DenHaag.nl (also TheHague.com) has just become the first large Dutch municipality whose website is officially deemed accessible to the blind and visually impaired, according to The Accessibility Foundation. This is because a screen reader can identify and interpret all images and text displayed on the site, allowing the visually impaired navigate it easily.

The Accessibility Foundation is dedicated to improving the accessibility of Internet and other digital media for all people, including the elderly and people with disabilities.

In 2011 the Dutch Ministry of the Interior asked the Foundation to investigate the accessibility of the websites of all 418 Dutch Municipalities. The results were disappointing: 92 percent failed to meet the minimum level of accessibility.

In response, the Municipality of The Hague made many adaptations to their site which are not noticeable to the average visitor, but which allow the visually impaired to also use it with relative ease.

The Foundation tested and evaluated DenHaag.nl again, and awarded the Municipality of The Hague a special certificate of distinction.

More information about The Accessibility Foundation can be found here.

Source: Municipality of The Hague