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CH 01 INTRODUCTION

adopted by a Department, if deemed suitable. These have been drawn from good
practices and conventions that have proved successful and can help a Department
achieve high quality benchmarks for their web endeavours.

1.7
Guideline Website

A website, http://web.guidelines.gov.in, has been set up where the user can avail the
guidelines online. Resources pertaining to the techniques and best practices for compliance
to the guidelines are provided here. Reference to tools for testing and validation have been
provided. The website also lists the sites recently made compliant. Visitors can give suggestions
and feedback through the website.

1.8
Accessibility

Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can also perceive, understand, navigate,
and interact with the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web. It encompasses all
disabilities that affect access to the Web, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive,
and neurological disabilities.

Thus the impact of persons with disabilities is radically changed on the Web because the Web
removes barriers to communication and interaction that many people face in the physical
world. When websites, web technologies, or web tools are badly designed, they can create
barriers that exclude people from using the web.

The Website and apps should be designed and developed in such way that they are accessible
by all people, whatever may be their hardware, software, language, culture, location, or
physical or mental ability.

Legal Provisions

The United Nations General Assembly adopted its Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities on the 13th day of December, 2006. India is a signatory to the Convention and
has ratified the Convention on the 1st day of October, 2007. To implement the Convention
India has enacted the Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016 on 27th December, 2016.

With regard to ICT one of the important provisions in the act is that all contents available in
audio, print and electronic media must be in accessible format.

International Guidelines and Standards (WCAG)

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) covers a wide range of recommendations for
making Web content accessible. Following these guidelines will make content accessible to

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