Smart-Cities-Library-Header-1

“Access” a Short Film About Accessibility

Announcing “Access,” a Short Film About Accessibility

Access, is Chris Higgin’s short documentary about accessibility. It follows Cory Joseph through a typical day, showing how he uses his smartphone, Braille display, tactile watch, and guide dog (named Vine) to navigate the world. I hope you watch it, and I hope it inspires you to make your work more accessible to more people….

Read More

Taxis Are Flying The Flag For Inclusivity In Mobility

Taxis Are Flying The Flag For Inclusivity In Mobility

Location shouldn’t be a barrier and neither should a disability. Disability groups have been lobbying for better accessibility on transport for many years. How many times have you got on a train to find there was a lack of space for wheelchair users, or that there wasn’t a toilet on board? For many people this can be extremely limiting.

Read More

Accessible Public Transportation and Housing, a Need for People with Disabilities in Major Cities

Accessible Public Transportation and Housing, a Need for People with Disabilities in Major Cities | Inter Press Service

Accessible Public Transportation and Housing, a Need for People with Disabilities in Major Cities This article is part of a series of stories on disability inclusion.   – Even though over six billion people—nearly one billion of whom will have disabilities— are expected to live in urban centres by 2050, many of the world’s major urban cities have a long…

Read More

Smart Cities Could Be Lousy To Live In If You Have A Disability

Smart Cities Could Be Lousy To Live In If You Have A Disability

Cities sometimes fail to make sure the technologies they adopt are accessible to everyone. Activists and startups are working to change that. Victor Pineda travels the world to make speeches and advise governments on urban planning and development. But when he encounters a touch-screen kiosk, he’s stymied. For people like him, who use wheelchairs and have limited use of their…

Read More

Accessibility and Inclusivity: Two Vital Elements of Mobility

Accessibility and Inclusivity: Two Vital Elements of Mobility

How many times in the past year have you heard someone say that the future of mobility is shared, electric, autonomous and connected? While this utopian view sounds like something we should strive for, we are missing two critical aspects of mobility, says Carol Schweiger, President of Schweiger Consulting and Chairperson of the New England Intelligent Transportation Society: accessibility and inclusivity. It…

Read More

Artificial Intelligence Must Serve Everyone

Screenshot_2018-11-23 Artificial Intelligence must serve everyone – event report European Disability Forum

Tech companies and persons with disabilities gathered on the 16th November in Vienna to debate how not to leave persons with disabilities behind technological breakthroughs.  The purpose of the event was to take the opportunity to discuss how new technologies embrace human diversity, and how technological solutions can be designed for all, including for persons with disabilities.    It is an…

Read More

The Future of More Accessible and Inclusive Smart Cities

The Future of More Accessible and Inclusive Smart Cities

Watch the Video!   In our third public talk, author and community organizer Jane Farrow will moderate a conversation with three accessibility experts who are challenging cities to incorporate principles for inclusive design and ensure accessibility for all: Luke Anderson – Founder & Executive Director – StopGap Foundation; Consultant – AccessAbility Advantage Darren Bates – Founder – Smart Cities Library™;…

Read More

Zach Anner ’s Quest For The Rainbow Bagel Shed’s Light On Accessibility

Zach Anner ’s Quest For The Rainbow Bagel Shed’s Light On Accessibility

Zach Anner ’s quest to get a rainbow bagel in Brooklyn sheds light on New York City’s accessibility issues.  

Read More

Virtual Reality Is Helping Amputees Adjust To Their Prostheses

Screenshot_2018-08-25 VR is helping amputees feel their prosthetics as if they belonged to their bodies

Researchers at EPFL developed a system that combines virtual reality with artificial tactile sensations to help amputees feel their prosthetics as if they are a part of their body.   Source MASHABLE: Researchers at EPFL developed a system that combines virtual reality with artificial tactile sensations to help amputees feel their prosthetics as if they are a part of their…

Read More

Do Smart Cities Have an Accessibility Problem?

Do Smart Cities Have an Accessibility Problem?

As a student, the daily walk up London’s Exhibition Road, past its profusion of popular museums, was hindered by groups of tourists that stood four-abreast on the pavement, eager to learn more about the cretaceous period, or space flight, or ornamental Renaissance metalwork. I was therefore pleased when, one spring, the street was quickly transformed from a bustling thoroughfare for…

Read More

The Inclusive Transport Strategy: Achieving Equal Access For Disabled People

The Inclusive Transport Strategy: Achieving Equal Access For Disabled People

Ministerial foreword A society that works for all Transport is at the heart of how we live our lives. It helps us get to work, stay in touch with friends and family, contribute to society and access vital services like healthcare and education. Easy access to transport is central to building a stronger, fairer economy. While many take for granted…

Read More

Manifesto For Human, Creative And Smart Cities Presented In Brazil

Manifesto For Human, Creative And Smart Cities Presented In Brazil

OASC Brazil publishes a Manifesto to raise awareness among city leaders and stimulate the implementation of social, economic and digital policies. The Manifesto has been shared with Brazilian authorities. A joint collaboration of OASC Brazil and OASC Portugal: Cláudio Nascimento (at speaker desk, left) and Margarida Campolargo (1st from the right) have presented the Brazilian Manifesto for human, creative, and…

Read More

Using Apps and Data to Help the Disabled Navigate Cities

Screenshot_2018-07-11 Access all areas Using data to help the disabled navigate cities

Technology can help people with disabilities get around cities – but it must provide reliable information tailored for varying needs BARCELONA – 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…

Read More

A People First Approach to Smart Cities…

solutions

As part of a #SmartCity #PeopleFirst approach, it’s incumbent upon everyone to acknowledge our collective responsibility as fellow human beings to remove access barriers preventing persons who are aging, #disabled and other underserved populations from equitable civic engagement. pic.twitter.com/vhweMbkyhi — Smart Cities Library™ (@SmartCitiesL) July 10, 2018

Read More

Pokémon Might Become the New Smart City Urban Accessibility Master

Screenshot_2018-07-06 Pokémon GO

Pokémon Might Become the New Smart City Urban Accessibility Master Not just a child’s game anymore. For the estimated 53 million U.S. adults living with disabilities, moving around and within a city may feel like an obstacle course. Hilly terrain and elevated pathways can prove daunting for people with disabilities (PWDs). There’s also the problem of cracked sidewalks and poorly designed…

Read More

Using New Mobility Models To Increase Access – Transportation For America

Using New Mobility Models To Increase Access – Transportation For America

New mobility services have enormous potential to change the transportation landscape and increase access for all residents. But, only a few projects are actually focused on that. As new mobility models continue to have an impact on our transportation system and shift how our cities are designed and operate, cities and transit agencies are launching new pilot projects to test…

Read More

5 Ways AI Could Transform Digital Accessibility

Screenshot-2018-6-25 5 ways AI could transform digital accessibility AbilityNet

  Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being built into our digital world. And there are great opportunities to maximise AI to make the digital world more accessible for people with disabilities. Here, AbilityNet’s senior accessibility and usability consultant Joe Chidzik explores some of the possibilities and some of the ways AI is already changing things for disabled people. 1. AI could…

Read More

Can Smart Cities Be Equitable?

Can Smart Cities Be Equitable?

Around the world, governments are making cities “smarter” by using data and digital technology to build more efficient and livable urban environments. This makes sense: With urban populations growing and infrastructure under strain, smart cities will be better positioned to manage rapid change. But as digital systems become more pervasive, there is a danger that inequality will deepen unless local…

Read More

SMART CITIES – DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR A MORE LIVABLE FUTURE

Screenshot-2018-5-10 When kids put on their urban planner hats – cities are better for everyone

Cities are home to more than half of the world’s population, and they are expected to add another” “2.5 billion new residents by 2050. They face increasing environmental pressures and infrastructure needs—and growing demands from residents to deliver a better quality of life and to do so at a sustainable cost. Smart technologies can help cities meet these challenges, and…

Read More

A Smart City is Tech, Data and Community: But Will That Build a Fairer Society?

Screenshot-2018-5-16 A smart city is comprised of technology, data and community but will that build a fairer society

The number of smart speakers bought in 2018 alone has doubled in the last four months with the likes of Alexa and Google Home answering queries in the home. Meanwhile driverless cars are being developed by the likes of Amazon and Tesla to deliver packages cutting human interaction. The idea sparked debate at The Drum’s Smart Cities Off Stone briefing…

Read More