MCCID Training Director Jojo Esposa conducted a whole day seminar on web accessibility to Webmasters Consortium of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) last October 22 at DOST-ASTI lecture room in Diliman, Quezon City.

Sir Jerome introduces himself as a deaf web designer.

The main objective of this seminar is to implement accessible website design using the technical guidelines recommended by the Web Design Accessibility Recommendation (WDAR) Checkpoints of Philippine Web Accessibility Group in relation to the implementation of National Council on Disability Affairs – National Computer Center Joint Circular No.1 Series of 2010.

More than 20 participants from the head office as well as other key regions attended the seminar organized by the Advanced Science and Technology Institute, an attached agency the DOST. This program falls under their eDOST INFOSYS Project.

Web Accessibility Participants

Sir Jojo explained about the importance of accessible information and communications technology especially those who have physical impairments. He also gave an overview of some recommended checkpoints as well as how to include them into their websites. As a lecture strategy, he was joined by Sir Jerome Marzan, one of MCCID’s deaf trainor and web designer as his resource person so that the attendees can have a first hand information on the needs of a person with disability in accessing websites.

Sir Jojo receives token from DOST-ASTI.

DOST is composed of 16 regional offices, seven research and development groups, seven scientific and technological services and five sectoral council. Each of these services and groups have their own websites within DOST’s top level domain.

View the DOST-ASTI Official News Article here.

MCCID Training Director Jojo Esposa Jr. conducted a free three-day workshop on web accessibility and WordPress Content Management Systems (CMS) from June 23 – 25 sponsored by the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA).

The seminar/workshop was held at the NCDA Board Room. It aims to expose the government partner agencies as well as local government units about making their website accessible to everyone especially those with physical impairments.

MCCID Training Director Jojo Esposa Jr. conducts the seminar/workshop to government employees.

On the first day, Sir Jojo explained about introduction to Accessible Information and Communications
Technology. He also tackled on the popularity of online social networking and how it changed the lives of Filipinos. In the afternoon, he focused on access barriers of persons with disabilities and how web accessibility can help them remove those challenges.

On day two, he introduced the Philippine Web Design Accessibility Recommendations as well as the Manila ICT Design Recommendations. He also made a demonstration on how to validate web sites online as well as manually. On the third day, he introduced Content Management System using WordPress. The attendees were able to install web servers and WordPress CMS on their demo-computers and created their first simple website.

Ten government agency representatives working under their Management Information Systems/Information Technology departments were initially selected to participate in the workshop. Three of the attendees came all the way from Misamis Oriental and Iloilo.

Workshop/Seminar Participants

In his welcome speech, NCDA Executive Director-OIC Mateo Lee expressed his full support in promoting web accessibility as well as encouraging other stakeholders to be more concerned with visitors of their official website with which some of them might have difficulty accessing. He also promised future follow up seminars for others who were not able to attend.

Certificates were awarded to all the successful attendees.

Web Accessibility Forum

MCCID students took part in the web accessibility forum.

MCCID National Anthem Sign Language video shown on stage.

NCC Angelita Nicolas gave the welcome remarks.

DAISY Head Lauro Purcil also gave his talk.

DOTC Rizal Morales gives his inspirational address.

ICT Video is shown featuring Sir Ervin Reyes.

Sir Jojo gives his lecture on web accessibility.

Sir Jojo receives certificate of appreciation together with NCC Angelita Nicolas, DOTC Rizal Morales and NCDA Nelia De Jesus.

Web Accessibility Forum participants together with MCCID College students

Third year batch 2010 students of MCCID attended the first Web Accessibility Forum conducted by the National Council on Disability Affairs Sub-committee on Information and Communications Technology held last July 20 at Philvolcs Auditorium in UP Diliman Campus, Quezon City.

Aside from NCDA, other cooperating agencies include the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) – National Computer Center (NCC), the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). NCDA member agencies like DOH, DSWD, Philippine Information Agency, DOST and DFA also participated.

MCCID Training Director and Philippine Web Accessibility Group Current President Jojo Esposa Jr., was one of the main lecturers. He expounded on the Accessible Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and how important it is to everyone especially those who are with physical impairments. He enumerated some access barriers experienced by PWDs when they open government sites. He also introduced a few tips on how to make websites accessible.

For his part, ATRIEV Executive Director Antonio Llanes together with Project Director Rene Orense demonstrated some assistive devices used by visually impaired and those with low vision. These includes screen readers and screen magnifier softwares.

Among those who gave their inspirational messages were DOTC Senior Transport Development Officer Arch. Rizal Morales, Philippine DAISY Consortium President Lauro Purcil and NCDA TCD Chief Nelia De Jesus.

The highlight of the forum is the announcement of the official signing of NCC-NCDA Joint Circular No. 1 requiring all websites of government line agencies including their attached, regional and state universities and colleges to redesign their websites in order to pass the web accessibility design standards set by Manila ICT Design Recommendations through the Philippine Web Accessibility Group. NCC IT Officer Angelita Nicolas gave the announcement. She also informed the participants about future workshops and seminars that will be held.

Aside from MCCID, other Persons With Disabilities Non-Government Organizations also attended the forum. These includes ATRIEV, Philippine Network of Daisy Consortium and Philippine Deaf Federation (PFD). PFD President Raquel Estiller-Corpuz requested all government agencies to open their doors to PWDs especially those who don’t have funds to connect to the internet to offer their services free.

The forum’s objective is to make the participants understand the concepts of web accessibility towards a “disability-inclusive” Philippines where information accessibility for persons with disabilities is based on human rights principles. It also aims to encourages the attendees especially the government sector to make their websites compliant to web accessibility standards under the Manila ICT Design Recommendations and/or the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

The activity coincides with the country’s annual celebration of the 32nd National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week (July 17-23). This year’s theme is “Sa Istrukturang Accessible, Lahat ay Able“. DPWH is this year’s lead agency.

Ten deaf students from this year’s graduating class attended the web accessibility seminar conducted by US based Even Grounds Accessibility Consulting held from January 21-22 at the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) ADOC Center in UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Sir Jojo interprets for Mr. Julius Serrano.

Mr. Julius Charles Serrano, Research Director of Even Grounds is the main speaker for the two-day event. He is a visually impaired web researcher and web accessibility evaluator of websites. He also conducted similar seminar in Malaysia.

The seminar aims to enlighten web designers and other participants on the importance of making their sites accessible to everyone including Persons With Disabilities. Barriers such as improper use of color contrasts, fixed fonts, not putting alternative texts on images and non-inclusion of closed captions on videos were discussed in details.

Sir Jojo lectures about web accessibility in the Philippines.

On the first day, the group covered a set of topics regarding web accessibility, and screen readers as well as other assistive technologies. On the second day, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, and the procedures in identifying and solving accessibility issues in websites were tackled. Sir Jojo Esposa Jr., current President of Philippine Web Accessibility Group gave a short overview of the Philippine initiative on web accessibility designs and and its recommendations.

More than 20 participants attended in this seminar. The audience consisted of professors and students of web development subjects and representatives of organizations focused on persons with disabilities. MCCID students who attended are Vincent Adecer, Jasmine Bundalian, Andrew Calaycay Jr., John Rommel Carpio, Irene Dagos, Eleazar Fancubit, Kurt Patrick Galicha, Lucky Mc Gill Paltep, Hazel Ann Sy. and Maricris Siping.

MCCID participants pose in front of CICT facade.

Aside from MCCID College, other participants came from schools and organizations such as Asia Pacific College, Informatics International College, Resources for the Blind Incorporated and University of Sto. Tomas. ATRIEV School for the Blind led by Mr. Rene Orense (ATRIEV’s project officer and web master) and CICT co-sponsored the event. Certificates of Attendance were distributed to all the participants at the end of the second day.

MCCID College is one of those in the forefront in promoting web accessibility in the Philippines. MCCID sponsored and published the first ever book on web accessibility in the Philippines entitled Basic Web Accessibility Guide for Filipinos.

For more information about the event, visit Evenground’s Official News Article.

Thailand APCD

Day 0 - Sir Edmond Guzman of MCCID College Tiaong, Quezon and Jojo in front of APCD PWD Friendly Service Bus

Day 1 - Participants and delegates in front of APCD Training Building

Day 1 - From Left: Ms. Rachmita Harahap. Deaf representative from Indonesia, Ms. Kurnia Ige, Interpreter from Indonesia, Sir Edmond and Sir Jojo

Day 2 - Mr. Reginaldo Tolentino of NCDA presents a summary of day one's activities.

Day 2 - Sir Edmond presents the summary of day one's activities.

Day 2 - Sir Jojo explains about NCDA website and web accessibility initiatives in the Philippines as part of the country report.

Day 3 - A Thai Visually Impaired resource person explains the different assistive devices used by PWDs in accessing the computer.

Day 4 - A visit at Suanlum Night Bazaar

Day 5 - Tour at Thailand's Grand Palace

Day 5 - APCD Delegates in front of Grand Palace

Day 5 - Sir Edmond behind Grand Palace

Day 6 - Bangkok's Victory Monument, a two-kilometer distance from APCD Training Center

Day 6 - Chanced meeting with local Thai Deaf congregating at McDonald's around Victory Monument

Day 7 - APCD Delegates at NECTEC

Day 7 - Thammasat University Disabled Student's Services Office

Day 8 - Joomla Training at APCD Computer Laboratory

Day 9 - Sir Edmond assists two participants from Thailand.

Day 9 - Sir Edmond using his newly purchased Acer Laptop

Day 10 - Mr. Dandy Victa of NCDA delivers his Joomla designed website.

Day 10 - Ms. Marlene Mariano of PWD Association of Makati City explains her Joomla designed website.

Day 10 - Philippine Team (From Left: Edmond Guzman, Jojo Esposa, Reggie Tolentino, Dandy Victa and Marlene Manalo)

Day 10 - Sir Edmond explains his Joomla designed website in sign language while Sir Jojo reverse interprets.

Day 10 - Ms. Wantanee of NECTEC presents web accessibility initiatives among Asian countries where Philippines gave a strong performance.

Day 10 - ICT Accessibility Initiatives in the Philippines video was presented to the delegates.

Day 10 - Delegates pose together with APCD Project Manager Ms. Kanitta Kamolwat after receiving their certificates of participation.

Day 10 - The interpreters (from left: Ms. Kurnia Igie of Indonesia, Ms. Wimol Khuntongchan of Thailand and Mr. Jojo Esposa of Philippines)

Day 11 - Inside APCD service bus (Clockwise: Dandy, Marlene, Ms. Waan from Thailand, Mr. Dara Eang of Cambodia, a lady from Thailand, Edmond, Jojo and Reggie)

Day 11 - Preparing to board Philippine Airlines to Manila

MCCID College Trainor Sir Edmond Guzman Jr. of Tiaong, Quezon and MCCID Training Director Jojo Esposa Jr. attended the ten-day Regional Workshop on Accessible Web-based Information Networking in Bangkok, Thailand sponsored by the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) from September 1 – 11, 2009.

Aside from the two, three other members from the Philippine Team include Mr. Dandy Victa and Mr. Reginaldo Tolentino of Technical Cooperation Division of the National Council on Disability Affairs and Ms. Marlene Mariano from Association of PWDs in Makati City. The team were the largest delegation.

APCD associate organizations from Asian countries like Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand also participated in the workshop. All expenses were paid by the organizers.

During the workshop, the participants were able to understand the concept of information accessibility for PWDs, UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Disability Equality, Concept Information Accessibility for PWDs, Concept of Information Networking,
Assistive Devices for Information Accessibility and Information Networking (Disability Focus).

Hands-on training on Joomla Content Management System with focus on W3C/ WAI on different disability (visual, hearing, learning, etc), Accessible Content by CMS were also conducted. Each participant was able to create their own dummy websites which were presented and evaluated by APCD and NECTEC resource persons.

Web Accessibility Initiative Results Among Asian Countries

Web Accessibility Initiative Results Among Asian Countries

One highlight of the event was the NECTEC presentation where the Philippines showed a strong performance among Asian countries and fared well even from other developed countries. This was according to a study made by the University of Worshester Faculty of Computing, UK in 2007. The study was based on the Global E-government Web Accessibility, an Empirical Examination among EU, Asian and African Sites by Ms. Joanne Kuzma.