Home Design for Hearing Loss: Tips for Creating a User-friendly Home

We all know how safety and comfort features make a home feel like a haven. For the millions of Americans who report trouble with hearing, home enhancements and updates that increase comfort, safety, and convenience aren’t just “cozy” ideas. They’re essential for enjoying a satisfying and independent life at home.

The great thing about modern home design tips for people with hearing loss is that they can be implemented at any time. It’s not too late to get a “custom” home just because a home is already built. It’s helpful to know about features that enhance quality of life for people who are hard of hearing when taking on a home remodeling project that will close gaps that are leading to struggles and frustrations.

For more information visit, https://todayshomeowner.com/blog/guides/home-design-for-hearing-loss/.

The Arc Virtual Program Library for People With Disabilities Is Now Live!

Looking for online activities that someone with disabilities in your life can use to keep busy as the weather cools down?

We’re excited to share our new Virtual Program Library, a free hub full of on-demand activities that can be done from home by people with disabilities, their families, and service providers.

Topics include arts, community and life skills, health and wellness, virtual clubs, and more.

Visit the hub to check out the resources we have so far and share it with your networks so it can continue to grow into a robust resource for people with disabilities and their supporters!

2021 Holiday Gift Ideas For You Or Your Loved Ones With Disabilities

The Abilities Expo has 21 thoughts for the perfect gift, starting at just $35! And if you are the one who wants to see one of these incredible products under the tree, click here!

Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology

Building an Accessible Future – A New Case Study

The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT) released a new case study, Building an Accessible Future – Teach Access: A Case Study. This new resource documents the steps taken to launch and sustain Teach Access, an initiative of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, by including digital accessibility in the technology curriculum for higher education students. The case study is a companion piece to PEAT’s Accessibility Playbook for Emerging Technology Initiatives.

Planning for Emerging Technologies at Work

Learn how employers and HR professionals can plan for the accessible workplaces of the future in this recent Job Accommodation Network(JAN) webinar. Hosted by the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT) Co-director, Bill Curtis-Davidson, this online event included discussions with technology experts from Microsoft and the Partnership on AI. Watch the webinar and read the transcript to learn more.

The SCARS Project

Portland nonprofit, The SCARS Project, is pleased to present new opportunities for partnerships. The Drama Therapy play – turned film – has announced they are starting an advisory committee for individuals that are passionate about helping veterans and accepting interest from organizations to screen the current play and future film.

The SCARS Project is an organization that was founded on the principles of Drama Therapy to address post-traumatic stress in veterans. To date, they have published a book of veterans’ interviews compiled by Father Richard Berg, CSC, a longtime advocate of vulnerable populations in Portland, and a screenplay that has brought to life the stories captured in the book.

Their goal is to bring this project to a national audience because they believe that it will spark conversations about mental illness and trauma response. If you would like to learn more about The SCARS Project, check out their website, www.ptsdscars.org. There you will find an introductory video about the project, more information about Father Berg and his work, and places to contact us to screen the play or film and suggest partnerships.

A Future Where XR is Born Accessible – XR Access: A Case Study

The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT) released a new case study on XR Access as part of its “Accessibility Playbook for Emerging Technology Initiatives.” Launched in 2020, the Playbook is a guide for launching an initiative to develop accessible emerging technologies.

XR Access focuses on making virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (XR) technologies accessible to people with disabilities. The case study offers an in-depth look at the best practices and lessons learned from XR Access that helped inform the Playbook’s strategies.

Read the XR Access Case Study for an in-depth look at the steps taken to launch and sustain the Initiative in its first year of operation and how XR Access is evolving and laying the groundwork for its next stage of maturity.

New PEAT Accessibility Resources

The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT) released two new resources to help employees and employers place accessibility at the forefront of the content they develop and the platforms they use for remote meetings.

Read “7 Tips to Make Your Data Visualizations Accessible” for guidance on designing accessible graphic representations of data, also known as data visualizations, for website users with sensory, cognitive, and physical disabilities.
Read “4 Elements of an Accessible Meeting Platform” to help evaluate the accessibility of the platforms used to host virtual meetings and events. It includes information on assessing the usability of a platform with assistive technology, the quality of captioning, and how to be an inclusive meeting host and presenter.

Telework and Accessibility

The recent shift to telework for a staggering number of government and private sector employees has caused a surge in the use of digital communications systems. Employers and employees are now relying heavily on digital technologies to conduct business, collaborate with colleagues, host virtual events, and recruit and hire employees.

With digital devices, platforms, and documents becoming the primary methods used by individuals to execute work and engage in daily life, it’s more important than ever to prioritize digital accessibility. The Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT) has created the following resources to help equip employers with the information needed to ensure the digital workplace is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.

Accessible Digital Communications

Creating Accessible Content

Learn how to create accessible emails, PDFs, documents, images, presentations, social media, multimedia, and content management systems by following these basic tips on digital accessibility from PEAT.