Campus de Excelencia Internacional de Medio Ambiente, Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CEI CamBio) – with the participation of the Universities of Almeria, Cadiz, Cordoba, Huelva, Internacional de Andalucía, Jaen and the CSIC, under the coordination of Universidad Pablo de Olavide – and Fundación Vodafone España have been developing several actions for improving info-accessibility through the implementation of new technologies. These actions are carried out within the context of Programme CEI, Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte.
The agreement signed by the Ministry and Fundación Vodafone España committed both parties to the promotion of new technologies aimed at improving info-accessibility conditions in both physical and virtual university campuses, including improved accessibility to their web portals and adapted university facilities with the incorporation of appropriate ICT and, in general, to contribute to improving the living conditions of people with disabilities, developing products and services to that end.
Pilar Paneque, director of CamBio, reports that within this context action has been taken to improve accessibility to the CEI website (https://www.upo.es/ceicambio/) by correcting some previously detected flaws. In addition, she also informs that an accessibility monitoring service has been created at Universidad Pablo de Olavide (UPO), as a pilot experience later to be extended to the remaining partner institutions.
This service, in combination with the implementation of new technological resources, is aimed at guaranteeing the full incorporation of disabled individuals into the university from an equal-opportunities perspective. The monitoring service offered by Fundación CTIC will report on the level of adaptation of websites to UNE and WCAG accessibility criteria, which all public agencies must meet. This has already pointed out the need to implement a number of improvements in our websites, suggesting corrective measures for the progressive, rational and measurable achievement of the highest standards of accessibility and quality. In the words of ICT UPO Vice-Chancellor Alicia Troncoso Lora: ‘the current situation cannot but be valued as very positive, especially since initial targets have been met’.
CEI CamBio thus reinforces previous policies targeted at the transformation of university campuses, through actions towards the implementation of universal accessibility models and the cooperation and social inclusion of the disabled, contributing to improve the quality of life in the university.