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In this Issue
*WYNNE GOVERNMENT HONOURS NATIONAL ACCESS AWARENESS WEEK BY BREACHING THE ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
*New VoicePod Speech Recognition Device Enables Hands-Free Home Control
*Canada’s Disability Savings Fund Called a ‘Fiasco’
*AODA Compliance Update: January 1, 2014 Requirements
*Minister Hoskins’ First Major Speech on Disability Accessibility in the Ontario Legislature and Responses in Question Period
*Act Now! Support Accessible Formats for People with Print Disabilities
*Ontario Government: AODA Implementation Delayed Due To Sexism
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ARTICLES:
WYNNE GOVERNMENT HONOURS NATIONAL ACCESS AWARENESS WEEK BY BREACHING THE ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
No matter how frustrated, we soldier on, undeterred. Premier Wynne called me two months ago, warmly offering to work together on making Ontario fully accessible to people with disabilities. Today’s failure to obey the law should be a wake-up call to the government to take the entire accessibility issue off its back burner where it has languished for two years. Let today’s bad news spur our new premier to act decisively, boldly and broadly on accessibility. Let it cause her to restore the swiftness, determination and vigour on this issue that the government commendably demonstrated a decade ago, and to keep all her commitments on accessibility.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/wynne-government-honours-national-access-awareness-week-by-breaching-the-accessibility-for-ontarians-with-disabilities-act/
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New VoicePod Speech Recognition Device Enables Hands-Free Home Control
ALLENTOWN, PA.: HouseLogix, a Pennsylvania-based provider of advanced hardware and software products for home control, announces the release of VoicePod, its patented wireless speech control device for home automation systems. VoicePod adds both voice recognition and speech synthesis capabilities to popular home control systems such as Control4. Users simply say “Hello VoicePod” from anywhere in a room to activate VoicePod and then issue voice commands such as “turn on the lights”, “secure the house”, “good morning” and “listen to music”. Utilizing embedded speaker-independent voice recognition technology that requires no web access, VoicePod instantly interprets speech commands for voice control of TV, music, thermostats, lighting, shading, door locks, cameras and more.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/new-voicepod-speech-recognition-device-enables-hands-free-home-control/
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Canada’s Disability Savings Fund Called a ‘Fiasco’
For years, Frank Allen founder and CEO of the Cerebral Palsy Support Foundation of Canada heard horror stories about the frustrations of setting up a registered savings plan specially designed for those with severe disabilities.
But it wasn’t until the financial planner and owner of three companies tried to set up an account for his eight-year-old grandson, Evan Pennington, that he came to understand what a “fiasco” the registered disability savings plan (RDSP) was, he says.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/canadas-disability-savings-fund-called-a-fiasco/
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AODA Compliance Update: January 1, 2014 Requirements
The Integrated Accessibility Standard requires that large organizations develop accessibility policies and multi-year accessibility plans and consider accessibility in their self-service kiosks, while the Information and Communication Standard mandates that large organizations’ websites and web content meet specific accessibility thresholds.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/aoda-compliance-update-january-1-2014-requirements/
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Minister Hoskins’ First Major Speech on Disability Accessibility in the Ontario Legislature and Responses in Question Period
Some News is Encouraging and Some is Not
The Minister had invited some from the disability community to be present for his statement. From his speech, it appears that a handful attended. American Sign Language interpretation was provided for those speeches. Because the Minister’s office issued its invitation under 24 hours before these speeches, people needing accessible transit may not have been able to arrange to attend on such short notice.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/minister-hoskins-first-major-speech-on-disability-accessibility-in-the-ontario-legislature-and-responses-in-question-period-some-news-is-encouraging-and-some-is-not/
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Act Now! Support Accessible Formats for People with Print Disabilities
Do you care about someone with a visual impairment, dyslexia, or other print disability?
Now is the time to take action to support availability of books in accessible formats.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/act-now-support-accessible-formats-for-people-with-print-disabilities/
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Ontario Government: AODA Implementation Delayed Due To Sexism
On May 32, 2013 the Ontario Government responded to critics that it has failed to implement AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2005) by agreeing.
“As the new Premier, I have looked into this matter. The Government has failed to implement AODA properly. The reason? Our fight against sexism,” stated Premier Obi Wynne-Kenobi.
Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/ontario-government-aoda-implementation-delayed-due-to-sexism/
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AODA Enforcement
Having an Accessibility issue that isn’t being resolved because of lack of Enforcement?
Perhaps your solution is at enforcement.aoda.ca .
* County of Brant Seeks Comments on “Subsidized Transportation Program!” April Fool’s Day in May!
http://enforcement.aoda.ca/county-of-brant-seeks-comments-on-subsidized-transportation-program-april-fools-day-in-may/
* Government Not Enforcing Disabilities Act, Says Advocate
http://enforcement.aoda.ca/government-not-enforcing-disabilities-act-says-advocate/
* Specialized versus Subsidized Transportation: Are class based transit systems in the future for Ontario?
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EVENT
*Mad Pride Hamilton zine Call for Submissions from consumer/survivors
http://www.accessibilityclassifieds.com/?p=1266
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Note: The thoughts and opinions expressed throughout Accessibility News are not necessarily shared by the various organizations and individuals and are solely those of the author of the specific article or commentary.
Accessibility News, since November 8, 2006
