Is your website breaking the law?

It has been a legal requirement for UK websites to be accessible since 1999. Since then all websites have been expected to make “reasonable adjustments” to ensure their websites accommodate all users regardless of ability and disability.

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 states:

"It is unlawful for a service provider to discriminate against a disabled person by refusing to provide any service which it provides to members of the public.”

"it is irrelevant whether a service is provided on payment or without payment" and that examples include "access to and use of information services."

If a Website is not accessible to disabled users it is in violation of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) has been involved in a number of court cases against UK companies in relation to the DDA.

A disabled person can make a claim against you if your website makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult to access your information and services. If you have not made reasonable adjustments and cannot show that this failure is justified, then you may be liable under the Act, and may have to pay compensation and be ordered by a court to change your website.

Ignorance is no longer an excuse and the responsibility is left up to business owners to make sure their websites are in conformance with the Disability Discrimination Act.

Does your website cater for people with disabilities?

Take a look at the following facts and figures:

• 59 million - The approximate population of the United Kingdom (source: ONS).
• 8.5 million - The number of people with some form of disability in the United Kingdom (source: ONS).
• 2 million - The number of people with sight problems (source: RNIB).

The combined spending power of people with disabilities is estimated to be somewhere between 40 + 50 billion pounds (source: Employers Forum on Disability). If your website is hard for disabled people to find the information they require you not only run the risk of loosing out on your share of that spending power, but you also run a greater risk of being taken to court.

Bullbreed Design Studio can analyse your website to find out what changes would be required to bring it in line with current legislation.

For further details please call 07931 986164 or email us at info@bullbreed.com