Dear Jim:
firstly apologies in replying to this request which you posted to the
disability-research list.

While the health service itself is not exempt from the DDA the waters are
much more grey with regard to whether websites are within the remit of the
act.
Generally speaking websites are not directly covered by the DDA although
many would say that to make your website useable to as wide as possible an
audience is within the spirit of DDA.

all Government department websites are subject to the governments own
website accessibility guidelines and the NHS do infact have their own web
design guidelines which apply to all local health authorities and which
contain minimal accessibility provision.
you can read the NHS public website design guidelines at
http://www.doh.gov.uk/nhsidentity/websites.htm

We at SURFACE, a research centre at the University of Salford are currently
working closely with one UK health authority to evaluate and improve their
communications strategy  for disabled clients and are including websites and
other electronic communications as a major part of this work.

Best wishes

Adrian Higginbotham.

SURFACE  (Salford University, Research Focus on Accessible Environments).

tel:  (44_-161-2953949,
fax  (44)-161-2955011,
Email [log in to unmask]
textphone  (44)-161-2953599.

web:  http://www.scpm.salford.ac.uk/surface/