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Date posted to site: January 30, 2010
There is a lot of good advice for the discerning web developer to find on the web on how to make a website accessible, unfortunately there is also plenty of bad or outdated advice out there as well. Here are a few of the myths of accessibility that you may hear.
Read more at
http://www.badeyes.com/?p=184
Date posted to site: January 29, 2010
Access By Leadership in Equity - a new student organization seeking to raise awareness about students with disabilities - has launched efforts to facilitate greater campus dialogue about accessibility in its first weeks in existence, according to co-directors Emily Broas '11 and Rebecca Gotlieb '12.
ABLE's goals include providing a peer-to-peer support network for students with disabilities, raising awareness about both visible and invisible disabilities, and improving College accommodations for these students by serving as a voice for the community.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1188
Date posted to site: January 28, 2010
CNW/ - Municipalities have to consider the needs of everyone - including people with disabilities or on social assistance - when making bylaws. The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) made that ruling late last week, saying "municipalities - and this Board - are bound by the (Human Rights) Code."
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=319
Date posted to site: January 28, 2010
The Web is now so tightly integrated into our society that it's second nature to obtain employment, access education, do commerce, get information, get entertainment and even build social relationships online. If the Web is now a permanent and integral part of our society, then is denying a group of people access to much of the Web a form of discrimination and a denial of a human right?
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1181
Date posted to site: January 28, 2010
Visually-challenged protestors blocked the road outside BMC headquarters, in front of Azad Maidan, for almost two hours on Monday, to press for their demands of jobs in government and semi-government organisations.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1183
Date posted to site: January 27, 2010
OAKLAND, Calif. – In a sweeping settlement announced today by Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) and the City of Oakland, Oakland has agreed to adopt an emergency plan which incorporates the needs of people with all types of disabilities.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1176
Date posted to site: January 27, 2010
operations committee is recommending a traffic count in the village of Killaloe to determine if the minimum criteria for traffic signal installation is satisfied.
As previously reported in The Daily Observer, the county's accessibility advisory committee recommended a specialized traffic light for the village at the intersection of County Road 512 (Queen Street) and Lake Street be installed for safety reasons. The intersection has some unique properties as it essentially includes McCarthy's Lane and Water Street. The multiple intersections don't meet at a typical 90 degrees. Some of the intersections are offset, some come in at angles, while Queen Street features a curve at that point and is situated at the top of a hill.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=317
Date posted to site: January 25, 2010
Jennifer Francis has a disability and requires a service dog - but there's nothing wrong with her sight, hearing or limbs.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1174
Date posted to site: January 23, 2010
The CNIB -- once known as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind -- wants the B.C. government to hand over $624,000 because of what it calls inequities in library funding for Canadians.
It's hard to say no to the CNIB, because the charity has a wonderful reputation. But let's hope that the provincial government does its homework on this request.
The facts do not support the CNIB's argument.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1163
Date posted to site: January 23, 2010
Visually impaired cross-country skier's dream comes true
Visually impaired cross-country skier Brian McKeever is about to make history.
The 30-year-old Canmore, Alta., native has been named to Team Canada, becoming the first Paralympian to compete in a Winter Olympics.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1170
Date posted to site: January 23, 2010
Alex Allarie says his service dog, a chihuahua Dee-O-Gee, helps him cope with his anxiety and depression, a psychiatric disability. (CBC)A fight over a chihuahua described as a disabled man's service dog has been dismissed by the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1172
Date posted to site: January 22, 2010
-The Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) is asking for council's assistance to make Port Hope a more accessible community for all who live there and for those who visit.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=315
Date posted to site: January 22, 2010
A University of Manitoba professor is alleging a doctoral candidate twice failed his comprehensive examination, then appealed to be reinstated on the basis that he suffers from the disability of extreme examination anxiety.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1165
Date posted to site: January 22, 2010
Neil Jacobson, the founder and CEO of Abilicorp discusses the fit between Information Technology (IT) and people with disabilities and it how it could potentially influence hiring decisions in enterprise environments
In what ways are people with disabilities superior employees?
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1167
Date posted to site: January 21, 2010
When Penny Lamy moved into her new accessible apartment in Regent Park last September, it was, she said, "like a fog lifted." "I feel like I've had a fog lifted since I finally got settled," said Lamy, who must use an electric wheelchair to move around. "Other tenants are really excited there as well."
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=311
Date posted to site: January 21, 2010
"Complete hogwash and double-speak."
That's the reaction of Brockville lawyer John Johnston to a Monday press release from Legal Aid Ontario announcing increased "access points" for local services despite the anticipated closure of legal aid offices in Brockville and Perth.
Johnston said plans for a toll-free telephone number and expanded court services mask the true intentions of the provincial government to cut costs and jobs by closing local legal aid offices.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=313
Date posted to site: January 20, 2010
When buttons and posters are your only costs, the $250 student campaign budget is more than enough in the Ryerson Students' Union (RSU) elections. But for David Fourney, who may need to hire a sign language interpreter if he runs for vice-president equity, it means discrimination.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/deaf_articles.php?deaf=444
Date posted to site: January 20, 2010
Not many iPhone applications get reviews that call them life-changing.
Samuel Sennott, a doctoral student in special educaton at Pennsylvania State University's main campus, created an iPhone application that helps people with communication disabilities speak. He worked with David Niemeijer, an Amsterdam-based developer, to build the software, called Proloquo2Go.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1154
Date posted to site: January 20, 2010
Three US universities have agreed not to use Amazon's e-book reader the Kindle until it is easily usable by blind people. A fourth settled a complaint from blind people's advocacy groups by saying that it will strive to use accessible devices in future.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1158
Date posted to site: January 20, 2010
More children with special needs are expected to be served in Makati City as the city government has turned over its state-of-the-art Special Education (SPED) Center building to DepEd-Makati which would provide them greater access to formal education.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1160
Date posted to site: January 19, 2010
This article should be of interest to anyone who has to draw employment agreements. It has some very good suggestions on how to deal with some situations that can become very difficult and expensive for employers.
Managing disability in the workplace remains one of the most challenging areas of employment law for managers, HR professionals and lawyers alike. A common - and difficult - question is how long can an employee be off work due to illness or injury before an employer can safely terminate the employment relationship without liability?
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1152
Date posted to site: January 18, 2010
With the draft report finally in and before Minister of Community and Social Services Madeleine Meilleur, Toronto taxi industry leaders say the high standards of accessible service called for in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) must be supported by government funding.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=309
Date posted to site: January 18, 2010
Among the most humbling moments being confined to an electric wheelchair came when Shawana Bulloch realized it could prevent her from attending services at her Savannah church.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1150
Date posted to site: January 16, 2010
By Geof Collis
Badeyes Design & Consulting
January 16, 2010
In anticipation of the upcoming Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Information and Communications Standard, I have put together some tips for Webmasters on how to make your website accessible.
Read more at
http://www.badeyes.com/?p=18
Date posted to site: January 16, 2010
KITCHENER-A city bylaw that aims to clean up a downtown neighbourhood violates the rights of poor and disabled people and must be changed, says a provincial tribunal.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/all_articles.php?all=443
Date posted to site: January 15, 2010
BARRIE - Disrespectful young mothers with strollers are making Barrie Transit a hostile and unsafe environment for mobility-impaired seniors, says frequent rider Kay Gibson, 69.
"They are scared to go out and get on the bus because of the jostling and because they can't sit at the front," she says, having heard from many neighbours in her Blake Street seniors' residence.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/mobility_articles.php?Mobility=442
Date posted to site: January 15, 2010
Wade MacLauchlan should be trying to expand the boundaries of accessibility at University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) we are fighting a battle that is so basic it was won decades ago in other places. If they can't get to class Wade, you aren't making UPEI accessible.
I was glad to learn last week that UPEI has a final solution for the disabled parking problem. They have installed one disabled spot within 6 feet of the McDougall building.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1146
Date posted to site: January 14, 2010
Prime Minister Harper has prorogued the House of Commons. A new session will begin March 4th and a new session means a Throne Speech and a Budget.
Members of Parliament will be spending more time in their constituency offices in January and February. NOW is the perfect time for us to ensure that they know the priorities of Canadians with disabilities.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1139
Date posted to site: January 14, 2010
From Edmunds Inside Line - Toyota upped the ante in the minivan market on Monday at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show by rolling out an Auto Access Seat on its 2011 Sienna minivan that should make life easier for people with disabilities. The option will be available in February, but pricing has not been announced.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1137
Date posted to site: January 13, 2010
Elizabethtown- Kitley Township voters may get the chance to cast their votes electronically this coming election.
Council determined at its regular meeting Monday night to have township staff do costing on both telephone and Internet voting.
"This is a pure accessibility issue," township administrator-clerk Yvonne Robert told council.
The Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) recommends municipalities incorporate more than one method of casting a ballot.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=304
Date posted to site: January 13, 2010
At 4 o'clock each morning, Laura J. Sloate begins her daily reading. She calls a phone service that reads newspapers aloud in a synthetic voice, and she listens to The Wall Street Journal at 300 words a minute, which is nearly twice the average pace of speech. Later, an assistant reads The Financial Times to her while she uses her computer's text-to-speech system to play The Economist aloud. She devotes one ear to the paper and the other to the magazine.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1133
Date posted to site: January 12, 2010
Stressing that even illiterate or persons with disability cannot be deprived of their right of suffrage, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ruled that in the May 10, 2010, fully automated polls, these persons may be assisted in the preparation of their ballots either by a relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, or by any person of his confidence who belongs to the same household.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1131
Date posted to site: January 11, 2010
Volunteers with the Perth County accessibility advisory committee will be paid more to attend meetings in 2010.
Perth County councillors approved paying the volunteers $97.71 a meeting -- the standard council committee rate for meeting which last less than three hours -- to a maximum of six meetings a year.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=302
Date posted to site: January 11, 2010
PHOENIX, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the American Council of the Blind (ACB), and Arizona State University (ASU), today announced a settlement agreement resolving litigation filed by NFB and ACB against the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) and ASU.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1129
Date posted to site: January 09, 2010
By Geof Collis
On December 31, 2009 CBC Radio1 Ottawa interviewed Minister Meilleur regarding the then soon to become Law Customer Care Standard. I was also interviewd after she spoke, you can listen to the interview or download it.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=292
Date posted to site: January 08, 2010
Air Canada has been told to create a special "buffer zone" on flights for people who are allergic to nuts.
The Canadian Transportation Agency has ruled that passengers who have nut allergies should be considered disabled and accommodated by the airline. The CTA has advised Air Canada to come up with an appropriate section of seats where passengers with nut allergies would be seated.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1127
Date posted to site: January 07, 2010
Removing service barriers for people with disabilities means much more than simply making sure buildings are accessible, says a member of the mayor's disability advisory committee.
"Yes, ramps are important but it really goes way beyond ramps," said Ian Greaves, of Niagara Falls.
The main focus, he said, is education and a new government standard that came into effect Jan. 1 is a step in the right direction.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=290
Date posted to site: January 07, 2010
The answer to the question is somewhat long and complicated. So we will begin with writing that while someone with ADHD may qualify for protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act, not everyone with the diagnosis of ADHD will qualify. And that may include you or your child.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was established by Congress in 1990. The purpose of the Act is to end discrimination against persons with disabilities when it comes to housing, education, public transportation, recreation, health services, voting, and access to public services. It also aims to provide equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
The ADA was written to offer protections to individuals with disabilities, not individuals with any particular diagnosis. The Americans with Disabilities Act seeks to protect individuals with significant impairments in function.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1125
Date posted to site: January 07, 2010
Way back in 1969, a hardworking nurse gave Joe Tavares an idea at a rehab centre for disabled children in Toronto.
Little did he know it would be a life-altering moment.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/all_articles.php?all=440
Date posted to site: January 05, 2010
As of the New Year, Muskoka's public sector offices will be more accessible for people with disabilities. It's the law.
The first deadline set by the provincial Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act of 2005 applies to public sector institutions and is coming up on Jan. 1. Muskoka's towns, townships and school boards that haven't already completed the necessary steps are working hard to get them done on time.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=288
Date posted to site: January 05, 2010
Preventive, coping measures urged by Alzheimer Society
It is feared Canada may have 1.1 million dementia sufferers by 2038.
OTTAWA - A new study by the Alzheimer Society of Canada says the country urgently needs a strategy to minimize the impact of the Baby Boomers' march toward dementia.
The study, Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society, suggests that 1.1 million Canadians will have Alzheimer's disease, or a related dementia, by 2038.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1123
Date posted to site: January 04, 2010
For the first time, every municipality in Essex County will use vote by mail rather than traditional ballot boxes at multitudes of polling stations during the 2010 municipal election.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=286
Date posted to site: January 04, 2010
Do you ever wonder what your community will look like 25 years from now? This century has seen many changes with regards to accessibility awareness and city planning, and some of the biggest change has occurred in the past 10 years.
There is growing interest around accessibility legislation, and in British Columbia, SPARC BC (Social Planning and Research Council of BC) has just released a guide to accessibility bylaws it hopes will be a hit with municipalities.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1118
Date posted to site: January 04, 2010
An Alberta father fears budgetary cuts to organizations that assist people with disabilities will put his daughter's future in jeopardy.
In December, the provincial government announced it was cutting about $12 million in funding to people with disabilities. The province blamed those cuts on the economic downturn.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1121
Date posted to site: January 02, 2010
By Geof Collis
In case you don't already know, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act(AODA) Customer Care Standard became law on January 1st, 2010.
Now those living with disabilities in Ontario woke up to a much more accessible Province. Or did they?
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=281
Date posted to site: January 02, 2010
A new law took effect Friday in Ontario regulating how public bodies provide customer service to people with disabilities, part of a broader push to have the province be completely accessible by 2025.
But the new standards, which will eventually apply to the private sector as well, fall short of the changes that people with disabilities need to eliminate barriers in their day-to-day lives, several advocates said.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=279
Date posted to site: January 02, 2010
In an effort to promote universal standards, the World Wide Web Consortium developed a set of guidelines for how an accessible site should look. They include providing text alternatives for images, providing captions for audio and video, and enabling all-keyboard navigation.
However, only a small portion of Web content meets the basic requirements for easy navigation, said Judy Brewer, director of the consortium's efforts.
"Most of us working in the Web accessibility field almost always find some level of accessibility barriers in Web sites. Businesses are doing better than they were doing some years ago, but there's still massive room for improvement," she said.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1116#more-1116
Date posted to site: January 01, 2010
A Tennessee man and a South Florida advocacy group for people with disabilities are suing the University of Tennessee in federal court over what they say is a lack of equal access for disabled people to events held at Thompson-Boling Arena and Neyland Stadium.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1112
Date posted to site: January 01, 2010
The City of Belleville is fully prepared for Ontario's first accessibility standard when it comes into force Friday, says the chairman of the accessibility committee.
Read nmore at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=276
Date posted to site: February 26, 2010
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: February 26, 2010
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: February 26, 2010
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: February 26, 2010
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: February 26, 2010
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: February 24, 2010
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: February 24, 2010
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: February 24, 2010
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: February 24, 2010
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: February 24, 2010
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: February 23, 2010
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: February 20, 2010
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: February 20, 2010
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: February 20, 2010
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: February 20, 2010
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: February 19, 2010
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: February 19, 2010
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: February 19, 2010
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: February 19, 2010
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: February 18, 2010
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: February 18, 2010
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: February 17, 2010
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: February 17, 2010
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: February 17, 2010
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: February 16, 2010
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: February 15, 2010
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: February 13, 2010
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: February 13, 2010
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: February 12, 2010
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: February 12, 2010
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: February 12, 2010
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: February 12, 2010
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: February 10, 2010
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: February 09, 2010
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: February 09, 2010
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: February 09, 2010
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: February 09, 2010
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: February 08, 2010
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: February 08, 2010
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: February 08, 2010
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
Date posted to site: February 06, 2010
CNIB serves fewer than 10 per cent of the people who need alternatives to standard print.
If you're blind or have impaired vision or a physical or reading disability that makes print inaccessible to you, where do you go if you want to read a good book?
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1191
Date posted to site: February 06, 2010
Eastend resident Brenda Cooke involved with Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians
Right now, Cooke points out, a blind person cannot walk into a library - funded by the public - and enjoy the same access as that of their fellow sighted citizens.
"That is a very serious inequality in our country," she stated. "And, right now it could take up to five years to produce a book in a format that a blind person could access and most times that material is provided through charity dollars rather than the tax base."
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1215
Date posted to site: February 05, 2010
Just a stone's throw away from Queen's Park - where legislators passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act just a few years ago - Elections Ontario set up a polling station that could only be accessed by going down a flight of stairs.
Local resident John Wood told the Toronto Sun that he had to abandon his wheelchair and struggle with help down the stairs to cast a ballot in the Toronto Centre byelection Thursday.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=327
Date posted to site: February 03, 2010
Ronnay Howard is 9 years old and legally blind with cornrows in her hair and a smile on her face.
She sits in front of a keyboard in the resource room for the visually impaired at Engleburg Elementary School, her small hands moving methodically over six large keys.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1206
Date posted to site: February 03, 2010
Homes, stores, sidewalks difficult to get to for many
Oceanside streets, stores, parking areas and houses are failing many with wheelchairs, scooters and walkers, say members of a group seeking to improve accessibility.
They say homes of friends and family are often off-limits for lack of level entrances or accessible washrooms; most disabled parking spaces are too narrow for chair lifts; few curbs are lowered to allow access; doors at some malls can be difficult or impossible to open; and more store merchandise should be accessible to people in wheelchairs.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1209
Date posted to site: February 03, 2010
Transportation was the primary issue around which people with disabilities first organized back in the mid 1970s. This led to the eventual creation of a Handi-Transit system in 1976.
Since then, much progress has been made. However, many barriers still exist with new ones being erected almost daily.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1211
Date posted to site: February 02, 2010
To further its commitment to web accessibility, Badeyes Design and Consulting has partnered with eSSENTIAL Accessibility™ in order to add another layer of accessibility to sites it designs.
With the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) now in force it makes even more sense to make websites as accessible as possible and eSSENTIAL Accessibility™ helps us do just that.
Read more at
http://www.badeyes.com/?p=186
Date posted to site: February 02, 2010
It takes a lot to get Aurora's Tyler Barker upset, but York Region Transit's Mobility Plus service has been making a pretty good go of it lately, he says.
Mr. Barker, who relies on a wheelchair to get around, said he has had his issues with YRT's accessible transit service for people with disabilities since he started using the service to get from home to school at Seneca College's Newnham campus in Toronto in September.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=321
Date posted to site: February 02, 2010
Represents One Of The Most Significant Enhancements To The EI Program In A Decade
As of January 31, self-employed Canadians are able to register for the Employment Insurance (EI) program, which will extend to them maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care benefits, collectively called special benefits.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1196
Date posted to site: February 01, 2010
The Parking Mobility iPhone app helps people report those who use handicap parking spots without a permit. (CBC)
A western Canadian non-profit company is making it easier to catch people who use handicap parking spots without a proper permit.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1194
Date posted to site: March 13, 2010
Workers at Winnipeg's Canadian National Institute for the Blind are preparing to walk off the job on Monday.
Union members on Thursday voted down the CNIB's final contract offer, after negotiating with management for close to a year.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1333
Date posted to site: March 13, 2010
Some gains for people with disabilities have turned out to be losses
One of my first assignments as a reporter at The Vancouver Sun was to head out to a city parking lot to keep my eyes on the then-new spots with the blue signs warning: "Disabled parking only."
It was 1983. It did not take long for my story to materialize.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1331
Date posted to site: March 12, 2010
Canada has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the eve of the Paralympic Games in Vancouver.
"Canada is committed to promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities and enabling their full participation in society," Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Thursday after delivering the ratified document to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York City as activist Traci Walters looked on, beaming, from her wheelchair.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1328
Date posted to site: March 12, 2010
UNITED NATIONS - Promoting the rights of disabled people around the world will become a key foreign policy focus for Canada, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said at the United Nations Thursday.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1326
Date posted to site: March 12, 2010
The budget presentations by the chairs of the city's advisory committees didn't provoke much of a response from councillors.
Read more at
http://www.coaac.ca/?p=264
Date posted to site: March 11, 2010
First competitions for people with disabilities were in rehabilitation hospitals
The Paralympic Torch is passed on in a relay around Riley Park, close to venues for the Paralympics on Wednesday.
The founder of the International Paralympic Committee wants to see the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games combined to take advantage of the kind of public support Canadians showed at the 2010 Olympics.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1320
Date posted to site: March 11, 2010
Team Canada sledge hockey captain Jean Labonte: hopes people will look beyond Paralympians' disabilities to their athletic performances.
Most able-bodied folks aren't comfortable with disability, despite national heroes like Terry Fox and Rick Hansen.
My dad spent most of his last five years in a wheelchair. Once people saw the chair, many treated him as if his disability was contagious. In that chair, my father was invisible, inanimate, a gimp.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1324
Date posted to site: March 11, 2010
Could Help Make eGovernment Services and Economic Opportunity Available to More Populations
PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM), the National Institute of Design (NID) of India and Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo (RCAST) today announced a new collaborative research initiative to explore an open, common user interface platform for mobile devices, to make them easier to use for disadvantaged populations around the world.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=1322
Date posted to site: March 11, 2010
GUELPH - Matt Wozenilek can't wait to try out the wheelchair-accessible door at his neighbourhood 7-Eleven store after taking the company to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and winning.
Wozenilek, 58, can't get around without a wheelchair and didn't like that he couldn't enter the 7-Eleven store at Stevenson Street North and Speedvale Avenue - the only convenience store in his neighbourhood - without someone opening the door for him.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=359
Date posted to site: March 11, 2010
manager of a Subway restaurant has apologized to a visually impaired Ottawa man who was refused service at the restaurant because he wasn't allowed to bring his seeing-eye dog inside, and advocacy groups for the blind say this happens far too often.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=361
Date posted to site: March 10, 2010
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: March 09, 2010
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: March 09, 2010
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: March 08, 2010
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: March 08, 2010
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: March 08, 2010
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: March 06, 2010
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: March 06, 2010
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: March 05, 2010
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: March 04, 2010
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: March 04, 2010
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: March 04, 2010
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: March 03, 2010
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: March 03, 2010
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: March 03, 2010
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: March 02, 2010
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: March 02, 2010
/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: March 02, 2010
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: March 01, 2010
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: March 01, 2010
- 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
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