WAI Resource: Policies Related to Web Accessibility -- Working Draft
Introduction | Document
Status | Discussion | Index
| Policy References
Judy Brewer
Last updated January 21, 1999
Introduction:
In the context of the regulatory world, the World Wide Web is a relatively
new phenomena. Consequently there are still relatively few laws, regulations,
or policies which explicitly address the internet and the Web, and fewer
that specifically address Web accessibility. However, there are policies
which in some way impact on the accessibility of information technologies
and information services; and there is an increasing trend to require accessibility
of the internet and the Web as these acquire an increasingly pivotal role
in society.
While regulation is not the only motivator for Web accessibility, it
can be a powerful one. (Other motivators, such as marketplace demographics
or universal design carry-over benefits, will be addressed in other WAI
materials.) The information here provides a starting point to locating
relevant laws, regulations, policies, and government standards and/or guidelines
which have some bearing on Web accessibility, as well as information about
efforts to initiate related policies. It is being compiled as a public
resource by the World Wide Web Consortium's
(W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative
(WAI) Education and Outreach Working
Group (EOWG).
This page is not intended to provide legal advice. If you have questions
about the applicability of the referenced laws to specific situations,
please be aware that W3C does not provide legal advice on matters of Web
accessibility. We would however be interested to know the outcome of any
inquiries related to the materials on these pages.
Document Status:
This is a W3C Working Draft for review by W3C members and other interested
parties. It is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or obsoleted
by other
documents at any time. It is inappropriate to use W3C Working Drafts
as reference material or to cite them as other than "work in progress".
This is work in
progress and does not imply endorsement by, or the consensus of, either
W3C or members of the WAI Education & Outreach Working Group (EOWG).
Please address any corrections or additions to the attention of the WAI
EOWG.
Discussion:
While there are a number of possible ways to regulate the accessibility
of information technologies, these generally fall into three categories.
A government can establish that individuals with disabilities have a right
to certain kinds of information; a government can require that certain
kinds of products or services sold within a country must meet certain criteria
for accessibility; or a government can require that information technologies
and information services procured by certain entities, such as government
agencies, must be accessible.
While we most often see the first approach -- establishing access to
certain kinds of information by individuals with disabilities as a civil
right, such as in Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United
Kingdom -- sometimes we see combinations of these approaches, or, as in
the United States, all three approaches used at once. As the Web becomes
an increasingly important medium for education, employment, commerce, civic
participation, and recreation, the trend is towards more requirements for
this technology to be universally accessible, including to people with
disabilities who constitute a significant part of every country's population.
Index:
References in this document are organized alphabetically by country, and
chronologically within the country. [Legislative citations will be filled
in as the draft is completed.]
-
Australia
-
New South Wales
-
Canada
-
France
-
Portugal
-
Thailand
-
United States of America
-
United Kingdom
Policy References:
Australia
-
Commonwealth of Australia
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New South Wales, Australia
Canada
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Canada
-
Legislation: Canadian Human Rights Act of 1977
-
Jurisdictions: Attorney General; Canadian
Human Rights Commission
-
Discussion: Legislation &
Policies
-
Relevant documents:
-
NOTE: All links to legislation on the CHRC site are currently broken.
-
Additional information or comments:
France
-
France
-
Legislation:
-
Jurisdictions:
-
Discussion:
-
Relevant Documents:
-
Additional information or comments:
Portugal
-
Portugal
-
Legislation:
-
Jurisdictions:
-
Discussion:
-
Relevant Documents:
-
Additional information or comments:
Thailand
-
Thailand
-
Legislation:
-
Jurisdictions:
-
Discussion:
-
Relevant Documents:
-
Additional information or comments:
United Kingdom
-
United Kingdom
-
Legislation: Disability Discrimination Act of 1995
-
Jurisdictions:
-
Department of Education and Employment, Minister of Equal Opportunities
-
National Disability Council
(NDC is authorized to draft Code of Practice)
-
Discussion:
-
Relevant Documents:
-
Additional information or comments:
United States of America
-
USA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
-
Legislation: Rehabilitation Act, Section 504 (1973)
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Jurisdictions: AG; Department of Education
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Discussion:
-
Relevant Documents:
-
Additional information or comments:
-
Section 504 establishes the principle of programmatic access to federally-funded
programs. Does not directly address the internet, Web, or even information
technologies, but lays foundation for accessibility to the services ("programs")
though not explicity the facilities of federally-funded programs.
-
USA, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
-
Legislation: Rehabilitation Act, Section 508 (1986, amended 1992, amended
1998)
-
Jurisdictions: Attorney General; Access
Board (Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board)
-
Discussion:
-
Relevant Documents:
-
Additional information or comments:
-
Excerpted text from latest
Sec. 508 amendment
-
Section 508 establishes the requirement that federal government, and by
extension through the Tech Act, state government as well, procure information
technology that is accessible.
-
USA, Americans with Disabilities Act
-
US, Section
255 and 706 of the Telecommunications Act
Other Countries?
-
There is an overview of European Legislation, not specific to the internet,
at:
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