This isn’t exactly a brand new headline, but that happens when you’re away from blogging for awhile. Kudos to Newegg for getting deserved recognition in the web accessibility world. Late July, the retailer of software and computer hardware became the first online merchant to earn the National Federation of the Blind’s gold level Nonvisual Accessibility Web Certification.

“The National Federation of the Blind is pleased that Newegg.com, one of the largest online retailers in the U.S., is setting an example for the industry by providing an unprecedented level of access to its Web site for blind shoppers. We are pleased to award Newegg.com our gold level Nonvisual Accessibility Web Certification, which has never before been achieved by an online retailer. It is also notable that Newegg.com achieved this high level of certification in only six months.”
– Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind

When the cases of prominent web sites getting in legal trouble over poor accessibility have little trouble making headlines, it’s nice to see that some sites are getting it right.

Source:
National Federation of the Blind Awards Newegg.com with “Gold Level” Certification for Providing Equal Access to Visually Impaired Users on Newegg.com

Tags: National Federation for the Blind, newegg, NFB, Nonvisual Accessibility Web Certification

In further proof that web accessibility is becoming more and more of a hot button issue, The National Federation for the Blind is joining with a blind law school applicant in a lawsuit against the Law School Admissions Council. They cite that the council’s web site is inaccessible, including its LSAT preparation materials.

The NFB claims that the site is in violation of the California Disabled Persons Act and the Unruh Act. The Unruh Civil Rights Act “provides protection from discrimination by all business establishments in California, including housing and public accommodations, because of age, ancestry, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation.”¹ Screen readers are unable to read various pieces of the site content, and keyboard-driven navigation is spotty.

It ought to be interesting to see how this pans out. I’m guessing a settlement in which the LSAC commits to making its web site and preparation materials more accessible to the disabled is in the future.

Source Materials:
Group, Blind Sue Law School Admissions Body For Inaccessible Web Site at AHN
Blind law student sues Law School Admissions Council over accessibility at The National Law Journal

¹ Unruh Civil Rights Act (California Civil Code Section 51)

Tags: California Disabled Persons Act, Law School Admission Test, Law School Admissions Council, lawsuit, LSAC, LSAT, National Federation for the Blind, National Law Journal, NFB, Unruh Act