The new law says that government web sites must be compatible with software tools used by blind or deaf people. A simple example of making a site more accessible is to use ALT tags for graphics used in a site’s design. These HTML tags provide alternative text to describe the graphics that cannot be viewed by the blind. In addition, computer keyboards in federal buildings must accommodate people with limited arm movement. Any agency failing to comply risks being sued by disabled individuals unable to use the services. The new law does not require US manufacturers or developers to meet the requirements.
In the UK, the Disability Discrimination Act contains rules on making sites reasonably accessible by the disabled and all UK sites should comply, though few actually meet the recommended levels. To date, the provisions, which came into force in 1999, have not been enforced. OUT-LAW.COM will be providing further information on these requirements in the near future.