2023 Digital Accessibility Index
Government
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Government
Government sites may be for the people, but they don’t work for all
When we asked several members of the disability community about their experience with state and federal government websites, each one shared a similar story.
Government sites tend to be less accessible than the private industry (or, as one member of the disability community put it, “atrocious across the board”), which can be especially problematic because there usually isn’t an alternative. If they need to file a police report or register to vote, there’s only one place to go. And if that site isn’t accessible, they’re stuck.
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“I had to go on the immigration website about a year ago. The first page was pretty accessible. But the second I needed to put in a case number, check statuses or change addresses, it broke down pretty quickly.”
— Christina Campbell | AudioEye A11iance Member
EXPERT AUDITS
Breaking down the most significant barriers on the top government sites
After reviewing the top government sites for things like healthcare and retirement benefits, our expert testers noted that keyboard accessibility issues made it difficult to look up information, log into personal accounts, or submit official documents.
On average, our testers found another 10 accessibility barriers across the pages tested, which included account profiles and contact pages — including three consistent barriers that impacted their ability to use government services.
1. No audible announcement when forms were missing required information
Our experts found a number of forms that did not audibly announce when required information was missing, which can leave non-sighted customers unaware that their form was not submitted. Instead, the page simply reloaded with no announcement that a form was missing required information.
WCAG Criteria: 3.3.1 (opens in a new tab)Error Identification;(opens in a new tab) 3.3.2: (opens in a new tab)Labels or Instructions(opens in a new tab)
Disabilities Affected: Visual, Cognitive
2. Unclear labels made it difficult for non-sighted users to navigate between pages
Our experts encountered numerous links that lacked descriptive labels to aid in navigation (for example: a series of consecutive links were all labeled “learn more,” instead of informing users that one link pointed to small business coverage and another to Medicaid coverage.
WCAG Criteria: 4.1.2:(opens in a new tab) Name, Role, Value(opens in a new tab);
2.4.4(opens in a new tab): Link Purpose (in Context)(opens in a new tab)Disabilities Affected: Visual, Cognitive
3. Keyboard-only navigation was a consistent challenge across sites
Our experts noted a number of keyboard accessibility issues that can impact site navigation, such as an inability to use arrow keys to tab between page sections (the most widely used method of navigation for screen reader users).
WCAG Criteria: 2.1.1: (opens in a new tab)Keyboard Accessibility(opens in a new tab)
Disabilities Affected: Visual, Cognitive
4. Broken buttons stopped keyboard-only users in their tracks
Our experts noted multiple instances where they were unable to log into their account using a keyboard alone. Clicking the log-in button did not trigger any kind of announcement or focus change for screen reader users.
WCAG Criteria: 4.1.2:(opens in a new tab) Name, Role, Value(opens in a new tab)
Disabilities Affected: Visual, Cognitive
“For some government websites, you can tell they’ve put a lot of work into accessibility. And for others, it’s like they just threw things together and whatever happens, happens.”
— Jennifer Piening | AudioEye A11iance Member
AUTOMATED SCAN RESULTS
Most common issues, government sites
Government sites struggled in a number of key areas that made it difficult for people with disabilities to access online services, obtain information, and fill out required forms and information.
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63% of government pages had at least one interactive element that could not be manipulated by keyboard.
Many of these barriers affected user actions like tabbing between form fields, closing pop-up windows, or pressing ‘Submit’ buttons.
WCAG Criteria: 1.1.1:(opens in a new tab) Non-Text Content(opens in a new tab)
Disabilities Affected: Visual, Cognitive
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62% of government pages had at least one image with missing or inadequate alt text.
Without descriptive alt text on product photos and other graphics, people with visual and cognitive disabilities can have a hard time understanding what an image is supposed to illustrate.
WCAG Criteria: 1.1.1: (opens in a new tab)Non-Text Content(opens in a new tab)
Disabilities Affected: Visual, Cognitive
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48% of government pages with a form had at least one field that was not labeled.
Without descriptive field labels, it can be difficult for people with visual and cognitive impairments to obtain government services, such as registering to vote, applying for benefits programs, or filing taxes.
WCAG Criteria: 3.3.2: (opens in a new tab)Labels or Instructions(opens in a new tab)
Disabilities Affected: Visual, Cognitive
“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 and QA Tester
Discover how close your government site is to WCAG conformance
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