Access and Technology Briefly

Mexican government establishes regulations for accessibility to federal buildings
In January 2004, the Presidential Off ice for the Promotion and Integration of Disabled Persons announced that the Mexican government passed a resolution establishing regulations for accessibility to federal buildings. Read the resolution.

British court rules against Ryanair for discrimination against passengers with disabilities
In January, a British court ruled against the Irish airline, Ryanair, for charging an additional £18 to their passengers who need wheelchair assistance at airports. The judgment resulted from a case by a British man who was required to pay for the use of the airline's wheelchair while flying on Ryanair from London to France. Ryanair is appealing the case and announced in a press release following the judgment against them that they would now be charging all passengers an additional £0.50 per ticket to cover the cost of assisting passengers with disabilities. According to the European Disability Forum, European legislation preventing discrimination against passengers with disabilities is in the works. Read more about this case.

Settlement reached in complaint over inaccessible features of Audiovox mobile telephone equipment; companies begin improving compliance and access features
In the U.S., Audiovox recently announced that it had reached a settlement of litigation with Dr. Bonnie O'Day, who has a visual impairment, over the inaccessibility of Audiovox mobile telephone equipment. O'Day filed a formal complaint with the FCC claiming Audiovox mobile telephone equipment was not accessible to people with visual disabilities to the extent required by the U.S. Telecommunications Act of 1996. As a result of the settlement, Audiovox is making a number of significant improvements including a more accessible keypad and audible announcement of certain visually displayed information. Also in response to this complaint, Toshiba just unveiled a phone that talks to users, telling them if their battery is low and if they are in roaming mode. Read about the complaint and the settlement on Yahoo or in the NY Times.

Latest developments to improve standards for access to public transportation and buildings in Australia
Amendments to Australia's Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport that will make public transportation in Australia more accessible to passengers with disabilities are to be added to the current Standards. To read the amendments, please visit the Australian Attorney-General's Department website. Read a press release by the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission.

Draft Disability Standards for Australian Building Codes have been released for consultation. The latest versions and associated documents on the Australian Building Codes Board website.

Canadian study on accessibility of e-learning in postsecondary education seeks participants
The Adaptech Research Network is conducting a three-year study that will examine accessibility for students with disabilities of the various forms of eLearning now used in Canadian colleges and universities. By investigating eLearning trends in Canadian higher education, the study will identify facilitators and barriers for students with disabilities and generate and disseminate best practices for both the higher education and postsecondary ePublishing communities. The research involves postsecondary students with disabilities (including learning disabilities) who have used some form of eLearning; professionals who provide disability-related supports on campus; individuals who lead and/or support eLearning initiatives in their institutions; faculty who have taught students with disabilities using some form of eLearning; and publishing industry executives responsible for postsecondary ePacks and eCourses. More information about the eLearning study.

Report on Tokyo meeting on ICT Accessibility in the Asia-Pacific Region now online
The International Symposium on ICT Accessibility in Asia-Pacific Region was held in Tokyo in January. Read a brief report or view video clips of the proceedings.

The Rehabilitation Council of India produces manual on creating barrier-free environments
The Rehabilitation Council of India has produced a manual on creating a totally accessible society with instructions for developing such a barrier-free environment. Resulting from RCI workshops conducted throughout India for representatives from RCI affiliated organizations, District Rehabilitation Centres, NGOs, self-help organizations including special educators, CBR workers, paramedics, mobility instructors, lawyers and activists working in the field of disability, the manual includes very basic information such as how to use a wheelchair, white cane, crutches and low vision glasses as well as information about proper etiquette such as how to assist wheelchair users and ways to escort a blind person, etc. The manual covers both the internal and the external environment, including roads, approach, pathways, parking, reception, telephone, toilets, drinking water facility, lifts, stairs and ramps, entrances to buildings, doors and thresholds, circulation and space within buildings, floor finishes, placement of guiding and warning blocks, information boards and signage and color contrast. Read an article online about the new manual.

Designing for the 21st Century III: An International Conference on Universal Design, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 8-12, 2004
An international conference on universal design is being held December 8-12, 2004 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Building upon the successes of Designing for the 21st Century I in 1998 and Designing for the 21st Century II in 2000 as well as the International Conference for Universal Design of Fall 2002 held in Yokohama, Japan, the Conference will address the design of places, things and communication as well as policies, programs and services. Adaptive Environments, a 25 year-old U.S.-based NGO, continues in its role as primary Host for the Conference. Centro de Vida Independente do Rio de Janeiro (CVI-Rio), the first independent living center in Latin America, is Host Partner. Co-Sponsors are the NEC Foundation of America and the Universal Design Consortium (Japan). Metropolis magazine is Media Sponsor. Negotiations are underway with additional co-sponsors and corporate partners. More details.

Microsoft Corporation study measures potential U.S. market for accessible technology for computers
Microsoft Corporation recently released the results of a study conducted by Forrester Research, Inc. to measure the potential market of people in the U. S. who are most likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology for computers. The goals of the study were to identify the range of physical and cognitive abilities among working-age adults and current computer users in the U. S., the types of difficulties and impairments that limit the scope of activities and their degree of severity, and the number of people who could potentially benefit from using accessible technology. The report contains a summary of the study, its findings about individuals who are likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology, findings about working-age adults and computer users, data about the aging population in the U.S. and its impact on computer use, and concludes with statements about how these findings affect the information technology (IT) industry. Download the report.

Online Journalism Review reports newspaper websites slowly acknowledging need to improve access for people with vision disabilities
The Online Journalism Review reported last December that newspaper websites are slowly acknowledging the need to make their websites accessible to people who have vision disabilities. Although many newspapers offer graphic free, text-only options such as the "printer-friendly format," originally designed for readers with slower modems and also useful to readers with vision disabilities, this still does not allow complete access   to the website for readers with vision disabilities. Although a few newspapers are improving access, progress remains slow. Read the complete report online. To read more about the debate over whether the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates web access, the Center for an Accessible Society's website has an article on the debate which includes links to related rulings and reports on the topic.

The New York Times reports improvements in access and services for travelers with disabilities
A recent article in the New York Times reports improvements in access and services for travelers with disabilities. A combination of the rights afforded by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the realization by the travel industry that people with disabilities are a market force has resulted in a range of industry wide improvements from improvements in hotel accessibility to better attitudes towards and services for passengers with disabilities from airlines. Read the article online.

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