Media Rights Agenda (MRA) on Wednesday announced that following persistent attacks on its website which had rendered it inactive for several months, it has unveiled a new platform with enhanced security features, while also addressing accessibility issues for disadvantaged groups to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Announcing the unveiling of the website in a statement issued in Lagos, Idowu Adewale, MRA’s Communication Officer, said the platform “offers a faster, easy to navigate, user-friendly experience as well as search engine optimization, which also enhances the visibility, and therefore, accessibility of the website to Internet users in search of information online that is relevant to our work.”

Developed with support from the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), the website (https://mediarightsagenda.org) includes the latest plug-ins, internet security protocols and standards as well as more aesthetic features to make it more attractive to visitors.

Adewale said: “After several months of hard work, we are pleased to be able to replace the temporary platform that we have had to rely in the past few months with a new website that enables us to achieve our goals of fostering improved communication, providing meaningful and informative resource materials to our web visitors, and giving them better access to who we are, what we do, as well as showcasing our various information products.”

He explained that the new website now includes DEI features informed by the need to ensure full accessibility of the website to disadvantaged groups and individuals, including persons with speech, sight or hearing challenges, consistent with MRA’s status as an equal opportunities organisation committed to promoting and defending freedom of expression, media freedom and access to information, both online and offline, irrespective of disability, gender, colour, ethnicity or orientation.

Adewale noted that the development of the website was guided by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and stressed that all its contents, plugins and codes are compliant with W3C standards which makes the website accessible to everybody, including people with disabilities.

He pledged that MRA would continue to use the platform, with its interactive features, to track and report on freedom of expression, media development, media freedom, access to information, digital rights and internet freedom issues in line with its mandate.