Accessibility

Department of Justice Readies Major New Website Accessibility Regulations

October 16th 2016

The digital world has changed since Section 508 was enacted in 1998. And right now, the US Department of Justice is readying new regulations based on the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. Though it may be tempting to wait for the next year or two until the rules are finalized, smart brands are getting a jump start on compliance issues and creating easier access for their visitors today.

Terms of Service Accessibility: Legal Terms with a Layman’s Summary

April 7th 2009

Occasionally, one finds a website that does something a little different or a little better than everybody else. Recently, a friend pointed me towards a website whose Terms of Service (ToS ) makes a good-faith effort to explain in layman’s terms what the heck they are talking about. At Aviary.com, an online image editing service, […]

UK Seeks Restriction of Internet Use Rights Throughout EU

March 18th 2009

The UK government wants to remove users’ rights to internet access, including applications and services, for people within the EU. This move comes in the form of amendments to the Telecoms Package being distributed at the EU seat of power in Brussels. The amendment replaces “user’s rights” with the “principle” that users can be told not […]

Target Settles Accessibility Lawsuit – ADA Linked to Websites in California

September 4th 2008

Target has settled a class action lawsuit from the The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) by agreeing to pay $6 million in damages, and to pay the organization to supervise efforts to make its website more accessible to the visually impaired. Previous court rulings had established that that ADA did not extend to stores’ […]

IE8 is Here – Vive la Web Standards

March 12th 2008

Microsoft’s next-generation web browser, Internet Explorer 8, is now available. Perhaps its most notable feature is IE8’s new standards compliance. Microsoft announced that the browser will ship with default settings configured to pass the Acid2 face test. While this may sound abstract to many, this announcement thrilled the basement of web designers I was with […]

Activist Lawsuit Links Target Corp. Website to ADA Requirements

November 1st 2007

Executives of bricks and mortar stores take note. In fact, anyone conducting online commerce should review Judge Marilyn Hall Patel’s opinion in the National Federation of the Blind v. Target Corp. This is the first ruling to suggest that a retailer may be sued if its website is inaccessible to the blind. Until this ruling, […]