Accessibility in the News- April 5, 2024

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Jack McElaney

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Accessibility in the News- Knowledge is Power

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“The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket.” ―  Will Rogers

 

 

John Slatin AccessU. May 13 to 16, 2024. Trees with icons for coding, design, development, advocacy, and documents.

John Slatin AccessU- May 13-16, 2024

 

 

National News (U.S.)

 

1.    This New Service Can Help You Find Medical Equipment to Borrow for Free- March 26, 2024 Source: Verywell Health

 

A new online directory of medical equipment loan programs aims to make it easier for people to borrow durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, and shower chairs at no cost. The service, called GotDME?, is a first-of-its-kind resource listing lending programs in all 50 states. Durable medical equipment (DME) refers to tools and devices that can be used many times at home. “Easy borrowing of this kind of equipment is crucial,” Elliot Sloyer, founder and director of Wheel It Forward, a DME loan program in Fairfield County, Connecticut, told Verywell…

 

2.    Susan’s Dance Academy makes dancing accessible- March 29, 2024 Source: WKRG

 

Every parent wants their child to be able to participate in the normal everyday activities of life. Although sometimes, physical, emotional or mental challenges can keep a child on the sidelines, one dance teacher says that does not have to be the case. Susan Florkiewicz with Susan’s Dance Academy has been teaching dance in Daphne for 35 years. A few years ago, Florkiewicz said her heart prompted her to become certified to begin a class for students with disabilities…

 

3.    Blind people can hear and feel April’s total solar eclipse with new technology- March 29, 2024 Source: AP & Smithsonian Magazine & MSN & WKBN

a.    How can people who are blind or have other vision impairments experience the eclipse?- April 2, 2024 Source: Niagara Frontier Publications

b.    How Harvard University is helping the blind community experience the solar eclipse- April 3, 2024 Source: ABC (YouTube)

 

While eclipse watchers look to the skies, people who are blind or visually impaired will be able to hear and feel the celestial event. Sound and touch devices will be available at public gatherings on April 8, when a total solar eclipse crosses North America, the moon blotting out the sun for a few minutes. “Eclipses are very beautiful things, and everyone should be able to experience it once in their lifetime,” said Yuki Hatch, a high school senior in Austin, Texas…

 

4.    Blind Triplet Contemplated Suicide Before Blind Man Adopted Them. Now Boys Are Pursuing Their Dreams- March 30, 2023 Source: People

 

When Ollie Cantos looks back on the 14 years since he first met triplets Nick, Leo and Steven, he has tears in his eyes and endless gratitude in his heart. “I can’t believe how far we have all come,” Ollie, now 53, tells PEOPLE. “Knowing the path that they were heading on and the path they’re on now, I just feel so grateful that we’re a family." "Having them as sons and seeing how they prosper and how they are making their own way in the world is really so heartwarming. It means I was able to help prepare them for adulthood and leadership," he adds…

 

5.    How a Blind Oceanographer Studies Temperature-Regulating Currents- March 30, 2024 Source: Sierra Club

 

Up on deck, black smoke was spewing from the stack of oceanographer Amy Bower’s research vessel, but she didn’t know that. She was locked in her stateroom below. The plume of smoke came from an engine in overdrive; the vessel was lurching at top speed across the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, with grenade-launching pirates in pursuit. The crew, Bower, and her team of scientists had drilled for this, but now it was actually happening. Before long, the pirates gave up the chase. The scientists, rattled, revised the mission….

 

6.    New Hampshire towns are lagging on providing accessible voting machines. This bill could help.- March 31, 2024 Source: Valley News

 

At his town election this month, Andrew Harmon faced a realization: He knew someone on the ballot. In fact, he’d gone to high school with him. But for the New Hampton resident, what might have been a common, small-town occurrence became a minor problem. Harmon, who is legally blind, was not voting with pen and paper. He was sitting with a town election official in an enclosed tent, dictating his choices aloud to the official, who was marking the ballot. And his former classmate was somewhere outside of that tent, there in the polling place — possibly within earshot…

 

7.    Disabled Drivers Can't Use Many Electric Car Chargers. It Doesn't Have to Be This Way- April 1, 2024 Source: Mother Jones

 

Rolling up to a Tesla charging port, Illinois Republican state Sen. Dan McConchie grimaced that wheelchair users like him couldn’t use it—or any of the others at the gas station where he filmed his Instagram reel. They’d all been placed on a raised surface that he couldn’t readily reach. McConchie introduced a state bill to improve relevant accessibility standards, including electric car chargers. But it’s a national problem: Electric vehicle charging stations are often inaccessible, despite being designed and built decades after the Americans with Disabilities Act became law…

 

8.    Time Machine: The evolution of accessibility in Iowa- April 2, 2024 Source: The Gazette

 

The blue and white sign depicting a stick figure in a wheelchair, known as the International Symbol for Accessibility, first appeared on buildings in Cedar Rapids, not on parking places. The signs were used to indicate a building was accessible to people who did not have full mobility. Even then, the buildings may not have had fully accessible restrooms or elevators. The sign simply meant people with mobility issues could get into the building. The signs were created at the urging of the Cedar Rapids Employment of the Handicapped Committee and the Governor’s Committee for the Employment of the Handicapped…

 

9.    Fun for everyone: accessibility in family entertainment centres- April 2, 2024 Source: Blooloop

a.    Texas theme park reopens following a major expansion to its accessible rides- April 2, 2024 Source: NPR & KERA

 

Gen X kids tend to be familiar with the idea of fighting for your right to party. However, beyond a catchy song, this fight is very real for many in our society when it comes to options for finding ways to have fun and share experiences with others. Amusement venues have always worked to attract people to their businesses. Our society has always been a diverse one. In recent years, there has been more awareness of the many different ways in which individuals navigate, identify, and want to interact with the world…

 

10. How the U.S. National Park System Is Welcoming Neurodiverse Travelers- April 2, 2024 Source: AFAR

 

The sense of peace is palpable along the Big Trees Trail in California’s Sequoia National Park. All around my family, 2,000-year-old giant sequoia trees—some of the world’s oldest and largest—stand in quiet solitude in a mountain landscape suited specifically to their needs. My teenage son Bennett, who has autism, feels grounded here, too. Though he struggles to verbalize his feelings, I can tell by his calm behavior: Instead of fidgeting, he is perfectly happy to sit on a bench in the grove and look up at the trees…

 

11. USD raises awareness about neurodivergent talent in the classroom, workplace- April 2, 2024 Source: CBS8

a.    April is Autism Awareness month; accessibility still needs improvement- April 2, 2024 Source: WZDX

 

April 2 is world Autism Awareness Day, the movement has sparked improvements in how children are taught and adults are employed, but discrimination is still prevalent against people who are on the spectrum. Academics said that some educators and companies are missing out when they overlook neurodivergent people. “As they recognize their genius, we begin to realize their strengths and what an asset they bring to the table,” said Kimberly A. White-Smith, PhD., USD Dean of School of Leadership and Education Sciences…

 

12. Quiz: How much disability history do you know?- April 2, 2024 Source: WGBH

 

Schools across the United States are implementing more inclusive curriculums, and the disability community wants to be represented in those efforts. A local nonprofit, Easterseals Massachusetts, has launched a campaign to bring more awareness to disability history and encourage teachers in Massachusetts to include more of that history in their classrooms. A handful of states, including New Jersey, Nevada, California and Kansas have laws on the books about including disability history in their curriculum standards. And in 2023, Pennsylvania launched a pilot program at 10 schools to incorporate disability into their lessons…

 

13. Vineyard lacks accessible beaches, new study finds- April 3, 2024 Source: The Vineyard Gazette

 

A new report found that Island beaches are not fully accessible, prompting officials to consider ways to make it easier for people to enjoy the Vineyard’s coastline. The analysis, titled “Beach within Reach,” determined that while some beaches are close to meeting accessibility standards, none of them have the infrastructure needed to allow people with mobility issues to get into the water and otherwise access the shores available to everyone. A survey was conducted last year by Healthy Aging Martha’s Vineyard, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, and the Dukes County associate commissioner for disabilities to address the state of beach accessibility across the Island…

 

14. 'I feel proud': Youth-led push for accessible sidewalk in Seattle pays off- April 3, 2024 Source: King5

 

Charlie Howe is a person who has low vision. In the summer of 2021, he took note of how his commute to get to the Ryther campus in Northeast Seattle was difficult and dangerous, and he decided to take action.  With help from Disability Rights Washington, his daily journey was documented on video, showing where the sidewalk ends and where the unpaved, and uneven, path begins. It was an extra obstacle for someone already dealing with vision impairment…

 

15. Disabled people advocate for more accessibility, and the travel industry is listening- April 4, 2024 : Source: Boston Globe

 

When Erik Kondo and his wife traveled to Copenhagen, they landed in a spacious airport. The train to the city had doors flush with the platform, and in the station at the other end they found a working elevator leading to a flat, paved path to their hotel. “I was thinking, ‘Wow, this is amazing,’” said Kondo, an entrepreneur who works in real estate and lives in Lexington. “The city was super accessible.” Seemingly small things like these matter a lot to Kondo. Since a motorcycle crash almost 40 years ago, he’s used a wheelchair…

 

16. Coalition of disability groups demand immediate action to ensure accessible ballot return for 2024 elections- April 4, 2024 Source: Disability Rights Advocates

 

Today, a coalition of disability organizations and California voters with disabilities filed a motion for a preliminary injunction requiring the California Secretary of State to (SOS) to implement accessible electronic mechanisms for voters with print disabilities to return their vote-by-mail ballots privately and independently by the November election. This motion comes after the coalition filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Norther District of California on March 8, 2024, against the SOS to challenge discrimination in the state’s vote-by-mail program…

 

17. Edison hotel accused of not having accessible restrooms during conference for disabled- April 4, 2024 Source: My Central Jersey

 

A Route 27 hotel is facing allegations brought by the state Office of Attorney General that it violated civil rights laws by not providing handicapped accessible restrooms during a conference for people with disabilities. Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Wednesday the state Division of Civil Rights found evidence that the Crowne Plaza Edison hotel may have violated the state Law Against Discrimination after complaints were made by people who attended a conference sponsored by the Spina Bifida Resource Network based in Flemington…

 

18. Women with disabilities proceed with lawsuit against Detroit, Wayne Co., Michigan- April 4, 2024 Source: Detroit Free Press

 

Several women with disabilities fighting for greater mobility accessibility in public buildings have won the right to pursue their case, despite efforts to dismiss the lawsuit. Jill Babcock, Ashley Jacobson and Marguerite Maddox, each with physical disabilities, allege in a federal lawsuit several disability rights violations by the state of Michigan, Wayne County, city of Detroit and the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority, which runs the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center…

 

 

Jack Fact — According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 8 million people with blindness or low vision in the U.S. More than 4.23 million of them are working age, but only about half of that working-age population are employed. Employment rates for people with blindness or low vision have historically been much lower than for the general population.

 

 

Hit The Road Jack — Accessible travel, a RM277b market, gets its 1st one-stop shop &  Jupiter rebuilds beach walkovers to help people in wheelchairs; 'Everybody should enjoy our beaches'

 

 

International News

 

1.    Halifax student disappointed at delay in work to improve school's accessibility- March 28, 2024 Source: CBC- Canada

 

A Halifax student who launched a petition calling for a stairlift to a basement classroom in her school is frustrated the installation has been delayed. "It's disappointing that they didn't get it done, but it's not surprising," said Lux Melanson, who is in Grade 9 at Fairview Junior High School. "There was absolutely no work done on the stairs throughout this entire month."  Melanson started the petition in February, because she was upset that some students are unable to access the school's technology-education classroom…

 

2.    Japan Travel Awards promote inclusive tourism- March 29, 2024 Source: The Japan Times- Japan

 

There are so many groups handing out travel awards now that it’s almost necessary to award the awardees in order to make sense of it all. It seems like you can’t go two seconds without hearing that another organization you’ve never heard of has declared this city or that country as the next big thing for tourists looking to avoid the well-trodden path. There’s no accounting for taste, however, and one traveler’s commodification of the globe-trotting experience is another’s essential if not handy guide…

 

3.    Despite disability law, 98.5% of public buildings not accessible to PWDs- March 30, 2024 Source: The Cable- Nigeria

 

A recent incident at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos has cast a spotlight on the glaring gap between Nigeria’s disability rights legislation and the reality faced by persons with disabilities (PWDs) on a daily basis. On March 27, Debola Daniel, son of Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Ogun state, recounted how he and his family were denied entry to a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlet at the airport because of his wheelchair…

 

4.    The initiative holding accessible and inclusive events for all- March 30, 2024 Source: 1News- Australia

 

An Auckland-based initiative is working to make live events more accessible and inclusive for the disabled community. The programme, Gig Buddies, has already run several events – all funded by the philanthropic Spectrum Foundation. Initially beginning in England, Gig Buddies has expanded to other cities across the UK, Ireland and Australia. Those with a disability are paired with a volunteer buddy who can help them navigate social outings…

 

5.    Vancouver schools lag on playground accessibility, parents say- March 30, 2024 Source: Vancouver Sun- Canada

 

Parents of children with disabilities say new playgrounds at Vancouver elementary schools are inaccessible for their kids. Wheelchair users are finding the thick, slippery artificial turf surface recently installed at some schools difficult or impossible to navigate, parents say. It has been frustrating Laura Van Doormaal, who has a son at Dickens Elementary in east Vancouver and a daughter, who uses a wheelchair, expecting to go there next year. Van Doormaal hopes that by the time her daughter starts kindergarten, the inaccessible play surface installed in December will have been replaced…

 

6.    Blind and vision impaired people call for beauty products to be more accessible- March 30, 2024 Source: ABC News- Australia

 

Lizzie Eastham is passionate about beauty products, despite being born without sight. "I love makeup — I enjoy the sense of normality and empowerment it gives me," Ms Eastham said. "There are stereotypes that [say people who] can't see, don't care about the way [they] look or give minimal thought to [it]. Ms Eastham lives with a rare condition called Septo-optic dysplasia, which affects early brain and eye development. "I've never seen colour [or] shapes," she said. "Sometimes I pick up light but it's very rare."…

 

7.    Costa Rica Falls Short in Providing Accessible Health Services for Disabled Individuals- March 31, 2024 Source: Tico Times- Costa Rica

 

The United Nations (UN) issued a long list of areas that Costa Rica must improve regarding the rights of people with disabilities. The organization identified 70 “areas of concern” and only 10 positive aspects. Recommendations were also provided to address the negative points. The UN report highlighted the lack of accessibility to health services for people with disabilities, primarily due to shortages in medical equipment, facilities, and furni2hings. Therefore, the Committee asked the country to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to quality health services with equipment adapted to their specific needs…

 

8.    Frustrated wheelchair user unleashes over 'inconsiderate' parking act- March 31, 2024 Source: Yahoo- Australia

 

An Aussie wheelchair user has unleashed on "inconsiderate" drivers who park their cars on the yellow lines beside accessibility bays, an act that advocates say highlights yet another example of the frequent struggles millions around the country face every day. Dane Procter from Newcastle in NSW said it's "quite frustrating" to find vehicles parked on the lines, which are in place to cater to people who require extra space to get in and out of their car or to get out any equipment they may need…

 

9.    ‘Choose your adventure’: Manitoba expo shows how sports can be part of life with disability- March 31, 2024 Source: Global News- Canada

 

Recreation organizations gathered in Niverville, Man., on Saturday for the Accessible Sport Connection Manitoba Expo, where they tood advantage of opportunities to demonstrate how they’re bringing sports to people living with disabilities. Kirby Cote, executive director of ASC Manitoba, said this year’s event represents the first time the event was held outside of Winnipeg, a move that helps reach a newer audience. “Whether you’re a person who uses an adapted device like a wheelchair, or if you’re blind or visually impaired, there is something here for you,” Cote said…

 

10. Empowering inclusivity: NADRA’s doorstep digital ID service for persons with disabilities- March 31, 2024 Source: Biometric Update- Pakistan

 

In response to the need for accessibility for people with disabilities (PWDs) in Pakistan, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has launched a service wherein PWDs can receive their Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) right at their doorsteps. NADRA’s Doorstep Service Initiative not only enhances the CNIC issuance system but also simplifies the process by which differently-abled citizens can get hold of their digital IDs without much disturbance…

 

11. Scunthorpe mother calls for better disabled play access- April 3, 2024 Source: BBC- UK

 

A Scunthorpe mother has said it is "heart-breaking" that her disabled daughter is unable to use play parks like other children. Lorna Fillingham said many playgrounds did not have equipment suitable for her 14-year-old daughter Emily-May. A recent report by charity Scope found that only one in 10 parks nationally was fully accessible. Ms Fillingham said she just wanted her daughter "to have the same play opportunities as any other child"…

 

12. Which UK music venues lead in accessibility?- April 3, 2024 Source: Reader's Digest- UK

 

While some of the UK's legendary live music venues are beacons of accessibility and inclusivity, others are lagging behind in catering for disabled music fans. In today's digital age, where music is readily accessible through streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify, the immersive experience of live music often takes a backseat. However, within the realm of ageing music venues across the UK, there exists a crucial conversation surrounding accessibility and inclusivity…

 

13. Emirates achieves Certified Autism Center designation- April 3, 2024 Source: Future Travel Experience- Dubai

 

Furthering Dubai’s commitment to accessible travel, Emirates has achieved Certified Autism Center Designation for all of its Dubai check-in facilities, including Emirates City Check-in & Travel Store in DIFC, Emirates Cruise Check In – Port Rashid, Emirates Cruise Check In – Dubai Harbour, and Emirates City Check-In Ajman, as well as its dedicated hub in Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport. The certification, awarded by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) ensures that all Emirates facilities in Dubai have taken a significant step towards making travel more inclusive and accessible…

 

14. Northants disabilities campaigner calls for accessible sport- April 3, 2024 Source: BBC- UK

 

Nick Wilson, from Towcester, spent 14 years in the Army and suffered a spinal injury. Since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic he has filmed and published videos showcasing the difficulties he faces accessing day-to-day activities. The charity, Northamptonshire Sport, said it was working with local clubs to promote inclusivity. “My [online] followers have told me how they struggle," said Mr Wilson, who has been using a power chair since 2021…

 

15. The sudden rise of AuDHD: what is behind the rocketing rates of this life-changing diagnosis?- April 4, 2024 Source: The Guardian- UK

 

He had beaten more than 19,000 applicants for a place at medical school, yet Khurram Sadiq was now bunking off his hospital shifts. The 19-year-old felt inexplicably anxious around strangers on the wards and was hiding from his own patients. During lectures he couldn’t focus on what he was being taught. He deemed himself “a goof, a dunce” in contrast to his peers. Sadiq couldn’t motivate himself to revise for his exams and instead found himself panic reading textbooks in the final days…

 

16. Qantas criticised over disability policies after 'appalling' treatment of artist- April 4, 2024 Source: ABC- Australia & 6PR (Audio)

 

For most people, booking a domestic flight is quick and simple. But when Anwen Handmer tried to book a work trip with Qantas last month, it turned into a $6,400, weeks-long ordeal that made her feel like she didn't belong in society. The 46-year-old wheelchair user is on the board of Regional Arts Australia (RAA) and needed to fly between Perth and Canberra for work. Ms Handmer and her support worker had to book business class flights — at a huge cost — because Qantas couldn't accommodate her accessibility needs in economy…

 

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