News

Want to do your bit to improve transit for people with disabilities?  The Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) would love to have you participate in their study.  It doesn’t take long, and you can do it online from the convenience of your home. Here’s an excerpt from their webpage describing the project: (DREDF) is conducting research on what factors …

Come and celebrate the Grand Opening of THE SHOP at the Center for Independent Living on May 4 from 4:00 – 7:00 pm with demonstrations of assistive technology, information about The Shop, refreshments, and door prizes. The Shop provides wheelchair repairs and distributes donated assistive technologies and durable medical equipment.  They also provide information about assistive technology and referrals. The Shop is located at 2539 …

The idea of a dental switchboard that was tongue-controlled was first introduced by Alfred Bester in his 1956 award-winning science fiction novel, The Stars My Destination. Now that science fiction has become a reality. It’s called the Tongue Drive System. Simply by moving their tongues, people with high-level spinal cord injuries can operate a computer or maneuver a standard electrically-powered …

Another victory for people with disabilities was achieved this week  when  the Illinois attorney general’s office announced a settlement with AMC Theatres, the state’s largest movie theater chain.  AMC has agreed to make it’s movies accessible for people with hearing and visual impairments. By 2014, all of AMC’s theaters will be equipped with both captioning devices–small rectangular screens that attach to cup holders on theater seats–for people with hearing …

The Social Security Administration has hired researchers at the UCSF Disability Statistics Center to conduct a needs assessment to find out how they can better communicate with their beneficiaries who have disabilities.  They want to know more about your experience applying for Social Security benefits and your interactions with the Social Security Administration. If you are a person with a disability–cognitive, hearing, …

I don’t know anyone who looks forward to doing their taxes, but fortunately for us, there’s a small army of volunteers out there waiting to help us–and for free, no less.  So what excuse do we have to procrastinate? Free tax preparation services are offered by various organizations, usually  targeting low-to-moderate income families and elderly taxpayers.  However, each organization has its own qualifications and …

On the one hand, companies throughout the country agree that “soft skills” such as punctuality,  verbal communications, and working productively with others are essential to getting hired and staying hired.  On the other hand, recent surveys of employers also indicate that nearly three-quarters of high school graduates are deficient in these basic skills. In order to address this need, the Office of Disability Employment …

There are two ways to apply for a federal job, competitively and non-competitively.  The usual route most job seekers go is the competitive route by searching the official government jobs website USAJOBS. And that’s fine. But there’s also a lesser known way for people (including veterans) with disabilities to apply for federal jobs through a non-competitive hiring process called Schedule A.  As …

If are a California resident and have signed up for a new broadband account  in the past 12 months, you may be eligible for a $30 rebate from the Center for Accessible Technology (CforAT).   Not bad, huh? You can even take it a step further, if you choose, and  help kids with disabilities get access to technology by donating your rebate to CforAT’s Open Resource …

The Center for Accessible Technology is looking for people 18 and older who are low-vision or blind to do product testing in January.  Testers will be paid approximately $100 per session, which may last anywhere from 45-90 minutes. There are a variety of products that need testing–from a new e-reader to the design of a company’s invoice to some website …