Category: Policy

The European Commission has opened applications for the 2027 Access City Award, its annual prize recognising European cities that are working to make daily life more accessible for people with disabilities.

• Any EU city or urban area with more than 50,000 residents can apply until 4 September 2026, covering progress in accessible transport, public space, housing, digital services and community participation.
• Winners share up to €350,000 in prize money: €150,000 for first place, €120,000 for second, and €80,000 for third.
• The 2027 edition adds a special mention for “Accessible Community-Based Services,” recognising a city that supports independent living and the shift away from institutional care. Finalists are announced by November 2026, with an award ceremony in Brussels on 4 December.

Why it matters: The award gives city governments a concrete incentive to invest in accessibility, and past winners often become reference points other cities copy, meaning entries and results can point disability advocates toward practical models that already work.

Source: European Disability Forum →

A newly finalized federal “public charge” rule, taking effect on 18 September 2026, gives US immigration officers broad new discretion to weigh an applicant’s use of public benefits when deciding green card applications, and disability advocates warn it could discourage eligible immigrants with disabilities from seeking help.

• The rule, published 20 July 2026, removes the existing federal definition of “public charge” and leaves USCIS officers to weigh use of Medicaid, food assistance, or housing support when deciding whether to approve a green card.
• Disability and pediatric health groups point to the 2019 version of this rule, which had a “chilling effect” far broader than its legal scope: many eligible immigrant families avoided benefits altogether, even when not personally affected.
• The rule takes effect 18 September 2026, giving affected families, advocates and legal aid groups a narrow window to prepare guidance before it applies.

Why it matters: Immigrants with disabilities often rely on Medicaid or other support to live independently, and uncertainty about how benefit use affects immigration status can push people to forgo care they are legally entitled to, even when the rule wouldn’t apply to their situation.

Source: Disability Scoop →

New Zealand’s Total Mobility scheme, which subsidises taxi fares for disabled people who cannot use public transport, has cut its standard subsidy from 75% to 65% this month.

• Local fare caps are also dropping in some regions – in the Bay of Plenty, the maximum fare cap falls from $50 to $45.
• The cut is one of several disability support changes in New Zealand this year, alongside reduced accessible-housing targets and funding cuts to the Ministry of Disabled People.
• Disability advocates say even small cost increases can affect whether disabled people can afford groceries or essential trips.

Why it matters: Transport subsidy cuts compound other cost-of-living pressures on disabled people who often rely on taxis as their only accessible transport option.

Source: The Spinoff →

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued FedEx, alleging the company denied reasonable accommodations to blind package handlers at a North Carolina facility.

• Four named employees say they asked for tactile floor tape to help them navigate to their workstations, the restroom and other areas, and were refused.
• The EEOC found “reasonable cause” to conclude discrimination occurred in January 2025, but filed suit after the parties could not reach a settlement.
• FedEx says it is reviewing the complaint and remains committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Why it matters: The case is a reminder that physical workplace accessibility – not just digital accessibility – remains a live compliance issue for large employers under the ADA.

Source: EEOC Newsroom →

Missouri has withdrawn from a multi-state lawsuit that sought to weaken a federal protection requiring states to support people with disabilities living in their own communities rather than in institutions.

• Missouri’s exit leaves only Texas, Florida and Alaska pursuing the case, which began in 2024 as a challenge to a Biden-era disability rights rule.
• The withdrawal follows months of advocacy from Missouri disability groups and coincides with a separate US Department of Justice memo questioning enforcement of the “integration mandate” that keeps people out of institutions.
• Disability advocates welcomed the move, but say the federal policy shift could still affect funding decisions for home- and community-based services nationally.

Why it matters: The lawsuit and the DOJ’s shifting stance both touch a core protection – the right to live in the community rather than an institution – that underpins disability policy across the US.

Source: Missouri Independent →

A new national initiative, Enable Accessibility Canada, has launched to champion disability inclusion and showcase accessibility progress across the country.

• The platform launches with three arms: the Enable Accessibility Podcast, Magazine and an annual Awards programme covering employment, entrepreneurship, education and public policy.
• It’s a partnership between CanadianSME, a platform supporting small and medium businesses, and Enabled Talent, a Canadian accessibility and inclusive-workforce technology company.
• Organisers cite Statistics Canada data showing about 8 million Canadians aged 15 and over (27 percent) report a disability, and say the platform will work with governments, employers and educators to encourage “accessibility by design.”

Why it matters: Platforms like this give disabled entrepreneurs, employees and innovators a bigger public stage, which can help shift how employers and institutions think about accessibility.

Source: Enabled Talent, via GlobeNewswire →

The US Social Security Administration has rolled out new online tools that let people track and manage disability claims and appeals through their personal my Social Security account.

• Claimants can now submit key disability adjudication forms — recent medical treatment, medication information and work background — directly online instead of by mail.
• A new Claim Status Tracker gives real-time updates at the hearings and appeals stages, including when a hearing request is received, reviewed and decided.
• 26 additional hearing-related notices, including proffer letters, are now available in the online Message Center, with optional email or text alerts when new documents arrive.

Why it matters: For people waiting on a disability decision, faster access to case updates and digital paperwork can cut down on phone queues and mailed forms during an often long and stressful process.

Source: Social Security Administration →

SuperShuttle has agreed to guarantee wheelchair-accessible rides at every U.S. airport it serves, settling a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by three Bay Area women.

• A U.S. District Court approved the class settlement in June 2026, resolving claims that SuperShuttle routinely failed to provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs).
• SuperShuttle has committed to offering WAVs in every service area, at all hours, and at the same price and convenience as standard rides, with accessible service guaranteed at all its airports by December.
• The company will also train WAV drivers and customer service staff; the three plaintiffs will each receive $6,000, with $122,000 going toward legal costs.

Why it matters: Airport ground transport is often the first and last leg of a trip, and unreliable wheelchair-accessible pickups can strand travellers with disabilities; a binding, court-approved commitment gives riders a clear standard to hold the company to.

Source: Disability Rights Advocates →

The federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) has backed off a rushed timeline for its new autism strategic plan after advocacy groups objected to being given just days to comment on a 336-page draft.

• IACC released the draft strategic plan with only about four days allotted for public feedback, prompting objections from major autism advocacy organisations.
• Seven groups, including Autism Speaks, the Autism Society of America and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, jointly called for the comment period to be extended to 90 days.
• HHS has agreed to delay the committee’s meeting and extend the comment window, though official new dates have not yet been announced.

Why it matters: Strategic plans like this one help shape years of federal research funding and service priorities for autistic people, so how much time the public and self-advocates get to weigh in directly affects whose priorities make it into the final document.

Source: Disability Scoop →

The W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative has published WCAG-EM 2.0, an updated step-by-step methodology for evaluating how well websites, apps and other digital products meet WCAG 2 accessibility standards.

• WCAG-EM 2.0 replaces the original 2014 methodology and now covers apps and other digital products, not just websites and web pages.
• It sets out a five-step process: defining the evaluation scope, exploring the product, selecting a representative sample, evaluating that sample against WCAG 2, and reporting the findings.
• The update aims to make accessibility audits more consistent for developers, auditors and organisations working toward WCAG 2 conformance.

Why it matters: Many legal accessibility requirements worldwide, including the EU Accessibility Act and various US state and federal rules, point to WCAG 2 as the benchmark. A shared, consistent way of testing against it makes compliance easier to demonstrate and disputes easier to resolve.

Source: W3C Web Accessibility Initiative →