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Blind woman sues Ottawa over website accessibility

Federal government given 15 months to make sites accessible

The visually impaired will soon be able to use the federal government’s websites thanks to one blind Toronto woman. Donna Jodhan, a special needs consultant, sued the government for discrimination in September because she was unable to apply for a job on its website. Government lawyers attempted to argue that she could have applied on the phone, in person or by mail, but had their reasoning rejected by a federal judge, who ruled the website itself must be made accessible within 15 months. “One of the saddest things is that government has spent a lot of money fighting this case,” said Jodhan. “Why are you fighting me on this? Why are you spending taxpayers’ money?”

CBC News

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