QC website gets PWD-friendly certification

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said on Monday that the local government's official website has been certified as fully accessible to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

Belmonte took pride in the city being the first local government unit to pass the stringent evaluation process.

«This means all website visitors, including PWDs, can now enjoy a more complete online experience when navigating https://quezoncity.gov.ph.,» she said.

The city government said its website has met the rigid requirements for web accessibility and attained compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the AA Level.

Prior to the issuance of the certification, the website had to undergo a thorough web accessibility audit conducted by the nonprofit organization Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV) in coordination with the city's Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO).

«Conducted by our team members, some are PWDs themselves, the audit revealed improved navigability on the website. Quezon City is the first local government unit that completed our series of evaluations and successfully met all our requirements,» said Ebenchito Pabia of ATRIEV.

Also, ATRIEV inspected various aspects of the city website, including navigation and content readability.

It evaluated the website's compatibility with assistive technologies including screen readers, which visually impaired individuals rely on to convey content through text-to-speech or sound feedback, Pabia said.

WCAG 2.1 is an internationally recognized set of guidelines and best practices for web accessibility while Level AA compliance indicates that the site is at an intermediate level with more comprehensive accessibility features.

«This audit is one of the most important measures the city government has undertaken in pursuit of inclusivity. It stands as proof of our commitment to ensuring that all residents, including our PWDs, can easily access essential information and services online,» Belmonte said.

QC's Public Affairs and Information Services Department, which manages the website, has integrated new accessibility