Target Sued for Poor Web Site Accessibility

In the US on Wednesday, a student at UC Berkeley in California filed a lawsuit against one of the most successful online shops, Target.

The law suit cites violations of the US Americans with Disabilities Act and various state statutes. According to the article from the San Franscisco Chronicle:

'Advocates for the blind said the lawsuit is a shot across the bow for retailers, newspapers and others who have Web sites the blind cannot use.'

The plaintiffs originally communicated with Target in May 2005 pointing out the simple errors in the store that made it impossible for people with limited vision to access. The lawsuit has been brought only after Target refused to make some simple changes to help disabled visitors.

Simples Changes make a Huge Difference

We've always argued that a move towards full accessibility does not need to be a wholesale and costly re-design of an existing store. No one expects miracles, especially for small and medium size enterprises. That being said, the commercial benefits alone should make the cost of adjustments a pleasure not a chore. Not only will users with disabilities benefit from an accessible web site, but it will also be intrinsically easier to use for everyone.

The lawsuit against Target cites lack of 'alt' text (descriptions of images in text that are hidden when images are displayed but can be read out by screen readers for partially sighted visitors). 'Alt' text is simple to add and not only benefits the users but also improves search engine visibility of the content. Search engines can literally, 'read' the text to see descriptions of images used on the web pages.

Could This Happen under UK Legislation?

In theory, yes. Part 3 of The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) includes web sites. Since October 2004, web sites must make, 'reasonable adjustments' to ensure accessibility for disabled people. More information is available from the Disability Rights Commission. However, no case has been brought against a British retailer yet.

The Accessibility Carrot and Stick

Many folks cite the legislation alone as reason enough to concentrate on accessibility. My view is that the legislation is the stick but the carrot is much more attractive!

A few Sample Carrots:

• Accessiblility equals better usability: The easier the web site is to use, the easier it is for all people to find what they are looking for and then they will come back.
• Accessibility minded design is search engine friendly design: This very site you're on now is proof positive. For many key phrases we are page one in Google and in some cases, number 1. All without any marketing or dodgy SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) techniques.
• Accessibility equals more customers: If your web site is accessible then visitors who appreciate the difference will become your customers. Did I mention that accessibility is for everyone, not just disabled people?

Those are just a random sample. By employing the services of design companies who keep up to date with best practice around web accessibility not only will web sites meet their statutory and ethical obligations but they get a whole raft of commercial advantages as well.

Take a look at the article on Accessibility Design Benefits for more information.

What Now for other Online Retailers?

Most will no doubt observe the outcome of the lawsuit with interest. Those who already make the small extra effort to deliver an accessible web site are already reaping the benefits. For those who know the issue and haven't yet found it at the top of their to-do lists, any outcome will no doubt raise the issue a little further up.

Getting Accessibility Help

For any non-technical managers considering improving web site accessibility or auditing the accessibility of their organisationís web site good, practical advice is key.

It's easy to evangelise a pure vision of perfect accessibility through accessible web design from scratch. However, most experienced designers will recognise the limitations of budget, complexity and education in an organisation as crucial factors when delivering web site accessibility consulting or advice.

Accessibility Class

To learn more about accessibility best practice Accessify is one of the best resources. To speak to some of the experts in the field and participate in discussions you can do worse than one of my favourite communities, Accessify Forum.

The Missed Opportunity

Target should of called in the experts and listened to the advice of their customers. There are accessible online shopping carts available, built to web standards (our own application, Grow Store is among them). So for new stores there is no excuse for using outdated, less effective and ultimately inaccessible shop software when the alternatives are better in every way.

The middle ground between the decision to embrace the benefits of accessibility, the actual implementation and the final achievement of WCAG accessibility conformance is a great place to be. It means positive change is in progress and that's always a re-affirming place to be as a designer or a client.

Hopefully, this prompt in the form of a lawsuit will be part of a continued shift towards accessible design that benefits everyone: Retailers, web content authors and visitors.

Part of a Better Web

Accessibility is part of our core design principles which I've affectionately called, SIDE. For anyone wishing to punish themselves by delving further in to how we believe the web can be, there's an introductory article on SIDE we published previously.

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