Apple’s New Accessibility Innovations Will Blow You Away

I’m Raul Krauthausen the founder of SOZIALHELD*INNEN, an NPO and consultancy from Germany, focussing on Disability Mainstreaming. With this newsletter, I share hand-picked links from around the world.

If you enjoy this newsletter, please forward this email to your friends! 🙏

Questions? Tips? Suggestions?

Feel free to drop me a line!

Thank you,

Raul

I wrote a book (in german)

In this book, I raise fundamental questions about inclusion in Germany. In conversations with experts, we sketch out an idea of how inclusion can work together at all levels.

The first readings are already scheduled, and I can't wait to finally get back into dialogue with you!

---

Hand-picked news about inclusion, accessibilty and innovation

Designing tech with inclusion in mind (businessdisabilityforum.org.uk)

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) last month was an important reminder of the need to make digital products and services accessible to everyone, including disabled people.

Apple’s New Accessibility Innovations Will Blow You Away (diverseabilitymagazine.com)

Apple recently previewed a handful of new features for the iPhone, iPad and Mac designed to boost cognitive, vision, hearing and mobility accessibility.

Adaptive Gaming Controllers (allaccesslife.org)

This article discusses some popular adaptive controller options for gamers with disabilities.

Jennifer’s Op Ed: Airline accessibility is an equal rights issue (acoupletakesonms.com)

Jennifer Digmann, who has secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, has written an op-ed that appeared in print in the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun newspaper. The piece calls for Congress to include the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act in the 2023 FAA Reauthorization to make air travel safer for people with disabilities. In the article, Digmann notes that passengers with disabilities continue to face barriers in access and the return of assistive devices in the same condition they received them. The amendment would address the removal of access barriers and improve standards in line with those of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

20 Tips for Working from Home with a Chronic Illness (thebimblers.com)

Working from home with a chronic illness has become increasingly common in recent years. Here's 20 tips for a better homeworking experience.

7 Beauty Instagrammers With Disabilities You Should Be Following (themighty.com)

What are some of your favorite beauty and fashion Instagram accounts?

A dance explores how to befriend a lost piece of yourself (hollandbloorview.ca)

It's about reconnecting with 'parts that we've pushed away, forgotten about or avoided.'

First Look: Air4All Wheelchair Securement Space by Delta Flight Products (wheelchairtravel.org)

Delta Flight Products has unveiled the first prototype of its wheelchair securement space — I traveled to Germany to give it a test drive.

NJ offers accessible voting options for people with disabilities in Tuesday's primary (eu.northjersey.com)

New Jersey official outlines steps taken to make voting accessible for residents with disabilities as June 6 approaches.

10K NYC preschool children with disabilities missed out on full services last year: report (ny.chalkbeat.org)

The city’s data might actually “significantly” underreport the problem, the report said.

Broke (affirmpress.com.au)

Sam always knew he was starting life on the back foot. When his parents split, Sam, his mother and his brother had to learn to survive in a world not built for single-parent families. Add to that Sam’s diagnosis with a form of dwarfism and the odds seemed stacked against them. As surgeons kept breaking and resetting Sam’s legs in attempts to keep him walking, disability and poverty collided, and it took all the family’s strength not to crumple in the impact.

Climate Crisis Is on Track to Push One-Third of Humanity Out of Its Most Livable Environment (propublica.org)

As conditions that best support life shift toward the poles, more than 600 million people are already living outside of a crucial “climate niche,” facing more extreme heat, rising food scarcity and higher death rates.

Province ramps up funding for 51 companies operating wheelchair-accessible cabs (kimberleybulletin.com)

Grants worth $2.6 million help reduce maintenance for some 400 wheelchair-accessible taxis.

Introducing Beyond Barriers, Our New Accessibility Travel Column (cntraveler.com)

Television host and travel writer Sophie Morgan will cover the latest news, hotels, restaurants, destinations, and tech, helping disabled travelers feel safe, secure, and inspired to travel the world.

Greece Ramps Up Accessibility By Retrofitting Over 200 Beaches With Ramps That Fully Submerge Wheelchair Users Into The Sea (travelabilityinsider.com)

Our Takeaway: Here’s an example of a country drawing a line in the sand, so to speak. They are spending tens of millions of dollars to make Greece the most preferred beach destination in the world for beach lovers.

How Can I Safely Travel With Epilepsy? (verywellhealth.com)

Traveling with epilepsy can create some challenges. Use these tips to prepare for your upcoming trip, stay safe, and make the most of your voyage.

TravelAbility’s Innovative "Rethinking Accessibility" Initiative: A Beacon of Hope for Global Accessibility (newstrail.com)

In the quaint city of Sausalito, California, a company named TravelAbility has been tirelessly working to dismantle barriers and build bridges. Recognized as a vanguard in its field, TravelAbility is known for its commitment to creating a world where the thrill of travel is accessible to all, irrespective of physical limitations or disabilities. The company has recently unveiled a pioneering initiative aptly named “Rethinking Accessibility,” a project that is as ambitious as it is necessary. This project is designed to illuminate the world of travel with the glow of inclusivity, a move that could potentially rewrite the narrative around travel for people with disabilities.

Apple Previews iPhone, iPad and Mac Accessibility Features Ahead of WWDC (cnet.com)

Live Speech, Point and Speak and other software updates are slated to roll out later this year.

Exclusive: Red Sea Global to revolutionise accessible tourism, becoming entirely disability-friendly (hoteliermiddleeast.com)

"It is totally inexcusable for our industry to exclude so many people," says CEO John Pagano. Exclusive: Red Sea Global to revolutionise accessible tourism, becoming entirely disability-friendly. accessible holidays, accessible tourism, accessible travel, Amaala, disability friendly travel, hospitality news, hotel news, john pagano, red sea, Red Sea Global, wheelchair friendly hotels. Saudi Arabia.

Accessible Outdoor Recreation Travel Guide (willamettepartnership.org)

The Accessible Outdoor Recreation Travel Guide was created by and for people in the disabilities community, providing information to plan a trip outdoors.

Accessible Travel (traveloregon.com)

Our rushing waterfalls, verdant hiking trails and scenic viewpoints inspire people of all ages and ability levels. Before you head out, be sure to download the Accessible Outdoor Recreation Travel Guide created in partnership with Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection, Adventures Without Limits, and Willamette Partnership. This guide was created specifically for people in the disabilities community, to provide the information you need to plan a fabulous trip before you head outdoors. While this guide is by no means an exhaustive list of all the accessible recreation spots in Oregon, it includes popular favorites and hidden gems that came directly from the local community.

Meet the Adventurer: Amar Latif on making travel more accessible to the blind (nationalgeographic.com)

Explorer Amar Latif, who lost his sight at 18, explains the importance of sighted guides: “As words go into my ears, they translate into beautiful pictures.”

Meet some of AbilityNet's tech volunteers in our new film (abilitynet.org.uk)

As part of this year's Volunteers' Week celebrations, three AbilityNet tech volunteers from across the UK invite you to get an insight into their varied and rewarding roles. Meet Jo, Greg and Jordan.

Dipu Patel (axschat.com)

Dipu Patel is a board-certified, doctorally-trained PA passionate about medicine and PA education. She received her Bachelor of Science and Physician Assistant Certificate from St. John’s University’s Bronx-Lebanon Physician Assistant Program, Master of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska Medical Center with a specialization in Emergency Medicine, and Doctorate in Medical Science with a focus on Education from the University of Lynchburg.

Dr. Anthony Giannoumis (axschat.com)

Anthony is a motivational speaker on inclusive leadership. His keynote showcases the greatest challenge CEOs can overcome to lead inclusively, and the seven lovely wins that your MBA didn’t teach you about diversity.

All Inclusive – Rise And Shine Cinema (riseandshine-cinema.de)

Vier Sportler:innen aus verschiedenen Ländern leben mit geistigen Beeinträchtigungen. Doch „special“ zu sein scheint für sie nicht die eigentliche Herausforderung, denn sie müssen auch mit den Schwierigkeiten des Erwachsenwerdens fertig werden, wahre Freunde finden und sich klar machen, was sie vom Leben wollen. Die Geschichten von Timo, Toivo, Uyangaa und Mary Stella zeigen uns, wie inklusiver Sport das Leben von Menschen mit Beeinträchtigungen und ihre Umgebung positiv verändern kann. Alle vier haben ein gemeinsames Ziel: Die Teilnahme an den Special Olympics World Games in Berlin im Sommer 2023. Wie meistern sie diesen Weg?

Pay It No Mind: Transgender and Disability Activism in the Time of the Stonewall Riots (danceforallbodies.org)

Cramming in the break room prior to class, my friend who is a literacy coach for San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) interjects, “You should come to the SFUSD drag show fundraiser Friday night! You will absolutely love it.” Greeted outside of the OASIS nightclub by two young adults with disabilities, we walked into a small dark event space with red leather booths, a small stage adorned with a red velvet curtain, and pictures of drag queens in ornate frames filled the walls.

Pride month arrives as wave of anti-LGBTQ bills make many states less equitable (eu.usatoday.com)

LGBTQ workers, families and youth are facing hostility in more states amid wave of bills and policies, according to a new Out Leadership report.

Emboldened shoppers threaten Target workers over Pride Month items (washingtonpost.com)

Some shoppers have become more emboldened to engage in confrontational, even threatening, behavior over polarizing social issues.

LOMAA (lomaa.ca)

Established in 2012, LOMAA is an emerging, enthusiastic and devoted non-profit artist-run collective in London, Ontario.

ACCESS Festival (kickstartdisability.ca)

A week long celebration in honour of BC Access Awareness Day and the Disability community, taking place May 27 – June 3, 2023 in Downtown Vancouver.

Weathering (hachettebookgroup.com)

The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society.

The Case That Being Poor and Black Is Bad for Your Health (newyorker.com)

The public-health professor Arline T. Geronimus has spent a forty-year career researching how inequality takes a “weathering” toll on the body.

Storytellers Spotlight: ASL artist showcases intersectionality, culture and music on stage (abc7.com)

Storytellers Spotlight: Artist Brandon Kazen-Maddox steps into the Storytellers Spotlight to showcase intersectionality.

Burnt Out in Biscuit Land (loopingtheloopfestival.org.uk)

​'More relaxed multimedia performance! More disabled / neurodivergent theatre! More ready to stand up defiantly for my own access needs - JOY AS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE!' - quote from a participant at a recent performance

Work at AAPD (aapd.com)

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities.

4 days left! Tell Medicare/Medicaid: Hospitals should protect us from COVID-19 (peoplescdc.substack.com)

Submit a public comment before June 9.

Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (cms.gov)

The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program What is the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program? The Hospital VBP Program rewards acute care hospitals with incentive payments for the quality of care provided in the inpatient hospital setting.

Access Worlding: An Inventory Workshop · Lincoln Center (lincolncenter.org)

Access ecologies invite us to discover and expand. They involve intentional strategies for being with each other and our surroundings. At this kickoff event for the Cultivating Access Ecologies series, we will convene with artists and organizers—remotely and in-person—for a participatory workshop to document and imagine how we build worlds with accessibility. What magic will emerge when we start with access, when we dance at the boundaries between us? Join us to make an inventory of the tools we have and the tools we need.

Interrupting Criminalization (interruptingcriminalization.com)

Interrupting Criminalization is an initiative led by researchers Mariame Kaba and Andrea J. Ritchie. We create resources, develop containers, and weave cross-movement networks, building capacity for and with organizers and advocates working to end the growing criminalization and incarceration of women, LGBTQ, trans, and gender non-conforming people of color.

Care Writes: Exploring the Labor of Love (eventbrite.com)

Writing workshop facilitated by Octavia's Chariot, offers a nurturing space for disabled people regardless of experience.

Lack of understanding is not the issue, lack of action is - contribution to guidance on living independently and being included (inclusion-europe.eu)

Living in your own place. Having friends. Making your own choices. Being good at something. Belonging. That is what the right to live independently and to be included means to us.

Too Many Women With Chronic Illnesses Are Disbelieved and Dismissed (themighty.com)

"If we advocate for ourselves, we are often seen as hysterical."

Cast Set for A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at Phamaly Theatre Company (broadwayworld.com)

Denver's premier disability-affirmative theatre, Phamaly Theatre Company, has announced the cast for Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Approving Workplace Accommodations for Patients with Long Covid — Advice for Clinicians (nejm.org)

Consider the following scenario: a 54-year-old patient who works as a warehouse packer comes to your community practice for an exam. Six months ago, she was diagnosed with Covid-19. Since then, she has been unable to work her usual 9-hour shifts because she often feels exhausted, has trouble breathing, and has leg pain she describes as a sharp, hot knife cutting her. You learn from her electronic record that previous clinical evaluation revealed a mild exacerbation of preexisting reactive airway disease and preexisting diastolic dysfunction but no abnormal levels of inflammatory or rheumatologic markers. She underwent a course of therapy with a rehabilitation psychologist, which mitigated her symptoms only slightly.

Cancer vaccines poised to unlock 'new treatment paradigm' with Merck/Moderna data (msn.com)

Adding an experimental mRNA-based vaccine from Moderna Inc and Merck & Co reduced the risk that the most deadly skin cancer would spread by 65% over treatment with an immunotherapy alone in a midstage trial, the companies reported on Monday.

World Health Organization Advice to Protect Against Long Covid (johnsnowproject.org)

The World Health Organization has joined the US CDC and HHS in providing new guidance on the ongoing public health threat posed by Long Covid.

This Ethereum flash crash shows how cryptocurrency markets are super risky (mashable.com)

Down to 10 cents in a flash.

‘Pacing’ for long COVID can help people cope, but there’s a tradeoff (whyy.org)

Chronic fatigue associated with long COVID forces many people to rest and disengage from activities they used to do — but limiting your life can feel powerless.

Showcasing athletes' experiences through a Paralympic history tour app (allofusdha.org)

Throughout my PhD, I have been fortunate to investigate a range of topics related to the history of the Paralympics and disability sport. Within this work, I have been especially conscious of how to represent the stories and experiences of disabled athletes. Academic and ex-Paralympian Danielle Peers notes that historic representations of the Paralympics can fall into problematic stereotypes by rendering athlete as tragic figures who overcome despair via sport, and undermine ideas of athlete empowerment or resistance (Peers 2009). As I undertook a placement with the National Paralympic Heritage Trust (NPHT), in Stoke Mandeville, UK, I wanted to take this critical perspective into account. In this blog, I will briefly explore my experiences in curating content for the Paralympic Heritage Trail, outline the project and describe how the scope of the project changed to encapsulate a broader view of disability sport history. To this end, I highlight three examples of how athlete’s experiences were represented in the Trail.

COVID-19 is a leading cause of death in children and young people in (ox.ac.uk)

A new study led by researchers at the University of Oxford’s Department of Computer Science has found that, between 2021 and 2022, COVID-19 was a leading cause of death in children and young people in the United States, ranking eighth overall. The results demonstrate that pharmaceutical and public health interventions should continue to be applied to limit the spread of the coronavirus and protect again severe disease in this age group.

Study finds 27% rate of long COVID in infected health workers (cidrap.umn.edu)

A new case-control study of Brazilian healthcare workers (HCWs) suggests as many as 27% developed long COVID after infection, and multiple infections raised the risk. The findings were published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

Towards an ENIL proposal for the European Commission Framework on Social Services (enil.eu)

As part of the European Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ESRPDs 2021-2030) the European Commission will publish in 2024 a FCo-ramework for Social Services of Excellence for persons with disabilities. This framework is intended to improve service delivery for persons with disabilities and to enhance the attractiveness of jobs in this area.

Why is sterilisation of women with disabilities allowed in Europe? (euronews.com)

Forced sterilisation is legal in much of the European Union. It is against the law in only nine countries despite contravening the Istanbul Convention.

Can Americans Really Make a Free Choice About Dying? (thenation.com)

In a country that treats disabled people like expensive burdens and that teaches people to hate and fear disabilities, activists argue that true bodily autonomy is not possible.

Discovering Inclusive Spiritual Connections Through Virtual Reality (respectability.org)

RespectAbility Fellow Juliet Romeo discusses how VR has brought her and her family a more accessible way to connect with their faith.

Health & (un)Wellness Presents: Mighty With Migraine (themighty.com)

Live with a health condition or three? Yeah, so do we.

How Advocating for Myself Helped me Navigate Life with Achondroplasia (themighty.com)

There is beauty to be found in the pain. Life is brutal, but it’s also beautiful. Life is Brutiful.” – Glennon Doyle.

Diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis? Follow These Social Media Accounts (themighty.com)

What even is ulcerative colitis (UC) anyway?

Reducing Mental Health Risks in the Workplace (urevolution.com)

Learn effective strategies for reducing mental health risks in the workplace and fostering a positive work culture. Prioritize your employees' well-being by implementing policies, providing support, and fostering open communication. Create a safer and healthier workplace environment.

Stories: Aging with CP (meriahnichols.com)

Kari Turner talks about lived experiences with Cerebral Palsy and aging with Cerebral Palsy, some challenges and changes that come with aging with CP.

Entries Now Open for the National Center on Disability and Journalism 2023 awards (ncdj.org)

The National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ) is now accepting entries for the 2023 Katherine Schneider Journalism Award for Excellence in Reporting on Disability, the only professional journalism contest devoted exclusively to disability coverage. And for a second year, the Gary Corcoran Student Prize for Excellence in Reporting on Disability, which recognizes the best work by college journalists on topics related to disabilities.

Video: Katy Sullivan Is Living Her Wildest Childhood Dreams (broadwayworld.com)

In this video, watch as Tony nominee Katy Sullivan chats more about her long journey with Cost of Living, why being on Broadway was such a big deal to her, and so much more.

LEGO Friends: The Next Chapter S1E4 (youtube.com)

Autumn and Nova are paired up in class to make a video game. But working together doesn’t come easy when no one is communicating well. While Nova is unsuccessfully working on a video game, Autumn is more focused on helping a puppy at the Rescue Center.

I wish caring for disabled people was seen as a career, not a stopgap (metro.co.uk)

Is it any wonder why care work isn’t always taken as a valued career path when we still as a society do not see disabled people as equals?

Queer Silence (upress.umn.edu)

Championing the liberatory potential of silence to address the fraught disability politics of queerness. While silence is often linked to voicelessness, complicity, and even death in queer culture, Queer Silence insists that silence can be a generative and empowering mode of survival. Triangulating insights from queer studies, disability studies, and rhetorical studies, J. Logan Smilges explores what silence can mean for people whose bodyminds signify more powerfully than their words.

Crip Negativity (upress.umn.edu)

Imagining anti-ableist liberation beyond the rubrics of access and inclusion. In the thirty years since the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, the lives of disabled people have not improved nearly as much as activists and politicians had hoped. In Crip Negativity, J. Logan Smilges shows us what’s gone wrong and what we can do to fix it, imagining what horizons might exist for the liberation of those oppressed by ableism—beyond access and inclusion.

Our stand at the Digby Brown Head Injury Information events 2023 (euansguide.com)

A blog post about the Digby Brown Head Injury Information events in Edinburgh and Glasgow during May 2023. Euan's Guide were attending as exhibitors and their ambassadors were in attendance too. Small charity providing disabled access information for people living with head injuries and disabilities.

3 ways you can help me as a wheelchair-user on public transport (gemturner.com)

Travel has always been a **sitch** for me. I’ve definitely come a long way from when I was a teenager and petrified of travel.

Digital Accessibility is No Longer a Choice; It’s a Necessity. (devprojournal.com)

Developing an accessible web application requires an intentional, holistic approach. Here are some concrete steps for you to take to make your software available to all.

Council Post: Embed Accessibility And Inclusion Into Your DNA: A Call To Action For Tech Leaders (forbes.com)

As you step into your leadership role, you’re in for an exciting ride, ripe with innovation and brimming with layers of opportunity.

android_ally_issues (github.com)

Issue tracker for the Android Ally.

Trivia11y: A Web Accessibility Quiz by Sparkbox (trivia11y.com)

A quiz game and study tool to help those at all skill levels to learn and test their accessibility knowledge. Flash cards, multiple choice, and short answer questions are available in multiple categories.

The “dark yellow problem” in design system color palettes (uxdesign.cc)

When defining a proper color palette for the design system I was working on, I came across the “Dark Yellow Problem”, where designers try to strike a balance between “yellow being yellow” and meeting accessibility requirements for color contrasts.

The Key to Aligning Accessibility with Feature Releases (levelaccess.com)

Learn to embed accessibility into your agile life cycle for new feature releases, accelerating time-to-market and reducing development costs.

Designing services for people who need help with numbers (accessiblenumbers.com)

Low numeracy affects half of adults in the UK. Many live with the limitations of not understanding numbers and the impact that has on everyday life.

Best Practice Guide - Request for Proposal (businessdisabilityforum.org.uk)

A Request For Proposal (RFP) document outlines preliminary requirements for commodities or services, and may dictate to varying degrees the exact structure and format of the supplier’s response. Effective RFPs typically reflect the strategy and short/long-term business objectives, providing detailed insight upon which suppliers will be able to offer a matching perspective. It is therefore imperative in a Disability-Smart organisation to include accessibility as part of this proposal. This document will provide you with an outline of the key criteria you may wish to include within your own RFP.

How to Build an Equitable and Accessible Classroom (bookshare.org)

Everyone deserves the opportunity to read and access information. Yet too many students are excluded from reading to learn, due to difficulty reading standard print.

Visually Accessible Data Visualization (medium.com)

How we designed data visualization to be more visually accessible at Plaid using patterns, shapes, and high contrast colors.

Too few people in power really care about those with disabilities (theguardian.com)

Letter: Academics and an expert adviser point to the case of Sally Lewis, whose death in a care home in 2017 prompted a depressingly familiar ‘scandal-review-inquest-lessons learned’ response.

When your EXPECTATIONS don’t always ALIGN with your LIFE PLAN (quirkyquad.com)

If you are a poker player and you are down on your luck, it’s best to cash out. Unfortunately, life is not always so black-and-white. Life is messy, complicated, emotional, and defies reasonable logic at times in your own mind. When I think about what props one up in life I think of a pyramid.

A lifetime of racism makes Alzheimer’s more common in Black Americans (apnews.com)

This story is part five of an AP series examining the health disparities experienced by Black Americans across a lifetime.

‘Stay home’: Warning over new Covid wave (news.com.au)

Millions of Australians are at risk of contracting Covid-19 during the fifth wave of the coronavirus as vaccination numbers drop ahead of winter.

What You Need to Know About the New Tick-Borne Disease Emerging This Summer (people.com)

Lyme disease and a new threat, babesiosis, are on the rise after a mild winter.

Long Covid cited by more than 2,600 NHS staff as reason for absence (thenationalnews.com)

The majority of health workers taking time off due to the debilitating condition were nurses.

Plastic bottles harm human health at every stage of their life cycle (grist.org)

A new report says beverage companies like Coca-Cola must be “held accountable for the supply chain impacts of their plastics.”

Dutch Survey Data Shows Significant Increase In Memory And Concentration Problems Among Adults Since Start Of Covid-19 Pandemic (forbes.com)

Data from the Netherlands suggest that among people ages 25 and up, memory and concentration problems have risen by 24% since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rolling With My Insecurities (theodysseyonline.com)

I never felt insecure about my wheelchair, I felt insecure about how my bone disease made my body look.

WHY are all Ostomy Products SO Ugly!? (youtube.com)

A quick internet search of 'Ostomy Supplies' will quickly demonstrate the lack of diversity among Ostomy Products, but hey - as long as you enjoy looking like you have a permanent bandaid attached to you at all times there's no problem, right?

Visit Lauderdale to host Deaf Seniors of America National Conference (disabilityinsider.com)

Visit Lauderdale has announced it will host the Deaf Seniors of America (DSA) 17th Biennial National Conference at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino & Hotel in Hollywood on June 25 - 29, 2023.

Australia urged to strengthen response on audio description (disabilityinsider.com)

Disability advocates are urging the Australian Government to commit to changing the law to require audio description be provided on Australian television, in line with a UN Committee recommendation.

Folge 25 - Achtsam mit MS (inklusiveachtsamkeit.de)

Mit Samira Mousa spreche ich über ihre Erfahrung, wie sie achtsam mit MS umgeht und wie sie andere Menschen auf dem gleichen Weg unterstützt.

An Open Letter to Parents Who Use the Term “Special Needs” (kellydawson.medium.com)

The majority of the disabled community wants you to just…stop.

'I live in a world that's not designed for me' says Vogue cover star (amp-cnn-com.cdn.ampproject.org)

Disability activist Sinéad Burke discusses her pride at being one of British Vogue's five disabled cover stars this month and making fashion accessible for all.

How Amsterdam Made Room for Microcars (bloomberg.com)

The Dutch embrace of micromobility includes cars so small they can drive on bike lanes. But regulating these unusual mini-machines took some trial and error.

London needs more accessible design (bbc.co.uk)

A London Assembly committee says disabled people face too many access problems across the capital.

Disability Simulations: What Does the Research Say? (nfb.org)

Disability simulations are one of the most popular activities used to teach about disabilities. They generally involve having people perform everyday activities with a temporary disability, such as a blindfold, earplugs, or a wheelchair. Notably, they are popular with educators, but highly controversial among disability activists, including members of the NFB. As blind people we are deeply concerned about how these simulations affect public attitudes about blindness, for better or worse.

Disabled children disproportionately affected by UK cost of living crisis (theguardian.com)

Families who have extra costs because of a child’s disability are going without electricity or heating.

Dating Someone With Narcolepsy (urevolution.com)

Discover what it's like to date someone with narcolepsy and gain valuable insights on understanding, supporting, and navigating relationships with this condition. Learn practical tips for open communication, flexibility, managing sleep disruptions, and providing emotional support.

Crip for a day: The unintended negative consequences of disability simulations (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

To investigate the impact of disability simulations on mood, self-ascribed disability stereotypes, attitudes about interacting with disabled individuals, and behavioral intentions for improving campus accessibility.

Use This Trick to Save Money on ADA Accessible Seats at Concerts and Sporting Events (wheelchairtravel.org)

Disabled fans have a right to benefit from deep discounts in the ticket resale marketplace, even if ADA accessible seats aren't sold there.

COVID makes comeback in Thailand as booster fatigue leaves door open (thaipbsworld.com)

Thai authorities are stepping up campaigns encouraging people to roll up their sleeves and get booster shots as COVID-19 makes a comeback.

City of Hope steps in to help single mom who was denied life-prolonging surgery (cbsnews.com)

This relief and gift that will prolong Rokhsan Enonoria's life by years comes as the 51-year-old mother learned her stage 4 colorectal cancer, without the recommended surgery, leaves her with a life expectancy of just months.

Delta is developing a new first-of-its-kind airline seat that allows wheelchair users to stay in their chairs. Take a look. (insider.com)

In 2022 alone 11,389 wheelchairs were mishandled by US airlines, according to the Department of Transportation.

High concentrations of COVID detected at all 14 New York City wastewater treatment plants (cbsnews.com)

Public health officials say it's too early to know if it's the start of a full-blown COVID wave in New York City.

With masks off in hospitals, people with disabilities weigh the risk of care (wbur.org)

Elderly and disabled people remain at higher risk of getting severely sick from COVID, even as much of society moves on from the pandemic.

Some Arizona students with disabilities are being forced to graduate high school too early (kjzz.org)

Thousands of high school seniors across Arizona celebrated graduation season this past month, grinning in caps and gowns for proud families. But for some Arizona students, the end of high school can — and, legal experts say — should — wait.

CRIPtic Arts - the disability arts hub (cripticarts.org)

CRIPtic Arts is a disability arts hub offering support, growth, and opportunities for deaf and disabled creatives in the UK.

I have a London bucket list before I move - but so much of it is inaccessible (metro.co.uk)

Fully accessible venues should be standard. Why is the onus on me to plan ahead?

Caring is work. It is time that was recognised (theguardian.com)

Letter: When I reach state pension age, my carer’s allowance will be taken from me, writes one reader.

Why I Still Have Hope After These Anti-LGBTQIA+ Laws Were Signed (themighty.com)

"Even though I know things will get worse before they get better, and even though I am appalled by my state government, I have hope."

Bus Users UK publishes findings from this year’s Accessibility Audit (bususers.org)

The UK’s bus and coach operators are increasingly working with communities to improve inclusion and access to their services according to this year’s Accessibility Audit.

Learning Disability Week 2023: How you can celebrate and support people with a learning disability (ablemagazine.co.uk)

This year we want to show the world the incredible things that people with a learning disability can achieve with the right support, smash misconceptions and shine a light on the stigma many people still face every day.

First 20 students complete inaugural Virtual Aviation Experience - applications open for next 75 (ablemagazine.co.uk)

Twenty people with a disability have completed the inaugural Aerobility Virtual Aviation Experience course – and applications are now open for the next 75 places on this revolutionary programme that enables them to fly an aircraft simulator from home while being guided and trained by an instructor.

WCAG 2.2 misses mark on defining visible focus (yatil.net)

The latest update to the WCAG 2.2 draft changes the Focus Appearance Success Criterion. Here’s why I think the change is a bummer.

What the Fidget Spinners Fad Reveals About Disability Discrimination (thinkingautismguide.com)

I'm angry about the sudden popularity of fidget spinners because of what they reveal about the pathologizing of disabled people.

This Nonprofit Health System Cuts Off Patients With Medical Debt (nytimes.com)

Doctors at the Allina Health System, a wealthy nonprofit in the Midwest, aren’t allowed to see poor patients or children with too many unpaid medical bills.

DWP hands hundreds of millions more to firms linked to claimant deaths… but not Atos (disabilitynewsservice.com)

The government has awarded five-year disability assessment contracts worth more than £560 million to the outsourcing giant Capita, on the same day that a safeguarding review linked the company to the death of a young disabled mum.

Service dogs are allowed on planes, but there are some requirements to get them there (eu.usatoday.com)

Dogs are the only service animals allowed to fly. Here's what to know about traveling with them, and why other travelers shouldn't pet them.

Why “Screen Time” Can Be Good For Autistic Children (medium.com)

Why we can let go of fear, shame and parent blame around screen time, and how to harness the benefits for our autistic children.

Regulator tells government’s access advisers to act on unlawful secrecy (disabilitynewsservice.com)

The government’s accessible transport advisers have been told by a regulator that they have been behaving unlawfully for years by failing to publish controversial reports, minutes of key meetings and letters they have exchanged with ministers.

With masks off in hospitals, people with disabilities weigh the risk of care (wbur.org)

Elderly and disabled people remain at higher risk of getting severely sick from COVID, even as much of society moves on from the pandemic.

ART WITHOUT LIMIT Filmfestival (awl-filmfestival.com)

We are absolutely delighted that the opening film (and one of the winners) of our Festival – "An Irish Goodbye" – has been awarded this year for the "Best Live Action Short Film" at the 95th ACADEMY AWARDS®!

Global Accessibility Challenge Results in More than 89,000 Fixes to Digital Course Content (campustechnology.com)

More than 85 colleges and universities recently participated in the fourth annual Fix Your Content Day challenge, a 24-hour competition aimed at improving the accessibility of digital course content.

National AccessAbility Week Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Barriers to Accessibility (discover.rbcroyalbank.com)

Is it 'disabled people' or 'people with disabilities?' Learn the right terms to use — and more!

Avoiding Common Mistakes with ARIA’s 'Menu' Role (boia.org)

The WAI-ARIA 'menu' role can improve accessibility, but it’s often misused for simple collections of links. Here’s how to use it correctly.

Why should web accessibility be a priority for your business? (londonlovesbusiness.com)

Prioritize web accessibility for your business. Expand reach, enhance user experience, ensure compliance. Embrace inclusivity in the digital landscape.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day Recap: Top stories from GAAD 2023 (blog.usablenet.com)

Global Accessibility Awareness Day was May 18th. We've curated the top stories from GAAD 2023. Read now.

Businesses urged to consider accessibility for workplace charging (businessmotoring.co.uk)

While chargepoints on company sites are not, as yet, governed by regulation in the same way as the rapidly-expanding public charging network, VWFS Fleet states that businesses should still ensure they are doing the right thing when it comes to making charging a positive experience for all company car and commercial van drivers, as well as other employees who might want to charge up an EV on company premises.

Employers need to prioritize employee mental health to attract talent (urevolution.com)

Learn why prioritizing employee mental health is essential for attracting new talent. Discover how fostering a supportive environment and implementing mental health initiatives enhance satisfaction, productivity, and organizational success.

When Access to Medication and Treatment Is a Matter of Life and Death (themighty.com)

A closer look at the real cost of chronic illness.

Book recommendations – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace (hannahbarhambrown.com)

If you’ve been in the audience for a virtual talk I’ve given, you have likely witnessed the Rainbow Bookcase of Joy.

Corima Combines Wheelchair Wheel and Handrim in One Sleek, Carbon-Fiber Package (newmobility.com)

Best known for its carbon-fiber sport and handcycle wheels, Corima has released its first everyday wheelchair wheel.

Disability News and Mental Health, ‘It was petrifying’: The family left on the side of the M1 (bbc.co.uk)

The Smart family’s car broke down, but no recovery service turned-up.

Power of touch: how blind women are helping detect breast cancer in India (theguardian.com)

A scheme training visually impaired women to use their heightened tactile abilities benefits patients and examiners.

Employers need to prioritize employee mental health to attract talent (urevolution.com)

Learn why prioritizing employee mental health is essential for attracting new talent. Discover how fostering a supportive environment and implementing mental health initiatives enhance satisfaction, productivity, and organizational success.

Recovery from a Nervous Breakdown (urevolution.com)

Embark on a poignant journey of recovery from a nervous breakdown. Discover the strength within as resilience weaves its fragile threads. A captivating personal essay exploring the path to healing and self-discovery while at college.

What do workplace weight loss, step counting, fun runs, and healthy eating contests have in common? (linkedin.com)

1) Any of these can generate an EEOC complaint or a lawsuit. 2) None of them are inclusive without a whole lot of planning.

Teen maps accessibility of Mississauga waterfront trail (insauga.com)

A teen mapped a portion of the Waterfront Trail in Mississauga for accessibility but found getting there was one of the hardest parts.

Plea for more awareness as 'accessible room was up 10 flights of stairs' (itv.com)

Luke du Val says he does not have the same opportunities to travel as some of his friends, with spontaneous trips taking weeks or months to organise.

The importance of accessibility across CDPs for good customer experience (erp.today)

A staggering 14.6 million people in the UK were registered as having a disability in 2021, and 27.7 million UK adults fall under the definition of a vulnerable customer. Whether they are impacted by financial hardship, poor health, or a recent negative life event, this group – made up of all kinds of age groups and backgrounds – are regularly disadvantaged when trying to access everyday services.

Parker: Accessible Housing promotes residential renovation program (calgaryherald.com)

There is a long list of good, educated people who were brought up in Saskatchewan, yet decided to leave for greener fields.

'Making neurodivergent LGBTQ+ clubbing accessible' (bbc.com)

Inside a London club night, where everyone involved is queer and neurodivergent.

Veteran Games: UK wants to learn accessibility from Israel (jpost.com)

The Veteran Games are built around the reality that the whole family often struggles when an injured veteran returns from war and they have a crucial role to play in their loved one's recovery.

Love Island announces changes to improve accessibility (digitalspy.com)

About time.

Lakshadweep: Disability Rights Activists Hold Another Protest as Accessibility Issues Continue (thewire.in)

The district magistrate had passed an order banning protests for the duration of the G20 meet.

'I always felt like the gym wasn't accessible' - The struggles blind people face to stay active (news.sky.com)

More than half of blind people engage in less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week, compared to 27% of the UK average.

Canada Funds Projects to Improve Accessibility and Inclusion (miragenews.com)

Building a barrier-free Canada can only be achieved if we work together, which is why the Government of Canada continues to support and collaborate with organizations across the country to improve accessibility, safety and the inclusion of persons with disabilities in communities and workplaces.

StFX Professor Dr. Katie Aubrecht leads newly released Accessibility Act Independent Review (globalnews.ca)

We talk with StFX professor Dr. Katie Aubrecht about a newly released review of the province’s Accessibility Act, aimed at creating a more equitable and accessible province by 2030. The report notes that the provincial government is making progress on making Nova Scotia more accessible, but there is room for improvement in various areas including accessibility standards, communications, and engagement.

Sault Transit on the Cutting Edge of Accessibility (saultonline.com)

Sault Transit, in collaboration with CNIB Frontier Accessibility, is pleased to announce the expansion of BlindSquare Event app, an accessible navigation and wayfinding system into all City transit buses. The cutting-edge software uses GPS technology to estimate the proximity of bus stops, predict arrival times, and audibly identifies bus stops. This feature is part of the City’s Intelligent Transportation System designed to make riding the bus easier and more accessible for everyone.

Accessibility Olympics results in information for city (yukon-news.com)

Input from people who used mobility aids downtown collected.

How This App Helps UK Airports Organize Assistance For Disabled Passengers (simpleflying.com)

A new app will help make aviation more accessible to all.

Disability access a work in progress for parliament (rnz.co.nz)

Efforts are underway to make Parliament more accessible for people who live with disability, after a new position of Senior Accessibility Advisor was established.

The best accessible beaches in Europe, from Barcelona city spots to resorts in Greece (cntraveller.com)

Enjoying European beach culture in a wheelchair is easy at these spots.

Get Outside! Mass Audubon’s Newest ‘Accessibility and All Persons Trail’ in Plymouth Ready to Hike On (fun107.com)

Get outside and enjoy nature as it should be with the Grand Opening of the Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Plymouth.

We Need to Talk About How We Talk About Accessibility (uxpajournal.org)

Introduction Words matter. Despite their inadequacies, words are our best means of expression. Because we are not born with words, we learn language as a means to translate our innate selves into something comprehensible to ourselves and others. You could say language is like a two-way mirror, projecting and reflecting our identity.

From elevators to roll-in showers, it takes a lot to make a Philly rowhouse wheelchair-accessible (inquirer.com)

Many Philadelphians face challenges when adapting their homes to accommodate residents with mobility issues, either from disability or simply age.

A band of travelers on a mission to redefine accessibility (rmpbs.org)

The Wayfaring Band is a group of world travelers - some who experience intellectual or developmental disabilities, as well as neurotypical allies.

Listen: What Charlottesville needs to recognize about accessibility (cvilletomorrow.org)

Next on the In My Humble Opinion podcast, India Sims talks about the challenges of doing simple things in a city that won’t change.

Accessibility in Beauty: The Innovations Moving Us Forward (newbeauty.com)

Discover how some brands are helping to create real beauty solutions for those with disabilities and limited mobility.

UC Irvine-led study finds Medicaid telemedicine coverage boosted use, healthcare access (news.uci.edu)

Results could inform state policymakers’ post-pandemic decision-making efforts.

UVA Health helping lead telehealth initiative for older adults (cbs19news.com)

A collection of toolkits, guides and research reports is now available to help health care providers and health systems implement age-inclusive telehealth services.

Study: Telehealth’s growth during the pandemic allowed mental health care accessibility to take a step forward (uab.edu)

UAB researcher Yusen Zhai, Ph.D., discovered that overall mental health care accessibility took a step forward during the pandemic due to telehealth.

New MDH study shows potential for more accessible health care through telehealth (health.state.mn.us)

A new study produced by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) highlights the potential for telehealth to make care more accessible while providing similar levels of service to traditional, in-person ways of delivering care. Telehealth is the use of electronic or telecommunications technology to access health care remotely.

Accessible tech advocate Haben Girma gets CFO audience (cfodive.com)

Girma, the first blind and deaf woman to graduate from Harvard, is set to speak at Gartner’s 2023 CFO & Finance Executive Conference.

Mesa: The US' first autism-friendly city (bbc.com)

Holidays can be stressful for neurodiverse people, but Mesa, Arizona, is becoming more inclusive so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of travel – not just the neurotypical.

How common is dementia? What to know about Rosalynn Carter's diagnosis, symptoms and causes. (eu.usatoday.com)

Dementia strikes 1 in 10 older Americans, and the most common cause is Alzheimer's disease. Here's what to know.

Rid Your Shower of Its Curb to Create an Accessible Layout and Seamless Look (goodhousekeeping.com)

Stylish and functional ideas to make your home more inclusive for everyone.

How Three Men in Wheelchairs Summited Guadalupe Peak in the Early 1980s (texashighways.com)

Members of Paraplegics On Independent Nature Trips transformed public perceptions.

How A Real Estate Agent Is Using ASL and Technology To Make Buying And Selling Homes More Accessible And Inclusive Than Ever Before (forbes.com)

In an interview with me via videoconference last month, Smith described his parents as "very capable [and] very smart" people who maintained a "very strong" Deaf house...

Companies Grossly Underestimating How Many Disabled Employees They Have, Study Shows (forbes.com)

A new report from Boston Consulting Group has highlighted a staggering lack of awareness amongst employers about how many staff with disabilities they have working in their organization. The data has serious implications for both people strategy investment and employee engagement.

Going beyond the guidelines to make your news more accessible (rjionline.org)

A conversation with Ab11y’s Charlie Turrell and Gareth Ford Williams.

The Accessible Short-Term Rental Experts (becomingrentable.com)

Becoming rentABLE is a listing platform of accessible short-term vacation property rentals for people with disabilities and their families to rent in the United States.

Meet the former counselor helping to bring digital accessibility to the bank (usbank.com)

Abby Losordo uses her background as a counselor and cancer patient navigator to help ensure U.S. Bank digital tools are accessible to everyone, including those who use assistive technology.

The Importance of VPAT in Ensuring Digital Accessibility (bbntimes.com)

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, accessibility is no longer an afterthought but a fundamental requirement.

How Accessibility Drives Diversity & Inclusion (huntscanlon.com)

Accessibility—both physical and digital—is essential to achieving diversity and inclusion in organizations everywhere. Eric Pringle, president of Integrated People Solutions, and John Samuel, CEO of Ablr, which helps organizations be more digitally accessible, provided insights into this important issue in a report from Kennedy Executive Search.

The countdown to WCAG 2.2: It’s nearly here! (monsido.com)

At Monsido, we’re all about knowledge sharing. Check out our on-demand websites for insights and inspiration, and keep an eye on upcoming live webinars on this page.

How to build accessible products with no-code tools (sifted.eu)

In a mad rush to ship products quickly, startups neglect accessibility. Here's how to make your product accessible to everyone using no-code tools.

A just transition for disabled people (disabilitydebrief.org)

A disability lens on greening economies and society.

The Role Of Technology In Online Learning (techshout.com)

Online learning is not a new concept. In fact, many of us would be hard-pressed to remember a time that we learnt something without the help of the internet and the gated online resources that come with remote learning.

Apple has filed new Trademarks this month including one for 'SignChat,' a new Accessibility Service now available in Germany (patentlyapple.com)

Apple has filed a new trademark for 'SignChat,' an accessibility service that is now available in Germany. The service offers individual sessions with sign language interpreters for purchasing advice and support. The trademark was filed under International Classes 09, 35, 37, 38, 41 and 42. Apple has also filed for the Figurative Trademark for 'Add to Apple Wallet & Health' and the trademark 'Rap Life' under International Class 41.

Trans Canada Trail Expands Accessible Trail Mapping: AccessNow Adds 25 More Sections to its App (netnewsledger.com)

Navigating Canada’s Great Outdoors Just Got Easier: Trans Canada Trail and AccessNow Enhance Accessibility Mapping.

"We developed breathing sensors that detect within a minute if the patient is sick" (calcalistech.com)

Prof. Hossam Haick, Dean and Head of the LNBD Group at the Technion, was speaking at Calcalist's Israel-Japan Conference in Tokyo.

Litchfield Park approves ride-share service for seniors, people with disabilities (eu.azcentral.com)

The Litchfield Park City Council approved a ride-share service with Valley Metro for seniors and people with disabilities. Here's how it works.

New accessibility tech allows you to 'bank your voice,' use it in text-to-speech (wpsdlocal6.com)

Apple announced new technology is coming to iPhone and iPad later this year that will allow users to record their own voice to be used to speak text out loud.

Free open-source AAC app receives AI for Accessibility grant from Microsoft (attoday.co.uk)

Cboard received funding from Microsoft’s AI for Accessibility grant to expand its features that will improve the UX for paralysed users.

Easy Read versions of free disability and technology factsheets now (abilitynet.org.uk)

Download Easy Read formats of Dyslexia and technology, Sight loss and Computing and more free disability and technology factsheets from the AbilityNet website.

Webex partners with Voiceitt to enhance workplace accessibility (channeldailynews.com)

Cisco’s collaboration tool, Webex, has announced a partnership with Voiceitt, a speech recognition technology, to enhance accessibility for people with non-standard speech.

Google Displaying Accessibility Information More Prominently (disabilityscoop.com)

With a subtle change, Google is making it more obvious to users whether businesses and other public places are accessible to people with disabilities.

New survey tool outlines how to enhance accessibility (aop.org.uk)

The technology raises awareness among employers, teachers, family and friends of how they can best support those with sight loss.

These 3 tech visionaries are reinventing the wheelchair (weforum.org)

Digital technology is being harnessed to improve both accessibility and safety for the 131 million wheelchair users worldwide.

16 Accessible Beauty Innovations (trendhunter.com)

The need for more accessible beauty products has become increasingly evident as the beauty industry acknowledges the importance of inclusivity and ensuring that people of all abilities have equal access to the confidence-boosting benefits of beauty products.

A catatonic woman awakened after 20 years. Her story may change psychiatry. (washingtonpost.com)

New research suggests that a subset of patients with psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia may actually have autoimmune disease that attacks the brain.

Voting Rights Groups File Litigation to Protect Voting Rights of Mississippians with Disabilities | League of Women Voters (lwv.org)

Today the League of Women Voters of Mississippi, Disability Rights Mississippi, and three Mississippi voters filed a federal lawsuit challenging SB 2358, newly passed legislation that significantly diminishes access to the ballot for Mississippians with disabilities. The plaintiffs are represented by Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Mississippi Center for Justice, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU-MS and Disability Rights Mississippi (DRMS).

Brian Tyree Henry Jokes He's Jealous of His 'Spider-Verse' Character's 'Amazingly Built' Body (people.com)

'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' actors Brian Tyree Henry, Issa Rae and Danielle Perez tell PEOPLE about relating to their animated counterparts.

New calls for long-term financial support for people on disability benefits (dailyrecord.co.uk)

The one-off payment will be made to 6.7 million disabled households from June 20.

CAMH study confirms ongoing brain inflammation associated with long COVID (camh.ca)

Researchers using advanced brain imaging are first to find increase in protein marker of inflammation in illness affecting 200 million globally.

Amazon Studios and AMC Networks Partner to Support Deaf Creatives of Color (variety.com)

Amazon Studios and AMC Networks have partnered with Deaf Talent Media and Entertainment Consulting (DTMEC) on the creation of the Deaf Talent Creative Lab (DTCL). The new initiative will work to provide Deaf people of color with skills to further their success within the entertainment industry.

Half of new HIV cases in African women could have been prevented had more programmes targeted men (aidsmap.com)

Had there been additional efforts to reach and maintain men in treatment services with HIV suppression at levels equal to that of their female counterparts between 2016 and 2018, half of the new infections in adolescent girls and women could have been averted, bringing gender equality in the HIV burden. An international team of researchers recently published these findings as a pre-print, which means they have not yet been reviewed by other scientists.

US National Institutes of Health Study Finds Increased Risk of Long Covid After Reinfection (johnsnowproject.org)

Study shows risk of Long Covid is very common after Omicron reinfection, but is anyone listening?

An Inside Look at Covid’s Lasting Damage to the Lungs (nytimes.com)

This 3-D reconstruction of lung scans reveals damage that has lingered for years in patients who became severely ill early in the pandemic.

Delta Flight Products to Feature New Seat Prototype for Passengers with Reduced Mobility at 2023 Aircraft Interiors Expo (deltatechops.com)

At next week’s annual Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, Germany, Delta Flight Products (DFP) will debut a full prototype of a first-of-its kind airplane seat that allows customers who use a powered wheelchair to remain in their own wheelchairs for the entire journey.

As Medicaid Purge Begins, ‘Staggering Numbers’ of Americans Lose Coverage (kffhealthnews.org)

More than 600,000 Americans have lost Medicaid coverage since pandemic protections ended on April 1. And a KFF Health News analysis of state data shows the vast majority were removed from state rolls for not completing paperwork.

It's Not “Unreasonable” to Want to Change Our Rotten Health Care System (thenation.com)

The pandemic showed how callous, unequal, and ineffective American health care can be—but some medical bigwigs seem to want people to stop pointing that out.

Using personal assistants works, research concludes… but it can go wrong (disabilitynewsservice.com)

Enabling disabled people with support needs to employ personal assistants (PAs) – rather than relying on traditional care workers – can be empowering and liberating, but relationships with PAs “can sometimes go wrong”, according to new research.

Bill aims to improve air travel for passengers with disabilities (washingtonpost.com)

The MOBILE Act would track damaged wheelchairs and spur research on designing planes that allow passengers to stay in their wheelchairs when they fly.

Fake sign language is spreading on TikTok. Deaf people are worried. (washingtonpost.com)

Sign language has become trendy on TikTok, but many videos feature incorrect signs, sparking fears the trend will cause lasting damage to American Sign Language.

‘Medical moms’ share their kids’ illnesses with millions. At what cost? (washingtonpost.com)

The #medicalmoms community has raised awareness — and drawn controversy — for sharing intimate details of kids' medical histories.

When Neurodiversity Makes You a Marketing Target (tcf.org)

In this commentary, Danya Alandur reflects on the ways that companies use targeted advertising to exploit insecurities experienced by neurodiverse women.

EDF Manifesto on the European Elections 2024 (edf-feph.org)

In view of the upcoming European elections in 2024, the delegates of the 5th European Parliament of Persons with Disabilities will adopt the following Manifesto with the aim of guiding the political programmes of candidates for the European Parliament, the future European Commission appointed after the elections, and all the relevant policies affecting the future of persons with disabilities in Europe and beyond.

Dis Life: How you can be Disabled if you can’t be diagnosed with a disability (mirror.co.uk)

It's incomprehensible that the North Yorkshire and York Health and Care Partnership is removing access to autism and ADHD assessment and diagnoses for adults.

Awareness: Oman and disability (timesofoman.com)

Societal awareness, recognition and acceptance of people of special needs especially children have positively dramatically changed in the last 50 years.

It’s time to rethink disability and work policy (thehill.com)

By rethinking disability and work, the federal government could begin to support all of the diverse work patterns of individuals with severe health problems.

How to Make Corporate Functions Accessible and Welcoming (accessibility.com)

Corporate functions should be inclusive for everyone. Let's explore how to make it happen.

Pennsylvania launches grant program for disability awareness curriculum (k12dive.com)

An inclusive, disability-focused curriculum should include all grades and be more than a reactive approach to exclusion, an advocate says.

Woman inspired by grandad's cancer battle launches disability clothing range (cheshire-live.co.uk)

Hanan Tantush was driven to launch a business making clothing for people with disabilities after seeing her grandad struggle.

Launch of the results of ENIL's second Independent Living Survey (youtube.com)

On 5 May 2023, we celebrated the Independent Living Day. For ENIL, this was an excellent occasion to launch the results of our second Independent Living Survey, a research project which was conducted between 2020 and 2022. In the course of the project, 143 respondents answered questions about access to Independent Living in general and 75 questions about access to personal assistance in particular. The launch event took place in the form of a webinar. Ten speakers, staff members and volunteers of ENIL, disability activists from around Europe and policy makers from the European Commission and the European Parliament participated and presented their views on the results of the ENIL Independent Living Survey.

Interview: How COST OF LIVING's Katy Sullivan Feels About Being the First Amputee Tony Nominee (broadwayworld.com)

Read BroadwayWorld's interview with Tony Award nominated actress Katy Sullivan as she discusses the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Cost of Living.

Tony Nominee Katy Sullivan Says It's Time For More Disability Representation on Broadway (playbill.com)

The Cost of Living star is the first actor who's an amputee to be on Broadway, but she's ready for more accessibility.

‘This is going to hit most people.’ The COVID state of emergency has ended — but the need for support hasn’t. (inquirer.com)

The public health emergency for COVID-19 was terminated earlier this month. But it doesn't mean the pandemic over — just that it will be harder for people to protect themselves from the virus.

My Wife is a Hypochondriac: Navigating Life with Love (urevolution.com)

Join us on a loving adventure as we navigate life with my hypochondriac wife. Discover the signs of hypochondria, learn how to support her, and still find love in the moments that arise along the way.

Four Questions to Ask After Your Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis (themighty.com)

As with many mental health conditions, the impact of bipolar disorder on the lives of those who live with it can be profound.

When an Accessible Hotel ‘Reservation’ Doesn’t Guarantee Anything (newmobility.com)

After nine hours driving across the southwest in my packed minivan, I could almost feel the hotel mattress by the time I rolled into the lobby of the Phoenix Hampton Inn. My achy shoulders and rumbling stomach subsided, knowing that after a week and almost 2,000 miles of driving, it was time for my Arizona vacation to begin. Five days in the sun, six baseball games and no responsibilities — I’d been looking forward to my first post-pandemic trip since I booked everything almost four months earlier.

Independent Living in Albania (enil.eu)

On 25 May 2023, we were visited by Flora Kameli from the Albanian Disability Rights Foundation (ADRF). We were able to share many things and discuss different aspects of independent living in Albania, as well as the challenges faced by the ADRF. Flora Kameli also agreed to let us ask her a few questions, so that you could learn more about the fight for independent living in Albania. You’ll find the interview below.

Join our side-event to COSP (enil.eu)

Implementing the Guidelines on Deinstitutionalization, including in emergencies: Challenges, opportunities, and way forward”

Discussing Independent Living at an academic conference in Iceland (enil.eu)

On 10-12 May, among 700 disability researchers, academics and activists (including numerous of our members, mainly from the Nordic countries), we were participating at the 16th Nordic Network on Disability Research conference (NNDR), held in Reykjavik, Iceland.

My Wife is a Hypochondriac: Navigating Life with Love (urevolution.com)

Join us on a loving adventure as we navigate life with my hypochondriac wife. Discover the signs of hypochondria, learn how to support her, and still find love in the moments that arise along the way.

Google Displaying Accessibility Information More Prominently (diverseabilitymagazine.com)

With a subtle change, Google is making it more obvious to users whether businesses and other public places are accessible to people with disabilities.

Unilever calls for production crews to be more inclusive of disability community (campaignlive.co.uk)

For shoots costing more than £86,000, the brand wants to see at least one person who has a disability as a member of the crew.

What ‘Ted Lasso’ did for mental health, Hollywood should do for disability (www-inquirer-com.cdn.ampproject.org)

You can’t expect a disabled actor to break down barriers if they aren’t hired for roles, or if film sets remain inaccessible.

Wie sagt man das in Gebärdensprache? (diepresse.com)

Das Wiener Projekt „Mach's auf“ hat eine Meta-Suchmaschine für Gebärden entwickelt und viele vorhandene ÖGS-Lexika zu einem umfangreichen Archiv zusammengeführt.

The View From Down Here (dk.com)

Women's lives are shaped by sexism and expectations. Disabled people's lives are shaped by ableism and a complete lack of expectations. But what happens when you're subjected to both sets of rules?

Into The Hybrid: A Dialogue of New Works (emergingwritersfestival.org.au)

Peek behind the creative curtain of writers working in the digital space.

ReFashioned (booktopia.com.au)

Booktopia has ReFashioned, Cutting-Edge Clothing from Upcycled Materials by Sass Brown. Buy a discounted Hardcover of ReFashioned online from Australia's leading online bookstore.

The Disability And...Podcast (disabilityarts.online)

Disability Arts Online delivers the Disability…And Podcast in partnership with Graeae. The Disability And…Podcast gets right to the heart of some of the most pressing issues in arts, culture and beyond with a series of bold, provocative and insightful interviews with disabled artists, key industry figures and the odd legend. The Disability And…Podcast is a monthly podcast. Guests so far have included Mat Fraser, gobscure, Jackie Hagan, Claire Cunningham, Jess Thom, Dennis Queen, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Mandy Colleran Aidan Moesby, Jennifer Gilbert and Matilda Ibini.

RISING: The Dan Daw Show (rising.melbourne)

Candid, kinky and captivating performance that moves through the complexities of shame and pride.

Annual report 2022 | Arts Access Victoria (artsaccess.com.au)

Our Annual Reports are best viewed on screen. If these documents are not accessible for you, please contact us.

Our Education System is Failing our Children (teawithhb.com)

The education system is broken. Did you know this? If you’ve ever had a conversation with me, you know! The thing I am most passionate about is fixing it. By my friends, I am known for working education into any conversation. They mention it for fun to watch me get worked up about it. Why does this issue weigh so heavy on my heart? Aren’t I meant to be battling with the healthcare system? Tackling ableism? Climate change? Yes. That is exactly why.

COVID outbreak at homeless shelter leaves nonprofit struggling to help those most vulnerable (wxyz.com)

Hope Shelters on Baldwin Avenue in Pontiac has done a lot of good for those who have found themselves homeless.

Podcast ep. 47: Disability And...Audiobooks, with Will Reynolds (disabilityarts.online)

This month on the Disability And...Podcast, Disability Arts Online founding editor Colin Hambrook chats with writer and activist Will Reynolds about audiobooks, fair pay for authors, and the importance audiobooks have had in his education to date.

Krip-Hop Institute (kriphopinstitute.com)

To spread awareness about the history, arts, and the "isms" facing musicians with disabilities. We are especially driven to getting the musical talents of hip-hop artists with disabilities into the hands of media outlets, educators, and hip-hop, disabled and race scholars, youth, journalists and hip-hop conference coordinators. Krip-Hop Nation has put out CDs, held conferences and spoke on issues from police brutality against people with disabilities to ableism in Hip-Hop, media, and in our communities.

Canada reports first H5N5 avian flu in a mammal; US reports more H5N1 in animals (cidrap.umn.edu)

Following sporadic detections of a Eurasian H5N5 avian influenza in Canadian wild birds, officials reported the virus for the first time in mammals—raccoons found dead on Prince Edward Island.

Decoding Mental Health Days: What Is a Mental Health Day? (urevolution.com)

Discover the transformative potential of mental health days and gain insights into "What Is a Mental Health Day." Explore the history, significance, and self-care practices for a healthier, happier you.

Project Gameface Is Google's Hands Free Gaming Mouse Designed To Make Gaming More Accessible (assistivetechnologyblog.com)

Project Gameface is a promising new project by Google that is designed to make gaming more accessible in the future.

Disability in England: how have you been affected by the rise in social care? (theguardian.com)

We want to hear from people experiencing social care debt and how their lifestyle has changed as a result.

5 Tips for Putting Together Your Tardive Dyskinesia Support Team (themighty.com)

Imagine your ideal support team. Does it include friends and family? Coworkers? The person who delivers your mail each day with a kind word and a smile?

Airports SUCK (theaccessiblestall.com)

Traveling is cool, but airports? God, airports just SUCK don’t they? let’s talk about that.

How remote volunteers can provide expert tech guidance (abilitynet.org.uk)

Steven Liska is now a published author thanks in part to an AbilityNet volunteer.

Everything you need to know about BT's Digital Voice (abilitynet.org.uk)

Discover all the information about BT's new digital home phone service, Digital Voice, including when to expect it, and how AbilityNet will be helping older people with the switch.

Metaphors for depression: unveiling the shadows and illuminating the path to healing (urevolution.com)

Dive into the world of metaphors for depression as we explore 31 unique and captivating ways to understand depression. Discover the meaning and origin behind each metaphor, shedding light on the path to healing and offering a positive perspective.

7 Questions with A Couple featuring Julie Stamm – A Couple Takes on MS (acoupletakesonms.com)

Julie Stamm, an MS author and advocate, co-created "52 Essential Inclusion Skills" with Dr. Jenny Woo. The deck is aimed at increasing understanding of different abilities and promoting inclusivity and kindness. The deck features 52 hero highlights and is now available to purchase online. Stamm hopes that the deck will leave a mark on the world and provide tangible items for her son to reflect on their lives. She also hopes that the deck will help create a more truly inclusive society.

From the archive: The man in the iron lung – podcast (theguardian.com)

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authorsThis week, from 2020: When he was six, Paul Alexander contracted polio and was paralysed for life. Today he is 74, and one of the last people in the world still using an iron lung. But after surviving one deadly outbreak, he did not expect to find himself threatened by another.

Things Not To Say To A Deaf Person (youtube.com)

Whether it's asking them to lip read what someone's saying across a room or only showing an interest in how to sign swear words, here are some of the things not to say to a deaf person.

Disability rights attorneys sue Maryland (thebaltimorebanner.com)

Attorneys say state officials have “illegally and unconstitutionally” housed foster children in hospitals and restrictive institutions beyond medical necessity.

Design, Develop, and Deploy for Accessibility Series (accessibility.com)

Accessibility.com 2023 Event - May - Catch the three-part series on Design, Develop, and Deploy for Accessibility.

Recruiting Accessibility Testers with Disabilities (accessibility.com)

Persons with disabilities provide a customer experience assessment during manual testing that adds valuable feedback you can't get any other way.

Third-Party Hosting and Your Obligations (accessibility.com)

What are your digital accessibility obligations if you use a third-party web hosting platform?

The Importance Of Headings For Website Accessibility (accessibility.com)

Headings are useful tools for both accessibility and usability. Incorrect usage decreases the accessibility of a website and reduces its effectiveness.

PDFs: A Major Barrier To Accessibility (accessibility.com)

PDFs are everywhere. Are you aware of the accessibility challenges of PDFs when not structured properly?

Pop-up Ads Create Accessibility Issues – Here’s How to Use Them Effectively (accessibility.com)

For many, pop-up ads are usually considered an annoyance. For web users with disabilities, these pop-ups can limit their access to important information.

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