Pioneer Press – Tad Vezner
Echoing a recent trend in other states, for the first time a lawsuit has been filed in Minnesota alleging that websites — in this case, belonging to a county and couple of cities — violate disability law.
Much like lawsuits demanding such things as wheelchair ramps and handicap parking, the suits claim the defendants’ digital real estate is so inhospitable it denies access.
PR Newswire – Sept 2018
According to the results of the 2018 survey, conducted by ResearchNowSSI, recruiting, training, and retaining employees with disabilities has grown in importance by 12 percentage points compared to the 2012 survey. Additionally, more hiring managers agree there are a greater number of jobs that employees who are blind can successfully perform.
Inaccessible documents can be a major accessibility barrier for assistive technology (AT) users. At worst, some document accessibility errors can make online documents completely inaccessible for people with disabilities. Some common accessibility problems for documents include:
Learn more about common document accessibility errors and applicable standards
To ensure that documents are accessible for people with disabilities, it’s important to test and verify document accessibility. Here are some steps to address document accessibility in your organization:
Aurora provides document accessibility solutions for businesses and organizations looking to achieve compliance WCAG 2.0.
By COLIN STEVENS, IGN
The Xbox Adaptive Controller, Microsoft’s flexible answer to adapting input for gamers with limited mobility, is officially available today.
Announced by Microsoft, the Xbox Adaptive Controller’s standard package can be purchased for $100, either through The Microsoft Store or GameStop Online. Extensions for the controller that can be tailored to each gamer’s specific needs, like the QuadStick, one-handed joysticks, foot pedals and more, can be purchased separately.
A federal appeals court overturned a lower court and ruled a blind plaintiff can pursue an Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit against Dunkin Donuts L.L.C. for allegedly having an inaccessible website.
The case is part of a trend, with more courts ruling against companies over the issue of website accessibility, while the number of lawsuits alleging ADA violations related to website access grows dramatically.
Working with the IT Foundation for the Visually Impaired, Freedom Scientific has announced country-wide licenses for Hungary, which could benefit as many as 300,000 people living in the country.
Any individual or entity can now apply to the Hungarian government for a copy of JAWS, ZoomText or MAGic with a free annual license.
This year marks the 28th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities (ADA). The law was signed into effect on July 26, 1990, and marked the first comprehensive civil rights bill addressing the needs of people with disabilities. The bill prohibits discrimination in employment, public accommodations, public services, and telecommunications.
Please pledge your support for the ADA, and help make the world a more accessible place!
Source – Tucson News Now (July 13th 2018)
The state of Arizona settled a 2016 lawsuit with the National Association of the Deaf and agreed to fund text-to-911 systems.
Text-to-911 allows people who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have a speech impairment to summon emergency services and report crimes. As with other accommodations for people with disabilities, text-to-911 will also help others where it may be too dangerous to make a voice call to 911.
June 22 – FisherPhillips.com
A federal appeals court just breathed new life into a disability access lawsuit filed against restaurant chain Hooters, permitting a blind plaintiff who claims he could not access the company’s business website to proceed with his ADA claim—despite the fact that the company was in the midst of fixing its website at the time the lawsuit was filed.
ABA Banking Journal – June 21, 2018
A group of 103 lawmakers yesterday wrote to Attorney General Jeff Sessions seeking further clarity on how the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to websites. The letter came in response to numerous demand letters that banks and other businesses have received from plaintiffs’ firms asserting that websites are not accessible to speech and hearing impaired customers, as required by ADA.