The Department of Work and Pensions is to make its
websites accessible to people using a range of browsers, including
the open source Firefox browser.
The move will see the Internet Job Bank employment search
service made compatible to browsers other than Microsoft’s Internet
Explorer for the first time, in recognition of the growing
popularity of other browsers.
Carl Mawson, the DWP’s head of e-communications, said: “As a
department we constantly work towards meeting, maintaining and even
exceeding the current government accessibility standards, currently
set at WAI Conformance Level ‘A’.
“We are very much aware of the widening range of browsers used
by our customers and we are working to redevelop our websites so
they work in as many browsers and on as many platforms as
possible.”
The Jobcentre Plus website already works with non Internet
Explorer browsers but the Internet Job Bank element does not. Mr
Mawson said the vacancy search service contained “complex
applications, which take time to update”.
It is being redesigned to be compatible with non IE browsers,
with the new version expected to be up and running towards the end
of the year.