2025 Digital Accessibility Index
Government
On this page
Accessibility barriers block access to public services
When we talked to people with disabilities about the accessibility of government websites, an interesting theme emerged.
According to members of our AudioEye A11iance community, many government home pages are relatively accessible. However, things quickly go downhill the deeper they go into a site.
One of the biggest culprits? Keyboard accessibility issues. Our scan found that government sites have the highest rate of keyboard accessibility issues across all industries, making it difficult for users who rely on keyboards or assistive technology to move between pages, complete forms, or even submit applications.
“In general, government sites lag behind the private industry. Even making a required payment for my business can be hard. ”
— TJ Olsen | AudioEye A11iance Member
When these barriers exist, people with disabilities are left struggling to access vital public services — sometimes with no workaround. Overall, more than half of the testable elements on government websites were inaccessible to users who rely on a keyboard for navigation.
)
Bar chart showing WCAG 2.1.1: keyboard accessibility fail rates: Government 51.3%, Finance 36.6%, Hospitality 35.9%, Healthcare 30.2%, Software 21.7%, Retail 18.4%, Education 25.9%.
INDUSTRY COMPARISON
Where do government websites fall short?
We scanned 34,583 pages across 793 government websites, focusing on key areas like tax payment portals, service applications, and public resources.
Government sites had the highest rate of keyboard accessibility issues (69.5% of pages with at least one violation) — a major barrier for people who rely on keyboard navigation to access essential services, such as applying for benefits or paying taxes.
Missing alt text can block access to critical resources
Government sites had an average of 15.3 inaccessible images per page — making it difficult for people with visual disabilities to access information on forms, charts, infographics, and other essential resources.
Poor color contrast can hinder access to vital services
The average government page had 75.4 unique violations of WCAG’s minimum color contrast requirements — making it difficult for people with low vision to navigate public portals, submit applications, or access benefit information.
Keyboard accessibility issues can disrupt access to public resources
Government websites had an average of 6.6 keyboard accessibility violations per page — making it difficult or people to navigate government sites, apply for benefits, or access essential public resources without frustration.
Unclear links can delay essential tasks
The average government page had 8.4 inaccessible links, which can make it difficult for people to locate critical resources, such as tax payment portals, service applications, or emergency contact information.
Inaccessible forms can make it harder to access key services
Government websites had 6.8 inaccessible forms, labels, and buttons per page — making it difficult for people to apply for benefits, make payments, or access essential public services
Deliver an accessible experience to every user
Get a free scan of any URL to uncover the biggest accessibility barriers affecting your users.
INFOGRAPHIC
Digital Accessibility for Government Agencies
Get the latest insights into the accessibility of government sites.
)