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E-news Issue 190

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Web accessibility should not be an afterthought

Thanks to technological advancements, persons with visual impairment can now surf the Internet and access online services using a screen reader, which reads aloud information on-screen in a computerised voice or shows it on a Braille display. This can only work, however, when websites and digital applications are designed with accessibility in mind.

On 16 July, Hong Kong Blind Union released the findings from its 2018 Web Accessibility Survey. Funded by the EOC, the study reviewed 198 websites in Hong Kong against 12 basic requirements and 10 advanced criteria from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), covering sites of public organisations, listed companies and Legislative Councillors. According to the report, only 16.7% of the websites surveyed, the EOC included, met all the 12 basic requirements, such as providing text description for images and captions for audio tracks. Listed companies, in particular, scored poorly and presented enormous difficulties for persons with visual impariment browsing their sites.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that governments must ensure equal access to information and communications systems for persons with disabilities (PWDs), in order to enable them to participate fully in all aspects of life. Hong Kong has a lot of awareness-raising to do in this regard, and the EOC has responded to the challenge by serving as an independent advisor to the Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme this year, organised by Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC) and co-organised by the Office of Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). Aimed at encouraging local enterprises and organisations to design accessible websites and mobile applications, the ongoing scheme just saw the first award ceremony of the 2018-19 programme last month. To join the scheme and learn more about the award categories, please click the link below.

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