Case expected to clarify online accessibility requirements
From: New York Times - 11/06/2006

A lawsuit filed against Target is expected to establish an important ruling
concerning the level of access Web site operators are required to provide to
users with disabilities. Specifically, the suit alleges that Target's Web
site failed to make its site accessible to screen readers, which help
visually impaired users read and navigate online. The Americans with
Disabilities Act, which was enacted in 1990, sufficiently predates the Web
that it provides little guidance on what access retailers are required to
offer online. Jane Jarrow, president of Disability Access Information and
Support, said that the online education sector is at particularly high risk
for discovering that it has unmet legal obligations for users with
disabilities. Many online programs rely heavily on chat rooms, a technology
that does not accommodate screen readers well, leaving blind and visually
impaired students at a significant disadvantage in their efforts to complete
coursework online. A recently changed federal regulation allows online
programs to qualify for federal financial aid, but institutions that seek to
take advantage of this program must meet the terms of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973, which stipulates that Web sites must be accessible to all users to
qualify for federal aid. 

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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/06/technology/06ecom.html

Links:
Jane Jarrow
http://www.daisweb.com/node/10

Do the Rights of the Disabled Extend to the Blind on the Web?
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061106/ZNYT05/611060442/-1/teen
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/06/technology/06ecom.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&adxnnlx=1162938184-j6p92JtUlczs5Mk+0AbsUA
http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061106/ZNYT05/611062012/1009/money