You may have heard that Target.com and the National Federation of the Blind agreed to a $6,000,000.00 settlement and rigid, scheduled audits for having an inaccessible site.  As a result, many organizations may want to begin investigating their options for an audit to evaluate the accessibility of their own product(s) or web properties… 

I am of the belief that the single largest demographic to be empowered by the growth and power of the internet are the disabled. The power to explore, experience and purchase goods and services combined with the feeling of belonging within the online social framework is awe inspiring. The things one can now do within the home or bedside is something that is beyond description. I speak from experience as the father of a child with Cerebal Palsy that has affected his speech, motor skills and mobility. The computer is his equalizer and the internet is his playground.

Sadly however, at least in the states, there has not been a widespread effort to insure that accessiblity is “baked in” to the tens of millions of well-travelled web properties and communities out there. True, there are the Americans with Disability Act and 508 Compliance, as guidelines, but there’s still a lot of room for interpetation.

So. What’s all this mean? In the UK accessibility has been law for quite some time, but it’s rarely enforced. In the States I suspect there will be a renewed interest in making sure that organizations are designing for everyone. And with this type of event now being on the books it sets a precedent in the States. One that everyone should pay attention to.

It’s also important to note that this was a settlement. As published in one of the news links below:

Target did not admit wrongdoing under the settlement. The retailer said it has improved the Web site since the lawsuit was filed.

“We believe [the Web site] is accessible and compliant with all applicable laws, but that there are improvements that could be made,” said Lena Michaud, a Target spokesman.”

You can read a couple decent articles on the ruling here and here.

If you’re a webmaster or just technically inclined, you can get a quick 411 by downloading a screen reader, or shutting off CSS and JavaScript… to see what ya get.  For starters.  You may also want to start planning for accessibility. Surely you’re in the heat of designing/developing/delivering something? It’s not just good, it’s good business.

Some of your considerations may include:

• What is our accessibility status for a potential customer or user that is disabled?
• Are we at legal risk for inaccessibility?
• What is the best process for us to make our site/product accessible?
• Will an inaccessible site/product hurt your market potential?
• What are the trends?  What are industry leaders doing about website and product accessibility?
• What is the W3C (the web standards body) doing to support us?
• Where does mobile come into play here?

If you have questions, or want to strike up a dialog on the topic give me a ring. It’s coming, and it’s needed. The question is one of leading or following. Which one will you do?

Peace. -t