From AskJAN… New MyJAN Portal Offers Customized Access to AskJAN.org Resources The MyJAN portal is a new online tool made available by the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). MyJAN offers AskJAN.org website users customized access to resources on the site. Work smarter and faster by organizing your frequently accessed and favorite JAN Newsletter articles, accommodation solutions […]
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released for public comment a proposed rule to improve access to motor vehicles, including rental cars, for people with disabilities. The rule proposes changes to NHTSA’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard to facilitate the use of adaptive equipment in rental cars and to simplify vehicle transport of wheelchairs and scooters. Federal law generally prohibits making a vehicle’s safety features inoperable. One proposed change would permit rental […]
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First reported in summer of 2019, a partnership between videoconference giant Zoom and accessibility company Otter.ai to provide live captioning to Zoom meeting has finally been completed. As reported by the trade publication, ZD Net, Otter.ai will now provide live captioning for Zoom meetings and webinars for Zoom Pro customers. Otter.ai has provided live captioning […]
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Laurie Orlov has published another great blog about Voice-Enabled/Voice First innovations in the past year. Here is a short part of her blog: Voice-enabled innovation softly races ahead. Technology innovation announcements whiz by at what seems to be a breakneck pace. Consider Amazon’s Whisper Mode – “I think you just whispered to me – Sau ‘turn on’ Whisper […]
From AARP… Most houses and apartments are designed for young, able-bodied adults and don’t meet the needs of older residents or people with disabilities. In fact, in many parts of the United States, most housing units were built more than a generation ago to serve a population of family households, generally consisting of two parents and […]
The U. S. Access Board, in partnership with the Transportation Research Board (TRB), is studying the feasibility of installing wheelchair securement systems on commercial aircraft as directed by Congress under the FAA Reauthorization Act. A committee of experts TRB organized to conduct this assessment held its third public meeting on August 11, 2020. The committee […]
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From the University of Maine News… UNAR Labs receives $300,000 NIH Small Business Innovation Research award ORONO, MAINE, August 12, 2020 – UNAR Labs, a University of Maine spinout company that develops assistive technology for blind and visually impaired (BVI) users, has been awarded $300,000 under the National Institute of Health’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) […]
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The following proclamation was made on July 26, 2020: State of Maine – PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, July 26, 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life; and WHEREAS, the ADA has expanded opportunities for individuals with disabilities by increasing awareness, […]
RESNA – the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Association of North America – administers the Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) Certification system. The ATP certification recognizes demonstrated competence in analyzing the needs of consumers with disabilities, assisting in the selection of appropriate assistive technology for the consumers’ needs, and providing training in the use of the […]
The Maine CITE Assistive Technology Program is pleased to release the revised Guide for Maine Families on Assistive Technology and Accessible Educational Materials. The 2020 Guide provides Maine families who have children with disabilities an easy to use resource describing how to get the assistive technology (AT) devices and services they need. Information about accessible […]
Read More… from 2020 Guide for Maine Families on AT and AEM Published