The Quezon City government is the first local government unit to pass the stringent evaluation process as fully accessible to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

It earned a certification for its thorough web accessibility audit conducted by the nonprofit organization Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV), in coordination with the city’s Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO).

This means that all website visitors of https://quezoncity.gov.ph, including PWDs can now enjoy a more complete online experience when navigating.

"Conducted by our team members, some are PWDs themselves, the audit revealed improved navigationability on the website. Quezon City is the first local government unit that completed our series of evaluations and successfully met all our requirements,” Ebenchito Pabia, accessibility lead from ATRIEV, said.

He added that the website has met the rigid requirements for web accessibility and attained compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the AA level.

Pabia noted that the audit inspected various aspects of the Quezon City website, including navigation and content readability. It also evaluated the website’s compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers, which visually impaired individuals rely on to convey content through text-to-speech or sound feedback.

Further, WCAG 2.1 is an internationally recognized set of guidelines and best practices for web accessibility. Level AA compliance indicates that the site is at an intermediate level with more comprehensive accessibility features.

“This audit is one of the most important measures the city government has undertaken in pursuit of inclusivity. It stands as proof of our commitment to ensuring that all residents, including our PWDs, can easily access essential information and services online—walang maiiwan,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

The Public Affairs and Information Services Department (PAISD), which manages the website, has integrated new accessibility tools, such as Color Contrast, Text-to-Speech, Alt Text, and a Chatbot, in addition to meeting web development standards.

The chatbot aids individuals with hearing impairment by providing alternative ways to communicate with the city government aside from voice calls, while subtitles and alt texts in media content help individuals access information that might be missed if the user cannot hear an audio description or narration.

“We hope that QC will continue to uphold these best practices to maintain an inclusive digital presence,” Pabia added.

As of March, there are more than 69,000 residents who registered as PWD in the city.