Headline News

ICELAND: A new accessibility fund will provide financial support to Reykjavík businesses who want to increase the accessibility of their establishments. The fund was spearheaded by entrepreneur Haraldur Þorleifsson in collaboration with city authorities. Founder of design company Ueno, which was recently purchased by Twitter, Haraldur is a wheelchair user himself… Continue Reading »

Pakistan: World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative in Pakistan, Dr Palitha Mahipala on Thursday handed over assistive devices to the government of Balochistan for persons with disability. Addressing the ceremony, Dr Palitha said that WHO is working with the Government of Pakistan to advocate change and public awareness regarding disability and… Continue Reading »

PERU: Texts adapted to the braille system will be delivered this year, reported the Ministry of Education. During 2020, the Ministry of Education, through the Directorate of Special Basic Education (DEBE), produced more than 1,100 accessible audios and about 500 educational materials adapted to the Braille system for girls, boys,… Continue Reading »

USA: NHTSA believes its proposed rule will make life a lot easier for people with disabilities, especially those using a wheelchair. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Monday proposed a new rule that should make mobility far more accessible to those living with disabilities, especially those using a wheelchair. The government… Continue Reading »

GARI Design Challenge – 2,500€ for helping people with disabilities easier find what they are looking for The Mobile & Wireless Forum (MWF) established the Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative (GARI) in 2008 to provide information on the accessibility features in today’s devices. GARI now features an online database with information… Continue Reading »

MALAYSIA: The Persons With Disabilities (PWD) Communication Unit which will be launched next year is aimed at improving the delivery of service and information to the community nationwide. Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the unit will work closely with the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in various… Continue Reading »

The U.S. Department of Labor on December 16 announced a new initiative designed to assist states in aligning policy, programs and funding across multiple state agencies to increase competitive integrated employment for people with mental health conditions. Led by the Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the Advancing State Policy Integration… Continue Reading »

Leonard Cheshire has worked with online travel agency Expedia Group to produce a roadmap for the travel industry to be more inclusive and accessible for disabled people. The two organisations commissioned the ‘Breaking Down Barriers to Travel’ report to call on the travel industry to be more inclusive of disabled… Continue Reading »

VIETNAM: Entrances accessible to ambulant disabled people will be created in beaches along Da Nang City’s 30-km coastline, the city’s authorities said on Sunday. The work to install 24 such entrances at popular tourist beaches on Vo Nguyen Giap, Hoang Sa, Truong Sa, and Nguyen Tat Thanh streets was approved at… Continue Reading »

Ensuring accessibility for tourists with specific access requirements can be a “game changer” for destinations around the world as they look to bounce back from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The organization is aiming to make clear the importance of placing inclusivity at the centre of… Continue Reading »

Ensuring accessibility for tourists with specific access requirements can be a ‘game changer’ for destinations around the world as they look to bounce back from the impacts of the pandemic. A new set of  Inclusive Recovery Guides from the World Tourism Organization, produced in partnership with the European Network for Accessible… Continue Reading »

A major milestone has been achieved today as Fiji takes lead in the world to validate the Target E data of the 2015 Sendai Framework. “Target E is a measure that estimates the number of countries and local actors that have Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategies in place. Its goal… Continue Reading »

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 International Disability Alliance presents its Global Survey on Participation of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities in Development Programmes and Policies – Edition 2020. This new report presents the findings of the first-ever global survey led by OPDs on their participation in decision making processes of governments, the UN system and… 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 »