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Accessibility statement - is it a legal requirement?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dotwhack
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dotwhack

Pretty much as in the subject line.

I've started to see a number of new websites that include a page relating to Accessibility and gives a statement that the site complies with the accessibility legislation etc.

Is this an actual legal requirement to have on websites or just a 'nice thing to have'? I can't find any articles about it.

Thanks
 
I dont think its a legal requirement to display a statement, but it is a legal requirement to comply with accessibility regs on business websites etc.

So - if you have already gone to the trouble to make the site compliant, adding a statement to that effect is a selling point for the site really.
 
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shop4accessories, I've removed your post from above as it has nothing to do with this thread. May I suggest that you create a new thread in the appropriate forum where members can respond accordingly with advice.

Thanks for your understanding

Ray
 
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The trouble is, most site who claim to be accessible aren't.

They may allow text resizing, have alt-text and use logical structures but that's only a tiny part of the WAI guidelines.
 
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No, not a legal requirement. Also, eccessibility law is applicable only to countries that have such laws, so I'm not sure about Ken UK's comment about the need to comply with the regs. If someone from the US is looking at your UK site, whose regs are you supporting?

However, there are strong moral grounds upon which you might like to support accessibility ideas, suggestions, standards and so on. It opens up your site to potentially everyone.

I agree with Fisicx that many sites who say they comply really do not (a quick test being to alter the text size in your browser - no change, non compliant). Even when you read the standards though, not everyone is catered for. Those with colour blindness for example.
 
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Have you ever tried to make a whiole site 100% accessbile? I really tried but even adding a simple event handler can bring up an alert. And as for colours, just about anything except for blue gets you a warning message.

I gave up in the end and just made sure it all works using a text browser (no CSS, no JS, no images).
 
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My wife and I let out a couple of bedrooms for B&B guests and we were advised in 2007 by the Tourist Board rep that it is a legal requirement to display accessibility information on our web site as any business where the public may present themselves needs to have this information available for their customers prior to their visit.

We have a 450yr old property so we have to put in things like height restricted doorways, no aided entry/exit from baths, no powered lift up the stairs etc. This enables debilitated visitors to gauge if the surrounds are suited to them before they turn up.
 
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Doesn't this come down to the browser?

I would like to see more support for aural style sheets, that would be cool, I might add some myself to a few sites.

Firevox and Opera support aural style sheets.

http://www.firevox.clcworld.net/

But a lot of screen readers such as JAWS just create their own rules.
 
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