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Accessibility News is devoted to accessibility issues relevant to living in Ontario.
Date posted to site:Wednesday, March 10
Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium announced today it would broadcast fifty-seven hours of high-definition television coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in English and French.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1316
Date posted to site:Tuesday, March 09
Minor savings to province signal a devaluation of vulnerable people
On April 1, a number of dental, preventive health and medical services for people struggling to live on disability assistance and income assistance will be cut back.
This is not a fool's joke; it is Liberal government social policy.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1314
Date posted to site:Tuesday, March 09
Currently, foreign-born people make up approximately 13 percent of the total U.S. population. As the immigrant population grows, understanding its disability status and employment characteristics becomes increasingly important. People, both native and foreign-born, with disabilities make important contributions to our society, and many individuals continue to work despite a wide range of impairments. A new study by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital focuses on disability and employment among working-age immigrants in the United States.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1312
Date posted to site:Monday, March 08
The disabled in India are, for the most part, an invisible minority with disability, and often the disabled themselves, being stigmatised. In a country where access to information and education is limited by a variety of factors, including class and caste, persons who have disabilities tend to be far more disadvantaged than the average person of their own caste and class would be.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1304
Date posted to site:Monday, March 08
Hundreds of Canadians have contacted the Canadian Human Rights Commission to find out whether their rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms are being violated because they are unable to access basic services, social and cultural events in their community without becoming ill from fragrance exposure.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1307
Date posted to site:Monday, March 08
The charity Noor Dubai, started by Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has reached its first year anniversary - and exceeded its goals.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1302
Date posted to site:Saturday, March 06
Blind people in Switzerland will soon have help telling their ravioli from their tinned fruit in the kitchen as a new loud-speaking device able to decipher 50,000 products was launched Monday.
"It is almost indispensable for a blind person who wants to live independently," the spokesman for the Swiss union for the blind that will sell the device, told AFP.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1300
Date posted to site:Saturday, March 06
Highway coaches are available for people with mobility issues.
After twenty-five years in the industry, I took it for granted that it was common knowledge this service was available. However, I discovered that many people did not realize that with a minimum of twenty four hours notice, an accessible highway coach can be made available to anyone with mobility issues.
Read more at
http://www.coaac.ca/?p=260
Date posted to site:Friday, March 05
Canada's Paralympic team has set a lofty goal of winning enough gold medals to finish among the top three countries. (Nigel Armstrong/Canadian Press)
As the curtain is drawn on Vancouver's Olympic Games, the stage is being set for Canada's first Winter Paralympics.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1298
Date posted to site:Thursday, March 04
years ago, the Government of Ontario passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), which will update accessibility standards across the province. The act rolls out in five parts, with 2025 as the goal for a fully accessible Ontario. The first part, Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, came into effect on January 1 of this year, and requires every service provider to take part. This includes the faculty, staff and student monitors here at Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD).
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=357
Date posted to site:Thursday, March 04
EMC News - While the Human Rights Legal Support Centre (HRLSC) is happy that the Town of Smiths Falls is planning to withdraw the "most offensive" provisions of the town's Zoning Bylaw and Official Plans related to group homes, it is still concerned about the distancing requirement.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/all_articles.php?all=454
Date posted to site:Thursday, March 04
VANCOUVER, B.C., (March 3, 2010) - The Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) is proud to announce the 25 torch bearers it has selected to take part in the Paralympic Torch Relay for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. These individuals have been selected for their outstanding contribution to the Paralympic Movement. The relay will raise awareness for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, which will be held from March 12 - 21, 2010 in Vancouver and Whistler.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1296
Date posted to site:Wednesday, March 03
With the help of a new community support campaign, it's going to be easier for people with disabilities to showcase their talent as part of Ontario's workforce.
"We want to ensure that all Ontarians have the opportunities and tools they need to reach their full potential," said Kristen Tedesco, communications coordinator for the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/all_articles.php?all=453
Date posted to site:Wednesday, March 03
Those with environmental sensitivities look just like anyone else, yet their bodies react very differently to such things as automobile exhaust, moulds, fragrances, tobacco smoke and pesticides. While reactions often effect the respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive and/or muscular systems, most everyone with environmental sensitivities experiences neurological symptoms such as headaches, depression, insomnia, anxiety, coordination problems, difficulties with memory and concentration, feeling spaced out, etc. These types of symptoms can have a strong impact on employability.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1291
Date posted to site:Wednesday, March 03
Serotek declares war on the traditional adaptive technology industry and their blind ghetto products. With this announcement we are sending out a call to arms to every blind person and every advocate for the blind to rise up and throw off the tyranny that has shaped our lives for the past two decades. It is a tyranny of good intentions - or at least what began as good intentions. But as the proverb says, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1294
Date posted to site:Tuesday, March 02
Our elected members of parliament will return to work this week. And with that comes the expectation that some work will finally get done. Over these last few years disability issues have taken a backseat on the national agenda. This has been a real disappointment for me and for many of my colleagues.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1287
Date posted to site:Tuesday, March 02
/CNW/ - The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal recently found that the provincial Special Diet Allowance (SDA) program violates the Human Rights Code in the way it provides benefits to three individuals. These three individuals are lead complainants in a Tribunal proceeding that involves complaints from nearly 200 other people.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/all_articles.php?all=452
Date posted to site:Tuesday, March 02
Vancouver's hosting of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games is benefitting one very deserving group of travellers: Those with disabilities.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1289
Date posted to site:Monday, March 01
Testing shows Vancouver2010.com and CTVOlympics.ca are almost impossible to use for some people with physical disabilities, and hard to use and understand for blind or deaf people.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1285
Date posted to site:Monday, March 01
- Inclusive Emergency Preparedness Canada (IEPC) is developing training materials for emergency reception centres and shelter staff and volunteers on how best to assist people with disabilities during an emergency or disaster.
TORONTO, Feb. 26 /CNW/ - Ontario-wide - Natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, the Asian tsunami and other catastrophic events have keenly demonstrated the need for emergency preparedness for government, businesses, households and individuals. When planning for disasters or emergencies, special consideration needs to be taken to include people with disabilities.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=354
Date posted to site:Friday, February 26
With the uneven implementation of the Customer Care Standard in School Boards, Hospitals and a broad range of community services and the absence of any meaningful enforcement mechanism, it is more important than ever that your voices be heard
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=342
Date posted to site:Friday, February 26
Burlington City Council Chambers is now fitted with new assistive listening devices to accommodate people with hearing loss. Small, cordless, battery operated receivers are available during council and standing committee meetings to help people hear the proceedings more clearly.
"Our goal is to ensure Burlington is a place where all people, regardless of their ability, can fully access programs and services offered by our city. Ensuring that our facilities meet the needs of all citizens is important to sustaining a vibrant society, and enhancing customer service and direct citizen engagement," said Mayor Cam Jackson.
Read more at
http://www.coaac.ca/?p=224
Date posted to site:Friday, February 26
Members of the Chatham-Kent accessibility advisory committee were congratulated at the Feb. 8 council meeting upon the submission of their 2010-2011 terms of reference.
The committee was created in 2002, and Coun. Marjorie Crew said, "if you look at the list of things they have accomplished and done over the last few years, it's quite amazing."
Read more at
http://www.coaac.ca/?p=222
Date posted to site:Friday, February 26
Area businesses and individuals were honoured for making the community more accessible on Tuesday.
The Chatham-Kent Accessibility Advisory Committee handed out its annual awards at the Thames Campus Arena.
Read more at
http://www.coaac.ca/?p=218
Date posted to site:Friday, February 26
Manufacturers and suppliers of consumer technology devices in the US could be forced to make all their products accessible to blind consumers, if proposed legislation is passed by Congress.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1281
Date posted to site:Wednesday, February 24
Accessible Twitter, a web application that empowers disabled users to access Twitter, has updated its status from Alpha to Beta.
Accessible Twitter is a web application that enables users with disabilities and limited technology to use the popular social micro-blogging web service Twitter.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1272
Date posted to site:Wednesday, February 24
VANCOUVER, B.C. - The world's attention turned to Brian McKeever as he arrived at the Winter Olympics on Tuesday.
Eurosport, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Agence-France Presse, Reuters and the Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun were among the international media that came to hear the story of the visually impaired cross-country skier who is about to make history as the first winter athlete to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1278
Date posted to site:Wednesday, February 24
Pakistan Association of the Blind (PAB) Monday sought four per cent reserved seats for special persons in the Parliament in the upcoming constitutional package, expected to be announced soon.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1274
Date posted to site:Wednesday, February 24
Scores of Jamaican children with learning disabilities are being left behind by an inadequate education system that spews out illiterates 26,000 at a time.
The system not only fails to identify special-needs children, but expects them to compete without systematic intervention.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1276
Date posted to site:Wednesday, February 24
A legal group is launching human rights complaints Tuesday (today) against Smiths Falls and three other Ontario municipalities, charging them with keeping "offensive, discriminatory" bylaws in place.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/all_articles.php?all=451
Date posted to site:Tuesday, February 23
Tens of millions of elderly people in the EU suffering from mild dementia may be able to look after themselves, and free up their carers, thanks to a newEuropean-developed system.
One of the first and most debilitating symptoms of dementia is short-term memory loss, which means care is required for people who are otherwise quite capable of looking after themselves. They can perform tasks, but they forget them or how to do them.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1270
Date posted to site:Saturday, February 20
Canadian Federation of the Blind's Letter to Premier Campbell
Canada needs a coordinated partnership between local and provincial libraries, as well as a nationwide clearinghouse for materials in alternate formats such as Braille, large print, and audio. The clearinghouse must be part of the library system, not an arm of CNIB, which is a private charity. Bowing to CNIB pressure now will delay, or perhaps even prevent, the development of the kind of unified service delivery system we need.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1252
Date posted to site:Saturday, February 20
IBM Research-Japan and WGBH's Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) are conducting a joint study via an online survey on the applicability of speech synthesis for audio description of Web-based video.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1262
Date posted to site:Saturday, February 20
Retailers' use of fixed devices faces challenge by handicapped groups
Quebec associations for the handicapped are challenging retailers' use of immovable debit-card readers.
They say the practice of attaching bank-card readers to store checkout counters discriminates against certain handicapped customers - such as those in wheelchairs - who can't easily reach the counter.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1264
Date posted to site:Saturday, February 20
At last, the United States is part of a UN strategy to stop discrimination
Being blind doesn't bother 30-year-old Bryan Garaventa. It's how others perceive him that's annoying.
"People see you and they see your disability, not the person," he says from his home in Pacifica, Calif. "It's basically ignorance - they think if you have a disability, you're not capable of thinking."
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1268
Date posted to site:Friday, February 19
Senior and disabled transit riders appear to have lost a bid to win more ground at the front of the bus from stroller-pushing parents.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/mobility_articles.php?Mobility=450
Date posted to site:Friday, February 19
Supporters of Google's effort to create the world's largest digital library on the internet told a U.S. federal judge Thursday that it would benefit society, while opponents said it would infringe on copyright protections and violate the privacy of readers.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1260
Date posted to site:Friday, February 19
TORONTO, Feb. 18 /CNW/ - A bold new initiative soon to be implemented in federal prisons in Ontario will help to address the treatment needs for federal offenders with mental health issues.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1258
Date posted to site:Friday, February 19
St. Catharines city hall is becoming more accessible - with an elevator that now tells you which floor you're on and listening devices that mean you won't miss a word your city councillor is saying.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=339
Date posted to site:Thursday, February 18
Loss of researchers especially worrying, storefront lawyers say
Jack de Klerk had to act fast when a mentally ill man walked into a storefront law office on Queen St., fresh from an alarming legal defeat.
"He came to us and said, `I don't want to be evicted,'" de Klerk, clinic director at Neighbourhood Legal Services, recalled in an interview Wednesday.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/all_articles.php?all=449
Date posted to site:Thursday, February 18
Transit Information Instantly Delivered to Signs, Web Site and Smart Phones
The Passenger Information System will be implemented at Nashville's Music City Central transit center and at bus shelters along the city's new Bus Rapid Transit line. Message signs will have technology compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), allowing visually impaired passengers to hear information displayed on the signs at the transit center.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1256
Date posted to site:Wednesday, February 17
The Nortel pension and benefits deal is subject to court approval on March 3. (CBC)
Nortel employees on long-term disability leave say they will fight a deal reached between the failing company, themselves and Nortel pensioners.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1244
Date posted to site:Wednesday, February 17
Learning disabilities among Thai students should be recognised and rectified earlier, giving more people a better chance in life
The number of Thais who fail to develop their reading and writing skills to functional levels will increase if students with learning disabilities are not diagnosed and accommodated.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1247
Date posted to site:Wednesday, February 17
Air Canada has been ordered to create a nut-free zone on flights to accommodate passengers with serious nut allergies in response to a complaint by two passengers.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1250
Date posted to site:Tuesday, February 16
San Francisco, Calif. - A federal court has ruled that the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) will cause a blind law school graduate irreparable harm unless it provides her the technology-based testing accommodations she needs to take two exams required to become a member of the State Bar of California.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1241
Date posted to site:Monday, February 15
TORONTO, Feb. 9 /CNW/ - After being refused a transfer five times by their landlord, Peter and Louise Dixon turned to the Human Rights Legal Support Centre for help. Mr. Dixon, a bilateral amputee, viewed several empty units in his building and was told they were not "suitable."
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=337
Date posted to site:Saturday, February 13
Human rights tribunal orders improvements
Polio sufferer Peter Hughes is happy that disabled people no longer will be humiliated when they vote at polling stations.
In March 2008, Hughes went to vote in a federal byelection in Toronto Centre - when Bob Rae was elected - only to find the polling station was in a church basement and not accessible to disabled people.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1239
Date posted to site:Saturday, February 13
The fallout continues from Elections Ontario's operating a polling station in the February 4, 2010 by-election that was inaccessible to voters with disabilities, and its then denying to the media that the polling station was inaccessible.
Read more at
http://www.aodaalliance.org/strong-effective-aoda/02082010.asp
Date posted to site:Friday, February 12
When contemplating disability accommodations in legal proceedings, a lawyer might think instinctively about the rights of accused persons in criminal trials, or perhaps the common TV image of a lawyer in a wheelchair addressing an attentive jury.
Yet removal of disability barriers in courts and tribunals can benefit many people who have disabilities, including victims of crime, witnesses, litigants, the accused, jurors, or jurists.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1229
Date posted to site:Friday, February 12
Murray Howard and Darda Sales will serve as co-chairperson on the new Accessible Sports Council London and Area. The council, which was launched on Jan. 29, accepted a $2,300 cheque from ParaSport Ontario to help with start-up costs.
Darda Sales knows what it takes to overcome challenges while competing - and succeeding - at the highest level.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/all_articles.php?all=448
Date posted to site:Friday, February 12
Illiteracy is a common problem all across the world, and in some places more common than others. Illiteracy isn't just the inability to read , illiteracy prevents those who are illiterate from living a "Normal every-day life". How can a disease that through all of time has seemed incurable be cured, and a war that has seemed unwinnable be won? The answer to this question is this war cannot be completely won immediately but the fight can b increased fought harder. Over time the war can be won and the battle ended, but to do this everyone will have to fight. Focusing the attention of the people and starting at the beginning is the most basic way to begin the fight. Then focusing the attention and power of the Federal Government on the issue would be the second step. The final step would be focusing time and money through agencies and foundations towards illiteracy.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1233
Date posted to site:Friday, February 12
Wendy MacDonald, president of the Alberta Association for Community Living, spoke at the rally. (CBC)The families of people with developmental disabilities held a protest at the legislature over cuts to a program that helps disabled adults live as independently as possible.
"This is not a political issue. This is a people issue," said Wendy MacDonald, president of the Alberta Association for Community Living.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1237
Date posted to site:Wednesday, February 10
GENEVA - A workshop hosted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) from February 2 to 5, 2010, brought together over 180 persons from some 32 organizations to promote awareness about accessibility for people with disabilities and to encourage webmasters within the United Nations system and other organizations to implement principles of accessibility in their daily work.
Read more at
http://www.badeyes.com/?p=192
Date posted to site:Tuesday, February 09
The February 5, 2010 Toronto Sun reported that a polling station in the February 4, 2010 Toronto provincial by-election was inaccessible to voters with disabilities. (Making this incident worse, Elections Ontario initially denied that the polling station was inaccessible.
Read more at
http://www.aodaalliance.org/strong-effective-aoda/02052010.asp
Date posted to site:Tuesday, February 09
It is my honour to provide you with my first Year-End Report since I took on the role of Chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance last February. We have accomplished a great deal in 2009 in our ongoing campaign for a barrier-free Ontario.
There has been progress over the past year. Yet Ontario clearly remains behind schedule to meet the goal, required under the AODA, to become fully accessible by 2025.
Read more at
http://www.aodaalliance.org/strong-effective-aoda/12232009.asp
Date posted to site:Tuesday, February 09
Members of a local advocacy group are hoping to 'bury' Ontario's premier in letters, pleading for the government to address what they call the neglect of mental health services for children.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/health_articles.php?health=446
Date posted to site:Tuesday, February 09
New program will focus on the social aspects ofdisability
There is a lot of interest and student demand for Manitoba's first Interdisciplinary Bachelor's in Disability Studies degree program.
After 10 years of planning, the University of Winnipeg is introducing Manitoba's first Interdisciplinary Bachelor's in Disability Studies degree program.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1224
Date posted to site:Monday, February 08
Activists for the province's disabled community are calling for tough legislation to protect their voting rights after Elections Ontario set up a polling station down a flight of stairs.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=329
Date posted to site:Monday, February 08
This Presentation was originally delivered at the Collections, Connections and Communities Conference, Ottawa, Ontario, October 2, 2009. It was revised for presentation at the University of Toronto, February 3, 2010.
For many persons with a disability - even a life long history and museum lover like me - the prospect of a visit to a museum, art gallery or heritage property can be a rather intimidating event. However, this need not be the case.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=934
Date posted to site:Monday, February 08
We no longer think it is acceptable to discriminate against people on grounds of gender or race and, as a community, we expect provision to be made for people with disabilities in public transport and building design. However, when it comes to making sure web content is accessible to all users of the web, including people with disabilities, some designers, developers and clients just 'don't get it', to borrow a phrase popular with the geekerati.
We like to rejoice in the notion that all 'men are created equal with inalienable rights', or 'from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs', to take a more Marxist approach, however this hasn't always been the case.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1222
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Below is a list of upcoming events, for more details go to http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/events/.