Accessibility Matters

In the United States, approximately 1 in 4 adults lives with a disability. Despite the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, many government websites remain inaccessible to citizens with disabilities. This not only excludes individuals from accessing vital information and services but also perpetuates social and economic inequalities.

So, what can government agencies do to ensure their websites are accessible? Here are some key considerations:

• Conduct regular accessibility audits to identify and address potential barriers.
• Implement semantic HTML to provide structure and meaning to web content.
• Use alt text for images, closed captions for audio and video content, and provide transcripts for multimedia materials.
• Ensure keyboard-navigable menus, buttons, and other interactive elements.

By prioritizing accessibility, government agencies can promote digital inclusion, foster equal access to information and services, and uphold the principles of social justice.