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How to complain about inaccessibility
Transcript
16 December 2012
Roberta: Today we are joined by Sarah Pulis, Web Accessibility Evangelist for Access iQ, who is going to share why it’s important to let organisations know if you have a disability, if you can’t use their online services. Welcome, Sarah.
Sarah: Thank you very much, Roberta.
Roberta: Now, who is Access iQ?
Sarah: Well, Access iQ is actually part of Media Access Australia. While Media Access Australia is consumer focused what we do at Access iQ is we actually focus on business and web accessibility. So our primary role is to provide businesses and government with information and resources on how to make websites more accessible for people who have a disability which, of course, includes blindness and low vision.
Roberta: Absolutely, now what’s happening in web accessibility then?
Sarah: Well, the government has publicly announced its commitment to making its websites more accessible for people with disabilities and this is through a document called The Web Accessibility National Transition Strategy. In simple terms this document mandates that all Federal Government websites must make their websites meet a basic level of accessibility compliance by the end of this year. Then by the end of 2014 these sites must be compliant to an intermediate level.
Roberta: Is it only Federal Government?
Sarah: No, States and Territories have indicated that they will comply with at least the basic level of compliance and some have also committed to meeting the intermediate level but their deadlines might take a little bit longer in some cases.
Roberta: Do you have any idea on how they’re progressing because the end of 2012 is nearly on us?
Sarah: Yes, it certainly is. I attended a conference last week and there were some government employees there who were responsible for monitoring the progress of the National Transition Strategy and making these websites more accessible. Now, look, the fact of the matter is that there are some departments who aren’t going to meet the first deadlines. Some departments are working towards that higher level of compliance by 2014, so it is a little bit of a mixed bag at the moment.
Roberta: So why is this important to Vision Australia Radio listeners, Sarah?
Sarah: Look, it’s important for Vision Australia Radio listeners, along with anyone who has a disability, to actually understand what the government has said that they will do to make their websites more accessible and, more importantly, to apply some pressure on government departments in large organisations if they haven’t met this deadline or information isn’t accessible.
So if you don’t already do this it would be really great to start contacting organisations and making complaints if online information is in a form that you cannot access. So Access iQ’s role is to talk to businesses and government but what they seem to be seeing is it’s like an out-of-sight-out-of-mind attitude. Because they don’t receive complaints they assume everything is okay and should continue as normal but we know that’s not the case and so that’s where your listeners come in.
What’s really important is if you are approaching an organisation, consider how you approach the organisation. Most aren’t out there saying, “We’re going to stop you accessing our information.” Often they just don’t understand the difficulties people are facing and how to make their content, at least, accessible. So it’s really important to clearly describe the issues that you’re having with as much detail as possible.
Roberta: And what can consumers expect after they have made a complaint?
Sarah: Well, look, firstly it’s likely the organisation will sort of, in the background, be scrambling around going, ‘How do we do this? How do we respond to this complaint?” So it’s unlikely that you won’t get an answer in the first regard but the really important thing is that your complaint should be acknowledged.
You should ask for the person’s name who you’re speaking to and request that they actually get back to you or someone else gets back to you with a progress or a solution to the complaint. And also be available for follow up because they might have some other questions that they want to ask you.
The last point is that if the outcome of your complaint isn’t satisfactory then you can take things higher. You can try taking them higher through the organisation itself or you can make a complaint through the Australian Human Rights Commission as well.
Roberta: Okay then. Well, it’s important that you do contact organisations if your barriers are stopping you from accessing content online. So remember these tips. Consider how you approach organisations. Describe the issue carefully with detail. Follow up and if the outcome of your complaint isn’t satisfactory then you can take things higher. Thank you for that, Sarah.
Sarah: Not a problem, Roberta.
Roberta: I’ve been speaking with Sara Pulis, Web Access Ability Evangelist for Access iQ, a division of Media Access Australia and Media Access Australia are supporters of this program.