Global Accessibility News
Universal Design
Adaptive Sports Equipment Enables Outdoor Recreation for All
Americas, Universal Design, March 18 2019
Stephen was 14 when he lost all use of his legs and the full mobility of his arms in a traffic accident. Three years after the crash, the Braddock youth, who asked that his last name not be used, said he sorely missed getting outside with family and friends. “Hanging… Continue Reading »
Ikea to Use 3-D Printing to Make Furniture More Accessible for Persons with Disabilities
Middle East, Universal Design, March 12 2019
ISRAEL: Ikea is the largest furniture manufacturer in the world. But its sleek designs, filled with handle-less drawers and low-profile furniture, aren’t necessarily friendly to the needs of people with disabilities. Now Ikea Israel has teamed up with the nonprofits Milbat and Access Israel, each of which specializes in making the world more… Continue Reading »
Bangladesh to Set Example on Social Development
Asia-Pacific, Universal Design, February 27 2019
Bangladesh’s Social Welfare Minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed Bangladesh hopes to be a role model for the developing world in social services provided by the government to help poor, ill, disabled and elderly people, said a high official. “I can assure you that our country will be a role model of social… Continue Reading »
Western Sydney Airport Recruits Wheelchair Rugby Players as Accessibility Consultants
Assistive Technology, Universal Design, February 15 2019
AUSTRALIA: Last week airport representatives announced a sponsorship agreement with the New South Wales (NSW) Wheelchair Rugby League that will see players act as accessibility consultants during development. In Australia, approximately 18.3 percent of the population has one or more disability. “We want to go over and above our legislative requirements when it comes… Continue Reading »
Toyota Improves Universal Design Taxicab for Quicker Wheelchair Access
Asia-Pacific, Transportation, Universal Design, February 8 2019
JAPAN: Toyota Motor Corp. has announced that it will improve its “JPN Taxi” universal design taxicab to enable wheelchair users to get into the vehicle more quickly — cutting the current maximum of around 20 minutes down to three minutes. The improvements, unveiled on Feb. 4, involve redesigning the car’s… Continue Reading »
Sensory Devices to Access Art at the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum
Middle East, Universal Design, February 6 2019
ABU DHABI: The Middle East’s states have recently invested a significant amount to create innovative and universal museums institutions in their territory. The 2017 opening of the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi and more recently the Qatar National Museum showed this. These museums aim to provide coherent accessibility solutions that… Continue Reading »
UK Faces Accessible Housing Crisis – Only 7% of Homes Deemed Accessible
Built Environment, Europe, Universal Design, January 7 2019
ENGLAND: Controversy rang out in November 2018 when the Home Builders Federation objected to councils across England wanting to increase the number of homes with universal home designed centered around accessibility. Organizations such as Age UK and the Centre for Ageing Better and Disability Rights UK released reports stating that… Continue Reading »
App Helps Achieve SDGs 11, 12 by Improving Sustainability of Housing Projects
Americas, Built Environment, News, Universal Design, November 23 2018
NEW YORK, USA: The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the One Planet Network have launched an app to help improve the sustainability of new housing projects and increase the affordability of green housing. The SHERPA for Sustainable Housing Projects app was developed with the recognition that housing is an… Continue Reading »
The Transformative Power of Literacy for Children with Visual Disabilities
Asia-Pacific, Assistive Technology, Universal Design, November 15 2018
PHILIPPINES: In a first grade classroom in the Philippines, Ma’am Jen, a teacher to students who are blind or low vision, sets a newly printed braille book she created in front of nine-year-old student Alexa. Prior to 2015, these braille books were hard to come by, leaving Ma’am Jen with… Continue Reading »
Introducing the Online Guide to the World Development Indicators: A New Way to Discover Data on Development
Americas, Built Environment, Disaster, News, Universal Design, October 31 2018
WASHINGTON, DC, USA: The World Development Indicators (WDI) is the World Bank’s premier compilation of international statistics on global development. Drawing from officially recognized sources and including national, regional, and global estimates, the WDI provides access to almost 1,600 indicators for 217 economies, with some time series extending back more than 50… Continue Reading »