10 September 2007
Companies in America are deciding for themselves whether the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to the Internet.
When the ADA was passed in 1990 it required that all ‘places of Public accommodation’ (shops and offices etc) be accessible. However the law did not take into consideration the technological innovations that have been adopted by business, and the question that has been raised is whether a corporate website should be considered as a service. If the answer to this question is yes, then Title III of the ADA would require the site to be fully accessible.
One company, Target Corp. has had to make significant changes to its website after being sued by the National Federation for the Blind last year, however, is now claiming that the website is not covered by the disability access laws.
As there is no clear guidance, companies are deciding for themselves whether accessible websites are a necessity, yet, due to the pressure put on them by advocacy groups, some businesses have already made changes to their websites. However, other companies have said that while they will voluntarily alter their sites, they aren't required to do so by the ADA and until this law remains in question so does the need for accessible websites.
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