06 Feb 2020 | Accessibility
This week we take a look at what’s been happening in the UK and the US.
GLOBAL | So many promises, ideas and ‘its ok’- find out free yourself.
In your organisation who is actually accountable for the accessibility of your website? Vendors don’t get sued / aren’t liable and those hiding the facts are not helping. Find out where you are for real with an independent audit - you can get a few pages assessed for free.
Find out about any website’s accessibility at https://accessibilityfirst.sitemorse.com
US | To avoid lawsuits, make websites ADA-compliant
Our phones have been ringing. On the other end of the line is yet another client who has been named in an onslaught of lawsuits targeting businesses that sell products or services via their websites and who are alleged to have failed to comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
https://minnlawyer.com/2020/02/04/commentary-to-avoid-lawsuits-make-websites-ada-compliant/
UK | George Rhodes on claims of disproportionate burden
In the last 2 months, 60 organisations I know of have received an FOI challenge for documented evidence to support claims of disproportionate burden under the new #Accessibility regulations.[George Rhodes] I have put my thoughts together on common responses and pitfalls I am seeing.
If you are considering making a claim please read this first.
US | Is your website accessible to all? (it really is across every sector)
Consumers with visual, auditory disabilities shop online, too… Using braille keyboards, those with visual impairments are able to shop online, making it more important that websites are compliant with accessibility requirements.
https://www.furnituretoday.com/e-commerce/is-your-website-accessible-to-all/
UK | UK & IE Universities
Sitemorse have been publishing our UK & IE Universities INDEX quarterly since 2011. The INDEX ranks the websites of over 215 Universities for digital compliance, based on User Experience, Search Engine Optimisation and Governance, Risk and Compliance.
The 2020 Q1 UK & IE Universities INDEX assessed over 215 university websites for adherence to WCAG 2.1. The INDEX was compiled following some 220 million tests, checks and measures across nearly 675,000 URLs.
https://sitemorse.com/blog-article/9650/UK-and-IE-Universities-website-accessibility-progress/
Looking solely at accessibility and comparing the 2020 Q1 results to those from 2019 Q4; 16 improved, 20 dropped, with the balance remaining the same.
The INDEX can be viewed at https://sitemorse.com/index/uk-ie-universities/2020-q1