To mark the upcoming United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Liberal Party of Canada is proud to announce changes that make the Liberal Party’s website, and soon all related micro-sites, more accessible to individuals with physical disabilities.
“A quarter of the global population is directly affected by disability, either themselves or as care-givers to family members or friends,” said Liberal Leader Bob Rae. “When we eliminate barriers to information, people are able to participate more fully in social, civic, and economic life, and we are all better off.”
Changes to liberal.ca have been made in partnership with eSSENTIAL Accessibility, a Canadian company committed to making online environments instantly accessible to individuals with physical disabilities. It empowers users with dexterity limitations that arise from a variety of conditions including stroke, paralysis, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s disease among others. Moreover, it also helps those who have difficulty reading because of literacy deficiencies, limited English proficiency, dyslexia, or mild visual impairment. Organizations feature the eSSENTIAL Accessibility icon as part of a Disability Community Involvement initiative sponsored by March of Dimes Canada. The symbol displayed on the homepage acts as a clickable icon through which any visitor can download the assistive technology they require free of charge.
For more information visit: www.essentialaccessibility.com.
Wow! This is a wonderful thing! Thankyou!
One word of caution – this software does not automatically make the LPC website accessible – it can only read what has been coded in an accessible format. I did a quick check using an online “accessibility test” and only 36% of the 10 pages used for the test came back as meeting Web Accessibility Guidelines. There aren’t any quick fixes. It’s a good step in the right direction and I am happy that the Party is taking accessibility seriously.
Hi Karen,
Thank you for your message and for the feedback. Considering that we are always looking for ways to make the website more accessible, would you mind sharing with us which test you used (and which pages)? You may send it directly to the website/IT team at web@email.liberal.ca.
Thanks!
Hi Karen,
Thank you very much for your message and for the feedback. Considering that we are always looking at ways to make the website more accessible, may I ask if you could please share with us what test you used (and what pages)? You can send the information directly to the website/IT team at web@email.liberal.ca. Many thanks!