European Campaign for equal access to websites

The European Disability Forum, together with ANEC (European consumer voice in standardisation), European Blind Union and AGE (European network for people aged 50+) promote an action to raise awareness on website accessibility.

Despite being focused on institutions, this project raises important questions such as the need for companies and brands to prepare their websites for special needs users, that may even help to expand their businesses.

According to the "Access Denied!" campaign website, "In an increasing digitalized society, more and more essential information and services are available online. To access them, persons with disabilities and older people require websites designed according to web-accessibility standards to operate correctly with their assistive technologies. Unfortunately, most of the websites, including public websites, do not respect those standards and a vast majority of the population is excluded from using them."

The group of people with special needs in terms of accessibility is very heterogeneous and has different needs. We're talking about blind, deaf, elderly people and others. People that sometimes just need a little help to understand the website's message.

This campaign wants to alert european institutions - and, as a consequence, to reach companies and other organizations - for the fact that many people has difficulties in terms of accessing websites and require a "legislative proposal to ensure public sector websites and websites providing basic services to citizens are fully accessible by 2015".

Approximately 75% of Portuguese Public Administration are now accessible to special needs citizens.