ALBERTSONS DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY AGREEMENT

Congratulations to Albertsons Companies! Posted here is the digital accessibility settlement agreement the company reached with several blind shoppers from around the United States. The agreement is designed to ensure that the all the company’s online grocery shopping websites and mobile applications are available to people with and without disabilities. Albertsons Cos. participated in Structured… Read more… ALBERTSONS DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY AGREEMENT

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

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

Accessibility Culture

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

Asking about compliance? You may be asking the wrong question

During a recent presentation about the digital accessibility legal space I was asked a question. It was about a word that pops up with increasing frequency as fear of lawsuits drives too much of the digital accessibility world. The “C” word — compliance. The question was this: If the captions on online videos are 65% accurate do you think that would comply with legal responsibilities?audience question This is the kind of question that arises when people are driven by fear. When people forget what accessibility is about. Even forget what the law is about. Read more… Asking about compliance? You may be asking the wrong question

Web Accessibility for Grocers: Winn-Dixie Wasn’t Paying Attention

Last month the Winn-Dixie grocery chain lost the very first trial under the Americans with Disabilities Act about the accessibility of a private company’s website. A blind shopper had sued the chain when he couldn’t access online coupons and other parts of the company’s website. The judge’s verdict was big news; unlike most accessibility stories it was covered in the mainstream media. But web accessibility for grocery stores is nothing new. If Winn-Dixie had been paying attention, it would have known over three years ago that grocery chains were making their websites accessible. Winn-Dixie should not have waited for the legal knock on the door. When it came, it should not have put up a fight. Read more… Web Accessibility for Grocers: Winn-Dixie Wasn’t Paying Attention

Rejected by the Los Angeles Times

On June 23, 2017, the Los Angeles Times published an op-ed titled “Is your company’s website accessible to the disabled? You’d better hope so.” The piece was mean spirited and full of inaccuracies about web accessibility. I took the piece’s alternative facts personally because the author wrongly claimed that Bank of America, Charles Schwab, and Safeway had been sued for web accessibility. I knew better — my clients, co-counsel and I had worked with each of these companies in Structured Negotiation. Joseph O’Connor and I tried to submit a response to the Los Angeles Times, but our efforts were rejected. Read more… Rejected by the Los Angeles Times