Digital Accessibility

This category includes posts about web and mobile accessibility, broadly referred to as digital access.

Digital Accessibility Legal Update (December 2014)

Posted on Updated on September 21, 2020
This post is about recent legal developments in the United States impacting technology and information access for people with disabilities. It contains developments ocurring between July 16 and December 15, 2014 and is part of an occasional series. The series is illustrated by a toolbox — because law has proven an effective tool in improving the accessibility and usability of digital content, print information and technology for everyone. There are many ways to use the law, reflected by the many tools in the toolbox. Read more… Digital Accessibility Legal Update (December 2014)

Structured Negotiation Helps Parties Focus on Accessible Tabletop Kiosks

Posted on Updated on September 12, 2020
In January, 2018 the Applebee’s restaurant chain, kiosk maker E la Carte, Inc., and the National Federation of the Blind and LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired announced a partnership. The collaboration worked to make E la Carte’s table-top ordering and payment kiosk accessible to blind people. The system is used in Applebee’s restaurants… Read more… Structured Negotiation Helps Parties Focus on Accessible Tabletop Kiosks

Community in Toronto: What Made the #A11yTO Conferences So Spectacular?

Posted on Updated on August 12, 2020
I’m sitting in the airport on my way home from two conferences put on by #A11yTO. I’ve been trying to figure out what made the three days in Toronto so great. This post is what I’ve come up with. #A11yTO is a volunteer-run digital accessibility community in Toronto. Puzzled by the title? A11y (that’s A-eleven-Y)… Read more… Community in Toronto: What Made the #A11yTO Conferences So Spectacular?

Albertsons Digital Accessibility Press Release

Posted on
Congratulations Albertsons Companies! The national grocer recently announced its commitment to digital accessibility with the press release posted below. Albertsons Cos. operates stores under popular grocery banners including Safeway, Vons, and Albertsons. Its initiative applies to all Albertsons online grocery shopping websites and mobile applications. Digital accessibility ensures that online and mobile content is available… Read more… Albertsons Digital Accessibility Press Release

Big Win for Blind Shopper in First U.S. ADA Web Accessibility Trial

Posted on Updated on July 23, 2019
[UPDATE: The Winn-Dixie case is currently on appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal] On June 13, a judge in the federal District Court in South Florida made history. That history came in the form of a court order in a lawsuit filed by blind Florida resident Juan Carlos Gil against regional grocer Winn-Dixie.… Read more… Big Win for Blind Shopper in First U.S. ADA Web Accessibility Trial

Companies are Losing Web Cases: Spend Money on Web Access, not Lawyers

Posted on Updated on July 21, 2019
In less than two months, four different federal judges have said “Yes” to website accessibility. These cases, from Florida and New York, are a wake-up call to every business in the United States that serves the public: If you have a website, make it accessible so everyone can use it, including disabled people. Every business has a budget; every business watches how money is spent. These cases are but the most recent in a long-string of wake-up calls with a simple message: Spend your hard-earned dollars on accessibility, not on lawyers to fight it. Read more… Companies are Losing Web Cases: Spend Money on Web Access, not Lawyers

Global Accessibility Awareness Day Highlights Digital Inclusion

Posted on Updated on May 6, 2019
May 9, 2012 marks the first Global Accessibility Awareness Day. On this day designed to raise awareness of the need for digital inclusion, the Law Office of Lainey Feingold recognizes the large United States institutions that have committed to accessibility through the Structured Negotiations process. The entities have worked with the blind community to improve accessibility to their websites and other technologies. They have recognized the importance of inclusion and have done so in a collaborative and solution-driven way. Read more… Global Accessibility Awareness Day Highlights Digital Inclusion

Accessibility Culture

Posted on Updated on April 26, 2019
Digital accessibility means disabled people can use and interact with technology and digital content.  It is about good design, development, and coding; appropriate testing and training; an inclusive workforce, and a host of other details. It’s an ongoing commitment to including all users in all technology. Mistakes and back sliding are less likely with a culture of accessibility. Read more… Accessibility Culture

E*Trade Digital Accessibility Settlement Agreement

Posted on Updated on October 30, 2018
The settlement agreement posted here details E*Trade’s commitment to improving the accessibility and usability of its website, mobile application and online trading platform for customers who are blind. The agreement was reached in Structured Negotiation; no lawsuit was needed or filed. The Law Office of Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian, of the Oakland civil rights firm Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian and Ho represented Pratik Patel and Victor Tsaran, two E*Trade customers, in the negotiation. E*Trade will be using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, Level AA as its accessibility standard. The agreement identifies the International Standards Organization (ISO) 14289, also known as PDF/UA (PDF/Universal Accessibility) standard as the standard for PDF accessibility. Read more… E*Trade Digital Accessibility Settlement Agreement