21 Oct 2002
Judge: Disabilities Act doesn’t cover Web. “In the first case of its kind, U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz said the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies only to physical spaces, such as restaurants and movie theaters, and not to the Internet.”
What a crock of shit. First off, I don’t understand why any business would refuse to revamp their website in order to sell more stuff to more people. And you’d think companies would swoop in and strive to be the most accessible site in order to lock up the brand-loyalty of the blind. But it’s just common decency to work to make your site more accessible if someone can’t use it.
I guess that’s why I work in the non-profit university sector instead of the business world.
It’s a matter of cost-price analysis. Sure, companies might want to provide accessibility, but redesigning a website – particularly a complex website with a shopping cart system – can be very costly, and the additional sales, if any, aren’t likely to even break even on such a revamp for most companies. Common decency doesn’t always have a place in the commercial sector.
dlevy | 21 Oct 2002