Published on January 27, 2006
To provide an opportunity for disabled people to access information and the cutting edge of technology, the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec) will develop Web access for the disabled through the Accessible On-Line News System by the end of this year.
Namnueng Mitsamarn, research assistant of the Assistive Technology Section at Nectec, said that the agency started to develop Web access for the disabled two years ago and aims to encourage them to access knowledge in the same way as others do.
A website has been developed under World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) guidelines, which standardise interoperable technologies – specifications, guidelines, software, and tools – to give the Web its full potential. W3C is a forum for information, commerce, communication, and collective understanding. As a result, everyone, with or without disabilities, will be able to access the same information from the new website, http://astec.nectec.or.th. The site supports W3C standards and the disabled who want to access knowledge and cutting-edge technology should not face any difficulty when accessing information and innovation from the Internet. “Normally, those with disabilities face limitations when accessing information from the Internet. Web developers do not usually create sites that allow disabled people to access information, such as screens that read out information or video scripts from the web,” said Namnueng. The agency expects that it will be able to provide full services including online news via the site next year. It is now in the process of developing a program to check the standards of W3C guidelines for government agencies and private businesses that want to create and design websites that support those with disabilities. It expects that the programme will be complete by the second half of this year. It will also allow Web developers to send their URLs to check their Web formats or standards. He added that the agency plans to offer W3C certificates to local websites by government agencies and the private sector to encourage developers to create sites that support those with disabilities. “The accessible websites supporting W3C will allow the disabled to access information from the same website as the general population. It will also not separate those with disabilities from others,” said Namnueng. jirapan@nationgroup.com Jirapan Boonnoon The Nation
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