Accessibility in the News—8/10/18. An interesting mix of stories highlighted both ends of the aging spectrum: accessible accommodations for children as well as for adults in their senior years. Accessibility can benefit anyone of any age, with or without a disability. But this week’s news included braille on Kellogg’s Rick Krispies Treats just in time for school year snack needs, as well as the PBS launch of “Railway Hero,” an[…]
READ MORE about From Kids to Seniors: Accessible Accommodations Span Snacks to Restaurants, Playgrounds to HousingMicroassist's Accessibility in the News
Microassist's Accessibility in the News is a widely read, free weekly newsletter curated by Jack McElaney. Newsletter sections include a compilation of accessibility articles and blogs, a list of accessibility conferences and training, accessibility job announcements, and a listing of accessibility resource pages.
Its sole purpose is to educate people interested or involved in accessibility related to the Americans with Disabilities Act Title I, II, or III, and Sections 504 and 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act. It also covers numerous international topics from all over the world.
Past issues of Microassist's Accessibility in the News are archived and searchable on this website. To receive the newsletter each Friday, please complete our Subscribe to Accessibility in the News form on this page.
Top Accessibility News Topics for the First Half of 2018
Accessibility in the News—7/27/18. I just spent a week with my 2 ¾ months old granddaughter, so I had a little downtime during her naps to do some year-to-date calculations. There has been lots of news coverage in Accessibility in the News (AITN) in the last six months and my curation consisted of 637 national news articles, 502 international news articles, 640 accessibility blogs-information, 614 accessibility training and conferences, 480 accessibility job[…]
READ MORE about Top Accessibility News Topics for the First Half of 2018ADA Title III Lawsuits Reach All-Time High; Accessible Housing, Accessible Travel
Accessibility in the News—7/20/18. This week, the major topics in accessibility were website accessibility and other ADA Title III lawsuits, accessible travel, and accessible housing. Lawsuits over website accessibility continue to grow in number, reaching an all-time high this past month. For people with disabilities, travel is not always an easy task. Finding an accessible hotel, accessible tourist attractions, and accessible restaurants can all be quite challenging. However, with many[…]
READ MORE about ADA Title III Lawsuits Reach All-Time High; Accessible Housing, Accessible TravelDiscrimination, Age and Disability: Seniors’ Needs Impact Housing, App Design, Marketing and Employment
Accessibility in the News — 7/6/18. While disability can affect anyone of any age, growing older often brings additional health issues, diminished capabilities, and…ageism. From finding out that advertisers deliberately excluded senior citizens from their ad targeting, articles on home architecture that accommodates age and disability, and new research on aging, several stories this week touch on the topic of getting older. In our “Announcements” section, we also posted the[…]
READ MORE about Discrimination, Age and Disability: Seniors’ Needs Impact Housing, App Design, Marketing and EmploymentWCAG 2.1 Legal Implications, Accessibility in the Arts, and Smarter/More Accessible Cities
Accessibility in the News—6/15/18. In this week’s news we saw several stories on the improvement of accessibility for disabled theatergoers, whether it be through improved theater access, or an app that can help provide closed captioning. Accessible cities was also a hot topic this week, from smart urban planning to maintaining accessible infrastructure. And, with last week’s publication of WCAG 2.1, several legal commentators weigh in what those changes mean[…]
READ MORE about WCAG 2.1 Legal Implications, Accessibility in the Arts, and Smarter/More Accessible CitiesEmploying People with Disabilities, New Transcription Services from Microsoft and Amazon, and More
Accessibility in the News—4/20/18. In this week’s news, several articles focused on employment and hiring, covering everything from accessible online job applications to inclusive hiring practices. With the employment rate among people with disabilities disproportionately high compared to other populations, efforts in both these areas are sorely needed. The Deaf community was highlighted in several areas: One town celebrates its first Deaf pastor. Tech giants Amazon and Microsoft entered partnerships[…]
READ MORE about Employing People with Disabilities, New Transcription Services from Microsoft and Amazon, and MoreCSUN 2018 Accessibility Interview: Amy Bernal, Aira.io VP of Customer Experience
While at the 2018 CSUN Assistive Technology Conference in San Diego, Content and Marketing Specialist Vivian Cullipher set out to interview folks on their involvement in CSUN. She also wanted to learn more about their passion for digital accessibility and share their insights and motivations with you. In this :15 interview, Vivian talks with Amy Bernal, Vice President of Customer Experience for Aira. Aira uses augmented reality to connect people who[…]
READ MORE about CSUN 2018 Accessibility Interview: Amy Bernal, Aira.io VP of Customer ExperienceAccessible Workplaces, Accessible Video
Accessibility in the News—2/9/18 There was a huge amount of variety in this week’s news, but February is a bit diverse, too. By default, the month gives us Super Bowl LII, which was hosted in an accessible stadium; Valentine’s Day, with braille greeting cards; and the Olympics, which will include video descriptions for individuals who are visually impaired. In other current events, the #MeToo movement brought a much needed spotlight[…]
READ MORE about Accessible Workplaces, Accessible VideoTechnology Platforms and Web Developers Targeted for ADA Lawsuit; Bar Exam Prep Course Provider Settles with Blind Law Students
Accessibility in the News—1/26/18. A Caution for Developers: Beyond Web Content, Tech Platform Hit with ADA Lawsuit Two events this week could give technology platform developers pause, and perhaps extra motivation to consider accessibility for all online content. The first is the final settlement of a case involving BarBri, the host of the country’s largest bar exam preparation course. Blind law students won their 2016 lawsuit against the course provider,[…]
READ MORE about Technology Platforms and Web Developers Targeted for ADA Lawsuit; Bar Exam Prep Course Provider Settles with Blind Law StudentsFederal Accessibility and Mobile Rules Advance; Credit Unions Issue Cease and Desist; Physical Access Impacts Faith, Education
Accessibility in the News—1/19/18. The federal government made several moves this week that advance overall user experience and accessibility practices in particular: A measure requiring mobile-friendly federal websites became law and new Section 508 federal accessibility requirements for information and communications technology, instituted last year, are due to take effect. Businesses are being cautioned to take cues from federal accessibility practices and evaluate the accessibility standing of their own websites and[…]
READ MORE about Federal Accessibility and Mobile Rules Advance; Credit Unions Issue Cease and Desist; Physical Access Impacts Faith, Education