[thelist] targeting effectively

John Handelaar genghis at members.evolt.org
Tue Mar 26 04:10:00 CST 2002


> -----Original Message-----
> From: thelist-admin at lists.evolt.org
> [mailto:thelist-admin at lists.evolt.org]On Behalf Of Erik Mattheis
> Sent: 25 March 2002 19:24
> To: thelist at lists.evolt.org
> Subject: Re: [thelist] targeting effectively
>
> And someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there has never
> been a successful case where a non-governmental site was forced to
> put alt and title tags on all their images. The accessibility laws
> only apply to governmental sites ... just like it's a private
> company's prerogative to make their website accessible.

BZZZT.

Sorry, colleague, but the most recent drafts of guidelines
in Europe (and UK most of all) are getting very heavy
indeed - a good thing IMHO.

UK's most recent 'guidelines on interpreting' the Disabilities
Act 1990 say that

1) Websites do too count

2) There's no difference between public and private sector
   obligations to not illegally discriminate against people
   with disabilities, except...

3) (Here's the new one) If your primary or only communication
   channel is online, you're in *far worse* trouble than if
   - for example - you also own High Street stores with
   ramps for wheelchairs.

The penalties for calculated acts of discrimination (and
making an inaccessible website counts in the UK) mostly
take the form of really big-ass fines.  I think the
maximum is ?250,000 for a single infraction (though it
could be ?100k, so don't quote me) and I'm not aware of
a fine yet delivered which wasn't in 4 figures.

------------------------------------------
John Handelaar

T +44 20 7209 4117       M +44 7930 681789
F +44 870 169 7657   E john at userfrenzy.com
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