2008-03-06T10:57:23-07:00 Practical Ecommerce info@practicalecommerce.com http://www.practicalecommerce.com/ Copyright 2007 Confluence Publishing DBA Practical Ecommerce http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/683/ADA-And-State-Disability-Laws/#comment7351 2008-03-06T10:57:23-07:00

This really all boils down to smart business. Hundreds of thousands of blind Internet users want entertainment - music, eBooks, etc. Yet, iTunes is one of the most cumbersome programs for the blind to navigate. You have to wonder just how much business iTunes and sites like it lose from the blind who are eager--actually begging--to be able to shop. Don't lose site of holiday shopping either. Since it would ultimately be easier for the blind to shop for family and spouses without having to rely on others to drive them to stores, etc., there is a market to be tapped here. Practical Ecommerce has been running some articles by a blind Internet user covering some of these topics, and many are simple, inexpensive implementations. It's not difficult to follow the rule that if a blind user can't shop your site, there are others who simply will not find your products.

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/683/ADA-And-State-Disability-Laws/#comment7241 2008-03-04T13:33:14-07:00

In this global Internet economy, forcing Internet resellers based in the US to fully comply with US ADA laws could put America ecommerce businesses at a cost disadvantage over the world competition. In a world of ever tightening margins for many products even an extra two or three hours of design time could add to the overall cost of a widget. If a reseller is in Canada or Australia and they are selling a similar product as there American competition to the same Global clientele including Americans are they going to be forced to comply? On the other hand, let say the seller’s office is in Canada and the server resides in the US, which country’s law govern that site? Now, I am not saying that not following the ADA guidelines is bad but the web is not limited to just the US and the US can not make someone operating a business in another country comply to the US ADA laws. If the competition can sell the same widget for less then the American reseller, then the American reseller...

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/683/ADA-And-State-Disability-Laws/#comment6918 2008-02-28T11:13:12-07:00

The knowledge, tools, and expertise needed to make Websites accessible has been available for years. It took some high profile lawsuits before many retailers started paying attention. It is more difficult to retrofit a Website with accessibility features than it is to design one with accessibility in mind. But, with focused effort and knlowedgeable programmers, it is generally achievable in the short-term. It's not just mandatory, it's the right thing to do. Also, improving your site's accessibility not only helps the disabled, but generally makes your Web site more usable by everyone, more standards-compliant, and improves your results in the search engines- among other benefits. To learn more, feel free to contact me for a free consultation. John Howard, Web Accessibility and Adaptive Technology Expert john@jghoward.com