The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA – www.disability.gov.uk/dda/) aims to end discrimination that many users with disabilities face on a day-to-day basis. Changes to the act from October 1st 2004 mean that many companies may have to rethink the way they treat staff and the way that they provide goods and services to customers. The Disability Discrimination Act gives those affected important rights of access to employment opportunities and everyday services that others take for granted.

Many of today's Internet users have various disabilities that cause significant obstacles when trying to obtain information from websites especially if the site is non-compliant with the W3C guidelines (www.w3.org/wai). "FTSE 100 companies are failing to address accessibility issues with research revealing that 81% of the listed sites failed to comply with the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) accessibility guidelines." (Source: New Media Age, 7th October 2004).

Chris Haresign, Business Development Director at Sequence comments, "Providing accessible alternatives can be a challenge, with much confusion and ambiguity already being experienced within the marketplace." Chris continues, "In my opinion accessibility will become the next 'hot-potato', with the more unscrupulous operators encouraging unnecessary investment by unsuspecting site owners through little more than scare tactics"

Sequence's commitment to the act means that all new websites (those currently in construction and to be constructed) will be built to Bobby Priority Level 1 'A' compliant (http://bobby.watchfire.com). Level 1 'A' compliancy is the first (and often) easiest level to achieve, with Bobby rating sites up to a Level 3 'AAA' classification – a level that offers the most sophisticated support for users with disabilities, and the biggest challenge to adhere to.

Sequence develops both graphical and text-only versions of websites that are designed to accommodate as many people with disabilities as possible, including those using assistive technologies such as Braille readers or voice synthesisers. Text-only sites can also be developed following the both the guidelines set out by W3C's WAI Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and the Bobby Standard.

Chris concludes, "In a nutshell it's down to the owner of the site to ensure that they don't actively discriminate against users with disabilities. As such they just can't continue providing them with information that users with disabilities just can't access. This isn't rocket science and need not cost the Earth - DDA compliance can potentially be achieved quickly and simply through minor adjustments and modifications to an existing web site".

To find out more, please contact Chris.haresign@sequence.co.uk and arrange a free no-obligation review of your website, and what can be done to help you get in line with the law.