Web accessibility for citizens with reduced capacities on science portals: evaluation of MCTIC and Ciência Viva

ABSTRACT

This investigation aims to study the accessibility of science dissemination web portals, focusing on citizens with some form of disability or limitation. Based on the theoretical framework developed by the Spanish Infoparticipa project and other similar studies that examine Brazil and Portugal, we analyse the two most important science dissemination portals in these two countries. The method is based on the design of a set of indicators that enable access to information by users with various physical limitations or disabilities to be measured, and which are subsequently verified through specific questionnaires. The analysis of the science dissemination portals examined here shows that there is still a deficit in terms of access to science information by all citizens, with the imposition of more specific accessibility rules being desirable.

KEYWORDS:

• Accessibility
• users with disabilities
• science websites
• ICTs
• democracy
• dissemination of science

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation, of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), within the State Programme for Research, Development and Innovation Oriented at the Challenges of Society under Grant CSO2015-64568-R.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The MCTIC portal can be accessed at: http://www.mctic.gov.br/portal.

2 The Ciência Viva portal can be accessed at: http://www.cienciaviva.pt/home/.

3 The Infoparticipa Map website can be accessed at: http://mapainfoparticipa.com/index/home/.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation, of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), within the State Programme for Research, Development and Innovation Oriented at the Challenges of Society [grant number CSO2015-64568-R].

Notes on contributors

Tatiana Santos Gonçalves

Tatiana Santos Gonçalves is a journalist and gained her doctorate in Communication Sciences, specialising in New Digital Environments, from the University of Coimbra, Portugal, 2017. She is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Communication and Arts of the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal, where she is director of postgraduate courses and master’s degrees in radio and television journalism, audiovisual communication and new communication technologies. Her research interests include ICTs, with particular interest in public participation in portals and usability, and journalism and audio visual communication.

Núria Simelio Solà

Núria Simelio Solà is associate Professor of the Department of Journalism and Communication Sciences of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She is a member of the Laboratory of Journalism and Communication for Plural Citizenship, in which she is/has been principal investigator of several research projects. Her main lines of research focus on the methodologies of analysis of the media, public communication and analysis of information to promote participative democracy.

Amparo Moreno Sardá

Amparo Moreno Sardá is a full Professor Emeritus of the Department of Journalism and Communication Sciences and director of the Laboratory of Journalism and Communication for Plural Citizenship (LPCCP) of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She has been a professor at the Faculty of Information Sciences of the Autonomous University of Barcelona since 1974, where she is the director of History of Communication and other subjects. She is/has been the leader of numerous research projects. She is also funder of the Feminario Mujeres y Cultura de Masas dedicated to analysis of the transmission of sexual stereotypes in the media.