Hello Readers -
This is the April Newsletter but I’m a bit late getting out. What a month! My husband’s birthday was on Sunday so we took a quick trip to Shenandoah to “camp” (definitely had a cabin but cooked food over a fire - that’s camping, right?) and got our corgi her BARK Ranger badge. She now is a BARK Ranger at six National Parks - highly recommend this program if you have a dog and love adventures.
News this month continued to inundate us. I finally turned off some of my news alerts on my phone because nothing seems to be “breaking” news anymore, and mental health is health. I was thrown when President Trump began arguing with the Pope. That was a news event I did not have on my bingo card. The news that really got to me this month was the delay of the ADA Title II web and digital accessibility rule. This was a rule that merely clarified long standing requirements for digital content to be accessible. As we have moved more and more online in the last two decades, the goal of this rule was to make clear how to be compliant with the 36 year old law. Delaying this rule four days before the first compliance deadline was a good way to throw Title II entities into chaos rather than make digital environments accessible to a huge portion of the population. Yes, I’m frustrated, and I included a number of links and articles on this topic in the Policy Pondering section.
On the bright side, while we have to continue to be reactive to what is happening, I am seeing more and more entities taking initiative to show what works and demonstrate best practices in the accessibility space. I’m especially excited for the Coalition on Accessibility in Higher Education’s big event on May 13. This cross-sector coalition (that I am pleased to support) is making the case for accessibility in higher education - and how to do it. You can register to attend the event virtually here at this Zoom Webinar link. While we are about at capacity in-person, if you REALLY want to be there, send me an email. And, stay tuned - a big announcement is coming this week from the Coalition.
On the topic of higher education, check out this fantastic article from the Center for American Progress by Vilissa Thompson titled “Helping Disabled College Students of Color Prepare for Life After Graduation.” Career connectivity is a big topic right now. What are we doing across systems to make it more accessible?
Enjoy the articles I collected this month. There is always more to share than room in this newsletter. Please don’t hesitate to send reports, articles, or updates - I am happy to include them in the next newsletter.
Onward!
Kim
I’m providing a short, quick accessibility tip of the month with a goal to apply to any type and size organization or company. If you have a great tip to share, reach out! I’ll name and tag you with your tip in future newsletters.
For many of us, our days are packed with meetings: in-person, virtual, hybrid, and event style sessions. Meetings can be planned weeks or months in advance, or be added to calendars quickly. For employees with disabilities, meetings as an integral part of daily operations can actually be exclusionary when accessibility is not top of mind. When we treat accessibility as an afterthought in meetings, we aren’t just being “unfriendly”; we are actively losing the talent and insights of teams. That is why the accessibility tip of the month is to create a process and plan for inclusive and accessible meetings. To begin, establish a meeting accessibility standard to help shift from reactionary accessibility (waiting for someone to ask for help) to a proactive (building accessibility and inclusion into every meeting). To do this, make a plan to:
Develop and send agendas and materials at least 24 hours in advance. This allows participants who use screen readers or need extra processing time to engage fully when the meeting starts.
Use captions and turn on the transcript options. While AI generated captions are not perfect, they are much better than no captions at all! Default to having captions on whether on Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, or similar platform. If hosting a large meeting with employees who requested captioning, consider having CART - real-time captioning. You can even set up a virtual meeting to run captions in an in-person meeting.
Ensure the room for in-person and hybrid is accessible - think about entry to the room, furniture, reach on the table, and sound. Re-arrange the room or discuss different furniture options if needed.
Whenever a screen is shared or discussed, describe what is being shown (e.g., “I’m showing a bar chart where the blue column represents growth”). If there is text on a screen, read it and make clear what is showing. This supports many participants.
Want to learn more about creating accessible and inclusive meetings? Check out these resources: Accessible Meetings, Events, & Conferences (ADA National Network) and 12 Tips to Keep in Mind for Creating Inclusive and Accessible Hybrid Meetings (Disability:In).
Big news in April was the delay of the Title II Americans with Disabilities Act web access rule. Here are links to relevant articles and resources:
Extension of Compliance Dates for Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities (Federal Register, 04.20.2026). Interim Final Rule, but comments open until June 22, 2026.
Leading Disability Organizations: Delaying Digital Accessibility is Unacceptable (AAPD, 04.21.2026).
DOJ Extends Web Accessibility Deadline (Inside Higher Ed, 04.21.2026).
Statement from the Coalition on Accessibility in Higher Education on DOJ’s Interim Final Rule on Web Accessibility (04.20.2026).
These Blind Students Say Their College Blocked Their Education. A New Rule Could Help. (NPR, 04.22.2026).
Trump Administration Delays Rule Aimed at Improving Disability Access in Schools (NPR, 04.22.2026).
5 Things K-12 Districts Should Know About ADA Title II Compliance (EdTech, 04.22.2026).
Supreme Court VRA Ruling Encourages New Redistricting, More Uncertainty Ahead of November (The Hill, 05.03.2026).
Breaking Down the Redistricting Arms Race Following the Supreme Court’s VRA Ruling (Politico, 05.04.2026).
The Trump Administration Aims to Penalize Disabled Adults Who Live With Their Families (ProPublica, 04.28.2026).
News: Sanders Releases New Report Detailing How Trump’s Education Layoffs Abandoned Students Facing Violence, Harassment and Discrimination (U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, 04.28.2026).
(Full Report) Justice Denied: How Trump’s Office for Civil Rights Reached a 12-Year Low in Protecting Students from Discrimination (U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, 04.28.2026).
HHS’ Office for Civil Rights Secures Provider Compliance with Disability Rights Laws (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 04.13.2026).
Trump Budget Calls for Eliminating Key Disability Programs (Disability Scoop, 04.07.2026).
Economic Security for Women with Disabilities is Under Attack (National Partnership for Women & Families, 04.14.2026).
Over 8 in 10 Employees with Disabilities Don’t Feel Safe Disclosing Accommodation Needs (Fair Play Talks, 04.26.2026).
People with Disabilities are Losing Homes and Caregivers (Minnesota Women’s Press, 04.28.2026).
Interested in how housing needs to become more accessible? Here are a few great articles:
Beyond the Checkbox: How Inclusive Design is Reshaping Housing Across the U.S. (Forbes, 04.27.2026).
Barry Long: Rewriting the Rules on Accessibility (National Association of Realtors, 04.23.2026).
Experts Say Designing Your Home With ‘Quiet Accessibility’ Will SERIOUSLY Pay Off Later (House Beautiful, 04.14.2026).
The Cost of “I Do” in the Disability Community (Ford Foundation, 04.28.2026).
Voya Research Finds 1 in 5 People with Disabilities Experience Discrimination When Working with Financial Services Companies (Yahoo Finance, 04.07.2026).
From Screen to Store: IKEA Finland Pilot Connects Digital and Physical Accessibility (INGKA, 04.28.2026).
Stylish, Modern and Accessible. Inclusive Design is a Smart Commercial Decision (WhatTheyThink, 03.26.2026).
How to Fix the In-Store Experience for Neurodivergent Shoppers (Vogue Business, 04.16.2026).
When I compile the newsletter, these are open roles, but changes to status occur quickly. Please note, I do not have any additional information beyond the links provided about these positions, and I do not have affiliations with these jobs. If you have a job to share, please contact me to post in the next newsletter.
Making Space has many opportunities for individuals seeking creative roles available on their page. Making Space seeks to connect disabled professionals with career opportunities and help employers retain talent. The roles range from in person, to hybrid, to remote and some are full time, part time, or contract. Check out the opportunities here.
The American Association of People with Disabilities has positions open. Check out the Executive Assistant position - you’d work for an amazing person! Learn more about these roles and future roles posted here.
The Center for American Progress has numerous positions across programs open. These include a chief economist, associate director of health policy, executive vice president of policy, vice president of democracy, and more. Learn about all the positions here.
ACLU is hiring for a disability, accessibility, & inclusion manager. This full time position is a hybrid role and works across teams. Learn more about the position here.
Georgetown University is hiring for a full time accessibility coordinator. Accessibility is key on campus and this role works on the main campus to carry out the mission of the Academic Resource center and provide accommodations to students. Learn more here.
The American Amputee Soccer Association is looking for an organizational operations and fundraising lead. This job is part time and allows you to work with a variety of groups and individuals. Check out more here.
Are you a graduate student looking for an internship? AARP is hiring a graduate student for a health policy internship. Learn about the role, pay, and more.
Connect with Kim today to share content for this newsletter or learn more about services offered by Unlock Access. Enjoying the accessibility tips of the month? Download the Unlock Access Accessible Business Starter Kit today!
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