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Category: Accessibility

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Smart City: Accessibility

Concept

Accessibility can be viewed as the “ability to access” and benefit from some system or entity. Accessibility involves removing the barriers faced by individuals with a variety of disabilities (which can include, but is not limited to: physical, sensory, cognitive, learning, mental health) and the various barriers (including attitudinal and systemic) that impede an individual’s ability to participate in social, cultural, political, and economic life. Disabilities can be temporary or permanent.

The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers).

Accessibility is not to be confused with usability, which is the extent to which a product (such as a device, service, or environment) can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use.

Accessibility is strongly related to universal design which is the process of creating products that are usable by people with the widest possible range of abilities, operating within the widest possible range of situations.

Smart City Practice

A key challenge faced by Smart Cities is to ensure the engagement and inclusion of all people including citizens with disabilities and those that are aging. An accessible Smart City is purposefully designed to include all people and equitably meets the needs of both people with disabilities and people who self-identify as non-disabled.

 A Smart City isn’t smart if it doesn’t support the needs of all citizens.

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Kiosk Accessibility: The Law is Paying Attention – Law Office of Lainey Feingold

Kiosk Accessibility: The Law is Paying Attention – Law Office of Lainey Feingold

.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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Creating a Culture of Inclusion

Screenshot-2018-4-1 Disability-smart the blog of Business Disability Forum

Accessibility can be seen in two ways. A set of rules and guidelines which say ‘Thou shall do x and thou shan’t do y’ or a way where we consider the needs and situations of the people who will be using our products and develop our products to ensure that we don’t disable them. By focusing on guidelines, standards and…

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Buy IT! Your Guide for Purchasing Accessible Technology

Screenshot-2018-3-29 Buy IT —Your Guide for Purchasing Accessible Technology

When it comes to fostering an ICT procurement process that prioritizes accessibility and usability, the first step is to set your procurement priorities. This involves committing to an accessibility mindset and gaining executive buy-in for this commitment. Then, you’ll be ready to set standards and plan your procurement strategy. This section of Buy IT! walks you through the following steps:…

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Accessible Mobility for All | Smart Cities Listen-Up

Accessible Mobility for All: Development Cooperation For Accessible Public Transportation

Accessible mobility—public transportation that can be used by anyone—is a critical component of future urban development. The New Urban Agenda calls for a significant increase in accessible public transportation, and accessible mobility is part of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Worldwide, more than one billion people live with a disability, 80 per cent of whom…

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Creating A Truly Inclusive and Accessible Smart City

Creating A Truly Disabled-Accessible Smart City

Creating a truly disabled-accessible city Accessibility should be and is slowly becoming a concern all over the world, but cities have often been behind the times. Despite the idea of smart cities rising in popularity and many urban areas embracing technology to improve everything from user experience to safety, accessibility hasn’t had the same attention as these ‘glamorous’ innovations. Today,…

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Google Maps Unveils Wheelchair Accessible Transit Routes

Screenshot-2018-3-19 Google Maps Unveils Wheelchair Accessible Transit Routes

Google Maps is filling in an important detail for its transit navigation by giving users the option to check a box that will highlight wheelchair accessible stations. The addition of wheelchair accessibility is meant to round out other location and direction features on a global basis. “This feature is rolling out in major metropolitan transit centers … Continue reading Google Maps…

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MIT Hackathon Tackles Accessibility Challenges

digital-inclusion

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently hosted its annual Assistive Technology Hackathon (ATHack), an event that brings together people with disabilities and students from the graduate to Ph.D. level to work on prototypes for assistive tools. During this year’s multidisciplinary event, teams built “an accessible beanbag-toss game, a personalized blood pressure cuff, a portable and collapsible shower chair, battery and…

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Citizen Engagement, Accessibility, Cybersecurity Are Top Smart City Priorities

Smart City Engagement, Accessibility, Cybersecurity Are Top Priorities

 If you asked a ballroom full of government leaders what keeps them up at night, what do you think they would say?  According to our latest “What’s Next in Digital Communications for Local Government” survey results, expanding citizen engagement, increasing digital accessibility and minimizing cybersecurity risks top their to-do lists. Nearly 370 municipal and county government officials across North America…

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Accessible Smart City Urban Mobility Practices

Screenshot-2018-3-13 iNUA-6-AccessibleUrban _SUTP pdf

Worldwide, over 1 billion people live with a disability. Demographic change leads in some parts of the world to an ever-aging population while in other parts birth rates are still well above four children per women. Thus, many people face immense barriers to take part at social and economic activities. Accessibility to public transport and the usability of public infrastructure…

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Smart City New York City Adds Sign Language Video Calling Service

New York City Adds Sign Language Video Calling Service

  New York City adds sign language video calling service   Dive Brief: New York City has added a video communication service, ASL Direct, for hearing impaired residents who use American Sign Language (ASL) and want information about or access to city services. Users connect with a person fluent in ASL through a webcam conversation. The service also has a…

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Self-Driving Cars: The Impact on People with Disabilities

Self-Driving Cars: The Impact on People with Disabilities

Self-Driving Cars: The Impact on People with Disabilities Our New Study Reveals Self-Driving Cars Could Open 2 Million Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities Introduction Self-driving cars have almost become a staple of everyday conversation. You hear about them on the radio, read about them in the newspapers, and you see them on TV, and not just in sci-fi movies.…

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CONNECTHINGS LAUNCHES PILOT PROGRAM BRINGING CAPITAL METRO BUS INFORMATION TO PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED IN AUSTIN

CONNECTHINGS LAUNCHES PILOT PROGRAM BRINGING CAPITAL METRO BUS INFORMATION TO PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED IN AUSTIN | Connecthings

CONNECTHINGS LAUNCHES PILOT PROGRAM BRINGING CAPITAL METRO BUS INFORMATION TO PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED IN AUSTIN   Network of beacons at bus stops deliver real time schedule and alert information to riders via the BlindSquare app Demostration is part of AustinCityUp’s vision of using innovation to facilitate a truly inclusive community while raising the quality of life…

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New Fee On Taxi And Ride-Hailing Trips Could Fund Accessible Service

New Fee On Taxi And Ride-Hailing Trips Could Fund Accessible Service

A new 20-cent fee could soon be tacked on to every taxi and ride-hailing service trip to fund improvements to accessible cab service for Calgarians with disabilities. A city committee voted unanimously Wednesday to fund a $1.5-million incentive program aimed at getting more accessible taxis on the road. The per-trip surcharge was approved at a meeting that saw several Calgarians…

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Blockchain Accessibility – The Importance Of Digital Accessibility

Blockchain technology futuristic hud banner.

The Wikipedia Page for Web Accessibility is a great introduction to what Web/Digital Accessibility is if you haven’t heard of it. It is very important stuff. About 2-3% of The Entire Population reports a visual disability and that is not to mention those who have other disabilities that create barriers to using technology (Erickson, W., Lee, C., von Schrader, S.…

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Key Recommendations for an Inclusive Smart City

Screenshot-2018-3-6 How_to_make_cities_accessible_and_inclusive_Web_FINAL PDF

This publication is of critical importance as it contributes a clear overview of the main issues at stake. Namely, that governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector have a role to play in ensuring that accessibility is not an afterthought but a central component of their work. It also provides guidance on how to address the accessibility lack, in…

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3 Important Reasons to Make Your Mobile Website Accessible

3 Important Reasons to Make Your Mobile Website Accessible

Perhaps you’ve never considered making your mobile website accessible. Here’s a brief intro into what mobile accessibility means—and why it’s critical that mobile website owners and developers consider accessibility for people with disabilities from the get go.   The Rise of Mobile-Friendly Websites Internet users are on their mobile devices more than their desktops, and spending on mobile marketing is…

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Smart City ICT Accessibility From Zero Project Conference 2018

Advancing ICT Accessibility From Zero Project Conference 2018

It is difficult to summarise a three days conference that combined so many different contributions, views and discussions, but we would love to share some key impressions.In the High Tech Solutions session for example, Rodrigo Huebner Mendes who is paralysed from the neck down, shared his experience of driving a Formula 1 car with his mind. Dr. Christopher Lee, expert…

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7 Ways to Use Technology in Smart City Accessibility Planning

Screenshot-2018-3-2 7 Ways to Use Technology in City Accessibility Planning

Accessibility is key when it comes to urban city planning. It’s only natural that combining physical and information infrastructure is at the heart of improving accessibility. Technology can help cities improve and become what are nowadays called smart cities. more The two factors that comprise accessibility are distance and mobility – people want to go to places, and they want them…

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Check Out Smart City Accessibility and Inclusion Promising Practices

access-city-award-brochure-2017

The Access City Award is the European prize for making cities more accessible to people with disabilities and older people. The city of Chester (UK) was awarded first prize in 2017 for its dedication in ensuring that the city and its beautiful medieval walls can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. Find out more good practices from the…

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An App for Accessibility Is Changing the Conversation About Disability

A Yelp for Accessibility: The app that’s trying to change the conversation about disability

When Maayan Ziv and her classmates wrapped up the first week of graduate school classes in Toronto, they wanted to celebrate. One of Ziv’s classmates suggested they all go to a bar in the area. Most of the group didn’t think twice. But because Ziv is in a wheelchair, she always needs to know if the place she’s going is…

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