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Blogging About Web Accessibility and Usability
Blogging about web accessibility and usability, web development, and general topics surrounding these issues
Disappointing Level of Accessibility from Australian Web Industry 2011 Entries
September 16th, 2011I judged the entries to the Australian Web Awards 2011 for accessibility. I was extremely disappointed by the low level of accessibility of the entered websites. I reviewed 52 websites. None of the sites were fully accessible.
Continue reading the complete Disappointing Level of Accessibility from Australian Web Industry 2011 Entries post20 Years of ADA in the USA - Have Things Really Changed?
July 27th, 2011Yesterday marked the 21st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). I tweeted about it, pondering whether or not things have changed significantly since then.
Continue reading the complete 20 Years of ADA in the USA - Have Things Really Changed? postCurb Cut To Nowhere
July 13th, 2011There is an interesting curb cub on Massey University campus. It leads to a flight of stairs. There is no sidewalk that could be used. Just… A flight of steps.
Continue reading the complete Curb Cut To Nowhere postVerizon Settles A Disability Discrimination Employment Suit For US$20 Million
July 7th, 2011The US EEOC announced that telecommunications company Verizon settled a disability discrimination lawsuit. The suit alleged that Verizon unlawfully denied reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilites Act (ADA) for hundreds of its employees. They settled for US$20,000,000. That seems like a great win. Yet there's a part of me that is really worried about the impact on the hiring of people with disabilities in other companies.
Continue reading the complete Verizon Settles A Disability Discrimination Employment Suit For US$20 Million postAir New Zealand's Grabaseat Discriminate Against People With Disabilities
June 14th, 2011I was just made aware of a promotion @Grabaseat ran over the weekend: A competition to win tickets for a round-the-world trip. Unfortunately, the competition was discriminatory - to win, you had to be the "last man standing". People taking part in the competition had to stand on one leg. The last person to still be standing won.
I'm happy for the winner, a student in Christchurch.
But I'm concerned that anyone unable to stand on one leg was excluded from the competition. This competition was aimed at fit, able-bodied individuals. As a wheelchair user, I couldn't have taken part - yet, I would love to have an opportunity to win a round-the-world trip. Perhaps Grabaseat and Air New Zealand think people with disabilities don't travel.
It is of course more likely that it never even occured to them that their competition was discriminatory.
Still, it's disappointment.
@AccessTourismNZ sent them a DM to express her concern on this matter, but they haven't seemed fit to respond.