Message-ID: <332EE3CA.7756@ddi.digital.net> Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 10:49:46 -0800 From: Ralph Wirthlin Reply-To: wirthlin AT ddi DOT digital DOT net MIME-Version: 1.0 To: jdashiel AT eagle1 DOT eaglenet DOT com CC: opendos AT mail DOT tacoma DOT net Subject: ADA software References: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit jdashiel AT eagle1 DOT eaglenet DOT com wrote: > > >From an A.D.A. standpoint and that's operative for all federal > sales in the U.S.A. now and is applicable in the event of > litigation for private sector sales in the U.S.A. under the A.D.A. > licensing any software with interface accessibility problems > unmarketable. Cite? The ADA (Americans with Disablities Act) deals with disabled access for public places as well as private-sector work places with more than 15 employees. A careful reading of the 1990 act revealed nothing that *requires* a product to be ADA accessible - however much sense it might make from a financial standpoint. A disabled employee can request that certain software be made available to permit him to fulfill his job responsibilities, but there is nothing in the act which would force a company to produce a "disabled-friendly" software package. Just to make sure I wasn't misreading the act, I contacted the US Department of Justice ADA information line (1-800-514-0301 (voice) 1-800-514-0383 (TDD)). I was told unequivocably that computer software whether produced for the private sector or for the federal government does not come under scrutiny of the ADA. I think they've answered that before :). Ralph