Accessibility
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As every sector of the global economy and nearly every facet of modern society undergo digital transformation, ITIF advocates for policies that spur not just the development of IT innovations, but more importantly their adoption and use throughout the economy. On accessibility issues, ITIF's work focuses on how to improve people’s access to technology—and how technology can improve access to jobs, education, and the public square, particularly for those with disabilities.
Featured
Improving Accessibility of Federal Government Websites
Despite legislative requirements, many federal government websites are not accessible for people with disabilities. This creates obstacles for millions of Americans, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has moved many government services online.
Current and Potential Uses of AR/VR for Equity and Inclusion
AR/VR can make important contributions to equity and inclusion if it is designed with these goals in mind. It can serve as a tool to help tackle implicit biases, improve access to opportunities, and create new channels for communication, community, and collaboration across distances.
More Publications and Events
October 30, 2023|Reports & Briefings
Delay Government: How Technology Can Fix Slow Federal Service Delivery
The U.S. government offers slow, outdated services. Congress and federal agencies should invest in digital technology and modernize their approach to service delivery to transform the current delay government into a modern, fast, digital-first government.
September 29, 2023|Testimonies & Filings
Letter to the Senate Committee On Aging Regarding Ensuring Accessible Government Technology
The federal government is currently failing to ensure its technology is accessible for people with disabilities, older adults, and veterans.
July 26, 2023|Blogs
Proposed California Law on Website Accessibility Is Well-Intentioned but Misguided
Improving web accessibility for people with disabilities is an important endeavor, and standards like WCAG 2.1 demonstrate how it can be done. But rather than threatening businesses with liability for non-conformance with what was intended to be a voluntary standard, lawmakers should focus on other efforts to improve accessibility online.
February 10, 2022|Blogs
Why Did Covidtests.gov Work When So Many Government Sites Fail?
Using lessons learned from previous “.gov” rollouts and making thoughtful considerations on technical design and customer experience, covidtests.gov demonstrates encouraging progress for federal e-government efforts.
July 15, 2021|Events
Removing Barriers to Accessibility on Federal Government Websites
ITIF hosted an expert panel discussion on federal government web accessibility and policy proposals for agencies to improve their compliance.
June 1, 2021|Publications
AR/VR for Equity and Inclusion: How to Unlock the Potential of Augmented and Virtual Reality to Reduce Barriers and Expand Opportunity
After discussing the opportunities and challenges that AR/VR technologies present for equity and inclusion, the series summarizes key considerations for policymakers and industry leaders and presents recommendations to establish policies and best practices.
May 13, 2021|Blogs
As Tax Day Approaches, Millions of Americans Will Find the IRS Website Is Not Accessible for People with Disabilities
The IRS’ poor performance exemplifies the difficulty Americans with disabilities can face when trying to execute important and necessary tasks like paying their taxes, as well as the failure of many federal government agencies to provide equal access for all citizens.
October 2, 2020|Op-Eds & Contributed Articles
No-Contact Government Means More Than Just Online Services
October 1, 2018|Op-Eds & Contributed Articles
Designing Accessible Government Websites
States should ensure e-government services are available to all by making their websites more accessible for people with disabilities, Daniel Castro writes for Government Technology.
August 27, 2018|Reports & Briefings
Benchmarking State Government Websites
A detailed review of 400 state government websites finds that while some states have much better sites than others, every state has room to significantly improve so that it better serves the public with easy and secure access to e-government services and information.
