Meryl's Notes Blog

Digital Web Magazine’s November topic is usability and the feature is Accountability of Accessibility and Usability. The article references Southwest Airline’s being sued by a user who is blind because the site is inaccessible. Since then, several more lawsuits have popped up.

I support accessible sites, of course. After all, I’m deaf. However, in the tone of these lawsuits, does this mean I can sue every company that requires me to deal with their inaccessible telephone recording systems? Here’s how it works:

Using my TTY, I call the relay operator and request a call to 800-XXX-XXXX to report a problem with a product since its Web site offered no online contact form. Operator dials and recording greets us. The operator types the recording, word for word followed by the choices. By the time the operator finishes, the recording has hung up. We waited too long.

So, operator redials, gets recording, enters my choice, more recording, and another choice. Hung up. Redial. Repeat until we painfully get to where we want to go. Yes, I try to shortcut it by telling the operator to do what is necessary to reach tech support or customer service. It’s not always possible to do that.

Time to sue, right? Yes, it’s the right thing to do to offer customers multiple ways to contact a business. Southwest Airlines has phone call-in system for ordering tickets. The person who is blind can use that and I can’t. Yet, I can use the online ordering system and he can’t. What’s fair?

The company will pay for its inaccessibility by losing customers. I understand the person who is blind wants to use Southwest Airlines because they have an excellent reputation and good prices. But, he can make the call. He does have another option.

Where does ADA start? End?

Update: I must clarify this is all hypothetical. SWA actually has a TTY line. The point is this: many companies have recording systems and no TTY alternative. I can’t tell you which sites are inaccessible to people with sight challenges, so I use this as an example. Not trying to slander SWA. I should’ve put this note up in the first place. But I think the point came across — someone who can’t see can’t access a company’s site where someone who can’t hear can’t access that company’s phone line.

Shirley has written her perspective on this topic.