Headline News

UNITED KINGDOM: Law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp has launched ‘Design the Change’, formerly called ‘Getting Back on Track’. The Student design competition intended to encourage innovation and raise awareness of the day-to-day challenges facing people with spinal cord injuries. The competition, which closes in April 2021, is offering winners a £3,000 prize, plus… Continue Reading »

The Gap Analysis was commissioned by Enhancing Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance (ELRHA) to build the evidence base on inclusion and to inform priorities for innovation. This was the first ever piece of work to systematically review the evidence on the inclusion of people with disability and older people across… Continue Reading »

CANADA: The federal government, through the National Housing Strategy (NHS) delivered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), is providing $190,000 in funding to the CSA Group to support research and develop a national standard for affordable, adaptable, and accessible homes across the country. “Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to… Continue Reading »

TAIWAN: The city of New Taipei will open Taiwan’s first baseball and softball fields designed for people with disabilities at a riverside park in Shulin District on Sunday (Nov. 22), according to a city official. The city built the accessible fields in Lujiaoxi riverside park to cater to the growing number… Continue Reading »

CANADA: While the COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted the need for safe housing, Ontarians with disabilities have always lived with the harsh reality that their housing choices are extremely limited, chronically inaccessible and often substandard and unsafe. One in seven Ontarians have a disability. Yet, Ontarians with disabilities routinely face discriminatory… Continue Reading »

INDIA: The Punjab Cabinet today approved the ‘Punjab Divyangjan Shaktikaran Yojana’ to provide a barrier-free environment to persons with disabilities by making government and public-centric buildings, public transportation and websites accessible to them. The Punjab Cabinet today approved the ‘Punjab Divyangjan Shaktikaran Yojana’ to provide a barrier-free environment to persons with… Continue Reading »

INDIA: Global development organisation Sightsavers along with European Disability Forum (EDF) is implementing a project for empowering people with disabilities. This project is being supported by the European Union. Disabled women around the globe are more marginalised economically than disabled men or non-disabled women. This is based on both their gender… Continue Reading »

GREECE: Work is underway to create a path for wheelchair users, elderly citizens and others with mobility problems to see the Acropolis in Athens up close. The project is funded by the Onassis Foundation, which also donated the improved  Acropolis illuminations. However, the cement on the archaeological site, stirred reactions on social media. In… Continue Reading »

U.S.A: The World Games 2022 has joined Lakeshore Foundation in a new initiative for disability inclusion and access with A Journey to One World, One Games. What is the World Games? The World Games is an Olympic-style sports experience where elite athletes from all over the world compete for gold in 34 unique, multi-disciplinary sports.… Continue Reading »

The WHO Online Master Training Workshop for Measuring Access to Assistive Technology will take place on 17-19 November 2020. The workshop is an integral part of the development of the WHO-UNICEF Global Report on Assistive Technology (GReAT). The resolution on improving access to assistive technology (WHA71.8) mandates WHO to develop the global report in the context… Continue Reading »

GHANA: Most Def Foundation, a Ghanaian organisation that exists to support deaf teens and young adults was officially launched at the Antique Lemonade Art Space in Accra on Wednesday. Speaking at the launch, Founder, Franka-Maria Andoh described the launch as “one of the new beginnings for this year.” According to her,… Continue Reading »

Micromobility firm Tier will add artificial warning sounds to its fleet of e-scooters to alert blind and partially sighted people of their approach. The European e-scooter operator said it plans to roll the sound alert out across its vehicles in 2021.  Tier is working with national charity Thomas Pocklington Trust,… Continue Reading »

INDIA: Ride hailing major Uber on Tuesday said it has partnered with the National Association for the Blind (NAB), Delhi to facilitate 12,000 free rides (worth over Rs 25 lakhs) to blind, low-vision and other disabled persons, as well as their caregivers and teachers. The association, which will be valid from… Continue Reading »

JAMAICA: A survival guide produced in Braille for persons who are blind or living with vision impairment was unveiled at a handover ceremony recently as part of an effort to ensure that they are not left behind when disaster strikes. The ceremony at the Salvation Army School for the Blind and… Continue Reading »

The UN has released a report on implementing its Disability Inclusion Strategy, providing a “first baseline on the status of disability inclusion” across the UN system. The Strategy was launched in June 2019 in the context of the 2030 Agenda’s principle of leaving no one behind. The Strategy aims to… Continue Reading »

Ceremony of depositing the instrument on joining the ‘Marrakesh Treaty’ by Turkmenistan was held in Geneva.  On the 15th of October, 2020, the ceremony of presenting the Instrument on Turkmenistan’s joining the “Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print… Continue Reading »

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has published its 2019 Disabled Passenger Satisfaction Survey. The annual survey, now in its second year, has again been carried out to find out from those of reduced mobility about their personal journeys using ferry or cruise ship transport. The survey ran for a… Continue Reading »

Amendments to the Nova Scotia Building Code come into effect on Oct. 31 requiring any new restaurants, cafés, lunch counters and delis to be accessible to all Nova Scotians. In order to get a food safety permit, any new restaurant with seating will need to have accessible entrances, pathways and washrooms. These… Continue Reading »

Caritas Macau has plans to run a travel agency as a social enterprise to help people with disabilities go on trips, Caritas Macau Secretary General Paul Pun Chi Meng said on Monday. Pun made the remarks during Monday’s press conference about the 51st Caritas Macau Charity Bazaar. The press conference… Continue Reading »

The DARE Index 2020 features an upgraded data collection, with 137 individual country report cards, an expanded methodology, advance analysis, and two key report highlights in four languages.   ATLANTA: The Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) announces the release of the second edition of the Digital Accessibility… Continue Reading »