Mon 01/22/2007 9:50 AM

disability news 1/16-1/22

MADD's discrimination against the disabled
The Canadian chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving has produced a new public service announcement portraying disability as some kind of fate-worse-than-death consequence of drunk driving. Worse, the ad presents the message that the newly disabled character has lost his girlfriend because of his disability, further promoting the stereotype that persons with disabilities are incapable of carrying on romantic relationships.

Programmers try to keep disability access up to date with Web
Programmers at IBM are working on new screen-reading software to make the ever increasingly popular Web 2.0 applications more accessible to the blind. Certain aspects of this new system are also being integrated into the open-source Mozilla Firefox browser.

New law may damage rights of the disabled
Ontario has passed a new law which reduces the power of the Human Rights Commission, and shifts the burden of fighting for disability rights onto disabled individuals themselves. Those filing complaints will have to investigate those complaints themselves and provide their own legal representation.

Disabled still face many problems
The Shetland Disability Group in Shetland, UK will meet on January 24 to discuss services for persons with learning disabilities. The Disability Rights Commission reports a 75% unemployment rate for adults with learning disabilities, and has also found a common occurrence of difficulty obtaining housing.

Icy weather multiplies the perils for elderly, disabled
In southeast Kansas, a deep freeze has shed light on the difficulties that winter weather presents for persons with disabilities. Those with mobility impairments can slip on icy surfaces, causing broken bones and other injuries. Wheelchair lifts can fail in freezing temperatures. Frozen door hinges can even make a person with limited muscle strength a prisoner in their own home.

Learning-disabled law graduates sue over exam
Two law school graduates in Maine, who have been unable to pass the bar exam due to learning disabilities and the exam board's refusal to provide reasonable accommodation, are now suing the board for the right to take the exam with the accommodations that have been prescribed for them.

0 comments/trackbacks