What is JIS X 8341?
Japan has the highest proportion of an aging population in the world. By 2020, one in three Japanese people will be 65 years or older.
This, combined with the fact that about one in 20 people in Japan have some form of disability, results in a crucial need for accessibility in the country.
Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) X 8341 is the Japanese government’s standard for website accessibility. The standards aim to make websites accessible for the elderly and people with disabilities in Japan.
How did JIS X 8341 Evolve?
Inadequate web accessibility was a problem all over the country. To address this issue, organizations, individuals, web developers, web content providers, and web users came together to form the Japan Web Accessibility Consortium (JWAC), a certified nonprofit.
This organization aims to increase awareness about web accessibility and also participates in research activities that can help people with disabilities and older citizens have comfortable browsing experiences.
JIS X 8341 standards were established in 2004 as Japan’s web content accessibility guidelines. Subsequently, in 2010, they were revised to align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0).
The JIS standards are updated every five years. The next update to JIS X 8341 is scheduled for 2021.
What Are the Standards in JIS X 8341?
Japan’s standards for website accessibility have the same principles, guidelines, and success criteria as WCAG 2.0. The four principles of JIS X 8341 are based on those same principles in WCAG 2.0: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
What is the Cost of Non-Compliance?
There are currently no penalties for non-compliance. However, as a nation, Japan has been taking several steps towards becoming a more inclusive society. For example, Japanese law states that local and central governments must provide 2.5 percent of their jobs to people with disabilities. Other organizations need to meet a target of 2.2 percent. The government imposes sanctions against those who fail to meet these requirements. As more people with disabilities join the Japanese workforce, it becomes even more important to make external and internal websites accessible to this workforce.
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To learn more about JIS X 8341, click here -> JIS X 8341
