European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Francisco Godinho Ministry of Science and Technology Francisco Godinho Ministry of Science and Technology Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Promoting Web Accessibility in Portugal 17 months of experience

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Portuguese experience highlights Human and Web resources Web Accessibility Guidelines Training Conclusions

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Portuguese experience highlights It is the first time in the world that Citizens, Parliament and Government join efforts to promote web accessibility for Citizens with Special Needs.

European Ministerial Conference on Information and Knowledge Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Portuguese experience highlights For the first time in the world an electronic petition was submitted to a parliament requesting the adoption of a set of Internet Accessibility Guidelines and the use of a Web Accessibility Symbol. This was the first online Petition in Europe

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Portuguese experience highlights Petition for the Accessibility of the Portuguese Internet December 1998/January homepages were linked to PASIG web site 100 articles on newspapers, magazines and TV 8,721 individual signatures support of 149 organisations The Petition proposed the approval of a set of Internet Accessibility Guidelines and the use of a Web Accessibility Symbol (NCAM's Web Access Symbol)

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Portuguese experience highlights 30th June 1999 It is the first time in the world that a Parliament produce a report about Internet accessibility and recommend urgent implementation plans to a Government

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Portuguese experience highlights 29th July 1999 Council of Ministers Resolution no 96/99 National Initiative for Citizens with Special Needs in the Information Society Council of Ministers Resolution no 97/99 accessibility of Public Administration Web Sites for Citizens with Special Needs

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Portuguese experience highlights 29th July 1999 For the first time in the world a Government approved a specific resolution making mandatory the adoption of accessibility features for people with disabilities in the Web design of the information made available by the General Directorates and similar agencies, departments or services, as well as that rendered available by any public corporation

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Human and Web Resources The only Web Resource on Accessibility PASIG Mailing List: 200 members 55,000 visitors during 17 months 2,000 web pages are linked to PASIG web site

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Web Accessibility Guidelines Web Access Symbol VISITABILITY Requirements Basic Disability Access In Every Homepage

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs The main reason for lack of accessibility is that developers have not been educated when developers do learn of access issues they are interested to make their products more accessible The main reason for lack of accessibility is that developers have not been educated when developers do learn of access issues they are interested to make their products more accessible Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Training

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs January 2000 The Ministry of Science and Technology began the training of technicians related with the Government's web content and web design on computer access and web accessibility for people with disabilities Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Training

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Conclusions Portuguese Citizens, Parliament and Government considers that full accessibility of the information made available by the Government and other public services on the Internet is a fundamental condition to the promotion of universality and equality in the exercise of the fundamental rights of citizens

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Conclusions Implementation of web accessibility need pro-active attitude of citizens and government, takes time, human and financial resources and continuous efforts

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Conclusions The Web Access Symbol is a strategic instrument to raise awareness in society about accessibility, persons with disabilities, their rights, their needs, their potential and their contribution in the Knowledge and Information Society

European Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and Information Society Citizens with Special Needs Francisco Godinho Ministry of Science and Technology Francisco Godinho Ministry of Science and Technology Lisbon, 10 and 11 April 2000 Promoting Web Accessibility in Portugal 17 months of experience