Global Resources and Promising Practices for Building and Refining Accessible and Inclusive Smart Cities from Darren Bates LLC.
Inclusivity. It’s one of the biggest buzzwords inside corporations right now. But the person who brought the practice of inclusive design to Microsoft–Kat Holmes–isn’t so sure that companies really get the idea yet. Holmes has since founded an independent design practice focused on inclusive product developing, become a judge for our 2018 Innovation by Design Awards, and penned the upcoming book Mismatch. I…
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At a recent user experience-focused meetup group in PhillyCHI’s “Designing for Accessibility” Mikey Ilagan, an accessibility specialist at Think Company and Comcast. led a panel to discuss why accessible design matters. The panel shared insights and key factors for why accessible design matters. Checkout the full article below from Generocity to discover four key takeaways to to help you become an accessible design advocate…
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The Power of Disability Inclusion in the Technology and Entrepreneurial Sector How Technology Startups Can Leverage Disability Inclusion and Become Relevant, Competitive and Gain an Unfair Advantage Image: A cartoon of six identical individuals dressed in business suits and sitting around a table with notepads and pen. At one end of the table, an individual is cupping his hand to…
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In recent months, Uber has shone a spotlight on the importance of cultivating diversity in tech, but there’s one aspect of diversity that remains largely untouched: Ability. People with disabilities–such as deafness, blindness, or conditions including autism and Asperger’s syndrome–comprise roughly 6 percent of the U.S. labor force, according to the most recent available data from the U.S. Census Bureau.…
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One of the criticisms of the technology industry is that, by focusing on products and platforms, it has forgotten about people. Advocates for disability rights are adding that they want to see a greater commitment to disability inclusion in product development as well as global development. Last month, a group of civil society organizations published a call to action on Devex arguing…
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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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