Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
In situations like these the legislation almost always uses terms like ‘reasonable’. It’s the reason why your small, local coffee shop in the village centre probably doesn’t have a wheelchair accessible toilet or ramped access - it is not reasonable to install such large, expensive, intrusive measures in a small building that lacks the space or the financial resources. In my favourite local seaside town almost none of the cafes have any toilet at all. This is reasonable; they are long established in Victorian and Georgian buildings and it would not be reasonable to expect them to undertake prohibitively expensive measures to comply with the general requirements of the law.
You seem to be hoping to cast doubt on the word ‘reasonable’ as something a small business owner - or, in this case, a small website - can dare to rely on as a defence in court. You are, as usual, wrong. The different levels of responsibility of business with different levels of resource is uncontroversial.
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There was actually a case where a disabled person couldn't access a cafe because it had a few steps at the enterance. They couldn't install a ramp for the reasons you mention, so a discussion was arranged.
It was mutually decided that there was a third way that would satisfy both parties which was for a notice to be placed in the window asking anyone having trouble with the steps to ring the bell that had been installed below the notice and a member of staff would come outside to help them into the premises.
New builds are generally required to have disabled access, but one council required new pub licensees taking over existing premises to have a disabled toilet in place.
She did this, even though the bar was about six flights of steps from the ground floor!
It's not a problem now because the smoking ban made it impossible to do business on those premises, so she moved to new premises on the ground floor.
---------- Post added at 09:56 ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 ----------
Forgot to mention earlier that as well as dealing with 'toxic algorithms', Ofcom will require robust age verification.
There is currently an issue with children joining adult websites such as dating sites. Those making sexual comments to them often use the fact that it is an over 18 site as a defence.