A recently published survey of 100 top websites, carried out by UK-based accessibility agency Nomensa on behalf of the United Nations, claims that only three per cent of its sample met the minimum criteria for disabled access.

The results, if ratified, could be of particular concern to UK organisations, which are under a legal obligation to make their websites 'disabled-friendly', as directed by the Disability Discrimination Act Part III which came into effect in October 1999.

The Disabilities Rights Council defines 'disabled-friendly' as provisions that make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, such as providing extra help or making changes to the way businesses and organisations provide services so that disabled people are not discriminated against.

Andy Peart, chief marketing officer at Mediasurface, a provider of web content management technologies, said: "It is essential that websites help provide disabled people with access to information, products and services online.

"Yet few organisations are taking this issue seriously. Research recently commissioned with independent website testing provider SiteMorse identified a disturbing variance in the standards of public facing websites."