Assistive Technology Community for the Blind and Visually Impaired Vancouver
You are invited to take part in a study exploring the attitudes of visually impaired people towards seeking psychological services.
Yearly Archives: 2015
People, Power, and Pelf
by Ed Vaughan
Braille Monitor
January 2016
Throughout my academic career and personal life, I have been concerned when individuals are exploited. Concerning blindness, I was always angered when I encountered educators and rehab workers with low expectations for blind people. This becomes worse when low expectations are embodied in the culture of agencies and organizations. Pelf is the Middle English word for wealth ill begotten.
Does this idea apply to people who make their money and careers while diminishing the life prospects of the people they are supposed to be serving?
Lawsuits Rise: Blind Plaintiffs Sue Additional Retailers for Website Accessibility/ADA Claims
Fredrikson & Byron PA
Steven E. Helland.
USA December 28 2015
Patagonia, Ace Hardware, Aeropostale, Bed Bath & Beyond and Estee Lauder are the most recent companies sued by blind plaintiffs, alleging that the retailers websites are not accessible to the blind as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Lawsuits previously filed have included well-known companies such as JC Penny and Home Depot. Details of these lawsuits are included in the article ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuits Mount, by Alexis Kramer, 12/23/15, in BNA Electronic Commerce & Law Report.
EEOC Sues McDonald’s for Disability Discrimination
Fast Food Giant Denied Sign Language Interpreter for Deaf Applicant 12-21-15
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — McDonald’s Corporation and McDonald’s Restaurants of Missouri violated federal law by refusing to accommodate and hire a deaf applicant, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.
According to the suit, Ricky Washington, who is deaf, applied online for a job at a McDonald’s restaurant in Belton, Mo. in June 2012. Washington indicated on his application that he attended Kansas School for the Deaf. Washington also said he had previous job experience working as a cook and clean-up team member at a McDonald’s restaurant in Louisiana in 2009. When the Belton restaurant manager learned Washington needed a sign language interpreter for his job interview, she canceled the interview and never rescheduled it, despite Washington’s sister volunteering to act as the interpreter. Restaurant management continued to interview and hire new workers after Washington made several attempts to schedule an interview.
CCD Chairperson’s Update – November – December 2015
CCD Continues Its Role As A Convenor
In the disability community, CCD has a long tradition as a convenor, bringing together disability organizations, governments and others to remove barriers and create greater inclusion.
Most recently, CCD convened a consultation on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and helped the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities bring the community together to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which had as its theme, Inclusion Matters.
Is the Company’s Website Accessible to Individuals With Disabilities?
Quarles & Brady LLP
Pamela M. Ploor.
USA December 22 2015
The Internet revolutionized how businesses sell their goods and services. A standard tool in a company’s marketing and sales toolbox is its website.
There are increasing demands by plaintiffs’ lawyers on businesses to ensure their websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or face a lawsuit. These demands often take the form of a letter alleging the company’s website violates the ADA, demanding changes to the website, and offering a choice between negotiating a payment to avoid litigation or being sued. This usually feels like a “stick-up” to companies that never heard of accessibility in websites or gave a thought to whether the ADA applies to their websites. By being aware of the ADA’s accessibility obligations and how those may relate to websites, companies may limit their liability and protect themselves from being the next victim of a corporate “stick-up.”
Hearing Aid Compatibility for Wireless Voice Technology
Synopsis: FCC agreement between consumer advocates and industry associations as pathway to 100% compatibility for wireless devices.
“Recognizing that wireless voice communications increasingly operate via alternative technologies, the Commission has expanded the rules to cover IP-based communications services like Wi-Fi Calling and Voice-over-LTE.”
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission took major steps to ensure greater access to wireless communications services and handset devices for the tens of millions of Americans with hearing loss.
New rules and proposed rules passed reflect a consensus-driven approach to foster accessibility for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing while promoting innovation and investment by the wireless industry.
The action taken has two parts.
Why Some Disability Advocates are Worried About A National Disability Act
MP Carla Qualtrough is in charge of the sport, and persons with disabilities portfolio. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)
Stephen Harper’s Conservative government promised a national disability act in 2006, but never followed through.
Now, the new Liberal government has made a national disability act a priority. They say the new bill will fill gaps in the patchwork of legislation concerning people with disabilities in Canada.
“Usually the law doesn’t come into play until people are discriminated against. You are denied a job, and then the law kicks in. You’re denied a place to live, or a service, and then we help you but you’ve already been discriminated against. It feels like there’s a gap in legislation,” said Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities Carla Qualtrough.
Master WordPress With This 3 in 1 Accessible Online Book!
Have a product to sell? Want a Membership Only website? How about a Community Forum?
If you are new to WordPress or not this 3 in 1 online book will walk you through setting up any or all of the above.
For more information on this book and others, visit the Library at http://wpforbadeyes.com/guides/
Lawsuit Challenges Discriminatory Charge For Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Service
Phoenix, AZ November 19, 2015
A class action lawsuit filed today in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona alleges that Total Transit Inc. (“TTI”), doing business as Discount Cab, violates federal and state law by charging wheelchair users a $10.00 fee per trip in addition to the standard fare because they require accessible taxis.
TTI is a large transportation provider in the Southwest, and Discount Cab is one of the largest taxi companies in the United States. The complaint alleges that Discount Cab’s policy discriminates against persons with mobility disabilities and violates both the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Arizonans with Disabilities Act.
