[LINK] RFI: Govt Policy re Correspondence Format

[Tom Worthington]

On 02/08/12 09:26, Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:

> ... Is the argument that every form of communication has to be accessible by
> every disabled person?

No, the argument is that if you are providing a service for the public, 
you should make it as accessible to as wide a range of people as 
possible. If that is too hard to do (called "unjustifiable hardship" in 
the law) then you don't have to. But how hard is it to send email?

> An analogy would be stairs. People who have to use wheelchairs cannot
> climb stairs unassisted. Does that mean stairs should be banned?

Yes, stairs are banned for the entrance to public buildings in Australia:

"... a separate entrance to the one used by the general public is not 
acceptable if the main entrance can be adjusted and therefore made 
accessible without causing an unjustifiable hardship ..." 
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/buildings/guidelines.htm#G1

 > The idea of making sending paper unlawful is as silly as banning stairs.

I expect a court would find it reasonable that an agency could reply to 
email queries by email. Failing to do so would therefore be unlawful.


-- 
Tom Worthington FACS CP, TomW Communications Pty Ltd. t: 0419496150
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617, Australia  http://www.tomw.net.au
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Adjunct Lecturer, Research School of Computer Science,
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