Americas, Built Environment, News, June 21 2021 Accessibility Standards Canada is proud to release its second annual report, which recounts a year that saw real progress in advancing their mandate. The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, tabled the report in Parliament on June 18, 2021. The annual report provides a […]

A strobe light screwed into a case, a 6-volt battery, a switch and Dean’s desire to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing evolved into the Beach Emergency Evacuation Lights System. On Friday, the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors launched a BEELS pilot program at Torrance Beach. County officials equipped […]

Asia-Pacific, Built Environment, News, June 16 2021 KAZAKHSTAN: According to the Ministry of Healthcare, there are about 705,000 people with special needs including 94,000 children in Kazakhstan. Some 37 centers for adults and 23 for children with disabilities operate nationwide. Overall, more than 500 medical organizations provide inclusive health services. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about […]

Europe, Transportation, June 16 2021 UK: Technology provider Transreport has launched a new app aimed at making it easier and quicker for disabled passengers to request assistance across the UK rail network. The Passenger Assistance app has been built in collaboration with The Rail Delivery Group, disabled passengers and accessibility experts, and enables users to “quickly […]

Africa, Misc., June 12 2021 The launch of the National Disability Policy by President Mnangagwa  has been hailed as a historic development in addressing the rights and welfare of persons living with disabilities. The President launched the NDP jointly with the Labour Migration Policy at the Harare International Conference Centre. Senate representative for people living […]

Asia-Pacific, News, June 4 2021 A new report by the Australian Human Rights Commission calls for far-reaching changes to ensure governments, companies and others safeguard human rights in the design, development and use of new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). The Human Rights and Technology final report, released today, makes 38 recommendations to ensure human rights […]

Europe, Transportation, May 27 2021 UK: Coventry University has collaborated with national disability charity Motability to recruit and sponsor a number of doctoral candidates to undertake research into accessible transport at the university’s National Transport Design Centre (NTDC). The collaboration combines Coventry University’s strong tradition of design transport teaching and Motability’s objective to support and develop […]

Africa, ICT, May 26 2021 South Africa: The long-awaited process to amend the Constitution so that the 12th official language can be included has finally got under way. This was revealed by Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa during his response to parliamentary questions by IFP MP Siphosethu Ngcobo. Ngcobo asked about plans to include […]

Africa, Built Environment, May 19 2021 GHANA: Government, in partnership with the World Bank, has handed over twenty thousand (20,000) wheelchairs to the Ghana Federation of Disabilities Organisations as part of ongoing interventions to improve their livelihoods and wellbeing. The manual and powered wheelchairs, to be distributed by the Ministry of Health through the various District […]

Assistive Technology, Europe, May 18 2021 Austria: Shoes with sensors embedded in them have been created to alert blind and visually impaired people to obstacles in their path. Developed by Austria’s Tec-Innovation company in collaboration with the Graz University of Technology, the intelligent shoes can increase the safety of visually impaired and blind people in their […]