Web Accessibility Initiatives in the Philippines

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

Web accessibility

Web accessibility refers to the inclusive practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users can have equal access to information and functionality...

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.

Timeline

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

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

adopted the declaration.

January 15, 1993 - Proclamation No. 125 was issued by then President Fidel Ramos giving mandate to the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (Philippines)

National Council on Disability Affairs (Philippines)

The Philippines National Council on Disability Affairs is the national government agency mandated to formulate policies and coordinate the activities of all agencies, whether public or private, concerning disability issues and concerns...

to coordinate activities and to monitor the observance of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (1993–2002) in the Philippines

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

Tagaytay City

The City of Tagaytay is a second class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. Only away from Manila via Aguinaldo Highway, it is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Tagaytay City provides a good view of the Taal Volcano...

. Web accessibility

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.

3. Development of Standards and Training Manuals - NCC takes a lead role in coordinating the development of technical recommendations in preparation for a national policy, and in the development of training manuals for these recommendations.

May 24 - 26, 2005 - Second Regional Workshop on Accessible ICT for PWDs was held in Marco Polo Hotel, Davao City

Davao City

The City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines....

. Mindanao

Mindanao

Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...

webmasters and advocates attended this workshop.

June 2, 2005 - Philippine House of Representatives Official Website www.congress.gov.ph was 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

Department of Social Welfare and Development (Philippines)

The Philippines Department of Social Welfare and Development is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for the protection of the social welfare rights of Filipinos and to promote social development.-History:...

(DSWD) and Vision Office. Ms. Dahlia Villacorte, participant in Tagaytay City

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

Cebu City

The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...

. This event is aimed for Visayas

Visayas

The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...

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, a blind person, as web designer. She was also one of the participants during the Tagaytay City

Tagaytay City

workshop.

March 18 and 25, 2006 - Manila Christian Computer Institute for the Deaf

Manila Christian Computer Institute for the Deaf

Manila Christian Computer Institute for the Deaf is a non-sectarian, post-secondary, Christian foundation school for the deaf in the Philippines authorized by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to offer non-degree computer and other technical training programs.It is also...

(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. Mr. Ervin Reyes, deaf bronze medalist in the web design

Web design

Web design is the process of planning and creating a website. Text, images, digital media and interactive elements are used by web designers to produce the page seen on the web browser...

category during the 6th International Abilympics Skills Competition held in New Delhi, India was the lecturer. He is also one of the participants in the first workshop. 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

Cebu City

. It brings together the country's webmaster

Webmaster

A webmaster , also called a web architect, web developer, site author, or website administrator is a person responsible for maintaining one or many websites...

s, 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

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

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

De La Salle University

De La Salle University is a private Lasallian university in Malate, Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1911 by De La Salle Brothers as the De La Salle College in Paco, Manila with Blimond Pierre serving as its first director...

website, the NCWDP board approved the recommendation of forming an adhoc or core group of webmaster

Webmaster

A webmaster , also called a web architect, web developer, site author, or website administrator is a person responsible for maintaining one or many websites...

s that will implement the consensus made by Cebu City

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 (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 website was launched.

December 3, 2006 - In observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons

International Day of Disabled Persons

International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. It has been celebrated with varying degrees of success around the planet. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support...

, the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (Philippines)

National Council on Disability Affairs (Philippines)

has relaunched their official website www.ncwdp.gov.ph and was subjected for PWAG's validation.

December 17, 2006 - Additional five Philippine-designed websites were subjected to PWAG's evaluation and passed the accessibility compliance. The group also agreed on the following recommendations:

1. Access key Assignments

2. Visual Validation Checklist

January 7, 2007 - A few months after it was established, a total of 30 web developer

Web developer

A web developer is a software developer or software engineer who specializes in, or is specifically engaged in, the development of World Wide Web applications, or distributed network applications that are run over HTTP from a web server to a web browser....

s and advocates from the Philippines and in other countries have joined PWAG.

February 14, 2007 - PWAG officially announces its Recommended Web Design Accessibility Checkpoints. The primary basis is still the adoption of the Manila ICT Design Recommendations. The term used in defining the priority checkpoints are Maturity Stage. A Maturity Stage 1 means the website needs to meet the requirements set by the Manila ICT Design Recommendations A Maturity Stage 2 means the website should meet the criteria set by PWAG.

February 19–23, 2007 - "Workshop on Accessible ICT" was held at Baguio City

Baguio City

The City of Baguio is a highly urbanized city in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Baguio City was established by Americans in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway...

attended by both the IT personnel and focal persons from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

February 22, 2007 - Fourth "Disabled Friendly Website Award" was given to Official Website of the De La Salle University

De La Salle University

(DLSU) www.dlsu.edu.ph with Mr. Lemuel Cabia as part of its web development

Web development

Web development is a broad term for the work involved in developing a web site for the Internet or an intranet . This can include web design, web content development, client liaison, client-side/server-side scripting, web server and network security configuration, and e-commerce development...

team. DLSU participated during the Tagaytay City

Tagaytay City

workshop.

February 22, 2007 - In order to encourage Filipinos to design accessible websites, five more institutions/web designers received the "Disabled Friendly Website Awards" under the initiative of PWAG. These are BLE-Department of Labor and Employment, Cebu Doctors' University, Emilio Aguinaldo Colleges, Nova Foundation for the Differently Abled and personal website of Mr. Arielle Cruz.

May 9, 2007 - Accessites.org, the website honoring web designers that "meticulously and lovingly build artful yet accessible websites", presents the First Edition official website of Philippine Web Accessibility Group the "Notable Universal Design Award".

July 19, 2007 - The 102 page book "Web Accessibility Guide for Filipinos" is now officially published and copyrighted. The book contains definition of web accessibility

Web accessibility

, types of assistive devices available, laws affecting disability in the Philippines, statistics of Filipino PWDs and Filipino Internet user statistics. It also details the history of web accessibility

Web accessibility

initiatives in the Philippines from 2003 up to the present.

July 20, 2007 - As an offshoot of the successful staging of Baguio City

Baguio City

The City of Baguio is a highly urbanized city in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Baguio City was established by Americans in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway...

Workshop on Accessible ICT held last February, focal persons for Persons with Disabilities of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 1 held an "E-Accessibility Forum" last July 20 at Zigzag Hotel, San Fernando City, La Union

San Fernando City, La Union

The City of San Fernando in La Union is a 1st class component city in the Philippines. It is the capital city of La Union and the regional center of the Ilocos Region...

. The activity coincides with the Philippine celebration of National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week (July 19–23, 2007).

May 12, 2008 - After six years of deliberation and almost a year after its signing, the Philippines became the 23rd country that ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Prayer and Walk for Unity for UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights instrument of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities...

(UN-CRPD) Ratification was held on May 12 at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

August 25, 2008 - The National Council on Disability Affairs (Philippines)

National Council on Disability Affairs (Philippines)

approved Board Resolution No. 13 requesting the National Computer Center - CICT to deputize Philippine Web Accessibility Group to undertake web accessibility

Web accessibility

assessments of government websites.

July 10, 2009 - The Philippine Web Designers Organization collaborated with NCDA and the Philippine Web Accessibility Group in giving out Disabled Friendly Website Awards to four more websites.

September 2009 - The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability in collaboration with National Council on Disability Affairs, Resources for the Blind Inc., Department of Foreign Affairs

Department of Foreign Affairs (Philippines)

The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs is the executive department of the Philippine government tasked to contribute to the enhancement of national security and the protection of the territorial integrity and national sovereignty, to participate in the national endeavor of sustaining...

, Department of Social Welfare and Development

Department of Social Welfare and Development (Philippines)

, National Computer Center, Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV), MCCID College of Technology

Manila Christian Computer Institute for the Deaf

, NOVA Foundation for Differently Abled Persons, and Philippine Web Accessibility Group developed a Documentary DVD entitled "From Why to How through ICT: A story about ICT Accessibility by persons with disabilities in the Philippines".

December 10, 2009 - The inclusion of unhampered access to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) became part of the action plan of the second National Human Rights Action Plan of the Philippine government.

July 20, 2010 - As part of the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week, the NCDA in partnership with the Department of Transportation and Communications held a Web Accessibility Forum which invited web designers and key government stakeholders. Highlight of the activity is the announcement of Joint NCDA-National Council on Disability Affairs Memo Circular No. 1 Series of 2010, enjoining all government instrumentalities concerned, to implement accessible website design using the technical guidelines recommended by the Web Design Accessibility Recommendation (WDAR) Checkpoints of the PWAG.

Manila Accessible ICT Design Recommendations

1. Provide an Access Instruction page for visitors (explaining the accessibility features of the Website and providing an e-mail hyperlink for visitors to communicate problems with Webpage 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 (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 Webmaster

Webmaster

A webmaster , also called a web architect, web developer, site author, or website administrator is a person responsible for maintaining one or many websites...

converting the document.

Visit the complete details at Manila ICT Design Recommendations

Philippine Web Accessibility Group

Philippine Web Accessibility Group (PWAG) is a privately led association of Filipino web designers and advocates. It is supervised by the PWAG's main objectives are:

1. To educate and encourage the general public on the benefits of including accessibility on their websites by providing information and assistance through workshops, seminars, e-groups, and other forums;

2. To adopt the Manila Accessible ICT Design Recommendations and recommend the web accessibility

Web accessibility

guidelines and standards in the Philippine setting;

Links to Disabled Friendly Websites of the Philippines Awardees

External links

National Council on Disability Affairs (Philippines)
National Council on Disability Affairs (Philippines)
The Philippines National Council on Disability Affairs is the national government agency mandated to formulate policies and coordinate the activities of all agencies, whether public or private, concerning disability issues and concerns...
Philippine Web Accessibility Group official website
Draft Biwako Millennium Framework
Asia Pacific Development Center on Disability
World Enable Internet Accessibility Initiative
Interregional Seminar and Regional Demonstration Workshop on Accessible ICT and Persons with Disabilities
Vision Office Limited
Guild of Accessible Web Designers Article on PWAG
Accessites.org "Notable Universal Design Award for PWAG
Featured Article about PWAG from Accessites.org

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.