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

Nearly 30 years after Congress put accessibility requirements for government technology into law, much of the federal government’s technology still isn’t fully meeting accessibility standards. 

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.

The congressionally-mandated report is focused on how agencies are doing in their implementation of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires government tech to be accessible for people with disabilities — over 70 million Americans.

Fewer than half of the government’s most-viewed technologies are fully accessible.

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. 

The report is based on responses from 60 agencies, although not all submitted data for each section of the report. Forty-three agencies didn’t respond to GSA’s ask at all, and more than half of responding agencies cited resource limitations, according to GSA.

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.

GSA found that agencies with repeatable best practices integrated into their processes generally had better outcomes, and SSA, which houses government disability insurance programs, reported that accessibility was fully integrated across key business functions.

Government agencies need sustained investment, clearer governance and centralized support to make progress, the report stated. 

Agencies should use acquisition as a lever for progress, GSA says, by testing vendors' claims and enforcing contract requirements. Many agencies include accessibility in their acquisition processes, but few enforce it: less than 30% of agencies routinely verify compliance with Section 508.

GSA also recommended that agencies increase their training and testing, while adding that lawmakers should strengthen their enforcement and oversight.