International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Accessibility by the Migrant Protection Platform (MPP)

The Migrant Protection Platform joins the global community on a day dedicated to reflecting on the profound significance of inclusivity and diversity. The 3rd of December, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, serves as a reminder of the global responsibility to amplify disability inclusion across all facets of life.

In this spirit, the Platform is actively committed to fortifying its sections with optimal accessibility. The goal is to craft a digital public space that welcomes and accommodates everyone, irrespective of their abilities, ensuring that it reflects the commitment to an inclusive digital landscape.

How has this Platform been consistent in embracing diversity values?

 The accessibility improvements, built on the advancements conducted in the former Return and Reintegration Platform, are based on the Web Consent Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG),  to guarantee that this website meets international accessibility standards. Key enhancements made have been:
 

• Color Contrast: The choice of foreground and blue background colors is intentional, fostering a robust contrast that facilitates easy content readability. This decision ensures clear distinctions between elements, including borders. Making the grey font colors darker also helps in making sure that they are more distinguishable from the white and other grey backgrounds. 
• 200% Zoom: Recognizing the diverse needs of users with vision corrections, the MPP embraces a user-friendly approach to font size adjustment. Enabling a 200% zoom function, accessible in both Windows and Mac environments, empowers individuals to customize their viewing experience. This flexibility in font size caters to those who require larger text for improved readability without compromising the overall layout or content integrity. 
• Alternative text: It serves as a descriptive counterpart to visuals; the alt text acts as a description of the pictures while bringing more context.  For users relying on screen readers, this text transforms into audio, enhancing their understanding of the content by delivering spoken descriptions of the images. This ensures a comprehensive and inclusive experience for all users.
• Keyboard Navigation: The Platform goes beyond mouse-centric navigation by incorporating robust keyboard accessibility. Utilizing the Tab key, users can seamlessly navigate through the interface, checking links by pressing the Spacebar or Enter key. Interacting with content is simplified as pressing Enter on designated boxes enables user engagement. Dropdown menus also prioritize keyboard interaction, allowing users to expand or collapse items effortlessly, and tab through content systematically.

How do we move forward? 

While the Platform has made significant strides in enhancing accessibility, its commitment to inclusivity extends beyond current implementations. Looking ahead, the Platform is committed to a continuous evolution that prioritizes the needs of users. As accessibility standards evolve, the Platform will continue to stay updated on global accessibility standards and guidelines by WCAG, to not only comply with existing norms but also set new benchmarks for inclusivity.

As we celebrate diversity today, the journey to create a digital inclusive space takes center stage in the commitment of the Platform. Let us continue to build a future where technology is a force for unity and empowerment, rather than exacerbating the existent gap that divides and excludes individuals with disabilities.