Now Hotels Can Make Any Room Accessible To People Who Are Blind Or Have Low Vision
Among the most celebrated accessibility initiatives in 2018 was the Blind Faith Upgrade Kit launched by Isobar India, part of the global Dentsu Aegis Network. The kit includes Braille labels that can convert any phone into a Braille-enabled phone, reusable-tactile paving tiles to help customers negotiate their room in the hotel and an audio assist pen to help guests read menus and more. It was first introduced at Hotel Ramada in Ajmer, Rajasthan, and the campaign really put them on the map. The company won a prestigious CLIO award (which recognizes innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design, and communication) recently. You can see a short film about the kit and learn more in this NewzHook report. READ MORE
The Brazilian company Hoo-Box.com has developed a Wheelie Kit (shown left), which uses a 3D camera to read 14 facial expressions (even a wink or a raised eyebrow) to navigate a wheelchair. The technology is particularly helpful for people who lack the ability to move their body below the face or neck. It uses AI and machine learning—and as Hoo-Box-ers like to say, it’s fully smile-compatible. Here’s an interview with their founder, Paulo Pinheiro. 
This month the Unicode Consortium released a 2019 update to their collection of emojis with some people, but not all, praising designers’ efforts to be more inclusive and diverse. The symbols, now ubiquitous in electronic messages, will be available on most platforms in the fall. Of the 230 just-released emojis, Unicode includes more options for people (of varying gender, skin and hair color) who use hearing devices, prosthetics, a white cane, guide dogs, service dogs, and wheelchairs, according to Forbes.com 
Standup comedian Tom Willard (left) made his Broadway debut on December 3, 2018, at New York City’s Caroline’s on Broadway, one of the top comedy clubs in the country, according to a recent story in Disabled-World.com. Willard, 61, spoke and signed his jokes as part of Caroline’s New Talent Showcase. He explains that he lost his hearing gradually as he was growing up and started doing standup only about two years ago. He has performed in a dozen cities and continues to seek out new opportunities. 
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