Disability warning

DISCRIMINATION: law firm audit reveals non-compliance

Law firms are running the gauntlet of their Web sites contravening the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995, a leading IT consultant claimed this week.

Lee Corless, director of IT developers Slate, carried out a free audit of more than 70 law firms' sites and found none matched the minimum accessibility criteria for the visually and aurally impaired.

Mr Corless explained: 'Under section 21 of the DDA, providers are obliged to make reasonable adjustments to Web sites so they are useable by the disabled.

There are various types of screen readers and speaking servers that can be installed for the visually impaired, as well as options to make text bigger.'

'Unfortunately, none of the law firms' sites audited had these capabilities and no firms were prepared to do so,' he continued.

'They are not only ignoring a moral imperative but are locking out 5% of all potential users.'

Slate's legal adviser, Adam Taylor, an Internet expert at London firm Adlex, said: 'Under the DDA, those providing services over the Web to the UK public, paid or unpaid, are now obliged to make reasonable adjustments for the disabled.

Free legal information on a firm's site could be interpreted as a service and so falls into this category.

I understand that these are views shared by the Disability Rights Commission.'

Mr Corless said the firms he spoke to on the subject of non-compliance thought they had until October 2004 to meet the standards.

'Under the DDA changes to "physical features" for use by the disabled, such as stairs in buildings, need not be made until 2004,' Mr Taylor explained.

'I think some firms may be hazy on the regulations, as I don't see how this can apply to Web sites.'

LINKS: www.ontheslate.com; www.adlexsolicitors.co.uk

Andrew Towler