Parking in disabled parking bays

Last night I drove back from the in-laws house where me and the family had a great weekend.

We had got caught in a bit of traffic (who is responsible for the road works on the island at the High Wycombe M40 junction??) and so we were travelling quite late up to Liverpool.

So, as any good responsible driver should – I take regular breaks as I refuse to fall asleep at the wheel. Sure it means I get back late (and this may explain to my staff why I arrived at 11 this morning!).

I sat in the car with the kids whilst my wife had a little walk to stretch her legs. As I sat there waiting for her (patiently of course!?) I noticed a people carrier in the disabled parking bay. No disabled sticker. Just parked there because it was easier for them.

I don’t know how you feel about non-disabled people parking in disabled parking bays, but personally – I don’t do it. I have no problem in walking the few extra meters to my car.

I don’t know how you feel about a disabled person finding equally as difficult when they use your website.

More and more, I guess because of the nature of my work, I am going on a journey of discovery where website accessibility is concerned. I used to be ignorant about it. I know that is no excuse, but I was.

Then changes in the law made it a requirement that I stop being ignorant, and start making some changes to my website. I shouldn’t have taken a change in the law for me to think about people that are blind, deaf, visually impaired or even people that cannot use a mouse using my website – but unfortunately it did.

I realised that my principle of not parking in the disabled bay at the shopping centre had not followed through into other areas of my work, including my website.

Web accessibility is important, for you, your business and your users.

Comments

[Dan Thurgood]

Drives me mental, that parkey malarkey. I want to make stickers that say "Stupidity is not a disability" and stick them on the windscreens of the dillons that do it.