is your site accessible by the blind?
 

from:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071003/target_lawsuit.html?.v=3

Target Lawsuit Given Class-Action Status
Wednesday October 3, 3:48 pm ET
Lawsuit Against Target Over Web Site Accessibility Awarded Class-Action Status


NEW YORK (AP) -- A federal judge granted class-action status to a lawsuit alleging that Target Corp. is breaking California and federal law by failing to make its Web site usable for the blind.
The plaintiffs fault Target for not adopting technology used by other companies to make Web sites accessible to the blind. The technology allows reading software to vocalize invisible code embedded in computer graphics and describe content on a Web page.

Granting class-action status allows blind people throughout the country who have tried to access Target.com to become plaintiffs in the suit, which alleges violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Judge Marilyn Hall Patel also on Friday approved a separate class, made up of blind California residents who have attempted to use the site, to address the suit's charges that Target is violating state laws governing civil and disabled rights.

"This is a tremendous step forward for blind people throughout the country who for too long have been denied equal access to the Internet economy," said Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind. "All e-commerce businesses should take note of this decision and immediately take steps to open their doors to the blind."

The federation filed the suit -- which originally was filed in California state court in February 2006 and moved at Target's request to San Francisco federal court the following month -- on behalf of federation member and northern California resident Bruce Sexton. The suit alleged that "blind individuals have been and are being denied equal access to Target stores" and the "service and benefits offered to the public through Target.com."

Judge Patel's order Friday noted that Target has modified its Web site some since the suit's filing to make the site more accessible to the blind. Target claimed the suit should therefore be dismissed, but Judge Patel ruled against that argument.

A Target official couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday morning.

Brail porn site? That would make a fortune. It's gold Jerry, pure gold!

Hahaha I actually have a blog that was started early this year and not yet really posted on yet about online and some offline handicapped access and the potential nightmares (lawsuits).

I made jokes to friends that I was going to sue them for not being in compliance with current laws, just to show how silly the laws were.

I hope such bullshit law is not applicable in Canada :(

If you have dissability laws that are easily twisted then why yes, yes you are.
I be dissabled, I know how these people pull these legal scams and typically your fucked if your targeted.

Then win/settle to loose ratio is insane.

Blind people use the internet too, right?

But in our case our sites have pictures and videos - something the blind cannot use. It's like sueing a optometrist....

Hey, people sue gun manufacturers because someone got shot with one of their guns. It's probably already in the works in this idiotic society.

<img src="*******.jpg" alt="Be glad you can't see this. Really." title="Oh my god, what is that woman doing?" />

I remember validating all of my sites for proper HTML 4.01, blind, navigation, fully valid RSS feeds, CSS, etc. Then I stopped caring because it was impossible to make any design look worth a crap.

http://www.braille-tgp.com/ no comment.

I wonder if there is more to the suit than what the news is reporting, like there was in the McDonalds Coffee lawsuit.

I've always wondered why the drive up ATM has Brail?

To get listed on our mainstream network you have to pass our scoring system. Being accessible to the blind gives you extra points towards meeting that goal.

:1orglaugh