Accessibility News All Related Articles

Search Archives From 2005 to November 2010

To search our old Archives visit Archives

The Coming Web Crack-Up

April 22, 2019 Editor

Remember the bumper stickers that read, If You Can Read This, You’re Too Close? Yeah, danger ahead. Well, as America races down the cyber-highway, we should be on the lookout for a pile-up, because despite warning signs (as in a blizzard of web-accessibility lawsuits, up almost 200% last year from 2017) everywhere, people with disabilities just aren’t going to be able to move past the many obstacles heedless developers and designers are putting in their way.

eSchool News: 3 Steps to a More Accessible Classroom

April 15, 2019 Editor

“Turn on the subtitles, Ms. Olague!”
I clicked on the “CC” button underneath the YouTube video, and the closed-captioning appeared at the bottom of the screen. Suddenly, all my students were looking at the screen with wide eyes, eager to watch the video.

eSchool News: 5 Steps to Ensure Accessibility

April 12, 2019 Editor

Rockville, MD: If we want to help every child reach his or her potential, we need to take the appropriate steps

While the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was last reauthorized in 2004, with amendments in 2015, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) updated back in 2008, the demand for accessibility and equality in education continues to grow. Administrators and teachers, who want to help every child reach their potential, can’t afford to wait for new laws and policies. To ensure accessibility, educators need to constantly evaluate the effectiveness of accessibility initiatives, advocate for resources for their students, and anticipate where they need to go next.

Innovators Challenged to Design Products for Homes to Win Investment Fund and Help Disabled People Live Independently

April 11, 2019 Editor

Now in its fifth year, Design Council Spark is putting a new focus on driving accessible home innovation; Design Council Spark: The Home Innovation Challenge is aiming to deliver major impact, both financially and socially, for people with reduced mobility or disabilities.

Customers with Invisible Disabilities

April 8, 2019 Editor

Under the Customer Service Standards of the AODA, service providers must make their goods, services, and facilities accessible to customers with disabilities. The term “disability” often brings to mind visible disabilities. In other words, providers can tell that a customer has a disability if they use an assistive device or a service animal. However, many people with disabilities do not use assistive devices or service animals. Instead, their disabilities are invisible. Nonetheless, providers must offer accessible service to customers with invisible disabilities. In this article, we describe some invisible disabilities and outline how providers must serve customers who have them.

IKEA Israel Makes Life Simpler for People With Disabilities

April 4, 2019 Editor

At IKEA Israel, 13 accessories designed for people with disabilities can now be scanned at no cost and printed out using 3D printers to add to the store’s furniture. The aim is to increase the products’ usability and raise awareness of inclusion and accessibility.

Province Lays Out New Goals to Get to Full Accessibility by 2030

April 2, 2019 Editor

As Nova Scotia strikes two committees to develop the first provincial accessibility standards, some advocates say there is still an enormous amount of work to be done to keep the province on track toward its goal of becoming fully accessible by 2030.

Adaptive Sports Equipment Enables Outdoor Recreation for All

March 19, 2019 Editor

Stephen was 14 when he lost all use of his legs and the full mobility of his arms in a traffic accident. Three years after the crash, the Braddock youth, who asked that his last name not be used, said he sorely missed getting outside with family and friends.

“Hanging out in the park, fishing just doing anything outdoors it’s really hard when you can’t get around,” he said in 2018 during a fishing program organized by the state Fish and Boat Commission.

Canada: Federal Accessibility Legislation One Step Closer To Law

March 12, 2019 Editor

The Accessible Canada Act (Act), first introduced in June 2018 in Bill C-81, is now being considered by the Senate, and could soon be law.

NS Decision Finds Blatant Discrimination Against Three Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

March 7, 2019 Editor

HALIFAX, NS – Chairman John Walter Thompson, Q.C. found in Monday’s Human Rights Commission Board of Inquiry decision that the Province of Nova Scotia violated the rights of Beth MacLean, Sheila Livingstone, and Joseph Delaney under the Nova Scotia’s Human Rights Act.

The decision is a win for MacLean, Livingstone, and Delaney as individuals, and is an important victory in ensuring full recognition of the right of persons with disabilities to live in the community and access community-based services throughout the province.