Accessible Web Experience for MLB
In a week where my area saw two major snowstorms, I am comforted by the thought that pitchers and catchers report for spring training in just a few days. This means the coming of spring and, of course, my renewed interest in things involving balls and bats. (Whether my Phils are able to recoup their World Series trophy from 2008 remains to be seen. I’m optimistic.)
So I was intrigued by a recent press release from the Law Office of Lainey Feingold stating that Major League Baseball had undertaken the enormous task of making its online property accessible to people with disabilities. Among the unique features are an accessible media center, access to archived games and inclusive participation in online voting:
“MLBAM has undertaken groundbreaking work to make its web sites accessible and has assumed a strong leadership position among sports, media and entertainment properties in doing so,” said Mitch Pomerantz, President of the American Council of the Blind. “We certainly urge similar sites to make this level of commitment in following MLBAM’s lead.”
This first effort is certainly to be applauded. MLB deserves credit for immediately jumping to task when the Oakland civil rights firm Goldstein, Demchak, Baller, Borgen & Dardarian and Lainey Feingold first brought the matter to MLB’s attention. Representing advocacy groups for the visually impaired, the team had drafted a document in 2008 detailing accessibility issues with MLB and the sites representing its 30 clubs.
A quick run through the emulator, however, reveals that MLB.com still has some ways to go towards achieving holistic accessibility. Among the baseline errors found include intra-page links with no readable text, lack of alternative text for images, non-link printable characters between links, redundant text information and reliance on pop-up functionality.
I’m encouraged, though, that an organization the size and scope of MLB has taken the first tentative steps towards providing an inclusive experience for all its consumers. Too often, we forget that people with disabilities want to share in the same entertainment opportunities as everyone else. At least MLB is bringing attention to the opportunity and doing something about it, rather than sweeping it under the rug.
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