Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 September 2021
508. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will facilitate online application methods for the blind for social protection services through welfare.ie in accordance with the EU Web Accessibility Directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46494/21]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection is committed to making the information on all its websites and online portals accessible to all. In order to achieve this, the Department has designed its websites to follow guidelines set out by the W3C (the World Wide Web Consortium). The W3C WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative) produces accessibility guidelines that are an internationally recognised benchmark of accessibility. The Department's sites currently comply with Level Double-A of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0.
The Department is committed to inclusive design, enabling websites which can be used by all users including those who may have cognitive or physical impairments, such as blindness. This means that our sites, including MyWelfare.ie, can be used with assistive technologies such as screen readers or by using a keyboard for navigation, but also that the design of the Department's sites supports cognitive and visual impairments such as dyslexia, colour blindness or those short of sight, to ensure for all users that there is a smooth journey and experience through our website.
In designing new services for MyWelfare.ie the Department continues to engage with customers and stakeholder groups to assist in the design and testing of prototypes to help shape online services in a customer centric manner.
The Department is also aware of the new requirement for Public Body websites to meet the new WCAG 2.1 standard. Following the completion of audits of the Department's sites, the websites’ accessibility statements will include a statement of commitment and a compliance status statement as required under the European Union (Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Sector Bodies) Regulations 2020.
