Much of the government's technology isn't accessible, internal report finds

"Less than 40% of the government's most-viewed public webpages are fully accessible, according to a new report by the General Services Administration. Overall, the federal government's technology, including internal webpages, hardware, software, videos and electronic documents, scores only a 1.96 average across a 5-point scale, although accessibility varies widely across agencies."

"Inside the government, funding constraints, staffing shortages and workforce turnover are all decreasing the capacity to improve accessibility, the GSA report states. Over 386,800 federal employees left the federal government last year, according to data from the Office of Personnel Management."

"Approximately half of agencies reported that they do not routinely test their technology for accessibility. Usability testing with people who have disabilities is 'rare,' the report says, as is mandatory digital accessibility training for relevant employees."

"Despite overall low ratings, some agencies scored very well on their technology's accessibility. The Social Security Administration, for example, reported that 100% of its top-viewed tech conforms with accessibility guidance."

The federal government's technology scores only 1.96 out of 5 on accessibility standards, with fewer than 40% of most-viewed public webpages fully accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act mandates that government technology be accessible for over 70 million Americans with disabilities. Barriers to compliance include funding constraints, staffing shortages, and high workforce turnover. Approximately half of agencies do not routinely test technology for accessibility, and usability testing with disabled individuals is rare. Mandatory digital accessibility training for employees is uncommon. However, some agencies like the Social Security Administration achieve 100% accessibility compliance on their top-viewed technology.

Read at Nextgov.com