Report highlights lack of accessible websites for disabled internet users

Wednesday, 14 April 2004 12:00 AM

The government has come under fire for failing to ensure adequate access to online services for disabled people.

A report by the Disability Rights Commission found that, of the 1,000 public websites examined, 81 per cent failed to meet the minimum standards for disabled web access.

The commission's investigation showed that disabled people found most websites for activities such as booking a holiday, managing a bank account, buying theatre tickets or finding a cheaper credit card, unusable.

Bert Massie, DRC Chairman called the situation as "unacceptable" and insisted that disabled people must not be left behind by technology.

The DRC found that only nine per cent of website developers had expertise in disabled access, while a further nine per cent had employed disabled people to test their sites for accessibility.

Mr Massie pledged: "The DRC is determined to ensure that this new powerful technology does not leave disabled people behind."

The report's authors are calling on the government to launch a new publicity campaign highlighting the need to consider disabled access when developing websites. The DRC also wants to see more data collected on the issue, guidance on best practice developed and formal accreditation introduced.

Researchers at London's City University, who carried out the study for the DRC, scanned 1,000 websites and conducted detailed user testing on 100 sites, including government, business, e-commerce, leisure and web services such as search engines.

The results found that those with visual impairments were worst affected and were unable to perform nearly all of the tasks required of them, despite using devices such as screen readers.

"The web has been around for 10 years, yet within this short space of time it has managed to throw up the same hurdles to access and participation by disabled people as the physical world," Mr Massie said. "But it is an environment that could be made more accommodating to disabled people at a relatively modest expense."

The 1995 Disability Discrimination Act requires information providers to make their services accessible and Mr Massie warned website owners that they faced legal action if they failed to address the problem.

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