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Real talk: You don't need clearer rules

2 minutes read

Accessibility laws are just too vague! How are we supposed to comply if they don't spell out every single requirement?

Really?

Do you just choose not to follow traffic laws unless they spell out every possible way to crash? Bad example! Some people don't follow the traffic laws, period.

Don't be one of them!

It's the right thing to do to signal when making a turn, let people pass at crosswalks and not shout at others that respect the speed limit just because you want to get to where you're going five minutes earlier. We're all going somewhere!

Just like it's the right thing to do to make sure your website works for everyone. But let's entertain the laws for a bit.

But the ADA doesn’t mention websites

Courts have ruled repeatedly that the ADA applies to online. Domino’s, Netflix and Target all lost lawsuits arguing otherwise. What you're really saying is you know you're supposed to comply, but you're hoping you'll get away with it if you plead confusion.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is only for the public sector

Wrong! The EAA extends EN 301 549 to banking, e-commerce and transportation. Private companies are absolutely included. You're just hoping that if you misinterpret the law loud enough, regulators will give up.

The EN 301 549 is too complex

EN 301 549 maps to WCAG 2.1 AA. It's the same standard used globally. Others can read it. Why not you? Could it be because you want a separate, simpler rule book just for you, so you can argue your way out of compliance? Hmm.

The WCAG is open to interpretation

Admit it! You just want to debate what "accessible" means in the hopes you can create enough reasonable doubt for people to go away. The bad news is you might win and people really will go away. To competitors.

You don't need "clearer rules." You need to stop pretending you don't understand the rules and just do the right thing.

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