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The Growing Fight Over Where, and How Disabled People Live

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Sky view of suburban homes. Microassist Accessibility in the News.Accessibility in the News — 2/6/2026.

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AITN Quote of the Week

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” ― Elie Wiesel

Feature Stories

 

Texas and 8 Other States Renew Attack on Section 504 and the Right of Disabled People to Live in their Communities

January 28, 2026    |   Source: Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund and STAT

On January 23, 2026, Texas and eight other states – Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, and South Dakota – renewed their attack on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the integration mandate. The integration mandate is a requirement under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It allows people with disabilities to receive services in the community rather than in institutions. In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld this mandate in its landmark Olmstead v. L.C. decision. We cannot let these states take away that right…

Nine states challenge federal mandate that disabled people receive care in community

January 29, 2026    |   Source: STAT

A lawsuit targeting a landmark disability law has received new life after nine states filed an update that seeks to undercut federal mandates that people with disabilities receive care in their communities. Texas, Florida, and seven other states allege that the Biden administration’s 2024 update to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is unconstitutional — specifically, the requirement that states must fund services in the “most integrated setting.” Section 504 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in any setting that receives federal financial assistance, including health care facilities…

Trump Wanted To Cut Disability Programs. Congress Just Said No

February 5, 2026    |   Source: Disability Scoop

After months of uncertainty, federal lawmakers approved a spending package that rejects Trump administration efforts to alter the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and do away with some disability programs. President Donald Trump signed a bill this week to fund much of the federal government through September. The deal brings to a close a tumultuous period for disability programs punctuated by two government shutdowns. “This vote blocks many of the most damaging proposed cuts, keeps key disability programs level funded, and preserves the (U.S.) Department of Education’s authority to enforce education laws,” The Arc of the United States said in a statement…

National News (U.S.)

 

The ‘Gray Area’ of Accessible Travel Is Bigger Than the Industry Thinks

January 30, 2026    |   Source: TravelAge West

Accessible travel is often framed as all or nothing: either a traveler needs a wheelchair or they don’t. But according to travel advisors Angela and Lee Alessi, that framing ignores a large group of travelers who fall somewhere in between. “There’s this idea that you’re either perfectly fine or you’re in a wheelchair,” Angela said. “And there’s so much in between that nobody takes into account.” The Alessis, founders of Heirloom Journeys, focus on travelers with mobility limitations, hearing loss, sensory sensitivities, anxiety, temporary disabilities and more…

4 Barriers to Giving Students With Disabilities the Tools They Need to Thrive

January 30, 2026    |   Source: Education Week

Assistive technology can address the learning needs of students with disabilities and knock down barriers to inclusion in general education classrooms. But schools often face challenges in providing, maintaining, and using such tools to their full potential, a federal watchdog agency found. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office visited school districts in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wyoming. Investigators also interviewed educators and surveyed federally supported centers for parents of children with disabilities to learn how schools deploy assistive technology—and how those processes could be improved…

It’s Starting to Look Like AI Has Killed the Entire Model of College

January 31, 2026    |   Source: Futurism

Well before “AI” had entered the lexicon of evening newscasters, the university model of higher-education was in trouble. Between 2010 and 2022 — the year ChatGPT came out — university enrollment dropped nearly 15 percent throughout the US. State funding cuts pushed already exorbitant tuition costs onto even more students, forcing many to ask whether a college education was even worth the staggering investment. And when AI chatbots did hit the scene, they turned a lousy situation into a full blown nightmare, with fresh college graduates discovering in real time that their degrees are almost useless in one of the worst job markets in recent history…

This fan visited every NFL stadium this season to highlight wheelchair accessibility

January 31, 2026    |   Source: The New York Times

Blind and low vision fans to experience Super Bowl 60 in new way

February 5, 2026    |   Source: NPR

Kevin Ortiz’s suitcase has been packed — or rather, bursting at the seams — since September. He shows it proudly, overflowing on the floor of his Bakersfield, Calif., home, in between another weekend on the road. Ortiz knows this suitcase — consistently over the airline-mandated 50-pound limit with “overweight” and “fragile” stickers stuck to its exterior — won’t last him much longer. So, it’s a good thing he only has one stop left. Ortiz, 35, embarked on a journey this season to attend a home game for every NFL team…

JD Vance Sparks Backlash By Mocking Tammy Duckworth

February 1, 2026    |   Source: Little Things

In what some critics saw as an attempt to come across more Trump-like, Vice President JD Vance took to social media to mock Senator Tammy Duckworth, who is a disabled combat veteran. Vance was reacting to a heated exchange between Duckworth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that broke out during a recent Senate hearing. In an X post, he wrote, “Watching Tammy Duckworth obsessively interrupt Marco Rubio during this hearing is like watching Forest Gump argue with Isaac Newton.”…

Department of Justice Opposes Unfair Class Action Settlement Involving Accessibility of Website under the ADA

February 2, 2026    |   Source: U.S. Department of Justice

Today, the Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest arguing that a proposed class action settlement involving an apparel company’s website would afford little value to consumers with vision disabilities while generously compensating attorneys. Plaintiffs in the case, Alcazar v. Fashion Nova Inc., alleged that Fashion Nova Inc., a California-based apparel retailer, operated an online clothing website that was not accessible and denied blind users full and equal access to its goods and services in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act…

Your Next Primary Care Doctor Could Be Online Only, Accessed Through an AI Tool

February 3, 2026    |   Source: KFF Health News

When her doctor died suddenly in August, Tammy MacDonald found herself among the roughly 17% of adults in America without a primary care physician. MacDonald wanted to find a new doctor right away. She needed refills for her blood pressure medications and wanted to book a follow-up appointment after a breast cancer scare. She called 10 primary care practices near her home in Westwood, Massachusetts. None of the doctors, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants was taking new patients…

ASDB relocation threatens students’ access to specially designed accessible park next door

February 3, 2026    |   Source: KGUN 9

The Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB) sits adjacent to the Anza Trail Cultural History Park, which serves as an outdoor classroom specifically designed for ASDB students and staff. As concerns grow about the school’s closure and relocation, there’s worry about losing more than just the campus — but also access to a park built with these students in mind. Kristine Hodgkinson, a 30-year-old former ASDB student who graduated in 2015, expressed her feelings about the school’s closure…

NASCIO Releases Digital Accessibility Guidance for Governments

February 3, 2026    |   Source: Government Technology and StateScoop

Public-sector IT leaders have a new resource to turn to for guidance around making websites and other digital forms of communication and engagement more accessible. The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has released a report to offer guidance and assistance for CIOs as they develop plans to meet federal digital accessibility requirements. The report, known as the NASCIO IT Accessibility Working Group in Review, is made up of expertise compiled by NASCIO’s IT Accessibility Working Group in preparation for meeting requirements set by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)…

Snowstorms Are Hell for Wheelchair Users—But They Don’t Have to Be

February 3, 2026    |   Source: Mother Jones

It took over a week for Mia Ives-Rublee, a wheelchair user and senior director of the Center for American Progress’s disability justice initiative, to be able to move more than a block past her home after one of the country’s most extensive winter storms in years hit her home of Washington, DC, at the end of January. “Living in a city that you know has the resources, and still dealing with these issues, shows just how poorly cities are ready to deal with accessibility issues,” Ives-Rublee told me. When sidewalks in her area were cleared, she said, the snow was moved into curb cuts, making it practically impossible for people with mobility devices to cross the street…

Worker sues Starbucks, claims company fired her on return from disability leave

February 4, 2026    |   Source: February 4, 2026    |   Source: Human Resources Director

A former Starbucks employee is suing the coffee giant, claiming she was fired the same day she returned from disability leave. Misty Hampton filed her lawsuit against Starbucks Corporation in federal court in Missouri on February 2, 2026, alleging the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when it terminated her employment. The case puts a spotlight on a question many HR leaders grapple with: what happens when workplace conduct issues collide with an employee’s protected leave?…

Graves introduces legislation to protect small businesses from growing number of predatory ADA lawsuits

February 4, 2026    |   Source: News Press NOW and KTTN and Northwest MO Info   

A new piece of legislation has been introduced by Congressman Sam Graves to protect small businesses from sue-and-settle schemes. The bill is formally known as the Protecting Small Businesses from Predatory Website Lawsuits Act, which will safeguard small businesses when they seek to create or update websites to make them accessible for Americans with disabilities. According to an announcement for the bill, small businesses in North Missouri and across the country are being hit with copy-and-paste demand letters, claiming their websites aren’t ADA-compliant…

Resort Employee Can Proceed with Disability Suit Over Service Dog in Housing: What Hospitality Employers Should Know

February 4, 2026    |   Source: Fisher Phillips

A recent federal court ruling presents a cautionary tale for employers when handling employee disability-related requests. The US District Court for the District of Utah’s January 13 decision allows the employee to proceed with discrimination claims against a mountain resort for failing to provide a disability-related accommodation in employer-provided housing. The employee claimed that Flaming Gorge Resort violated federal and state law by refusing to allow his diabetes-alert dog to live in company-provided housing and subsequently firing him over the dispute…

ABA therapy costs are soaring. Observers say poor regulations don’t protect AZ kids with autism

February 5, 2026    |   Source: KJZZ

There’s a looming crisis for Arizonans on the autism spectrum, as the cost of a popular form of therapy spirals out of control. At first it just looks like play. In fact, the entire place looks and sounds like a child care center in a Chandler strip mall. On a recent Monday afternoon, preschool-age kids are eating lunch in the cafeteria or racing around the indoor gym. But pay attention and you’ll notice that there’s an adult assigned to each child, and that the adults are focused on the children in a way you don’t see at day care…

Voters with disabilities sue Harris County for alleged lacking inclusive vote-by-mail options

February 5, 2026    |   Source: Houston Public Media

A group of Harris County voters with disabilities filed a class action lawsuit against the county’s election administrator, accusing the county of discriminating against them for not providing mail-in ballots that properly accommodate them. Four voters, each of them either blind or with other disabilities, said the Harris County Clerk’s office, led by Teneshia Hudspeth, only provided paper mail-in ballots to them. Given that each of them was unable either to read or write by themselves, their ballots were no longer private…

Speaker Mike Johnson appoints visually impaired Shreveport leader to national council

February 5, 2026    |   Source: Shreveport Times

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has appointed Shreveport’s Brian Patchett to the National Council on Disability. Patchett is president and chief executive of the Louisiana Association for the Blind, which is headquartered in Shreveport. The National Council on Disability is an independent federal agency within the executive branch focused on advancing policies supporting Americans with disabilities. Patchett himself suffers from a visual impairment. Johnson, of Shreveport-Bossier, said Patchett’s experience will be an asset to the council…

Ed. Dept. Dismissed 90% of Discrimination Cases, Report Says

February 5, 2026    |   Source: Word in Black

The Education Department office responsible for protecting the rights of marginalized and minority students in the nation’s K-12 public schools dismissed nearly every discrimination complaint it received last year, due to the Trump administration’s massive reduction in force, according to a new government watchdog report. At the same time, the Government Accountability Office found that the administration’s attempt to lay off about half of the department’s Office for Civil Rights — a move that was challenged in court — may have cost taxpayers as much as $38 million over the nine months it took to resolve the case…

Jack Fact — According to BW Healthcare World, India is already home to an estimated 12 to 13 million people living with glaucoma, accounting for nearly one-sixth of the global burden. Globally, glaucoma affects around 75 to 80 million individuals, a number expected to rise beyond 110 million by 2040.

Hit The Road Jack —Unequal access to nature: Few outdoor spaces in Europe and the U.S. accommodate sensory, mental disabilities and UN Tourism joins AWE in delivering practical solutions for more accessible and inclusive tourism businesses

International News

Accessible cabs in Toronto are dwindling. One company says the city is failing to support drivers

January 30, 2026    |   Source: CBC- Canada

One of the largest taxi companies in Toronto will be down to three wheelchair-accessible cabs by the end of March, as advocates and providers say the city is failing to support accessible taxi drivers. Zerihun Alemu has been an accessible cab driver with Beck Taxi since 2015. He says he paid out of pocket to convert his van to be accessible, which included adding a ramp. Alemu says he made the investment because he wanted to help people with disabilities, and he thought providing accessible and regular taxi service would help business…

Disability rights group appeals court ruling against class action over transit accessibility

January 30, 2026    |   Source: Montreal Gazette- Canada

A group representing people with mobility challenges is appealing a Superior Court decision that ruled in favour of the region’s transit agencies. This week, lawyers for Regroupement des activistes pour l’inclusion au Québec (RAPLIQ) filed a notice of appeal of the class-action lawsuit that was heard in 2023. The suit claimed that transit agencies discriminated against people with disabilities in not providing adequate accessibility options. It noted a lack of investment in stations on Exo’s suburban train network, the slow pace of investment in elevators in the STM’s métro network, and the long waits to book trips with paratransit services…

Election officials pledge support after accessibility concerns raised

January 31, 2026    |   Source: Barbados Today- Barbados

With just under two weeks to go before voters head to the polls, disability advocates have voiced concerns that some voters may face barriers on election day, prompting the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to promise that polling stations will be accessible and that “reasonable accommodation” will be made for all. Patricia Padmore Blackman, president of the Barbados Council for the Disabled, outlined some of the key issues affecting persons with disabilities. “In terms of blind persons, I know that some of my colleagues have been unsure how they will be assisted, so there’s that lack of trust,” she said…

‘Coffee is just the excuse’: the deaf-run cafe where hearing people sign to order

February 1, 2026    |   Source: The Guardian- UK

Wesley Hartwell raised his fists to the barista and shook them next to his ears. He then lowered his fists, extended his thumbs and little fingers, and moved them up and down by his chest, as though milking a cow. Finally, he laid the fingers of one hand flat on his chin and flexed his wrist forward. Hartwell, who has no hearing problems, had just used BSL, British Sign Language, to order his morning latte with normal milk at the deaf-run Dialogue Cafe, based at the University of East London, and thanked Victor Olaniyan, the deaf barista…

‘Getting from A to B is a right’: The future of accessible train travel for people with sight loss

February 2, 2026    |   Source: South West Londoner- UK and Christian Daily International

A recent Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) report discovered 37% of blind and partially sighted people are unable to make the train journeys they want or need to. That is roughly one in three. Imagine it’s a dark, cold winter night in January. The ground is slowly beginning to sparkle under the dim artificial light, as frost creeps across the concrete towards the platform edge, making it slippery. The ambient glow of the departures board is the only source of warmth for what feels like an eternity of waiting laid out before you, but its text unreadable…

Persons with disabilities still left out of online learning, experts warn

February 2, 2026    |   Source: Dhaka Tribune- India

Making e-learning platforms accessible for persons with disabilities is no longer optional but a legal, moral and development imperative for Bangladesh’s digital future, speakers said at a national webinar on Monday, warning that inaccessible online education risks deepening inequality and excluding millions from skills development. The webinar, titled Breaking Accessibility Barriers in Online Learning Platforms for Persons with Disabilities, was organized by the Access Bangladesh Foundation in collaboration with the Internet Society Foundation and leading media Dhaka Tribune…

Town ‘avoided’ because of accessibility issues

February 3, 2026    |   Source: BBC-UK

Accessibility difficulties are affecting how people try and get around St Peter Port for shopping and other activities, people have told the BBC. In shops, a lift in the town’s Boots store has been out of action for a period of time, and an accessible changing room in New Look was being used for storage. Both companies said the situations were being addressed. The Guernsey Retail Group (GRG) said stores should “regularly review their accessibility measures”. Some people also said they avoided parts of the town centre because some of its cobbled streets were steep…

Photo Essay: Making Italy’s art accessible to people with disabilities

February 3, 2026    |   Source: WBOC- Italy and Associated Press

Italy’s art-filled cities have no shortage of tourists, but they haven’t always been welcoming to visitors with visual impairments or other disabilities. Art that is millennia old doesn’t always lend itself to being touched. People who use wheelchairs often find elevators and doorways that are too narrow, stairs without ramps and uneven pavements. In 2021, as a condition of receiving European Union pandemic recovery funds, Italy accelerated its accessibility initiatives, dedicating more attention and resources to removing architectural barriers and making its tourist sites and sporting venues more accessible…

Persons with disabilities still left out of online learning, experts warn

February 4, 2026    |   Source: Dhaka Tribune- Bangladesh

Making e-learning platforms accessible for persons with disabilities is no longer optional but a legal, moral and development imperative for Bangladesh’s digital future, speakers said at a national webinar on Monday, warning that inaccessible online education risks deepening inequality and excluding millions from skills development. The webinar, titled Breaking Accessibility Barriers in Online Learning Platforms for Persons with Disabilities, was organized by the Access Bangladesh Foundation in collaboration with the Internet Society Foundation and leading media Dhaka Tribune.

The accessibility gap: is your bank raising the bar for disabled customers?

February 4, 2026    |   Source: Which?- UK

A Which? investigation has exposed a two-tier banking system with some current account providers raising the bar to ensure disabled customers are not unnecessarily disadvantaged, while others appear to offer little more than lip service to inclusivity. Our latest research, based on the experiences of more than 2,000 disabled bank customers, brings this disparity into sharp focus. This is the third time we’ve carried out this research and the same brand names appear again at the bottom of the rankings, after failing to improve services for the estimated 16.8 million disabled people in the UK – a quarter of the total population…

Scotland needs accessible and deliverable social care

February 5, 2026    |   Source: Enlighten- Scotland

‘Fix social care’ and ‘care reform’ are familiar refrains to many of us, but what do they really mean to most people in Scotland? Unless you’re one of around 175,000 people receiving or waiting for a care package or one of up to 800,000 unpaid carers supporting someone in need, it’s likely the phrase means very little. But it should be important because the truth is that many, if not most, of us will need social care at some point in our lives. I’ve worked in the third sector for over 20 years now. The rhetoric around health and social care reform trips off my tongue…

Disabled Barbadians to be trained as certified accessibility assessors

February 5, 2026    |   Source: Barbados Today- Barbados

Over a dozen members of the disabled community are set to become certified accessibility assessors, following specialised training that will allow them to work independently while identifying accessibility gaps across Barbados. The training, involving 14 participants, is hosted by the Barbados Council for the Disabled (BCD) in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector under the Job Start Programme, in collaboration with Springboard Consulting. Speaking at the opening session of the Universal Design and Accessibility Training for Persons with Disabilities at the BCD’s headquarters on Thursday, president of the BCD, Patricia Padmore-Blackman, said…

Alton Towers to test excluding people with autism and ADHD from disability fast lane

February 5, 2026    |   Source: The Guardian- UK

People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and autism will be prevented from using fast-lane disability queueing passes at Alton Towers during a trial over the February half-term holidays. Merlin Entertainments, which runs the theme park in Staffordshire, provides a “ride access pass” to visitors who have difficulty queueing due to a disability or medical condition. The pass allows guests to book a slot on a virtual queueing system for themselves and up to three companions…

Disability is not the end of life, but a different starting line: How one Ukrainian man breaks down barriers in his community

February 5, 2026    |   Source: Rubryka- Ukraine

Ivan Kosmyna has lived with 85% paralysis after a failed dive into the water. Having worked through depression, he not only leads an active life but also encourages others to be more open toward people with disabilities, to remove physical barriers, and to challenge deep-rooted stereotypes. How did Ivan help the town of Chortkiv become third in Ukraine for accessibility among small communities? How did he get onto a motorcycle, and what kind of “rides” does he organize with friends for children with disabilities?…

Disabled students still face barriers, research finds, just as ministers prepare to publish SEND white paper

February 5, 2026    |   Source: Disability News Service- UK

Disabled young people in the UK still face barriers that stop them taking part in school, college and university on an equal basis with non-disabled people, despite ongoing international calls for inclusive education, according to new government-funded research. The research, commissioned under the last government, concluded that education staff had “inadequate” training in disability, inclusion and reasonable adjustments, which led to students experiencing “inconsistent support and highly variable experience”…

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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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