Global Resources and Promising Practices for Building and Refining Accessible and Inclusive Smart Cities from Darren Bates LLC.
Accessibility Guidelines Making all things accessible creates a better experience across the board. Use this checklist to help build accessibility into your process no matter your role or stage in a project. There’s information and resources for: Designers, Engineers, Project Managers and more. There’s a a Quality Assurance Section and links to relevant Accessibility websites and toolkits. While visiting the…
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Nearly one in five individuals report having a disability. This number is expected to rise as the baby boomer generation continues to age. Technology is part of the answer to addressing the lack of overall accessibility the disability community faces on a daily basis. Tech companies have taken note and entered into a market that represents $1 trillion in annual…
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How a paint developed at Ohio State can make cities safer and smarter: BTN LiveBIG By Matthew Wood, 2 days ago end post-meta The Ohio State University How a paint developed at Ohio State can make cities safer and smarter: BTN LiveBIG By Matthew Wood, 2 days ago end post-meta Following the “yellow brick road,” or any road, has never…
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As cities around the globe adopt new smart cities road maps and strategic plans for new technology implementations, the town of Cary, N.C., has taken an entirely different approach — one that leverages a combination of their existing facilities, citizens and private-sector companies. Rather than overlaying sensors or building new infrastructure from the ground up, Cary is inviting private-sector companies to…
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How co-creation is shaping the future of cities As the famous urban activist Jane Jacobs once wrote, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” It’s a truth that lies at the heart of a number of urban co-creation projects, which tap into the collective knowledge of citizens to…
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BARCELONA, April 19 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Entrepreneur Josep Esteba became so frustrated trying to get around his native Spain in a wheelchair for more than 20 years that he embarked on a mission to map cities for disabled people all over the world. “Many years ago I travelled a lot for work, and would arrive in cities that…
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.entry-header The Cooper Hewitt museum in New York City is currently running a fascinating exhibition entitled Access+Ability. The exhibit features new and innovative products that help people with disabilities experience their world more effectively through design. Some of the products are in the marketplace today, while others are in the prototype stage. All are inspiring in their use of…
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My background is in web design and development. These days, I’m an Accessibility Specialist advocating on behalf of the user. I use assistive technology to audit, review, and examine software the way a person with a disability might use it. I then work with product teams to identify and resolve these issues. And I’ve noticed a recurring theme. Issues identified…
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IND: create a column 8/12 columns the width the parent container AND APPLY CONTINIOUSLY responsive text class to anything inside this column Against a backdrop of revolution and protests on Barcelona’s streets over the last 18 months, Francesca Bria has been conducting her own battle to tear up the strategy of her predecessors and put citizens at the head of…
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Bluetooth technology, crowdsourcing, and connected devices are making mobility easier for blind, visually impaired or disabled transit riders. In Boston, transit officials, through a partnership with Perkins School for the Blind, have been contributing data to the app BlindWays, which combines GPS data with special clues to get users to the exact location of a bus stop. The clues are…
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COLLEGE PARK, Md.– University leaders, local government officials, community partners and academic researchers recently launched a new collaborative initiative aimed at using smart and connected technologies to improve the safety, engagement, accessibility and quality of life along the College Park areas of the Baltimore Avenue (Route 1) Corridor. Sponsored by the National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) and the College…
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Michael is a deaf and native American Sign Language speaker working as a creative designer for Amazon. Throughout his career, Michael’s visual/conceptual way of thinking and problem solving have served him both as an asset and a challenge. He finds solutions around his disability through Universal Design. Michael Allen Nesmith, a Chicago native, was born into a deaf-culture family using…
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The Deaf communication specialist Eva Westerhof talks about inclusion by imagination: “We can fly through space. We can walk on the moon. But we cannot make or own world accessible? Accessibility does not affect a few people. It involves billions of people. It affects everyone. Sooner or later. Take accessibility in your mind with everything you do. Make sure…
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Hobsons Bay UD Policy Statement Hobsons Bay City Council is situated south-west of Melbourne with a significant stretch of coastal area. As with many local councils in Victoria they are keen to embrace the principles of universal design in their planning policies. As part of their access and inclusion strategy they plan to implement UD principles in new buildings, buildings…
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The United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities recognizes the right of people with disabilities to attain full social participation without discrimination on the basis of disability. Mobility is one of the most important life habits for achieving such participation. Providing people with disabilities with information regarding accessible paths and accessible urban places therefore plays a vital…
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City of Boston, Aira partner to offer assistive technology for residents and visitors with blindness or low-vision for One Boston Day and Boston Marathon. Do not add additional content to the following right column. Secondary content should be included in a new right column below the left (main) columAira’s app will be available for free use during the Boston Marathon…
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Even just walking on Via del Corso in Rome or on Esplanadi in Helsinki it is possible to notice how much people live their city through the smartphones, but we rarely focus on how the use of the new technologies is contributing to promote inclusion and participation to the life of the urban contexts. The metropolitan areas of Helsinki and…
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In the spirit of the “special relationship” between the U.S. and the U.K., I invited our friend and colleague Jane Duncan to take over this spot this month. She is president of the 40,000-member Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and director of Jane Duncan Architects + Interiors, an award-winning practice in Buckinghamshire, England. Jane ran for office on pledges…
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Whether it’s a temporary Christmas market or planning everyday routes, accessibility around the UK has steadily gained awareness over the years. Today it is a key concern for many people, from the government and local councils to public transport providers. Unfortunately, while the introduction of new laws and legislation such as The Equality Act 2010 has helped to drive action…
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.entry-header .post-thumbnail Website accessibility is important. Website accessibility is something that receives significant attention in the legal space. But digital accessibility is not just about websites, and the law is taking notice. This post highlights cases about kiosk accessibility. I use the term “kiosk” broadly to include tablets and any piece of technology offering services, products, and information. Who will…
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