[thelist] UK: Disability Discrimination and Web Site Design (was Dropdowns - good or bad?)

Richard H. Morris richard.morris at web-designers.co.uk
Thu Nov 23 06:16:25 CST 2000


>>> 1995 Disability Discrimination Act: http://www.disability.gov.uk/

See also http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/1995050.htm

>>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)

My initial thought is that this applies to physical goods, services and
premises. But as it is of great importance to any UK-based designers on the
list and those with UK-based Clients, I reckon this deserves further
research.  If it does apply to web sites and the small business exemptions
does not, then we as designers should be pointing this out to our Clients
and producing either compliant sites first off or perhaps producing a
version which is compliant (with well-flagged hyperlinks to it from the
opening page).

I have contacted the DDA Helpline and they have promised to come back to me
with some guidance as to whether web sites are included.

The Act itself is not helpful from my first blush reading of it, but the
Code of Practice seems interesting: I need to read it some more.

The Code is available at http://www.disability.gov.uk/dda/finalcode.pdf for
those interested/affected.

I'll report back.

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Richard H. Morris, Director, Web Designers Ltd
        http://www.web-designers.co.uk
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