Mexico signs first Manifesto on Usability and Accessibility for Mexican Government Websites

The Usability and Accessibility for the Web International Seminar was an event organized by the State Government of Nuevo León and Universidad de Monterrey. It took place on July 26 and 27, 2007, at this university, in Monterrey, Mexico. The objective of the seminar was to share experiences and good practices, and gather knowledge and compromises of website administrators.

The spread of digital technology has opened new opportunities, challenges and responsibilities for governments. The web allows us to offer more efficient and innovative services and to share information thoroughly and openly, and it makes it easier to involve citizens in the decision making process. The web can be the most democratic tool a government has because it allows for direct communication, overcoming geographic, cultural, economic and hierarchical barriers, as well as those faced by people with disabilities. But technologies do not do this on their own. They can either reduce or widen the gap between those with more and those with fewer opportunities, and they can enrich or hurt the relationship between citizens and government.

It is the duty of the creators and administrators of these technologies to guide them and improve people’s quality of life. As administrators, our objective is to create and maintain websites that are both useful and easy to use for the widest possible audience: usable and accessible websites. We believe that government, academia and the private sector should work together to achieve this objective.

At the closure of the event, the first Manifesto on Usability and Accessibility for Mexican Government Websites was created and signed. It collected ideas from participants and experts of UA web 2007, and was signed by 23 Mexican states and 3 municipalities.

Associated Link: UAweb Manifesto on Usability and Accessibility for Mexican Government Websites

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