
Target Settles Accessibility Lawsuit for $6 Million - astrec
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/08/29/target-settles-accessibility-lawsuit-for-6-million/
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tomjen
Criminal. Just because you own a website doesn't mean that everybody has the
right to use it. The judges should be thrown on the street or better yet in
prison for criminal abuse of power.

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mdasen
Actually, that isn't true. The Americans with Disabilities Act says that
stores must provide full and equal enjoyment of their goods, services,
facilities, or accommodations. The judge only ruled that Target.com falls
under that provision as much as Target physical stores do. Not an unreasonable
ruling at all. "The ADA doesn't exclude web-based stores therefore it applies
to it" seems perfectly reasonable. In fact, the ruling is both in the word of
the law and the spirit of the law (which was to allow equal access to
necessary services to all people).

Now, Target didn't have to pay $6M. That's a voluntary settlement. The ADA
only specifies that establishments can be compelled to 1) make their places
accessible and 2) pay the plaintiff's legal fees. Target probably decided that
rather than continuing the appellate process, this was just easier.

Plus, it's the right thing to do. Seriously, it's not as if it's that hard to
make a website accessible - Target wasn't even using alt tags. WTF? You can't
add alt tags?

I get as pissed of as the next person when the only parking available is
handicapped, but at the same time it's not like I'd trade my able-bodied
status to reap the benefits.

The ADA exists. If you disagree that the ADA should exist, you need to contact
your senators and rep asking them to support its repeal. If you think it
shouldn't apply to the web, you need to contact your senators and rep to lobby
for amending the ADA to specifically exclude the web from its jurisdiction.

