Accessibility and Design

Overview

International News

Multiple-Stakeholder Perspectives on Accessibility Data and the Use of Socio-Technical Tools to Improve Sidewalk Accessibility (2023, Disabilities)

India

Design crusaders foster accessibility NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Awards have spread awareness about universal design in the past 13 years. (2023, Sunday Guardian)

Malaysia

This Malaysian Wants To Make KL Accessible For People With Disabilities IncluCity by NakSeni is an inclusive crowdsourced map for accessible, safe venues and spaces. (2023, Says)

United States

New York City Sues Queens Library Architects Over Lack of Accessibility City officials argued that the building was not compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act and other laws. (2023, New York Times)

Housing

Chile

The homes of families of people with disabilities (2023, Latercera)

India

Wheelchair User Woman In Bengaluru Struggles To Find Accessible Apartment (2023, NDTV)

United States

The Cost of Being Disabled in New York City Housing “Some landlords are asking disabled people to foot the bill for accommodations, leaving even those with ample resources without an accessible place to live.” (2023, New York Times)

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Ageing

Europe

Disability rights at all ages. “In practice, the intersection of ageism and ableism translates to the fragmentation of policies for persons with disabilities of working age and older people.” (2023, EDF)

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Assistive Technology

International News

In search of a prosthetic revolution: from charity to investment.

“It is not just money that is needed. A huge amount of time is involved in making prosthetic limbs, in particular because they are a feat of engineering and science. I can spend anywhere between one to four years getting a new leg made and people wonder why I have to be so careful not to gain or lose weight: if my leg does not fit, I have to spend a huge amount of time in clinics having a new one made. The process is slow, open to error, and sadly can take a lot of time to get right. All these things can really impact people’s mental health, especially if anyone has fluctuating weight and their limb simply does not fit. These are the added pressures faced by so many amputees and prosthetic limb users on a daily basis.” (2023, ATscale)

Bridging divides: The role of inclusive technology for learners with disabilities. (2023, Global Partnership on Education)

Assistive Technology Digest a quarterly publication “with the objective of increasing awareness about the possibilities offered by assistive technology as experienced by its users.” (2023, IDA)

Australia

Smart glasses that play sounds help people who are blind find objects. (2023, New Scientist)

Malawi

AgriLab model is rolled out in Malawi to co-design assistive technology (2023, Spark)

United States

Wheelchair Profiteering: A series, starting with How the For-Profit Industry Makes Money:

“If your goal is to sell wheelchairs to poor cash buyers without health insurance, then it makes sense to treat the wheelchair like a commodity. Since commodities are interchangeable, the seller with the lowest price gets the highest sales volume. If your goal is to sell wheelchairs to wealthy buyers or people with health insurance, then it makes sense to treat your wheelchair like a custom prosthesis and create wheelchairs with the highest profit margins.” (2023, Erik Kondo)

How deaf fans of opera can feel the music with Lyric Opera’s new shirt “A pilot program at Lyric Opera of Chicago aims to tailor the opera experience by offering wearable technology to patrons” (2023, Washington Post)

Long wheelchair repair times spur effort to get Massachusetts to act (2023, Boston Globe)

A Flexible Interface for Single-Switch Users A Usability Study of Nomon:

“Many individuals with severe motor impairments communicate via a single switch—which might be activated by a blink, facial movement, or puff of air. These switches are commonly used as input to scanning systems that allow selection from a 2D grid of options. Nomon is an alternative interface that provides a more flexible layout, not confined to a grid.” (2023, Assets Conference)

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COVID-19

Impact

Bangladesh

Prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety, and stress among people with disabilities during COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study.

“The prevalence was found to be 65.7% for depression, 78.5% for anxiety, and 61.4% for stress, respectively. Several factors were identified as associated with these mental health issues, including gender (male), marital status (being married), low education levels, multiple impairments, comorbid medical illnesses, poor sleep quality, rural residency, hearing disability, disability onset later in life, and testing positive for COVID-19.” (2023, Plos One)

Response

United Kingdom

COVID Inquiry Hears About Government Disregard of Disabled People:

“Issues highlighted included the greater susceptibility of Disabled people with long term health conditions to respiratory disease; the greater likelihood of transmission in Care Homes and other residential settings; the increased risks by virtue of receiving care and support; the discriminatory barriers to receiving services and the cyclical nature of poverty and disability.” (2023, Disability Rights UK)

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Civil Society and Community

International News

Adventist Church in Fiji commits to creating accessible spaces (2023, Adventist Record)

Disabled and older people leading change features of folk around the world. “We have been led, inspired, and transformed by the experiences and stories of people with disabilities and older people”. (2023, Human Rights Watch)

Africa

Girls and young women raise their voice profiles of 10 young female advocates in Eastern and Southern Africa. (2023, UNICEF)

Australia

Good practice guidelines for engaging with people with disability “The guidelines are designed to help people working in the government, private and not-for-profit sectors. They provide practical guidance for people who run activities to design, plan, and deliver processes, products, services and policies.” (2023, Analysis & Policy Observatory)

India

Disability, Diwali, Durga Puja. “The absence of wheelchair ramps at entrances to festival spaces, or judgmental stares when a child with sensory issues becomes overwhelmed at a pandal, send a clear message: Not welcome.” (2023, ThePrint)

Iran

Disability movement protests for benefits and implementation of law (In Persian, 2023, Ilna)

Kenya

Disabled vendors spend night in chilly weather to get Sakaja's attention More than 50 disabled people slept outside Sakaja's City Hall office. (2023, The Star) See further context on Citizen Digital.

Nigeria

Persons With Disability Protest Over Diversion Of Rice and Cash supports (2023, Cross River Watch)

United Kingdom

Changing the Funding Landscape for Disability Justice: Disability Rights UK’s call to Funding Organisations. “True change begins with accessible funding processes, core unrestricted funding, inclusive eligibility criteria, and the acknowledgement of intersectional experiences.” (2023, Disability Rights UK)

The Disability Power 100 in 2023 (2023, The Shaw Trust)

United States

Accessibility Advocates Oppose Disability Simulations “Why do you have to wait until you experience it to realize that there’s something important in what I’m telling you?” and a collection of other reasons people raise not to use disability simulations. (2023, Skift Meetings)

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Climate Crisis and Environment

International News

Pathways towards sustainable and just futures with and for disabled populations: a leverage points perspective.

“In this paper, we suggest that addressing ‘deep’ leverage points by 1) recognising diverse valuations of and connections to nature by different social groups (i.e. re-connecting to nature), 2) including disabled populations in decision-making and knowledge creation (i.e. re-structuring institutions), and 3) promoting inclusive education and knowledge generation (i.e. re-thinking knowledge production) can facilitate the development of inclusive transformation pathways and foster sustainable human-nature relationships.” (2023, Ecosystems and People)

Making the green transition inclusive for persons with disabilities. (2023, ILO Global Business and Disability Network)

CBM Global Climate Advocacy Roadmap (2023, CBM Global)

Persons with Disabilities and Climate Change a collection of articles. (2023, Bezev)

United States

How climate change risks disproportionately impact people with disabilities. Video feature on disproportionate impact of natural disasters. (2023, PBS NewsHour)

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Communication and Language

Braille

International News

Introducing Braille Brain! “This is a free website-based, self-paced curriculum to help people who already have literacy skills learn braille.” (2023, American Printing House)

Australia

Magic touch: how ‘revolutionary’ changes are making braille better than ever. “Braille has had a revival during the past decade. Technology such as refreshable braille displays has made the script more portable and adaptable, and increasingly braille is being integrated into the community beyond books.” (2023, the Guardian)

Brazil

Beco de Batman gets graffiti in Braille a unique technique to make street art accessible. (In Portuguese, 2023, O Globo) See also a video feature in English from Star Tribune.

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Conflict and Peace

Overview

International News

War is devastating – but for the disabled and their families, it is a unique horror “My family’s experience in the Iran-Iraq conflict gave me an insight into what many disabled Palestinians experience today:”

“I remember clearly when the sirens sounded my mother would gather us all in one room, away from the windows. Electricity would be cut and then we would huddle together and wait for the planes or rockets to be shot or driven away. My siblings and I did not fully understand the gravity of the situation – another beautiful aspect of being a child – we enjoyed the adventure and excitement without the fear that adults carried.” (2023, National News)

Ethiopia

Challenges persist in rehabilitation of Tigray's ex-fighters Experiences of fighters who acquired disabilities. “Ex-fighters at Awash camp suffer from severe injuries such as limb loss, facial injuries, and concussions. They require significant amounts of medicine and medical treatments; otherwise, their health conditions become critical.” (2023, Addis Standard)

Nagorno-Karabakh territory

Protection and safety of persons with disabilities open letter to the international community. “Persons with disabilities in or fleeing from Nagorno-Karabakh are at great risk of abandonment, abuse and even death.” (2023, EDF)

Israel-Palestine Conflict

International News

Crip Call to Action: why disabled people living in the US need to be calling for a long lasting ceasefire in Israel-Palestine. (2023, Disability Visibility Project)

Canada

Ontario NDP removes Sarah Jama from caucus after Israel-Hamas comments. Jama posted on social media about “the generations long occupation of Palestine”. She uses a wheelchair. (2023, Global News)

Israel

Yad Sarah’s Jerusalem hotel hosts disabled, elderly evacuees for free. (2023, The Jerusalem Post)

55,000 Israelis with Disabilities Evacuated from Conflict Areas Figure quoted in a discussion, which also highlighted how new accommodations are often inaccessible and this is compounded by many staff and family carers being called up for military service. (2023, Cision)

Soldiers with disabilities recruiting for the war effort. “Anyone who puts these sweets and snacks in a carton is like firing a missile at Hamas and helping our soldiers.” (2023, Jerusalem Post)

A disability lens on conflict: Israel and Gaza war Debrief feature on disabled victims of Hamas attacks, destruction in Gaza, and disability on different sides of the conflict. (2023, Disability Debrief)

Israeli special needs community struggles to cope with war victims of the 7th October attacks and response from disability organizations. (2023, Jerusalem Post)

Shalva National Crisis Response Center: centre for disabled people becomes a refuge for evacuees. (2023, Jerusalem Post)

Palestine

Gaza: Israeli Attacks, Blockade Devastating for People with Disabilities “The Israeli military’s major ground offensive in Gaza adds immeasurably to the serious difficulties for people with disabilities to flee, find shelter, and obtain water, food, medicine, and assistive devices they desperately need,” (2023, Human Rights Watch)

Horror in darkness: the plight of the visually impaired seeking refuge in UNRWA's schools.

“As a person with visual impairment, hearing the shelling around without being able to see it or know where it’s coming from. You are left to imagine that you are the target, your world engulfed in darkness and fear.” (2023, AOAV)

People With Disabilities in Gaza Suffer in Israel-Hamas War “People are homeless; some separated from their families, support systems and mobility devices, Shaheen said. Those with chronic illnesses, who need medical care, cannot receive it because hospitals are overflowing with critically injured patients, while others don’t have the funds to buy supplies such as catheters at pharmacies” (2023, Time)

I'm from Gaza but can't return home.

“I called a friend of mine the other day who has a physical disability, who has been sheltering at an overcrowded United Nations Relief and Works Agency school, within the evacuation zone. Over a lot of background noise, she told me, “I lost my wheelchair. If we are ordered to evacuate, I will not be able to run like everyone. I am so terrified.”” (2023, USA Today)

Inclusive Humanitarian Action - Gaza a factsheet, exploring the risks faced by disabled people and response needed. (2023, Handicap International)

“The planes bomb us. We are deaf so it scares us.” short video on the situation of Ahmed Abu Odeh and his wife Walaa, both deaf. The couple and their children are trying to survive Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. (2023, AJ+)

‘Where will I leave these children, on the street?’ The struggle for survival faced by disabled Palestinians in Gaza. (2023, CNN)

Palestinians with disabilities face hardship short video on the challenges disabled people are facing. (2023, Aljazeera English)

A Palestinian with disability among those reported killed by Israeli Forces in the Jenin Camp on the West Bank. (In Arabic, 2023, Alhurra)

The harsh reality of disabled people trying to survive war Families forced to carry those with disabilities for several kilometres after having to abandon their homes in northern Gaza and head south. A piece by Gazan journalist Maha Hussaini. (2023, Middle East Eye)

Israel continues to attack hospitals in Gaza. “The Psychiatric Hospital, the only one of its kind in the Gaza Strip, is also no longer able to treat its patients.” (2023, Aljazeera)

Statement on the situation of persons with disabilities in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory (2023, IDA and IDDC)

Urgent Call to Protect the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Gaza (2023, Disability Rights Fund)

“People with disabilities not spared by Israel’s war machine on Gaza Strip” “Bombs, lack of electricity and roads damaged by Israeli offensive make life impossible for disabled people in Gaza.” (2023, Aljazeera)

A disability lens on conflict: Israel and Gaza war Debrief feature on disabled victims of Hamas attacks, destruction in Gaza, and disability on different sides of the conflict. (2023, Disability Debrief)

United Kingdom

DR UK Stands in Solidarity with Disabled Palestinians “We are deeply concerned about the severe humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, and we are committed to advocating for the protection of the rights and dignity of Disabled individuals in this time of crisis.” (2023, Disability Rights UK)

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Culture, Entertainment and Media

Overview

International News

Non Inspirational A collection of interviews about cerebral palsy in fiction. (2023, Julian Gray)

Disability Poetics a collection of poems and essays by disabled poets:

“Disability poetry resonates for us because it is fundamentally a poetry of liberation. [...] Disability poetics speaks powerfully because it articulates the resistance of bodies and minds to the erasure, commodification, convenience, and disposability articulated all around us and that we struggle against. In this collection, we mean to resist.” (2023, Poetry Foundation)

A Picture of Health: Jo Spence, a Politics of Disability and Illness. A project featuring different artistic explorations. (2023, A Picture of Health)

Canada

Disability Desirability Arc Poetry Issue 102 where guest editor Therese Estacion asks: “What do we make of a disabled body or, to use disability justice group Sins Invalid’s term, bodymind that desires? A body that knows all too well how it feels to be told that it has no business wanting for love, wanting for more.” (2023, Arc)

Japan

Married manga artists tell story about life with disability “Manga artists Eri Nanato, 43 and Satoshi Kameyama, 41, have brought the issue of adult developmental disorders to the fore via the pages of a manga series that conveys the challenges they face in real life.” (2023, Kyodo News)

New Zealand

Halloween character costumes that are actually scary “Parking Warden Who Doesn’t Believe It’s Your Mobility Permit” and other frightening figures. (2023, The D*List)

United Kingdom

Jack Moyse, You and I. Fiona Johnstone reviews an exhibition of photographic works by Jack Moyse, a young artist living with muscular dystrophy. (2023, The Polyphony)

Does the Booker Have an Autism Problem? “This year’s Booker Prize longlist is a sign that, during the past 20 years, the publishing world has advanced and stagnated when it comes to autistic representation.” (2023, Publishers Weekly)

United States

How deaf fans of opera can feel the music with Lyric Opera’s new shirt “A pilot program at Lyric Opera of Chicago aims to tailor the opera experience by offering wearable technology to patrons” (2023, Washington Post)

Hear the Dance: Audio Description Comes of Age Recent experiments in describing dance, like the film “Telephone,” approach it not just as an accessibility service but as a space for artistic exploration. (2023, New York Times)

Museum Makes Major Acquisition. “The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art announced the acquisition of more than 150 works by 23 artists with developmental disabilities from three Bay Area art centers.” (2023, Disability Scoop)

One custom costume at a time father and son make Halloween accessible to kids with disabilities. (2023, CNN)

Britney Spears' book: The Woman in Me. Review:

‘Anyone looking for starry anecdotes or studio vignettes won’t find them here. Instead, The Woman in Me tells a focused story that makes inarguable the ties between patriarchy and exploitation, and deserves to be read as a cautionary tale and an indictment, not a grab-bag of tabloid revelations. After all Spears has lost, the sharpness of her perspective is a miracle. She repeatedly questions why – whether as a teenager in a crop top “corrupting” the youth, or a 25-year-old getting drunk at the club – she was perceived as “dangerous”. May her truth pose a legitimate threat to the system that exploited her.’ (2023, Guardian)

TV and Film

International News

All the Light We Cannot See review “this terrible mess is a one-way ticket to Triteland” (2023, the Guardian)

10 Best Anime Depictions of Living With a Disability “Some anime stories minimize or overturn physical disabilities, but these ones provide genuine and earnest representation, in a thoughtful manner.” (2023, Screen Rant)

Why are face equality charities calling for film warnings for Halloween? Interview with Phyllida Swift of Face Equality International. (2023, Euronews)

Canada

How ‘Finality of Dusk’ Breaks New Ground Deaf Cinema-Goers “In the sound design, the bass has been increased to amplify vibrations which can be felt more intensely if you aim to sit in the middle to the back rows inside a movie theater,” (2023, Hollywood Reporter)

United Kingdom

Is There Anybody Out There? review “Ella Glendining’s intelligent documentary challenges the discriminatory attitudes she faces as a young woman with a rare physical disability” (2023, the Guardian)

Mixmups: Behind the scenes with the disabled stop motion characters. (2023, BBC)

United States

Aria Mia Loberti Embraces ‘All the Light We Cannot See’. ‘The first-time leading lady reflects on the audition that changed her life, reveals her next role in another high-profile book adaptation, and resists being labeled a “blind actor.”’ (2023, Vanity Fair) See more on “an authentic blind heroine” from Newsweek.

Watchlist: 7 Documentaries by Artists with Disabilities (2023, Sundance.org)

Media

International News

Disabled People Transforming Media Culture for a More Inclusive World open access book telling “stories of disabled people who have been influential in creating modern mass media.” (2023, Routledge)

India

Reframing Disability a newsletter “untangling disability-inclusive narratives” and storytelling. (2023, Priti Salian)

New Zealand

First reporter with cerebral palsy breaks down barriers, “Whakaata Māori has made media history by having a journalist affected by cerebral palsy produce a story for television with his voice and subtitles.” (2023, Te Ao)

United States

Winners announced for Excellence in Disability Reporting awards. (2023, ASU Cronkite School)

Clothing and Fashion

United States

The Fashion Empire Built on Stolen Ideas “Mindy Scheier built her brand catering to disabled people, but there’s mounting evidence that she’s no ally.” (2023, New Republic)

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Data and Research

Overview

Sierra Leone

Collecting disability data in schools in Sierra Leone (2023, UKFIET)

United States

How many in the U.S. are disabled? Heated discussions of proposed change to use of Washington Group Questions. (2023, Science)

Research

Canada

The HopePunkening Including Disability journal's Omnibus 2023 (2023, Including Disability)

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Digital Accessibility and Technology

Overview

International News

Why making video games accessible for disabled players is empowering Sony’s Access Controller is the latest high-profile device built with disabled gamers in mind. (2023, CBC)

Forza Motorsport: the Blind accessibility review. “Forza Motorsport is indeed playable by blind gamers and should be the gold standard for any and all racing games from now on when it comes to accessibility and approachability.” (2023, Victor Dima) See further discussion of blind driving assists from Kotaku and a detailed accessibility review from Sightless Kombat.

Cripping Data Visualizations: Crip Technoscience as a Critical Lens for Designing Digital Access. “This paper investigates the challenge of designing accessible data visualizations through the lens of crip technoscience. We present four speculative design case studies that conceptually explore four qualities of access built on crip wisdom: access as an ongoing process, a frictional practice, an aesthetic experience, and transformation” (Link to pdf, 2023, ASSETS '23)

8 ways Google is making daily tasks more accessible New accessibility updates come to Maps, Search, Chrome and more. (2023, Google)

Individualization is the future of digital accessibility an argument that “universal design is not a universal solution.” (2023, Domingos de Oliveira)

Artificial Intelligence

International News

Generative AI holds great potential for those with disabilities – but it needs policy to shape it. (2023, World Economic Forum)

Using AI to support people with disability in the labour market “Building on interviews with more than 70 stakeholders, this report explores the potential of AI to foster employment for people with disability, accounting for both the transformative possibilities of AI-powered solutions and the risks attached to the increased use of AI for people with disability.” (2023, OECD)

Real AI Solutions for Accessibility Challenges (2023, Equal Entry)

Slovakia

The story of Ukrainian Anton Mirhorodchenko and how he has been using Copilot to write code. (Short video, 2023, Microsoft)

United States

UnitedHealth uses AI model with 90% error rate to deny care, lawsuit alleges “For the largest health insurer in the US, AI's error rate is like a feature, not a bug.” (2023, Ars Technica)

Online Accessibility

International News

How to write hyperlink text for better web accessibility (2023, Scope)

Ireland

Major Irish websites inaccessible “Three-quarters of the country’s top 100 websites are technically inaccessible to 600,000 people with disabilities, according to new research from the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI).” (2023, Irish Independent)

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Economics and Social Protection

Social Protection

International News

Methods for Estimating the Impact of Disability Costs for Designing Inclusive Policies “The method used for examining those extra costs should align with its purpose. For example, analysts should consider whether the aim is to assess the current impact of those expenditures on people’s lives or to determine how social protection programs should be designed.” (2023, Disabilities)

Australia

Lifeboat in the ocean: lessons from Australia Debrief exploration on the National Disability Insurance Scheme. (2023, Disability Debrief)

The disability paradox:

“I could go around all day with a support worker and be safe and supported. And I could continually scout ahead to locate the limited places that are accessible and go only there. But I don’t want to be confined to my own little lifeboat. I want my community to be open to all and inclusive. I want to get bogged at a beach in my wheelchair and know people will help. I want to push into a crowded, heaving mosh pit and join the other dancers.” (2023, the Guardian)

Europe

For socially fair European disability cards “The proposal fails however to tackle the key obstacles to freedom of movement for disabled people or to ensure their participation in political decisions which concern them.” (2023, Social Europe)

Proposals for European Disability and Parking Cards “The European Commission has put its disability cards on the table but it is not a full hand.” (2023, Social Europe)

Iran

Disability movement protests for benefits and implementation of law (In Persian, 2023, Ilna)

Kenya

Supporting children living with disabilities through cash transfers short video feature. (2023, UNICEF)

Nigeria

Persons With Disability Protest Over Diversion Of Rice and Cash supports (2023, Cross River Watch)

United Kingdom

Disabled people are trying to tell us how benefits system is killing them. “Dr China Mills shares her experiences of pulling together decades of evidence of deaths, protests and failures in the disability benefits system for a new timeline which holds the government to account” (2023, Big Issue)

UK’s new back to work plan will make life even harder for disabled people “As part of these plans, the government is planning to implement tougher sanctions for people who are judged to not be taking appropriate steps to secure work. The proposed punitive measures include suspending benefit claims altogether and stopping access to free medical prescriptions and legal aid.” (2023, The Conversation)

Activists raise concerns over human rights record “of the outsourcing company that defeated Atos in the battle for a multi-million-pound disability benefits assessment contract.” (2023, Disability News Service)

United States

Toward economic security: 2023 progress report on the Impact of Income and Asset Limits on People with Disabilities:

“As asset and income limits haven’t been scaled to inflation or revised even a penny in 34 years, it means people with disabilities have been forced, by federal policy, to be poorer and poorer, year over year, to qualify for critical supports and services,” said NCD Council member Theo Braddy. “Federal disability policies should be about helping people live independently, get to work, and get out of poverty. The current asset and income limits ensure the opposite.” (2023, National Council on Disability)

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Education and Childhood

Overview

International News

Disability Inclusive Child Protection Competency Framework for the Social Service Workforce. (2023, UNICEF)

Bridging divides: The role of inclusive technology for learners with disabilities. (2023, Global Partnership on Education)

Do children with disabilities have the same opportunities to play as children without disabilities? Evidence from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys in 38 low and middle-income countries. “Children with disabilities have approximately 9% fewer play opportunities than those without disabilities”. (2023, MedRxiv)

Africa

Girls and young women raise their voice profiles of 10 young female advocates in Eastern and Southern Africa. (2023, UNICEF)

Bhutan

Perceptions of Youth with Disabilities in Bhutan on Family Support, Attitudes, and Encouragement towards Meaningful Community Engagement: Implications for Parental Self-Efficacy. (2023, Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development)

Ethiopia

A New Lease on Life: Ensuring Education for Children with Disabilities in Ethiopia. (2023, World Bank)

India

“If he has education, there will not be any problem”: Factors affecting access to education for children with disabilities in Tamil Nadu. “Despite legislative progress, significant gaps in attendance, learning and social inclusion remain for children with disabilities” (2023, Plos One)

Kenya

New bill seeks to ensure children with disabilities get education “The Learners With Disabilities Bill, 2023 has undergone its first reading at the Kenyan National Assembly.” (2023, K24)

Sierra Leone

Collecting disability data in schools in Sierra Leone (2023, UKFIET)

United Kingdom

History Depth Study: Fight for Rights in Modern Britain Student Book. (2023, Oxford University Press)

United States

5 Helpful Resources for Teaching Students Disability History (2023, We Are Teachers)

Higher Education

Colombia

Hundreds of young people with disabilities are learning at a new university founded by Jeison Aristizábal. (2023)

India

Why Disabled Students Want JNU To Walk The Talk. “If I filmed a wheelchair-view video of the Jawaharl Nehru University campus, it would depict a nightmare of inclusivity, quite ironic given JNU's progressive reputation”. (2023, Times of India)

Indonesia

What can universities do to attract and support students with disabilities? (2023, Times Higher Education)

Nigeria

On Institutional Cultures: How Inclusive are Nigerian Universities? (2023, BONews)

United Kingdom

Deaf scholar promoted to full professor in deaf studies “Until the appointment of Annelies Kusters, UK had only hearing people as full professors in the field” (2023, the Guardian)

Improving the experience of disabled PhD students in STEM “The researchers found that out of 192 survey participants UK wide, only a third (33%) felt they had received the support they needed to be on an equal footing with their non-disabled peers” (2023, Disabled Students UK)

United States

At 20, Berkeley's Disability Studies looks ahead “Launched in 2003, Disability Studies, though formally housed in the Division of Undergraduate Studies, is now present in departments across Berkeley, from art practice to linguistics to sociology.” (2023, Berkeley News)

Creating Our Own Lives Young adults with intellectual disability tell the story of their own experience of higher education. (2023, University of Minnesota Press)

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Employment, Business and Work

International News

Disability at sea Could owners and crewing agencies do more to support less able seafarers? Discussion of medical examinations for seafarers. (The Mission to Seafarers)

Using AI to support people with disability in the labour market “Building on interviews with more than 70 stakeholders, this report explores the potential of AI to foster employment for people with disability, accounting for both the transformative possibilities of AI-powered solutions and the risks attached to the increased use of AI for people with disability.” (2023, OECD)

Armenia

Work gives me my independence Rafael Martirosyan does charity work and is a senior packer at his family’s bakery business in Armenia. He has Down syndrome:

“Work makes me a better person. As my co-workers will tell you, I am responsible and work hard. The fact that I am working makes me more independent.” (2023, ILO)

Brazil

Disabled people from minority groups face more inequality in the labour market. (In Portuguese, 2023, Gife)

China

Disabled people in China's Ningxia strive to achieve self-reliance (2023, Big News Network)

Ethiopia

Creating inclusive workplaces for people with disabilities exchange between a deaf disability inclusion technical officer and their supervisor. (2023, FHI 360)

Nepal

From staying home to thriving entrepreneurs: stories from four young people with disabilities. (2023, CBM UK)

United States

Disability activists keep pretending severe autism doesn’t exist a mother argues in defense of programs that pay a subminimum wage. (2023, Washington Post)

Disability Status and Work Linkedin uses its information to explore employment and leadership trends.

“Members reporting disabilities exhibit significant differences in industry representation when compared to those without disabilities. Specifically, workers with disabilities are 1.5 times more likely to work in Consumer Services, 1.4 times as likely to work in Government Administration, and 1.3 times more likely to work in Education, in contrast to their counterparts without disabilities.” (2023, Linkedin)

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Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities

International News

BBC 100 Women 2023 among the list of inspiring and influential women are many disabled women from around the world. (2023, BBC)

Women Enabled International 2022 Annual Report marking their 10th anniversary. (2023, Women Enabled International)

Meaningful inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in development programmes. (2023, Inclusive Futures)

Africa

Girls and young women raise their voice profiles of 10 young female advocates in Eastern and Southern Africa. (2023, UNICEF)

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Health

International News

Reimagining Universal Health Coverage to Leave No One Behind. Notes from “the first-ever disability- and assistive technology-focused session at the World Health Summit”. (2023, Healthy DEvelopments)

What role can community health workers play in disability services in LMICs? Evidence brief. “CHWs can be utilized for education, screening and care for common disabilities and are ideally placed to reach these harder to access populations. In addition, evidence exists for effective disability service provision by CHWs for a range of tasks.” (2023, Disability Evidence Portal)

How can mHealth be used to improve the health and functioning of people with disabilities? Evidence brief on healthcare provided by mobile phones. (2023, Disability Evidence Portal)

A Picture of Health: Jo Spence, a Politics of Disability and Illness. A project featuring different artistic explorations. (2023, A Picture of Health)

Kenya

Kenya is yet to meet the maternity needs of women with disabilities tv news report on Senate discussion of a report. (2023, KTN News)

United Kingdom

A review of advocacy “This report covers in depth research about advocacy for people with a learning disability and autistic people who are inpatients in mental health, learning disability or autism specialist hospitals.” (2023, NDTI)

United States

Why This Doctor Is Fighting for Her Patients’ Pain to Be Taken More Seriously “After her cancer diagnosis, Diana Cejas better understood ableism in the medical field. Now, she's fighting against it.” (2023, Teen Vogue)

UnitedHealth uses AI model with 90% error rate to deny care, lawsuit alleges “For the largest health insurer in the US, AI's error rate is like a feature, not a bug.” (2023, Ars Technica)

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History and Memorial

Europe

Review of 'Disabled Clerics in the Late Middle Ages: Un/suitable for Divine Service?' ‘In theory, to be an ordained priest, a man had to be deemed physically and mentally “perfect,” but in practice the attraction and retention of suitable people meant that what today we might call “reasonable adjustments” had to be made to allow some of these men to hold office.’ (2023, H-Disability)

Kenya

Rest in Power Hon. Godliver Omondi, Former Senator and sitting Member of the County Assembly. (2023, Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities)

Mexico

Review of 'Bedlam in the New World: A Mexican Madhouse in the Age of Enlightenment' “a social and micro-history of the Hospital de San Hipólito, the first hospital established in the Western Hemisphere to specialize in the care of those encountering mental disorders and madness.” (2023, H-Disability)

South Africa

IPC mourns passing of pioneering South African athlete Zanele Situ At the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, she became the first black South African female athlete to win a Paralympic gold medal. (2023, International Paralympic Committee)

United Kingdom

Tracing Disabled Children’s Lives in 19th-Century Scotland through Public and Institutional Records. (2023, Genealogy)

United States

Ady Barkan, Health Care Activist Spurred by His Illness, Dies at 39

‘“That’s the paradox of my situation,” he told The New York Times in 2019. “As my voice has gotten weaker, more people have heard my message. As I lost the ability to walk, more people have followed in my footsteps.”’ (2023, New York Times)

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Humanitarian, Migrants and Refugees

Migration

Australia

A migration review could close some disability discrimination loopholes A review of the threshold which is “used to refuse visas if an applicant or their child has a health condition or disability likely to incur “a significant cost to the Australian community” to treat or support.” (2023, The Conversation)

United Arab Emirates

Migrant Workers Bear The Brunt Of UAE's Extreme Heat. (2023, Human Rights Watch)

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Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization

Overview

International News

Care and support is about human rights reflections on the International Day of Care and Support. (2023, OHCHR)

Australia

The disability paradox:

“I could go around all day with a support worker and be safe and supported. And I could continually scout ahead to locate the limited places that are accessible and go only there. But I don’t want to be confined to my own little lifeboat. I want my community to be open to all and inclusive. I want to get bogged at a beach in my wheelchair and know people will help. I want to push into a crowded, heaving mosh pit and join the other dancers.” (2023, the Guardian)

China

‘They fell through the cracks’: how can Hong Kong better help mentally disabled people and their carers? Parents, experts want wider safety net for high-risk residents (2023)

Europe

A Day in the Life of a Personal Assistant User video feature. (2023, European Network on Independent Living)

United Kingdom

Watch "See Me" by MiXiT. A celebration of inclusion. (2023, Social Care Future)

Conditions in Institutions

International News

Redressing the harms of segregation and institutionalisation. Linda Steele and Gerard Quinn in conversation:

“Institutionalization continues to shape the present because we have policies and laws that replicate many of the dynamics of institutions. There might not be big buildings, but we have group homes. Which are smaller residential settings where people with disability continue to be congregated and segregated from the community, continue to have little choice in the supports they receive in their daily activities. They might not have a lot of privacy. They might not be able to choose who they live with. And they're also exposed to... Violence in those settings as well. We also have laws such as laws that allows sterilization and sub minimum wages and restrictive practices and forced mental health treatment. And many of the practices that happened in the big buildings in the institutions still carry on in the community as well.” (2023, Disability Dialogues)

Mexico

Review of 'Bedlam in the New World: A Mexican Madhouse in the Age of Enlightenment' “a social and micro-history of the Hospital de San Hipólito, the first hospital established in the Western Hemisphere to specialize in the care of those encountering mental disorders and madness.” (2023, H-Disability)

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Indigenous People and Minority Communities

Canada

Teachings tell us of the importance of uniqueness. The Anishinaabe story about Wenabozho losing his eyeballs. (2023, Winnipeg Free Press)

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International Cooperation

International News

NewSpecial edition on colleagues with disabilities making an inclusive United Nations. (Link to pdf, 2023, NewSpecial)

Women Enabled International 2022 Annual Report marking their 10th anniversary. (2023, Women Enabled International)

ILO Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy (2020-23): Final thematic evaluation. “Overall, the evaluation found the ILO has leveraged the launch of the UNDIS to launch and implement a Policy and Strategy that has helped to further attention to disability inclusion within the Office. Progress has been made in several areas, but much remains to be done.” (2023, ILO)

Meaningful inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in development programmes. (2023, Inclusive Futures)

Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion analysis Good practice note. (2023, DFAT Australia)

Ethiopia

Disability Inclusion Academy unveiled in Ethiopia “The Disability Inclusion Academy will train young people with disabilities to become Disability Inclusion Facilitators (DIFs). DIFs are changemakers who advise NGOs, government, and private businesses how to put disability inclusion into practice.” (2023, Light for the World)

Creating inclusive workplaces for people with disabilities exchange between a deaf disability inclusion technical officer and their supervisor. (2023, FHI 360)

Kenya

Southern NGO perspectives on collaboration and what it means for international NGOs. (2023, Breaking Down Barriers)

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Lived Experience and Opinion

Argentina

Get to know Sol Camila Lugo artist and autistic person, talking about her own life and the importance of getting a certification of disability. (Short video, in Spanish, 2023, Agencia Nacional de Discapacidad)

Denmark

Dealing with chronic illness isolation by becoming my best friend “Isolation due to chronic illness is incredibly traumatic and soul-wrenching. I deal with it by becoming my own best friend. Here are my practices.” (2023, The Bed Perspective)

Ghana

The elite stigmatizes disability the most: “Ms Sophie Boakye Acheampong, President of the Little People Organisation of Ghana (LPOG) has called on Ghanaians especially the elite to train their children to respect difference in human beings.” (2023, Ghana News Express)

New Zealand

Prudence Walker on getting over our imposter syndrome. “The new disability rights commissioner's introduction to disability was confusing and medicalised; it wasn’t until she met others with similar experiences that she accepted who she was.” (2023, D*List)

Articulations: Henrietta Bollinger's “debut essay collection speaks to their experiences as a queer, disabled person, and as a twin.” (2023, Tender Press) See an interview with the author on D*List.

United States

How I Really Feel About Sex Work and Disability as a Disabled Client. (2023, Andrew Gurza)

How a Blind Black Entrepreneur Thinks About Race thoughtful interview with Kamille Richardson. (2023, Who We Are to Each Other)

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Mental Health

International News

Mental Health and Wellbeing at Work Policy Review (2023, International Organisation of Employers)

What interventions work to address trauma among people with intellectual disabilities? Evidence brief. (2023, Disability Evidence Portal)

Mental health and lived experience: In global mental health, “lived experience expertise ought to be equally compensated for based on equal pay for equal work.” (2023, Global Mental Health)

Australia

Police should not be involved in mental health incidents. “They can escalate the situation and mental distress, according to new research for the first time led by Australians with lived experience.” (2023, the Guardian)

Bangladesh

Prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety, and stress among people with disabilities during COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study.

“The prevalence was found to be 65.7% for depression, 78.5% for anxiety, and 61.4% for stress, respectively. Several factors were identified as associated with these mental health issues, including gender (male), marital status (being married), low education levels, multiple impairments, comorbid medical illnesses, poor sleep quality, rural residency, hearing disability, disability onset later in life, and testing positive for COVID-19.” (2023, Plos One)

Ghana

A Path to Belonging for People with Psychosocial Disabilities in Ghana | Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch goes back to a “prayer camp” to find someone still shackled one year after their previous visit:

‘Pamela was just as I last saw her, only emaciated, her eyes enormous on her gaunt face. When I asked her about life at the camp, her face crumpled, and she started to cry. “They don’t allow us to go to church,” she said. “That pains me. I want to go to church.” I was astounded: this was a prayer camp after all. A staff member told her: “But look at you, Pamela. How can I allow you to go to church?”’ (2023, Human Rights Watch)

End Chaining for Mental Health Conditions “Ghana’s 2017 ban on shackling people with psychosocial disabilities – or mental health conditions – has not halted the practice, Human Rights Watch said today. The government has not adequately resourced the enforcement mechanisms to monitor compliance by faith-based centers where people are being held in chains and assist those currently being unlawfully detained.” (2023, Human Rights Watch)

Palestine

Mental Health Guidelines for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in Gaza Strip (2023, CBM)

United Kingdom

Mad World: The Politics of Mental Health a book by Micha Frazer-Carroll. (2023, Pluto Press)

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Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism

Overview

Africa

How the Safari Industry Is Getting More Accessible — and Making Dream Trips Possible for Travelers With Disabilities. (2023, Travel + Leisure)

Australia

Tasmanian man died after his wheelchair tumbled down an embankment when he got sick of waiting for a taxi. (2023, ABC News)

Germany

Is Germany accessible for travelers with disabilities? – DW – 11/06/2023 “It's not easy for vacationers with disabilities to travel around Germany. Can the required infrastructure be improved?” (2023, DW)

United States

More states strive to make parks, trails accessible to people with disabilities. (2023, Missouri Independent)

Air Travel

International News

Are we entering a golden age of accessibility? An optimistic view on changes in the sector from an airline professional. (2023, Airlines)

Canada

Air Canada summoned to Ottawa after multiple incidents involving passengers with wheelchairs. “Transport minister says airline must present a plan to address treatment of passengers with disabilities.” (2023, CBC) Air Canada announced a series of measures to reduce barriers and make travel simpler.

Hidden cameras capture passenger who uses wheelchair struck by lift on Air Canada flight | CBC News Months-long Marketplace investigation reveals people with disabilities facing safety issues while travelling. (2023, CBC)

Wheelchair users on flights are passengers — not problems, says Canada's chief accessibility officer. (2023, CBC)

Nigeria

Nigerian airports still a nightmare for people with disabilities (2023, TheCable)

United States

American Airlines under fire as viral video shows bag handlers callously tossing passenger’s wheelchair. (2023, New York Post)

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Policy and Rights

International News

Legal Capacity, Disability and Human Rights a book exploring these issues with chapters by legal scholars. Edited by Michael Bach, Nicolás Espejo-Yaksic. (2023)

Canada

Have Assisted Dying Laws Gone Too Far? “The title of the act is ‘medical assistance in dying,’” says Virginia Duff, a disabled psychiatrist. “But these aren’t people who would otherwise be dying. We’re not just assisting them. We’re actually making it happen, which is very different.” (2023, The Walrus)

Europe

The proposed Regulation on Protection of Adults must be amended (2023, EDF)

EU Parliament calls for harmonisation of rights of autistic people (2023, Euractiv)

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Politics and Elections

India

25,980 elderly, disabled exercise Home Voting facility “In Rajasthan Assembly Election-2023, senior voters (80+ years) and voters with more than 40% disability will be seen voting from their homes for the first time on initiative of the Election Commission.” (2023, First India)

Kenya

Kenya Disability Parliamentary Association Meets Speaker “Hon. Wanyonyi reiterated his unwavering commitment to ensuring that PLWDs have a voice in the Kenyan Parliament. This will not only grant them a seat at the decision making table but also enable them to actively participate in Parliamentary debates and proceedings.” (2023, Parliament of Kenya)

Nigeria

Federal Government to establish disability desks across Ministries, Departments and Agencies. (2023, The Guardian)

Philippines

Lack of accessibility in Barangay elections in Cebu “While no major hitches occurred during election day on Monday, senior citizens and persons with disabilities decried the lack of accessibility support in voting centers.” (2023, CDN)

United States

Plain Language Policy Dashboard “The dashboard breaks down complex legislation into plain language, making it easier to understand and making it more accessible. The goal of this dashboard is to have plain language versions of bills in states across the Southern United States.” (2023, New Disabled South) See also further background on the dashboard.

Disabled people are underrepresented in politics. A new organization aims to change that: “Disability Victory will start training the first cohort of disabled people who want to run for office in early 2024.” (2023, The 19th)

Voters with disabilities face unaddressed barriers to the ballot “People with disabilities had a 20 percent likelihood of having difficulties voting in-person, compared to 6 percent for people without a disability.” (2023, The 19th)

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Relationships, Sex and Reproductive Rights

International News

Sexual and reproductive healthcare must be disability inclusive. “With women’s rights being rolled back across the world, it is more important than ever for sexual health and family planning services to be disability inclusive” (2023, BMJ)

Statement on the challenges faced by LGBT people with disabilities and recommendations for government action. (2023, OHCHR)

Europe

A silenced truth: a briefing on stories of forced sterilisation in the EU (2023, EDF)

Despite Bans, Disabled Women Are Still Being Sterilized in Europe (2023, New York Times)

United States

Inside the audio pornography boom that is revolutionising desire Feature on Press Play, Turn On: “From transgender and disabled performers creating their own erotica to the mum whose sexy voice-acting was interrupted by her kids, meet the podcaster diving into aural sex content” (2023, the Guardian)

How I Really Feel About Sex Work and Disability as a Disabled Client. (2023, Andrew Gurza)

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Space Exploration

Europe

British Paralympian faces his next challenge as a trailblazer for disabled astronauts. “Since John McFall lost his leg in a motorbike accident, he has been a Paralympic athlete and a surgeon - but now space beckons”. (2023, Weekend)

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Sport and Paralympics

Chile

More awareness, inclusion and infrastructure, the early legacy of Santiago 2023. “Chilean Para athletes expressed they have felt a positive change in their social lives and sporting careers because of the Parapan American Games in their country” (2023, International Paralympic Committee)

China

Improving Accessibility: Hangzhou Hosts the 4th Asian Paralympic Games (2023, Breaking Latest News)

Malawi

Para Sport Against Stigma Evidence brief on engaging communities in Para sport in Malawi. (2023, Loughborough University)

South Africa

IPC mourns passing of pioneering South African athlete Zanele Situ At the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, she became the first black South African female athlete to win a Paralympic gold medal. (2023, International Paralympic Committee)

Wheelchair tennis star Mudzanani hopes to make a difference with his NGO (2023, Eyewitness News)

United Kingdom

Interrupted views, undignified facilities: challenges for disabled football fans. (2023, the Guardian)

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Violence and Harassment

United Kingdom

What Are You Looking At? Ableist Abuse in Public Spaces. (2023, Disability Visibility Project)

United States

Maine’s deaf community reeling after deaf victims among Lewiston dead. (2023, Washington Post)

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War in Ukraine

Situation in Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine’s Children With Special Needs Suffer the ‘Huge Pressure’ of War “Children with conditions like ADHD and autism have been particularly affected by the traumas and uncertainties of the war and the disruptions to daily life, families and experts say.” (2023, New York Times)

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