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Introducing a new weekly series from ULS: Weekly reading roundup! Stay informed with our latest selection of accessibility news highlights, curated just for you!
GLOBAL NEWS
NBC- Disney fans say changes to disability program exclude many people who were previously covered.
Disney fans with disabilities say the company’s new restrictions on a system that previously allowed people with many kinds of disabilities to avoid standing in long lines for rides have now excluded many disabled people who previously had access to it.
USA TODAY- 'Imagine something': Disabled Disney guests demand action after DAS program changes
Both Disney World and Disneyland’s websites say the service is intended for “guests who, due to a developmental disability such as autism or a similar disorder, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.”
However, prior to the change – which took effect on May 20 at Disney World and June 18 at Disneyland – the resorts simply said it was intended “to assist guests who have difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to a disability.”
USA NEWS
USA TODAY- Thousands with disabilities subjected to segregation in these three states
A family wonders how a cousin “slipped through the cracks” and wound up in a state nursing facility not long after her 18th birthday; a mother wonders how she lost her daughter to the same system; and a woman in her late 50s longs to leave a state facility to see her family again.
These are among the findings of an extensive Department of Justice investigation into how three states – Missouri, Utah and Nebraska – illegally segregated people with mental health disabilities. Federal prosecutors found that the states are unnecessarily institutionalizing thousands of people in state facilities, cutting them off from family and the rest of society.
DC NEWS
ROLL CALL: New ADA drop-off zones are coming to the capitol, but barriers remain
Included in the fiscal 2024 Legislative Branch appropriations law was $450,000 in funding for a new drop-off and pick-up zone for those with disabilities visiting the Capitol. Another $350,000 was set aside for a similar zone on the Senate side of the campus. Work to modify the curb and install new signage is slated to take place in the coming months.
It’s a small sum and a seemingly minor change, but for people with disabilities coming to the Hill, it could make a difference, Langevin said.
INTERNET NEWS
We’re rolling out searchable accessibility business attributes in partnership with disability advocate groups; AI-powered alternative text for photos; an accessibility resource hub for business owners; and more.
