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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Metro Manila devider QC LGU website 1st in PH that is fully accessible to PWDs

QC LGU website 1st in PH that is fully accessible to PWDs

Published Jun 3, 2024 05:17 am

The Quezon City government, on Monday, June 3, announced that its official website has been certified as fully accessible to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) after meeting the requirements for web accessibility set by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the AA level. 

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The WCAG 2.1 is an internationally recognized set of guidelines and best practices for web accessibility while the Level AA compliance indicates that the site is at an intermediate level with more comprehensive accessibility features. 

It is the first local government unit to have this certification which enables all website visitors to have a “complete” experience when navigating the website.

The audit was conducted by Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV) and QC’s Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO).

According to Ebenchito Pabia, accessibility lead from ATRIEV, the website revealed improvements in terms of navigability as their team conducted their assessment.

“Quezon City is the first local government unit that completed our series of evaluations and successfully met all our requirements,” he said.

He added that various aspects of the Quezon City website like navigation and content readability, compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers, were key elements during the audit as visually impaired individuals rely on features such as text-to-speech or sound feedback.

Meanwhile, the Public Affairs and Information Services Department (PAISD), which manages the website, integrated new accessibility tools, such as Color Contrast, Text-to-Speech, Alt Text, and a Chatbot.

The chatbot aids individuals with hearing impairment by providing alternative ways to communicate with the city government aside from voice calls.

Subtitles and alt texts in media content help PWDs access information that might be missed if the user cannot hear an audio description or narration.

Mayor Joy Belmonte reiterated the city’s commitment in ensuring inclusivity and easy access of its citizens to essential information.

“This audit is one of the most important measures the city government has undertaken in pursuit of inclusivity. It stands as proof of our commitment to ensuring that all residents, including our PWDs, can easily access essential information and services online—walang maiiwan (nobody will be left behind),” said Mayor Joy Belmonte.

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