Target Sued - Web Site Not ADA-Compliant
By Melissa Campanelli
A federal ruling on September 6 maintains that Target's web site www.target.com is inaccessible to the blind and violates the ADA, the California Unruh Civil Rights Act, and the California Disabled Persons Act. The ruling lets a lawsuit by the National Federation of the Blind against Target Corp. proceed.
Blind people access Web sites by using keyboards in conjunction with screen-reading software that vocalizes visual information on a computer screen. The lawsuit claims that Target's Web site contains barriers that prevent blind customers from browsing and purchasing products online. Target's Web site lacks compliant alt-text, an invisible code embedded beneath graphic images that allows screen readers to detect and vocalize a description of the image to a blind computer user. Target.com also requires the use of a mouse to complete a transaction, so blind customers cannot make purchases independently.
According to Ms. Kathy Wahlbin, director of user experience for Washinton-based Mindshare Interactive Campaigns, "The good news is that being compliant is not difficult, nor is it expensive." Greg Dowling, senior analyst with New York-based JupiterResearch says "To ensure your site is accessible, simply follow Section 508 guidelines."
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires access to electronic and information technology provided by the federal government. Sixteen provisions address Web sites, and they can be found at www.section508.gov.
A critical guideline involves ensuring that images include compliant alt-text. In addition, Web pages should have limited Flash or JavaScript to make it easier for screen-reader programs to read the Web pages. Web sites should also have contrasting colors so that Web information can be viewed by people with color-viewing disabilities. Text links should describe where a user is going to go when he clicks.
"Guidelines can be difficult to understand," Ms. Wahlbin said. "But there are companies that can evaluate a Web site to identify where it is non-compliant and offer suggestions or make the changes."
From DMNews, September 18, 2006 story by Melissa Campanelli. For complete story, click www.DMNews.com.
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