Accessibility News Blind Related Articles

From Kicked Off to Welcome Aboard: How a Blind Vancouver Paralympian was Hired by Virgin Cruise Line

Donovan Tildesley, 39, has been blind since birth. But that hasn’t stopped him from traveling the world.

“I was very blessed to have parents who encouraged me to do any and everything that someone with sight could do,” said Tildesley.

Read more at
https://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/from-kicked-off-to-welcome-aboard-how-a-blind-vancouver-paralympian-was-hired-by-virgin-cruise-line/

Walmart Class Action Alleges Website Not Equally Accessible to Blind, Visually Impaired Consumers

Plaintiff Ali Abdulhadi claims Walmart’s website contains access barriers to screen-reading software used by individuals who are blind or visually impaired to browse internet websites.

Read more at
https://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/walmart-class-action-alleges-website-not-equally-accessible-to-blind-visually-impaired-consumers/

Jury Urges Improved Medical Resources

Teen died despite bed checks at Brantford school for blind children Maan Alhmidi The Canadian Press

The jury at an inquest into the death of a teen who died at a school for blind students has recommended the province review the availability of overnight medical resources provided to schools that cater to disabled children.

Jurors at the inquest into the death of Samuel Brown also suggested the provincial government draft and implement policies to ensure and improve 24/7 on-call availability of medical staff for students who stay at those schools.

The suggestions were among 21 recommendations issued Thursday by jurors who heard the case of 18-year-old Brown, who died five years ago while attending the W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind in Brantford, Ont.

Lego Launches New Line of Braille Bricks

Just in time for Blind Awareness Month, Lego is launching a new line of bricks that include something a little different-braille.

Read more at
https://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/lego-launches-new-line-of-braille-bricks/

Lobbying to bring back braille menus

Gerry Dewan
CTV News London Reporter
Published Aug. 25, 2023

Terry Hoddinott lost his vision to cancer when he was just three years old. He now runs a London, Ont.-based business that seeks to improve life for others with visual impairments.

He admits there are always hurdles to overcome, like the one he experienced during a recent visit to a Boston Pizza in Toronto when he asked for a braille menu.

“They said, ‘Well, we have QR codes’,” recounted Hoddinott. “I told them that doesn’t work, it’s not accessible and they said, ‘We can stand here and read it to you’ and I was flabbergasted.”

Local Woman Returns from Mars Simulation, Promotes Accessibility

“Like what if you’re on Mars and you lose your vision, it’s not like we can swap you out and send you home,” said Sheri Wells-Jensen, who teaches linguistics at Bowling Green State University for the past 23 years.

Read more at
https://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/local-woman-returns-from-mars-simulation-promotes-accessibility/

Inside the First Art Gallery for Blind Artists and Audiences

A few years back, I was at an art gallery in Sweden and leaned a little too close to check out the paint job on a particular piece. Suddenly all sorts of alarms were chirping around me, alerting everyone in the gallery to the fact that I was too close to the art! They didn’t kick me out or anything, but it was a bit embarrassing, to say the least. Because as we all know, art in galleries is meant to be observed, and not touched.

Read more at
https://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/inside-the-first-art-gallery-for-blind-artists-and-audiences/

Rishi Sunak Alt Text Tweet Criticised for Misusing Accessibility Feature

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been criticised for misusing alt text on social media – weeks after big brands were called out for doing it.

Read more at
https://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/rishi-sunak-alt-text-tweet-criticised-for-misusing-accessibility-feature/

‘They’re Everywhere’: Why Touchscreens are Causing Huge Accessibility Problems for Blind People

Nadia Mattiazzo remembers going to her regular cafe one day back in 2016 and trying to buy a cup of coffee. To her shock and dismay, she found there was no way she could pay for it.

Mattiazzo, who is blind, said the cafe had installed a new eftpos machine overnight which had a touchscreen.

Read more at
https://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/theyre-everywhere-why-touchscreens-are-causing-huge-accessibility-problems-for-blind-people/

Student-Developed Smart Glove Boosts Braille Accessibility and Literacy

By Isabela Wilson
The smart glove is worn on the user’s right hand. A camera is located between its thumb and index finger, tracking the movement of the index finger as it traces the braille. Computer vision technology is then used to translate and read aloud the braille that was just traced.

Read more at
https://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/student-developed-smart-glove-boosts-braille-accessibility-and-literacy/