Government Introduces Web Accessibility Features Across More Than 800 Official Websites to Improve Digital Inclusion

 

Kathmandu. The government has introduced a new “Web Accessibility” feature in its unified government website management system aimed at making official websites more accessible for people with disabilities and users with limited digital literacy.

The Department of Information Technology has implemented the feature as part of point no. 30 under the government’s 100-point governance reform agenda.

The system is designed primarily to support visually impaired, low-vision, color-blind, and users with physical disabilities.

According to computer engineer Chandra Shekhar at the department, the feature has been enabled by default on more than 800 government websites connected to the integrated system. Because the platform is centralized, updates made at the system level automatically apply across all affiliated websites.

Under the new feature, users will see an “accessibility icon” at the bottom of government websites. By clicking the icon, users can adjust display settings according to their needs, including increasing or decreasing font size, changing color contrast, and applying color filters for users with difficulty distinguishing colors.

The system also allows adjustments to letter spacing and line spacing, enlarges cursor size, and disables animations to improve readability and ease of navigation.

Officials said the websites have been upgraded to the “Double A” compliance level under the international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1).

Engineer Shekhar said keyboard navigation has been improved, allowing users to access all sections of a website using the Tab key alone. A “skip navigation” option has also been added to help screen reader users access main content without navigating through menus.

He added that alternative text (alt text) has been incorporated into images, logos, and service-related visuals to assist visually impaired users in understanding the content.

The system also improves form usability, with screen-reader-compatible error messages and clearly labeled input fields for search and contact forms, enabling better navigation for assistive technologies.

However, officials acknowledge that challenges remain in content management. Many government offices still upload information in image format without text descriptions, limiting accessibility for screen readers.

To address this, the department has made it mandatory to include alt text when uploading images and has been conducting training programs for government staff.

Despite the rollout, major government bodies including the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs are still operating outside the integrated system.

According to Shekhar, the Ministry of Home Affairs maintains a separate web infrastructure due to its operational requirements and coordination with security agencies, meaning accessibility upgrades in the integrated system do not automatically apply there.

Similarly, the Ministry of Law has not yet been integrated into the platform. In contrast, ministries such as Finance and Health, which use the centralized system, have already begun implementing the new accessibility features.

At the local government level, the department has provided source code to all 753 local units. However, since local bodies host and modify their websites independently, system-wide updates do not automatically apply unless they reinstall or update the code.

Disability rights activists have urged mandatory compliance with accessibility standards across all government institutions, warning that gaps in implementation could limit access to essential public information for persons with disabilities.

The department said it will continue providing technical support to integrate remaining agencies and improve accessibility across all government digital platforms.

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: जेठ २७, २०८३ १६:३७

टिप्पणीहरू