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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Sharing FYI <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-left:.5in;text-align:center;text-indent:.5in'><b><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>Friday, November 20, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2020/11/18/disability-related-hate-crimes-down-fbi-says/29089/">Disability Scoop: <span lang=EN>Disability-Related Hate Crimes Down, FBI Says</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'>As hate crimes rose across the U.S. to a level that hasn’t been seen in over a decade, fewer of them targeted people with disabilities. Figures released this week from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program indicate that there were 169 reported hate crime offenses rooted in disability bias in 2019, down slightly from 177 the year before.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:Ebrima;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>Thursday, November 19, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>Accessibility <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://www.internationalairportreview.com/news/144513/miami-airport-accessibility-initiatives/">International Airport Review: <span lang=EN>Miami International Airport Launches Two New Accessibility Initiatives</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'>The lanyards, which act as a discreet indicator to airport employees that those passengers may need some extra time during the travel process, were unveiled during a ribbon cutting ceremony on 12 November 2020 with community partners for MIA’s second multi-sensory room. The new area in MIA’s South Terminal near Gate J3 provides young passengers with cognitive and developmental disabilities a calming place to relax during the travel experience. MIA’s other multi-sensory room is in its North Terminal, near Gate D31. The two new initiatives are part of the airport’s overall MyMIAccess programme of services for travelers with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/braille-works-and-opentext-team-up-to-improve-accessibility-for-individuals-with-visual-impairments-301175325.html">PR Newswire: Braille Works And OpenText Team Up To Improve Accessibility For Individuals With Visual Impairments</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>Braille Works specializes in producing traditional alternative formats such as braille, large print, or audio, and needed a solution that provides high-volume automated remediation of documents. OpenText enables Braille Works to automate the processing of high-volume print streams, helping to ensure high-quality, compliant, and accessible content is produced more quickly and efficiently. "We use OpenText software in our automation process to help us extract data and be more efficient in the production of braille, large print, and audio," said Glen Schubert, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Client Relations Braille Works. "This helps us deliver for clients that remediate tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of documents on a monthly basis."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>Wednesday, November 18, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>Accessibility<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://www.wmnf.org/in-florida-budget-woes-wont-get-you-out-of-accessibility-issues/">WMNF: In Florida, Budget Woes Won’t Get You Out Of Accessibility Issues</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>The ADA provides a broad spectrum of protections for Americans with disabilities. That includes safety and accessibility, which often go hand in hand, according to Jorel Lopez, the ADA coordinator for Puerto Rico’s Department of Transportation. “The main purpose of the ADA is (to) achieve accessibility and enable users to travel independently,” Lopez said. “But although the presumption is always going to be that the construction is fully compliant, the reality for many, many reasons becomes different.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>Technology<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/improved-captioning-technology-for-visually-impaired-301175217.html">PR Newswire: <span lang=EN>Improved Captioning Technology For Visually Impaired</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'>Microsoft recently unveiled new artificial intelligence image captioning as part of Seeing AI (artificial intelligence), a free camera app for blind and visually impaired users. As distance learning experts for the past 100 years, Illinois-based Hadley serves those with vision loss - across the country and internationally - by providing services at no cost. Hadley's practical help is offered through online audio and video-based, professionally-staffed tutorials including a workshop series on Microsoft's Seeing AI, which can be used on iPhones and iPads to audibly read text, identify people, and define objects and surroundings. The new captioning technology for Seeing AI can now describe a range of images as accurately as humans do.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eyemart-express-makes-it-easy-for-customers-to-help-others-while-shopping-301174535.html">PR Newswire: <span lang=EN>Eyemart Express Makes It Easy For Customers To Help Others While Shopping</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'>"At Eyemart Express, we improve lives while helping people see better. We recognize the importance of helping others, which is why compassion is a key element of our corporate culture," said Michael Bender, Eyemart Express CEO. "We have developed strong partnerships with an array of nonprofit organizations to further support these important philanthropies. Our hope is that our customers find a cause that resonates with them while they shop with us and will engage with our giving efforts."</span><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://www.radio.com/kywnewsradio/news/local/doctor-says-smart-phones-greatly-help-with-visual-impairment">Radio: <span lang=EN>Philadelphia Eye Doctor Says Smart Phones Offer Major Help To People With Visual Impairments</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'>"Having Siri as an assistant or Alexa as an assistant is hugely helpful and has made a tremendous difference for people," Haller said. "There is also Audible, the ability for books to be read or text messages to be read." In the phone's settings, users can increase the screen contrast and magnify the text. "Simply getting brighter contrast and more magnification is enough to completely change their quality of life," Haller said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>Tuesday, November 17, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/rnib-helps-santa-reply-to-children-with-visual-impairments/">In Your Area: RNIB Helps Santa Reply To Children With Visual Impairments</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>Children with vision impairment won't be left out this year as Santa and his elves are getting ready to give them a treat in the run up to Christmas. The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has launched a service that will help children with visual impairments read their letters of response from Santa himself. The service helps to make sure letters are available in accessible formats including braille, audio, and large print. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'>Accessibility<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/disability-organization-takes-virtual-event-access-to-next-level-301174118.html">PR Newswire: Disability Organization Takes Virtual Event Access To Next Level</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'>Blazing the trail for universal access is in Access Living's DNA. Over the past 40 years, the organization, and its founding President and CEO Marca Bristo, who passed away last year, have played a pivotal role in advancing disability rights nationwide. <i>Lead On Live</i> will reflect on that legacy; showcase the work Access Living is doing right now to advance disability rights and protections in the face of COVID-19 and the issues of the day; and chart a path to the future with Karen Tamley as its new President and CEO.</span><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>Monday, November 16, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://harvardpolitics.com/disabilities-in-performing-arts/">Harvard Politics: Inclusion, Don’t Forget About Us: Disabilities in Performing Arts</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>Imagine sitting in an audience in a theatre, waiting for a musical to start. The lights go up and a cheerful song starts playing. Actors cluster onto the stage, and you notice something rather unusual. Some of the performers are in wheelchairs, some are using other aids, and some are only using sign language. You look around at the audience and notice them beaming, wiping tears of happiness and trying to copy the signs of the song lyrics. This unique form of theatre has not stolen any of the magic of live performance, and I am happy to tell you this picture exists outside your imagination. I am one of the actors that has seen it firsthand. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2020/11/11/disability-groups-worried-as-supreme-court-weighs-affordable-care-act/29080/">Disability Scoop: <span lang=EN>Disability Groups Worried As Supreme Court Weighs Affordable Care Act</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'>Nineteen national disability advocacy groups filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court urging that the law be upheld, arguing that it “uniquely and extensively benefits people with disabilities.” Not only does the Affordable Care Act greatly increase opportunities for people to gain health insurance, but the law protects people from being denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions or lifetime limits. It also guarantees coverage of services for mental illness and developmental disabilities, provides access to home health care and bars discrimination in access to health care, the advocates said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://whdh.com/news/visually-impaired-belmont-swimmer-training-for-2024-paralympics/">WHDH: <span lang=EN-US>Visually Impaired Belmont Swimmer Training For 2024 Paralympics</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>A young swimmer from Belmont is hoping to make a splash at the 2024 Paralympics, with the help of a gold medalist. Madeline Babcock is visually impaired, but the 17-year-old junior from Belmont High School is training to swim for the United States. “You can do whatever you want to, you might just have to change it a little bit. But there really are no limits. There’s a way to figure out how to do any sport or do anything,” Babcock said. “It’s definitely going to take a lot of work. But I’m ready for it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'>Eye Health<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://news.yahoo.com/eye-doctor-saved-life-woman-200009549.html">Yahoo News: <span lang=EN-US>'My Eye Doctor Saved My Life': Woman Learns She Has Diabetes After An Eye Exam</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>She’s sharing her story to raise awareness about how an eye exam can contribute to better overall health. “If we don't pay attention to simple things like getting an eye exam every single year, that could create something catastrophic for us that would impact the rest of our lives,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/11/13/blue-light-glasses-eyes-experts-say/6263087002/">USA Today: <span lang=EN>Americans Are Concerned About Blue Light As Screen Time Increases During Pandemic. What Experts Say.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'>According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, blue light from computers will not lead to eye disease. Dr. Sunir Garg, retina surgeon and professor of ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, says there’s more blue light in the sun than in digital devices. “Blue light is something that humans have been exposed to since the dawn of time,” he said. “In parts of the world, they’re going to get more blue light exposure in any given day than we will sitting in front of our screens.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'>Workforce Development<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:Ebrima'><a href="https://businessfacilities.com/2020/11/get-there-florida-sunshine-states-new-workforce-education-initiative/">Business Facilities: <span lang=EN-US>Get There Florida: The Sunshine State’s New Workforce Education Initiative</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Ebrima'>In September, in celebration of Workforce Development Month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and the Florida Department of Education announced the launch of Get There Florida, a new workforce education initiative aimed at raising awareness of short-term but high-value career and technical education programs. Available at GetThereFL.com, the initiative highlights the key benefits of rapid credentialing programs available to Floridians at the 28 Florida College System institutions and the 48 technical colleges and centers across Florida. The Get There Florida Initiative is in partnership with the state’s 28 Florida College System institutions and the state’s 48 technical colleges or centers. It accelerates students’ time to completion of an in-demand but high-value industry certification or postsecondary workforce credential. Programs include advanced manufacturing, transportation and logistics, healthcare, and information technology.<span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div></body></html>