June 26, 2021, Forbes: The National Federation of the Blind, America’s most powerful civil rights and advocacy group for the visually impaired has launched a scathing attack on web accessibility overlay market leader accessiBe, accusing the company of engaging in “harmful” practices.
June 26, 2021, KSAT: First, there was a theme park, later a water park and now Morgan’s Wonderland is debuting an ultra-accessible sports complex.
June 25, 2021, WTMJ: As the Milwaukee Bucks continue to chase a championship, they’ve already made history by becoming the first professional sports team to provide a sign language interpreter for team interviews.
June 25, 2021, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Opportunities and Resources, Inc. and ORI Anuenue Hale, Inc. (ORI), a work placement agency for individuals with disabilities, violated federal law when the agency routinely refused to provide sign language interpreters to deaf employees, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.
June 25, 2021, The White House: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 1104, 3301, and 3302 of title 5, United States Code, and in order to strengthen the Federal workforce by promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, it is hereby ordered as follows.
June 24, 2021, Kaiser Health News: Six months ago, Cindy Sanders, 68, bought a computer so she could learn how to email and have Zoom chats with her great-grandchildren.
June 24, 2021, CalMatters: $600 check would go a long way for Janet Clendenin. The costs of the sugar-free foods she buys to manage her diabetes have risen sharply in South Lake Tahoe during the pandemic, Clendenin said. She usually has to criss-cross the picturesque region by bus to find discounts at Dollar Tree, Grocery Outlet and Walmart.
June 23, 2021, Forbes: Aside from the annual barrage of WWDC news earlier this month, a hot topic of conversation in the technology world of late has been Apple’s plans for achieving semblances of normalcy regarding in-person work. This, of course, comes after the coronavirus pandemic required remote work for the last year-and-a-half or so.
June 23, 2021, Happiful: There are 14 million disabled people in the UK, yet talking about disability is still seen as a taboo topic. It can feel awkward for everyone involved, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
June 23, 2021, PlaceTech: Five years ago, James Campbell was hit by a van, breaking his back and paralysing his left leg. That moment fundamentally changed his perspective of the places around him – offices, public spaces, the London Underground. Now a wheelchair user, he saw a world that often didn’t feel like it considered his needs.
June 22, 2021, TechPluto: In recent years, several innovative advances have emerged at the hands of tech companies and university programs. While all technological breakthroughs can send a current of electric excitement running through communities at large, techies, inventors, accessibility advocates, and consumers, in particular, have every reason to celebrate as accessible assistive technologies roll out in unprecedented numbers. The right assistive technology may be the difference between some individuals gaining access to the internet, career-advancing software, social media platforms, and virtual recreation tools or lagging behind their tech-savvy counterparts. As such, the advances certainly warrant the hype. If you’re interested in watching the future of digital accessibility unfold, keep your eyes on these five groundbreaking innovations in assistive technology.
June 22, 2021, Yahoo! Finance: The latest research from new build snagging company, HouseScan, has found that not only is the number of new build homes being delivered to market with disabled access expected to fall throughout the next decade, but the ones that are being delivered are also unfit for purpose has housebuilders cut corners to maximise profits.
June 22, 2021, Prolific North–UK: The less accessible a website is to disabled or impaired people, the worse the UX is for every user. That’s the view of Caren Launus-Gamble, one half of KreativeInc Agency.
June 21, 2021, Forbes: Facebook-owned Oculus, makers of the popular virtual reality headsets, announced several accessibility improvements in a blog post published late last week. The update brings the device’s software to version 30, the company said.
June 21, 2021, Information Age: The rapid evolution of technology we saw over the course of the pandemic is showing no signs of stopping, such is the need for continuous innovation among organisations of all industries to meet changing demands. But when it comes to usage of capabilities such as AI and communication platforms among wider society, inclusive technology design that takes factors such as prior experience, demographics and disabilities into account is vital to minimising barriers.
June 21, 2021, PRNewswire: Thomson Reuters' national legal ranking publication, Super Lawyers, named Consumer Attorneys' partners as 2021 rising stars.
June 21, 2021, Thumbwind: Web Accessibility testing tools are currently the hot topic for business and eCommerce sites. If you’re selling a product or service, no matter how small, your website should be set up to accommodate potential customers who have special needs or disabilities. This set of users may require screen readers and special navigation tools to access and browse your website.
June 21, 2021, Disability Scoop: A U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act is a big win for people with disabilities, advocates say. The nation’s high court ruled 7-2 late last week that several states and two individuals who challenged the constitutionality of the health care law lacked standing. The decision keeps the law known as Obamacare intact.
June 20, 2021, Rome Sentinel: M&T Bank announced it will be the first U.S. bank to team up with MagnusCards™ by Magnusmode, a free app dedicated to making the world a more accessible place for people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. The collaboration will create new digital guides that provide visual cues and step-by-step instructions to help people access fundamental banking services. Available through the MagnusCards app, M&T Bank’s digital “Card Decks” are designed to increase banking accessibility for the autism and disability communities and are offered free to users.
June 20, 2021, Sky News–UK: The director of My Left Foot has said he would cast a disabled actor in the role that won Daniel Day-Lewis an Oscar if the film was being made today.
