21.11.02 - Speech by Minister of State Mary Hanafin, T.D., at the Launch of Web Accessibility in Ireland 2002 Study

I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to launch this study on Web Accessibility in Ireland 2002, and I would like to congratulate AIB who commissioned the study and Dr Barry McMullin of RINCE (Research Institute for Networks and Communications Engineering) at DCU and his research team, Esmond Walsh and Carmen Marincu, who carried it out.

Technology and Access

The role and function of Government is primarily to enhance society, to protect society and to ensure that citizens have the opportunity to participate fully in society. Information means opportunity and empowerment, and coupled with the right use of technology it offers a powerful key to improve our circumstances. However, empowerment comes from access to information. This is particularly true today as we operate in an Information Society.

As more and more people regularly use technology in their activities, citizens who lack access to these tools are at a growing disadvantage. The challenge for us is to ensure that all of society has equal access to the power of new technology and to the benefits and opportunities that it can offer. When we talk about the 'e-World', we are talking about an ideal society where everyone is a participant and nobody is excluded by virtue of lack of accessibility. This means that there is a continuing need to ensure that everybody who wants access can have it.

When we talk about information and empowerment, we mean that access to information will be a major determining factor in shaping the quality of our lives. However, it is the equality of this access that will shape our development as an inclusive and caring society. Modern technologies present us with a unique opportunity to address traditional problems of disadvantage and exclusive on in our society in new ways.

E-Inclusion

In an Information Society one of the key challenges is to ensure that no group is left behind. To be on the wrong side of the digital divide means less opportunity to take part in the new information-based economy. Promoting inclusion is one of the key priorities of New Connections, the Governments Information Society Action Plan.

Investments in information society projects will only be maximised if everyone has access to them. For technology to work for you, you need to have access to it. There is no point in talking about an Information Society, if each and every one of us does not feel included. Inclusion is not just about access to equipment. It means ensuring that people are comfortable using it. It means providing content that is relevant to them and accessible by them. By content we mean services, information sources, entertainment, culture, etc.

The first Information Society Commission identified the dangers of a technology gap opening within our society. If not used correctly technology has the potential to exclude disadvantaged groups. As the National Disability Authority has said, "the goal of web accessibility is to ensure that information or services delivered through web sites are available to and usable by the widest possible audience."

Good websites are not just about good content - structure, presentation and design are just as important. It is to everyone's advantage to ensure that the information provided is as clear as possible and as accessible to the maximum number of people as possible.

Web Accessibility in Ireland, 2002 Study

While the results of Dr McMullin's study are disappointing, it is to be welcomed that the study was carried out. Of the 159 websites (both public sector and private sector) studied:

· 100% failed to meet the WCAG¹-Accessibility standard.

· 94% failed to meet the WCAG-A accessibility standard.

· 90% failed to meet minimal conformance with other generic technical standards.

The Irish Government set a target for all Government Department web sites to achieve level AA compliance by the end of 2001, and it is disappointing to note that this has not be achieved.

The Department of the Taoiseach web site was redesigned this year and launched in June, and I am happy to say that this web site is Level AA compliant. Also, the Information Society Commission are in the process of redesigning their website, and I can assure you that it will be Level AA compliant also.

Web Guidelines

In 1999, the Department of the Taoiseach launched Web Publication Guidelines for Public Sector bodies, and in June this year, the National Disability Authority (NDA) published their National IT Accessibility Guidelines. The NDA's guidelines not only cover websites, but also public access terminals, telecoms, and application software. However, guidelines are not enough. To ensure that a website is accessible, it needs to be tested by real people in a real environment, and should include people with arrange of impairments. When the Department of the Taoiseach website was being redesigned, it was tested for us by the National Council for the Blind. However, this is only a start, and all other departments should be doing likewise.

We are determined to enable as many people as possible to access public information and services electronically as soon as possible. Our goal is to have all key public services that are capable of electronic delivery available online by 2005. Central to our model is the Public Services Broker, a single access gateway to the key public services, and I am happy to say that accessibility standards are included in the Broker.

Conclusion

"The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone, regardless of disability, is an essential aspect." (Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web). An accessible web means unprecedented access to information for people with disabilities - it presents a window into the entire world, a world where people can communicate with others in similar circumstances. The reality is that if a website is more accessible to the disabled community, then it is highly likely that it will be more accessible to everyone else.

Once again, I would like to congratulate Dr McMullin and his team for the extensive study they have carried out.

¹WCAG Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which are the internationally accepted standards providing guidance on how to make web sites accessible for people with disabilities. WCAG-A (Level A) is the minimum standard and must be satisfied otherwise one or more user groups will find it impossible to access information. WCAG-AA (Level AA) should be satisfied otherwise one or more groups will find it difficult to access information.

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