Publications address the use of technology by people with disabilities and how to make web content accessible
Materials produced by Ceweb.br and Cetic.br, part of NIC.br, emphasize the need for digital inclusion policies aimed at people with disabilities
The Center for Studies on Web Technologies (Ceweb.br) of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br) held on Thursday (21), Global Accessibility Awareness Day, the online event Todos@Web, where studies and publications were presented aimed at promoting Web Accessibility. Among the initiatives launched are the 4th installment of the Web Accessibility Guide by Ceweb.br and W3C Brazil and the publication “Accessibility and Technologies: an overview of access and use of Information and Communication Technologies by people with disabilities in Brazil and Latin America” by the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), with the collaboration of Ceweb.br.
The event also announced a survey on the accessibility level of Brazilian websites, conducted by the Web for All Movement and BigData Corp, with technical support from Ceweb.br, as well as the launch of the campaign for “image description” and the book "Web Accessibility", authored by Reinaldo Ferraz.
“Amid the social isolation we are experiencing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the fundamental role of the Web has become even more evident, as work, education, leisure, and other daily activities have turned essentially online. Unfortunately, not all Brazilians can perform these tasks as they still encounter many barriers when browsing. Web accessibility is one of the key points for digital inclusion of this population”, highlights Vagner Diniz, manager of Ceweb.br.
The 4th installment of the Web Accessibility Guide by Ceweb.br/NIC.br and W3C Brazil provides guidance for the general public on how to make Web content accessible, even for non-specialists. The publication gathers accessibility guidelines, considering everything from project design and development to how to promote achieved accessibility. The installment also explains that pages created without considering the diversity of abilities and characteristics of the population may hinder or even prevent access to its content for a large portion of people while offering alternatives to make them more accessible.
“The responsibility to make web content accessible is not just on developers or professionals involved with a digital service or system but on all involved in the process, including those responsible for design, programming, coding, and even marketing of the site, product, or online service. We created this installment to guide non-technical public on implementing accessibility guidelines, addressing issues related to the topic”, clarifies Reinaldo Ferraz, coordinator of the guide. The 4th installment and the previous ones are a result of a partnership with the São Paulo State Public Prosecutor's Office and can be accessed at https://www.w3c.br/Materiais/PublicacoesW3C.
Accessibility and Technologies
The Sectoral Study “Accessibility and Technologies: an overview of access and use of Information and Communication Technologies by people with disabilities in Brazil and Latin America” gathers unprecedented data collected from 2012 to 2016 by the ICT Households survey, conducted by Cetic.br, revealing that technology use by Brazilians with disabilities is lower than that by the non-disabled population. In 2016, only 23% of people with disabilities used a computer, while this proportion was almost double (41%) among people without disabilities.
The data also shows an increase in Internet use among the disabled population, from 24% in 2012 to 37% in 2016. However, a large number of people with disabilities are still offline. Among the non-disabled population, cellphone ownership in 2016 reached 70%, while for people with disabilities, this proportion was 65%.
“There are various obstacles to Internet use, such as service cost or lack of skill or interest. For people with disabilities, these issues are compounded by the accessibility of web pages, devices, and applications, which can be potential barriers for technology adoption”, emphasizes Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br. View the full publication, which also presents results on technology access and use by people with disabilities, by accessing the “.zip” file at https://cetic.br/en/publicacao/acessibilidade-e-tecnologias-um-panorama-sobre-acesso-e-uso-de-tecnologias-de-informacao-e-comunicacao-por-pessoas-com-deficiencia-no-brasil-e-na-america-latina/.
The publication “Accessibility and Technologies” also includes articles from UNESCO and ECLAC representatives, among other specialists, addressing the rights of people with disabilities and the need for inclusive public policies, as well as studies evaluating websites of organizations in areas like education, government, and commerce. These studies highlight that lack of Web accessibility in these three segments can lead to broader barriers beyond access to a website, such as the inability to enroll in a university, make an online purchase, or exercise citizen rights and duties, like accessing or issuing documents and paying taxes online.
“We still have a long way to go for a truly barrier-free Web. The lack of digital inclusion for people with disabilities affects wellbeing and guarantees of fundamental rights, limits access to information, education, and goods and services. Therefore, it is crucial to raise awareness and discuss web accessibility, generate greater visibility of the problems faced, and contribute with suggestions for suitable public policies aimed at a more inclusive society, as we did in this event”, concludes Vagner Diniz, manager of Ceweb.br.
Accessibility level of Brazilian websites
During the event, a survey on the accessibility level of Brazilian websites was presented, developed by the Web for All Movement and BigData Corp, with technical support from Ceweb.br/NIC.br, reinforcing the need for improvements and investments in digital inclusion in the country. The survey analyzed over 14 million web pages registered in Brazil and examined the use of resources that can become access barriers if not applied correctly. According to the study, 83.36% of the images inserted in analyzed websites, 93.6% of links, and 55.19% of forms present some accessibility issue. Access the complete data at https://mwpt.com.br/numero-de-sites-que-fail-nos-testes-do-web-para-todos-cai-mas-ainda-preocupa/.
The online event Todos@Web was broadcast live on NIC.br's YouTube channel. Watch the broadcast again at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjvZCYjX2fE.
About Ceweb.br
The Center for Studies on Web Technologies (Ceweb.br), part of NIC.br, aims to disseminate and promote the use of open technologies on the Web, foster and drive its evolution in Brazil through studies, surveys, and new technology experimentation. Activities developed by the Center include stimulating discussions about the Web ecosystem and preparing technical inputs for formulating public policies that promote this ecosystem as a means of social innovation and service provision. More information at https://www.ceweb.br/.
About Cetic.br
The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society, (Cetic.br), part of NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on the availability and use of the Internet in Brazil, disseminating periodic analyses and information on the development of the network in the country. Cetic.br is a Regional Study Center, under the auspices of UNESCO. More information at https://www.cetic.br/
About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br
The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (https://www.nic.br/) is a private, non-profit civil entity that, besides implementing decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, has among its responsibilities: coordinating domain name registration — Registro.br (https://www.registro.br/), studying, responding to and handling security incidents in Brazil — CERT.br (https://www.cert.br/), studying and researching network technologies and operations — Ceptro.br (https://www.ceptro.br/), producing indicators on information and communication technologies — Cetic.br (https://www.cetic.br/), implementing and operating Traffic Exchange Points — IX.br (https://ix.br/), enabling the Brazilian community's participation in the global development of the Web and supporting the formulation of public policies — Ceweb.br (https://www.ceweb.br), and hosting the W3C office in Brazil (https://www.w3c.br/).
About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to the use and development of the Internet in Brazil, coordinates and integrates all Internet service initiatives in the Country, promoting the technical quality, innovation, and dissemination of the services offered. Based on principles of multilateralism, transparency, and democracy, CGI.br represents a model of multistakeholder governance of the Internet with effective participation of all sectors of society in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for the Governance and Use of the Internet (https://www.cgi.br/principios). More information at https://www.cgi.br/.
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Cetic.br and Unesco
In 2012, Cetic.br became a UNESCO Category 2 Center, the first of its kind dedicated to the development of information and knowledge societies. The Center is linked to the Communication and Information (CI) Sector, one of UNESCO’s five areas of work. It contributes to achieving the organization’s strategic objectives by strengthening its efforts to monitor the building of information and knowledge societies. Cetic.br’s scope of action includes Latin America and the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa.
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