Once again, Donna Jodhan finds herself facing off against government lawyers in her bid to improve the accessibility of government web sites.
Jodhan, a blind Toronto resident, began her battle in 2004 after she struggled with applying for a federal government job.
She then took the matter to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal but, following failed attempts to negotiate a solution with the government, decided to go to the Federal Court to argue her case on the basis of violations of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It’s a long-running case, one that’s beginning to defy logic as to why the government is fighting Jodhan on the issue. Officials counter that the government offered Jodhan help by phone, mail, and in person, all of which amount to reasonable accommodation of her disability.
While it may be true that other methods exist, the government has yet to prove that accommodating Jodhan fully to allow her to use its web sites would be an onerous burden.
In fact, experts on the matter, including technology lawyers, say it’s relatively easy to fix the problems people with disabilities face in accessing government services online.
In terms of visual impairment, what’s key in general is making the text on a web site readable so blind people can hear the content in audio format.
In the meantime, the government has been updating its online materials to make them more interactive, a move that will allow Canadians to access more of their services via the Internet.
While extending them to people with disabilities requires the latest technology, it’s hard to see how the government can argue against using it when other jurisdictions and private businesses have done so. Cost may be a factor, but we’ve yet to see any evidence that it would be excessive.
The case comes as the Ontario government has been considering the issue through its processes under the Accessibility for Ontarians With Disabilities Act.
It’s clear, then, that society is on a path to making the world more accessible through changes to everything from customer service standards to transportation practices. If we can move towards improving buses and streetcars on that issue, surely we can do so with web sites.
In the end, it’s going to be more expensive to fix accessibility issues after the fact rather than incorporating them into ongoing changes to the government’s online content.
As a result, the government should drop its reluctance and heed Jodhan’s call for improved accessibility. As the online world grows in importance, there’s no justification for leaving people with disabilities behind.
- Glenn Kauth
