RE: Legal Precedent

Regarding legal precedent as an incentive for accessible web design, please
see my article "Applying the ADA to the Internet:  A Web Accessibility
Standard" at
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/law/weblaw1.htm

The above article is a brief outline of my law lecture for a Technology and
Telecommunications law class at Santa Clara University School of Law.  It
was written at the request of the American Bar Association last June for
their conference "In Pursuit...A Blueprint for Disability Law and Policy."

Another resource that may be helpful is an earlier article written in 1996
for higher education, but prior to the USDOJ Policy Ruling on Accessible Web
Sites, is entitled "Electronic Curbcuts:  How to Build An Accessible Web
Site" and is found at http://www.prodworks.com/ilf/w5bcw.htm 

I also have another article coming out in November that will be published in
The Internet Lawyer ( http://www.internetlawyer.com ).   So that you can see
the activity that has come from our work on accessible web sites, I am
attaching a biographical sketch.  Please call me if you would like to
dialogue further.  I have been working with a number of forums, including
the higher education community, on accessible web design implementation.  In
fact, I am speaking at a statewide higher education conference this week on
your issue.

 <<IRMCO Bio>> 

Cynthia D. Waddell, JD







---------------------------------
Cynthia D. Waddell   Cynthia.Waddell@ci.sj.ca.us
ADA Coordinator       City of San Jose, CA

801 North First Street, Room 460
San Jose, California 95110-1704
(408)277-4034
(408)971-0134 TTY
(408)277-3885 FAX


> ----------
> From: 	Eric Engelmann
> Sent: 	Sunday, October 25, 1998 7:50 PM
> To: 	w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
> Subject: 	Legal Precedent
> 
> Has there been any legal precedents set for forcing companies to have
> accessible sites, similar to ADA laws?
> 
> I'd guess that there hasn't, due to the apparent dearth of accessible
> sites.
> I'm working on a public university website, and am wondering if there's
> any
> legal arguments I can throw into the ring to help  convince them of the
> need
> for a highly accessible site.
> 
> - Eric Engelmann
> Inlet, Inc
> eric@inlet.com
>