A Survey of Accessibility Errors on Homepages of Official Government

Websites Peter Major

(Member of the Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability – DCAD)

4th Internet Governance Forum15-18 November, Sharm El Sheik

Outline

• Objectives of the survey• Resources• Methodology used• Data sampling and statistics• Conclusion

Objectives

• Check accessibility compliance of official government websites

• Restrict survey to websites of signatory countries of UN Convention

• Check home pages only and with respect to WCAG 1.0

• Compile statistics• Give recommendations based on findings

ResourcesConvention, guidelines, recommendations

• UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

• Web Access Initiative Guidelines (WAI)• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 • Section 508

Evaluation tools • WAVE , Cynthiasays

Report• United Nations Global Audit of Web Accessibility

Methodology

• Identify all signatory countries of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (as of 26/09/2009)

• Find the official websites of signatory countries• Check for accessibility errors of home pages,

use semi automatic tools: WAVE Cynthiasays

• Compile statistics for sites of signatory countries

Data Sampling

• UN Convention of the rights of persons with disabilities:144 signatory/ratifying countries (end of September 2009) 136 official government websites

• Accessibility snapshots of home pages (end of September 2009)

• 40 European, 38 African, 32 Asia-Pacific and 26 American sites

Statistics – World

Accessibility errors on homepages of 136 signatory countries

Statistics – Europe

Accessibility errors on homepages of 40 European signatory countries

Statistics – Africa

Accessibility errors on homepages of 40 African signatory countries

Statistics – Asia-Pacific

Accessibility errors on homepages of 32 Asia-Pacific signatory countries

Statistics – American Countries

Accessibility errors on homepages of 26 American signatory countries

Accessibility errors on home pages of signatory/ratifying countries of

the UN Convention

Europe Africa Asia-Pacific America All

error country % country % country % country % country %

0 12 30 1 3 1 3 2 8 16 12

1-5 10 25 6 16 8 25 8 31 32 23

6-15 7 17 12 34 4 13 6 23 28 21

16-40 5 13 11 29 10 31 6 23 32 23

> 40 6 15 8 18 9 28 4 15 28 21

Total 40 100 38 100 32 100 26 100 136 100

Conclusion

Conclusion (cont’d)

• Retrofit “legacy” websites and/or• Redesign and apply accessibility rules• Raising awareness

if there is a will – there is a way • Important step towards e-government • Capacity building/assistance

Contact: Peter Major Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability peter.major@ties.itu.int +4122 733 72 68

or DCADsecretariat@itu.int