Hi guys, some awesome news coming out of New York City this month as it relates to accessibility. The government of NYC has decided to release an updated identification card that incorporates Braille embossing. This will be the first locally issued official identification that incorporates Braille anywhere in the US. For those don’t know it or just learned it while reading this post, NYC has a comprehensive city ID program for all New Yorkers. The card acts as ID anywhere within the state for obtaining government services, making age-restricted purchases, entering age restricted establishments, identification during police interactions and a range of other matters.
The ID card has been existence since 2015 for New Yorkers and the increase in its uptake/usage has steadily increased from what I can gather. I think this is a very exciting development no matter how fast inclusive or assistive technology moves it has always been clear that Braille is a key communication modality for those with non-visual access needs. The card will be steadily rolling out over the next few weeks – really hoping I get to see one in person!
To learn more about NYC’s ID program click the link below:
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/idnyc/index.page
Thanks for reading,
Andrew Drummond
