A Brief History of Technology-Enabled Gatherings Believe it or not, the first “remote business meeting” happened over a century ago. In 1915, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, Thomas Watson demonstrated long-distance telephoning by taking a call from…
Category: Accessibility
Five Things to Know About Disability and Home Delivery
“They just put the package on the porch and left, without even ringing the doorbell. It was hours before I checked my email and learned my order was waiting outside.” –Amazon customer “I missed a meal because they insisted that…
Boosting Productivity and Accessibility with iOS and Web Tools: Essential Features You Should Know
In an increasingly fast-paced world, staying organized and managing tasks efficiently is more important than ever. Thanks to recent advancements in iOS 18 and useful web tools, individuals now have access to features that not only improve productivity but also…
Youth2Adult Breaks New Ground: Introducing the Virginia Transition Tool
Our TexasYouth2Adult website/tool, “created to empower youth with special health care needs to transition successfully into adulthood,” now has a sister site for Virginia. Why a Transition Tool? For those used to individualized education programs, the world beyond high school…
Voting with a Disability
For people with disabilities, it is critical to have a voice. Voting is my loudest voice. No question our government leaders have good intentions of providing support and resources, but they often fail on follow-through. We have so much to…
Hiking in a Wheelchair
As summer changes to autumn, the U.S. Gulf Coast anticipates the return of cool weather. Outdoor strolls are loaded with health benefits, even for those who can’t “walk” in the standard sense. Many wheelchair users enjoy regular outings, not just…
Your Right to a Real Life: The Story of Olmstead v. L. C.
Last June 22 marked the 25th anniversary of Olmstead v. L. C., when the Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal under the Americans with Disabilities Act to keep people in disability-care institutions when they were better served elsewhere. The…
Video Captions and the Curb Cut Effect
Curb cut effect: what happens when something, designed with one demographic in mind, proves to benefit the larger population. —————————————————- The first captioned media was likely the silent movie, popular in public theaters a century ago. At the time, there…
Could a Disaster Interrupt Your Vacation? How to Travel Prepared
(This article was largely drafted as Houston sat out the “sideswipe” by Hurricane Beryl, and was completed in a public “cooling center” the next day.) An Emergency in Strange Territory: One Family’s Story As most ESGH clients know, Houston has…
Commuting in Greater Houston: When You Have Disabilities and No Private Vehicle
July 26 is the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This article is dedicated to continued progress in public accommodations. In Greater Houston, well over 90 percent of households own cars. With a large population scattered across a…