November Digital Accessibility Roundup

Accessibility (a11y) Roundup. Navy blue design of a desktop computer with various accessibility areas, such as Braille display, accessible coding, audio descriptions.

This Month’s Roundup
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Welcome to Disability: IN’s monthly round up of digital accessibility news for November.

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

Just Released: New Research on Upcoming Disability Disclosure Legislation in the EU

There are three new government directives that apply to companies doing business in the European Union (EU). All three of them impact people with disabilities and their involvement in the economy in important ways. For the first time, disability is now officially recognized as a sustainability matter for companies.

Produced in partnership between White & Case, Disability:IN, and Trustlaw, this report provides a detailed roadmap for companies navigating the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), European Accessibility Act (EAA), and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). The legal analysis presents insight and implications for businesses around the world.

Read the Press Release

Access the Report

View the supporting briefs, as well as the High-Level and Plain Language summaries.

Spotlight on Disability:IN Partners using technology to enhance the accessibility of products we use every day.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessibility Updates and New Features

Making Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 more accessible makes it easier for more players to jump into the game, which is why innovating and introducing accessibility options across Call of Duty has always been a priority. The accessibility settings menu is accessed by nearly half of all players, and with the launch of Black Ops 6, we’re excited to share even more accessibility updates and new features which will allow players to further customize their experience.

Amtrak and Partners Complete Accessibility and Platform Improvements at Westport Station

Amtrak Vice President, Accessibility, Stations, and Facilities Dr. David Handera: “We are proud to unveil our new accessibility and safety improvements at Westport Station, which supports three of Amtrak’s goals to enhance the customer experience, set the bar for modernization, and bring greater integrated and comprehensive accessibility to stations across the country. Thanks to our partners at the Town of Westport, Canadian Pacific Railway, the Federal Railroad Administration, and all of the federal, state, and local officials who supported this project, the residents and visitors of Westport will benefit from these upgrades when traveling by train.”

Everybody benefits’: Why the beauty industry needs to get serious about accessible packaging

Rahning noted that some companies in the personal care space are making more noticeable efforts when it comes to increasing product accessibility. For example, Procter & Gamble has taken steps to add tactile indentations and symbols to products like shampoo, conditioner, and laundry detergent pods to help low-vision and blind individuals identify the products. But the prestige beauty space has been slower to adopt tools to make packaging more accessible, Rahning said.

IOS 18.1 Launches Next Week with Apple Intelligence And AirPods Pro Hearing Tests And Aids

Let’s start with the hearing aids. Since late 2022, companies have been allowed to sell hearing aids over the counter. Apple announced the new feature at its September keynote event with the FDA approving it for use just a few days later. It involves a test that lets people know if they might have hearing loss and, if you do, it recommends going for a professional exam. It will also allow people to set their AirPods up as hearing aids.

Community Roundup:
DEAM Activities by E/BRGs

Salesforce

Learn how Salesforce is supporting the career journeys of employees with disabilities and meet a Triple Star Ranger who’s helping pave the way for future talent through mentorship.

Protiviti

Protiviti’s Disability Employee Network (DEN) held a virtual event featuring a conversation with a noted Paralympian.

Southern California Edison

Abilities Beyond Limits and Expectations (A.B.L.E.) at Southern California Edison will celebrated Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) with a panel featuring employees sharing their personal disability journeys, followed by a self-identification campaign.

Charles Schwab

Read a DEAM spotlight on McCall T., a Schwab employee based in Austin, who has been living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for 26 years. Her lived experience has fueled a passion for creating a more inclusive workplace for individuals with disabilities.

GE Vernova

GE Vernova’s Disability Advocacy Network (DAN) hosted a virtual event featuring world-renowned artist and speaker Stephen Fishwick, who created a live painting and shared his story as a person with a disability.

Athena Health

AthenaEnabled’s ADHD peer group held a panel discussion where panelists shared their experiences of living and working with ADHD, and discussed ways to support family, friends, and colleagues who have ADHD.

Other Accessibility Highlights for this Month

How Digital Accessibility Can Increase Holiday Sales And Impact Future Growth

As the holiday shopping season approaches, retailers often focus on increasing sales by boosting website traffic and optimizing user experiences. However, one often overlooked critical growth lever is digital accessibility, which ensures websites and digital content are accessible to people with disabilities who may use assistive technology to access the internet.

Telecel eight-year ‘Super Care’ journey of inclusion and accessibility

For eight years, Telecel Ghana has been breaking barriers to inclusive customer support and redefining what it means to serve all customers.

Through its pioneering Super Care initiative launched in 2016, the telecommunications giant has made one thing clear: improving accessibility for people with special needs is a staunch commitment.

As part of its annual CARE Month this October, Telecel Ghana, in collaboration with the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), held a special event to spotlight the integration of Super Care services into the Telecel Play app and contributions of the Super Care support team.

Getting an earful: Over-the-counter hearing aids help boost accessibility

Over-the-counter hearing aids appear to be alerting buyers’ ears a bit earlier in their auditory

On average, people wait nearly nine years between an identified need for hearing aids and actually getting them, according to a 2019 study published in the National Library of Medicine.

Inside the world’s first TV station run for and by people with learning disabilities

The show is presented in simple Norwegian and is slower than mainstream news reports, making it much easier to follow. Between 4,000 and 5,000 people tune in every week.

The station’s 10 reporters are dotted around the country, where they work as local news correspondents.

Love and ADHD: Hinge’s New Report Empowers Daters to Rethink Communication Norms

Today, in recognition of ADHD Awareness Month, Hinge releases its first Love and ADHD report, a new addition to its Data, Advice, Trends, and Expertise (D.A.T.E.) series. This groundbreaking study of over 60,000 Hinge users, including 9,000 with a clinical ADHD diagnosis, reveals that 75% of daters with ADHD feel misunderstood by their matches due to the neurotypical dating norms that guide digital communication. The report addresses the often-overlooked struggles of dating with ADHD, providing fresh insights to help both people with ADHD and neurotypical daters better understand each other over text and go on the great dates they both want.

Christopher Reeve’s kids on love, loss and his life-changing accident: ‘He celebrated every single thing we did’

Twenty years after their father died, his children are ready to tell his extraordinary story – from playing Superman to protesting against Pinochet, transforming disability rights and being a beloved parent and friend.

How to Position Your Disability as a Benefit at Work

“Individuals with disabilities often possess unique perspectives that can be invaluable assets to teams and organizations,” McGuire says. “Their experiences can foster empathy, creativity, problem-solving skills and resilience that can benefit the entire workplace. Their unique experiences can provide a fresh perspective on issues, leading to innovative solutions.

Six out of 10 Irish businesses ‘not prepared’ for European Accessibility Act

Some six out of 10 Irish businesses are not prepared for the European Accessibility Act which takes effect in June 2025, according to a new survey by Mason Hayes and Curran.

The Act provides for digital accessibility on public sector websites, mobile apps and other software for older people and people with disabilities.

AI Can Make Sets More Accessible, but the Tech Still Reflects Ableist Bias, Experts Warn

AI can make Hollywood sets more accessible for disabled people, but it still has no idea how to replicate diversity on screen or in its output, experts and advocates said at TheWrap’s Grill conference this week.

Glide has released a new demonstration video showcasing various scenarios, narrated by Co-Founder Luke Buckberrough, and featuring CEO Amos Miller. The video highlights how Glide manages different environments, including navigating a road without sidewalks, avoiding obstacles, crossing intersections, and handling stairs.

How to Tag Accessible PDF Forms

Creating accessible PDF forms is crucial to ensuring that users of all abilities can interact with your documents effectively. Accessible PDF forms not only improve usability but also ensure compliance with standards like PDF/UA and WCAG. This guide outlines the steps to tag PDF forms for accessibility, covering everything from adding form fields to running comprehensive accessibility checks.

Uber Launches Improvements To Boost Accessibility

Uber is rolling out new features to assist riders with disabilities and is adding training for drivers to help better accommodate them.

The ride-sharing company said this month that it will offer riders who are deaf or hard of hearing as well as those who are blind or who have low vision the option to self-identify on the app and set communication preferences.

Transposition of the European Accessibility Act into Portuguese law

Directive (EU) 2019/882 [1], also known as the European Accessibility Act, aims to improve the accessibility of products and services in the European Union by ensuring that people with special needs can achieve greater social and economic integration.

In Portugal, Directive 2019/882 was transposed into national law through Decree-Law 82/2022[4]. This Decree-Law establishes minimum accessibility requirements for various products and services, including audiovisual communication, thus promoting more inclusive access to audiovisual content.

Ensuring AI is inclusive: Five minutes with Canada’s first chief accessibility officer

This interview with Stephanie Cadieux, chief accessibility officer for the Government of Canada, is part of a ‘Five minutes’ series featuring speakers from AccelerateGOV, taking place in Ottawa on 21 October.

Stephanie will take part in a panel session on making government services accessible, frictionless, and usable for all.