Dominican Republic Unveils Accessibility Widget

As it prepares to the expected surge in travel planning, the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism recently launched a new accessibility widget on its website, GoDominicanRepublic.com. This new tool makes Dominican Republic one of the first destinations in the Caribbean to offer robust website functionality for users with differing abilities.

The widget enables users with limited visual, cognitive, and mobility abilities to make full use of the website, with intuitive tools that enhance accessibility. Users can open the widget by clicking or tapping the icon in the lower left corner of the screen, or by pressing CTRL + U on a Windows or Mac computer.

Spanning seven different languages, the widget features tools including a screen reader, keyboard navigation, contrast adjustment, highlighting links, adjusting text size and spacing, pausing animations, and viewing a dyslexia-friendly version of the site. The widget also includes a built-in dictionary so users can search definitions of terms without leaving the site.

David Collado, Dominican Republic Minister of Tourism, explained that: “From planning to completion, it is a top priority to ensure those interested in visiting Dominican Republic have all the necessary tools to do so. This new accessibility widget is our latest investment in our ongoing endeavor to ensure every person has the ability to plan their dream vacation to our beautiful country with ease, now through the advanced, industry-leading tools on our website.”

The accessibility widget is powered by technology from UserWay, a leading global provider in website accessibility solutions. The company provides the same functionality for brands including Disney, Coca-Cola, Nielsen and General Electric. By using artificial intelligence and machine learning, the widget works behind the scenes to continually improve GoDominicanRepublic.com for users who rely on adaptive technologies.

With the launch of the new tool, www.GoDominicanRepublic.com meets the strict WCAG 2.1 AA (“Web Content Accessibility Guidelines”) standards of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the worldwide organization that regulates Internet standards. The site also complies with the U.S. Americans With Disabilities Act Section 508 standards.

Check out www.GoDominicanRepublic.com for more.