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Media Advisory: Government slammed for ignoring responsibility to protect rights of disabled people on the Web

15 April, 2004 – SciVisum comments on Disability Rights Commission investigation of Web sites

An investigation by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) published yesterday reveals that more than 80 per cent of web sites are contravening legal requirements to provide accessible online services to disabled people.

The study is in line with the results of the SciVisum Web Accessibility Study 2004, which first exposed the scale of the problem last month. The report can be downloaded at: http://www.scivisum.co.uk/report/accessibility.

Deri Jones, CEO of Internet tester SciVisum said:

“Web sites are failing disabled people - the Government needs to act now and has a responsibility to protect the rights of disabled people on the Internet. This is now a part of our everyday lives and as the Disability Rights Commission investigation and our own research has shown industry self regulation is just not cutting the mustard.

There is a need for the government to put in place a formal accreditation scheme and automated commercial tools alone are just not up to the job. This is new terrain, and web developers and web site commissioners need training and guidance from experienced accessibility professionals if the mistakes that web sites are currently riddled with are to be wiped out.

Organisations are apathetic to web accessibility issues and there is a misplaced perception about the commercial obstacles. This apathy is undoubtedly fuelled by the high degree of misunderstanding with regard to the deadlines for legal requirements set down by the Disability Discrimination Act and the lack of guidance”.

If you would like an interview with Deri Jones, please call Alia Ilyas at Rainier PR on 0207 494 6580 or at ailyas@rainierpr.co.uk

About SciVisum
SciVisum delivers engineered web systems monitoring services to help UK businesses measure and improve the performance and functionality of business critical Web based systems. The company’s in-house research and development, and an unique test methodology enable testing and monitoring of complex web based applications, taking test services beyond website performance to incorporate user functionality. This includes sophisticated web systems and complex functionality such as online order processing, shopping carts, banking applications, auction systems and utilities online billing.

SciVisum offers customers an unique ‘build & buy’ approach, tailoring semi-automated services to clients’ exact requirements. This provides the flexible benefits of consultancy but with clearly defined services, at off the shelf prices and with fast implementation. The company is backed by a senior management team with substantial Internet industry experience, including core roles in the foundation of UK Internet service provider PSINet and the development and marketing of high profile online applications.