Direct Access
News

We are overjoyed to announce that we have partnered with the City of Allen, Texas to complete the self-evaluation and ADA transition plan for the city’s parks.

Today on the blog, we’re going to explore how you can transform your coffee shop into a more inclusive, accessible and user-friendly environment. 

Today on the Direct Access blog, we set out to answer the question of what exactly makes an accessible restroom space.

Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month helps us recognise the ingenuity, creativity and adaptability of disabled individuals within our workplaces.

Direct Access will be at the National Recreation and Parks conference at the Phoenix Convention Center this September 20-22.

InTents, the trade magazine for the Advanced Textiles Association kindly produced an article on how big tents and festivals could look beyond the ADA.

Boston-based disability accessibility consultancy Direct Access has secured its DOBE® certification from Disability:IN. It recognizes that our management team are all people with disabilities.

Direct Access were a guest exhibitor at the UASSP Mid-Winter Conference at the Dixie Convention Centre in St. George, Utah.

A facilities audit (also known as a Barrier-Free Audit, or People with Disabilities Access Audit) is an assessment of a building or facility, an environment, or a service compared to best practice standards to benchmark its accessibility to people with disabilities.

Since 2019, World Braille Day has been celebrated to create awareness of the importance of Braille; an access and communication tool which has played a key role in the realization of human rights for blind and partially sighted people.

We are proud to present an accessible suggestion list for those hoping to surprise a visually impaired, hard of hearing, or autistic loved one this Christmas, covering all ages – (based a tiny bit on our personal preference!).

Uber Technologies Inc has come under fire (rightly) for allegedly overcharging disabled passengers, being sued by the US Justice Department on Wednesday. The Department has also asked a federal court to order compliance with anti-discrimination law.

New federal guidance has been released that offers details on what qualifies as competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities.

We are shocked to learn of the BBC’s report that today’s COP26 summit, a gathering of world leaders on the topic of one of society’s most pressing issues (climate change) was not accessible for minister Karine Elharrar, who is a wheelchair user.

Setting up evacuation plans and incorporating the right strategies to suit your building premises is vital to preparing for a fire emergency.

Many employers want to establish diverse workforces that include people with disabilities, but don’t know how to do so. As an organization that has a team consisting of 86% disabled persons, Direct Access believes that exemplary practices in disability employment can offer many benefits.

Organizing a wedding that considers the potential accessibility needs of your guests could easily be dismissed as additional stress to a day that in the planning stages, will no doubt have many. However, creating an accessible environment for your guests while considering their individual needs is simply a win-win situation.

A victory has been achieved for deaf and hard of hearing consumers in Washington State as a new law which took effect last month mandates that all businesses with forward-facing TV’s are now required to provide closed captioning at all times in public places of accommodation.

Steven Mifsud MBE, the profoundly deaf founder and director of Direct Access, will see his dulcet tones broadcast to millions as he lends his voice to the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics, which begins today in Tokyo.

For many years, Direct Access has worked internationally to guide businesses in the tourism sector to meet their local standards of accessibility. Although we have always been and continue to be proud of our clients opting to do what is ultimately just for the millions of disabled tourists across the globe, there has never been a standardized guide for accessible tourism across the world reinforcing the moral sensibilities of Direct Access. Until now, that is.

If you own or operate a business property, understanding how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) impacts on accessible parking provision for your visitors is essential.   The ADA is a federal law designed to protect the rights of Americans with disabilities by prohibiting discrimination and guaranteeing equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

The state of California is aging faster than the rest of the country and demand for care facilities is rising. Already, California regulates around ten thousand long-term care facilities, from small assisted living homes to large skilled nursing centers.

Imagine not being able to hear the speaker across the roar of a crowd, the bank teller, or a bus driver over the noise of an engine. For many of the one in twenty of the American population with some form of hearing loss, this is a daily reality.