29 Oct 2020 | Accessibility Bulletin
Our weekly roundup of the media’s key articles on the topic of digital accessibility.
US | Accessibility Act In Dire Need Of A 2020 Approach To Website Policing
Since its introduction into the U.S. House of Representatives on October 2 by Congressmen Lou Correa (D-CA) and Ted Budd (R-NC), the Online Accessibility Act has received a lukewarm reception. Myriad questions, misgivings and objections have already arisen over the Act, which seeks to add a Title VI to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) focused entirely on the accessibility of consumer-facing websites and mobile applications.
US | Proposed amendment of the Disabilities Act
The Online Accessibility Act is a bill introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives on October 1st that seeks to amend the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide clear coverage for websites and mobile applications operated by a private entity. The bill is currently tracked as H.R. 8478 and has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and is sponsored by Lou Correa (D-CA) and Ted Budd (R-NC). A PDF of the bill can be found on Congressman Budd’s website.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8478?s=1&r=1
https://budd.house.gov/uploadedfiles/budd-online_accessibility_act.pdf
UK | It’s Time To Escalate The Naming And Shaming Of Inaccessible Websites
September 23 saw the passing of the deadline for public sector bodies across the EU to implement the Web Accessibility Directive. Despite the ongoing Brexit negotiations, this has also simultaneously been transposed into U.K. law via the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Apps) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (PSBAR).
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/accessibility-requirements-for-public-sector-websites-and-apps
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/web-accessibility
INT | It's harder than ever for the visually impaired to shop online
Research released in March by retailer ecommerce platform Mercatus indicated that new accounts opened in online stores increased by 1,200% from the previous year. Global ecommerce sales increased by 31% in June, up from 23% in April and May, while Walmart, among other retailers, reported impressive ecommerce earnings in Q2, emphasizing the long-term growth of online retail as shoppers remain wary of in-store purchasing.