SLO County News BlogGolf, Wine, Real Estate, Business & Travel NewsSLO AccessibilitySunday, October 10, 2004We've all heard the news about Jarek Molski, a disabled man who filed more than 250 lawsuits against local businesses in California, claiming that eateries along the coast are violating disabled-access laws. With all due respect, let's hope he's not blind too. Elliott Spitzer, Attorney General for the State of New York, recently announced a settlement where Ramada.com and Priceline.com have agreed to make their websites accessible to the blind. The Attorney General opined that the Americans With Disabilities Act requires that private web sites be accessible to blind and visually impaired Internet users. The ADA generally dictates that all "places of public accommodation" and all "goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations" of places of public accommodation, must be made accessible to disabled citizens, absent undue hardship. New York law provides similar civil rights protections.We expect this settlement will not only lead to greater awareness for the need for accessible websites, but to increased lawsuits, with the ultimate result being the amendment of the ADA to include websites under the umbrella of public accommodations. At that point, it will be become more expensive for businesses to try to achieve compliance as they'll be facing increased penalties. Businesses who launch new websites subsequent to this ruling will likely be targets for lawsuits given that precedent has been set. Ensuring WCAG compliance prior to launch will not only save money, but will reduce legal bills. Web developers who understand Section 508 (which applies to Federal government websites, but is often voluntarily adopted by state and local government agencies) or WCAG (even as it evolves) will be in a strong position to assist clients making the transition to accessible websites. Spitzer Agreement to make Web Sites accessible to the Blind and Visually Impaired. ADA Suits Close Another Beloved Eatery - overlawyered Read More
|
|