The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) was awarded the Merit Prize for SME Group in the 2011 Top 10.hk Website Competition today (18 January 2012). The Competition was organized by the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Ltd. (HKIRC.hk), which is the only local domain registrator. The purpose of the Competition was to identify outstanding websites which can serve as role models among local enterprises.

One of the judging criteria of the Competition was the ‘Web Care’ element. It caters for the needs of persons with a disability by facilitating them to browse online information without barriers. Other criteria include innovation, ease of navigation, interaction with users and contribution to society.

“We are very encouraged that the EOC website has received open recognition,” said Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, Chairperson of the EOC. “The emergence of the World Wide Web has made it possible for us to interact as never before. As the Internet has become a major channel of information, communication and services, it is essential to ensure that people with a disability are not left behind.”

“Accessibility should be an integral part of all websites. Developing accessible web pages is not difficult for there are clear standards and guidelines,” Mr. LAM said. “The EOC is aware that the Government has internal guidelines to enhance accessibility of its websites. However, we do recommend that Hong Kong should institute mandatory Web Accessibility policy applicable to both public and private sectors as soon as possible to ensure a universally accessible Internet environment,” Mr. LAM added.

Equal opportunity to access information made available on the Internet is a basic right for people with a disability and is protected by the law. Under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO), it is unlawful to discriminate against people on the ground of their disability in the provision of services in the public and private sectors.

In 2011, the EOC website (www.eoc.org.hk) recorded a hit rate of more than 40 million, with over 920,000 visitors. Other than English and Chinese, selected information on the website is also available in different languages including Urdu, Tagalog, Nepali, Thai, Hindi and Indonesian to cater for the needs of the ethnic minorities.

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For media enquiries, please contact Ms. Mariana LAW at 2106-2226.

Equal Opportunities Commission
18 January 2012