Web Accessibility Initiatives in the Philippines
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[edit] Backgrounder
In May 2002, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) adopted the resolution “Promoting an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society for people with disabilities in the Asian and Pacific region in the twenty-first century”. The resolution also proclaimed the extension of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons from 1993-2002, to another decade, 2003-2012. UNESCAP promotes economic and social development through regional and sub-regional cooperation and integration.
The “Draft Biwako Millennium Framework“ outlines issues, action plans and strategies towards an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society for persons with disabilities.
To achieve the goal, the framework identifies seven priority areas for action, in each of which critical issues and targets with specific time frames and actions follow. In all, 18 targets and 15 strategies supporting the achievement of all the targets are identified.
The seven priority areas for actions are: (1) Self-help organizations of persons with disabilities; (2) Women with disabilities; (3) Early intervention and education; (4) Training and employment, including self-employment; (5) Access to built environment and public transport; (6) Access to information and communication including ICT; (7) Poverty alleviation through social security and livelihood programmes.
[edit] Focus on Information and Communication Technology
(6) Access to information and communication including ICT
In the last 10 years, there has been much progress in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development, and it opens up many opportunities for people with disabilities in networking, solidarity employment and independent living. But it has also widened the gap between persons with disabilities and the non-disabled. The Digital divide includes inaccessibility to infrastructure for ICT, Internet, and ICT skills. These problems are acute in rural areas. The multi-media environment is creating barriers for people with visual disabilities. Three targets are set to improve the situation:
1) By 2005, persons with disabilities should have at least the same rate of access to the Internet and related services as the rest of citizens in a country of the region.
2) By 2004, international organizations should incorporate web accessibility standards for persons with disabilities in their international ICT standards.
3) Governments should adopt, by 2005, ICT accessibility guidelines for persons with disabilities in their national ICT policies.
[edit] Time Line
1993 - 2002 - UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) proclaimed the “Declaration of Asia-Pacific Decade for Disabled Persons”. Being a member, the Philippines adopted the declaration.
January 15, 1993 - Proclamation No. 125 was issued by the President Fidel Ramos giving mandate to the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP) to coordinate activities and to monitor the observance of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (1993-2002) in the Philippines.
2003 - 2012 - UNESCAP proclaimed the extension of Declaration of Asia-Pacific Decade for Disabled Persons.
May 2002 - UNESCAP adopted the resolution “Promoting an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society for people with disabilities in the Asian and Pacific region in the twenty-first century” naming it the “Biwako Millennium Framework”
May 3 - 7, 2003 - Interregional Seminar and Regional Demonstration Workshop on Accessible Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to Persons with Disabilities was held at Bayview Park Hotel, Manila, Philippines where 11 countries from Asia - Pacific were represented. The Manila Accessible Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) Design Recommendations was drafted and adopted.
October 26 - 28, 2004 - First Regional Workshop on Accessible ICT for Persons with Disabilities was held in Tagaytay City. Web accessibility was introduced to 25 webmasters from different government, non-government agencies and the academe. Mr. Leo Valdes of Vision Office Support Services was the lecturer. Webmasters from the Luzon and Metro Manila areas were invited to attend.
Follow up activities were formed. These are:
1. Search for Good Practices - The National Computer Center (NCC) and NCWDP periodically review participants' websites for improvements and ideas. Model websites by participants are introduced during succeeding workshops.
2. Disabled-Friendly Website Awards - These were given to those participating websites who passed the accessibility recommendations set by NCC and NCWDP.
May 24 - 26, 2005 - Second Regional Workshop on Accessible ICT for PWDs was held in Marco Polo Hotel, Davao City. Mindanao webmasters and advocates attended this workshop.
June 2, 2005 - Philippine House of Representatives Official Website www.congress.gov.ph is the first recipient of “Disabled Friendly Website Award” given by NCWDP, National Computer Center, Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Vision Office. Ms. Dahlia Villacorte, participant in Tagaytay City workshop, was the web designer.
October 18 - 20, 2005 - Third Regional Workshop on Accessible ICT for PWDs was held at Golden Peak Hotel, Cebu City. This event is aimed for Visayas webmasters and advocates.
December 12, 2005 - Second “Disabled Friendly Website Award” was given to Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of Visually Impaired (ATRIEV) www.atriev.org.ph with Ms. Lourdes Borgonia as web designer. She was also one of the participants during the Tagaytay City workshop.
March 18 and 25, 2006 - Manila Christian Computer Institute for the Deaf (MCCID) developed four accessible websites for GOs and NGOs needing technical assistance and continues to do so. They also held two-Saturday seminar on Accessible ICT for deaf web designers. The websites can be viewed at MCCIDONLINE.NET
May 16 - 19, 2006 - Following three successful workshops organized by DSWD and NCWDP the Webmasters' Interface on Accessible ICT for PWDS held a national event in Mango Park Hotel, Cebu City. It brings together the country's webmasters, policy-makers, disability advocates and ICT practitioners to forge a vision for accessible web content.
June 2, 2006 - Remberto I. Esposa Jr. of MCCID became the first Philippine web designer accepted as a member of the UK based international Guild of Accessible Web Designers.
June 29, 2006 - Post evaluation and appreciation meeting about the Cebu activity was held at Max’s Restaurant, Quezon City. Also, the third “Disabled Friendly Website” award was given to Manila Christian Computer Institute for the Deaf www.mccid.edu.ph with Mr. Remberto I. Esposa Jr. as the web designer. He was also the participant in the Tagaytay City workshop.
Initial discussion on the forming of “Association of Accessible Web Designers” were made.
July 27, 2006 - After the proposal presented by Esposa and Reynaldo Mendoza, former web designer of De La Salle University Website, the NCWDP board approved the recommendation of forming an adhoc or core group of webmasters that will implement the consensus made by Cebu City participants.
August 11, 2006 - First initial and informal meeting of the core group held at the NCWDP Office. It was named Philippine Web Accessibility Group or PWAG.
August 27, 2006 - After five years of negotiations, countries meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New York have agreed on a new treaty to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. Paragraphs g and h of Article 9 pushing for accessible ICT for PWDs were largely based on “Manila Declaration and Manila Recommendations on Accessible ICT”, two outcome documents passed by 13 countries in the UN-funded “Interregional Workshop on Accessible ICT” hosted by the Philippines and submitted to the UN in 2003.
October 16, 2006 - The official www.pwag.org web site was launched.
[edit] Manila Accessible ICT Design Recommendations
1. Provide an Access Instruction page for visitors (explaining the accessibility features of the Web site and providing an e-mail hyperlink for visitors to communicate problems with Web page accessibility);
2. Provide support for text browsers and descriptive hyperlinks (links such as "this" and "click here" do not alone convey the nature of the target link);
3. Attach ALT<alt> (alternative) text to graphic images so that assistive computer technology such as screen readers can reach the content;
4. For each photograph contributing meaningful content to the page, provide a "D" hyperlink to a page providing descriptive text of the image;
5. Provide text transcriptions or descriptions for all audio and video clips;
6. Provide alternative mechanisms for online forms since forms are not supported by all browsers (such as e-mail or voice/TTY phone numbers);
7. Avoid access barriers, such as the posting of documents in Adobe ® PDF (Portable Document Format), non-linear format, frame format or requiring visitors to download software to access the content. If posting in Adobe ® PDF, accessible HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) or ASCII text must also be posted by the Web master converting the document.
Visit the complete details at Manila ICT Design Recommendations
[edit] Links to Disabled Friendly Website of the Philippines Awardees
Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of Visually Impaired
