Website Accessability?

Website accessibility means that anyone can use your site regardless of their abilities or the technology they choose to use for example, screen readers or text browsers and if your site is accessible to humans, then it is accessible to search engine robots as well.

The Law and Accessibility

Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), due to be implemented 1st October 2004, refers to the provision of goods, facilities and services and states that service providers must make 'reasonable adjustments' or disabled people and not discriminate against them. The Code of Practice published by the Disability Rights Commission, which specifically mentions websites, contains the following relevant quotes:

• The Disability Discrimination Act makes it unlawful for a service provider to discriminate against a disabled person by refusing to provide any service which it provides to members of the public.
• From 1st October 1999 a service provider has to take reasonable steps to change a practice which makes it unreasonably difficult for disabled people to make use of its services.
• What services are affected by the Disability Discrimination Act? An airline company provides a flight reservation and booking service to the public on its website. This is a provision of a service and is subject to the act.
• For people with visual impairments, the range of auxiliary aids or services which it might be reasonable to provide to ensure that services are accessible might include... accessible websites
• For people with hearing disabilities, the range of auxiliary aids or services which it might be reasonable to provide to ensure that services are accessible might include... accessible websites.

While some organisations have made suitable adjustments to their websites many have not, labouring under the popular misconception that Part 3 of the Act only applies to physical access or that disabled people do not use their site, so why should they bother?