Americas

CANADA: Several UNBC professors have been working to make outdoor spaces across the province more accessible to British Columbians. The research is being supported with a $24,000 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Engage grant. The professors, Drs. Mark Groulx, Shannon Freeman and Pamela Wright have been working collaboratively with Spinal Cord Injury BC’s… Continue Reading »

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: In tandem with the 30th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, I Love NY unveiled Accessible New York, an initiative designed to enhance the travel experiences of visitors with disabilities. The Accessible New York website will serve as an information hub to publicize accessible attractions for people with accessibility needs. The first… Continue Reading »

US – A group of students from internationally acclaimed US-based Harvard University has launched a startup called Foresight, a wearable navigation aid for people with vision impairments that uses cutting-edge soft robotics and computer vision technology. Foresight connects to a user’s smartphone camera, which is worn around the neck. It detects objects nearby and this information… Continue Reading »

CANADA: The Finance Minister Bill Morneau introduced in Parliament Bill C-20, An Act respecting further COVID-19 measures. Upon receiving Royal Assent, this legislation would make the CEWS more targeted, expand eligibility, and help more workers get back to their jobs as the economy continues to reopen. The Government of Canada is taking immediate, significant and decisive… Continue Reading »

CANADA: Once again small businesses in the Quinte area will be able to take advantage of grants to help them become more accessible. Grants up to $10,000 are available to improve accessibility barriers within the workplace or community space. The grants can be used for small scale construction, renovation or retrofit projects or the provision of… Continue Reading »

BIOENGINEERS have built a glove able to translate sign language to speech in real-time. The cutting-edge glove features thin, stretchable sensors running to the fingertips. These sensors can detect motions and finger placement through electrically conducting yarns. Those sensors are then connected to a tiny circuit board – approximately the size of a coin worn… Continue Reading »

CANADA: The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, today issued the following statement: “On June 21, 2019, the Accessible Canada Act received Royal Assent. On this one-year anniversary, we celebrate the passage of this law as one of the most significant achievements for disability rights in Canada. Reaching this milestone demonstrates our commitment to creating… Continue Reading »

CANADA: More than a quarter of first-year students at Carleton self-identify as having a disability, and about 11 per cent have registered with the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities. An additional six per cent of university staff report having some type of disability. Ensuring that all of our students, staff, and faculty fully… Continue Reading »

British Columbia kicks off its third annual AccessAbility Week with $500,000 in grants to not-for-profit organizations for local accessibility projects. The grants, which range from $10,000 to $40,000 depending on a project’s size and scope, will be distributed by Disability Alliance BC (DABC).“AccessAbility Week is an opportunity for everyone to celebrate diversity and inclusion, and… Continue Reading »

Regina Cohen, Brazil – In 2019, a Brazilian architect, Regina Cohen has represented G3ict and its Smart Cities for All initiative (SC4A)  in the Smart City Expo Curitiba in Mexico and also participated in the Smart Cities and Disability Conference (SUDI) 2019. In 2020, Regina attended the 27th World Congress of Architects UIA 2020 and presented the… Continue Reading »