Dignity, diversity and democracy through inclusive design : designing an accessible website for ‘Dignity for Disability’

Increasing access to Information and Communication Technologies, and a growing awareness of the role that the Internet plays in enabling participation in the democratic process has highlighted the importance of ensuring that all government and parliamentary websites are accessible to all Australians. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, of which the Australian Government is a signatory, recognises the role that web accessibility plays in a democratic society through Article 9 focusing on accessibility and Article 29, which protects the right of people with disability to participate in political and public life. However, the review of major Australian political party websites reported in this paper reveals a mismatch between Australia’s commitment to accessibility and the reality. This paper reports the findings of the review and presents a case study on the redesign of the Dignity for Disability website as a roadmap for web developers on practical strategies for redesigning websites to meet international web accessibility guidelines.