WEB ACCESSIBILITY LEGISLATION

What does this mean for websites? A simple summary:-

• If your site is not accessible to disabled users then you are potentially breaking the law
• Providing an accessible alternative is not acceptable
• The law applies to all sites regardless of when they were created
• You are expected to make "reasonable adjustments" to your site (governed by various factors)
• Compliance with the World Wide Web Consortium, Web Accessibility Guidelines is currently the best way to ensure compliance

From 1 October 2004 service providers may have to make other "reasonable adjustments" to their services so that there are no physical barriers stopping or making it unreasonably difficult for you to use the service.

Court Action
The DDA law means that companies may be liable for court action if found to be discriminating. This has not been tested in a UK court as yet although 2 companies have been sued with the help of the RNIB, with both cases being settled out of court.

If a company is found to have breached the act they will face a fine, have to fix the problems and pay damages to the claimant. In a landmark Australian court case the damages awarded were AUS $20,000 (£10,000 GBP). In addition to these financial costs is the damage to the company image and brand which is far harder to quantify.

The fact that companies such as Tesco, Standard Life Investments and the Royal Mail have recently created accessible versions of their sites proves that businesses are slowly awakening to the issue of accessibility and the consequences of failing to comply.

How to Comply
Compliance is an on-going duty so it is also important for website owners to monitor 'technological developments which may provide new or better solutions to the problems of inaccessible services'. This menas that even if a Web site was designed before the introduction of the WAI guidelines, that they should still be adhered to as they are a new 'standard'.

Basically this means complying with level 1 of the World Wide Web Consortium guidelines on accessibility. These guidleines should be considered and included (as much as possible) in all new web development to protect against future major re-work and possible discrimination charges.

Related Links:

World Wide Web Consortium - Web Accessibility Intiative (opens in new window)
Disability Rights Commission - Website Review Report (opens in new window)

CSS Web Design is currently offering an audit and update service to all existing customers [we will not be updating outwith our client list]. We will audit your site, flag any areas that do not comply to the new law,and provide you with a quote for the work involved in making your site compliant. On written acceptance of the quote, we will then commence the work required to make your site meet the legislation.
To apply for your site audit please contact CSS Web Design.