[Nfbc-info] Safeway announces web site accessibility improvements

[ckrugman at sbcglobal.net]

Safeway Announces Website Accessibility and Usability Enhancements to its On-line Grocery Delivery Website Benefitting Shoppers with Visual Impairments 

Customers Applaud Safeway's Commitment

Pleasanton, California (December 13, 2013) -Safeway (NYSE:SWY) today announced a comprehensive initiative to make its online grocery shopping website more accessible and usable for Safeway shoppers with visual impairments. The site enhancements are the result of collaboration between Safeway and several visually impaired customers. 

Safeway has adopted the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.0 level AA as its accessibility standard and has already made significant enhancements to its online shopping website to meet this standard and will continue to do so over the next year.

The customers praised Safeway's announcement:

"I have been a Safeway customer for years, and with this initiative Safeway has assumed a leadership role in its industry," said Northern California resident Rebecca Welz-Griffith. "I love the convenience of Safeway's online grocery shopping, and have already seen significant improvements as a result of the commitment announced today."

"I'm thrilled that Safeway is recognizing the needs of its customers with visual impairments like me," said Southern California resident Cindy Flerman. "The changes announced today will make it easier for so many of Vons' customers throughout Southern California."

"Safeway has a long history of supporting our communities and people with disabilities. This decision is an important step towards helping our customers who are blind or visually impaired have a better shopping experience," said Larree Renda, Safeway Executive Vice President.

About the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The WCAG 2.0 Guidelines are promulgated by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and ensure that online content is more accessible and usable to persons with visual and other disabilities. The Guidelines do not affect the content or look and feel of a website. They are of particular benefit to blind computer users who use voice output or magnification technology on their computers and mobile devices and who, like some individuals with mobility impairments, rely on a keyboard instead of a mouse for navigation.

The W3C is an international community that develops open standards to ensure the long-term growth of the Web. The Web Accessibility Initiative is a program of the W3C that works with site owners, developers, people with disabilities and other interested parties to develop accessibility standards. More information is available at the Web Accessibility Initiative website.

ABOUT SAFEWAY www.SAFEWAY.com


Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America based on sales. The company operates 1,406 stores in the United States which had annual sales of $37.5 billion in 2012. 

Contact

Safeway Inc., Teena Massingill, 925-467-3810

Teena.Massingill at Safeway.com





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