ANACOM's website is adapted to the needs of users with disabilities, to a level well above that generally found for Internet sites covered by Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 155/2007 of 2 October. This is the main conclusion of the analysis carried out by the expert team of HCIM - Human-Computer Interaction and Multimedia, part of the LaSIGE Research Laboratory, based in the Sciences Faculty of Universidade de Lisboa.
The HCIM team considers that the best practices of accessibility adhered to in the design, development and maintenance of ANACOM's website contribute greatly to the good results obtained in the accessibility tests carried out, including:
- Compliance with the rules applicable to the structure and presentation of Web pages;
- The effort to comply with the AAA level of the WCAG 1.0 standard;
- The existence of alternative text and high contrast versions of the website;
- The establishment of a set of rules for editing content that do not impose barriers to access to information.
In light of the analysis conducted, a suitability level was determined of 80%, with only a few barriers to accessibility indentified, whose resolution - already underway - will lead to full compliance with the AAA level of the WCAG 1.0 standard.
Accordingly ANACOM is honouring its commitment as an active participant in an inclusive society based on information and knowledge which is accessible to all citizens regardless of any special needs they might have or the means they use to access the Internet.
ANACOM holds seminar on the accessibility of communications
Given the importance which the regulator give this issue, ANACOM has invited Barbara Delaney, Consumer Policy Manager with the Irish Communications Regulator, ComReg, to Lisbon to make a detailed presentation of ComReg's approach to working with groups representing people with disabilities and the communications industry in Ireland with the aim of making communications accessible to all. The presentation, which will be made in a seminar in Lisbon on 11th February, will describe some of Irish regulator's key initiatives, including:
- the production of a consumer guide, entitled "Phones and Broadband", for people with disabilities and the elderly;
- provision of a free information service for disabled users, for fixed and mobile operators;
- the development and implementation of morning briefings and workshops for providers of communications services.
It will also include reflections on the work completed to date and the next steps to be taken by ComReg under the new Directive on the Rights of Citizens.
This will be followed by a presentation by Luis Carriço, Associated Professor of the Department of Informatics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, who will discuss Barbara Delaney's presentation and introduce topics for discussion.
Participation in the seminar is open to everyone interested, although prior registration is required.
See also:
- 23rd ANACOM seminar - ''Considerations in making electronic communications accessible to all'' https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1005208
