HUD Whistleblowers reveal what probably should surprise no one.

#HUD #housing #CivilRights #VAWA  #Homeless

SURPRISE: HUD trying to ignore civil rights laws

Two Corinthians and other moments

 In honor of what President #StableGenius says is his favorite part of the Bible, tonight's Bible Study

2 corinthians 3 NIV - Are we beginning to commend ourselves - Bible Gateway

RantWoman has NO idea whether it will help the President but maybe it will help someone.

THE CHARLIE KIRK CASE JUST GOT WAY WEIRDER | The Kyle Kulinski Show

Officials give update on accused Charlie Kirk killer

Despite UT Governor Cox's prayers that the shooter be someone from outside, any brown-skinned person would probably have stuck out like a sore thumb. 

Ken Klippenstein Obtains Leaks From Alleged Charlie Kirk Shooter's Discord

They’re LYING TO YOU About Kirk’s Shooter

There is another Luke Beesley that debunks various gamer theories.

Obama Exposes INSANE Charlie Kirk VIDEO

RantWoman's posted comment.

Weirdly, I believe that one of the Black women Charlie Kirk referenced DID say that they benefited from Affirmative Action. Almost every Black person I met at Princeton somewhere along the way had to deal with crap about them not deserving to be there.

When the Skull and Bones society at Yale started to admit women, there was a quote about that was the way to ensure they were looking forte smartest people at Yale. I know it probably smarts to hear that looking outside of entitled circles is a good way to find the smartest people available, but there we are.

And Charlie Kirk is still a bizarre human being whose appropriation of the Bible does not at all line up with what I understand.

"The Martyrdom of Charlie Kirk": How the Right Is Weaponizing Kirk's Killing

Roland & Joe Walsh: Stop Whitewashing Charlie Kirk’s Hateful Rhetoric

Christian Pastors REACT to Charlie Kirk's Death

And RantWoman's weirdo questions of the week:

RantWoman has done enough ushering at different kinds of events that at some point, questions of herding people around and what different event attendees might need wander through RantWoman's mind.

Tonight's questions:

RantWoman has lost track of a link featuring a young woman interviewing to guys who are probably about her age. The guys were at the #CharlieKirk UVU eventand both reported about what happened after the fatal shot was fired, basically panic and everyone trying to flee, including some people who fell. RantWoman's first question: has anyone tracked injuries among the people who fell? RantWoman can think of lots of reasons to ask about this. Enough said.

One of RantWoman's instincts in many crowd situations is to look for paths through or out. This is partly because RantWoman and Ambassador Thwack prefer not to plow into people. People who have been to active shooter drills also get taught to think of either places to hide or ways to get away. RantWoman got only a fleeting look at the crowd. It did not appear that anyone had done anything to ensure there were aisles in the crowd. One commentator commented about the number of officers possibly being too few for the event. RantWoman has no opinion about that except that perhaps 10 or 15 student ushers could have helped ensure that there were aisles.

Next since RantWoman is around lots of wheelchair users and people who need signlanguage interpreting, RantWoman wondered idly where wheelchair users would have been and whether anyone requested sign language interpretation.

RantWoman will simply leave the wondering questions here for now and try to go about the rest of her commitments at least for a bit..

A Resignation Notice one definitely did not want to read: stalker into gun threats vs highly regarded principled Visionary leader

posted verbatim; further commentary separately.

 Washington School for the Blind superintendent resigns, citing harassment and threats

By Jake Goldstein-Street (Washington State Standard)

Aug. 11, 2025 1:54 p.m.

The longtime superintendent at the Washington State School for the Blind is resigning amid threats from a disgruntled former employee, he announced this month.

“Change can bring fresh energy and perspective, and I am hopeful the agency will continue to grow and thrive in the years ahead,” Scott McCallum wrote in his resignation letter. “I have decided it is best for me and for the WSSB that I resign from my role as superintendent to seek new leadership opportunities.”

McCallum has been the Vancouver school’s superintendent since 2016. Gov. Bob Ferguson reappointed McCallum upon taking office in January.

In his resignation letter to Ferguson, McCallum attributed his departure, effective Aug. 15, partially to “continuous harassment from a former employee that has created significant disruption across the agency.”

“I remain hopeful that such disruption and threats may cease once I depart my role as superintendent,” he wrote to the governor Aug. 1. “Also, with the recent shift to your administration and our school year ending, I believe this is the appropriate time for WSSB to begin a new chapter under new leadership.”

In a court filing in May related to the alleged harassment, McCallum said he worried the former employee would escalate threats and commit violence. He was especially worried since many of the staff at the school are blind or visually impaired.

“Her continual focus on us and violence, and our particular vulnerabilities has us all worried and scared,” he wrote. “I regularly drive new routes to work. I park in different places at work regularly, always backed in to make for a quick escape. I can’t leave my house without looking out to see if she is outside and I have found new routes to walk my dogs.”

McCallum didn’t respond to requests for further comment last week.

Ferguson tapped Pam Parker, the school’s outreach director, to serve as interim superintendent for the 2025-26 school year.

The school serves blind, visually impaired and deaf-blind students. Fifty students were enrolled this past school year, according to state data. It has about 100 full-time equivalent employees and a state budget of around $29 million.

McCallum has a national reputation in education of students who are blind or visually impaired. He helped implement the country’s first online adaptive state assessment that is accessible to students who read Braille.

In 2022, the National Federation of the Blind awarded McCallum with the Distinguished Educator of Blind Students award.

Before coming to Washington, McCallum worked in education in Oregon.

Blind Pride International statement about participation in the American Council of the Blind national Convention

#Pride #Pride2024

The following comments, with the exception of direct statement quotes, are RantWoman's views and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization mentioned.

RantWoman has decided to open Pride Month with discussion of questions of conscience when a national event gets scheduled in a state a couple years before the state legislature and governor go bananas and enact legislation which makes any thought of travel to the state by anyone who might be pregnant, any member of the #LGBTQ+ communities.suddenly very stress-filled, so stress filled that one's options become either "Just don't go there" or make some bold public statement in solidarity with people who live there.

The following comments, with the exception of direct statement quotes, are RantWoman's views and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization mentioned.

Blind Pride International chose the latter option. Moving this year's American Council of the Blind national convention out of Jacksonville FL on short notice was not feasible. At the same time BPI planned to host a speaking event in support of human rights for all during the ACB convention. That was the plan. Several steps were taken to make that a reality including credible collaboration with local human rights groups and law enforcement.

Along the way, lively and sometimes vitriolic discussion arose on several organizational email lists about lots of things to do with Diversity Equity and Inclusion. RantWoman had no time to wade into anything that smacks of a realm she has sometimes inhabited herself, the Still Didn't Get The Memo on Email Immoderation.  RantWoman has no idea whether she might have been able to contribute meaningfully to the conversation. RantWoman simply did not participate until...until a couple of 5-hour Zoom calls. RantWoman is not prepared to characterizec all the organizational ins and outs behind the calls except for one point: people who are not used to thinking about how to conduct safe public outdoor events seemed in a few cases to be cowed by fearmongering before all the relevant logistics had been fully discussed.

The statements below are the result of the 5 hour Zoom calls and other discussions.

Perhaps by the time this item posts, the Florida "Don't Say Gay Bill will have been banished for the assault on the First Amendment that it is; that does not diminish the organizational work still ahead.

Blind Pride International Statement.

 For Immediate Release:

Blind LGBT Pride International (BPI) Affirms Commitment to Human
Rights by Opting Out of Jacksonville Convention

The American Council of the Blind (ACB), the parent organization of
BPI, will hold their annual conference and convention in Jacksonville,
FL, in July 2024. Amid Florida's divisive and hostile political
climate towards marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ+ community,
BPI initially sought to collaborate with ACB to ensure a safe and
inclusive convention experience. This effort included a human rights
speaking demonstration at Jacksonville's City Hall Park on July 8th,
developed in conjunction with the Jacksonville Mayor's office, the
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion officer, and the Sheriff's
Department, to showcase Jacksonville's commitment to human rights for
all.

However, following actions taken by the ACB Board of Directors on
January 30th, 2024, which retracted endorsement and support for the
planned demonstration, BPI found it   fundamentally critical to
reassess its participation. The Board's decisions signaled a departure
from standing with marginalized members and advocating for collective
human rights.

"In choosing to opt out of the Jacksonville convention, we assert our
dedication to protecting and uplifting the rights of our transgender
siblings, pregnant individuals, people of color, and everyone impacted
by Florida's unjust legislation," stated Tristan Snyder, co-chair of
BPI’s Advocacy committee.

After thorough discussion and reflection, BPI chooses to prioritize
the well-being and rights of all marginalized communities by repealing
our participation in this year's ACB convention. This decision stems
from a position of strength and a deep commitment to our core values.

"We encourage our community and allies to join us in this decision to
stand in solidarity for human rights, demonstrating through our
actions that we demand safe and inclusive environments for all."

"BPI has been a proud affiliate and supportive partner of the American
Council of the Blind since 2000," says BPI President Leah Gardner.
"However, the recent actions of the ACB Board convey a message that
the safety and dignity of all attendees do not hold as much importance
as its relationships with grant and corporate sponsors. It is with a
heavy heart that BPI must withdraw all programming and participation
from ACB's annual conference and convention. We will select a delegate
to vote virtually at the conference and convention as  the democratic
process remains the best way to secure human rights. While we are
deeply
disappointed by the recent decisions of the ACB Board, we remain
hopeful for a future where the dignity and safety of all convention
attendees is paramount."


For more information about Blind Lgbt Pride, please visit:
https://www.bpi.gay.

--
Leah Gardner
Blind Lgbt Pride President
president@blindlgbtpride.org

Statement by Guide Dog users International

 

                                                                  

GUIDE DOG USERS, INC.

3603 MORGAN WAY

IMPERIAL, MISSOURI 63052

Toll Free: 1-866-799-8436

www.gdui.org

March 23, 2024

 

Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI) stands in solidarity with Blind Pride, International (BPI), who has chosen not to attend the 2024 American Council of the Blind (ACB) conference and convention in Jacksonville, FL, because of ACB’s lack of tangible support for BPI’s concerns regarding the status of human rights protections in the state.  We urge any of our members who may feel vulnerable in a state which has adopted legislation that makes members of marginalized communities feel unwelcome or unsafe, to pay attention to travel advisories promulgated by the NAACP the Human Rights Campaign and Equality Florida, the ACLU of Florida and others, and, if you feel anxious about traveling to Florida, to forgo in-person participation at this year’s GDUI and ACB convention events. The safety and comfort of our members is just as important to GDUI as our mission of upholding the civil rights of guide dog users and all people who are blind and low vision. Civil rights are human rights, and we share with BPI a strong commitment to civil and human rights for all people.

 

GDUI has been proudly affiliated with ACB since 1972, and we fully believe that the American Council of the Blind’s ongoing advocacy on behalf of people who are blind has led to significant advancements in civil rights protections and improvements in opportunities for many Americans who are blind, including those of us who rely on guide dogs for independence and safety. . We are disappointed that ACB’s board seems to have lost their way when they refused to endorse a rally that would have promoted and celebrated human rights in the city of Jacksonville.

 

Plans for GDUI’s summer convention continue to evolve. No matter what individual members decide about whether or not to attend our convention in-person, we want to assure everyone that virtual convention programming will be available in real time and online to all GDUI members and friends who register, and that GDUI will post contact information for a delegate whom members can easily contact to facilitate voting for ACB candidates and resolutions during convention plenary sessions.

 

We welcome opportunities for collaboration with other ACB affiliates who, like GDUI, stand in solidarity with Blind Pride International, and we urge our parent organization to make a firmer commitment to promote and safeguard diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, which are core principles for all of ACB and its committees and affiliated organizations. We applaud BPI for their courage and strength of conviction, and we are proud to join in solidarity with them.

 

Sarah Calhoun, President

Penny Reeder, Immediate Past President

Maria Hansen, First Vice President

Cheryl McNeill Fisher, Second Vice President

Lynn Merrill, Secretary

Maria Kristic, Treasurer

 

Directors:

Liz Bottner

Cynthia Hawkins

Vickie Kennedy

Lolly Lijewski

Kay Malmquist

Olivia Norman 

Statement by American Council of the Blind President Deb Cook 

GAADoutline

 Assembled in preparation for a presentation aimed at City of Seattle staff for #GlobalAccessibilityAwarenessDay #GAAD #GAAD2024.

Intro and some presentation technology points.

First, thank you to Holly Delcambre and Autumn Harris for the invitation to present and to the tech team for helping with the presentation process. 

The initial part of this presentation is going to be a video recorded on Zoom with Zoom auto captioning. Then there will be live Q & A at the end. I am not going to interact with the chat but will ask the tech team both to collect questions and to please advise me if for instance I need to slow down for interpreters.

If for some reason screenshare doesn't work well for you, you can more or less follow along at rantwoman.blogspot.com/GAADoutline

This blog post is partly intended to parallel the Powerpoint, including a transcript of planned content. The slides contain links to individual posts at my personal blog,   RantWoman.Blogspot.com The presentation will also include links to other resources.

The presentation strives to model some presentation best practices. I am not going to read every link for the demos presented but they can be found using the hashtags #GAAD and #GAAD2024 on my blog. 

For more extensive commentary about Powerpoint, though probably not about presenting with a screen reader check out the Death by Powerpoint tag.

Finally, in addition to hashtags and my personal idiosyncratic tags, this post uses Headings to allow screen reader users to find pieces of the post without having to reread the whole post.

More technological comments:

I use both screen reader and screen enlargement. I am not a fount of wisdom about issues like back end screen reader accessibility for blogger. I simply use the tools I have learned in the platforms I am most comfortable in.

I also am not a whiz about Powerpoint, content design, video creation and editing, or every nuance of screen readers. The Powerpoint presentation includes links to some demos of user experience with a screen reader. Demos will be screen share recordings with sound in Zoom and captioning will be Zoom auto-captioning. I hope the presentation will be memorable anyway.

The recording links will be added to this post after the presentation.

There are MANY content Creation tools out there. People consume social media content in all kinds of ways. I am going to focus on just a few dimensions of accessibility with some brief demos of user experience when #A11y is neglected. I hope viewers will come away with at least one tip they can use all the time with the tools they already use or a vision of features they need in any tools they are considering.

More detail

All purpose standards reference: Web Contant Accessibility Guidelines, currently WCAG 2.0 with many helpful links at WebAIM.org

#A11y tips for people who are blind

--Use Alt Text to describe images

--Capitalize every word in hashtags

--Put event details in plain text even if you are also uploading a great graphic with the event details in graphic format. Also helpful: provide a link if you want to provide more information than is allowed in one post (Personally, I do not currently have a paid presence on X / Twitter. I consider it good discipline to fit my post in the current 280 character limit.)

--There is sound and there is sound: Consider a short video that has some kind of catchy music but nothing audible to aid a blind person in understandaing what the video is about. See Demo

--There is a whole separate section in hell for text in graphics. More about this separately.

--DO NOT roll text over video content, especially over the faces of people talking. Screen reader users will not find such text at all. People who are low vision may have trouble focusing fast enough to read the text. Many people, not just people who identify as Deaf or hearing impaired rely a great deal on lip reading as well as facial expression. Just avoid text over other content.

#A11y Tips for people who are low vision or color blind.

--CONTRAST matters for people who are low vision or color blind. Also many people do not own printers but may print in places like public libraries that have only black and white printing.

--Contrast checking for color content is complex. Some content creation tools have contrast checkers built in. In other cases, an internet search might start with the info available through The WebAIM Contrast checker Pick an approach you like and stick with it.

--Quick and Dirty: Use operating system tools to Test how your content looks in Black and White.

--My Quick and Dirty for this presentation will use screenshots and Zoom clips in color schemes availabe through Zoomtext, the screen enlargement tool I use.

--Contrast again: Text over images is not picked up by screen readers and may not be identifiable to people who are low vision. 

#A11y tips for people who are deaf or hearing impaired.

--For short social media posts, consider posting a transcript separately.

An Example with both Video and a Transcript

Other Miscellaneous tips:

Beware of images with flash: some flash rates can cause seizures

Built accessibility in from the outset. make it a habit. That way, even if you are as adept as RantWoman at pushing deadlines, you won't lose the accessibility game.

Know the limits of your tools:

--How much alt text is allowed.

--Do you have options in your tool to check contrast or do you need to look for a tool that checks contrast?

--Do you trust automated text captioning or alt text generation or do you need to plan for that as part of the work plan.

--If you are creating content in one platform and then exporting it to a PDF or to another platform will functionality such as links and headings be preserved?

--If the platform you want to post to does not make it easy to create accessible, post a link to accessible content from another platform.

Other Examples

Quick and Dirty Contrast Checks

Alt Text What makes good alt text

Accessible Prescription Labels

Guide Dog Video that leaves something to be desired

The Dreaded Text in Graphics

Other places I look for examples

(use search engines to find)

Anything produced by Disability Rights WA

The Non-driver project

Other disability rights and disability services organizations.

Points to Remember

Use Alt Text on all images. For best results, do not rely on what happens automatically.

Avoid writing text over images

Always Check contrast

If a platform does not allow you to make content accessible, post a link to something that is accessible.

Provide captions whenever there is audio.

To avoid causing seizures, be cautious about flash.

One last comment about logos and the importance of contrast.

YES, event sponsor logos matter.

Blind people are VERY divided about how much we want to know about other people’s appearance. As a general rule, I recommend not worrying about it unless specifically requested. But I have a T-shirt that is a bit of a joke. Two years ago I attended the American Council of the Blind national convention in Omaha NE. The convention T shirt is dark red with dark blue design, really terrible contrast. The front image is the Bob Kerrey pedestrian bridge. The back is a bunch of sponsor logos and I have to think the sponsors might prefer their logos be a little more visible. 

Final thoughts

Even if you only do one accessibility step and remember to do it all the time, your social media content will be accessible to more people.

Software and platforms constantly evolve but many customers appreciate stability and are not automatically eager to learn everything new that comes along..

Closing comments

Thank you all for joining this presentation. I hope I have left you with some easy approaches and resources.

Quick and Dirty Contrast Checks

 #GAAD #GAAD2024

Here are two Pixel phone screen shots of slides seen through the Zoomtext White on Black Color Scheme. They are intended to illustrate the importance of checking contrast in order not to loose content.

The images have an assortment of Blind Person in a hurry technical shortcomings. Please enjoy anyway.

Hint. There is text in all 3 gifs.
Can you read all the text in the bottom picture?

A bunch of reasons I like teamwork for social media and presentations

It would be good to deal with the text in the image 

but that is readable in the original Powerpoint

The Quick and Dirty part with the phone screenshots: Zoom screenshare does not share what Zoomtext does to screen presentation.

An example with both a video and a transcript.

#GAAD #GAAD2024 #A11y particularly for people who are deaf / hearing impaired / have some other language processing issue.

A video on Twitter / X along with the transcript of the video.

Congresswoman with brain disorder uses text-to-voice app to deliver House speech https://t.co/I3qJNGaA4Z https://t.co/I3qJNGaA4Z

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 8, 2024

Not even going to try to describe how I got from the Twitter / X share in email first to the video and then I think by clicking through somewhere to the Washington Examiner site

And the link to the full text of comments 

Congresswoman with brain disorder uses text to speech appto deliver remarks

PBS: Maine's deaf community unites to heal in wake of Lewiston shooting

RantWoman has not previously heard about the impact the Lewiston ME mass shooting had on the deaf community.

RantWoman nearly threw things at the computer when they said that interpreters were kept out of the ER!!!!

RantWoman shared the post with someone who said, basically, "that wouldn't happen where I work." RantWoman unfortunately can see how a mass casualty event involving multiple deaf people, both injured and trying to navigate a waiting room would be really confusing. RantWoman will be interested to know whether, say, any kind of educational video results from learnings after the event.

Comments on an article from the Benton Foundation about WA broadband planning

 

By way of commenting as the WA Department of Commerce drafts proposals to use the next increment of federal BEAD funding, suppose we start heading by heading with this article from the Benton Foundation and then comment on selected passages.

 

The format of this post is Heading level 3 Title of barrier population article excerpt and then Heading level 4 comment.

 

https://www.benton.org/blog/washington-state-sets-digital-equity-goals

This article includes links for more information about the current phase of broadband planning in WA.

 

Washington's Vision of Digital Equity

Through extensive public engagement, starting in 2022 and continuing through the summer of 2023, the Washington State Broadband Office (WSBO) developed a vision for digital equity. The Washington vision for digital equity is:

Everyone in Washington has affordable broadband internet technology as well as the tools and skills needed to participate in our digital society before 2028.

Comment:

This is a worthy goal. At the same time there are people who for a number of reasons might have no interest in broadband. Also, pushing everyone toward digitalization should not serve as a reason to delete people providing services. Technology expands horizons for many people and in the best case should free up human staff time to better serve people who for one reason or another really cannot interact with services online. It seems important to identify ways that everyone in WA can benefit from affordable broadband even if they personally want nothing to do with new technology.

 

Barriers to Digital Equity

In Washington state, 75.5 percent of the state’s population falls within at least one of the “covered populations,” with racial and ethnic minority populations and rural populations making up the largest covered populations within the state. 

Aging Individuals

In Washington state, 22 percent of residents are over the age of 60. Aging individuals in Washington are predominantly white (97%) and receive their income from Social Security (74%). A majority of aging individuals in Washington are also considered low-income based on the federal poverty rate (86%). Seniors in rural areas also need broadband to access critical healthcare services that may not be available otherwise without having to travel long distances. The ability to video conference medical professionals allows seniors to choose where they live while still having access to the services that they need.

With 73 percent of seniors in Washington on Social Security income, about $568 a month in Washington state, $75 for broadband service can be considered too expensive. While the Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) offers a $30 a month subsidy, or up to $75 per eligible household on tribal lands, seniors may have difficulties enrolling in the program, due to a complicated two-step enrollment process, a lack of availability through their ISP, or general unawareness of the program.

Digital skills are essential for participating in today’s digital society through activities such as searching and applying for jobs, accessing benefits, or engaging with friends and family on social networks. While digital skilling programs exist at community anchor institutions within Washington, it may be difficult for some seniors to access services.

 

Comment:

Tribal connectivity needs focus in collaboration both with people who live on reservations and people who are dispersed in more urban environments. WA digital equity projects need to spell out both how to ensure the broadest possible increase in internet access for households and other entities on reservations and to identify collaborative efforts ensuring that people with tribal affiliations in cities have access to support their tribal affiliation entitles them to.

Next the current population of seniors may be predominantly white. Assuming policies that meet the needs of white elders may or may not be helpful for people of other backgrounds and care needs to be taken not to drown out different cultural preferences and life realities. Also, as much more diverse generations age this age cohort will also become more diverse. .  

Barriers for both tribal members and all seniors in general point to the importance of designing fees and subsidies in ways that allow people, both households and businesses of different sizes to connect affordably and to maintain connection affordably over time. I would specifically encourage evaluation processes that measure how many people who get connected are able to maintain connection for 6 or 12 months and to consider the need for backup options for people who need critical connection but because of changed circumstance can no longer afford it.

 

For example, during a recent trip to a storefront for my cell service provider to replace a dead device, I observed 3 different people with billing issues have to ask the staffperson for a direct connection to billing. At a bare minimum, after even if service is suspended for non-payment, people should still be able to connect with service providers billing departments just as they can connect to 911.

 

Digital inclusion efforts serving seniors need to take into account both the critical importance of peer support for some kinds of activities such as connecting with families, attending religious services, and the ongoing need for coaching for example to sign into video medical appointments or a generally slower learning curve, capacity to be very satisfied with the ability to do a few different activities.

 

Many seniors I meet complain about interfaces that change regularly, ad popups, unpredictable or untrustworthy search results, and all the ways ads can creep into one’s broadband services. Thus digital inclusion means not only identifying which different forms of broadband development are appropriate in different areas but also developing a culture of safe and enjoyable use and not to assume for example that seniors will automatically be comfortable even with basics such as online shopping or reading a QR code to access a menu at a restaurant.

 

Finally, people come into disability at all different phases of life but changes in function may have more dramatic impact for seniors. People who can no longer drive need easy access to other options for getting around. People with changes in hand mobility might need to explore other ways to interact with their paths for connectivity

 

Many modern ways people connect to the internet come with a variety of accessibility features built in. In other cases, seniors may simply be used to what works for them and not aware of more friendly newer possibilities. Again, it’s not connectivity until a person has the tools and knowledge needed to do what they want or need to do. This means for example both equipping people in direct services with the devices and connectivity they need for personal use but also equipping them through workforce training or continuing education with skills to work with the people they serve.

 

Incarcerated Individuals

Washington state has approximately 14,000 individuals in confinement as of June 30, 2023, with 92 percent in state prison.

Currently, the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) does not permit incarcerated individuals access to the internet, as there are concerns about incarcerated individuals using the internet to conduct illegal activity.  Correctional institutions determine the resources available for incarcerated individuals to access the outside world, including access to phone calls, emails, or video calls. Consideration is needed for how to scale up access to affordable internet services and devices for incarcerated individuals to stay in communication with friends and family.

For correctional facilities that do have computer labs or institutional libraries available for incarcerated individuals, the devices are frequently outdated, limited in number, only
available at certain times of the day, and highly regulated and surveillance. Incarcerated individuals need access to updated digital devices––and the digital skills training to enable full usage of these devices––to optimize their ability to engage with and become accustomed to the outside world after release.

Comment

This section of the article makes no mention of the high costs to families of incarcerated individuals in maintaining contact with loved ones, one essential element of successful re-entry. Both the state and families almost certainly need to be getting more for their money.

 

Incarcerated individuals almost always return to society. Whatever programs develop to enhance internet access for incarcerated individuals while inside need to ensure continuous access to devices as people graduate to new programs. From the administrative side, do people working with formerly incarcerated individuals need skills to say, use case management software?

 

Some incarcerated individuals are in county jails. Most of the comments here apply to people in county jails too but the paths to implement programs are probably different.

 

Most WA State prisons are located in rural areas which the WA Broadband plan should already be targeting to enhance internet infrastructure with accompanying need for people who work in corrections to increase digital literacy to take advantage of opportunities that come with enhanced connectivity .

 

Realistically, OF COURSE some percentage of incarcerated individuals would try to engage in more crime if they had more access to the internet. Other individuals may have bans on internet access as conditions of their sentences. These are administrative issues and to me seem solvable in the context of rules and privileges now used in many institutions. In general it’s not clear to me that the tools needed to contain internet crime in prisons are different from tools from tools used in the outside world to control access and monitor various behaviors. What tools and new skills do DoC staff need to increase and monitor internet usage by people in custody? What demonstration projects could be launched to begin to test out increased access to the internet?

 

Low-Income Households

In Washington, 10 percent of the population lives in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Census Bureau uses a set of income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty. If a family's total income is less than the poverty threshold for that family size, then that family and every individual in it is considered in poverty. By contrast, the Digital Equity Act's definition is individuals living in households with incomes not exceeding 150 percent of the poverty level.

Many Washingtonians have not been able to take advantage of the ACP because they are unaware of the program, have trouble applying for it, cannot access it because their service provider does not accept the program, or they simply may not qualify for the subsidy based on their income. Washington highlights that ACP is federally funded and that it is uncertain if ACP will be extended once its current funding is exhausted in 2024.

Low-income households in Washington expressed a need for greater awareness of available resources like the ACP, digital navigator programs, and other established initiatives in the state. Awareness is essential for low-income households to utilize digital inclusion assets and resources that are publicly available, and many people are not aware that these resources exist. Additionally, the reliance on smartphones is very common for low-income households and other covered populations that struggle to afford updated computer equipment.

 

Comment

One barrier that should be solvable: programs that administer various kinds of public assistance need frameworks for including the cost of devices and internet service into the overall household budgets that set amounts individuals must pay for rent, medical insurance, and other utilities. Addressing this concern is as much a policy concern as a technology one. The WA Broadband plan needs to propose some strategies to ensure that applicable state agencies do the policy work needed to ensure that individuals maintain the internet access they need.

 

As some people’s work environments shift to fewer days in the office and thus reduced impact on the state transportation network, it is worthwhile to consider ways increased deployment of broadband might be supported by funds otherwise required for transportation.

 

Another important aspect of access continuity is the capabilities of different kinds of devices. To me it is unclear what the internet equivalent of people driving a 20-year-old Honda should look like. However, provisions for device refurbishment and good right to repair legislation is needed both to allow people to extend the usable life of devices used to access broadband and also to reduce the volume of e-waste

 

Individuals with Language Barriers

U.S. Census Bureau data indicate that a sizable percentage of Washington residents have limited proficiency in English and speak another language at home. In Washington state, 20 percent of the population speaks a language other than English at home, and about 8 percent of individuals speak English less than very well, according to the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. That amounts to more than 1.45 million individuals speaking a language other than English at home, and over 547,000 individuals who have limited English language proficiency.

People with language barriers need to access websites and digital services to accomplish everyday tasks, such as paying their internet service bills, staying up to date with banking activities, telehealth, and more. Vital information displayed on digital service platforms should be accessible to individuals with language barriers in frequently encountered languages, yet that is rarely the case. Developing digital skills is as important as developing English literacy skills and there is an opportunity and need for the two curriculums to be integrated within programs for people with language barriers.

 

Comments:

The WA state broadband plan should absolutely propose some in-depth strategies to ensure that broadband programs increase the ability of all levels of government to meet the language access needs of people they serve. Helpful measures might include improving connectivity and digital access for community-based organizations that provide services and training in-language, requirements in software purchase decisions that software function in more languages than English, and ensuring that commercial enterprises such as banks are also meeting the language access needs of customers. I for one do not mind in the lease when I go to my ATM machine, see screens big enough for me to interact with, and have to choose which language I want services in because to me that means the bank is doing its job.

 

 

Individuals with Disabilities

Individuals with disabilities make up 13 percent of the population within Washington state. The U.S. Census Bureau defines this as individuals who have difficulty with hearing, vision, cognition, and ambulation. However, a 2012 report from the National Disability Rights Network found that due to accessibility challenges, the disability community is undercounted and misrepresented in the census. National Disability Rights further found that questions related to disabilities––such as chronic health and psychiatric disabilities that impact more than 43 percent of individuals in the U.S.––are not asked about on the census, thus not capturing the true number of Americans living with disabilities.

People living with disabilities have unique challenges to accessing the internet including website and device accessibility, ability to afford services, digital skills, or complex systems and languages. Specific disabilities may require special resources to access the internet, for example, individuals with vision impairment may need screen readers or audio support to receive the information on a screen. However, screen readers may not be available on devices such as cell phones, or websites with photos without descriptive captions. Washingtonians expressed a need for accessibility tools from ISPs as well as affordable assistive devices. 

Comment:

Census estimates of 13% of the population having some kind of disability reflects dramatic undercount. Disability Rights WA and other organizations estimate that 1 in 4 people live with some kind of disability.  People with disabilities fall into all of the categories where comments have already been provided but expanding broadband access and fully meeting people’s accessibility needs should take into account some other points.

 

The list provided above is a decent start about different kinds of adaptations people need in order to make the best use of technology. Again, determining which measures are most needed in given situations requires in-depth knowledge and there should be training paths to cultivate both in-depth knowledge and mutual peer support by people with similar needs. A good broadband policy reflects the point that people with disabilities need the same skills and tools to live daily life as they do at work.

 

Accessibility is complex. Determining what measures will be most important in different situations requires analysis. WA state broadband programs should ensure that all training programs aimed at teaching people to code and deploy technology also include specific discussion of accessibility needs, standards, and practices.

 

Workplaces just should not buy inaccessible software. This is a bold sweeping step. At a minimum software purchase decisions should involve accessibility testing with people who have different disabilities. Public-facing apps and larger applications should never turn off accessibility features built into devices.

 

Pitch for National Disabilities Employment awareness month, #NDEAM: there can never be too many people with disabilities in a workplace even if it means everyone gets to learn about challenges and workarounds that might also benefit customers and other employee’s family members.

 

Finally, technology cannot fix all accessibility problems and “ask a human” can never go away as an option.

 

Additional Barrier populations

For the population categories below the Benton Foundation does a fine job of characterizing issues and the points made above also address issues for these populations. The other relevant points: how well can the benefits of improved internet access be measured in terms of enhanced quality of life, improved health outcomes, greater housing and work stability, reduced public expenditures, and even increased tax revenues?

Racial and Ethnic Minorities

Rural Inhabitants

Veterans

Youth in Foster Care

Individuals (Who) Experience Housing Instability

 

 

AFB Barriers to Digital Inclusion report now available

The 2023 Barriers to Digital Inclusion Survey is Now Available

In 2023, there is a website or app for just about any task, and these digital platforms offer convenience, cost savings, and efficiency. Yet, digital platforms have not been designed for everyone. Researchers at AFB conducted the Barriers to Digital Inclusion Survey (BDIS) to learn about the prevalence and impacts of digital inclusion barriers faced by individuals who are blind, have low vision, or are deafblind. 

Barriers to Digital Inclusion Report

Full disclosure: RantWoman pretty much reflexively fills out any American Foundation for the Blind AFB survey that comes her way so RantWoman probably contributed to the results.

RantWoman especially recommends reading the final 2-3 sections. RantWoman has more to say and will say it in a separate blog post.

RantWoman strongly 

Shattering Assumptions About Deafness - Meryl Evans (A11yTalks - Novembe...

 via Twitter, RantWoman discovered two very cool resources, Dr. Meryl Evans and the Allytalks channel on Youtube.

Here are several illustrative videos

Ally Talk: Why it is important to involve deaf people...

RantWoman is not going to offer further analysis but rather to encourage readers to follow Meryl for yourselves.

Note: RantWoman is aware of many people with disabilities #PWD who have not fled Twitter. RantWoman's theories about this: switching platforms is hard technically and also in terms of reconstructing or adapting one's presence in a new environment. Also so far the Current Chief Twit has not managed to screw things up completely beyond repair. RantWoman has not fully read up on changes occurring in April. Stay tuned.

Take the AFB Barriers to Digital Inclusion Survey before December 15!

Hi All

Taking a survey might just NOT be on the top of anyone's mind as we all whirl through December. However, in RantWoman's experience, surveys from the American Council of the Blind are nearly always worth one's time. 

Take this on before December 15, 2022

You can now respond to AFB's Barriers to Digital Inclusion research survey until December 15.  Are you blind, deafblind, or do you have low vision?  Do you use assistive technology like screen magnification, a screen reader or a braille display? If you said “yes” to these questions, then the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) invites you to fill out our accessible online survey. Specific survey topics include: The mainstream and assistive technology you use. How you learned to use assistive technology. How you stay up-to-date about new accessibility features and upgrades. Any accessibility challenges you encounter while using websites or mobile applications. The strategies you use to overcome accessibility challenges with websites and mobile apps. The survey should take about 30-45 minutes to complete. You will have the opportunity to enter a raffle to win one of 15 $25 Amazon gift cards. We’ll use what we learn from this survey to: Help inform technology companies so they can make their products more accessible and improve training opportunities. Support our advocacy efforts to promote full digital inclusion. TAKE THE SURVEY If you have any questions or need more information please contact Dr. Arielle Silverman, AFB Director of Research, asilverman@afb.org or 202-469-6832. The survey will close on Thursday evening, December 15, at 11:59 Pacific time. The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) mobilizes leaders, advances understanding, and champions impactful policies and practices using research and data. AFB’s mission is to expand pathways to leadership, education, inclusive technology, and career opportunities to create a world of no limits for people who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision. To learn more about AFB's research and initiatives, visit www.afb.org/research.