Website Accessibility Around the world

the world wide web

In the United States

The 1973 Rehabilitation Act, and especially the 19908 amendment called “Section 508”, imposes accessibility of computer devices for persons with disabilities on the federal government. The amendment does not specify the technical details for accessibility but in practice providers refer to the WCAG.

More information: http://www.section508.gov/

In Quebec

The Quebec government – through the Treasury Board Secretariat – has put in place regulations that, like France, have required institutional sites to be accessible since 2011. SGQRI 008 (Quebec Governmental Standards on Information Resources) are based on those of WCAG 2.0 and are more specific to be less subject to interpretation.

More information: http://www.tresor.gouv.qc.ca/ressources-informationnelles/standards-sur-laccessibilite-du-web and Commented Version of the Web Site Accessibility Standard (SGQRI 008-01) (PDF)

In Ontario

This English-speaking province of Canada has had a local regulation since 2005 called the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) with the goal of full accessibility by 2025. It defines four sections for accessibility, one of which concerns websites (“Information and communications”). The regulations, last updated in April 2016, are based on WCAG 2.0.

Private companies with at least 50 employees are covered by the regulations, as are public bodies.
Learn more: About the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the legislation. See also AODA.

In Australia

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and its additions in version 4 of 2010, specify (among other things) the accessibility obligations of websites for disabled people, referring to WCAG 2.0. These documents are the work of the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Learn more about Web Accessibility in Australia.

In the European Union

Euracert/UWEM (Unified Web Evaluation Methodology)

It is the European quality label for accessible websites, launched in 2003. It brings together international recommendations (priorities 1 and 2 of WCAG 1.0), an evaluation methodology (UWEM), and a compliance monitoring process (CEN Workshop Agreement). Tables of correspondence exist between the European Union certificate and the regulations of member countries (France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain,…). Version 1 of UWEM describes a methodology for assessing compliance with WCAG recommendations. The next version of UWEM will take into account the transition from WCAG 1.0 to WCAG 2.0.

See also  Web Accessibility - Standards

More information: http://www.euracert.org/fr/

In France

Established by the DPMA (Direction du Personnel, de la Modernisation et de l’Administration, attached to the Ministry of Economy and Finance), the RGAA is a set of rules that has been setting the framework for the accessibility of online public communication services since 2009. It is obviously based on WCAG 2.0 and is currently in version 2.2.1. A complete update to version 3 is being prepared.

More information: http://references.modernisation.gouv.fr/rgaa-accessibilite

The French association BrailleNet – which participated in the drafting of the RGAA – publishes its repository called AccessiWeb (published in version 2.2 in October 2012) and distributed on the AccessiWeb site. It starts from the WCAG and being its description by asking 2 questions per criterion: is the criterion present, and if so, is it relevant? It is interesting to note that the RGAA was co-established by members of this association. The association also provides “Expert AccessiWeb and Evaluation” training courses.

In Luxembourg

The Renow repository set up by the Luxembourg government has applied since 2008 to government websites.

More information: http://www.renow.public.lu/fr/index.html

In Spain

Technosite is an organization linked to ONCE (Spanish Foundation for the visually impaired) and promoting the accessible Web, according to the rules of WCAG 1.0.

Learn more: http://www.technosite.es/

In the United Kingdom

The Equality Act 2010 explains why and how sites should be accessible, where possible.

In Ireland

The Disability Act 2005 enacts recommendations for accessibility of government sites, as far as possible, focusing on visually impaired audiences.

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