Access Ready asks the question, “If physical facilities in this country must be built in accordance with accessibility standards, why not information and communication technology?” Businesses, employers, and federal / state / local governments are becoming more and more dependent on ICTs to provide goods and services. For people with disabilities, accessible information and communication technology is a necessity (not a luxury, or a convenience), which fosters independence, economic self-sufficiency, and active, meaningful participation in civic life.
Experts in the disability community say theres been a dismaying element of ableism surrounding a recent NBC News interview with John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, who experienced a stroke in May. The on-camera interview, which aired Tuesday, was Fettermanís first since his stroke. While speaking to reporter Dasha Burns, Fetterman required closed captioning due to his difficulties with auditory processing? A common experience among stroke survivors.
SENATOR DUCKWORTH AND REPRESENTATIVE SARBANES INTRODUCE BILL TO MAKE WEBSITES AND MOBILE APPLICATIONS ACCESSIBLE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
IT'S PERSONAL FOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Representative John P. Sarbanes (D-Md.) introduced The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act (S. 4998) and (H.R. 9021) in both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. The American Council of the Blind (ACB), the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) commend Sen. Duckworth and Rep. Sarbanes for their leadership and for introducing this legislation with the full support and collaboration of the disability community.
NONE OF THESE MAJOR MIDTERM CAMPAIGN WEBSITES ARE FULLY ACCESSIBLE TO DISABLED VOTERS
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, many states and politicians focused on how to help voters with disabilities safely cast ballots. But two years later, focus on supporting disabled voters is fading, and a new review found that none of the campaign websites for major midterm candidates are fully accessible to blind voters. “It’s truly shocking,” says Virginia Jacko, president and CEO of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which conducted the study. “It just is a great concern when access to communication is denied to a certain population.”
A bipartisan group of senators is calling out the federal government for failing to do enough to make information and services accessible to people with disabilities. Under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the government is supposed to ensure that its electronic and information technology — including websites — are accessible. But compliance efforts are severely lagging, according to U.S. Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Patty Murray, D-Wash., Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill…
HOW TO HANDLE ADA WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY CLAIMS
ZOLA CLASS ACTION CLAIMS WEBSITE INACCESSIBLE TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED, BLIND CONSUMERS
MEMPHIS IS GROWING, BUT ACCESSIBILITY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS ARE LACKING BEHIND
When searching for a new home, people with disabilities often have a longer and more complicated list of considerations compared with other individuals. In addition to common wish-list items, such as reliable public transportation and diverse entertainment options, people with disabilities also must think about things like the accessibility of facilities or even the cleanliness of the air. They’ll also need to consider how well the city is handling COVID-19, since they can be more at risk for serious symptoms…
'ABBOTT ELEMENTARY' OPENS SECOND SEASON WITH EMPHASIS ON ACCESSIBILITY
Hit ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary returned to the airwaves on September 21, bringing with it an emphasis on accessibility and representation in elementary schools. Following a successful first season that hooked viewers with an endearing, yet harshly realistic, look into the teachers and students that make up the Philadelphia Public School System, the sitcom's second season premiere picked up where its predecessor left off. As faculty, staff members and fan-favorite Principal Ava Coleman, played by Janelle James, prepare for yet another year at the fictional Willard R. Abbott Public School, two teachers facing unique challenges are spotlighted…
DEAF, HARD OF HEARING INDIVIDUALS MAY FACE BARRIERS AT THE POLLS
Sponsored by VOTEC
People who are deaf and hard of hearing face unique challenges this general election, including accessibility and information. Those who are deaf and people with hearing impairments make up the largest minority population in the United States. "It's millions of people across the country. Somewhere around 20% of our nation has some form of disability, whether that is deafness or vision impairment, autism disorder, mental illness, physical disabilities," said Daniel Van Sant, director of disability policy at the Harkin Institute…
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT RELEASES INFORMATION ON EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE RIGHT TO VOTE
'SHIFT THE PARADIGM': FLAMBOROUGH ADVOCATES HOPE ACCESSIBILITY STAYS TOP OF MIND POST-ELECTION
HOW EXPANDING VOTING ACCESSIBILITY HELPS ALL VOTERS
COURT VICTORIES DELIVER CAUTIOUS HOPE FOR VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES
MAKING VOTING ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE
FEDERAL JUDGE'S RULING IMPROVES ABSENTEE BALLOT ACCESS FOR VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE GENERAL ELECTION
ACCESSIBILITY MATTERS: A VOTING VICTORY
According to the CDC, about 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. live with some type of disability: nearly 61 million people. When it comes time to cast their ballots, voters with disabilities can face a number of challenges at the polls. For in-person voters in the 2016 election, the Government Accountability Office found that less than half of polling places were accessible from parking to the voting booth. Accessibility increased in 2020, and people with disabilities made large gains in the historic voter turnout surge of 2020…
A New York resident has included Elon University in a series of lawsuits alleging the university’s website design violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. Emanuel Delacruz filed the lawsuit Aug. 2 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He has also filed similar lawsuits against dozens of other companies and universities going as far back as 2017. He is seeking class-action status for the lawsuit. In the lawsuit, Delacruz claims that both the Elon University website and the Elon Athletics website are not equally accessible for blind and visually impaired consumers.
FROM PHARRELL'S INCLUSIVE SKINCARE LINE TO A LUBE WITH BRAILLE WRITING, CONSUMER BRANDS ARE FINALLY STARTING TO THINK ABOUT BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED CUSTOMERS
Thinking inclusively as a brand sounds easy enough. Yet for the majority of companies out there, inclusion is an afterthought, often triggered by a PR scandal or public shaming on social media. Many brands don't think proactively about making their products and services accessible to those who live with a disability. On this World Sight Day, it's important to remember that globally, there are 43 million people who are blind and 295 million people who are visually impaired (including myself). And for those of us who cannot rely 100% on our vision, ití nice to see that some companies are more visionary than others.
I'M LOVIN IT: MCDONALD'S REMASTERS JINGLE IN SIGN LANGUAGE FOR HEARING-IMPAIRED
Though McDonald’s I’m Lovin It is one of the most recognizable commercial jingles worldwide, some people have never heard the famed tune. And instead of leaving them out, the fast food chain has decided to release a brand-new iteration of the track that they, too, can enjoy. To commemorate the International Week of the Deaf, McDonald’s has teamed up with Finnish rapper Signmark to create a music video for its jingle that it hopes will be just as catchy for customers with hearing impairments.
HOW DISABILITY IS INFORMING BETTER PRODUCTS—AND BETTER ORGANIZATIONS
It wasn’t so long ago that businesses were operating in what Jenny Lay-Flurrie calls the “dark ages.” As Microsoft’s chief accessibility officer, and someone who describes herself as “profoundly deaf,” Lay-Flurrie said that the concerns and needs of people with disabilities were almost completely ignored by the business world. “You would find accessibility being done by volunteers. It was volunteerism. It wasn’t part of a formalized job description. It wasn’t an industry or a discipline,” said Lay-Flurrie.
DISTURBING NEW DATA SHOWS DOCTORS ARE BIASED IN TREATING PATIENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Patients with disabilities often find trouble getting the proper medical care, and new data confirms doctors are biased in their care of those with disabilities, sometimes even discharging them from their practice. Authors of a recent study showing this bias spoke about their concerns on Greater Boston, saying some of the anecdotes they heard from doctors about treating patients with disabilities moved them to tears. Dr. Tara Lagu, researcher with Mass General Hospitalís Mongan Institute said, "some of the attitudes expressed were inflammatory to the point where some of our research staff became tearful while they were reviewing the focus groups."
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FINDS NEVADA UNNECESSARILY SEGREGATES CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISABILITIES IN INSTITUTIONS
The Department of Justice announced today that it has concluded an investigation into whether the State of Nevada subjects children with behavioral health disabilities to unnecessary institutionalization in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Justice Department determined that Nevada violates the ADA by failing to provide adequate community-based services to children with behavioral health disabilities, relying instead on segregated, institutional settings like hospitals and residential treatment facilities…
MENTAL HEALTH, SUD ORGS FAIL TO OFFER ASL LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES
American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter services are hard to come by in mental health and substance use disorder treatment facilities, despite federal mandates to provide language accessibility services, according to new research in Health Affairs. Moreover, the process for reporting non-compliance is convoluted and rests with the patient, the researchers said, creating a patient engagement and access to care problem. “Not only are these patients at a two- to three-fold higher risk for mood and anxiety disorders, lifetime trauma exposure, and substance use than the general nondeaf population”, said Tyler G. James of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbo.
Voices offer lots of information. Turns out, they can even help diagnose an illness and researchers are working on an app for that. The National Institutes of Health is funding a massive research project to collect voice data and develop an AI that could diagnose people based on their speech. Everything from your vocal cord vibrations to breathing patterns when you speak offers potential information about your health, says laryngologist Dr. Yael Bensoussan, the director of the University of South Florida's Health Voice Center and a leader on the study.
TOP TECH TIDBITS OCTOBER 2O, 2022
Top Tech Tidbits. The world's #1 online resource for current news and trends in adaptive technology.