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Camphill and Web Accessibility

Camphill recognises the importance of ensuring that our site is accessible to everyone. This website has been designed and developed by Enhance.ie to conform with Level AA with the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and to comply with the Irish National Disability Authority IT Accessibility Priority 2 Guidelines.

These standards define how to make Web content accessible to people with disabilities. Conformance to these Guidelines will help to make the Colaiste Ide website, more accessible to users with disabilities.

What is Web Accessibility?

Not all users of the Internet have the same ability to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with websites.

Web accessibility is all about helping to reduce or minimise the barriers for disabled users while they browse, interact and communicate over the Internet.

There are many disabilities that can have a affect on a users ability to access the information contained within the website. Some of these disabilities include visual, auditory, physical, cognitive, and neurological disabilities.

There are approximately 500 million disabled users globally, but this figure is most likely under estimated, as some people do not consider themselves disabled and therefore prefer not to be registered as such.

The majority of Web sites have accessibility barriers that make it difficult, frustrating or even impossible for many people with disabilities to use the Web. As more accessible Web sites become available, people with disabilities are able to use the Web more effectively.

Web Accessibility is not only about catering for those with mental and physical disabilities. Web Accessibility encompasses all users in all circumstances and their ability to access a website and the information that is provided by the website.

Why is Accessibility so Important

The Internet offers an unprecedented amount of information for us all, and we must include all members of society when developing websites. We must do all we can to remove the barriers to these resources, as it is our corporate and social responsibility to treat all users equally.

Making the Web Accessible

"The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) works with organisations around the world to develop strategies, guidelines, and resources to help make the Web accessible to people with disabilities."

http://www.w3.org/WAI/about-links.html

"The World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) commitment to lead the Web to its full potential includes promoting a high degree of usability for people with disabilities. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) develops its work through W3C's consensus-based process, involving different stakeholders in Web accessibility. These include industry, disability organisations, government, accessibility research organisations, and more."

http://www.w3.org/WAI/about.html

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