Accessibility in the News — 1/30/2026.

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Feature Stories

How AI and Other Technology Can Improve the Lives of People with Disabilities

January 22, 2026 | Source: New America

Conversations about new technology tend to veer between extremes: Either it’s going to save the world or destroy it. But the experiences of people with disabilities highlight that reality is somewhere in the middle. When the right tools—such as telehealth appointments, AI-assisted communication, and online communities—are carefully designed and inclusively implemented, they expand independence and agency. For individuals like Alisa Yang, Jocelyn (known as Jocy) Mondragon, and Christopher Robin Judson Worth, panelists at New America’s “Bridging the Gaps in Disability Policy” event, technology can be both a lifeline and a barrier…

Inclusive Dining Tech: The New Must Have for Foodservice

January 23, 2026 | Source: The Food Institute

The foodservice sector has typically evolved alongside society. However, in 2026 that evolution is happening faster and more deliberately than ever before. Accessibility, ease of use and guest experience now play a central role in long-term success. This is where inclusive dining technology comes in. Once considered a nice-to-have, inclusive technology is rapidly becoming a core part of modern foodservice strategy. Technology has reshaped how customers discover restaurants, place orders, customize meals and pay for their food. Digital menus, mobile ordering, self-service kiosks, and delivery platforms are now, of course, standard…

Elon Musk says Neuralink’s Blindsight implant could help fully blind patients see again

January 29, 2026 | Source: Storyboard18 and The News International

Neuralink is preparing for a milestone in brain implant technology as it readies its Blindsight device for its first implantation in a human patient, pending regulatory approval. Elon Musk said the device is designed to help people who are completely blind regain a form of vision by allowing the brain to receive visual information again. He cautioned that the initial experience would be limited, with vision starting in low resolution and gradually improving as the brain adapts to the signals over time. Rather than restoring natural eyesight instantly, Blindsight is intended to reintroduce visual perception in stages…

National News (U.S.)

Guam marks 50 years of disability education law amidst school accessibility challenges

January 24, 2026 | Source: Pacific Daily News

Government leaders and Guam Department of Education officials on Friday celebrated more than 50 years of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA. The IDEA, they said, is a cornerstone in civil rights, access to education and long-term services for students with disabilities. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said the recognition reflects a core principle of her administration. “Our administration (believes) that every child deserves an education regardless of their sex or their age or their racial ethnicity or their ability to become educated,” the governor said…

The ‘R-Word’ Returns, Dismaying Those Who Fought to Oust It

January 26, 2026 | Source: The New York Times

Late last month, a woman posted a photograph on social media of a purple hat she had knitted, while a black-and-white dog lounged on the carpet a few feet away. The cozy scene was accompanied by a single sentence: “This hat is an hour behind schedule thanks to influencer retards.” The proud knitter, Harmeet K. Dhillon, is also the assistant attorney general overseeing the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Her purview includes protecting the rights of people with intellectual disabilities by ensuring compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act…

How Losing My Limbs Turned Me Into a Different Kind of Cook

January 27, 2026 | Source: The New York Times

Throughout my two-decade career as a cook — working in restaurants and test kitchens, developing recipes and writing cookbooks — I have been aware of limitations. Carrots, for example, must be prepared a certain way to harness their natural sweetness, coaxing out the sugars by roasting them to a robust depth. So it is with my body, too. Living with a chronic illness, there have always been limitations to understand, boundaries in which I had to operate. I’m impulsive by nature, eager to act on ideas once I have them, but over time I learned to pace myself, to be more patient, to avoid long hours on my feet…

In New Orleans, the “Big Easy” Includes Accessibility Too

January 27, 2026 | Source: Condé Nast Traveler

Wheelchair user Mark Raymond was sitting at an outdoor table at Loretta’s Pralines on Frenchmen Street, the quieter alternative to Bourbon Street’s tourist trap, as powdered sugar from a deconstructed crabmeat beignet cascaded onto his lap like Mardi Gras confetti. We were seated out back because the ornate Parisian-inspired front entrance has steps. “In New Orleans, it’s often a battle over whether aesthetics will win over function,” he told me. Raymond, a quadriplegic for over a decade, has spent years as Chairman of the Regional Transit Authority Board of Commissioners, taking on the city’s staunch preservationists…

Deaf Virginians Push Movie Caption Bill

January 28, 2026 | Source: Potomac Local News

Deaf and hard-of-hearing Virginians shared frustrations with movie theater accessibility while discussing House Bill 602, legislation that would require open-captioned screenings at theaters across the state. House Bill 602, sponsored by Delegate Phil Hernandez, would require movie theaters in Virginia to offer open-captioned screenings, either at designated times when a film opens or upon request. The bill was referred to the House General Laws Committee on January 13. During a Potomac Local News discussion, several Deaf Virginians described recurring issues with assistive captioning devices currently offered by theaters, such as captioning glasses or small screens placed in cup holders…

Women with disabilities win lawsuit, changes coming to Detroit buildings

January 28, 2026 | Source: Detroit Free Press and Law360

Several women with disabilities fighting for greater mobility accessibility in public buildings have won the right to pursue their case, despite efforts to dismiss the lawsuit. Jill Babcock, Ashley Jacobson and Marguerite Maddox, each with physical disabilities, allege in a federal lawsuit several disability rights violations by the state of Michigan, Wayne County, city of Detroit and the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority, which runs the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. U.S. District Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey denied the state’s request for government immunity because of claims the plaintiffs were denied access or were impeded for in-person voting, courts, meetings and other essential services at government buildings…

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

January 28, 2026 | Source: The Arc

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 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. It was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in its landmark Olmstead v. L.C. (Lois Curtis) decision in 1999. We cannot let these states take away that right…

Disability groups are standing united for trans rights. That hasn’t always been the case.

January 29, 2026 | Source: The 19th

Nearly 40 years ago, disability advocates struck a deal with Republican lawmakers, who agreed to give their votes in exchange for excluding trans people from landmark federal disability protections. Over the past few years, and bolstered by the Biden administration, federal courts have determined that many trans people are entitled to protection from discrimination by the same laws protecting Americans with disabilities. But a new rule proposed by the Trump administration aims to reverse that. This time, though, disability rights advocates are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the LGBTQ+ community to extend civil rights protections to people who were historically left out…

From Montgomery Roots To National Honor: Ed Stone’s Lifelong Fight Against Blindness

January 29, 2026 | Source: Montgomery Independent

Montgomery has long been a city whose influence extends far beyond its borders, shaping leaders whose work leaves a national and even global imprint. That tradition continues with the 2025 election of Montgomery native Dr. Edwin “Ed” Stone to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in American health and medical science, alongside his receipt of the 2025 Helen Keller Award for Vision Research, a distinction rich with local and historical meaning. Stone’s election to the National Academy of Medicine places him among a select group of physicians and scientists recognized for extraordinary professional achievement and service…

Court Deals Major Blow to Retired Players in Disability Suit Against NFL

January 29, 2026 | Source: Front Office Sports

A federal judge yesterday denied a class certification in a lawsuit brought in 2023 by 10 retired NFL players against the league’s disability plans. The ruling is a major blow to the plaintiffs, who filed the lawsuit after years of stories of the NFL’s disability plans turning down severely disabled players for awards or granting reduced compensation, and financial conflicts of interest among program doctors. But federal judge Rebecca Rubin did not rule on plaintiffs’ claims of the NFL’s disability plans’ “repeated lies; material misrepresentations; active concealment; flagrant violations of… statute, regulations, and case law; ever-shifting inconsistent and illogical interpretations of the terms of the plans; and reliance on conflicted advisors…

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…

Charter schools don’t shortchange special-education students

January 29, 2026 | Source: Ripple by The Washington Post

Education establishment figures commonly criticize charter schools as harmful to students with disabilities. Former New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina, for example, accused them of pushing out students with disabilities to keep test scores high. New evidence from Michigan complicates this narrative, however, showing that charters improve both academic performance and attendance for these students. The study, published by the National Center for Research on Educational Access and Choice, analyzed roughly 60,000 Michigan K-8 students who switched from traditional public schools to charter schools between 2013 and 2018…

Federal change expands savings options for more adults with disabilities

January 29, 2026 | Source: CBS12

A major federal change that took effect this year could open the door to greater financial independence for people with disabilities. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act now allows more adults — including those diagnosed later in life — to save money in ABLE accounts without putting essential benefits at risk. In Florida, ABLE United, the state’s disability savings program, is working to help families understand what the expanded eligibility means. A spokesperson for the program, Steph Linares, joined CBS12 News at 3 P.M. on Thursday to explain who qualifies and how the accounts work…

Disability, IDEA, and the Impact of Federal Cuts

January 29, 2026 | Source: New America

When civil rights are no longer guaranteed for our students, our public education system is that much weaker. Access to high quality schools and educators is critically important for the future of citizenship and democracy; civil rights protections are what ensure that everyone, particularly historically disadvantaged populations, get to fully participate. This interview is the second in a series on civil rights in education to call attention to where the Trump administration is stripping away protections and endangering historically underrepresented and under-resourced communities…

Kennedy Overhauls Federal Autism Panel in His Own Image

January 29, 2026 | Source: The New York Times

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has overhauled a panel that helps the federal government set priorities for autism research and social services, installing several members who have said that vaccines can cause autism despite decades of research that has failed to establish such a link. The panel, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, was established in 2000 and has historically included autistic people, parents, scientists and clinicians, as well as federal employees, who hold public meetings to debate how federal funds should best be allocated to support people with autism…

Jack Fact — According to Science Friday, each year, around 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disease that can cause tremors and affect cognition.

Hit The Road Jack — This Is the First U.S. State to be ‘Accessibility Verified’—Here’s What That Means and Clearing the path for more accessible outdoor spaces and Five ways New South Wales is making travel accessible

International News

Final report urges Queensland to opt out of building accessibility requirements, government says it won’t

January 23, 2026 | Source: ABC- Australia

The Queensland government says it will “maintain” building accessibility requirements, despite the state’s productivity commission recommending it opt out of the national guidelines to increase building approvals. Queensland has been phasing in the new accessibility standards outlined in the current National Construction Code (NCC) since 2023. It means new homes built in the state need to include features such as at least one step-free entry and wider internal doors and corridors, as well as a toilet on the ground or at entry level…

Why making live events accessible for people with disabilities makes sense for everyone

January 24, 2026 | Source: Scroll- India

Last December, Delhi hosted a concert by AR Rahman and his Sufi ensemble. On paper, this was an accessible concert, at least for wheelchair users who could afford the premium tiers priced at Rs 6,000 or Rs 25,000. The lowest-priced ticket, at Rs1,000, offered no wheelchair access at all. The Rahman concert was symptomatic of a larger issue – one where accessibility is treated as a luxury feature rather than a basic design requirement. Many other musicians like Sunidhi Chauhan, AP Dhillon, and Papon came and captured Delhi in the same month. Unfortunately, unlike Rahman, even money could not buy you access to these concerts…

Russia Cuts Its Disability Count As War Against Ukraine Wounds Hundreds of Thousands

January 26, 2026 | Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty- Russia

Oksana’s son does not speak, walks with difficulty, and has epilepsy. At 20, he can eat on his own but cannot control his bodily functions. Yet Oksana, who asked that her last name not be published for fear of repercussions, says that when he turned 18, it took her an entire year to convince officials that he qualified as disabled. She now says bitterly of the process: “In Russia, to obtain disability status, you have to be healthy.” In early April 2022, six weeks after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the government of President Vladimir Putin further tightened its rules for the recognition of disabilities — something it had done several times in the past decade…

Montreal family raises accessibility concerns over air travel

January 26, 2026 | Source: Global News- Canada

Twenty-five-year-old Sammy Cavallaro and his family run one of the most successful sports podcasts in the country, The Sick Podcast. And so covering major events, such as the upcoming Super Bowl, means having to travel from time to time. The Montreal-area family says at the end of December, they began looking for direct flights from Montreal to San Francisco. Their goal was to leave Jan. 30, in order to arrive the week before the Feb. 8 game. “The aircrafts weren’t good for the wheelchair, so we made a few calls — [agents said] we’ll get back to you,” said Rosa Mariani, Sammy’s mother…

Disabled man feels shut out of accessible seating as venues — including Rogers Arena — fail to stop abuse

January 26, 2026 | Source: CBC- Canada

A Langley, B.C., man who often relies on a wheelchair says he can rarely attend hockey games or concerts at Rogers Arena because seats are often taken by people who might not need them. After a 2006 car accident, Michael Coss suffered a traumatic brain injury and spent six months in a coma. Despite daily physical therapy, he is at high risk of falling and uses a walker or wheelchair. He lives in a group home and says leisure activities are essential. “It’s important for me to have a sense of normalcy,” said Coss…

First accessible pub in China fosters community of people with disabilities and the able-bodied

January 26, 2025 | Source: Asia News Network- China

Fu Ming, a 38-year-old business owner with a physical disability who is dedicated to promoting accessibility, recently celebrated his birthday with a heartwarming crowd of friends at Pub HandyCup in Shanghai. As the first accessible pub in China, owned by Xia Yujie, Pub HandyCup’s name is a play on words from “handicap”, embodying the vision of breaking down barriers with drinks and creating an open, inclusive space for all. When Fu was less than a year old, he fell and suffered a brain injury, which led to limitations on the left side of his body. Using a wheelchair, this regular pub customer, better known as Xiao Mi, freely navigates in and out of the pub thanks to its thoughtful accessible design…

People with disabilities need urgent protection amid deadly Mozambique floods

January 26, 2026 | Source: ReliefWeb- Mozambique

People with disabilities in Mozambique need urgent, inclusive humanitarian support in the wake of devastating floods that have killed more than 100 people and caused widespread destruction. More than 645,000 people have been affected following weeks of heavy rain and flooding, according to Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Risk Reduction (INGD). At least 112 people have lost their lives, tens of thousands have been displaced and thousands of homes have been destroyed…

Accessible By Law, Unavailable In Reality: Wheelchair taxis and PHV under pressure as government signals tougher action on accessibility

January 26, 2026 | Source: TaxiPoint- UK

The UK Government has signalled that stronger intervention may be required to address persistent shortages of wheelchair accessible taxis and private hire vehicles, after senior ministers accepted that current licensing arrangements are failing to deliver consistent access for disabled passengers. Giving evidence to the House of Commons Transport Committee, Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood MP said the availability of wheelchair accessible vehicles remains inadequate in many parts of the country, particularly within private hire fleets, and confirmed the issue would be examined as part of forthcoming national minimum standards for taxi and private hire licensing…

‘A huge problem’: Toronto snowstorm highlights accessibility issues, disability advocates say

January 27, 2026 | Source: The Canadian Press- Canada

Every winter, David Lepofsky uses the same strategy to navigate frigid temperatures in Toronto: walking as fast as possible to get to his destination. But he said it’s far too dangerous to use that technique this winter, which has brought extended periods of bone-chilling cold weather and a record snowfall on Sunday that will take days to clean up. The 68-year-old retired lawyer and disability rights advocate who is blind said it’s impossible for him to walk fast when the roads and walkways are covered with layers of ice and snow…

Memorizing London’s 25,000 streets changes cabbies’ brains — and may prevent Alzheimer’s

January 27, 2026 | Source: Big Think- London

To the casual observer, a London taxi driver is just a guy who knows a shortcut to Heathrow and has strong opinions on local weather and politics (“This bloody Starmer and his leftie government”). But to a neuroscientist, that cabbie is a miracle of neuroplasticity. Why? Because you can’t become a London cabbie without mastering “The Knowledge.” As they cram the chaotic layout of one of the world’s most complex city grids into their heads, aspiring cabbies don’t just learn a map. They physically redesign and grow their brain…

‘Accessibility is not a luxury, it’s a human right’ – Wexford actress Ruth Codd on adjusting to life after second leg amputation

January 27, 2026 | Source: Irish Independent- Ireland

Irish actress and The Celebrity Traitors star Ruth Codd has spoken candidly about her life, career and resilience following the amputation of her second leg, telling viewers of The Late Late Show that the decision was about reclaiming her quality of life. The 29-year-old Wexford woman appeared on the programme last week to reflect on a landmark year professionally and personally, joking that she “could have done without” the surgery, which took place in November. Ms Codd previously had one leg amputated at the age of 23 after complications arising from a serious injury she sustained as a teenager…

Gene therapy can restore hearing in some people born with congenital deafness

January 27, 2026 | Source: Genetic Literacy Project- Sweden

Up to three in every 1,000 newborns has hearing loss in one or both ears. While cochlear implants offer remarkable hope for these children, it requires invasive surgery. These implants also cannot fully replicate the nuance of natural hearing. But recent research my colleagues and I conducted has shown that a form of gene therapy can successfully restore hearing in toddlers and young adults born with congenital deafness. Our research focused specifically on toddlers and young adults born with OTOF-related deafness…

“Women’s rights are disability rights, and disability rights are women’s rights”

January 28, 2026 | Source: Open Access Government- Europe

Women and girls with disabilities in the EU often face multiple and intersecting inequalities that stem from both gender-based and disability-based discrimination. One of the most significant concerns is the high incidence of violence against women with disabilities. Research indicates that they are two to five times more likely to experience physical or sexual violence than women without disabilities. Being a woman with a disability exposes individuals to specific risks, including violence in segregated settings such as residential institutions and even state-sanctioned violence, which can include forced sterilization and forced abortion…

“How Could I Not?”: Photographer Chris Hildreth Returns to South Sudan with Cure Blindness Project

January 28, 2026 | Source: Cure Blindness Project- Sudan

When friends and family ask photographer Chris Hildreth how he can repeatedly travel to war-torn South Sudan to document the work of Cure Blindness Project, his response is simple and unwavering: “How could I not?” “Once you see the work,” Hildreth says, “you’re excited to share it with others.” Hildreth, owner of Rooster Media in Durham, North Carolina, has joined Duke University ophthalmologist Dr. Lloyd Williams on multiple missions for Cure Blindness Project using his photos to tell the story of the work. No two trips are alike, but each one reinforces why he keeps returning…

Kiosks nationwide must now meet accessibility standards

January 28, 2026 | Source: The Korea Times- Korea

Starting Wednesday, most venues nationwide that use automated kiosks will be required to install models accessible to people with disabilities, as part of a broad expansion of accessibility rules as such systems proliferate rapidly. Under the updated standards, barrier‑free kiosks must include voice guidance, braille or raised buttons and adjustable screens or height to help users with visual or mobility impairments, while smaller businesses that qualify for exemptions may meet the mandate with alternative measures such as assistive devices or staff support…

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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.
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