Re: [Access-activists] Next Set of Tasks for GAI

[Janina Sajka]

T.V. Raman writes:
> 1+ on all RMS  says. The access community has a tradition of
> sensationalizing / turning things into a political football --
> something that was needed when accessibility didn't get the
> attention it deserved.
> 

Raman, I want to suggest to you that political action, sensational,
legal, etc., still has its proper place. Our current discussion can help
illustrate my point.

Should the Public Accomodations criteria of ADA apply to public web
sites? In other words, should banks, hotels, stores, etc., be required
to provide accessible web sites? They are required to provide accessible
physicial facilities. Should they also be required to provide accessible
virtual facilities?

Legal opinion appears to be drifting to a very curious consensus on this
point. Latest thinking appears to answer "yes," only if the business in
question also provides the same services in a physical location. Ergo,
Target must, but Amazon may not be so required.

To my mind this is kooky, whatever the sound legal reasoning hat is
making jurists comfortable with this resolution -- and allowing them to
kick the problem back into Congress.


What does it matter whether one clicks through a virtual mall or rolls
through a physical one?

Increasingly, it's dificult to conduct business without accessing the
web. And, when you can, you have to pay more for the same result --e.g.
the extra charge for airline tickets procurred by telephone or at a
ticketing counter, vs. on line.

Yes, the airline example would come out as a 'must' in the above
reaosning. But, there are numerous sites without physical business
locations these days, banks, phone companies, ISPs, health care
providers, home entertainment system and providerss, etc., etc.

I'm increasingly concerned that we're falling behind in our ability to
participate in today's economy precisely where the field should be more
equitable for us. This is not a technology question--it's a policy/ligal
question. We know how to do the technology. We need to requirement that
requires the electronic equivalent of braille signage, curb ramps, and
etc.

Janina