A lawsuit filed against Target is expected to establish an important ruling concerning the level of access Web site operators are required to provide to users with disabilities. Specifically, the suit alleges that Target’s Web site failed to make its site accessible to screen readers, which help visually impaired users read and navigate online.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, which was enacted in 1990, sufficiently predates the Web that it provides little guidance on what access retailers are required to offer online. Jane Jarrow, president of Disability Access Information and Support, said that the online education sector is at particularly high risk for discovering that it has unmet legal obligations for users with disabilities. Many online programs rely heavily on chat rooms, a technology that does not accommodate screen readers well, leaving blind and visually impaired students at a significant disadvantage in their efforts to complete coursework online. A recently changed federal regulation allows online programs to qualify for federal financial aid, but institutions that seek to take advantage of this program must meet the terms of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which stipulates that Web sites must be accessible to all users to qualify for federal aid.
New York Times, 6 November 2006 (registration req’d)
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/06/technology/06ecom.html
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