Direct Access
News

The Importance of Accessible Wayfinding in Commercial Environments
In the past ten years or so wayfinding has undergone massive changes that has made getting around more accessible to all. With the ease of availability of services such as Google Maps, finding your way from A to B has never been easier. However, despite the ability to guide us
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Etiquette for Interacting with a Visually Impaired Person
To preface, it is important that we first acknowledge that while there are generally recommended methods of communicating with blind people, they are ultimately individuals with their own experiences, and will therefore have preferences unique to them. This blog entry is based on preferred etiquette which tends to overlap among
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How to cater to the increased demand for Accessible Media
With society’s increased reliance on digital spaces to carry out everyday tasks, ensuring the provision of Accessible Media is vital. From ordering food shopping to doing taxes to arranging medical appointments to streaming films and television, the digital realm has largely superseded the analogue methods of the past. This progression
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Universal Design: Creating Spaces for All
Universal design is the design philosophy that seeks to create products, spaces, and environments that are usable and accessible to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. It is a framework that acknowledges and celebrates human diversity by creating spaces that are inclusive and welcoming to everyone. At the heart
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FREE WEBINAR: Inclusive Parks – Hints and Tips for Increasing Access for People with Disabilities
Are you ready to discover innovative ways to enhance accessibility in parks and recreation spaces? Join us as Steven Mifsud, MBE, a seasoned accessibility consultant, and Direct Access CEO, delves into the world of inclusive parks and shares his insights on going beyond physical access. From event information sharing to sensory
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A short guide to ADA Transition Planning
The aim of an ADA Transition Plan is to identify and implement improvements to a public-facing site and help it achieve compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards. While many site owners think they might comply with ADA regulations by merely providing a wheelchair-accessible ramp, the reality is
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What to expect from Direct Access founder Steven Mifsud’s talk at the New York Build EXPO
Implementing Accessible Pedestrian Facilities: At the New York BUILD Expo 2024, Steven will present a presentation titled “Accessible Design and Inclusive City Centers: Understanding the Public Right of Way rule”. This bespoke presentation was formulated in response to the news that in August 2023, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board issued its final
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U.S. Access Board Issues Final Rule on Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines
This month, the U.S. Access Board addressed inequity of access in public spaces for people with disabilities by issuing a final rule on accessibility guidelines for pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way. This is a significant win in the world of accessibility for Americans with disabilities across the country, since
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Achieving Accessible Website Compliancy
Ensuring that your website is fully accessible to disabled people is becoming an increasingly vital element in the success of any institution with a public-facing platform. Whether you are a small charity owner, servant of a local government, or CEO of a large conglomerate business, chances are you also own
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How Direct Access reviews apartment buildings for accessibility
How Direct Access reviews apartment buildings for accessibility The Americans with Disabilities Act sets out clear expectations (in addition to legal precedence) which outlines the ways in which building owners must promote the personal independence and comfort of their residents, of which many of are statistically likely to be disabled,
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Making accommodations for disabled people proven to be low-cost in new study
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that a new report finds that nearly half of the workplace accommodations made for people with disabilities can be implemented at no cost to employers. Of those that incur a one-time cost, the median expenditure has decreased compared to previous reports to only $300.
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Record employment for people with disabilities thanks to remote working
Disabled people have almost always been the most overlooked group within the American job market. However, it warms the heart of the whole team at Direct Access to learn that reportedly, there has been an uptake and surge in the number of disabled people in employment since the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Direct Access to audit parks in the City of Allen, Texas
Our partnership with the City of Allen, Texas resulted in a contract to complete the self-evaluation and ADA transition plan for all of the city’s parks. Working with the City of Allen’s Parks and Recreation Department (PARD), Direct Access conducted ADA field surveys of all the department’s facilities and parks.
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How can we make coffee shops accessible?
Modern coffee shops are ground zero for low-pressure social activity for people of all ages, creeds, and backgrounds. However, as the industry dominates in cities across the world, from small independents to the likes of Starbucks, each coffee shop must individually meet the demand for accessibility requirements that their disabled
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What makes a restroom accessible?
Today on the Direct Access blog, we set out to answer the question of what exactly makes an accessible restroom space. The specific size of an accessible toilet space is something that is not outlined nor specified by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, there are a lot of
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It’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month!
National Disability Employment Awareness Month is when we recognize the ingenuity, creativity, and adaptability of disabled individuals within our workplaces. However, in addition to being a celebration of the contributions disabled people make in our lives, it is also a period where discussions about the various social and economic issues
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Direct Access at NRPA Conference
Direct Access will be at the National Recreation and Parks conference at the Phoenix Convention Centre this September 20-22. The Direct Access team will be at stand 2539 demonstrating our innovative tactile maps that enable people with sensory disabilities to navigate around parks and buildings. QR codes provide audio descriptions
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InTents publish Direct Access article on accessible tents
InTents, the trade magazine for the Advanced Textiles Association kindly produced an article on how big tents and festivals could look beyond the ADA. This can be found at https://intentsmag.com/2022/08/01/beyond-ada/
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Direct Access gains DOBE certification
Boston-based disability accessibility consultancy Direct Access has secured its DOBE® certification from Disability:IN. It recognizes that our management team is all people with disabilities. The Disability-Owned and Operated Business Enterprise (DOBE®) certification is granted to businesses that are at least 51 percent owned, operated, controlled, and managed by a person
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Do I need an ADA Access Audit?
Do I need a DDA Access Audit? 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. The key
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