Website accessibility for someone who suffers from an impairment or a disability has recently been in the news.
A visually impaired woman is suing entertainer Beyonce’s entertainment company for discrimination. According to the lawsuit, the website discriminates against those who are visually impaired because it does not allow them to buy tickets or merchandise via the e-commerce portion of the site, get tour dates, or learn more about the star.
The above civil rights action may be among the first of more to come. In this instance, it is claimed that the entertainment company failed to design, construct, maintain, and operate the site to be fully accessible and independently usable by those who are blind or visually impaired. Therefore, these users do not have equal access to the goods and services that nondisabled customers can easily access.
Website Accessibility and the ADA
In 1990, George H.W. bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which “requires places of public accommodation to ensure access to goods, services, and facilities by making reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities.” Legal claims regarding website accessibility may fall under this law.
One example of website accessibility for users with vision limitations is that alt-text must be coded with each image so that a screen reader can speak the alternative text while sighted users can see the image.
Premier Legal Marketing: Your Internet Marketing Company
Digital marketing is constantly changing, and we pride ourselves on keeping ahead of the game and on top of the changing landscape of legal marketing. If you are interested in learning more about your website’s compliance, please call the SEO specialists at Premier Legal Marketing at 856-320-2016 or submit an online inquiry. We offer a full range of marketing services, including branding, website design and maintenance, social media marketing, pay-per-click campaigns, reputation management, blogs, press releases, email marketing, and more.
