Looking for Lodging? Accessibility Matters

Assistive technology is about accessibility. Recently, this idea was taken a step further. AirBnB announced a set of 24 filters enabling travelers with a physical disability to more easily find lodging accessible for their needs (e.g., if they use a wheelchair to get around). This feature saves these travelers the burden of having to call multiple places to inquire whether they are accessible to their needs, according to an informative blog piece that goes into detail about how to use the many features now available on the AirBnB app.

The user can obtain detailed information on the residence, as well as outdoor and common areas and whether an accessible (“handicapped”) parking spot is nearby. The accessibility filters can be set to one’s own specific disability.

With more and more people with physical disabilities enjoying travel, this new feature will be welcome news, especially to those using the AirBnB platform.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day: Making Assistive Technology Smart and Accessible

Giovanni Canobbio (left), Integration Technologies Group demonstrates a CCTV reader for low vision users to Todd Birkenruth (right), USDA, AMS, Disabled Employees Program Manager at the United States Department of Agriculture, Departmental Management Target Center 20th Anniversary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC, Thursday, Sept 13, 2012. Since 1992, the USDA TARGET Center has provided Assistive Technology to employees with disabilities. By providing this technology the TARGET Center’s has assisted thousands of individuals with disabilities to further contribute to the mission of USDA. The Target Center has partnered with the Department of Defense Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP). USDA photo by Bob Nichols

Most designers create websites that are compatible with both traditional desktop computers and mobile devices. However, how many website designers have browsed their creation through a screen reader, a device that makes content accessible to users who are blind, vision impaired, dyslexic, or otherwise unable to quickly read text? Back in 2011, a programmer named Joe Devon asked himself that question and proposed a Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Jennison Ascuncion, an accessibility professional from Toronto read the proposal and joined forces with Joe. So today, the third Thursday of May, is the sixth Global Accessibility Awareness Day. The purpose of GAAD is “to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital (web, software, mobile) access/inclusion and people with different disabilities.”

 

This issue has gained additional importance in the context of recent issues concerning net neutrality and Internet privacy. In addition to increased independence for people with a disability, the dream and objective of the Internet being a democratic forum, a place where everyone can and should participate with equality is very much at play here.

 

So, again, what is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, why should you care, and how can you get involved? Jonathan Hassell interviews its co-creator, Jennison Asuncion, at the 28th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference (CSUN 2013) to get the low-down on this annual growing event. Here’s an informative interview with Jennison Asuncion from GAAD 2014:

 

 

Please go to the GAAD website to learn more.

 

Finally, the organization particularly recommends a recent article in PC Magazine,
“Augmented Ability: Assistive Tech Gets Smart.”

April: Fostering an Awareness, Appreciation, and Understanding of Autism

World Autism Awareness Day

Central to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is “respect for the inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of persons… and full and effective participation and inclusion in society” (Article 3). This concept is reflected in this year’s theme for World Autism Awareness Day, “Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination.”

In the U.S. and throughout the world, the rate of autism is high, affecting children and adults of all socioeconomic and ethnic groups. According to the U.N., “Appropriate support, accommodation, and acceptance of this neurological condition allow those on the spectrum to enjoy equal opportunity, and full and effective participation in society.”

On March 31, 2017, the U.N. held conference on multiple aspects of autism, Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination, which included the following:

• Supported versus substitute decision making
• Individual milestones and legal capacity
  – Independent living through early intervention and college
  – Managing relationships and parenthood
  – Vocational training and employment
• The U.N. 2030 agenda “Commitment to leave nobody behind.”

In welcoming everyone, Cristina Gallach, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, said “We come together to renew our commitment to raising awareness of the rights of persons with autism – to equal opportunity and full participation in society, on an equal basis, with other citizens. To achieve this inclusive society that we aspire to, we must… ensure that the fundamental rights enshrined in the CRPD are respected.” This is a right that has been recognized since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was declared in 1948. Continued Ms. Gallach, “When [people with autism] enjoy equal opportunity for self-determination and autonomy, persons with autism will be empowered to make an even stronger positive impact on our shared future.”

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres could not be present, but he prepared a statement: “On this World Autism Awareness Day, let us play a part in changing attitudes toward persons with autism and in recognizing their rights as citizens who, like everyone else, are entitled to claim those rights and make decisions for their lives in accordance with their own will and preferences. Let us also renew our promise engraved in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind, and ensure that all people can contribute as active members to a peaceful and prosperous society.”

The keynote speaker, Simon Baron-Cohen, Director, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, was gave an overview of the autism spectrum.

In regard to the “commitment to leave no one behind,” Jackie Pilgrim, a noted disability advocate spoke about dignity. In her work with NAMI Durham she spoke of her organization’s new 8-hour course for police and first-responders to replace the inadequate 1.5 hour course used previously, one for which they have shown “passion” to learn.

Barry Prizant, author of the landmark book Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism, summarized his philosophy:

• De-pathologize autistic behavior (echolalia, stimming). It’s the way we deal with stress and self-regulate. They should not be repressed or otherwise “managed.”
• Autism is not a tragedy, it can become one
• Self-determination begins in early childhood. Children at an early age
• Let’s look at ourselves.

Added Micheal John Carley. The best way to help is to examine ourselves and change the way we view people with autism.

An autism research and education organization, Autism Speaks, initiated the worldwide Light It Up Blue, campaign in its effort to raise autism awareness.    Among many in the autism community, both advocates and self-advocates, Autism Speaks is highly controversial, because that organization is seeking a cure, whereas many people prefer to see autism as simply another way of being, “different, not broken.”

 

National Autism Awareness Month

A ribbon made of multicolored puzzle pieces.  It has become one the most recognizable symbols of autism in the world.  The various colors reflect the many “faces” of autism, a condition often referred to as the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) because no two people with autism are alike.  (The cognitive abilities of people with ASD range from “nonverbal” to intellectually brilliant.)  The ribbon symbolizes solidarity and hope of a happy, fulfilling life for people with autism.  The puzzle pieces remind us that the condition and the people with it are still very much a mystery.

Autism Awareness Month first came to be some 25 years ago, when the Autism Society of America undertook an effort to promote autism awareness.  The primary objective was to “promote … inclusion and self-determination for all, and assure that each person with autism  is provided the opportunity to achieve the highest quality of life.”

 

Three short films that treat autism awareness and appreciation are worth noting:

• “Make it Stop.” This is a brand-new awareness video to foster understanding of people with autism.
•  “Talking in Pictures.”  This documentary dispels myths and stereotypes… at least as they apply to everyone with autism. “It’s not that we’re doing it wrong, it’s not that we’re autistic enough to fit in with the world’s idea of autism, it’s that the world’s idea of autism isn’t big enough to fit us all in!”
• “Perfectly Normal,” is a film about Jordan, a man with Asperger’s, who discusses his everyday life, of which the New York Times publicized an important excerpt.

Furthermore, Sesame Street will debut Julia, a character with autism. This event will be covered in a later article.

 

And some noteworthy facts on autism:

• In 2014, the U.S. Centers for Disease for Disease Control estimated the prevalence of autism as being 1 in 68 births.
• Autism comes from the Greek autos” meaning “self.” Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1910 used the New Latin term autismus to describe schizophrenic symptoms of children; US psychiatrist Leo Kanner first used the term autism in 1943.
• Asperger’s syndrome is named after Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger, who in 1944 first described the symptoms in children he was observing.

With a sincere effort of autism awareness, we will be able to treat this population with the dignity they deserve.

The Genius of Braille: A Real Eye-Opener

Louis Braille (1809-1852)

In 1809, on January 4, Louis Braille was born.  At age 5, the curious boy was blinded in an accident with one of his father’s tools.  However, Louis refused to let his disability stop him from getting the most of life.  As a teen at the Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris, he self-advocated by developing the system of writing that, to this day, bears his name.  In his honor, the 4^th of January has been declared World Braille Day.

Braille’s alphabet consists of a series cells containing, in a 2 x 3 grid, as a raised dot or a blank space. Though there are only six dots or spaces, they can be combined in 64 different ways, allowing for other characters, including letters from the alphabets of other languages.  In other words, braille is not a language, but a code for transcribing many other languages.  Nowadays, there are two main types of braille: Grade 1 and Grade 2.  Grade 1 is a functional letter-by-letter transcription of text.  Grade 2 uses combinations of letters in a single braille character, allowing for much shorter documents; it is the most widely accepted form of braille.

 Br The basic braille alphabet consists of cells of six dots, raised in a variety of combinations and permutations. There are also symbols for punctuation and letter combinations.

Braille provides access to written communication for blind people, in other words, accessibility beyond physical means such as access ramps.  In other words, braille is a form of inclusion, allowing everyone to participate in an important aspect of society, regardless of their disability.  In creating the braille system for reading and writing for the blind, Louis Braille was advocate and self-advocate for people with disabilities par excellence.  And for his part in developing the braille writer, Louis Braille was also one of the great assistive technology specialists of all time.

 

 

The braille writer creates the raised dots for braille text rather than printing individual letters or characters. As with the typewriter, the basic layout of the braille writer has been incorporated in modern assistive technology braille input devices.

“Access to communication … is access to knowledge, and that is vitally important for us if we [the blind] are not to go on being despised or patronized by condescending sighted people. We do not need pity, nor do we need to be reminded we are vulnerable. We must be treated as equals—and communication is the way this can be brought about.”

—Louis Braille

 

 

 

Looking Back: 2016 Was a Good Year for International Disability Sports Competition

This summer, we had the Rio Summer Olympics.  Then, there were the Rio Paralympics.  And in October, the best of championship athletics for people with disabilities and the latest in assistive technology are combining forces in what is known as the Cybathlon. Among the technologies used were robotic prostheses, brain-computer interfaces, all-terrain powered wheelchairs, and powered exoskeletons.

The first international competition of its kind, Cybathlon was conceived and organized by the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, ETH Zürich.  Founded in 1855, it counts Albert Einstein among its alumni and professors.  Cybathlon was a competition in six disciplines:

• Powered exoskeleton race
• Powered arm prosthesis race
• Powered leg prosthesis race
• Brain-controlled computer game
• Powered wheelchair race
• Muscle-stimulated bike race

The top moments can be seen and relived in a series of videos on the Cybathlon YouTube channel.  In the future, according to a PBS report, robotic arms and other limbs can be life-changing for our wounded veterans.

 

 

As to be expected, coverage was widespread:

• Scientific American and the BBC brought the complex technology to the interested lay reader.
• Swissinfo and Endgaget covered the events before, during, and after the Cybathlon, “combining innovation and competition.
• Techradar hailed the Cybathlon as an important force that will influence the Olympic games in the future.

In short, the Cybathlon will be a critical element in promoting assistive technology for people with physical disabilities in all walks of life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disability Self-Advocates Sought for New Jersey Transportation Study

The Arc of New Jersey and the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation are collaborating on a research study about how adults with disabilities use different modes of transportation. They are seeking self-advocates to share their stories about how they get around and their hopes for future transportation systems.

Participants will answer questions in a brief interview conducted by members of the New Jersey Self-Advocacy team. The answers will be used to develop a report about the positive and negative aspects of current transportation options.

To learn more about the project, contact NJSAP@ArcNJ.org or call Lorraine Seid, at 732-749-8514.

Library Equal Access Program: Providing Visually Impaired Patrons Full Access to New Jersey Libraries

A new effort in New Jersey, the Library Equal Access Program (LEAP), offers speech and magnification assistive technology training to blind and visually impaired consumers 55 and older.  Libraries throughout the Garden State are offering classes in basic and intermediate computers. Advancing Opportunities is collaborating with the NJ State Library Talking Book and Braille Center and the NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired to provide training.  Fred Tchang, Director of Assistive Technology Services said, “There are many people who need assistance learning how to use an iPad and who need help browsing the Internet because their vision is changing. This unique partnership gives older clients with vision impairments the support they need to succeed in learning new technology.”

#InclusionWorks: Participation and Employment Are at the Heart of Disability Awareness

 

Disability advocates and self-advocates do not allow disability to define who they are… or aren’t. The same idea applies to employment. In fact, October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.  For 2016, the theme is “#InclusionWorks,” that workers with disabilities are central to workplace diversity.  The idea of recognizing the importance of gainful employment for people with disabilities goes back some 70 years, to October 1945, with President Harry S Truman’s National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week. In recognizing people with all disabilities, the word “physically” was dropped in 1962.  Moreover, vocational training for students with both physical and intellectual disabilities goes back to the turn of the previous century, when a special-education teacher named Elizabeth Farrell used manual work as one way to provide a meaningful experience for her students with severe special needs at the Henry Street School in New York City.

 

As part of our mission to enhance the lives of people with all disabilities and enable their full participation in society, Advancing Opportunities provides employment services, including the following:

• Career planning
• Job Development
• Support for employers
• Accommodations at work sites.

 

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) has done much to help make sure people with disabilities would have access to meaningful work.  Central to the theme of #InclusionWorks is that both people with disabilities and the companies that hire them benefit.  They realize the following:

• With the right supports, they can perform just as well as their non-disabled peers.
• Most employees with a disability are more reliable and less likely to quit than their non-disabled peers.
• Many households include someone with a disability; they are likely to want to support inclusive businesses.
• Hiring people with a disability promotes good will and a positive public image.

 

Challenges Ahead

If work is such an important part of citizenship and civic responsibility, then should not as many people as possible be working?  Even with the considerable success of ADA, as a group, people with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to be unemployed or underemployed; only about 1 in 5 are an active member of the work force, as we noted last year.   In addition, the average monthly earnings of people with a disability are just slightly over half those of their non-disabled peers.

While significant challenges exist, one thing we can learn from many people with disabilities is that with hard work, challenges can be overcome. Advancing Opportunities is proud to be part of this positive change.

 

 

Revving Up the Vote for National Disability Registration Week

As part of a national campaign to urge people with all disabilities to speak out for themselves through the power of the vote, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and other advocacy organizations have launched the REV UP campaign.  A major part of this effort is National Disability Voter Registration Week, July 11–15, 2016, which was established last year, as part of the 25^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Why?  The primary reason, according to AAPD, is that “There are nearly 30 million people with disabilities eligible to vote when registered. This number does not even include ‘the ripple effect’ of family, friends, and service professionals who will vote in-line with disability interests….  REV UP campaigns around the country will make a concerted effort to get more people with disabilities registered to vote, educate voters about issues and candidates, promote turnout of voters with disabilities across the country, engage candidates and the media on disability issues, and protect eligible voters’ right to participate in elections.”  A recent article in the Huffington Post also outlines why people should care, providing statistics and challenges people with various disabilities face.

Justin Dart, the actor who spurred the ADA, is the subject of a poster, with the caption “Vote as if your life depends on it.  Because it does!”

The DisabilityVisibility #CripTheVote campaign, covered in this blog on June 3 is one of several co-sponsors, an advocacy organization founded and run by people with disabilities to raise awareness and appreciation for “America’s largest minority.”  As Alice Walker said, “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”  #CripTheVote will follow up on Sunday, July 24, 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. ET with a Twitter chat, “Disability, Violence and Public Policy.”

In addition to the many links AAPD and other groups provide, Disability Thinking is another worthwhile source, with many links arranged by category.

It is also worthwhile to note that people in the Deaf community are asking why most political ads lack captioning to make them accessible to Deaf and hard-of-hearing voters.   Indeed, the campaign is about both accessibility and having candidates for public office address the needs and injustices all to many people with disabilities face.

There’s Assistive Technology, and There’s the Right Assistive Technolgy

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Like most girls her age, Mikayla Johnson likes to spend time outdoors.  However, with her cerebral palsy, mobility has been a challenge.  She had a traditional walker, which was adequate for moving about indoors, on smooth surfaces.  As her dad, Bob, explains in a video, he sought a walker that was sturdier and had large wheels to navigate soft ground and the wood chips that cover most playgrounds.  However, most assistive technology is expensive; even finding used equipment that was affordable was a challenge, as insurance would pay only part of the cost.

Through Advancing Opportunities’ Assistive Technology Center, Bob learned of Goodwill Home Medical Equipment, which has its main outlet, which is also located in Ewing, NJ.  This organization accepts donations of gently used medical equipment and toiletries.  Staff clean and refurbish these and offer them at prices most people can afford.  This is particularly useful for children, who quickly outgrow assistive devices.  Goodwill Home Medical is a resource partner of Advancing Opportunities.

Helping people help themselves leads to independence.