughout art history. Before today’s disability arts movement, lived experiences of disability prompted countless artists to explore interdependence, reimagine existing tools to suit their needs, and emphasize the importance of mechanisms for well-being…

From Pharrell’s inclusive skincare line to a lube with braille writing, consumer brands are finally starting to think about blind and visually impaired customers

October 13, 2022 | Source: Forbes

Thinking inclusively as a brand sounds easy enough. Yet for the majority of companies out there, inclusion is an afterthought, often triggered by a PR scandal or public shaming on social media. Many brands don’t think proactively about making their products and services accessible to those who live with a disability. On this World Sight Day, it’s important to remember that globally, there are 43 million people who are blind and 295 million people who are visually impaired (including myself). And for those of us who cannot rely 100% on our vision, it’s nice to “see” that some companies are more visionary than others…

Accessibility Expert Bashes Universal Disability Accommodations

October 13, 2022 | Source: Inside the Magic

Like many Theme Parks, Universal Orlando Resort offers extensive accessibility information on its website. Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and CityWalk are largely wheelchair accessible and have specific policies to accommodate Guests with manual wheelchairs/ECVs, cognitive disabilities, prostheses, oxygen tanks/other medical devices, hearing/vision disabilities, service animals, and more. Though most attraction queues are wheelchair accessible, Universal Orlando Resort offers an Attraction Assistance Pass, similar to Disney’s Disability Access Pass (DAS)…

Disabled Community Calls Out Ableism In Coverage Of John Fetterman Following Stroke

October 13, 2022 | Source: HUFFPOST and Teen Vogue

Experts in the disability community say there’s been a dismaying element of ableism surrounding a recent NBC News interview with John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, who experienced a stroke in May. The on-camera interview, which aired Tuesday, was Fetterman’s first since his stroke. While speaking to reporter Dasha Burns, Fetterman required closed captioning due to his difficulties with auditory processing ― a common experience among stroke survivors…

Jack Fact — According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.5 billion people (nearly 20% of the global population) currently live with hearing loss and 430 million of them have disabling hearing loss.

Hit The Road Jack —The Wellness Director Making the Maldives Accessible for Travelers With Disabilities and The Best Accessible Beaches in Europe, From Barcelona City Spots to Resorts in Greece

International News

These Canadians with ADHD are finding acceptance and understanding online

October 8, 2022 | Source: CBC- Canada

As is common for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Maylee Bossier of Chatham, Ont., said she put off — for about a year — making an appointment to get a diagnosis as was recommended by her therapist. “Where I really struggled was in terms of executive function, issues with making appointments, phone calls, keeping up on mail and bills,” said Bossier, 27. Then the pandemic hit. She was working at home and discovered the routines that helped her mask her symptoms weren’t there anymore…

Paris 2024 could be the best Games ever, says committee chief

October 8, 2022 | Source: Reuters- France

While accessibility to all is unrealistic for 2024, the Paris Paralympic Games have the potential to be the best ever and serve as a catalyst for global change, the head of the International Paralympic Committee said on Saturday. Andrew Parsons, visiting Paris for the first Paralympic day two years ahead of the Games on a sunbathed place de la Bastille, where thousands attended and experienced wheelchair fencing among other paralympic sports, told Reuters he is hoping Paris 2024 will help society to be more inclusive…

Why we should educate people about disability to create a more accessible world

October 8, 2022 | Source: Nation.Cymru- UK

After recently watching Star Wars, I noticed how the films have quite a few disabled characters. For example, Chewbacca is non-verbal to humans yet still communicates and forms strong bonds. Yoda uses a walking stick but is still able to fight. As Ada Hoffman, the author of the space opera novels “The Outside” and “The Fallen, says in her blog “Darth Vader is cool – and Darth Vader is severely disabled. He’s a quadruple amputee and burn survivor.” Although more representation is needed, there are so many diverse species in Star Wars and they are treated differently based on their morals, not their appearance…

How we can give support to late-deafened people in our communities

October 8, 2022 | Source: Times of India- India

Late deafness refers to hearing loss that has occurred after a person has attained full development of speech and language. People of the late-deafened community are identified as members of the hearing society either through schools or social situations prior to the onset of pathological hearing loss. The Indian Journal of Otology puts it that approximately 63 million people in India are currently living with significant hearing impairment. Over 5 million of that number are children while the majority are those in old age with age-related hearing loss…

Salisbury Reds signs up to government accessibility initiative

October 9, 2022 | Source: Salisbury Journal- UK

BUS company Salisbury Reds is backing a campaign, launched by the Department for Transport, which is designed to make buses more accessible for those with disabilities. The ‘Everyone’s Journey’ initiative aims to change people’s behaviour by helping them recognise the challenges faced by disabled people on public transport. “Buses and other public transport are at the heart of how many of us live our lives – helping us get to work, school or college, healthcare commitments, and social events,” said Salisbury Reds managing director, Andrew Wickham…

The Sault has made voting more accessible this year

October 9, 2022 | Source: CTV News- Canada

The city of Sault Ste. Marie has made voting easier for people with disabilities. At each advanced voting day for the upcoming Municipal Election, people who previously may have needed assistance, or a proxy to vote, can do so independently. With the purchase of tabulators has come a series of equipment to aid in the voting process, for those with a range of disabilities, said Kai Pulkkinen, a computer support technician with the city. “We have devices for people who have maybe less hand dexterity, people who have visual, or maybe even auditory impairment.”…

EMT Madrid advances bus stop accessibility improvements

October 10, 2022 | Source: Intelligent Transport- Spain

The Empresa Municipal de Transportes de Madrid (EMT Madrid) has announced that it will be renovating a total of 26 stops on the municipal bus network – across 10 districts in Madrid- to make them more accessible for people with reduced mobility. Supported by the European NextGeneration fund, the 26 stops included in this tender have been identified as priorities when it comes to improving accessibility and comfort for passengers. The works will focus on the renovation of the affected paving, sanitation and drainage, as well as the establishment and signalling of provisional stops to maintain the functionality of the affected lines during the execution of the works…

Brussels called on to make all public buildings accessible for disabled

October 11, 2022 | Source: The Brussels Times- Belgium

When it comes to ensuring accessibility to all public buildings for people with disabilities, Brussels is running behind the other regions. Now a resolution aims to guarantee accessibility for all in the coming decade. On Monday, the Brussels Parliament’s Territorial Development Committee approved a resolution calling on the regional government to ensure accessibility to these buildings for people of all disabilities, whether physical, sensory, mental, psychological, cognitive or multiple disabilities, by 2033…

New public electric car charger accessibility standard launched

October 11, 2022 | Source: Auto Express- UK and Business Green

The long-awaited PAS 1899 Accessibility Standard for public electric car chargers has been launched by the British Standards Institute, and it’s been significantly upgraded from the draft consultation published in April which we criticised heavily. As well as meeting our demands for limits to the maximum weight that users can be expected to grapple with when manipulating public EV charging cables, the new PAS 1899 also stipulates that operators of public charge points with cables exceeding the new limits must offer ‘additional assistance’ to less able users…

Millers further enhance matchday experience with introduction of Accessibility Passports

October 11, 2022 | Source: Rotherham United- UK

Rotherham United are proud to be introducing our brand new Accessibility Passports which have been launched in an attempt to further enhance the matchday experience for disabled supporters at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

As a club, we remain committed to making matchdays enjoyable for everyone and are incredibly proud of the facilities that we are able to offer those attending first team fixtures. Beyond that, we have been grateful to the Rotherham United Disabled Supporters’ Association, who have provided us with insightful feedback which has allowed us continue to make further strides to improve…

Call to periodically audit accessibility progress on public transport

October 11, 2022 | Source: Irish Examiner- Ireland

The Oireachtas must periodically audit progress on improving accessibility for the disabled community on public transport, a minister has said. The Disability Minister also called on a joint meeting of the Disability Matters Committee and the Transport Committee amid fears that the pandemic has hindered the implantation of Oireachtas report recommendations from 2018. Anne Rabbitte addressed the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) annual conference in Cork on Monday, where much of the conversation was dominated by the need to improve access to bus and rail links in Ireland…

Six in 10 teachers believe deaf children will continue to underachieve without changes to school system

October 11, 2022 | Source: The Limping Chicken- England

Six in 10 teachers believe deaf children will continue to underachieve at school unless changes are made to the current system, a new survey has revealed. The poll of around 5,700 primary and secondary school teachers, commissioned by the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), found only five per cent either disagreed or strongly disagreed that deaf children would underachieve at school without changes to their current education. The majority (84%) of England’s 33,000 deaf schoolchildren are in mainstream schools, where qualified teachers of the deaf (TODs) provide specialist support…

Triple C: the organisation working to improve accessibility in the film industry

October 12, 2022 | Source: Film Stories- UK

Triple C is an organisation giving deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people greater access to the film and TV industry. Today, disabled people make up 21% of the UK’s population but only 6% work in the arts. Triple C wants to change that. It all started when disabled actors Cherylee Houston and Melissa Johns met whilst working on Coronation Street. They were both frustrated by the lack of opportunities for disabled people both in front of and behind the camera…

World Sight Day: Achieve access for all to quality, inclusive and affordable eye care

October 13, 2022 | Source: WHO- South-East Asia

To mark World Sight Day, WHO is urging countries in the South-East Asia Region to accelerate efforts to ensure that everyone, everywhere has equitable access to high-quality, comprehensive eye health services, in line with the newly adopted Regional Action Plan for integrated people-centred eye care 2022–2030. Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment or blindness. At least 1 billion cases of vision impairment could have been prevented or are yet to be addressed. Nearly 30% of the world’s blind and vision-impaired live in the South-East Asia Region…

Awareness is the key to slow down cases of Blindness in India

October 14, 2022 | Source: Kashmir Images- India

To slow down the rapid increase in the number of cases of Blindness in India, Awareness on the grass root level is the key. In India, due to the significant urban-rural divide, lack of awareness is one of the leading causes for rise in such cases. Awareness of methods of prevention and regular eye checkups on the grass root level can help in decline in cases of Blindness in India. Adapting to healthier lifestyle choices will not only help in the decline of vision loss cases but promote a better quality of life…

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