It does not only affect commercial sites see s19(2)(c) of the DDA
" it is irrelevant whether a service is provided on payment or without payment."
Tony
-----Original Message-----
From: Skeates,St.John DEAL Awards Tm
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 23 April 2002 11:37
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Accessible websites
I agree completely but with emphasis on the reasonably practicable. Who
decides what is reasonable? Ultimately that would be a decision for the
courts. And should that apply only to commercial websites or also to
those built and maintained by hobbyists. Am I being discriminatory since
accessibility was not a consideration when constructing my various
websites? Should I be forced to either redesign them or take them
offline?
It's easy to say that it would only impact commercial sites but how many
"cease and desist" notices have we seen served on small, home run sites
because they infringe some obscure copyright law. I suspect that even
many commercial sites may think twice about providing online services if
they discovered the threat of legal action hanging over their heads.
Let me stress again that I agree any media should be made as accessible
as possible. I'm just not convinced that legislation is the best way to
achieve it.
St.John Skeates
Awards Section
Bedfordshire County Council
-----Original Message-----
From: Hubert, Paul [STU] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 11:05 AM
To: [log in to unmask]; Skeates,St.John DEAL Awards Tm
Subject: Accessible websites
>Of course the aim should always be to make media as accessible as
> possible but if this suggestion/threat is to be taken seriously, it can
> only be another nail in the Internet coffin.
>
I don't think the second part of this argument follows from the first.
Surely the issue here, as with other forms of access, is to try to build
accessibility in at the start (so far as reasonably practicable) which
takes a bit of planning. The alternative is that when organisations and
firms realise it's an issue they try to add it on afterwards which is
more cumbersome and costly.What's a reasonable adjustment will depend on
what the website's for and whose it is, which presumably will impact on
the viability of any discrimination claim.
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