The 22nd Spanish Congress of Shopping Centers and Retail Parks has received an AIS accessibility certificate for both the event and its website, furthering the Spanish Association of Shopping Centers and Retail Parks’ (AECC) commitment to creating an event that is accessible to everyone.
Specifically, the ARS Foundation, the international creator and manager of AIS, has issued two certificates: one for the event, rated “Excellent, ” and another for its website, rated “three stars.”
In the context of the event, this marks the fifth time the AECC has obtained this certification based on Standard AIS 4/2023, demonstrating a commitment to accessibility that is simply a reflection of the sector it represents.
To achieve this standard, the Congress has incorporated tactile paving to guide people who are blind or have low vision; location maps; signage indicating accessible features; an accessible service desk equipped with an induction loop; a sign language interpreter at the opening ceremony; and human guides, among other measures.
All of these measures ensured that every exhibitor and visitor to the conference—which took place from September 30 to October 2 at the Palma de Mallorca Convention Center—could enjoy a safe, user-friendly, and accessible environment.
The AIS 4 Standard is a standard for assessing the level of accessibility of events and conferences; it takes into account the temporary nature of such events, so its validity is limited to the duration of the event, and it considers the structural limitations of the venue where they are held.
Web Accessibility Certification
In addition, for this edition, the AECC has also received the AIS certificate for the event’s website, which has achieved a 3-Star AIS rating. This level of accessibility under AIS Standard 2/2023 means that the website meets quality and legal standards, and that its background and text colors provide high contrast.
The AIS 2 Standard focuses on verifying the conditions and level of accessibility of digital spaces, whether they are websites or apps. It maintains the graduated scale of the AIS 1 Standard, rating websites on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with three stars corresponding to the AA level of the WCAG.
In total, the AIS system comprises four standards that enable the assessment of buildings and projects (AIS 1); websites and apps (AIS 2); products (AIS 3); and events and conferences (AIS 4). These standards enable a 360-degree accessibility assessment of companies or services.
