Americas

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 detailed account of the department’s accomplishments, engagement… Continue Reading »

USA: Randy Dean’s passion project started three years ago out of a beat-up plastic suitcase. 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… Continue Reading »

Brussels public transport operator STIB announced its plans to improve the accessibility of its tram network for wheelchair users within the next ten years. The solution, created in consultation with the Collectif Accessibilité Wallonie Bruxelles (CAWaB), combines a raised platform with the insertion of rubber platform edges to fill the horizontal space between the platform… Continue Reading »

US: What differentiates an animal from a machine are its mirror neurons, a set of neurons in an organism’s brain that is fired to perform a task based on the performance of self or others. Discovered in 1991, the research on mirror neurons is still going on, and the Giacomo Rizzolatti research group believes that these neurons… Continue Reading »

US: “In an older population, the evidence for non-pharmacological interventions like home modification, occupational therapy and physical therapy is robust. They prevent falls, improve quality of life, and reduce hospitalization — with effects that are more meaningful than things like vitamin D or aspirin, even though that’s what we are typically trained to discuss in our… Continue Reading »

UNITED STATES: It looks like artificial intelligence and robotics might be on the verge of automating yet another job. A team of scientists from the University of California, Berkeley has developed a four-legged robodog to safely guide the visually impaired, a New Scientist report explains. In a study published March 26, the researchers showed that their prototype pup can keep… Continue Reading »

United States: Handiscover, a leading accessibility and disability data organization, found that over a third of people with disabilities in America say that hotels have not met their accessibility needs. It is estimated that 60 million people in the United States live with a long-term illness or disability that requires specific accessibility requirements. With improved accommodations,… Continue Reading »

CANADA: The Government of Canada continues to take important and decisive action to ensure that all Canadians are supported during the COVID-19 pandemic. We know Canadians living with disabilities are facing significant challenges during this difficult time and that long-standing barriers to inclusion have been heightened. As we work together to restart the economy, we must continue to… Continue Reading »

UNITED STATES: If you live in New York City and use a manual wheelchair, you may soon be able to use the Lime app to order a free rental of an attachment that turns it into a power vehicle. The design is one of seven adaptive vehicles the micromobility company recently developed to make its… Continue Reading »

CANADA: In collaboration with ARCH Disability Centre, TRU with the help of the University of Windsor will pursue a new research project on the effects of COVID-19. TRU’s Dr. Ruby Dhand, a professor in the Faculty of Law, has partnered with Dr. Dipesh Prema, a TRU chemistry professor, and Dr. Tess Sheldon, a law professor from… Continue Reading »