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There must be some die-hard fans of steps at German railway companies. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain why it seems impossible to purchase step-free trains. Steps are an insurmountable obstacle for wheelchair users and those using walkers. They also pose a risk to all passengers getting off the train, those with strollers, and people with heavy luggage or bicycles. Perhaps these are the kinds of customers they don't even want. And let's not even talk about the virtual steps that many of these companies include on their websites—it's an utter travesty.
If you'd like to discuss accessibility, I'd like to draw your attention to our virtual accessibility meetup. It takes place on the first Thursday of every month from 6 pm to 8 pm. More information can be found here.Newsletter about the meetupYou will receive the Zoom link and a regular reminder.
In September, as far as I could tell, there was no central theme related to accessibility, so let's get straight to the interesting articles.
Interesting articles
Wenig überraschend erfüllen nur wenige Angebote öffentlicher Stellen die Anforderungen zur Barrierefreiheit. Die Überwachungsstelle Sachsen hat ihre Ergebnisse vorgelegt. Nur die Hälfte der geprüften Websites erfüllten die Anforderungen, nur jede zehnte Seite hat die seit letztem Jahr vorgeschriebene Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit.
Digitale Barrierefreiheit: Webseiten öffentlicher Stellen erfüllen gesetzliche Vorgaben nur zur Hälfte
Die Lebenshilfe Berlin hat untersucht, auf welche Probleme Menschen mit einer Lernbehinderung im Internet stoßen. Das sind vor allem eine unverständliche Sprache und die hohe technische Komplexität der Web-Angebote. Den Bericht gibt es als PDF. Befragungsergebnisse Digitale Teilhabe liegen vor
Im Portal Reha-Recht ist ein ausführlicher Beitrag zum European Accessibility Act erschienen. Eifrige Mitlesende des Newsletters wissen, dass die deutsche Umsetzung Barrierefreiheits-Stärkungs-Gesetz heißt und wenig ambitioniert ist. Hintergründe gibt es in diesem ersten Teil einer Artikelserie. Vom European Accessibility Act zum Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz – Teil I: Hintergrund und Anwendungsbereich des EAA und des BFSG
Onward in English. Accessibility has an image problem, and not just in Germany. It's often perceived as outdated and boring. A post on UX Design shows how this can be changed. Creating a positive culture around accessibility
Focusing on the product first and thinking about accessibility later is the wrong approach for startups. TechCrunch offers tips on how to consider accessibility from the very beginning. Make accessibility part of your startup's products and culture from day one
Do you want to implement accessibility in your organization with minimal resources? You can find tips and tricks in a collection from the Business Disability Forum.
Best Practice Guide – Tips and Tricks for Accessibility Practitioners
Barrierefreiheit muss geschaffen werden. Hand in Hand mit den Maßnahmen muss aber auch ein Bewusstsein für deren Bedeutung aufgebaut werden. Tipps und verschiedene Leitfäden dazu gibt es bei PEAT. Disability Inclusion Basics
Like so many things, the topic of cognitive disabilities receives little attention in Germany. The website Ab11y presents design principles that benefit – not only – this group. UX Principles that include Cognitive Accessibility
Interessante Veranstaltungen
There are no major events of interest regarding accessibility scheduled for October. You can find more events here.in the list.
And of course, as always, a reminder ofour open online training courses.
Tool of the Month
One tool I frequently recommend is LanguageTool. It's a free style checker that includes a set of rules for plain language. Extensions are now available for common word processors and browsers. You can also try the tool online for free.
Language Tool for Plain Language
Quote of the month
Few non-disabled people realize how extremely expensive life with a disability is. A study from the US addresses this, and the situation in Germany, thanks to a more comprehensive social welfare system, is likely somewhat better. However, to my knowledge, there is no systematic data collection on the socio-economic circumstances of disabled people. If anyone has any information on this, I would be grateful to hear from them.
"Researchers estimate that households containing an adult with a work-disability require, on average, 28 percent more income (or an additional $17,690 a year for a household at the median income level) to obtain the same standard of living as a comparable household without a member with a disability."
Quelle: National Disability Institute. THE EXTRA COSTS OF LIVING WITH A DISABILITY IN THE U.S.
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