Were you aware that for over 10 years there has been a legal
requirement for UK websites to be accessible to disabled
users?
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) was passed in 1995 and
states that services have to be accessible to people with
disabilities. That part of the DDA applicable to websites
came into force in 1999 and expects website providers to make
"reasonable adjustments" to ensure their websites accommodate all
users regardless of ability or disability.
The DDA and over 116 other pieces of legislation have been
merged into the Equality Act 2010, which came into force on 1
October 2010. The Act's Code of Practice explains the
duty "to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people in
relation to services to the public, public functions and
associations" and clarifies "reasonable adjustments" as requiring
"service providers to take positive steps to ensure that disabled
people can access services. This goes beyond simply avoiding
discrimination. It requires service providers to anticipate the
needs of potential disabled customers for reasonable
adjustments"
In December 2010 the British Standard 8878 Web Accessibility
Code of Practice was launched and is the first British Standard to
address the growing challenge of digital inclusion. It
applies to all web products, including websites, web-services and
web-based workplace applications (such as web-based email) that are
delivered to users via Internet protocol, through a web
browser.
BS 8878 is consistent with the Equality Act 2010 and is
referenced in the UK government's e-Accessibility Action Plan as
the basis of updated advice on developing accessible online
services. It includes recommendations for:
- Involving disabled people in the development process and using
automated tools to assist with accessibility testing
- The management of the guidance and process for upholding
existing accessibility guidelines and specifications.
The Equality Act 2010 Code of Practice on Services, Public
Functions and Associations can be downloaded from www.equalityhumanrights.com
BS 8878:2010 Web Accessibility Code of practice can be purchased
from shop.bsigroup.com
This article was written by Lesley Goodhind, Tester, MSM
Software.