Beyond Section 508: The spectrum of legal requirements for accessible e-government Web sites in the United States

In the United States, a number of federal laws establish requirements that electronic government (e-government) information and services be accessible to individuals with disabilities. These laws affect e-government Web sites at the federal, state, and local levels. To this point, research about the accessibility of e-government Web sites has tended to focus on compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Though Section 508 has the most specific guidelines regarding Web site accessibility, it is hardly the only law establishing accessibility requirements for e-government Web sites, and Section 508 does not apply to many sites that may be required to be accessible by other laws. Until assessment of the accessibility of e-government Web sites accounts for all of the relevant laws, the understanding of levels of accessibility and compliance will be incomplete. This article examines the entire spectrum of federal laws that create legal requirements for accessible e-government Web sites, analyzing the accessibility requirements that the laws establish and the ways in which each of the laws applies to an e-government Web site. This article also suggests research areas that should be included in future assessments to address the entire range of laws related to the accessibility of e-government Web sites. The issues raised in this article have significant relevance to the design and development of e-government, to the assessment of e-government information and services, and to the inclusion in e-government of the 54 million individuals in the United States with disabilities.     

Assessing the Library Homepages of COPLAC Institutions for Section 508 Accessibility Errors: Who's Accessible,Who's Not,and How the Online WebXACT Assessment Tool Can Help

ABSTRACT

The Council on Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) libraries websites were assessed for Section 508 errors using the online WebXACT tool. Only three of the twenty-one institutions (14%) had zero accessibility errors. Eighty-six percent of the COPLAC institutions had an average of 1.24 errors. Section 508 compliance is required for institutions receiving federal funding. While this study shows the need to correct the existing errors, the low error rate shows that COPLAC institutions have generally been conscious of accessibility standards and are working toward achieving fully accessible websites. Studies of the connections between average accessibility errors and the geographic locations of these institutions, the amount of federal funding received, and size were inconclusive. The main aim of the study is to demonstrate the need to check library websites using the free WebXACT tool. This tool offers suggestions for accessibility that should serve to decrease the number of pages that are inaccessible to patrons.     

The accessibility of Chinese local government Web sites: An exploratory study

With the rapid development of Chinese e-government, Chinese citizens are encouraged to access e-government services as their convenience. However, the accessibility of Chinese e-government Web sites has been overlooked. This research study tries to provide an overview of the accessibility of Chinese local government Web sites. Three hundred twenty-four Chinese local government Web sites were examined to find out how accessible they are with reference to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG) published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This research found that all the surveyed Chinese e-government Web sites failed one or more W3C's accessibility measures and thus many disabled Chinese people may have substantial problems to access them. Several valuable recommendations are made based on the research findings and the China's actual conditions.     

Accessibility design issues with UK e-government sites

The research seeks to provide the audience and web designers with a higher level of awareness about the level of accessibility problems within the e-government sector, specifically a sampling of 130 sites of the UK members of Parliament. The study applies the results of an online accessibility testing tool to analyze the compliance levels of both UK disability law and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The research also show which guideline errors are the most prevalent among the sites and raises awareness about the issues of access in e-government. Although the UK's Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of 1995 provides equality in access of websites to people with disabilities, the results of this study show that total openness of sites to these customers is not widespread and the vast majority of sites display similar non-compliance errors among the guidelines. For each of these issues, there are published methods that web designers can implement to improve the accessibility rankings of their sites and provide greater openness to users with disabilities.     

Revisiting Alabama state website accessibility

Potter's (2002) accessibility review of over 60 Alabama state-level websites was designed to establish a baseline for monitoring the state government's progress on online accessibility. The study found significant room for improvement. Only 20% of the reviewed sites met Section 508 requirements, and only 19% of the sites met WAI Priority 1 accessibility standards, based on a combination of automated evaluation and manual inspection of the code. In 2006, Alabama adopted ITS 1210-00S2: Universal Accessibility, which offered basic guidelines to assist developers in complying with Section 508 requirements. The current study revisits the state home pages that Potter evaluated to see how accessibility levels have changed over the years, particularly with the state's adoption of ITS-530S2. Like Potter, the current analysis is based on a combination of automated testing and a manual review of each page's HTML. The study found that compliance has not improved substantially since Potter's analysis and reinforces the idea that the presence of a standard does not correlate with compliance.     

Accessibility of U.S. federal government home pages: Section 508 compliance and site accessibility statements

U.S. federal websites are required to be accessible for people with impairments. However, despite the existing regulations and guidelines, many federal websites continue to be inaccessible, and accessibility policy statements available on federal websites often do not provide any useful information. This paper provides three contributions to the research literature: (1) an accessibility evaluation of 100 federal home pages using both human and automated methods, (2) a content analysis of existing website accessibility policy statements, and (3) a discussion of the relationship between actual Section 508 compliance and the existing accessibility policy statements on a website. The paper concludes with recommendations for improving policy related to Section 508 compliance for websites.     

User-Centered Design in Practice: The Brown University Experience

ABSTRACT

This article presents a case study in user-centered design that explores the needs and preferences of undergraduate users. An analysis of LibQual+ and other user surveys, interviews with public service staff, and a formal American with Disabilities Act accessibility review served as the basis for planning a redesign of the Brown University Library's Web site. Three testing phases were conducted: individual usability testing of the existing site and baseline data collection on Web use preferences; focus groups to respond to a functional prototype and search prototypes; and individual usability testing and interviews on revised functional prototypes. The delicate task of obtaining staff buy-in without letting their opinion drive the redesign was accomplished by keeping the project team small and nonrepresentational, submitting all conflicts to user testing, and promising an intranet that would meet the specialized needs of staff. A commitment to experimentation and a willingness to jettison design and functional elements which did not meet user approval kept the design process agile and flexible. Prototype testing of a variety of search options clearly demonstrated that the lack of integration in a library's information system makes it difficult to rationalize and optimize the user's search experience. Difficulties enlisting staff to edit existing Web content were solved by outsourcing content review and editing for Web-appropriate length and format. Except for this content review, the Web site redesign and usability testing were all conducted in-house with limited resources and a nine-month time-frame. The study's focus on user expectations and nomenclature largely confirmed the results of previous studies.     

An accessibility study of state legislative Web sites

On-line state legislative information should be equally accessible to all citizens. While state Web sites have been praised for aesthetic design and innovative services, access has rarely been examined despite the legal activity regarding Web site accessibility on the federal level. This study examined selected Web pages for each of the fifty states using a program that determined the number and type of barriers posed to users of assistive technology. Although some states have clearly made an effort to provide equal access to all, there were a number of examples of inaccessible Web sites. Even states that meet the minimum requirements for accessibility have not chosen to follow the full guidelines. As the amount of on-line information continues to increase, adopting accessibility guidelines will become even more crucial.     

Electronic government: Government capability and terrorist resource

The federal government's war on terrorism has heightened understanding and appreciation of the many facets of electronic government. Electronic government is used as a resource in the war on terrorism, helping to prevent and prepare for attacks. It might also prove useful in recovering from attacks. Unfortunately, e-government itself is a likely target for terrorists. Cyber intrusions into government Web sites and damage to, or destruction of, infrastructure, whether a computer system or an electrical grid that supplies power, could impair e-government. E-government is also attractive as a potential target for the information it provides, information that enemies of the United States could use in identifying weaknesses and planning attacks. While the Bush Administration has developed a comprehensive policy, based on a market model, for facilitating the use and effectiveness of e-government, its approach to e-government security, particularly in the area of Web content, has been ad hoc. Soon after the September 11, 2001, attacks, federal agencies began scrubbing their Web sites, an effort that has implications for the notion, and practice, of having a well-informed citizenry.     

A survey of Web-based business models for e-government in the Netherlands

Governments worldwide are increasingly using Web-based business models to enhance their service delivery. Yet the concept of the business model is unexplored within the context of e-government. Drawing upon the literature on e-commerce, we develop a taxonomy for analyzing Web-based business models for e-government. Based on a systematic survey of 59 e-government Web sites in the Netherlands, our findings indicate that most of the Web sites use the content provider or direct-to-customer business models, while only a few are using novel business models. Overall, the concept of business model is appealing and useful in the public sector. Specifically it compliments research on Web site quality by analyzing and describing Web sites using atomic e-government business models and suggesting improvements by using combinations of business models.     

E-government developments on delivering public services among EU cities

Since the late 1990s, governments at all levels have launched electronic government projects aimed at providing electronic information and services to citizens and businesses. Although Web sites are becoming essential elements of modern public administration, little is known about their effectiveness. The objective of this paper is to study the quality and usage of public e-services to citizens in Europe.According to the results of this study, e-government seems to be following a more or less predictable development pattern ranging from a stage in which interaction is limited to what is shown on the screen to stages in which there is two-way communication and service and financial transactions can be completed with a satisfactory level of protection of personal privacy. At present, e-government in almost all the cities studied is merely an extension of the government, with potential benefits in speed and accessibility 24/7. Despite the limited degree of development observed, online access has advantages that are impossible to replicate offline. Even though few expect e-government to completely replace traditional methods of information, e-government is becoming a powerful tool of transformation that has become embedded in the culture and in the agenda of the public sector.     

E-government research in the United States

The purpose of this exploratory study is to review scholarly publications and assess egovernment research efforts as a field of study specific to the United States e-government environment. Study results reveal that researchers who focus on the U.S. e-government environment assess specific e-government topics at the federal, state, and local levels; however, there are gaps in the research efforts by topic areas and across different levels of government, which indicate opportunities for future areas of research. Results also find that a multitude of methodology approaches are used to assess e-government. Issues, however, exist that include lack of or weak presentations of methodologies in publications, few studies include multi-method evaluation approaches for data collection and analysis efforts, and few studies take a theory-based approach to understanding the U.S. e-government environment.     

Responsive Web Site Development at the Library,Institute of Technology Tallaght: A Case Study

ABSTRACT

This case study reviews the responsive Web design project undertaken by the Library, Institute of Technology Tallaght, with Granite Digital, including the preparatory literature review, the design process, task allocation, and the technologies leveraged to deliver the final design. The library is a small academic library with limited resources, and the project took place during a particularly challenging period in Ireland. The different types of testing the site underwent before launch are discussed, including testing of the design itself across browsers, accessibility testing using free online resources, testing the responsive design using free online resources, and physical device testing. The article outlines how feedback was gathered and addressed, and discusses plans for future upkeep and development. Finally, the article concludes that it is possible for a small academic library to successfully deliver a high quality library Web site using responsive design.     

Toward a Usable Academic Library Web Site: A Case Study of Tried and Tested Usability Practices

Usability testing is an important element when designing useful, usable academic library Web sites. Since 2001, members of the Florida International University Libraries Web team have worked toward establishing a process that identifies user needs through usability testing. Starting with the libraries’ first Web site redesign project in 2001, the team has taken an active part in improving Web site user experience. After engaging in multiple redesign efforts, the Web team has developed a process that supports awareness of user experience through continual usability testing and feedback gathering. This article presents strategies and practices to measure Web site user experience, including classic usability testing methods (e.g., card sorting activities, focus groups, and task-based user testing), as well as the team's latest effort to assess Web site analytics and content to identify Web site usage patterns and areas of concern. A history of the Florida International University Libraries’ Web site redesign process is presented to illustrate lessons learned and best practices to facilitate future redesign and testing efforts. Taking a longitudinal look at usability testing at one institution, the study aims to inform the development of an effective strategy for user research and content management.     

Scenario evaluation of municipal Web sites: Development and use of an expert-focused evaluation tool

Municipal Web sites are a prominent product of e-government initiatives worldwide. The Internet is becoming increasingly important in the communication between local governments and citizens, which makes the usability of municipal Web sites a critical factor in government–citizen communication. A current approach to ensure the quality of municipal Web sites is by means of expert evaluation. Various studies, however, have shown that communication professionals cannot adequately predict the problems Web users will experience. In this article, the possibilities are explored of a new expert-focused approach for evaluating municipal (and other government) Web sites, which helps experts to focus on users' needs. A scenario evaluation method was developed and used to evaluate fifteen municipal Web sites. The method involves presenting experts with realistic usage scenarios, combined with limited sets of user characteristics and evaluation criteria. The scenario evaluation method and its underlying principles are discussed, and preliminary findings about the method's strengths and weaknesses are presented.     

How responsive is E-Government? Evidence from Australia and New Zealand

Governments around the world are increasingly moving toward online service delivery in what is commonly called e-government. There are high hopes for e-government, particularly that the associated technologies provide the scope to make government services more responsive. This article reports on a 2006 study of one aspect of e-government responsiveness, namely, the basic capacity to answer a simple question posted by email. To this end, federal and state agencies in Australia, and central and local government agencies in New Zealand were emailed (n = 273). Data related to locating contact email addresses and subsequent responses was collected. The key finding was that the Australian agencies consistently did not perform as well as their New Zealand counterparts, bringing into question one component of their higher ranking in international e-government studies and also their potential to deliver on the Australian government policy that e-government means more responsive government.     

Card-Sorting Usability Tests of the WMU Libraries’ Web Site

ABSTRACT

This article describes the card-sorting techniques used by several academic libraries, reports and discusses the results of card-sorting usability tests of the Western Michigan University Libraries’ Web site, and reveals how the WMU libraries incorporated the findings into a new Web site redesign, setting the design direction early on. The article briefly describes open and closed card-sorting techniques and quantitative and qualitative methods of analyzing data commonly used in computer and library science fields. Findings from this study allowed the library design team to vastly improve its initial redesign decisions for a new Web site tabbed navigation system. Card sorting not only helped the design team validate its redesign decisions, but it also opened the WMU libraries to outside innovation, inviting Web site visitors to redesign the Web site free from the libraries’ influence. The simple and inexpensive techniques used here may be useful to any Web librarian or design team embarking upon redesign and usability testing of their own sites and interested in building a more compelling, insightful Web site.     

A Virtual Government Documents Reference Collection

Abstract

World Wide Web technology has reached the highest levels of U.S. government. Many changes are taking place at the federal level of government. Every cabinet level agency has a homepage and subordinate agencies are making gains in this new technology on a daily basis. This article highlights the web sites of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. Well known government publications which are found in any traditional government documents reference collection are noted and recommended for both bookmarking and local web site development. The downside of electronic access is discussed as well.     

How and Why of User Studies: RLG's RedLightGreen as a Case Study

SUMMARY

This article documents a lifecycle approach to employing user-centered design, covering both qualitative and quantitative data gathering methods in support of using this approach for product design, usability testing, and market research. The author provides specific case studies of usability studies, focus groups, interviews, ethnographic studies, and web log analysis. The article supplies practical advice and tools for those interested in exploring user-centered design concepts for web-based tools and services in archives, libraries, and museums.