Month: May 2014

MANILA: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will be holding a satellite registration for persons with disabilities and senior citizens of Manila on Sunday, June 1. To be held at the Central Section of Rizal Park, the registration will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Voters are to bring at least one valid ID. For more information,… Continue Reading »

MILWAUKEE: Manitowoc, Wis.-based Orion Energy Systems, Inc. violated federal law by firing an employee because of his disability, a mobility disability, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today. In its lawsuit, the EEOC contends that Orion fired Scott Conant after he experienced a disabling condition that substantially limited his… Continue Reading »

VIENNA: The Zero Project team is inviting leading experts and organizations to nominate outstanding practices and policies concerning this year’s topic: Independent Living and Political Participation The Innovative Policies and Practices selected by internationally renowned experts in a multistep process will be: featured in the Zero Project Report 2015, on its website www.zeroproject.org and social… Continue Reading »

NEW ZEALAND: The Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia has announced the Disability Action Plan 2014-2018 today. The new plan is a collaborative effort between government agencies and representatives from Disabled People’s Organizations (DPO’s). “I am pleased with this new collaborative approach. The Disability community is taking a leading role in policy, planning and  implementation.… Continue Reading »

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it is permitting developers of federally funded construction projects to use an alternative design standard to meet the accessibility requirements under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  With a few exceptions, developers may use the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 2010… Continue Reading »

NEW ZEALAND: Education Minister Hekia Parata today launched a new Family Whānau Sign Language Facilitator service to support children who are deaf to develop a strong first language. The new service will see parents and children who are deaf learn New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) from experienced sign language facilitators at home and in community… Continue Reading »

MUSCAT, OMAN: A symposium on ‘Policies of Dealing with Disability and their Prospects in the Arab States in the Light of the UN Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ started at the InterContinental Hotel on Monday. The two-day symposium organized by the Ministry of Social Development in cooperation with the department of social… Continue Reading »

MANILA, PHILIPPINES: A party-list lawmaker has called on Congress to pass a bill that would provide all traffic lights with audible signals to help persons with disabilities, older people and pregnant pedestrians. In filing House Bill 4140, Rep. Lorna Velasco of Ang Mata ay Alagaan Partylist said the installation of audible traffic signals will also… Continue Reading »

MALTA: A third of new buildings inspected last year did not meet accessibility standards and the majority required alterations, according to the National Commission Persons with Disability. In its annual report for 2013, the commission said 33 per cent of the 71 properties it examined were not given a compliance certificate and so could not… Continue Reading »