Web Guidelines see improved access to govt websites

"While there is still room for improvement, the recent study by the Office for Disability Issues shows that good progress has been made in the eighteen months since the Guidelines were first issued," Laurence Millar, Deputy Commissioner Information and Communication Technologies said.

User experience of the recently redeveloped Ministry of Women’s Affairs website supports this view. As one recent visitor said:

"I am vision impaired and am a user of the JAWS screen reading program and have had a brief look at this site. Overall it is well designed and easy to use. Navigation is clear with good use of headings and links. The quick access keyboard commands work well."

The Women’s Affairs website was developed using an open source code base modified to ensure Government Web Guidelines compliance. The code base has since been made available to other government agencies as part of the drive to make government websites usable and accessible.

This initiative complements the wider programme of SSC work around the Guidelines, to ensure that government information is accessible over the Internet.

To reflect recent changes to Internet technology, a cross-agency team will begin a comprehensive review of the Guidelines; a draft paper for public consultation will be issued in September with the revision completed by December.

Between now and April public service departments will assess their performance against a check-list (developed by an SSC-agency workgroup) and report back to the SSC.

In June, the SSC will report to the Government on sector-wide performance.

From 2007 onwards each agency will be required to undertake a self-audit on compliance with the Guidelines. From time to time there will be additional audits by the SSC.