b'LEGALREPORTwith the brick and mortar facility services. For PVA members, the question, yet to be resolved, is whether the mere availability of providing cruise information is integrally related to the businesss physical facility services. Does the lineAbout the get crossed, and ADA applicability arise, if tickets are sold onlineor if onlineAuthor tickets enjoy a purchase discount, not available to a blind or deaf rider that must buy a ticket at a physical ticket booth?Steven E. Bers, Esq., is Chairman of the It will likely be years before a case works its way up to the Supreme Court,Employment Law and or regulations will be issued, to resolve whether a place of public accommoda- Marine Law Sections tion, should be given the expansive interpretation of including the Internet asof the law Firm of a place, or whether integrating with a place triggers the requirements of theWhiteford Taylor & ADA.Preston, Baltimore/Washington, D.C. He has served Currently there is a tacit trend to suggest all Internet commerce shouldas PVAs General Counsel, advising comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG), whichpassenger vessel owners in matters is a set of guidelines for improving web accessibility published by the Worldrelating to marine and employment Wide Web Consortium in 2008. Those guidelines are available at www.w3.org/ matters since 1989.WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/. Those guidelines provide, for example, sug-gestions on how information may be sequenced or sized which will allow con-version capability for the blind. To be clear, no law or regulation now requires compliance with WCAG. Nevertheless, every PVA member with a website is well advised to review the standards in WCAG as the most often referenced guidance cited by ADA advocates for web site development. PVA vessel members that can meet the WCAG standards may enjoy a level of insulation from threatened ADA Internet claims. nNEW PRODUCTS, SAME LEVEL OF TRUST & DURABILITY.Introducing Highly Configurable Vessel System Monitoring & SMART Alarm Device Power Assist Get-homeSteeringDrivesStabilizers Reversing Thrusters Autopilot PumpKOBELT MANUFACTURING CO. LTD.+1 (604) 572-3935Surrey, BC, Canadawww.kobelt.com24 AUGUST 2019FOGHORN'