COMPANIES in the south should check their websites are accessible to the disabled after the introduction of wide-reaching new laws.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act, it is unlawful for disabled people to be treated less favourably than their able-bodied counterparts - and a new section of the Act, which came into force on October 1, extends that obligation to all providers of websites.

Commercial lawyer Chidem Aliss, an associate with the Solent office of national law firm Shoosmiths, said: "Many people will not even be aware that disabled and partially-sighted people use the Web, but they do.

"With the use of synthesised speech equipment, even completely blind people can use the Internet these days - but the website in question has to be accessible.

"However, many sites have not been designed with the disabled user in mind. All businesses in the UK should now audit their websites, if they have not already done so, to ensure that they comply with the guidelines produced by the Royal National Institute of the Blind. These include pages being properly designed and easy to navigate, with clearly legible words, contrasting text and background, and alternative text for those with speech synthesis software.

"This is an extremely important issue. Just over ten per cent of the UK population, with an estimated combined spending power of £40-50 billion, have some form of disability, so for legal, business and moral reasons they should not be ignored."

People with a wide range of disabilities, including sight, mobility, cognitive and learning problems, often encounter problems using the Web.

However, firms and website designers can now access a huge range of services from the RNIB - including Web access seminars, an information pack, a commercial consultancy service and a free online resource called the Web Access Centre - to help them make their websites more accessible.

Chidem added: "If a business's website does not comply with the RNIB's guidelines, its managers should check with their Web designers to see if reasonable adjustments can be made in order to make it more accessible - or they may face a hefty fine.

"Other companies which may be about to launch a website should ask for a guarantee from the design company that the site will be built in compliance with the Act, as well as obtaining an indemnity against costs or liabilities incurred as a result of any breaches."