All businesses need to understand their legal obligations and responsibilities concerning their websites, according to an internet design company.

Julie Howell, director of accessibility at Fortune Cookie, said that all companies should read the guide to good practice called 'Publicly Available Specification 78' [PAS 78].

She added that the document contains information on how to go about putting together a website.

"When we raised awareness about accessibility, there were suddenly a lot of design and measurement agencies who sprung up and made all sorts of claims that weren't necessarily true," she remarked.

Ms Howell went on to say that such a situation is dangerous for small businesses, which need to be aware that they have a legal duty to make sure that their sites are accessible.

A principle of web accessibility is designing sites and software that are flexible to meet different user needs, preferences and situations, according to the World Wide Web Consortium.





© Adfero Ltd