Accessibility: a guide for organizations
Help make computing easier and more comfortable for staff members and constituents.
Accessibility features and assistive technology help:
- Eliminate barriers to productivity.
- Improve delivery of services and information.
- Comply with the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
Help Eliminate Barriers
Technology continues to revolutionize the way government agencies communicate and connect with the public. To help ensure that all users have equal access to information and services, Microsoft builds many accessibility features into its products—whether it is to help users see the screen more clearly, hear and understand audio, utilize keyboard shortcuts, or gain better control of the mouse. Your agency can take advantage of these approaches to make computing easier and more comfortable to use for differently abled employees and citizens.
Enable improved delivery of services and information
About eight percent of the population has a disability that may make the traditional use of a website very difficult or impossible. Because the Internet is a primary medium for contact between government and constituents, websites should be designed to ensure that everyone, including users who have difficulty seeing or hearing, or those who have mobility or dexterity impairments, can use them. Accessibility measures can help achieve this goal.
Address the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
The act established requirements for federal employee access to electronic information and data. But more and more, the business of government at the local, state, and federal level is conducted online, so providing accessible information and data—not just to employees, but also to citizens—is crucial to meeting government objectives.
