Accessibility in the News — 7/22/2022.
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AITN Quote of the Week
“The ADA was a wonderful achievement. But it was only the tip of the iceberg. You can pass a law but until you can change society’s attitudes, that law won’t mean much.” ― Denise Sherer Jacobson
President George H. W. Bush signing the
Americans with the Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990 & Video
National News (U.S.)
Final Approval Granted To $112,500 Juice Company Website Access Class Settlement
July 12, 2022 | Source: Mealey’s Litigation Report: Cyber Tech & E-Commerce (Subscription)
Delmonico’s lawsuit alleges website inaccessible to blind, visually impaired
July 19, 2022 | Source: Top Class Actions
Web Design Accessibility Can Aid Enforcement Of Terms
July 21, 2022 | Source: Arnold & Porter & PDF
Morgan Stanley, Ally Financial class actions claim websites not accessible to blind, visually impaired
July 21, 2022 | Source: Top Class Actions
A federal judge in California on June 23 granted final approval of a class settlement providing injunctive and monetary relief in a lawsuit accusing a juice company of failing to offer a website accessible to those with visual impairments (Valerie Brooks, et al. v. Pressed Juicery, Inc., et al., No. 19-1687, E.D. Calif.). U.S. Judge Troy L. Nunley of the Eastern District of California wrote in his order that defendant Pressed Juicery Inc. will have 18 months to carrying out the steps outlined in the settlement agreement that will increase accessibility of its website for users with disabilities…
Many try to return to normal from COVID, but disabled people face a different reality
July 15, 2022 | Source: NPR
Beth Kenny is immunocompromised but found a routine that worked for their family during the pandemic, leaning into safe protocols to protect themselves from COVID-19. Kenny’s wife could pick up the groceries, and social distancing measures and vaccines allowed their family to do activities together outside safely. And the precautions helped Kenny’s wife safely ride the bus and go to the library with their child Vyla without putting their family’s health at risk…
The First Black Journalist With A Disability In The United States Makes History
July 15, 2022 | Source: SOHH
New Jersey’s very own Steven McCoy has made history, knocking down barriers as the first Black journalist that is both blind and deaf. McCoy took to Instagram to thank Hollywood Unlocked for the interview by reposting the picture of being the first Black, blind, and deaf journalist. His caption stated: “Thank you @hollywoodunlocked, you guys were great! 💚” The disabled journalist has a show called “Session with Steven” and is the founder of “Spoken Entertainment,” a platform on YouTube to interview people in the media…
Misuse of Twitter’s Alt Text Feature Draws Criticism From Accessibility Advocates
July 15, 2022 | Source: The Wall Street Journal & Tech Radar & Digital Information World
TikTok rolls out new accessibility and translation tools to bring its content to more users
July 21, 2022 | Source: Tech Crunch
When the National Aeronautics and Space Administration uploaded the first photo of the early universe from its James Webb telescope to Twitter, it included a highly detailed description of the deep-field snapshot. “Most stars appear blue, and are sometimes as large as more distant galaxies that appear next to them,” read one portion of the 126-word description posted by NASA on Monday. “A very bright star is just above and left of center. It has eight bright blue, long diffraction spikes.”…
In Fight Against Ableism, Disabled Students Build Centers of Their Own
July 15, 2022 | Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education
When Katie Sullivan arrived as a first-year student at the University of Wisconsin at Madison last fall, she encountered one barrier after another to her college education: classrooms with limited accessibility for students in wheelchairs; an elevator that was broken for months, forcing some disabled students to take a freight elevator; buses with only two spots for students in wheelchairs; a professor who she said refused to accommodate her academic needs…
Godspeed if You’re Forced to Use These Hideous Federal Websites
July 16, 2022 | Source: GIZMODO
You don’t need to be a user interface designer to spot a bad-looking site. Hell, anyone who spent any time on the internet in the days pre-Facebook might remember bland, white webpages, tiny font, and links upon links upon links like a black hole slowly sucking you into the great whirlpool expanse of incomprehensible electronic morass. The standards have improved since then, or at least they have for most sites. Government websites have long been notorious for lagging behind the rest of the world in both usability and appearance…
Tech Journalism’s Accessibility Problem
July 15, 2022 | Source: The Verge
Six years ago, Apple introduced the touch bar, a thin touchscreen strip that replaced the usual row of function buttons on its MacBook Pros. To say it has been controversial would be an understatement. Among tech media’s elite, it’s one of the most widely and consistently bemoaned gadget features in recent memory. “In several years it’ll just be a useless appendage, like the last protohuman with a tail,” Engadget wrote in its review of the most recent MacBook Pro…
Uber Commits to Changes and Pays Millions to Resolve Justice Department Lawsuit for Overcharging People with Disabilities
July 18, 2022 | Source: Department of Justice
The Department of Justice filed in court today a multi-million-dollar settlement agreement with Uber Technologies Inc. (Uber) to resolve a lawsuit alleging that Uber violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the agreement, Uber will offer several million dollars in compensation to more than 65,000 Uber users who were charged discriminatory fees due to disability. In November 2021, the department filed a lawsuit alleging that Uber violated Title III of the ADA, which prohibits discrimination by private transportation companies like Uber…
Six Flags Is Making Its Parks More Accessible for Visitors with Special Needs
July 18, 2022 | Source: People
Six Flags has announced its expanding accessibility for park-goers with special needs. On Thursday, the theme park company shared some new initiatives that are intended to make the amusement parks more inclusive. One of the new safety programs includes a special “restraint harness” for all Six Flags thrill rides for guests with some physical disabilities, per a release. Six Flags, which has over 20 theme parks around the U.S., Canada and Mexico, notes that 98% of rides have an “individually designed harness.”…
South Minneapolis man paves the way for accessibility in the city
July 18, 2022 | Source: MPR News
Construction ripped up a curb on Michael Sack’s block in south Minneapolis. He reported the curb through the city website. Nothing happened. A year later, it still wasn’t repaired. In 2021, he decided he would send an email to a city council member. Within three weeks, the curb was fixed. He said he realized there was a more efficient way to report pathway deficiencies rather than reporting through the city website so on June 24, 2021, he created Minneapolis Sidewalk Repair Hunters group on Facebook…
This Ohio City Just Launched an Accessibility Guide for Visitors With Disabilities
July 18, 2022 | Source: MSN & Experience Columbus
The Ohio city of Columbus is making it easier for travelers with disabilities to visit by publishing a brand-new accessibility guide that includes everything from hotels and restaurants to transportation options and more. The guide highlights Columbus’ accessible options in several categories: mobility, vision, hearing, and cognition, Experience Columbus, the city’s destination marketing organization, shared with Travel + Leisure. The guide includes more than 20 attractions, restaurants (including outdoor options), hotels, and transportation options…
Indira Sheumaker discusses accessibility at City Council meetings
July 18, 2022 | Source: WeAreIowa
Councilwoman Indira Sheumaker said her battle with mental health has been ongoing since she was a teenager. “I was literally counting the years until it was more than half my life,” she said. “So, at this point, yeah, its been more than half my life.” After contracting COVID-19, Sheumaker experienced a dip in her mental health, causing her to miss council meetings. While Sheumaker has had problems like this in the past, they are now much more visible…
Putting access for all first
July 19, 2022 | Source: The Harvard Gazette
When Erich Manser arrived at Harvard in 2019, he noticed something was missing: There was not an established group for faculty and staff centered on the disability experience. So he set about changing that. Manser, a consultant with Digital Accessibility Services, has personal experience with disability. A degenerative eye disease has left him legally blind. He walks with a cane, does not drive, and uses accessibility tools on his computer. And as a disabled person, he certainly isn’t alone…
Blind man shares accessibility concerns on YouTube, gets city attention
July 19, 2022 | Source: KAALTV
Rochester’s skyways come in handy during less than ideal weather conditions. But for those who are handicapped, some say the skyways aren’t always a good thing. Chris Mathews has been partially blind all his life. Born prematurely, there was too much oxygen in his incubator, causing blood vessels to burst in his eyes. In his nearly 25-minute YouTube video, Chris shows the difficulty he has navigating downtown. “I just wanted to highlight some of the things I experience the most often…
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Jefferson County, Kentucky, Officials to Ensure Polling Place Accessibility
July 20, 2022 | Source: Department of Justice
The Justice Department has secured an agreement under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Jefferson County, Kentucky, Board of Elections to ensure that the Board’s polling places are accessible to individuals with disabilities. The department identified architectural barriers at numerous polling places after it reviewed the Jefferson County Board’s voting program for compliance with the ADA. These barriers included inaccessible parking, ramps that were too steep, walkways that had steep cross slopes or had gaps and bumps and voting machines that could not be accessed by voters with mobility disabilities…
Nonprofit gives Georgia miracle child a wheelchair-accessible bathroom for free
July 19, 2022 | Source: CBS46 News
A local nonprofit is pitching in to help a miraculous girl from Suwanee. Doctors told Brylee’s father Jeffrey his little girl wasn’t supposed to live past her toddler years because of a rare disease. It is just a simple bathroom makeover, right? ”Right now we are in Brylee’s bathroom. We have destroyed it,” said Sunshine on a Ranney Day Executive Director, Joe Lane. Wrong. ”I have got to make sure I can get her in there, get her comfortable so I can give her a bath…
Internet Slams Website Asking People to Recognize Colors to Send an Email
July 20, 2022 | Source: Newsweek
A resident is raging they were unable to send an email as they had to tick a box to authenticate a color, and they can’t see it. A post on Reddit’s Mildly Infuriating forum, by u/Drajl19, showed a screengrab of the website page which they couldn’t navigate. “Can’t email my township unless you can see color, which I can’t,” they wrote. The test, widely used in various formats online to weed out robots and spam, asks the user to select “color of the box above.”…
This year the Ohio State Fair will be more accessible and inclusive than ever before
July 20, 2022 | Source: ABC6
The Ohio State Fair starts up again on July 27 and this year the fair will be more accessible and inclusive for everyone. This year the fair will offer continued accessibility enhancements, such as wheelchair/mobility device charging stations, accessible picnic tables, service animal relief areas, a dedicated sensory-friendly event, and technology to help people who are visually impaired get around the fairgrounds. “I am pleased that the Ohio State Fair is committed to inclusion and accessibility,” Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said…
‘A dream come true’: The Dane County organization making baseball accessible
July 20, 2022 | Source: WKOW
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights this summer, you can find Bill Schultz at Bakken Park in Cottage Grove. The park is home to the Miracle League of Dane County baseball field. Schultz launched the league last summer to make baseball accessible for kids with physical and cognitive disabilities. “It’s not just about baseball, but it’s about the opportunity to feel included and accepted, experience joy and laughter and just to build their self confidence,” he said…
Crist Unveils ‘Accessibility for All’ Plan
July 20, 2022 | Source: Floridian Press
A day after announcing his “Freedom to Learn” education plan, Florida Rep. Charlie Crist (D) has now released his “Accessibility for All’ plan. The plan is aimed at “supporting Floridians with disabilities.” Taking to social media to share the plan, the gubernatorial hopeful expressed that his plan will “make Florida a caring and accessible place for our disability community.” The goal of his plan is to ensure “better care, dignity, and equal access,” and Crist vows that it’s his “promise that, when we win, you’ll once again have a governor who cares.”…
Nonprofit uses AI to make STEM materials more accessible
July 20, 2022 | Source: K-12 Dive
To Jamie Maier, an assistive technology specialist with the Tigard-Tualatin School District near Portland, Oregon, helping students and staff find and use instructional materials that are accessible to each learner is an enjoyable puzzle. Maier investigates what materials are already available for an individual student, the barriers to access, and what materials and technology would best meet that student’s needs. A large portion of Maier’s job is informing teachers about accessibility, especially the knowledge that even if materials are digital, they are not necessarily accessible…
Accessibility Meets Inspiration in Poster Project for Ukraine
July 21, 2022 | Source: Cal State Fullerton
This summer, design professor John Drew gave his ART 483A (Special Studies in Graphic Design) students an assignment: create fully accessible posters promoting peace in Ukraine. Students were required to use tools, techniques, and principles for accessible design to enable visually impaired, colorblind, and dyslexic individuals to fully experience the finished posters. They were also tasked with finding established nonprofits working in support of Ukraine to offer them their finished artwork for use in a fundraising campaign…
How accessible are trails, parks in Manistee County for people with disabilities?
July 21, 2022 | Source: Manistee News Advocate
Manistee County is known for having many parks, trails and outdoor attractions that are popular with tourists and residents alike. Manistee is also a county with a larger population of older adults with 27% of the population over 65, according to census data, and some may have mobility issues or disabilities. That begs the question: How accessible are Manistee County beaches, parks and trails? According to Rob Carson, community development Regional director for Networks Northwest, there is a system that rates the parks across the state…
I’ve Used A Wheelchair Since I Was 19. Why Don’t I Need It In My Dreams?
July 21, 2022 | Source: HUFFPOST
The internet never stops spilling over with dream interpretations. Lifestyle sites and social media posts claim to be able to make sense of your tangled subconscious thoughts and visions, with no scientific reasoning whatsoever. I’ve read that dreaming about teeth falling out is a sign of anxiety, that dreaming of fish could mean you’re pregnant, and that being chased in dreams signifies avoidance. Somehow, there’s no convenient explanation for the absence of my wheelchair in my dreams…
NYC Subway Aims for Accessibility for Riders with Disabilities
July 21, 2022 | Source: Public News Service
New York City’s subway system has often been a thorn in the side of the disabled community, because only 114 of the system’s 472 stations, or 24%, are disability accessible. It is slated to change as part of a class-action settlement. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) said, as part of its next round of capital improvements, all remaining subway stations will be made accessible for people with disabilities. Jeff Peters, director of communications at the Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York, feels it is a major step forward, despite the lengthy timeline…
‘It wasn’t equal’ | How the Blumenthal is working to make theater accessible
July 21, 2022 | Source: WCNC
Starting Tuesday, July 26, the Tony Award-winning play To Kill a Mockingbird will make its home at the Belk Theater in Uptown Charlotte. The 24-person cast includes Anthony Natale, a deaf actor playing the non-deaf role of Link Deas. Natale has spent his life on the stage and screen, performing non-traditional roles across the country. “It’s right to portray that we as deaf persons are able to play any role that doesn’t traditionally have to be a deaf character,” Natale said…
She sued on behalf of her blind son. Now BUSD will make online learning tools more accessible
July 21, 2022 | Source: Berkeleyside
Kai Wang was in first grade when the pandemic moved his classroom at Cragmont Elementary behind the screen of his laptop. And for all the challenges of virtual learning, Kai, who is blind, faced even more of them. Virtual learning hastened the arrival of a new era in educational technology. The problem, though, was that many of these tools were not built with students with disabilities in mind. Math, for instance, was no longer a paper and a pencil affair — instead, numbers flashed on the screen and students solved equations using educational technology software…
Jack Fact — According to the CDC 16.3 percent of adults with a disability have diabetes while 7.2 percent of adults with a disability have diabetes.
Hit The Road Jack — Accessible travel is possible at iGA Istanbul Airport & How to make holiday properties more accessible for disabled guests & 5 things not to say to a disabled traveller
International News
Living with diabetes: Over-60s talk about how they manage and what causes issues for them
July 14, 2022 | Source: Startsat60- Australia
Diabetes presents a considerable challenge for the nation’s health system, with an estimated $3 billion spent on treating diabetes nationally and 1.3 million Australians living with the condition, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Diabetes is a chronic condition marked by high levels of glucose in the blood. It is caused either by the body’s inability to produce insulin (a hormone that keeps blood glucose levels in range) or by the body being unable to use insulin effectively, or a combination of both…
What’s missing in Modi govt’s plan to secure ‘accessibility’ for persons with disabilities
July 15, 2022 | Source: The Print- India
The Draft National Policy for Persons with Disabilities was released by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) last month, under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It identifies various areas for intervention, such as, early identification and prevention, education, skill development, social security, disaster management, among others, to enable persons with disabilities to participate fully and effectively in society…
Nigeria may soon face shortage of optometrists, says NOA
July 15, 2022 | Source: The Sun- Nigeria
The umbrella body of eye doctors in Nigeria, the Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) has raised the alarm that Nigeria may soon face manpower crisis in the Optometry arm of medical services because of increasing interest of foreign countries in the quality of Nigerian optometrists. It said the massive brain drain of eye care professionals and other health care professionals from Nigeria to other countries has further worsened the burden of blindness statistics in the country, hence the need for urgent attention from all stakeholders to avoid blindness pandemic…
Government and advocates are leaning on private builders for accessible housing; will they listen?
July 15, 2022 | Source: CBC- Canada
The minister in charge of accessibility says it’ll take years for accessible housing in Newfoundland and Labrador to catch up with demand — and it’ll take private sector money to get there. “We have right now, I’ll call it a short wait list for people who are looking for accessible units,” said John Abbott, the minister responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities and Newfoundland and Labrador’s Housing Corporation. “But it will take some time because we just don’t have any new units coming on stream in the short term.”…
Pellerin: Needed in Ottawa — more accessible taxis
July 15, 2022 | Source: Ottawa Citizen- Canada
Tell me your city is ableist without telling me your city is ableist? Oh, but does Michael Lifshitz have a story to tell. Lifshitz is a man with a job who likes to go out, make other people laugh and generally live his life as he sees fit. Just like you and me. Except that unlike me and probably you, he uses a wheelchair. Last weekend he went to Toronto and carefully planned his return home by train and then by adapted taxi. The latter never came. So Lifshitz took the last bus he could to make his way back home on Carling Avenue…
Disability group hails INEC on voting access
July 16, 2022 | Source: Punch- Nigeria
A disability inclusion advocacy group, the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission in its assessment of voting access for Persons With Disabilities carried out through its programme tagged, ‘The Campaign for Equal Voting Access for Persons with Disabilities’ in the Saturday Osun State governorship poll. The group, in a preliminary statement released on Saturday, said it was impressed to observe that INEC offered priority voting to “marginalised populations”…
Usability and accessibility-based quality evaluation of Indian airline websites: An MCDM approach
July 17, 2022 | Source: SpringerLink- India
A tourist may be one of the most diverse kinds of consumer, including many people with disabilities. As a technologically driven industry, the tourism industry focused more on providing online services during the COVID-19 pandemic, where physical activity is limited and people practice social distancing. A company’s success may be large extend depend on the quality of the website through which they supply their services. The primary goal of the study presented in this paper is to evaluate the overall quality of Indian commercial airline websites…
The downside of digital transformation: why organisations must allow for those who can’t or won’t move online
July 17, 2022 | Source: The Conversation- New Zealand
We hear the phrase “digital transformation” a lot these days. It’s often used to describe the process of replacing functions and services that were once done face-to-face by human beings with online interactions that are faster, more convenient and “empower” the user. But does digital transformation really deliver on those promises? Or does the seemingly relentless digitalisation of life actually reinforce existing social divides and inequities? Take banking, for example…
International Association for Public Transport (UITP) signs declaration for improving accessibility in public transport
July 18, 2022 | Source: Intelligent Transport- Belgium & Mass Transit
On 12 July 2022, the UITP announced that its Secretary General, Mohamed Mezghani, has signed a declaration on improving accessibility in public transport. The ‘Lecco Declaration’ is a framework of key accessibility principles, enabling the development of a Memorandum of Understanding and committing those involved to introduce concrete actions for accessible public transport. This declaration has been signed alongside Georgios Kouroupetroglou, President of Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology (AAATE), and Laura Alčiauskaitė, Project Coordinator at the European Network of Independent Living (ENIL)…
Bangladesh: Submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
July 18, 2022 | Source: Human Rights Watch- Bangladesh
Human Rights Watch is an independent, international human rights organization that monitors, reports, and conducts advocacy on human rights in more than 90 countries globally. Human Rights Watch welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the Committee) ahead of its upcoming review of Bangladesh. This submission highlights areas of concern that Human Rights Watch hopes will inform the Committee’s consideration of the Bangladesh government’s compliance with its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)…
Regina Folk Festival piloting accessibility project using hearing loop
July 18, 2022 | Source: Regina Leader Post- Canada
The Regina Folk Festival (RFF) is piloting a project at this year’s event with the aim of improving accessibility for the hearing impaired at future shows with the use of a Hearing Loop. The loop is a copper wire, which is inserted into the ground and could be used in a wide variety of environments like meeting rooms, theatres or, in this case, a music festival. It converts audio to a magnetic signal, which is transmitted to a person’s hearing aid, implant or headset and those within the loop can utilize its capabilities to hear the entertainment better by eliminating background noise…
All-inclusive design: the accessible hotels leading the way
July 19, 2022 | Source: CN Traveller- UK
Humans are the only creatures on the planet that explore for the sake of exploring. But we don’t all have the same abilities and sensibilities – regardless of our enthusiasm or curiosity. Scan travel-company slogans and they urge us to “Explore! Discover! Be inspired!” Yet not everyone can take up these invitations without a raft of considerations. As much as magnanimous hosts might like the idea of chaperoning everyone to wherever they want to go, there are practical and cultural considerations that don’t allow for equal access…
Accessibility pitfalls highlighted by council committee
July 19, 2022 | Source: Sherwood Park News- Canada
If Strathcona County’s slogan of ‘being Canada’s most liveable community’ becomes a reality, it needs to improve all around accessibility. During Priorities Committee Meeting, as part of its 2021 report to elected officials, the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) outlined accessibility needs to be included in every aspect within the municipality from programming to services to policy to new and renovated infrastructure. “AAC members are encouraged to see that one of the four county 2023-2026 Strategic Goals is for a healthy and safe community…
Businesses urged to remove disability employment barriers
July 19, 2022 | Source: The HR Director- UK
In a market where there are currently more vacancies than there are job hunters, these businesses are overlooking talented and skilled people with disabilities, including those who are neurodivergent, by closing the door on them at the very first step in the process. To encourage businesses to improve and diversify their hiring practices, PageGroup has brought together key charities, social enterprises and changemakers in this space to launch a set of free resources designed to foster accessibility in recruitment across all industries, specifically for people with visual impairments, learning disabilities, and the neurodiverse…
Steps to improve digital accessibility at your institution
July 20, 2022 | Source: Times Higher Education- England
A recent report by the Central Digital & Data Office (CDDO) on compliance with the digital accessibility regulations for public sector websites and mobile apps identified accessibility issues on nearly all the websites tested.
Organisations have been given about 12 weeks to address any issues found, with 59 percent fixing them or putting a short-term plan in place. The basic principles of digital accessibility are that organisations ensure their websites, systems and applications are accessible for users by being perceivable, operable, understandable and robust…
Rosslare Strand beach mat initiative about ‘accessibility and inclusiveness’
July 20, 2022 | Source: Wexford- Ireland
Summer is finally here and the beaches of Wexford are once more attracting visitors from far and wide, day trippers and tourists eager to experience the many coastal delights the county has to offer. Those who choose Rosslare Strand as their beach of choice this summer will find not one, but two, upgrades designed to make life easier for those who wish to sample both sea and sand. The first of these upgrades will not only make life easier for one demographic, it will allow them to experience something which hasn’t been possible for many years…
Adaptive sport ‘saved’ Paralympian Stuart Jones after ‘life-altering’ event and its accessibility is ‘critical’
July 20, 2022 | Source: 9Coach- Australia
Cycling has always been a large part of Paralympian Stuart Jones’ life, but there was a point in time where he thought it wouldn’t be possible to get on a bike again. It was 2014, and Jones, then 45 and a former army man, was cycling to work when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident. A fractured skull, two fractured vertebrae in his spine, torn tendons in his hand, and a surgery later, it was discovered Jones had no movement down the right side of his body – he had incomplete quadriplegia, and doctors thought he would never walk again…
Digital accessibility for visitor attraction websites: the state of the industry
July 20, 2022 | Source: Blooloop- England
Internet-enabled online digital services are one of the best things to have happened for the world’s more than one billion disabled people (15% of the world’s population). However, 96.8% of the world’s top one million web homepages have digital accessibility errors. The most prolific of these errors are poor contrast, which impacts many people with visual impairment, as well as images without a descriptive text, which confound the assistive screen reader technologies on which people with a variety of disabilities depend….
Only Two Websites Made Accessible For Disabled In State
July 21, 2022 | Source: Times of India
Only two websites have been made accessible for specially abled persons in Rajasthan under the Accessible India Campaign (AIC), run by the government of India, a data received from the ministry of social justice and empowerment stated. Just three websites were identified in the state for making them accessible for persons with disabilities, it added. According to the data, out of 88 government buildings identified in the state, 78 have already been made disabled friendly…
Travel and hospitality websites need most accessibility improvements, new research shows
July 21, 2022 | Source: Travel Daily News- UK
Travel and hospitality businesses have failed to make it into the top 10 for the performance, accessibility and speed of their websites, according to new analysis of all FTSE 100 and 250 homepages by an expert team at Contensis.
The findings have been published by web experts Contensis as part of new research: Big Players, Slow Web Pages: Which FTSE 100 and 250 Businesses Value their Online Presence the Most. WIth an average accessibility score of 79, travel and hospitality is the only sector to dip below 80, and a full 12 points lower than the leader software and IT…
Project aims to make Pembrokeshire exemplary destination for those with visible and hidden disabilities
July 21, 2022 | Source: Tenby Observer- UK
Visit Pembrokeshire’s Open to All project aims to make Pembrokeshire an exemplary destination which offers great service and facilities to visitors and locals with visible and hidden disabilities. The Open to All project is supporting tourism and hospitality businesses with training and familiarisation visits to other local businesses which are improving their accessibility for disabled visitors. Visits have included Asheston Eco Barns, Folly Farm Adventure Park & Zoo and Craig Evan’s Coastal Foraging…
More accessibility: the Tokyo Olympic legacy for people with disabilities
July 21, 2022 | Source: La Prensa Latina- Japan
The Tokyo Olympics changed the lives of people with disabilities in the Japanese capital, who until a few years ago struggled due to the lack of disability-inclusive infrastructure, especially on the city’s public transport network.
But the massive construction work undertaken for the Tokyo 2020 Games has transformed the city’s infrastructure, which today is much more friendly for people like Satoshi Sato, secretary general of the Japanese branch of the NGO Disabled Peoples’ International (DPI)…
Making the web accessible for all
July 21, 2022 | Source: ISRAEL21c
Tamar Schapira, cofounder and CEO of the Israeli startup SenseIT, likes to tell a story about three people standing behind a wall, trying to watch a baseball game. There’s a tall person, a medium person and a short person, and only the tall person can see the game. Then, the medium-sized person is given a stool to stand on, and the short person is given two stools, and they can all watch the game. That’s a good solution, Schapira said, but she’s after something even more groundbreaking…
Auslan storytellers building accessibility from the ground up
July 22, 2022 | Source: ArtsHub- Australia
What I Wish I’d Told You is an exhibition that has recently opened at Footscray Community Arts in Melbourne’s diverse west side. But more than that, it’s a national project using decolonising strategies and truth-telling to empower and affirm experiences of Deafhood. Led by Deaf artist Chelle Destefano and Deaf advocate and artist Claire Bridge, the project engaged more than 70 Deaf storytellers and hearing allies to pave a new path of accessibility which centres autonomous storytelling over interpreting…
COVID-19 Resources and Information
- Warnings of global child health crisis as tens of millions miss vaccinations- Guardian
- ASL interpreter who gained fame during COVID briefings raising profile of deaf community- WRGT
- Ensuring digital inclusion is front of mind in Canberra as the new ministry takes shape- Pro Bono Australia
- Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID- U.S. Department of Labor
- Deregulating telehealth means greater healthcare accessibility for underprivileged Americans- Independent Women’s Forum
Accessibility Blogs and Information
- edX Accessibility Courses
- UNICEF Accessibility Toolkit
- Procure Access – Disability:IN
- State of Washington Accessibility Policy
- Your impressions of Making Content Usable
- At 32, ADA begins biting into digital divide- AT&T
- Why The Metaverse Needs Accessibility Testing- Forbes
- “Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating disease”- Cherie Hotchkiss
- Digital accessibility monitoring report – 2020-2021- data.public.lu
- Changes to Missouri elections leads to accessibility concerns- KQ2 (Video)
- Integrating Accessibility Into Key Business Processes- Sanjay Nasta
- The Volunteer-Run Bots That Make Twitter More Accessible- Verge
- Captions: Humans vs Artificial Intelligence: Who Wins?- Meryl Evans
- Digital Accessibility Legal Updates on LFLegal (May 1 – July 10, 2022)
- Eight factors that increase the risk of developing dementia- Dubai Week
- Accessibility Focus Needed In Diversity Drive: Infillion’s Rossi- Beet.TV
- Making Digital Experiences Accessible: Wins And Work Remaining- Forbes
- Increasing accessibility in STEM classrooms through Access Talk- Astrobites
- An Accessibility-First Approach To Chart Visual Design- Smashing Magazine
- Access Brookline: July 2022 Accessibility-Related News, Events & Info- Patch
- Case Processing Manual- Effective Date: July 18, 2022- Department Of Education (PDF)
- The ESG Report – Episode 51 – The Role of Digital Accessibility in ESG with Tim Springer
- ‘A social justice issue’: Campus launches digital accessibility committee- The Daily Californian
- Remembering Gang of 19 Forty Years After Denver Protests Changed Accessibility- Westword
- Does Your Website Comply With U.S. Law and The Implications if it Does Not- Hodgson Russ
- Social Media – can it be a force for good and a lifeline for disabled people?- Disability Horizons
- Fostering Inclusivity in the College Classroom: Looking Through a Universal Design for Learning Lens- Faculty Focus
- From Conception to Completion: How Lenovo’s PDO Prioritizes Accessibility Through Every Stage of Product Development- Yahoo
- Accessibility, Youth STEM, Advancement, & Literacy | #NFB22 National Convention General Session V- National Federation of the Blind (YouTube)
Accessibility Announcements and Products
- ICC Belfast enhances its accessibility
- City of La Crosse seeks input for accessibility needs
- 2022 Faculty Excellence in Universal Design Winner
- NIC to host second Accessibility Camp Coeur d’Alene
- Central Iowa park aims to be America’s most accessible park
- Summer Water Sports program empowers people with disabilities
- Taylor & Francis becomes a Global Certified Accessible publisher
- Mickey Mouse Funhouse Drives Inclusion with New Character Fig
- Alchemie Earns $1 Million Grant for Accessible Learning for STEM
- What Restaurants Are Wheelchair Accessible in Old Town Alexandria?
- Disability and Accessibility in the Music Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide
- TrailRiders and Accessibility Days open Strathcona Park up to everybody
- Request for Information on Current Population Survey Disability Supplement 2024
- Governor Pickett’s bill to make mental health services more accessible signed into law
- USM Changes Office for Disability Accommodations to Student Accessibility Services
- Assistiv Labs Raises Round of Funding to Help Enterprises Build a More Accessible Web
- Adaptista launches high-end shopping platform offering adaptable and accessible clothing
- A more accessible Vancouver: First phase of Accessibility Strategy unanimously approved
- Wright Brothers National Memorial earns accessibility award for audio description programs
- 2022 Accessibility Internet Rally Builds Free Accessible Web Sites for Nonprofit Organizations
- ForSight Robotics raises $55 million Series A led by Adani Group for ophthalmic robotic surgery
- Omni Group’s Omni Automation Proves Voice Control Is More Than Just an Accessibility Feature
- City of Pasadena Recognizes Zebreda Dunham as This Year’s Robert Gorski Access Award Recipient
- West Australian speech app for early in-home diagnosis could help non-verbal children find their words
- The Americans with Disabilities Act Celebrates Anniversary; City of Irving Seeks Input on Accessibility
- JOIN THE JOURNEY!- Help get the Thriving Blind Children’s Book to young readers all over the world!
- South Portland seniors: apply now for free and confidential home accessibility & safety modification program
- Leaders in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility to Be Recognized Through BioTalent Canada’s New Program
- University Grants Commission Releases Accessibility Guidelines, Standards For Higher Education Institutions & Universities
- American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) Unveils National PSA Campaign to Raise Awareness of Retinal Disease, Help Public See for a Lifetime
- Disability Equality Index® Shows More Companies Seek People with Disabilities for Leadership and Boardroom Roles in Bid to Modernize Disability Inclusion
Accessibility Forums, Tips, and Gaming
- Considerations for Course Design
- Android accessibility: roles and TalkBack
- A beginner’s guide to making your game accessible
- A Father’s Quest for an Accessible Game Controller
- The Ultimate Guide to Debugging Accessibility Issues
- 15 Tips to Make Meetings More Accessible for Everyone
- 5 Steps To Improve Your Customer Services Accessibility
- SEO and accessibility: 30+ tips from Deaf and Disabled people
- Creating accessible WordPress sites: remediating PDFs and more
- How To Make The Most Of Your iPhone’s Accessibility Features
- 3 Ways AI Technology Is Helping To Improve Web Accessibility
- How to Control a Mac Using the Voice Control Accessibility Feature
- Change Management in Accessibility: Strategic Execution Framework
- How to Take Advantage of Windows 11’s Improved Accessibility Tools
- Synchronization Accessibility User Requirements (SAUR) Note Published
- Disability Pride Month – three tips to improve your social media accessibility
- Rockstar Games job listings suggest GTA 6 will feature new accessibility options
- Creative Options To Help Your Website Be More Accessible To Disabled Individuals
- It’s Mid-2022 and Browsers (Mostly Safari) Still Break Accessibility via Display Properties
- The Last of Us leaks have become a flood, accessibility options and controller layout revealed
- Blizzard Entertainment Outlines Diablo Immortal Accessibility Features, Including Text To Speech
- Diablo Immortal’s Controller Support Guide Details Diablo 3 Inspiration, Accessibility, and Supported Devices
Accessibility Statements
- AERD
- Mursion
- Molloy College
- Texas Oncology
- United HealthCare
- Adventure Academy
- The University of Utah
- University of New Hampshire
- Selfhelp Community Services
- Bethlehem Central School District
- Accessibility in the News: Accessibility Statement Pages
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 resources include:
- What is a VPAT®? A VPAT Primer
- Understanding Digital Accessibility in the Procurement Process
- Accessibility in the News, Legal Edition: Updates on ADA Title III News and More
- What Lawyers Need to Know: A Primer on Digital Accessibility Terms and Today’s Legal Landscape
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