WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

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WebAIM-Forum Digest, Vol 138, Issue 11

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From: Brooks Newton
Date: Sep 13, 2016 3:41PM

If browser manufacturers are left out of the culpability loop for ensuring digital accessibility, we can expect to see sporadic support of accessible user experiences as the norm moving forward. Why on earth would these organizations give up one red cent of profit or one hour of "feature building" to develop and test for accessibility if they aren't compelled by law to do so? I am being facetious here, because I can in fact think of many good reasons, other than direct profit potential, to back standardized accessibility support on the part of user agents and other necessary software.

I'd like to ask why software manufacturers have been very specifically excused from being obligated to support standard accessible interaction patterns via regulations, such as the case with the ADA do-over (Title II SANPRM). Who in this close-knit community of ours is giving the DOJ or other regulators the idea that site owners are the only ones who should have legal obligations to support Web accessibility and what is your rationale?

If anyone is interested in reading more along these lines, I encourage you to read my formal response to the latest ADA SANPRM, and to file your own responses to the landmark ruling that will be coming down the pike as a result of this proposed rule making.

Here is a PDF version of my extended remarks about the absurdity of not holding software manufacturers accountable for upholding their end of the digital accessibility equation.

https://www.regulations.gov/contentStreamer?documentId=DOJ-CRT-2016-0009-0052&attachmentNumber=2&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf

Here is the link to comment on the proposed regulation of Web accessibility for U.S. state and local entities. The comment deadline has been extended until October 7, 2016.

https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=DOJ-CRT-2016-0009-0047

It looks to me like there have been a grand total of 58 responses submitted and posted to date in regard to this critically important pending regulation. Are people afraid to post personal responses for fear of retribution by their employers? What gives? I know there are at least a hundred passionate followers of this discussion list who have relevant perspectives to share with the Department of Justice on the future of Web accessibility in America.

Brooks Newton


> On Sep 13, 2016, at 12:56 PM, Tim Harshbarger < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
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> Yes, I agree.
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> This is one of those types of bugs that does not quite make sense. I am sure new browser versions undergo testing before their public release. You would think testing the functionality of links, including in-page links, would be a fundamental part of that testing and would be fixed when it was found to be broken. It's not even really an accessibility specific feature of HTML.
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