Sir Leo guests at ICT Job Fair for PWDs

Sir Leo congratulates the organizers of the event for continuing his advocacy of accessibility to everybody including PWDs.

Guess what? No less than web accessibility guru, the person who started it all, Mr. Leo Valdes, graced the first Information and Communications Technology Jobs Fair for Persons with Disabilities and Skills Demonstration last June 14 at SM City North EDSA in Quezon City.

Ma’am Nelia De Jesus of the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) personally invited Sir Leo, a Canadian citizen, who was here in the Philippines for a brief period. She wants to present to him the success of the advocacy which he started. She showcased many accessible websites and the increasing support of government agencies including the aggressive campaign of Information and Communications Technology Office – Department of Science and Technology (formerly Communications and Information Communications Technology).

For her part, Ms. Angelita Nicolas of ICTO informed Sir Leo about the inclusion of web accessibility as part of their curriculum. She hopes that the jobs fair would be a permanent event of the agency.

(From left:) PWAG President Jojo Esposa, Deaf ICT Skills Demonstrators Janine Zurita and Moises Libot, MCCID Deaf Coordinator Ervin Reyes, Sir Leo and NCDA’s Nelia De Jesus

Sir Leo thanked the advocates most specially the members of Philippine Web Accessibility Group in continuing the legacy which he started nearly a decade ago. He was the resource speaker during the first web accessibility conference held in 2003 in the Philippines which was participated in by thirteen countries.

PWAG President Jojo Esposa expressed his gratitude for enlightening the web designers by making accessibility their first priority in designing websites. MCCID Deaf Coordinator Ervin Reyes gave his personal story on how he became a convert by changing his web designs from flash intensive one into web standards and accessibility compliant.

Stage tarpaulin which includes MCCID and PWAG logo

ICT Jobs Fair for PWD and Skills Demo of PWDs was a project of ICTO-DOST in cooperation with NCDA, PWAG, Resources for the Blind, MCCID College of Technology, National Computer Center, ATRIEV School for the Blind and SM City North EDSA administration.