News

How do you determine if an app is accessible prior to buying it? How do you navigate the mass of available apps to find assistive and accessible apps relevant to you?  Would you like to improve your app-buying experience? The World Institute on Disability* is conducting a survey to gather input from the disability community attempting to purchase, download and use these apps.  …

The National Council on Disability, a government agency that advises the President and Congress on disability issues, recently sent a letter to President Obama advising him to raise the $2,000 asset limit on Social Security Income (SSI) recipients, a limit that hasn’t been changed since 1989. As things currently stand, individuals receiving SSI benefits can have no more than $2,000 …

Approximately 20% of the United States population lives with some level of disability, and people with disabilities are almost three times as likely to live in poverty than any other group. WID’s Access to Assets project opens doors for the disability community by promoting asset-building and financial literacy among people with disabilities. Asset building is an anti-poverty strategy helping low-income …

Computers have evolved from from the salvation for people with disabilities to the cause of many disabling conditions. Our current computer-laden work and school environments have the potential to significantly damage our bodies. It is critical that we establish new “rules of engagement” with computers. This Healthy Computing webinar will explore the reasons and tools for taking regular breaks from …

I think Hurricane Sandy has left us all feeling a bit more vulnerable, even if we don’t live in the affected area.  And of course, people with disabilities and the elderly are more vulnerable than most in disaster situations. In order to help improve emergency communications for people with disabilities, the Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center has launched a new Survey on Emergency …

Even though it’s against the law to ask certain questions in a job interview, it does occasionally happen.  So what questions are illegal, and what do you do if you are asked one?  Paula Vieillet, President of Employment Options, has written a blog about just that.

Tax season is upon us once again, so let’s have a look at some items that may be of help to you or your loved ones with disabilities. The IRS website puts just about everything you could want to know about taxes at your fingertips.  Here are three IRS publications that provide a good starting place for people with disabilities, …

The World Institute on Disability (WID) has created two very useful websites to help you navigate the bewildering realm of benefits. One website, www.db101.org, is for disability benefits in general and the other, vets101.org, is specifically for veterans. Disability Benefits 101 presents the rules, in plain language, for health coverage, benefit programs and employment programs that people with disabilities use–whether …

The Ed Roberts Campus (ERC) in Berkeley is best known for being a hub of non-profit organizations by and for people with disabilities, but it is also a significant venue for art exhibits by accomplished artists with disabilities. Just recently installed is a new exhibit of works by Monique Harris. Her images are rich with saturated colors and shapes that delight …

In an attempt to bridge the digital divide, the state of California has initiated the California Teleconnect Fund, which provides eligible organizations with a 50% discount on broadband and other communication services.  Eligible organizations include: Non-profits that offer one of the following services to the surrounding community Educational services Job placement and/or training 2-1-1 referral services Computer and Internet training …