Description
The project addresses the need to ensure accessibility for visually impaired people to the websites of the public institutions. The project aims at ensuring greater web accessibility through developing a toolkit and training the stakeholders. First, a national network of at least 10 NGOs of and for people with disabilities and 6 experts will be set up; the members will adopt the methodology and rules at a 2-day seminar. Second, a toolkit to check the compatibility of public websites with international accessibility criteria will be developed including a manual, a checklist and an online forum for consultants. Third, 100 websites of ministries, state agencies, district administrations and municipalities will be checked; the findings will be presented at a press conference to the stakeholders. Finally, 30 visually impaired volunteers and NGO members will be trained to check web accessibility. The project will benefit all visually impaired people, their relatives and the relevant NGOs.
Summary of project results
In the modern-day information society accessibility of digital information and the e-government being developed now are particularly important for people with visual impairments. The application of the principles of accessibility is a premise for the integration and social inclusion of the visually impaired. That was the need met by the project. Network activity was achieved among NGOs for visually impaired people regarding issues related to web accessibility. Public institutions were informed about the accessibility of their websites. The project also had the following key outcomes. A national network was set up to solve the challenges of digital accessibility in the public sector, i.e. Network for Web Accessibility. 15 NGOs and 9 experts were involved as network members and a seminar for the constitution of the network took place. An open letter (address) was published and submitted to public institutions. A Manual on the specificity of Web Accessibility for Visually Impaired People and a Checklist for testing websites were published and disseminated. This project output was published on the website of the network which also has a mailing list to support accessibility in the public sector. Training on digital skills to test online accessibility was carried out. 30 volunteers (visually impaired) acquired knowledge and skills to test websites. 100 websites in the public sector were checked and tested for accessibility of use by visually impaired. Conclusions were made about each website and they were included in the Report on the Accessibility of public websites. The manual and the checklist developed under the project can be used by a broad range of users in the long run and will be readily accessible and broadly promoted online. For more information and access to the tools, please, visit:
http://webaccess.horizonti.bg/
Summary of bilateral results