| So let's get straight to the point. Is
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| | addition to its high street shop, if the
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| your website breaking the law? Well, in
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| | Web site is inaccessible then the
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| October 2004 we reached the deadline of
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| | disabled person will be unable to enjoy
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| the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA),
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| | the convenience of home shopping and will
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| 1995 in which the DDA ordered service
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| | thus be subject to a lower standard of
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| providers to make "reasonable
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| | service. "
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| adjustments" to the physical features of
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| | Source: Martin Sloan (
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| their premises to ensure the services
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| | With the legal side of things out of the
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| they provide are accessible to people
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| | way there are a number of important
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| with disabilities.
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| | benefits to building an accessible
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| The 175 page code of practice for the DDA
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| | website. There are 8.6 million registered
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| published in May 2002 specifically
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| | disabled people in the UK , totaling 14%
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| mentions websites. The relevant sections
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| | of the population (Source: Disability
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| are included below.
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| | Rights Commission). Two million people in
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| 2.13 - 2.17 (p11-13): "What services are
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| | the UK have sight problems and 9% have
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| affected by the Disability Discrimination
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| | some form of colour blindness (Source:
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| Act? An airline company provides a flight
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| | Institution of Electrical Engineers).
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| reservation and booking service to the
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| | There are also 12 million people aged 60
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| public on its website. This is a
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| | or over, some 21% of the UK population
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| provision of a service and is subject to
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| | (Source: UK Government). This eventually
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| the act."
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| | means that 48% of the population of the
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| 5.23 (p71): "For people with visual
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| | UK, not to mention those of other
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| impairments, the range of auxiliary aids
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| | countries could potentially face problems
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| or services which it might be reasonable
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| | using a website that does not comply with
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| to provide to ensure that services are
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| | accessibility guidelines.Therefore
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| accessible might include ... accessible
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| | producing an accessible website could
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| websites."
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| | gain you important commercial benefits in
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| 5.26 (p68): "For people with hearing
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| | the shape of many new customers.
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| disabilities, the range of auxiliary aids
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| | Accessibility is closely linked to the
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| or services which it might be reasonable
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| | other standards covered in this section,
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| to provide to ensure that services are
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| | so much so that the W3C launched the Web
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| accessible might include ... accessible
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| | Accessibility Initiative (WAI) in order
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| websites."
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| | to advise web agencies of strategies to
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| To elaborate on this some more.
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| | achieve compliance.
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| "The duty not to refuse or deliberately
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| | The WAI offers three standardized levels
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| not provide a service could apply in a
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| | of access, from the readily achieved
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| case where a service provider has
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| | (Priority 1), to one that requires
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| deliberately chosen not to integrate
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| | slightly more work (Priority 2), to a
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| accessibility into his Web site. This
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| | master level (Priority 3). Creative Eye
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| might include where a Flash movie is
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| | can achieve all of the above
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| used, but there is no option for a user
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| | "I own a B2B company and the DDA doesn't
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| with a screen reader to skip it.
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| | apply to me" I hear you say. Well there
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| ... A service provider must not provide a
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| | are some great reasons for designing with
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| lower standard of service to a disabled
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| | accessibility in mind. Accessibility and
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| person, compared to that offered to an
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| | web standards are so closely linked that
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| able-bodied person. Thus, where a
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| | many of the benefits cross over.
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| retailer offers an e-commerce facility in
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|
