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Welcome to the Weekly Reading Roundup! Stay informed with our latest selection of accessibility news highlights, curated for you!
GLOBAL NEWS
SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL: Brands increasingly taking notice of Paralympics, athletes
“Sponsors are starting to see the return on investment that they make when they invest in adaptive sports and our stories, that they see that it’s a net positive for their brand messaging,” said Steve Serio, a three-time Paralympic medalist in wheelchair basketball.
Unquestionably, that has started with Paralympic athletes getting deals. Athletes and brand representatives point to London as the turning point, with the visibility of those Games leading to more support.
USA NEWS
July is Disability Pride Month, which marks the American Disability Act’s anniversary and ― in a nod to children with disabilities ― Bladergroen recently designed a line of whimsical children’s clothing that features nine animals and 15 medically and disability inclusive elements.
Her "Wild About Inclusion" design includes elements such as animals with a (gastrostomy) G-tube, a nasal cannula for oxygen therapy, a wheelchair, and an (nasogastric) NG tube.
In an innovative partnership, The Home Depot has collaborated with leading disability rights organizations to remove barriers and improve job access for applicants with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The Home Depot worked closely with The Arc of the United States, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), and Equip for Equality (EFE) to develop policy changes that will create a more equitable hiring process for this underrepresented talent pool.
DC NEWS
WJLA: DC parents hope for action amid lawsuit over accessible buses for disabled students
"Kids are missing school," said Kathy Zeisel, the CLC's Director of Special Legal Projects. "Kids are not getting the education which they so desperately need and are entitled to under the law."
The CLC is pushing for the case to officially become a class action lawsuit that would represent 4,000 students with disabilities who are entitled to reliable transportation.
WASHINGTO POST: Rep. Wexton, confronting degenerative disease, finds her voice through AI
It seemed like the simplest of things — the sound of her own voice. But Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) “cried happy tears” recently when she typed out some words and heard them read aloud by an artificial intelligence-generated version of the speaking voice she has all but lost to a degenerative medical condition.
Wexton made headlines this year by using a robotic-sounding speech application to deliver remarks on the House floor. It was a widely hailed display of resilient spirit, but the app didn’t sound like her.
This week, Wexton rolled out her new, more natural-sounding voice as she stood to address the House Appropriations Committee, occasionally touching the walker she’s used since being diagnosed with a Parkinson’s-like condition called progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
CULTURE NEWS
The “Audiences Are Waiting for Hollywood to Greenlight Disability” report, which surveyed over 1,000 people about the current state of disability and mental health representation on screen, found that 66% of audiences are “unsatisfied with current representations of disability and mental health in film and TV.”
It also noted that 40% of audiences, with and without disabilities, are “very likely” to recommend a film or TV show to friends and family if it showcases authentic representations of disability or mental health conditions.
