W3C Releases New WCAG 2.0 Guidelines
Date: Thursday December 11, 2008Posted in: Advocacy, International, Reminder
Tagged: Accessibility, Accessible Technologies, Compliance Guidelines, Online, Websites
After years of discussion, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has finalized and released the guidelines that will describe the best methods of content accessibility. This is set to be the new standard for delivering content in an accessible manner to all people both with and without disabilities. The W3C provided the the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0 a number of years ago and with the big boom of the Internet have revised their previous document to include things like accessible technologies and semantic markup which makes content easier to interpret via accessible technologies (screen readers and such).
They have provided press releases in different languages which can be found here: W3C Web Standard Defines Accessibility for Next Generation Web
Here are some quick links to the various guideline releases:
Various organizations also support the adoption of WCAG 2.0 via testimonials, which can be found here: Testimonials for WCAG 2.0 Recommendation
Canadian Man Arrested on Assault Charges
Date: Sunday November 9, 2008Posted in: Health, International, Legal, Relationships
Tagged: Abuse, Canada, Direct Support Workers
Through the investigation of a complaint filed in August a man was recently arrested for allegedly sexually abusing one of his clients with disabilities. The man worked as a support worker and may have traveled to different locations (much like IHSS workers here in the states) and worked with many other clients. The arresting agency would release no details on the allegedly assaulted woman or the nature of her disability.
Read the whole story here: Aide charged with sexually assaulting disabled woman
International Conference on Self-Determination
Date: Wednesday March 26, 2008Posted in: Advocacy, International
Tagged: Self Directed Services
The Center for Self Determination is presenting the International Conference on Self-Determination, May 27th to 29th in Detroit, Michigan. The conference will be held at the spectacular Renaissance Center along the Detroit River separating Canada and the United States.
International perspectives on progressive notions of mental health recovery, family supports, community membership, ending forced impoverishment and system change requirements will be part of the focus of the conference. The meetings will feature leaders from across disability and aging and relate the efforts being made across the world to make freedom a reality for individuals with disabilities.
It’s designed to be a combination of a few very short presentations but mostly panel discussions and round tables organized by topic with a diversity of moderators and cross-disability panel members rather than a single focus presentation by a particular individual or organization. Each session is organized across disabilities.
Help Induce US to Sign UN Convention
Date: Wednesday April 11, 2007Posted in: Advocacy, International
Tagged: Call to Action, United Nations, United States
Friday, March 30 was the first day countries around the world had an opportunity to sign the UN Convention on Human Rights for Persons with Disabilities - the first international convention EVER to comprehensively address the rights of people with disabilities. And while 81 countries did proudly sign at the signing ceremony in New York City, the United States was not amongst them despite the U.S.’s historic role as a leader in the field of disability and human rights!
Let’s get to work to change this!!
You can help generate bottom-up support to help make the case to the President and the Administration that signing this core international human rights convention is a must! You can do this by working right where you are by encouraging your local and state governmental bodies and organizations to pass supporting resolutions endorsing the UN Convention on Human Rights for Persons with Disabilities.
We’re seeing this happen in California, and we’d like to see similar efforts spread across the country. The City Council of Santa Cruz, California was the first to take action by passing a resolution in support of the Convention and now the County of Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors, and, not to be outdone, the City and County of San Francisco are working on resolutions, as well.
