Yesterday, September 19, 2016, the Israeli Knesset approved a proposal to delay the enactment of Israeli website accessibility regulations. This comes after months of lobbying for a more balanced approach to the implementation of these intricate regulations. Many concerned website owners turned to the Israeli Internet Association to figure out how to comply wide-reaching laws, which in some cases would require complete website redesigns.
Although the law to make all Israeli website accessible to persons with disabilities was passed in 2013, pre-existing websites were given until October 26, 2016 to come into full compliance. This latest proposal pushes off that deadline for one additional year. However, according to the Israel Internet Association website, this extension applies only if they have already begun the process of making the website more accessible – not just to continue to ride it out. Concurrently, any content that was uploaded before October 26, 2015, does not need to be made accessible, unless it is a form.
