“Federal websites are not as accessible for those with disabilities as the law mandates they should be, according to a report released Thursday by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.
The report tested the 72 most popular federal websites and used a combination of automated tests and qualitative assessments to assess their compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The law requires the General Services Administration to ensure federal websites are accessible to people with disabilities, including federal employees and the public…”
“The report follows legislation and policy efforts undertaken by the government to improve accessibility efforts. The report was issued with several recommendations from its authors regarding how the government can improve website accessibility. They include:
- Create a federal website accessibility test lab.
- Launch a website accessibility “sprint” to fix known problems.
- Host a “hackathon” aimed at developing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for web accessibility.
- Make reports on Section 508 compliance publicly available.
- Expand the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) to offer real-time accessibility testing.
‘Web accessibility should be a top priority for the federal government,’ ITIF Vice President Daniel Castro, who co-authored the report, said in a statement. ‘Creating an accessible website requires taking into account the fact that not every user will be able to see or hear content, or use a keyboard or mouse to navigate. Web developers should adhere to accessible-design principles, such as using high-contrast colors, providing text alternatives to audio and visual content, avoiding the use of flashing animations that might cause seizures, and using labels for buttons so people using a screen reader can navigate the site.’…” Read the full article here.
Source: Report: Nearly Half of Popular Federal Websites Fail Accessibility Tests – By Frank Konkel, June 4, 2021. Nextgov.
