Welcome to Disability: IN’s monthly round up of digital accessibility news for August.
At Disability:IN we know that digital accessibility impacts all aspects of disability inclusion. If you have questions about our digital accessibility program, please contact Jeff Wissel, our Chief Accessibility Officer.
Disability:IN Happenings
Benchmarking tool expands internationally ahead of forthcoming European reporting mandates, giving rise to disability inclusion as a sustainability issue45% of respondents are publishing diversity reports that include disability data, up from 24% a year ago. Disability:IN, the global nonprofit organization driving disability inclusion and equality in business, today unveiled the 2024 Disability Equality Index® report at the Disability:IN Global Conference & Expo, revealing higher year-over-year adoption rates for nearly all reported practices around disability inclusion while also showing the need for more progress in areas such as diversity reporting, supplier diversity spending and boardroom inclusion. A total of 542 U.S. companies participated this year, a growth rate of 7x since the index launched 10 years ago.
A Proclamation on the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 2024
Today, we celebrate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), one of our Nation’s most significant civil rights laws to protect people with disabilities from discrimination. For the more than 70 million Americans living with a disability, the ADA enshrines into law the idea that we all deserve opportunity, inclusion, respect, and dignity. I am proud to have co-sponsored this landmark legislation years ago, and I am honored to celebrate its lasting legacy today.
Fintech for Good – How Are Incumbents Adjusting Their Offerings to Become More Accessible?
When thinking about a financial service doing ‘good,’ one of the first things that comes to mind is accessibility. Financial firms have historically been difficult for certain groups to gain access to due to a variety of checkboxes that needed to be filled out. However, the emergence of fintech has allowed many of these groups to find the support they need financially due to new, unique offerings. It has also functioned as a wake-up call for many incumbents who have noticed they are losing clients to the newcomers on the block.
Accessibility in the News: Accessibility Statement Pages
Thank you, Jack McElaney for this amazing resource of hundreds of public facing Accessibility Statements. This resource provides insights into how companies and organizations are committing to enhancing the accessibility and usability of their websites, mobile apps, and physical space.
Spotlight on Disability:IN Partners using technology to enhance the accessibility of products we use every day.
Amtrak
Amtrak celebrates anniversary of ADA by highlighting accessibility program
Amtrak has invested more than $880 million since 2011 dedicated to advancing accessibility at all levels. To celebrate the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law on July 26, 1990, Amtrak highlighted its accessibility program and approach to improve the travel experience – from trip planning, to purchasing tickets and the experience at stations, to equipment and on-board services.
Goodmaps & Intel
PORTLAND, Oregon — Intel is now using AI to help visually impaired people travel through Olympic settings, through an app which guides visitors around every turn.
The app, called GoodMaps, is being used in the U.S. Training Center in Paris and at the Paralympic headquarters in Germany. Using a camera, venues have been scanned and stitched together. Then, a voice prompts users where to walk.
Microsoft
At Microsoft, we believe disability is a strength, and that empowering people with disabilities is essential for creating a more inclusive and accessible world. We are committed to closing the disability divide, which is the gap between the opportunities and outcomes of people with and without disabilities, particularly in the areas of education, employment, and civic participation. We recognize that closing the disability divide requires not only innovative technology, but also effective public policy that protects the rights and dignity of people with disabilities and full and equal participation in society.
NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be more accessible than ever before,
All coverage on NBC, including daytime, primetime, and late night, and the Gold Zone whip-around show on Peacock, will feature audio description provided by Descriptive Video Works. In a first for a U.S. broadcaster, audio description services for NBC coverage will be provided in stereo, enhancing the quality of sound for viewers. For the Paralympic Games, NBC Sports will provide live audio description for all broadcast and cable programming, including those aired outside primetime hours, as well as on all simulstreams.
Zoom
5 Zoom Tips to Help You Avoid Meeting Mishaps
Make the most of your meeting time with these five Zoom settings.
Zoom has several built-in tools to help you manage your time before, during and after meetings, including collaboration and accessibility features and new AI integrations. Most of these tools are available on the free plan, and all of them can help you level up your meetings. Ideally, you can use them to eliminate the need for follow-up meetings.
Other Accessibility Highlights for this Month
Feds To Enforce Accessibility Standards for Medical Equipment
The U.S. Department of Justice is finalizing a new rule aimed at dramatically increasing the availability of medical examination tables, weight scales and other diagnostic equipment that’s accessible to people with disabilities.
Embracing accessibility: A profitable opportunity for real estate developers in B.C. and beyond
Recent headlines have highlighted real estate developers’ concerns about changes to accessibility standards in British Columbia’s building code. The changes require all new large condominium and apartment buildings to have 100 per cent adaptable suites, and first-floor suites in smaller apartment buildings to be easily adaptable so persons with disabilities can live in them.
Developers argue this will increase expenses for both builders and buyers.
A ready and willing lucrative market that’s been ignored.
But what if, instead of seeing the new standards as a challenge, developers looked at them as an opportunity?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) have introduced the Section 508 Refresh Act. This new bill aims to ensure that federal agencies make their technology accessible to people with disabilities. This move seeks to address longstanding issues revealed by a 2022 Senate Aging Committee investigation, particularly within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Screen Readers Software Market Size
Screen Readers Software Market size was valued at USD 1.21 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of over 10% between 2024 and 2032. The rising awareness and advocacy for digital accessibility has notably heightened the need for screen reader software. According to the World Health Organization’s 2023 estimates, over 2.2 billion people globally have vision impairment or blindness.
Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder last year that has inhibited her mobility and hampered her voice. On July 25 she debuted the use of an AI tool built to mirror her own voice in a speech on the House floor.
Real-time video conferencing services face rapidly approaching compliance deadline
Marking a major shift in digital accessibility regulation, by September 3, 2024, providers of real-time video conferencing services in the United States will need to be in compliance with the accessibility requirements of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA).
Accessible PDF Forms Online — There’s a Catch
This is a really great and often overlooked tip. Many readers have written in about experiencing issues with online PDFs that were designed to be “fully accessible.” The culprit was always the web browser’s native PDF reader. Learn how to modify your reader application settings to ensure that PDFs are always opened in the most accessible way possible.
Digital Accessibility Conferences and Events
M-Enabling Summit in Washington, DC
Date: October 15 – 17, 2024
Accessing Higher Ground- Accessible Media, Web, and Technology Conference- Denver, CO
Date: November 11-15, 2024
