Hong Kong to Improve Accessibility to Pedestrian Subways
Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying announced a plan to improve access to Hong Kong’s footbridges and pedestrian subways through a multi-million dollar plan to install elevators. Currently underway in 10 locations, the project is expected to spend HK$100M in its first year, eventually reaching HK$1B in three years. Two hundred twenty sites have been […]
New Canadian Accessibility Council
The capital city of Nunavut Canada has recently announced the possibility of a Canadian Accessibility Council being formed next year. The committee would assess accessibility issues within current and future infrastructure, and act as a stamp of accessibility approval for building projects. Currently in its beginning stages, the plan for the creation of the council […]
New Metro SmarTrip Dispensers – Accessibility Fail?
Disability advocates are questioning the accessibility of the newly implemented SmarTrip card dispensers. Metro’s plan was to make the cards more accessible to disabled riders, however, the proposed locations at every rail station will not be immediately accessible to those who are blind or have limited vision. The machines will not have an audio feature, […]
New Michigan School for the Deaf in Flint is cutting-edge
The new Michigan School for the Deaf in Flint, MI is a 80,000-square-foot, 26-classroom building that includes state of the art design and technology. All classrooms, and even some hallways, can accomodate flat-panel TVs and smartboards. Additionally the gym and cafeteria/auditorium feature large projector screens that can display game scores and schoolwide annoucements. All of […]
Accessible Taxis Make Their Way Across the US Nation
Accessible taxis have been making headlines over the United States. There are fifteen new taxis that are now available to Maryland’s Prince George’s county wheelchair users – a milestone 25 years in the making. One advocate, PG county resident Ms. Patricia Sanders, has been fighting for more accessible transportation options in the southern Maryland area […]
Are Older Americans Optimistic about the Future?
Are older Americans financially prepared for their retirement years? Do they feel optimistic about the future? Several recent news articles have tackled the issue, but with all of the contradictory statistics its hard to draw a clear picture. A recent telephone poll conduced by USA Today in partnership with UnitedHealthcare and the National Council on […]
How To Tailor Your Site for People With Poor Vision
Davey Winder has written a great article for PC Pro that explains how web designers can create websites that are more accessible for people with low vision. Winder suggests looking at webpages through a low vision simulator, in order to get an idea of how people with low vision experience the web. Winder also covers […]
US Labor Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy announces $950,000 grant to establish Accessible Technology Action Center
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy has announced a fund of $950,000 for grants that will be used to open and operate the Accessible Technology Action Center (ATAC), a new national resource that will facilitate and promote the use of accessible technology in the hiring, employment, retention and career advancement of […]
Simple Home Modification for Aging in Place
This fact sheet produced by Kansas State University provides an overview of easy and inexpensive home modifications that can aid older adults planning to age in place. Simple modifications like adding grab bars and removing throw rugs can help to increase safety within the home. Other suggestions include; adding lighting to stairs and hallways, rearranging […]
Smart911 for Callers with Disabilities
Recently, a deaf woman lost her home and three pets to a fire. It remains unknown as to whether or not she called 911, however, her neighbors say that she can be very hard to understand. Fire Chief Tom Jenkins mentioned the fact that if an emergency call comes in, the location of the caller […]