Disability Discrimination Act compliance
There is widespread misunderstanding, confusion and misinterpretation of the UK Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and the responsibilities and implications for UK business web sites.
The Disability Discrimination Act was passed in 1995 to end discrimination against the disabled in areas of education, employment, and access to facilities, services, property and estate. However, it is Section III of the DDA and the Code of Practice published in 27 May 2002 which specifically mentions web sites and interactive media. This calls upon business service providers to ensure "..which it might be reasonable to provide to ensure that services are accessible...accessible websites."
Regrettably, many web sites remain inaccessible and therefore in breach of regulations, and many UK businesses are completely unaware of this legislation and the consequences of non-compliance. Two of the staunchest advocates of the DDA, the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) and the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) have taken action against companies whose web sites are in breach of DDA regulations. In all cases these organisations made immediate and extensive changes to their web sites rather than face legal action and compensation payments.
Any UK business web site that is not compliant with the DDA legislation is vulnerable to prosecution under UK law. Moreover, the United States, Australia and Canada have also introduced legislation to enable criminal action against inaccessible web sites. Much of the US Section 508 legislation and the Australian Disability Discrimination Act is similar in principle to the UK DDA, which means there is a national and international imperative to ensure that web sites remain highly accessible. Fortunately the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which acts as the internet governing body, publishes accessibility guidelines as part of their Web site Accessibility Initiative (WAI). Offering several levels of compliance, these initiatives are comprehensive and are regarded as the international standard for web accessibility, providing guidance for DDA accessibility compliance.
Although some organisations may fail to recognise the importance of the DDA regulations and act accordingly, this legislature may be viewed in a wider remit, as an opportunity to re-evaluate the interface design, accessibility, usability and site structure, thereby enabling their customers, and greatly benefiting their business and all web users.
We design and build highly accessible and usable web sites that meet and exceed DDA regulations. We also provide discreet consultation and strategy guidance services. Contact us to discuss your requirements.
