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by Mark Roper, August 2004 (updated October 2004)

Introduction

This article is intended to explain what the Disability Discrimination Act is, what types of websites it is applicable to, how a website can be compliant, why a website should be compliant and how to go about it.

What the act is

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995, states that 'it is unlawful for a provider of services to discriminate against a disabled person in refusing to provide, or deliberately not providing, to the disabled person any service which he provides, or is prepared to provide, to members of the public'. Applicable websites have been required to comply with the act since October 1999. Owners of any website which does not comply with the act could potentially be prosecuted.

What type of websites is the act applicable to?

The DDA applies to any business, non-profit organisation or Government department who are offering a service to the public. The act is applicable to websites of organisations such as: Shops, Hotels, Accountants, Solicitors, Broadcast organisations, Utilities, Sports organisations and Telesales businesses. Personal or hobby websites are unlikely to be considered as offering a service and thus are unlikely to be liable under the terms of the DDA.

How can a website comply with the act?

To comply with the act, a website must be fully accessible by everybody including people with disabilities such as poor eyesight, hearing difficulties, physical disabilities or mental disabilities.

The following are some key guidelines for a compliant website:

• Ensure that all pictures have a text description. In particular an 'ALT' tag should be specified for all images.
• Ensure that the text can be adjusted to a larger size.
• Ensure the site is laid out in a logical and simple to understand fashion.
• Ensure that the clearest and simplest language appropriate for the site's content is being used.
• Ensure the colour scheme has good contrast and that all information is still visible without colour.
• Ensure the website is accessible without using a mouse.
• Ensure the website is still accessible when scripting languages and plug-ins are turned off. This includes languages such as Javascript and plug-ins such as Macromedia 'Flash'.

By following the above guidelines a website is well on the way to complying with the DDA.

Why is it worth complying with the act?

Since the act was introduced, there have been relatively few prosecutions against owners of websites which do not comply with it. Therefore you might think there is no need for your website to be compliant. However, sites which are compliant are far less likely to restrict people accessing your site. Therefore there is a commercial benefit in that you will have more visitors and thus potentially more business. Another side-benefit is that if you comply with the DDA, your site is likely to have more textural content and thus is likely to rank higher in search engines.

What should I do now?

If you do not yet have a website, but are thinking about one, it is important to choose a website designer that has knowledge of the DDA and can produce a compliant website. If you own an existing website which isn't compliant you have 2 choices. The first to have the whole website re-designed so that it complies with the DDA. The second option is to produce a special DDA compliant version of the website. This second option is less good and only suitable for very small websites.

ropernet IT have a great deal of knowledge on the act and are capable of performing a full audit of an existing website if required. Please contact us for details.

Request a FREE DDA mini-audit - ropernet IT are now offering to perform a 100% free, no obligation, mini-audit of your website. FREE

Links

Provided below are links to other relevant sites:

• Disability Rights Commission - Many reports and advice on disability issues.
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995 - The official full text of the legislation.

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About the author

Mark Roper is the proprietor of ropernet IT. ropernet IT supply web design, site hosting and domain registration services. For full information please visit www.ropernetit.co.uk

This article is copyright ropernet IT 2004. If you wish to reproduce or publish this article in any form, please contact us.

Disclaimer: The information and recommendations contained in this article aim to be correct. However, please do not regard any part of this article as legal advice. We would recommend that you contact a Lawyer if you require legal advice.