Issue 22 December 21 2021 Skip to main content

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Access Ready Inc. is an independent, national nonprofit, cross disability, advocacy organization promoting a policy of inclusion and accessibility across information technology through education and best practices. So why are we here with VOTEC? Because they are the only pollbook developer who asked how to make their product accessible. They asked us to guide them and engage the National Association of the Deaf, The National Federation of the Blind and other organizations to help them develop accessible pollbook technology. 

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RECORDING ARTIST AND ACCESSIBILITY ADVOCATE LACHI TALKS DISABILITY EMPOWERMENT AND CELEBRATING BLINDNESS THROUGH MUSIC AND BEYOND

New York-based EDM singer/songwriter and disability inclusion advocate Lachi has been taking her activism to new heights in 2021. Meeting with White House officials and working in tandem with the UK non profit SYNC Inspire, Lachi is striving to make a global impact on visibility, accessibility and awareness in the entertainment industry and beyond. She also founded Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD), an organization aimed at unifying the voices and goals of music creators and professionals with disabilities and promoting inclusion in the music industry…

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Government Spotlight

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SECURES AGREEMENT WITH EMPLOYER TO END UNNECESSARY MEDICAL EXAMS AND HEALTH QUESTIONS 

The Justice Department filed an agreement with the Federal Court in New Jersey to resolve its lawsuit against the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH) under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). PATH operates a rail transit service between Manhattan and New Jersey. The department's suit alleges that PATH subjected its workers to unnecessary medical exams and sought unnecessary information from those employees about their disabilities and other health conditions.

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Accessible Elections

DOJ FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST THE STATE OF TEXAS TO PROTECT VOTING RIGHTS

SPONSORED BY VOTEC

The U.S. Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas and the Texas Secretary of State over certain restrictive voting procedures imposed by Texas Senate Bill 1, which was signed into law in September 2021. The United States’ complaint challenges provisions of Senate Bill 1 under Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act and Section 101 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. “Our democracy depends on the right of eligible voters to cast a ballot and to have that ballot counted,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland…

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SIMPLE CHANGES MAKE FASHION ACCESSIBLE

It may have been the outdoor garment industry that first used the zipper pull extender. This was an adaptation that made zippers easier to move up or down with less energy. The zipper pull extender is so common today it is often unnoticed. Velcro is another common clothing fastener. The 1950s innovation was a great alternative to snaps, buttons, zippers and hooks. Astronauts have used it since the early 1960s to secure what they didn’t want to float away…

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Current Legal Actions

DOMINO’S, BLIND PATRON SETTLE ADA, WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY SUIT

More than four months after a California federal judge ordered Domino’s Pizza LLC to make its website fully accessible to blind and visually impaired patrons, the pizza chain and a blind man who sued it for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) announced on Nov. 5 that they had reached a settlement in the five-year-old lawsuit. In the joint notice of settlement, no details of the agreement were disclosed.  The parties asked the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to vacate all upcoming dates and deadlines, including a jury trial, which was scheduled to begin Nov. 16…

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Business Accessibility

MINDSET MATTERS: HOW ACCESSIBILITY IS A WAKE UP CALL FOR THE PROGRESS OF BUSINESS EVOLUTION

Over the last several years there has been a litany of information around the business case of persons with disabilities. Organizations from The World Economic Forum to Accenture have demonstrated that the thinking around disability is gradually becoming part of the larger conversation of diversity and inclusion and a critical aspect to engaging a corporate culture amid a transformation and an emerging consumer market eager to connect with brands that understand their needs and wants.  Central to this conversation is the knowledge of the value of accessibility…

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  WISCONSIN’S FIRST ACCESSIBLE FOOD TRUCK IS COMING TO GREEN BAY THIS SPRING

 

Wisconsin is getting its first accessible food truck for workers with disabilities. The Aging & Disability Resource Center of Brown County unveiled the project Thursday. The food truck should be ready to hit the road this spring. It’s being built by Caged Crow in St. Germain, and it’ll join just a handful of accessible food trucks across the country. The truck is currently being designed. It’ll be a bit larger than a traditional food truck, and will include a ramp for wheelchair users and counters of varying heights…

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Healthcare Accessibility

STUDY: GENETIC LINKS TO SMOKING, ALCOHOL USE MAY RAISE EYE DISEASE RISK

People genetically predisposed to developing a smoking habit who then become regular tobacco users increase their risk for age-related macular degeneration, a study published Thursday by JAMA Ophthalmology found. Those with genetic variations found among many lifetime smokers have about a 30% higher risk for the eye disease known as AMD, the data showed. People with inherited genetic traits linked with alcohol use — and higher alcohol intake — are nearly three times more likely to develop a rarer late-stage form of the disease called geographic atrophy…

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THE TRUTH BEHIND COMMON MYTHS ABOUT HEARING LOSS

When it comes to hearing loss, a number of myths, misconceptions, and objections exist that may prevent people from getting the treatment they need to function at their best. In fact, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, only about one in five people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually use one. In this article, we’ll be addressing some of those hearing loss myths so you can feel confident in taking the next step on your journey to better hearing…

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‘’I AM NOT MY BLINDNESS’: WHAT THE BLIND COMMUNITY WISHES YOU KNEW

If you’re a sighted person, you likely have misconceptions about blind people. That you can close your eyes and suddenly understand what it’s like to be blind. That a blind person you see about to cross the street needs your help doing so. That a blind person knows nothing but darkness. Spoiler alert: None of the above are true for all people with blindness. “Rather than making assumptions, engage with blind people like you would anybody else,” says Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind. “Show curiosity about them. And if you want to know if there’s something they need, ask them and don’t assume.”…

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Accessible Technology

TECH COMPANIES EYE DETROIT AS MOBILITY SECTOR WITH ACCESSIBLE STREETS

Tech startups from around the world are testing their prototypes in the Motor City. “So I think Detroit is learning there’s more to mobility than just the automotive sector,” said Peter Deppe of Flint-based KUHMUTE. KUHMUTE is a company that wants to revolutionize micro mobility with single three-point charging hubs for e-scooters, e-bikes, wheelchairs and delivery robots. “We want to see Detroit as a holistic mobility ecosystem as opposed to just one mode or the other,” Deppe said…

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