Accessibility is a priority for the upcoming municipal election in Toronto. Changes to the Municipal Elections Act now require that ALL voting locations be accessible and that the needs of electors and candidates with disabilities must be addressed.

Toronto has added BrowseAloud® to its web site thus making the site more accessible to users with literacy issues, low vision or for those whose English skills may be rudimentary. The city is also providing Voter Assist Terminals to help individuals with sight, sound and motor function disabilities.

Interesting changes in Toronto - for more info visit toronto.ca/elections

Interesting article in the The Globe and Mail about You Tube and teaching...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/personal-tech/youtube-videos-help-stumped-students/article1563283/

“Recent studies from two different continents point to the value of education technology in helping students grasp important yet abstract math concepts—and in both studies, animations that allow students to visualize these concepts were central to the results.”
Implications here for tablets I think... text books with animations built right in...

Read More...

At TWS we have done a great deal of work both for, and about, people with disabilities. We’ll be at a conference in Ottawa later this month that deals with the business case to be made for hiring people with disabilities. The keynote speaker is Rich Donovan who has been making the argument that there is a significant ROI to be enjoyed from hiring people with disabilities. Rich founded LIME and is a managing partner of IPS.

Conference details

LIME

IPS

Well, the Paralympics open today... if you ever need more evidence that people with disabilities can compete with the best, then tune in and watch the show!

http://www.vancouver2010.com/paralympic-games/