CHRC Report Shows Significant Gaps in Equality of Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities in Canada

Canadians have a better picture of how disability affects equality of opportunity, thanks to a new benchmarking study released by the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) on July 9.

The Report on Equality Rights of People with Disabilities compares Canadians with disabilities to those without disabilities across a spectrum of indicators, such as education, employment, economic well-being, health, and housing. The report consolidates data from seven Statistics Canada surveys.

“This is the first comprehensive examination of how disability affects equality of opportunity in daily life,” Acting Chief Commissioner David Langtry said. “It provides a benchmark that will enable Canadians to track progress and identify barriers that deny people with disabilities the full opportunity to make for themselves the lives they wish to have.”

The report released today provides insight for academics, NGOs, community groups and all levels of government involved in developing policies and programs aimed at improving life for Canadians with disabilities. It provides a baseline for future studies that the Commission intends to undertake to measure change.

The report shows a different reality for persons with disabilities in areas such as education, employment and economic well-being.

When compared to other adults, adults with disabilities:

• are half as likely to complete a university degree,
• are more likely to settle for part-time instead of full time employment, and
• have lower annual incomes.

Source: CHRC, GAATES

BlackBerry Screenreader App Updated

A few months ago, Research In Motion (RIM) released a free accessibility app called the BlackBerry Screen Reader. The app makes BlackBerrys more accessible to users with vision disabilities. The app also now supports two new BlackBerry smartphone models in the latest update. In addition to the BlackBerry Curve 9350, 9360 and 9370 smartphone models, the application is now available for the new BlackBerry Curve 9320 and 9220 smartphones.

RIM updates the Screen Reader app in the latest release:

Basic Browser Support

BlackBerry Screen Reader is now revised adding the ability to have a loaded webpage read to you.

Help Menu
Through BlackBerry Screen Reader settings, you can now access an English help menu to provide you with additional assistance.

Additional Shortcut Features

Previously, the application shortcut (Right Convenience Key + Send) only supported email messaging. The updated shortcut is now designed to allow you to re-read a loaded webpage without refreshing your browser; it also allows you to easily read SMS and BBM messages, from the most recent to least recent message.

Additional Caller ID Screen Support

The first version of the BlackBerry Screen Reader would only read the number that was calling. The functionality has now been extended to the caller ID screen to also identify the contact’s name (if available).

Unified Inbox improvements

The unified inbox feature has been updated and now identifies Facebook® and Twitter® messages. You can now differentiate between your e-mail and social media messages.

BlackBerry Screen Reader Demo

If you’ve been wondering what the application is all about before giving it a try yourself, check out the video below, which includes a walkthrough and some tips to help get you started:

Watch the demo video of the app below:

The latest version of BlackBerry Screen Reader at: www.blackberry.com/screenreader

For more information, visit www.blackberry.com/accessibility

Source: GAATES

FCC's "Developing with Accessibility" Event - September 6-7

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s Accessibility and Innovation Initiative (A&I) has planned an event called “Developing with Accessibility,” at the FCC’s headquarters on September 6 and 7, 2012.  The event is designed to spur increased collaboration on accessibility solutions among developers from industry, consumer, and government sectors.  The event will encourage the use of accessibility APIs (application programming interfaces), as well as publicly available data sets, in order to build accessible apps for mobile phones and websites.  A key objective is to promote the concept and practice of developing applications with regard for generally-accepted accessibility guidelines, thereby maximizing their usability for everyone, including persons with disabilities.

The event will offer training on development topics, in-person collaboration on programming projects, and professional networking among developers.  As important as the actual event itself will be collaborative activity in electronic spaces before, during, and after the event.  Rather than limit this to accomplishments that can be achieved during a single, in-person event, this Developer event is not intended to be an end in itself, but will instead serve as an organizing opportunity to create mechanisms for ongoing collaboration among developers who are interested in building accessible technology solutions.

It is also a goal of the A&I to make smart use of new media tools to create electronic spaces for such collaboration.  We encourage others to also activate online collaboration spaces associated with this effort.  To this end, we suggest use of a particular abbreviation, “DevAcc,” as an electronic tag that facilitates searching and coordination toward these objectives.

Please pre-register for the event by sending your name, affiliation, and contact information to devacc@fcc.gov by August 31, 2012. Also send disability accommodation requests to FCC504@fcc.gov.

If there are particular ways that you’d like to participate, or related activities that you’d like to inform us about, also feel free to write to devacc@fcc.gov.

The meeting site is fully accessible to people using wheelchairs or other mobility aids. Open captioning and assistive listening devices will be provided on site. Other reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request. Include a description of the accommodation you will need and tell us how to contact you if we need more information. Make your request as early as possible. Last minute requests will be accepted, but may be impossible to fill. Send an e-mail to: fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).

The general session of the event will be webcast with open captioning at http://fcc.gov/live

IMPORTANT ACCESSIBILTY LINKS:

Accessibility and Innovation Initiative: http://www.broadband.gov/accessibilityandinnovation

Accessibility Clearinghouse: http://apps.fcc.gov/accessibilityclearinghouse/

Implementation of the Communications and Video Accessibility Act: http://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/cvaa.html

For more information, visit http://fcc.gov/disability

Source: GAATES

New Program for the Blind Receives Prestigious Certification

Hawaii’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and Services for the Blind Division has received national recognition for a unique training program called “New Visions,” which is offered to people who are blind and low vision.

In June 2012, the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB) recertified Hawaii’s New Visions program as a Structured Discovery Cane Travel (SDCT) program.

Hawaii is one of only three state agencies to hold this prestigious certification. The others are Nebraska and New Mexico. There are three private certified centers in Louisiana, Colorado, and Minnesota.

”This is a rigorous certification process. I am pleased to say we passed with flying colors!” said Lea Grupen, Administrator of the Hoopono Branch, which oversees Hawaii’s New Visions Program. “Evaluators were complimentary of Hawaii’s center, staff and students, and to quote from their report,” she said, “It is training centers like yours that lend essential credibility to the Structured Discovery Process.”

Launched in November 2002, New Visions offers a curriculum of effective blindness skills, methods and techniques that lead to increased self-confidence, empowerment and competitive employment.

The curriculum includes classes in Braille (alternative communication), computer and assistive technology, orientation and mobility, personal and home management, and woodworking.

New Visions serves clients with a range of visual disabilities ranging from no light perception, to reading only large print at a comfortable distance.

The New Visions program requires students to commit to full-time participation in classes that run between 6 and 9 months in duration. Students may request additional skill-building time if it is necessary.

New Visions classes are held on site at Hoopono so consumers can share experiences and engage in peer mentoring and support. Hoopono also leases several nearby apartments for neighbor islander and Pacific Islander students and Oahu students who wish to practice their New Visions program skills in a home setting.

The goal of Hoopono’s Services is to enable people who are blind and low vision, age 14 and older, to attain maximum vocational and functional independence. Consumers work with a team of skilled professionals who provide varied services to meet the participant’s individual needs.

Training can take place in individual homes and communities, or in the New Visions’ Liliha centre.

The State’s Vocational Rehabilitation Division, Hoopono Branch, provides comprehensive services and specialized services to Oahu and neighbor island consumers to meet the varied needs of people who are blind, deafblind or low vision, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion or disability.

There is no fee for services.

For more information on the program, call 808-586-5269 or visit www.hawaiivr.org/hoopono

Source: GAATES

TIGAR Project Accelerates Book Accessibility for People with Print Disabilities

Launched in November 2010, the Trusted Intermediary Global Accessible Resources (TIGAR) Project continues to accelerate. The aim of the TIGAR project is to increase the number of accessible books available worldwide; specifically, to provide access to copyright-protected works in accessible formats for people with print disabilities across borders. Participants include WIPO, publishers and collective management organizations, and organizations that provide specialized library services for people with print disabilities.

Participation of accessibility organizations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Jamaica, Norway, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.We are also in conversation with countries in Africa and Asia to extend our participation further into developing countries.

TIGAR’s key achievements to date include:

Participation of more than 30 leading publishers and collective rights management organizations.

Books in an array of languages are available through the TIGAR network. The first international exchange of accessible books took place in October 2011 between organizations in Canada, Denmark, and France. Since that time more than 500 have been selected by participating organizations from the thousands available and shared for cross border exchange.

“The real impact of the TIGAR Project is the impact it makes in the lives of people with print disabilities”, said François Hendrikz of the South African Library for the Blind. “For example, one of the titles we selected was a book by Erik Orsenna, a French novelist and member of the Académie Française. The book, “L’Entreprise des Indes” is highly recommended as a ‘coup de coeur’ and thanks to the TIGAR project it was available to readers with print disabilities in Canada at the same time as it was available to sighted readers.”

For further information, visit http://www.tigarnetwork.org

Source: GAATES

HumanWare Unveils Communication App for Deafblind People

HumanWare, in partnership with Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille (INLB), has unveiled the HumanWare Communicator, the first multilingual face-to-face conversation app for people who are deafblind. This unique app will help people who are deafblind communicate on an everyday basis by connecting a HumanWare Braille device (BrailleNote Apex or Brailliant) with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

New HumanWare iPhone app will get deafblind and sighted people talking. Photo: HumanWare

HumanWare is the leader in digital communication for people who are deafblind, introducing DBC, the first portable face-to-face chat solution in 2008. The system combined the simplicity and portability of the popular BrailleNote with a companion visual interface running on a cell phone. For the first time, a deafblind person had portability and independence when having a face-to-face conversation, and since a familiar cell phone keyboard was used, the sighted individual had a very small learning curve to engage in a conversation.

“With the popularity and inclusion of assistive technology features in Apple’s iOS devices, HumanWare has received a high demand to bring the face-to-face concept of the popular Deaf-Blind Communicator to the popular Apple devices. “The HumanWare Communicator app breaks everyday face to face communication down to its simplest form and will get everyone talking,” says Greg Stilson, HumanWare product manager.

In 2000, HumanWare introduced the first BrailleNote. In 2005, the BrailleNote mPower was launched bringing USB connectivity and increased speed and efficiency to this range of productivity tools. Launched in December of 2009, the BrailleNote Apex, with a completely redesigned look, while maintaining the successful ergonomic design of past BrailleNotes, saw HumanWare pack the most powerful BrailleNote into the thinnest package available.

The HumanWare Communicator app will be available for standard download from Apple’s app store at the end of July 2012. This app marks a major step forward in using mainstream technology to bring everyday communication to the deaf-blind population.

For more information, visit www.humanware.com

Source: HumanWare, GAATES

Transport App Cab:App to Assist Wheelchair Users During London 2012 Paralympic Games

WheelPower, the National Disability Sports Charity and Smart Phone application, cab:app have joined forces to improve access for persons with disabilities using public transport in London during the Paralympic Games.

The partnership will add a Wheelchair Assistance button to its taxi app, encouraging wheelchair users and persons with disabilities to take advantage of the large amount of space and availability of access ramps in black cabs this summer.

To celebrate the partnership, a competition to design a wheelchair and disabled assistance button for the app has been launched. The design must be an iconic and eye-catching so that it is easily recognisable to both passengers and drivers.

The winner of the competition will win a paid trip from anywhere in UK to London for two people which includes a two night stay in the Belgraves-Thompson hotel, a dinner for two at HIX restaurant, a London Eye champagne experience for two and a night time guided tour of London given by the creator of cab:app.

cab:app will donate £1 from every cab:app journey taken during the Paralympic Games to WheelPower.

“We are delighted that cab:app is supporting WheelPower’s work to transform the lives of persons with disabilities. “By providing persons with disabilities a simple, fast and easy to use mobile phone app to hail black cabs, cab:app is transforming access to transport for many persons with disabilities.” Paul Rushton, Head of Fundrasing at WheelPower said,

After the 2012 Paralympics, cab:app and WheelPower want to promote black cab travel to passengers with disabilities as a long term initiative.

For more information, visit www.cabapp.net or www.wheelpower.org.uk

Source; GAATES