[thelist] Dropdowns - good or bad?

[martin.p.burns at uk.pwcglobal.com]

Memo from Martin P Burns of PricewaterhouseCoopers

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Subject:  RE: [thelist] Dropdowns - good or bad?



Martin Burns wrote:


> >Agreed. I have yet to use Flash for a web site.
>> I used it for parts of http://www.rbs.co.uk/archives/memorybank/ (quoting
>> URL from memory), where it added value (and OK, one menu cos we
>> were requiring users to have it to view the interactive stuff)(

>Would that others didn't follow the lead and add flash where it does add
>value. What's the point of a whizbang Flash intro page that tells you
>nothing other than "Click here to enter" ?

A lovely spoof is http://www.skipintro.com/

>> 1995 Disability Discrimination Act: http://www.disability.gov.uk/
>> the same legislation which makes banks/supermarkets install ramps
>> etc. There's no exemption for web sites - current legal thinking is that
>> Level A conformance to the W3C WAI guidelines will satisfy the
>> minimum requirements.

>I'm aware of the physical access provisions to premises and physical sites
>and have been involved in the consultation process (to a limited extent
>through business law committees) on the roll-out provisions in relation to
>offices and premises and the like with the consequent alterations to
>building envelopes.

>I can't see how that translates into a legal requirement for disabled access
>to a web site though.

There's no exemption for web sites. All the legislation mentions is 'services
to the public', with a few examples (banking, supermarkets etc), noting that
the list is not exclusive.

The legal advice I had in the summer was that it absolutely covered web
sites (it was a "Holy shit!" moment for the lawyer in question - I brought it
to her attention)
Cheers
Martin


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