Digital Accessibility News

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email More than a dozen advocacy groups are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the rights of people with disabilities to sue under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In a “friend-of-the-court” brief filed this month, 18 disability organizations argue that so-called testers — or individuals with disabilities who actively seek out ADA violations and pursue legal action — are critical to...

Accessibility impacts more than disabled players. Options in games like God of War Ragnarök and Street Fighter 6 help lessen unintentional barriers, introducing newcomers to previously inaccessible franchises and allowing others to join new communities. And accessible design innovations, awareness, and accommodations help create games we can all enjoy. Accessibility is equally important in the industry workspace. While it’s great to buy a game for...

Nordstrom failed to make its website fully accessible to and independently usable by individuals who are blind or visually impaired, a new class action lawsuit alleges. Plaintiff Samaya Hussein claims Nordstrom’s website contains access barriers that prevent it from being compatible with screen-reading software used by individuals who are blind or visually impaired to browse the internet. Hussein argues Nordstrom is denying individuals who are...

This is the first part of a two-part article. In July 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, yet it is understandable that people are concerned about the lack of progress over the last 33 years. Far too often, accessibility has become just a checklist item that agencies cross off without understanding it. That said, under the Biden administration, there has...

Online sports merchandise retailer Fanatics failed to make its Dallas Cowboys website fully accessible to and individually usable by individuals who are blind and or visually impaired, a new class action lawsuit alleges. Plaintiff Felix Castro claims Fanatics’ website selling Dallas Cowboys-themed merch contains access barriers preventing it from being fully compatible with screen-reading software used to browse the internet by individuals who are blind...

NCD has a proud history. It was first established as the National Council on the Handicapped, a small advisory Council under the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Rehabilitation by the Comprehensive Services and Disability Amendments Act of 1978. The Council later transferred to the Department of Education by the Department of Education Organization Act of 1979, then became an independent agency in 1984 by...

For as much coverage as this column has seen over the years on Apple’s and Google’s respective efforts to make iOS and Android accessible to everyone, one aspect of the push that largely goes unseen and unappreciated is exactly how the platforms’ software get to be accessible in the first place. For all Apple’s myriad operating systems, including the newest in visionOS, developers use Xcode...

The United States Department of Justice announced that it has proposed rules for the first time to guide government entities in making their websites compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The guidelines apply to websites, mobile applications and web-based services that government entities provide. “As so many services have gone online in recent years, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, it is now...

According to WHO, people with disabilities represent 16% of the world population. They also find transportation 15 times more challenging than non-disabled individuals. But for mobility to truly be sustainable, it has to go beyond reducing emissions; it has to be inclusive and cater for every member of society. To this end, technology represents a beacon of hope as much as an invaluable tool. To...

After Twitter’s (now X) rollout of a new paid plan offering verification, other social media companies like Meta, LinkedIn and Tumblr have tried to implement their own badges. Reddit is now joining the bandwagon by testing a new “official” badge. The company said it is testing these labels with a small set of profiles as proof of authenticity. The label appears like a flair next...

Policy decisions around voting technology have a huge impact on the security, fairness, and accessibility of elections. These decisions must be made from a fully informed perspective, particularly when the outcomes may disproportionately impact marginalized communities. One of the thorniest decisions in election administration is who—if anyone—should be able to vote over the internet. To better inform this decision, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC)...

The Justice Department sent to the Federal Register for publication a notice of proposed rulemaking under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that aims to improve web and mobile applications (apps) access for people with disabilities and clarify how public entities – primarily state and local governments – can meet their existing ADA obligations as many of their activities shift online. Across...