This comes after the Federal government announcement in February 2010 that it will join the international community by committing to WCAG 2.0 compliance of government websites by 2015.
Further information released today reveals that the Federal government will require all Federal, State and Territory government websites to conform to the Single A level of WCAG 2.0 by the end of 2012. All Federal government websites must conform to the Double A level of WCAG 2.0 by the end of 2015. States and Territories may elect to conform to Double or Triple A levels.
This applies to all websites, including departmental intranets and private extranets, subject to stringent exemptions and opt-out policies (Federal government only).
From July 1, government will enter the first of three phases:
- Preparation Phase – July 2010 to December 2010.
- Transition Phase – January 2011 to December 2011.
- Implementation Phase – completed by December 2012 (Single A) and December 2014 (Double A).
Agencies will be required to conduct their own assessment and review of their websites and form their own implementation strategies with advice and guidance from AGIMO. Federal government agencies will be required to report to AGIMO, while State and Territory government agencies will deal with jurisdictional representative agencies.
Media Access Australia welcomes the decision, which will make a significant difference to the provision of government information to people with disabilities. This complies with Media Access Australia’s recommendations to the Media Access Review submitted in February this year.
Media Access Australia will be providing further commentary and analysis of the government’s adoption and implementation of WCAG 2.0 in the near future. Follow us on twitter for instant alerts when new information is posted.
For more information about WCAG 2.0 and web accessibility, visit the Online Media section on our website.
Top of page