So many swirling emotions today. November 6, 2024. The day after the United States elected its first felon, a man who is transparent and loud in his cruelty, racism, and disdain for women and their bodies. A man who sees nothing wrong with mocking disabled people. Who praises and advances policies that hurt immigrants, LGBTQ ..read more

[Editor’s Note: This article is reprinted with the author’s permission from the July-August 2024 edition of the “We Count Recount,” the bi-monthly newsletter of We Count. We Count is a project of the Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) at OCAD University in Toronto. IDRC is “an open global community working together to proactively ensure that ..read more

Mobile accessibility is about making sure that applications, information and services on mobile devices are available to all users. Weight Watchers, Bank of America, Major League Baseball and WellPoint have all engaged in Structured Negotiations with the blind community to improve the accessibility of their mobile offerings. These companies deserve to be recognized ..read more

On June 24, 2024 Tribeca Skin Care, a small skin care dermatology practice in New York City, filed a class action lawsuit against overlay company AccessiBe. Relying on AccessiBe’s promises about accessibility and ADA compliance, Tribeca purchased a 1-year subscription to AccessiBe’s “AccessWidget” at an annual subscription fee of $490 in August 2022. The subscription was renewed in August 2023. In January 2024 Tribeca Skin Care was sued in a class action complaint alleging that its website (with the AccessiBe overlay installed) did not comply with ADA requirements. The lawsuit that Tribeca fil ..read more

Project 2025 is a blueprint for a conservative overhaul of the United States government. It offers a frightening, dystopian vision of an America where people are deprived of rights, benefits, and values we have grown accustomed to. And it’s on track to become a reality if Donald Trump is elected president in November. I am not a Project 2025 expert. And this post is not an exhaustive list of everything that scares me about what’s at risk in November. I’ve pulled out some (and not even all) of the parts of the policy proposal that will hurt disabled people. You can read the policy yourself and ..read more

Congratulations CVS and the National Federation of the Blind for reaching agreement to improve kiosk accessibility at Minute Clinics in CVS stores. The agreement was reached with the help of the Structured Negotiation process. Structured Negotiation is a collaborative process that helps people and organizations avoid the expense, time, and stress of litigation to focus on real problem solving. Structured Negotiation began more than two decades ago as a method to help avoid lawsuits entirely, and is still used that way, especially to advance accessibility. But as explained in the second edition ..read more

My 91 year old father Saul Feingold (pictured here) is a role model of aging. He looks forward and not backward. He has no regret for what he can no longer do and is thrilled with what he can. He’s lucky and he knows it. When I asked my dad how old he was when he gave up golf he said he never gave up the game he’d been playing since 1957, he just stopped. Didn’t feel bad, doesn’t miss it, just stopped. It was time and he accepted it. My dad is enthusiastic about things large and small and exudes optimism. He keeps up with the news, sports, and finance. Most astonishing, after working 67 years ..read more

On September 4, 2020, AudioEye, Inc. sued accessiBe, Ltd for patent infringement. The lawsuit between these two very well-funded digital accessibility companies was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas and reported in Justia Dockets and Filings. Read the September 4, 2020 complaint in AudioEye v. accessiBe. (An amended complaint was filed 3 days later). If you’re not familiar with accessiBe, I wrote about that company and others like it in my post titled Honor the ADA, Avoid Web Accessibility Quick Fix Overlays. The Complaint says that accessiBe has inf ..read more

Today is the first time I had to update an article before I posted it. The original article, which you’ll find below, is about a planned session at the Zero Project accessibility conference (#ZeroCon) in February. The session was organized by a member of the German chapter of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). As the title says, learning about this panel “hurt my heart.” Just as I was about to press “publish” (literally – in the same minute) I got word that the session will likely be withdrawn. That makes me happy and very grateful to IAAP for quick and strong ..read more

When I submitted my book manuscript to the American Bar Association in 2015, an East Coast lawyer reviewer had but one question. It basically boiled down to this: “How the hell do I find clients who want to resolve legal claims without fighting? With collaboration, calmness, and kindness instead of conflict?” My answer was and remains simple: Structured Negotiation attracts problem-solvers who value cooperation and relationship-building. As a disability rights and digital accessibility strategy it attracts disabled people committed to lasting accessibility and full inclusion of people with dis ..read more