Disability Abuse Reporting Earns Pulitzer Nod

Pulitzer Prize for public service journalism, considered journalism's highest honor, has chosen its finalists. Among these finalists for the prize include a five-installment series titled "Broken Shield.” The series reporters found that the California’s Office of Protective Services' investigations of abuse were routinely fault-ridden and sought to expose the abuse.

For more information on the series "Broken Shield," visit:

http://californiawatch.org/broken-shield

Muscular Dystrophy and Creative Photography

12 year old boy with muscular dystrophy enjoys dream activities through clever photography:

http://www.grindtv.com/lifestyle/in-style/post/stricken-boys-dream-comes-true-thanks-to-clever-photographer/

Tommy Carroll- Blind Skateboarder

Inspirational skateboarder Tommy Carroll has been skateboarding since he was ten years old. The fact that this is another video about a great skateboarder may not be surprising. What may perk your ears up is the fact that Tommy has been blind since the age of two. Tommy loves to visit the skatepark early in the morning when no one is around and practice his love for skateboarding. When pro-skateboarder Tony Hawke heard of Tommy's story, he became inspired and decided to fly to Tommy's hometown for a visit with him. The two spent the entire day skateboarding.

Here is Tommy Carroll's story:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/21/tommy-carroll-blind-skate_n_2520601.html

If you cannot see the video there, please visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncq27mZq6b4

Recommendations for Improving Accessibility of Social Media by HowTo.gov

HowTo.gov has a great article on how to make Facebook and other social media accounts accessible to people with disabilities. Here is the run-down for the Facebook article:

"Tips for Making Facebook Posts Accessible
For General Account Information
Ensure your website address is listed in the About section of your Timeline/Page in order to provide an easy point of entry to more information.
Include other ways to contact your organization, such as your 800 number, an online “Contact Us” form, or general contact email address for more information.

For Photos, Video, Audio
Always provide a link back to a .gov page that hosts a copy of the photo, video, or audio with full caption/transcript.
After posting the photo, video, or audio, immediately post a comment that directs users to the full caption or the full transcript.
If you have a YouTube channel, upload your video to your channel and make sure you enable closed-captions (you’ll want to upload your own transcript to make sure the captions are accurate). Then post a link to your YouTube video as your status update, rather than uploading the video into Facebook. This will ensure that visitors will be taken to your accessible version on YouTube.

For Composing Status Updates
Facebook provides ample space that allows you to spell out acronyms. Spell out the first instance of the acronym and add the acronym in parentheses after (e.g., U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)). This is especially helpful for those using screen readers, because after the name is heard the acronym is spelled out, and the user will associate the sound of the acronym with the full name."