February 8, 2006

"Web Accessibility Seminar" to Be Held
-- Toward realization of local governments' websites for everyone --

MIC will hold the "Web Accessibility Seminar" with the purpose of maintaining/improving web accessibility, so as to ensure "accessibility," or enabling everyone, including the elderly and people with disabilities, to access public services through the use of ICT.
Along with the increasing significance of the Internet as a social infrastructure, public services offered through the use of ICT in the public sector are being enhanced and improved. On the other hand, disadvantages in the case where someone has no access to such services are becoming serious. To this end, it is an urgent task to ensure "accessibility," or enabling everyone, including the elderly and people with disabilities, to access public services through the use of ICT.
This seminar will be held for the purposes of encouraging local governments to utilize the "operational models to improve accessibility of public websites" and raising public awareness for maintaining/improving web accessibility. The "operational models" are developed by the "Study Group on Ensuring/Improving Accessibility in the Public Sector" (Chair: Prof. ICHIKAWA Akira, Chiba University).

Note: The term "accessibility" refers to an environment in which everyone, including the elderly and people with disabilities, is enabled to use various products and facilities, and enjoy wide-ranging services, without troubles; or refers to the degree of user-friendliness. At this Study Group, the term "accessibility" is focusing on "web accessibility" to websites.

+++++++++++++++
For further information about this press release, please fill in the inquiry form and submit it to MIC on the website
http://www.soumu.go.jp/joho_tsusin/eng/contact.html

International Policy Division,
International Affairs Department
Telecommunications Bureau, MIC
TEL: +81 3 5253 5920 / FAX: +81 3 5253 5924