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Organisations commended for making their websites accessible (with photos)
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     A total of 70 enterprises and organisations today (April 15) received commendations for adopting web accessibility designs in their websites at the awards presentation ceremony for the Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme co-organised by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

     Forty-four gold and 26 silver awards were presented to the organisations in recognition of their conscientious effort in adopting effective website designs to facilitate access to their web content and online services for everyone, including persons with disabilities. These organisations can now display the award logo on their websites to showcase and exemplify their outstanding achievement.

     The Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology), Miss Susie Ho, expressed her appreciation for the awarded enterprises and organisations' efforts in enhancing the accessibility of their websites.

     Addressing the ceremony, Miss Ho said, "I am glad that the inaugural recognition scheme has attracted encouraging responses from different sectors ranging from public transport, telecommunications, broadcasting, news, banking, medical, academia, information technology, public bodies and welfare organisations, showing the wide support that the scheme has received. It also signifies a major step forward in achieving our mission of 'Web for All'."

     Other officiating guests at the ceremony included the Government Chief Information Officer, Mr Daniel Lai; EOC member, Mr Nelson Yip; and Legislative Council members Mr Charles Mok and Dr Elizabeth Quat.

     The Government launched the Web Accessibility Campaign in October 2011 to promote wider adoption of web accessibility designs among enterprises and organisations through a multi-pronged strategy to facilitate access to online information and services by all segments of the community, including persons with disabilities. Since the launch of the campaign, the OGCIO has organised more than 20 seminars and workshops with over 3 000 participants, and set up a thematic portal to share related resources and know-how. The OGCIO has also liaised with all local tertiary institutions on the incorporation of web accessibility in IT-related curricula. The scheme is one of the key programmes under the campaign. Participating organisations were offered free assessment and advisory services on enhancing the accessibility of their websites.

     To further facilitate the adoption of web accessibility among non-governmental organisations and small and medium enterprises, the OGCIO launched accessible webpage templates today for free download on the "Web-for-all" thematic portal (www.webforall.gov.hk). The OGCIO will provide technical support on the use of these templates.

     The awards presentation ceremony is one of the events of International IT Fest 2013. The first ever International IT Fest, which features a series of events over a fortnight (April 8-21) to showcase Hong Kong's information technology development and achievements, aims at reinforcing Hong Kong's position as an information, communications and technology hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

     For details about the Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme and the list of awarded organisations, please visit the website: www.webforall.gov.hk/recognition_scheme.

Ends/Monday, April 15, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:02

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