$6M Suit: Target, Amazon Must Make Web More Accessible to Blind

As part of an estimated $6M settlement of a lawsuit against Target (TGT) by the National Federation of the Blind [NFB], Amazon (AMZN) will be required to make the Web more accessible. According to the Financial Times, Amazon Enterprise Solutions which provides Web technology to the sites of Target, Marks & Spencer, Mothercare, Lacoste, and Timex, will be required “to ensure ‘full and equal’ access for blind people both to its own site, and to those of the merchants it supports”.

The Target suit claims that alternate text and accessible image maps are missing which screen readers depend on to read through the page content and vocalize it to the user; and, the website requires the use of a mouse to complete certain functions. The NFB who, in part, filed the suit has also filed and won similar cases against America Online, Priceline.com (PCLN), and Ramada.com.

Cynthia Waddell, of the International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet, noted that the court had also ruled in the case that the state’s Ralph Civil Rights Act requires all websites, not just those of groups with a physical presence such as a retailer, to provide equal access to disabled people. “I don’t think this is on the radar of most businesses yet.”

In the end, the responsibility lies with Target but this is a classic example of where making sure the outside vendor or technology enabler is compliant, helps to prevent costly mistakes.

Comments

[Heatseeker:]

Ahhh, another fine example of the absurd litigation that only occurs in this country. I suppose the NFB's next target will be the state BMVs failure to print driver manuals in braille.

2008 Sep 02 08:12 AM

[jala:]

I think the National Federation for the Deaf (I'm sure there is one) should sue all radio stations to make sure a method is provided for deaf people to enjoy the radio, too. Oh, let's sue the Apple because deaf people can't use Ipods.

"My disability is my claim to make everyone do things for me!"

2008 Sep 02 04:32 PM

[Glenn Alperin:]

Let's be honest here. For those who are not blind or deaf, having such disabilities is very socially challenging, at best, and can have very serious consequences if people do not take such matters into account. Imagine dispensing medication to a person who is blind. This is a real world problem with real world consequences which has actually already been solved. Such solutions for a website are even easier (speaking as a web developer myself) and easily should have been a high priority on ANYBODY'S website design list. My personal website is accessible, and there shouldn't be any website out there designed for public viewing which isn't.

Jala, deaf people CAN enjoy radio, especially talk radio and news reports, which is the whole point of having transcripts available. They can even enjoy music, though in a very different way from the rest of us.

Honestly, Target, with it's community focus efforts, really should have known better. Somebody at Target really dropped the ball by approving the Amazon website without due consideration. Somebody, and I don't know who, really screwed up, and at the very least, should lose their own job over it. Target has better things to do with its money than lose lawsuits over stupid easily preventable mistakes. As both a shareholder and a person who cares deeply about disability issues, I would expect better from Target.

2008 Sep 05 06:28 PM