Accessibility Enforcement Is Entering a More Contentious Chapter

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

Accessibility in the News — 7/17/2026.

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Feature Stories

 

Slew of lawsuits over disability access frustrates US cafe and shop owners

July 11, 2026    |   Source: The Guardian Rodrigo Nogueira was met with a surprise in April 2025 when lawyers contacted him out of the blue. They asked whether he needed legal assistance over a summons his restaurant received for violating Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It was the first he had ever heard of it. The lawsuit listed 35 violations against No More Cafe, his restaurant in Manhattan’s East Village. One violation alleged a table outside the restaurant was not ADA compliant, an accusation that puzzled Nogueira: the cafe had no outdoor tables. Other alleged violations were about infractions inside the restaurant, yet the plaintiff said he was unable to enter the restaurant…

White House Wants To Make It Harder For People With Disabilities To Sue Federal Agencies

July 16, 2026    |   Source: Disability Scoop The White House is pushing back on a long-running lawsuit over its disability accommodations by challenging the right of people with disabilities to sue the federal government. Last year, a federal judge ordered the White House to reinstate sign language interpreters at many press briefings. The order came after the National Association of the Deaf and two deaf individuals sued arguing that a lack of interpreters violates Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a law barring disability discrimination in federally funded programs…

Stuck in the Reasonable Accommodation Backlog? Delays May Violate Your Rights

July 16, 2026    |   Source: Pines Federal Employment Attorneys The current administration’s focus on returning federal employees to the office potentially impacts thousands of federal employees who suffer from protected disabilities — ranging from ambulatory conditions to PTSD — who medically need to work from home at least part of the week. Putting preferences aside, what do you do where there’s a legitimate medical need for accommodation to do your job? In these instances, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 — the federal government’s version of the ADA — establishes that you may be squarely entitled to telework or other reasonable accommodations – as a matter of law…

National News (U.S.)

 

The ADA gave us access. This next chapter is belonging

July 12, 2026    |   Source: amNewYork The most important lesson we’ve learned in our time at the MTA is that accessibility is never about a single thing. It’s not just an elevator, a ramp, a boarding area, or a sign. It’s about whether people feel the system was built with them in mind. As we mark the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we reflect on how much our understanding of accessibility has evolved. The ADA taught us about access; the work ahead is about belonging. Access remains fundamental. If someone cannot enter a station, board a bus, or navigate the system independently, they’re effectively shut out. Generations of advocates fought to ensure that access was recognized as a civil right, and their work transformed our transit network.

As federal disability oversight shifts, advocates warn history is being ignored

July 13, 2026    |   Source: Smart Brief For much of American history, people with disabilities were treated as patients to be managed, children to be separated or citizens whose exclusion was accepted as ordinary public policy. That began to change only after decades of organizing by disabled people, families and advocates who argued that access to schools, workplaces, transportation and public life was not charity, but a civil right. The modern disability rights movement grew alongside other civil rights struggles of the 1960s and 1970s, pushing Congress and federal agencies to recognize discrimination against disabled people as a matter of law…

Killeen city council to vote on ADA transition plan aimed at improving accessibility across the community

July 13, 2026    |   Source: KXXV Killeen City Council is set to vote on an ADA transition plan that would improve accessibility across the community, following a settlement agreement reached with the Department of Justice in 2021. The plan would upgrade sidewalks, bathroom facilities, parks and city buildings to meet current ADA code. It is estimated to cost more than $6 million and be implemented over 20 years. For families like Jessica and Amaya Dominguez, accessibility is a daily concern. Amaya uses a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy, and her mother said even small obstacles can create significant challenges, like lack of shade on the playground and no slanted sidewalks…

American Airlines to expand employee disability protections in New York

July 13, 2026    |   Source: WBNG The New York State Division on Human Rights reached an agreement with American Airlines Group, Inc. and several affiliated airlines on Monday to update policies governing thousands of New York-based employees. With this new agreement, the airlines have modified internal policies to implement the definition of disability under the New York State Human Rights Law. They will use that definition when deciding whether to grant reasonable accommodations to employees with disability-related absences…

Come one, come all: how DMV-area community theaters approach accessibility and diverse audiences

July 13, 2026    |   Source: DC Theater Arts Imagine that you want to go to the theater to support a friend or explore an intriguing show. But you’re nervous because something about you, worn seats, and big crowds doesn’t mesh. You don’t know if you’ll make it through the entire performance, but you desperately want to go. Well, good news! The community theaters in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area are eager to welcome you. Volunteers with a passion for the theater across dozens of companies are dedicated to making sure you have a place…

How businesses can improve service animal access and ADA compliance

July 13, 2026    |   Source: Crain’s Grand Rapids Business Assistance dogs play an essential role in helping people with disabilities navigate work and daily life, yet businesses still face questions and confusion around access rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In this Ask the Expert interview, Michele Suchovsky, CEO of Paws With A Cause, discusses what organizations should know about compliance, common misconceptions and creating more inclusive, welcoming public spaces. What should businesses and organizations know about the ADA and what it requires with regard to service animals?…

Safety, job loss, accessibility among the concerns as DC considers autonomous vehicles

July 14, 2026    |   Source: WUSA9 DC councilmembers are laying the legal framework to allow autonomous vehicles (AVs) to operate in the District, but with the potential change comes concerns about safety, the loss of jobs and accessibility to these services for people with disabilities. The bill under consideration would establish a commercial AV program that would phase in the driverless cars. Companies would have a 200 vehicle limit until Jan. 1, 2028. The proposal also establishes a vehicle miles traveled tax of 15 cents per mile…

Inclusive and accessible cities start with well-maintained sidewalks

July 14, 2026    |   Source: WBUR

Robots are hitting the streets of Hoboken, N.J., to improve accessibility for pedestrians

July 13, 2026    |   Source: CBS News

How an army of digital sleuths are using AI to fix America’s crumbling sidewalks

July 13, 2026    |   Source: Fast Company

Connecticut lawmakers, officials recognize Accessible Parking Awareness Day

July 13, 2026    |   Source: WTNH

Detroit’s New Greenway Will Boost Mobility and Investment. Will It Bring Displacement, Too?

July 16, 2026    |   Source: Next City A year ago, my husband came home from the hospital after a stroke to our house in Cambridge. Needing a wheelchair, at least for now, is one of the many challenges we have to live with. We are lucky to live in a one-level house with an accessible bathroom and wide doorways. We are also lucky that we live in a neighborhood with coffee shops, a supermarket, a pharmacy and a barber. It is walkable, but with difficulty, even for me, a 59-year-old woman in excellent shape. And it will not be walkable for my husband, once he uses a walker or a cane. The sidewalks are the problem…

Philadelphia Needs Our Disabled Leaders

July 14, 2026    |   Source: The Philadelphia Citizen My career advocating for people with disabilities began as a child, facing my mother across our dining room table. After supper, my mom would spread everything out on that table: manila envelopes, stamps, and freshly printed pages. I would sit across from her, stapling together the newsletter for the CCHS Family Network, the advocacy group she founded for people with Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome — a rare, lifelong disorder I was born with — and their families. I didn’t understand advocacy yet…

AI can help you get hired. It can also get you fired. Here’s how

July 15, 2026    |   Source: USA Today A lawsuit lodged against Meta Platforms accuses the technology giant of using AI-powered software to target people with disabilities or employees on medical leave for layoffs. Legal experts say the legal action – likely the first of its kind against a major U.S. company – challenges the growing use of AI to help make hiring, promotion, performance and termination decisions. The lawsuit, in Oakland, California, federal court this month, alleges Meta relied on AI-assisted systems to score and rank employees on such factors as productivity when it cut thousands of jobs this ⁠year, harming employees who missed work because of illness or to care for family members…

Paralyzed Man Feels Sensation Again With Brain Stimulation Device

July 16, 2026    |   Source: The Scientist A neuroprosthetic system has allowed a man with paralysis to grasp and lift objects and feel touch again. The device helped 42-year-old Keith Thomas of Massapequa, New York, who was paralyzed from the chest down after a diving accident in 2020. After the accident, he couldn’t lift his hands to his face and had no sensation in his hands or wrists. But the innovation, called a “double neural bypass” system, improved his movement. In a study published in Nature Medicine, researchers found that some of Thomas’s improvements lasted for months after the system was turned off, raising hopes the device could help paralyzed patients in the long term…

Twenty Years After DOJ Settlement, Durham’s West Point on the Eno Gets Accessibility Improvements

July 16, 2026    |   Source: INDY Cars rumble into the gravel lot, squeezing onto the grass if the parking is full. Uneven paths stretch across the park, and a “restrooms” sign points visitors down a set of stairs and through a patch of grass. For anyone with a mobility impairment, West Point on the Eno in northern Durham is nearly impossible to traverse, with no accessible parking or restrooms and few paved paths. Even on foot, Denise Chaplick, assistant director of park planning and project development at Durham Parks and Recreation, called the highly visited park an “ankle-buster.”…

Jessica Frew Discusses Advocacy and Upcoming Film Murder

July 16, 2026    |   Source: Photobook Jessica Frew is an actress, model, author, and disability advocate dedicated to changing how disabled people are represented in entertainment.  As Miss Wheelchair New Jersey 2026, she has used her platform to challenge misconceptions about disability while promoting inclusion, accessibility, and equal representation. In the independent film Murder, Frew brings depth and authenticity to the role of Crispy, pushing beyond the stereotypes that have long defined disabled characters on screen. Alongside her work as an actress, she is passionate about advancing disability awareness through advocacy, education, and legislative efforts…

Chasing Truth: A Conversation with Lachi

July 16, 2026    |   Source: BMI Lachi is a trailblazing recording artist, songwriter, producer, author, and disability advocate. Born legally blind, she uses her voice and platform to champion disability inclusion. At the heart of her work is a commitment to fostering understanding, breaking down stigmas, and celebrating the disability community. Through her uplifting music grounded in authentic storytelling, Lachi empowers listeners to embrace their disabilities as a source of identity and pride. Her work to reshape how people perceive individuals with disabilities has earned widespread recognition…

Vermont not making the grade on educating students with disabilities, feds say

July 16, 2026    |   Source: Vermont Public Vermont is at risk of losing out on federal funding if it doesn’t improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities. According to a new assessment from the U.S. Department of Education, Vermont is one of four states that “needs intervention” to come into compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It’s the lowest rating the department issued this year, and Vermont schools could lose up to $2.4 million annually if the state doesn’t improve its score in the next two years. The assessment found that Vermont is meeting fewer than 60% of the accountability measures in federal law…

Why People With Visible Disability Still Have to “Come Out”

JULY 16, 2026    |   Source: Psychology Today Do people with visible disabilities face disclosure decisions? People often assume that if a person’s disability is visible or observable—like an amputated limb or a facial difference—they don’t have to “disclose” it because it is already obvious. Disclosure was thought to be a hurdle reserved for those with invisible disabilities, like chronic pain or mental health conditions. However, our new research reveals that people with observable disabilities do face disclosure decisions, precisely because their differences are noticeable…

People in Prison Saw My Wheelchair Before They Saw Me

July 16, 2026    |   Source: Prison Journalism Project The monotony of prison life is exhausting. The boredom forces us to look for something to find meaning in our new, unsatisfying lives. Many people find that motivation in jobs or programs. But as a person who now uses a wheelchair, people assume I am intellectually disabled. When prison staff first talked to me, they would speak loudly and slowly. They also assumed I was unable to work. With my background as a librarian, I applied for a job in the prison library. The staff member who rejected my application nervously stammered as she tried to explain why they couldn’t hire me: I wouldn’t be able to shelve the books on the top shelves…
Jack Fact — There are 11.5 million deaf and hard of hearing customers in the U.S., according to CSD Access. Hit The Road Jack —Colorado for All: Paving the Way for Accessible Travel and Breaking Down Barriers: How to make the most of accessible travel and Durango given ‘accessibility verified’ tourism status

International News

The missing links keeping Cyprus beaches out of reach for wheelchair users

July 12, 2026    |   Source: KNEWS- Cyprus Over the last seven years, Cyprus has taken various steps to make its beaches more accessible to people with disabilities. Yet, getting into the sea is only part of the equation. True access depends on practical infrastructure like parking spaces, ramps, walkways, spacious changing rooms, and proper restrooms. The experience shouldn’t end at the sand, either. Entertainment options matter. The cafes, restaurants, and hotels surrounding the beaches need to accommodate people with disabilities too…

Business case for getting accessibility rights

July 12, 2026    |   Source: Hindustan Times- India “Hi, I am Karishma, your festival accessibility volunteer.” The woman sounded bored. But I was too excited to notice. A friend and I had paid a lot of money to attend arguably India’s best international music festival, and I was eager to get in and enjoy the opening performances. I was looking forward to this for weeks. As per instructions from the organisers, I had shared an entire email thread of documentation and clarifications about my visual impairment to receive accessibility accommodations. “You are not allowed to go by yourself; our accessible shuttle will drop you,” Karishma told us as we were waiting outside the festival gates…

Cabinet grants VIA Rail accessibility exemption despite disability complaints

July 12, 2026    |   Source: Western Standard News Services- Canada The federal cabinet has granted VIA Rail an exemption from key accessibility regulations for new passenger rail cars, despite years of complaints, regulatory citations and a Supreme Court ruling that found shortcomings in the Crown corporation’s treatment of disabled travellers. Blacklock’s Reporter reports that cabinet order 2026-0690, recently made public, exempts VIA Rail from several requirements under federal accessibility regulations that would otherwise apply to new rail cars the company plans to purchase…

Mum’s bid to halt quiet disability discrimination

July 13, 2026    |   Source: BBC-UK A mum has launched a campaign to stop the “quiet discrimination” she says she has witnessed looking after her disabled daughter. Zoe Mason, from Kendal, is asking for disabled people to come forward and share their experiences of what life is like in Cumbria. She hopes their experiences will inform policy changes at councils, institutions and private businesses to help make the county more accessible for people like her two-year-old daughter Izzy, who has cerebral palsy and after whom Zoe’s scheme is named…

Ready to Roll

July 13, 2026    |   Source: Enable Magazine- UK Nick Wilson is no ordinary adventurer. As a disabled war veteran and the founder of Disabled Adventurer, Nick uses an all-terrain powerchair to venture into places often considered inaccessible – like doing a solo ascent of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). His journey is about more than just personal achievement: he wants to open up the narrative around accessibility and adventure for disabled people. To mark his fiftieth birthday this July, Nick has launched his 50 at 50 challenge. The goal is to complete a number of long distance trails of up to 50km during the year ahead, to break down the financial and logistical barriers that often deter disabled people from exploring the outdoors…

“We support a renewed focus on accessibility” SCIE responds to Timms Review of PIP

July 13, 2026    |   Source: Care Home Professional- UK A care body has thrown its support behind the renewed focus on accessibility for people seeking Personal Independent Payment, after submitting evidence to help inform the Timms Review. The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) is backing the Timms Review of PIP, which found the system to be ‘no longer fit for purpose and failing to keep pace with how disability, health and work have changed over the past decade’. The report, published last week, is the first review of the system since the benefit was introduced in 2023 and sets out the evidence gathered so far to inform recommendations for reform due this autumn…

Windsor city council temporarily extends lifespan of 5 accessible cabs

July 14, 2026    |   Source: CBC News-Canada

City considers an accessible taxi grant program

July 10, 2026    |   Source: Yellowknifer Windsor city council has voted unanimously to grant a temporary, one-year road safety by-law exemption to local taxi operators, allowing 31 aging taxicabs to stay on city streets past their legal lifecycles. While most are standard vehicles, five are specialized wheelchair vans owned by Canadian Checker Cabs — which is more than half of the company’s eight-van accessible fleet. Replacing just one of these vans can cost upward of $100,000. For wheelchair accessible cabs, councillors voted to drastically reduce the plate holder licence renewal fee from $520 to $25…

Movie ticket apps must disclose accessibility features for persons with disabilities

July 14, 2026    |   Source: The Indian Express- India The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has directed online movie ticket booking platforms to clearly show whether a film includes accessibility features such as audio description, closed caption and Indian Sign Language for users to book tickets. The July 9 advisory follows the Delhi High Court’s February 19 order concerning accessibility of cinema exhibition for persons with disabilities. The petition was filed by a blind advocate, Rahul Bajaj, appearing in person. The Delhi High Court had directed the Centre, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to consider and implement measures suggested by Bajaj…

Disability: the more experience you have, the harder it is to find work

July 15, 2026    |   Source: Start Up Business- Italy In the labour market, experience should be an advantage, because those who have taken on responsibilities, solved problems and developed skills over time should have a better chance of finding a suitable role. When disability comes into play, however, this rule often seems to be turned on its head, and what would normally make a CV stronger risks making it harder for an employer to recruit that person. One of the most comprehensive official overviews published by Istat, based on the average for 2016 and 2017, shows that only 30.7 per cent of people aged between 45 and 64 with severe disabilities were in employment, compared with 64.9 per cent of people without disabilities in the same age group…

How Masabilities makes celebrating Toronto Carnival more accessible for disabled Caribbean communities

July 16, 2026    |   Source: NOW Toronto- Canada Carnival event coming to Toronto is creating space for Caribbean people on the disability spectrum. For Toronto’s Afro-Caribbean community, Carnival is more than a parade; it’s a celebration of culture, history and resistance that everyone should have the opportunity to partake in. But for many disabled and neurodivergent people, participating in these cultural celebrations hasn’t always been possible. That’s what inspired Toronto social worker, psychotherapist and professor Marty Lampkin to launch Masabilities, an inclusive Carnival-inspired event designed specifically for Afro-Caribbean members of the disability and neurodivergence community and their friends, family, and caregivers…

REM’s lack of ‘real’ accessible parking among frustrations for people with disabilities

July 16, 2026    |   Source: Montreal Gazette- Canada Paul-Claude Bérubé has good upper-body strength. It’s a good thing, too, because without his ability to lift and lower himself into his wheelchair, he would not be able to use the REM from the Brossard station. As director general of the Confédération des organismes de personnes handicapées du Québec (COPHAN), Bérubé has received numerous complaints about the REM, so he recently agreed to meet a journalist at the Brossard station to highlight some of those shortcomings. “It’s OK for me, because I can do things by myself, but for most people who use a wheelchair, this isn’t accessible,” said Bérubé, a Mont-St-Hilaire resident, pointing at the spot where he parked his car…

People with 50 Percent Disability are eligible for Employment Incentives for the First Time

July 16, 2026    |   Source: Sarajevo Times- Bosnia The Fund for Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities has adopted new regulations that significantly expand the rights and opportunities for employment of persons with disabilities on the open labor market. The most significant news is that persons with a determined degree of disability of 50 percent will for the first time be able to exercise the right to a financial incentive for employment under general conditions, as well as the right to participate in professional rehabilitation programs, announced the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy…

How to navigate the long entry-exit system queues if you have a disability

July 16, 2026    |   Source: Independent- UK There have been many reports of long queues at European airports since the EU’s new biometric data system was introduced, and travel industry leaders are worried it will only get worse in the peak summer months. The new EU entry-exit system (EES) was rolled out in April, requiring passengers to give biometric information such as fingerprints and facial images upon first entry into the Schengen Area. The Airports Council International (ACI), which represents 600 airports, says that wait times at border control have reached up to five hours in some cases since the EES rollout, creating “unsustainable pressure” for staff…

Uber removes ‘unacceptable’ surcharge for Assist users after outcry

July 17, 2026    |   Source: ABC- Australia Rideshare giant Uber has reversed its decision to impose a $5 fee on passengers requiring extra assistance, after advocates and service providers labelled it discriminatory and a “disability tax”. Last month, the ABC reported the company started charging extra for its Assist service in May, telling customers the move was to improve reliability and reduce wait times. The move concerned many in the disability community who have complained for years about poor service from taxis and rideshare services, including guide dog refusals…

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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.
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