Accessibility in the News- February 7, 2020
Jack McElaney
Accessibility in the News- February 7, 2020
“Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement.” ― Will Rogers
National News (U.S.)
1. Disability advocates pleased with settlement over accessibility violations at NDSU arena- January 29, 2020 Source: INFORUM
a. NDSU arena among multiple local violators of federal disability rights law- February 1, 2020 Source: INFORUM
Local disability advocates are applauding a federal settlement concerning accessibility complaints at North Dakota State University’s premier multi-sport arena, but wish it wasn't needed in the first place. U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley announced on January 29th that his office reached an agreement with NDSU over violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex. "It's not a hostile takeover of their facilities, but it is an insistence upon compliance with this important civil rights legislation," said Wrigley…
2. So Here’s What Happened at Sundance 2020: Easterseals Disability Services’ Panel- January 30, 2020 Source: But Why Tho?
On January 25, 2020 during the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Easterseals Disability Services, an Allied Organization of Sundance Institute and member of its newly announced Accessibility & Inclusion Alliance, hosted a panel on the influence of diversity and inclusion initiatives in Hollywood in increasing the visibility of/opportunities for talent with disabilities in the entertainment industry. As a go-to resource for filmmakers and actors with disabilities, ESSC has worked with the Institute since 2018, helping to make the annual Sundance Film Festival more inclusive and accessible…
3. An engineering student is helping envision a self-driving future for people with disabilities- January 31, 2020 Source: The Washington Post
The weekend she was supposed to be presenting a plan to improve transit service for people with disabilities using self-driving shuttles, Jen Schlegel was confronting her own problems getting around. The Ohio State University engineering student had opted for a rolling walker over the wheelchair she sometimes uses, but nonetheless she was late. “The running joke among my friends is that if you can’t find me, I’m waiting on either a bus or an elevator,” Schlegel said…
4. For Some Iowa Voters, Caucuses Remain A Barrier To Participation- January 31, 2020 Source: CapRadio & Scarlet and Black
a. I Have Cerebral Palsy. Here’s Why I Went to Speak to the Candidates in Des Moines- February 2, 2020 Source: Jewish Journal
b. The Iowa caucuses have a big accessibility problem- February 3, 2020 Source: Vox
c. Iowa Caucus Highlights Accessibility Issues- February 4, 2020 Source: Psychology Today
d. Iowa Democrats’ Efforts To Increase Accessibility For Disabled Participants Praised By Some, Fall Short By Others- February 5, 2020 Source: Kaiser Health News
Marlu Abarca has lived in Iowa for a decade and says she now "identifies as an Iowan." For the past few weeks, she has been attending training sessions to chair a satellite caucus site at the South Suburban YMCA in Des Moines. She'll have to miss work to participate. "I have to take vacation to chair the satellite caucus," Abarca, 28, said during a lunch break from her job at a Des Moines library. Abarca is far from the only Iowan who has to make special arrangements to participate in Monday's caucuses or who may be unable to participate at all…
5. Lawsuits claim motels' websites violate disabilities laws- January 31, 2020 Source: Record Searchlight
Two Redding motels have been sued by a Fresno man who claims their websites violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. George Avalos' lawsuits say the websites for the Stardust Motel and the Thunderbird Lodge, both in downtown Redding, don't provide enough information to determine what amenities their motels provide for people with disabilities. Avalos "required information about the features of the accessible rooms and the hotel to independently make a reservation…
6. MTA pilot program aims to make subway travel easier for visually impaired passengers- February 1, 2020 Source: FOX 5 NY
Riding the subway can be challenging for disabled riders, but the MTA’s first-ever accessible station lab in downtown Brooklyn hopes to make the system much easier to navigate, especially for visually impaired passengers like Bryan Velazquez. Velazquez was born with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), an eye disorder that primarily affects premature babies. He lost most of his vision as an infant. “If there’s someone who’s traveling for the first time, who is a new traveler in training, it’s great to have these guidelines to re-direct them to their location,” Velazquez says…
7. A Car, A Smartphone, And Dreams Of Changing The Future Of Voting For Millions- February 1, 2020 Source: Forbes- Denise Brodey
At first this story may read more like a draft of a Hollywood buddy movie: two Millennials with a love of politics and interest in how government works board a flight to Iowa and spend hours together following the campaign trail of Democratic candidates. Sure they took selfies and took time to marvel at the crowds. But they were also on a serious mission: to meet the presidential candidates, get them on video answering questions and put disability issues front and center in their minds…
8. Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center Is Head Over Wheels- February 3, 2020 Source: MyChesCo
The skateboarding collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will expand its representation of accessibility during a special ceremony Feb. 5 in which adaptive skateboarders Oscar Loreto Jr. and Dan Mancina and Wheelchair Motocross (WCMX) icon Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham will donate objects from their careers following the program Innovative Lives: Adaptive Skateboarding, WCMX, and Inventing Your Own Path, presented by the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation…
9. Is your website accessible to all?- February 3, 2020 Source: Furniture Today
As more and more consumers shop for home furnishings using e-commerce, an increasing number of manufacturers and retailers are being challenged that their websites are not accessible to those with disabilities, primarily for those with visual and auditory impairments. The latest numbers from the National Federation of the Blind state that 7.6 million Americans are living with a visual disability. The standards for digital accessibility for those with such impairments are set by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and the federal government’s Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act…
10. Why I Performed for Deaf Viewers at the Super Bowl- February 3, 2020 Source: The New York Times
a. Deaf performer cut off in Fox's Super Bowl broadcast- February 5, 2020 Source: The Hill
As a child of immigrants, a grandchild of refugees, a Deaf woman of color, an artist and a mother, I was proud to perform the national anthem and “America the Beautiful” in American Sign Language at the opening of the Super Bowl on Sunday. I accepted the invitation to represent the National Association of the Deaf in partnership with the National Football League because I wanted to my express my patriotism and honor the country that I am proud to be from — a country that, at its core, believes in equal rights for all citizens, including those with disabilities…
11. Moorhead exhibition celebrates talent of artists living with disabilities- February 3, 2020 Source: INFORUM
When an artist tells a story, it comes from their soul. True ability is measured by the passion poured out onto the canvas of life. For artist and digital accessibility consultant Jesse Shirek, artwork and life are parallel. The narrative is always ahead, just out of reach in a constant state of flux. “The creative process to me is like exploring a different world,” Shirek says. “So, try to detach from what I’m seeing or the way that I see the world, it’s about a different space.”…
12. Federal judge dismisses disability lawsuit against Epic- February 3, 2020 Source: Modern Healthcare
A federal judge on Friday granted Epic Systems Corp.'s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed early last year, which alleged that blind hospital employees can't use the company's software. The National Federation of the Blind sued Epic in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, arguing that the company violated the Massachusetts Fair Employment Practices Act, a law that's designed to protect employees from discrimination. The advocacy group argued that by selling and licensing electronic health records software that's inaccessible to blind employees, Epic interfered with those employees' ability to work in the healthcare industry…
13. The Accessible Playground That Started A Movement- February 3, 2020 Source: Romper
Families of all different abilities drove hundreds of miles to visit Barbara Butler’s first adaptive play structure, The Magical Bridge Playground, opened in Palo Alto in 2015. Butler, an artist, had been designing and building custom play structures from her California workshop for 30 years, but nothing got quite this response. “It didn’t stop for days and days, weeks and weeks,” she says. “That’s when we realized this just wouldn’t be a one-time thing we built.” At first glance, Butler’s playgrounds might not appear visually much different than many other play spaces…
14. Online Accessibility Legal News Recap (2019)- February 3, 2020 Source: Microassist- Mealey’s Litigation Report: Cyber Tech & E-Commerce
2019 continued the upward trend of recent years by surpassing the number of digital accessibility lawsuits in 2018 by about 7 percent. What is the reason behind this continuing increase? As technology and artificial intelligence become more embedded in the world around us, the need for inclusion in such technologies becomes more apparent. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted long before the concern of web accessibility, in fact, 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the law’s signing…
15. BART's new fare evasion gates difficult to access for people with disabilities- February 4, 2020 Source: ABC7 News
Fare evasion costs about $25 million a year. But changing the fare gates comes with their own, unintended costs and consequences. Jade Theriault is a long time BART rider who is quadriplegic. She says that changes to stop fare evasion at stations have also made some stations less accessible for people with disabilities. "I understand what the design is doing, but it's created some accessibility barriers in the process," she told ABC7 News. Theriault laid out her concerns in an open letter to BART that she posted on her Facebook page…
16. Accessibility Issues Still Plague US Airports- February 4, 2020 Source: FacilitiesNet
Accessibility continues to bedevil institutional and commercial facilities, nearly 30 years after the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While education and government buildings most often seem to find themselves in the crosshairs of accessibility complaints, the nation’s airports and airlines also can present a host of roadblocks to accessibility. Business travel is often exhausting and tedious, and travelers who have disabilities face an extra set of problems on top of this, since a lack of information about accessibility at airports, hotels, and car services can turn an average work trip into a gamble, according to Skift…
17. Gibney hosts adapted 'Alice in Wonderland' show after improving accessibility for disabled artists- February 5, 2020 Source: PIX 11 (Video)
The artists at Gibney are in the spotlight for making their performing arts space accessible to everyone. They just hosted an adapted version of the classic “Alice in Wonderland” in their downtown space with some very special actors. “Off with their heads!” said Queen Branch, one of the actors supported by the ADAPT Community Network. PIX11 visited the group as they prepared to go down the rabbit hole, rehearsing for two sold out performances…
18. Las Vegas is more accessible than ever for wheelchair users- February 4, 2020 Source: Los Angeles Times
Wheeling on vacation? You’re in luck. Las Vegas is one of the easiest places to visit while using a mobility device. I’ve made several trips to Las Vegas in the last three decades and find access improves each time. There is more to be done, but there are more workarounds. For instance, you can avoid vehicle traffic by using pedestrian bridges to cross the busy Las Vegas Strip. Much of what Vegas has is disability-friendly. Here are the basics or a refresher course for staying on the go…
19. The Wineries Creating Inclusive Spaces for Guests with Disabilities- February 4, 2020 Source: Wine Enthusiast Magazine
“Tasting rooms or other public facilities must naturally meet current ADA requirements,” says Rob Kowal, a longtime winemaker. ADA, which stands for the Americans with Disability Act, provides regulations to ensure public spaces are accessible to those with disabilities. Unfortunately, ADA standards not always enforced. “Tours through the cellar, barrel room or vineyard will often present impassable accessibility obstacles,” Kowal says. Here’s how some wineries are changing that…
20. Fairfield Hotel Reaches Settlement After ADA Complaint- February 4, 2020 Source: Patch & The Hour
The U.S. Attorney's Office has reached a settlement with the Circle Hotel in Fairfield to resolve allegations that the hotel was not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. The settlement resolves an ADA complaint filed by a person with disabilities alleging that the Circle Hotel was not accessible. The hotel is in the process of making the changes required by the settlement, including designing and constructing accessible guest rooms, an accessible route to the new rooms, and a new accessible restroom in the lobby…
21. Atlanta Parents Left 'Overwhelmed' After All 3 of Their Sons Are Diagnosed with Same Eye Cancer- February 4, 2020 Source: Yahoo
A Georgia family is dealing with unimaginable circumstances after all three of their sons were diagnosed with the same type of cancer. Tristen Rush was just four weeks old when his parents, Aaron and Angie Rush, learned that he was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma in 2015, according to a GoFundMe page set up by Aaron’s mom Jeanne Rush on the family’s behalf. But that was only the beginning of what was to come for the Rush family, as the Marietta parents welcomed two more boys after that year, Caison in 2017 and Carter in 2019, and both were also diagnosed with the eye cancer, which forms in the retina during early childhood…
22. Macular Degeneration: The leading cause of blindness in people 65 and older- February 4, 2020 Source: KTIV (Video)
February is Macular Degeneration Awareness Month. The goal is to educate as many people as possible about the disease. According to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation--the disease affects more than 10 million Americans. That's more than cataracts and glaucoma combined. "When we ask people, of the five senses which sense would you want to keep the most, it is the vision," said Dr. Penny Haeker. Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in people 65 years and older--causing deterioration of the central portion of the retina known as the macula…
23. Tech Is Ignoring a Huge Untapped Market: Older People- February 5, 2020 Source: Marker
It’s becoming increasingly popular for tech companies to design for accessibility when it comes to disabled users. There are intro to web accessibility lists all over the internet. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) has easy-to-follow tips for getting started with accessible design and accessible development. Google is just one example of a company giving accessibility more of a platform. The Silicon Valley-based company has an entire accessibility team whose job it is to envision a world made for everyone, “without limits or barriers,” and give guidance, incorporate accessibility, and build products with this vision in mind…
24. What It's Like to Travel in a Wheelchair- February 5, 2020 Source: Travel Pulse
“The travel industry still doesn't take us seriously as a lucrative market segment,” says Sylvia Longmire. While Sylvia is an Air Force veteran and a woman, it’s not these two identities that the travel industry is failing. It’s travelers with disabilities. After Sylvia was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, she had to use a wheelchair, but continued traveling the world, which would result in starting a site called Spin the Globe, focused on “Wheelchair Accessible Travel.” “The latest data from the CDC says that 23 percent of Americans have some sort of disability.”…
25. New York's Sometimes-Accessible Public Transportation- February 6, 2020 Source: WNYC (The Brian Lehrer Show- Podcast)
Shumita Basu WNYC reporter, host and producer, talks about WNYC's/Gothamist's We the Commuters reporting on accessibility in the NYC transit system. Plus Claire Perlman, a researcher for ProPublica's local reporting network, and Katherine Valdez share their frustrations, successes and workarounds for commuting while using a wheelchair in New York City…
26. Six Flags to become first family of parks to earn certified autism center designation- February 6, 2020 Source: KXXV News Channel 25
Six Flags announced on Thursday that their family of parks will be the first to earn a certified autism center designation. They said that many families with children on the autism spectrum or with sensory sensitivities find it challenging when visiting new places or planning family trips. They want to give those families an option. “We are proud to partner with IBCCES to ensure that guests on the autism spectrum have the best possible experience when visiting our parks,” said Six Flags Vice President of Safety Jason Freeman…
27. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Blocked With Drug Compound- February 6, 2020 Source: Science Blog
Loud noise can damage the inner ear and cause hearing loss. Studying mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Iowa have shown that a drug compound can block damage caused by loud noise, raising the possibility of medication that prevents noise-induced hearing loss. The study is published the week of Feb. 3 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The spiral-shaped cochlea of the inner ear is responsible for detecting sound…
Jack Fact — According to the Angus Reid Institute, the number of Canadians with a physical disability that impairs their mobility, vision, or hearing will increase from an estimated 2.9 million in 2017 to 3.6 million in 2030.
Hit The Road Jack — 10 Most Wheelchair Accessible Cities in the World
International News
1. BC offers taxis new insurance option, accessibility funds to achieve fairness with ride-hailing- January 30, 2020 Source: Globalnews- Canada & Coast Mountain News & Castanet
The B.C. government is offering some gifts to taxi drivers in an effort to smooth over their conflict with ride-hailing companies. The Ministry of Transportation announced Thursday that ICBC will soon offer a new insurance option that will be based on per-kilometre distance travelled with passengers. The coverage, which will begin in the spring, is equal to the lower insurance rate currently offered to ride-hailing vehicles. Taxi drivers will be able to switch over “in the near future,” and those who stay with existing coverage will not be affected…
2. Retailers need to invest in “hearing” their customers- January 30, 2020 Source: Retail Gazette- UK
The Equality Act 2010 specifies premises need to make "reasonable adjustments" to offer an accessible environment to those with disabilities. Naturally, the largest disabled group - people with hearing loss - should be included in this but, amazingly, they are often not. Andrew Thomas explains why retailers need to start taking action. Meeting the needs of customers with disabilities has been brought to the fore with the advent of Purple Tuesday, the annual accessible shopping day in November…
3. Local artist hopes to help improve accessibility of art- January 31, 2020 Source: CTV News- Canada (Video)
Orillia's Robyn Rennie has found an alternative way to create art. After losing most of her vision, the artist turned to technology. “Within six days, I was completely blind. It just shut down my optic nerve,” Rennie said. She was able to gain back some of her vision by doing an experimental treatment, but it’s still a challenge. Rennie was forced to change the way she painted. She now uses a variety of materials, textures, and finishes to make her abstract 3D and interactive…
4. Wellington's vision-impaired community calls for protection against buses- February 2, 2020 Source: Newshub- New Zealand
Wellington's vision-impaired community is calling on authorities to make the place safer for pedestrians. They say buses are a big problem - and one man has taken to the middle to the road to protest at the way they're being driven. For Wesley Gyles-Bedford, crossing the street can be a gamble. After six near-misses with buses, the visually-impaired Wellingtonian has taken action. "I am tired of them blowing the red light, I am tired of them blocking pedestrian crossings and being outright abusive when I confront them over their behaviour," he told Newshub…
5. Tripping points in industry’s failed appliance of compliance- February 3, 2020 Source: Rail- UK
On December 19 2019 - just days before new compliancy regulations came into effect - the Government stirred the pot over the accessibility issue that has been simmering away for more than half a decade. In a letter to Rail Delivery Group Chief Executive Paul Plummer, Transport Minister Chris Heaton-Harris wrote: “It is extremely disappointing that the rail industry and train operators will fail to meet the deadline to provide accessible trains for every passenger and every journey by the end of the year…
6. Wheelchair users struggling in employment with only 27% of UK offices having access, YouGov poll finds- February 3, 2020 Source: Access and Mobility Professional- UK
More than a quarter of UK offices do not cater for wheelchair users, a survey has revealed. It potentially leaves 1.2m wheelchair users struggling to find work. The results, from more than 1,000 workers across the UK, show that 27% of offices don’t have sufficient access for people who use wheelchairs. Highlighting further inequality in the workplace, the news comes just days after reports have revealed the pay gap for people with physical disabilities is at almost 10%...
7. UBank releases open source accessibility kit on Github- February 3, 2020 Source: ZDNet- Australia & Mozo
UBank has released an open source accessibility kit on Github in a move to help iOS app developers and contributors improve the accessibility for users that experience issues such as low vision, cognitive impairment, or neurological impairment. UBank head of digital banking Peter O'Malley said making the accessibility kit openly available for the first time is part of the bank's mission of "making technology accessible to everyone"…
8. Inclusive and Accessible Buildings Can be Constructed at No Additional Cost- February 5, 2020 Source: Canadian Architect- Canada
According to new research from HCMA architecture and the Rick Hansen Foundation, inclusive and accessible new buildings can be constructed at no additional cost through thoughtful planning and design. The report, titled Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification, Cost Comparison Feasibility Study, suggests that projects could achieve a Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) Gold rating if construction costs were increased by one per cent…
9. Report shows support for developing accessibility legislation- February 5, 2020 Source: Energetic City- Canada
The Province of British Columbia has released an accessibility consultation summary report that looks at developing legislation to make B.C. more inclusive and accessible. According to the Government, the report shows strong public support for the Province to develop legislation to make B.C. more inclusive and accessible. The public consultation ran from September 16 to November 29, 2019. The Province says it heard that people support developing accessibility legislation as outlined in the Framework for Accessibility Legislation…
10. 'There are no rules' when it comes to restaurant accessibility in Halifax- February 6, 2020 Source: The Coast Halifax- Canada
It was date night. We'd called ahead and made our arrangements. We arrived at the restaurant early to avoid the crowds. Yet we were met with looks of uncertainty and a 10-inch step at the entrance. The server left to find a ramp; turns out the only one was the loading ramp to the kitchen. I would have accepted parading through the back, but my small-frame wheelchair couldn't fit through the narrow, bustling kitchen. Back at square one, several servers surrounded me and took hold of my chair to hoist it up the step…
11. Smart Cities Still Have A Long Way To Go Before Using Emotional AI- February 6, 2020 Source: Smart City- UK
When artificial intelligence can detect how you feel, it can respond to you in a better manner. We, humans, express our emotions not just through speech but also through non-verbal cues. These include facial expressions, body language, gesture, and the tone of voice. Hence, when artificial intelligence is able to recognise your emotional status, at a given time, just like humans, it is known as Emotional AI. Artificial emotional intelligence or Emotional AI uses body, face and voice sensors to analyse the human expression of emotion…
12. Rail travel is not ‘viable option’: North-east station named as one of Scotland’s least accessible- February 6, 2020 Source: The Press & Journal- Scotland
A major study found significant numbers of residents believed rail travel was impossible for them due to issues at Insch. One of the most glaring problems is the lack of step-free access to the station’s platform one. At present, disabled passengers have to travel at least 15km to reach a partly-accessible station, or 30km to Dyce for a fully-accessible station. Alternatively, under the current arrangements, they can arrange a taxi service with Scotrail to travel to a different station…
13. Driverless cars must work for wheelchair users, says Bar Council- February 6, 2020 Source: Law Gazette- UK
Driverless cars could ‘contribute to further isolation and exclusion’ among disabled and elderly people if they are not designed properly, the Bar Council has warned, calling for regulation to prescribe minimum accessibility standards. Responding to a consultation on automated vehicles by the Law Commission, the Bar Council says a ‘clear policy steer’ is needed to ensure vehicles such as self-driving taxis are designed with disabled users in mind…
14. Talking labels makes prescriptions easier to access for the visually impaired at pharmacies across Empire's family of brands- February 6, 2020 Source: Yahoo- Canada
Empire and its family of brands, continue to lead the grocery retail sector in providing inclusive customer experiences as the first national pharmacy network in Canada to offer ScripTalk audible prescription labels in-store at its more than 420 pharmacy locations, including Lawtons Drugs, Sobeys, Safeway, Thrifty Foods, Foodland, IGA (western Canada ) and FreshCo. A first-of-its kind at the national level by a Canadian pharmacy network, this rollout offers Canadians reliable access to simple, innovative technology to improve independent management of prescription medication…
Accessibility Blogs & Information
- Voting with a Visual Impairment- Hadley (Podcast)
- Accessibility on Campus- The Bull and Bear
- Podcast: Accessibility in government- GOV.UK
- Accessibility And The CCPA- Goodwin Procter
- Digital access efforts advance- UNC Chapel Hill
- Accessible Presentations- Minnesota IT Services
- US businesses need to ramp up web accessibility- Recite Me
- Accessibility Needs Fall Short on Campus- Capilano Courier
- Sign language and coverage of the general election- The Irish Times
- The Future of Training Is Accessible Training- Dr. Kevin Gumienny
- Lack of Clear Guidance Fuels Web Accessibility Lawsuits- Barley Snyder
- Opinion: Laptop bans ignore the reality of choice in the modern age- Varsity
- Strategic IT Accessibility: Enabling the Organization: 2nd Edition- Jeff Kline
- A new ASL major at UMD would enrich the student body- The Diamondback
- [SENIOR MOMENTS] Can We Use Public Transportation?- Los Feliz Ledger
- Full transcript of I’ll Go First interview with Maayan Ziv- The Globe and Mail
- Problem solvers make technology accessible for everybody- UNSW Newsroom
- Strictly Legal: Do adult sites have to be accessible to the disabled?- Cincinnati.com
- WCAG-EM Report Tool- Website Accessibility Evaluation Report Generator- W3C
- Commentary: To avoid lawsuits, make websites ADA-compliant- Minnesota Lawyer
- Fresno State Disabilities Office continues its goals of helping students- The Collegian
- The Importance of Accessible Playgrounds for Children With Disabilities- The Mighty
- Outside looking in: The ongoing struggle of accessibility at Camosun College- Nexus Newspaper
- Ryerson’s New Law Professors Champion Accessibility, Diversity And Technology- The Eyeopener
- Five Valentine's Day Date Ideas That Are Big on Accessibility and Ambiance- Washington City Paper
- Online Businesses Beware: ADA Lawsuits Demand Website Accessibility for Blind Plaintiffs- SMU Scholar
- George Washington University virtual, physical campus maps to be updated with accessibility features- GW Hatchet
- ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuits Won’t Go Away in 2020: Part 2 – Rights to Due Process and Standing Requirements- Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell
Accessibility Training & Meetings
- Free Online Course “Introduction To Web Accessibility”
- Document Accessibility: Accessible PowerPoint Presentations (Austin, TX) — Offered February 5 and June 11
- OZeWAI 2020 Mobile Accessibility Testing Workshop- February 10, 2020 Time: 9 AM to 5 PM
- The NC State IT Accessibility Office will offer Accessibility in the Classroom Monday, February 10 to Friday, March 20, 2020
- AMP-RI: Accessibility, Inclusion, and Your Website- February 11, 2020 at 5:30 PM ET Oomph, Inc., 72 Clifford Street, Providence, RI, 02903
- NYC & Company Talks: Accessibility on the Web- February 11, 2020, Manhattan Manor 201 W 52nd St, NY
- Document Accessibility, Part 2: PDF Accessibility, Intermediate (Austin, TX) — Offered February 11 and May 27 and June 16
- Integrating Accessibility Into Your CI/CD Pipeline- Feb 12, 2020 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
- Industry Inclusive Initiatives: Profiles of Innovations - February 12, 2020 - 11am - 12:30pm ET
- Document Accessibility: Accessible PowerPoint Presentations (Austin, TX) — Offered February 12 and June 11
- Audio Descriptions – The Visual Made Verbal- February 13-15, 2020- Firenze, Italy
- Customer Service for People with Disabilities- February 18th at 2:00 PM ET
- Acrobat Pro Section 508 Bootcamp with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, LiveCycle Designer and Adobe InDesign- February 18 – 21, 2019, GPO headquarters, Washington DC
- Document Accessibility, Part 3: PDF Accessibility, Advanced (Austin, TX)Offered February 19 and June 25
- Accessibility Testing Training- February 20, 2020 11:00 am - 12:00 pm PT
- Audio Description Institute- Alexandria, VA- February 22-24, 2020
- Granbury to host Texas Accessibility Standards event- Texas Administrative Code, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) compliance on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020
- (Skillshop) Bringing UD to UT: Accessibility and Universal Design- February 25 2020 at 11:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
- The iPhone: A Powerful Solution for Social Connection and Accessibility - February 26, 2020 - 12-1 PM
- Criminal Justice and Working with the IDD Population- February 27, 2020 10:00 AM in Central Time (US and Canada)
- The Inside Edge. Using the New Microsoft Edge with JAWS for Windows- Three lessons on Wednesday March 4, 11 and 18 2020 at 7 PM UK time (2 PM US Eastern)
- Usability testing training- March 17, 2020
- Getting to Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage - March 18, 2020 - 11am - 12:30pm ET
- Accessibility 101: Principles of Inclusive Design (DEI) Events | U-M School of Public Health Courses
- Harvard Web Publishing- Digital Accessibility Foundations (IT Academy)- March 24, 2020, 9:00am to 1:00pm ET
- Digital Inclusion and Future of Work - April 8, 2020 - 11am - 12:30pm ET
- Designing for voice training - April 22 - 10am-4:30pm GMT
- Organizational Risk Assessments and Risk Mitigation Tools- April 22, 2020 9am-4:30pm- Washington, DC
- North Idaho College (NIC) will be hosting the second annual Pave the Way to Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on Monday, 4/27/20 to Tuesday, 4/28/20
- Intro Web Accessibility with WAI-ARIA, WCAG 2.0, and Section 508 Compliance, May 4 – 5, 2019, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (EST), GPO headquarters, Washington DC
- Advanced Web Accessibility with WAI-ARIA, WCAG 2.0, and Section 508 Compliance- May 6-7, 2020- 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (EST), GPO headquarters, Washington DC
- Document Accessibility, Part 1: Word Accessibility and PDF Accessibility, Fundamentals (Austin, TX) — Offered May 19 and June 3
- Document Accessibility, Part 2: PDF Accessibility, Intermediate (Austin, TX) — Offered May 27 and June 16
- CIT Training: Web Accessibility for Content Contributors- June 8, 2020 - 1:00 pm ET
- Document Accessibility, Part 3: PDF Accessibility, Advanced (Austin, TX--)Offered June 25
- Is your Website Reaching A11Your Users?- Thursday, June 25 – Wednesday, July 1, 2020
- Advanced Web Accessibility with WAI-ARIA, WCAG 2.0, and Section 508 Compliance- July 22 – 23, 2019 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (EST), GPO headquarters, Washington DC
Accessibility Conferences
· Australian Accessibility Conference - Perth, Australia
Date: February 11-13, 2020
· Singapore UX Conference - Singapore
Date: February 17-22, 2020
· DevNexus Professional Developers Conference - Atlanta, GA
Date: February 19–20, 2020
· Los Angeles UX Conference - Los Angeles, LA
Date: February 23-28, 2020
· ConFoo Developer Conference - Montreal, QC Canada
Date: February 26–28, 2020
· ELI Annual Meeting- Bellevue, Washington
Date: March 2–4, 2020
· Smashing Conference - San Francisco, CA
Date: March 2–4, 2020
· CSUN Assistive Technology Conference- Anaheim, CA
Date: March 9-13, 2020
· RIT Building Bridges to Accessibility- 2020 Access Tech Conference- Rochester, NY
Date: March 17, 2020
· NASPA Annual Conference- Austin, TX
Date: March 29-April 1, 2020
· An Event Apart - Washington DC
Date: April 13-15, 2020
Date: April 23, 2020
· National ADA Symposium- Kansas City, Missouri
Date: May 10-13, 2020
· An Event Apart - Seattle, WA
Date: May 11-13, 2020
Date- Pre-Conference- May 11, 2020, Conference- May 12-May 14, 2020
· You Gotta Love Frontend- Vilnius, Lithuania
Date: May 14-15, 2020
Date: May 18–22, 2020
· University of Guelph Accessibility Conference - Guelph, ON Canada
Date: May 26–27, 2020
· Smashing Conference- Austin, TX
Date: June 9-10, 2020
· M-Enabling Summit- Washington, DC
Date: June 22 - 24, 2020
Date: June 28 - July 1, 2020
Date: June 29 – July 1, 2020
· An Event Apart - Minneapolis, MN
Date: August 17–19, 2020
· Smashing Conference - Freiburg, Germany
Date: September 7-8, 2020
· An Event Apart - Orlando, FL
Date: October 5-7, 2020
· Smashing Conference - New York, NY
Date: October 20–21, 2020
Accessibility Job Opportunities
· A11YJOBS
· National Industries for the Blind
· Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
· VP, Accessibility - Spectrum
· Accessibility Tester- Siteimprove
· Accessibility Product Manager - Adobe
· Senior Accessibility Analyst- Siteimprove
· Sr. User Experience Designer - Jackson National
· UX Designer - Accessibility - Signature Consultants
· Accessibility Lead for Marketing Cloud - Salesforce
· Digital Product Manager Lead--Accessibility - PNC Bank
· Senior Software Accessibility (A11y) Engineer - LinkedIn
· Website Accessibility Quality Assurance Specialist - Ten Gun Design
· Test Engineer (Manual & Accessibility Testing) - Omega Solutions Inc.
· Web Accessibility Programmer - San Mateo County Community District
· Assistant Coordinator Accessibility Services - Oklahoma State University
Accessibility Announcements & Products
- Heathrow to invest £30 million in accessibility
- Parafencing Becomes OU’s First Accessible Club Sport
- Victoria University to launch digital services micro course
- Apple activates limited on-site iPhone repairs in select US cities
- Le Méridien Dubai pledges property-wide accessibility upgrades
- Blackwood secures £12m charitable bond for new accessible homes
- Legal Justice Advocates is Making Education and the Web Accessible
- I-Sight Releases v5.4 With a Focus on User Experience and Accessibility
- Google redesigns Maps app, adds details on public transit safety, accessibility
- Nominate Outstanding Media Coverage for the Barbara Jordan Media Awards
- Milwaukee County launches pilot program to expand accessibility for MCTS riders
- eSSENTIAL Accessibility To Expand Software Platform With New Funding Round
- North End Architect Finegold Alexander Receives Two Awards for Accessible Design
- PERQ Leads Multifamily Industry With Software Accessible to Those With Disabilities
- Caolo & Bieniek Wins Accessible Design Award For Westfield State University Project
- Comcast Partners With NuEyes to Enable Customers With Visual Disabilities To See TV
- New Sundance Director Tabitha Jackson Talks Boosting Accessibility, Independent Voices
- Santa Barbara City College Senate meets with new president, approves accessibility position
- Kitchener organizations eligible for free accessibility ratings with the Rick Hansen Foundation
- American Foundation for the Blind Announces 2020 Helen Keller Achievement Award Winners
- Rick Hansen Foundation offers free accessibility checks for Brampton and Mississauga buildings
- Sarah Herrlinger ’94, Apple’s Global Accessibility Head, To Give Commencement Address May 17, 2020
- MTA releases schedule of $8.8 billion on committed work to begin construction in 2020 from prior capital plans
- New guidance published to help elderly and disabled people find accessible heating controls to help reduce costs
- The American Council of the Blind's Audio Description Project Announces Call for Nominations for the Twelfth Annual ADP Awards-2020 (PDF)
- The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Proposed Changes to Accessible Parking Rules- Chapter 68. Elimination of Architectural Barriers
Accessibility Forums, Tips, & Gaming
- JAWS Scripts
- PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist
- 5 tips for making your app accessible
- Dark Mode vs. Light Mode: Which Is Better?
- Transform your Mac’s trackpad with the 3-finger drag
- 6 Ways to Check the Quality of Your Website Content
- Web Accessibility Get Started Guide for Content Editors
- Google Maps gets new icon, tweaked UI for 15th birthday
- AbleGamers and ATMakers Unveil New Accessibility Tech
- Making memes accessible for people with visual impairments
- Could browsers fix more accessibility problems automatically?
- Rare is Keeping Accessibility in Mind While Promoting Everwild
- Freedom Wing adapter turns electric wheelchair into Xbox controller
- How web accessibility will improve your eCommerce website's performance
- Apple debuts 'head pointer' accessibility feature in macOS beta, a cursor that follows your eyes
- Apple previews iCloud Folder Sharing, Mac accessibility enhancements, and more in new betas
- Twitter knows GIFs dominate the platform. A new accessibility feature will allow more people to enjoy them
Accessibility Statements |
If you know others that would benefit from Accessibility in the News please forward this email to them. If you have missed past issues of Accessibility in the News please see all previous issues at Digital Accessibility Digest. When you have accessibility training needs please visit- Accessibility Training for Developers, Testers, and Content Creators.
Jack McElaney
VP of Sales & Marketing and Accessibility in the News Publisher
P: 512-794-8440 Ext. 207 | E: jmce...@microassist.com
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Top “Accessibility in the News” Topics of 2019
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