The Motive Web Design Glossary

New Zealand Government Web Standards and Recommendations

The New Zealand Government Web Standards (NZGWS) set out the requirements that New Zealand public sector websites must meet to make web-based information and services available to the widest possible audience.

Version 2.0 of the standard (for web projects initiated after 21 Oct 2009), adopts the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (level AA) as the basis for technical specification [1]. Website content writers, designers and developers must be familiar with the relevant checkpoints/success criteria of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines when undertaking web-based projects.

Key dates

• Jan 2006: Compliance with the New Zealand Government Web Guidelines, mandatory for public sector websites.
• Jan 2007: Draft version of the New Zealand Government Web Standards 1.0 issued for feedback.
• Mar 2007: Final version of the New Zealand Government Web Standards 1.0 published.
• Jan 2008: From this date all New Zealand public sector websites are required to comply with the New Zealand Government Web Standards 1.0.
• Mar 2009:New Zealand Government Web Standards 2.0 released.
• 31 Oct 2009: All news public sector website projects initiated after 31 Oct 2009 are required to comply with the New Zealand Government Web Standards 2.0.
• 1 Jul 2010: All public sector websites are required to comply withNew Zealand Government Web Standards 2.0.

Related terms: (web) accessibility, web browser, markup, usability, validation, web standards, Section 508.

References and further reading

• [1] Standards Summary (New Zealand Government Web Standards)
• New Zealand Government Web Standards 2.0 (New Zealand Government Web Standards)
• Going beyond compliance (New Zealand Office for Disability Issues)
  Published June 2007. A 2006 survey of 127 New Zealand Government websites, to measure accessibility and user experiences of people with disabilities.
• New Zealand government websites standards usage (Peter Krantz, Standards-schmandards)
  28 Oct 2005: Results of an automated validation of 280 New Zealand government websites (16 were found to use standards-compliant HTML).
• Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) (W3C)
  The WAI pursues accessibility of the Web through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development.
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0
    The NZGWS has adopted the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as the basis for technical specification.
• The Digital Strategy (New Zealand Government)
  The Digital Strategy sets out the New Zealand Government’s vision for New Zealander’s access to, and use of, information communication technologies (ICT) for 2005-2010.

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