The Front Page Blog

By: Cindy Ryan, Vice President 

 

In 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 virus accelerated a move to a remote and digitally dependent workforce. Many companies were able to accommodate employees working from home by providing a few technological changes and additional equipment to enable workers to maintain communication with their colleagues, supervisors, and clients. Some…

By: Kristen Smith-O’Connor, Senior Accessibility Subject Matter Expert

By Jane Rath, Vice President

At this time of the year, we often take note of those things for which we are thankful. For many of us, it is the family caregiver that helps us live and thrive in our home and community. This year has been particularly stressful for many caregivers—those who have long been serving in this capacity as well as those who have transitioned into the…

By Elizabeth Lee

“Let the shameful walls of exclusion finally come tumbling down” is the directive that former President George Bush gave us when he signed the ADA into law 30 years ago, on July 26, 1990.

By Kristen Smith-O’Connor, Senior 508 Accessibility Analyst

 

WebAim performed a survey on a million home pages and found a substantial number of issues centered around what testers would call “easy-picking” tests; those that take little effort to test and where - as a tester - you are sure to find a failure. The top failures were low contrast, images without alternative…

                By Ann Marie Davis, Senior Section 508 Analyst

There are so many methods for accessibility testing. How do you know what is most effective? What is the most reliable?

Overview

Instructional design is a systematic process for designing learning experiences and materials to improve learner performance and retention. Whether you’re using Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Lectora, or other eLearning authoring tools to design online courses, consider broadening your audience to include those with disabilities who rely on assistive technologies.

By Cherie Takemoto, New Editions, Inc. Project Director for the National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials (NCRTM) Contract and the Community Services Board representative of the Arlington 2020 Census Complete Count Committee

By Cindy Ryan, New Editions Vice President

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which lasts the month of October, will celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and inform employers about the value of including employees with disabilities. 

By: Robert Chaiet, Accessibility Technician, Department of Homeland Security Office of Accessible Systems & Technology (OAST)

By Jane Rath, New Editions Vice President 

 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Money Follows the Person (MFP) Demonstration Program provides funding and support for 44 state grantees to design and develop services and supports to assist individuals move from institutional to home and community-based settings. Additionally, MFP provides the foundation and framework for…

Complete the following statement, I could improve my health if I [fill in the blank].

If you’re like me, the first answer for the blank above that comes to mind is: increase my level of physical activity. Over the last few years, I’ve not made enough time for exercise. However, our recent New Editions’ Walking Competition and the company’s participation in The Arc of Northern Virginia…

By: Kristen Smith and Robert Chaiet

The M-Enabling Summit re-convened in Washington DC in 2018 for its 7th year. We attended the Summit and this blog provides you with some insights into what we noticed.

Today, May 17th, marks the seventh anniversary of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Held annually on the third Thursday of May, GAAD is meant to promote dialogue, discussion, and awareness of digital inclusion for people with disabilities. Originally begun as a day for developers to share accessibility knowledge with one another, it has transformed in to a day where we all can reflect…

By: Anna Lenhart, MPH

Like many organizations, New Editions has shifted to an Agile development methodology over the past few years. The business reasons are plentiful: quicker delivery and shorter release time for systems; greater collaboration and input among development team members and product owners; and earlier and more frequent review and feedback from clients and end users.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). NDEAM celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities and educates about the value of a workforce inclusive of their skills and talents.This year's NDEAM theme "Inclusion Drives Innovation" reflects the important role that different perspectives play in workforce success. 

In June, New Editions facilitated the seventh annual meeting between the US Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Agriculture (USDA) at HUD headquarters. The theme of this year’s meeting was Housing as a Platform for Health.

During the first week of August, I attended a conference hosted by Aniridia Foundation International (AFI). Aniridia means “lack of the iris,” which is the colored ring around the pupil of the eye. Advances in research and development have shown that the impact of aniridia extends beyond the eye and can affect the development and maintenance of the eyes, pancreas, central nervous system,…

During May, which is National Stroke Awareness Month, the American Stroke Association strives to educate the public that stroke is the leading cause of serious, long term disability. Here are some important statistics:

Over 29 million Americans are currently living with diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputations, and adult onset blindness. The disease also accounts for 20 percent of all health care spending in the United States. Given these facts, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified diabetes as a public health problem reaching epidemic…