{"id":70257,"date":"2022-02-03T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-03T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/industry\/blog\/?p=70257"},"modified":"2023-07-25T09:41:55","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T16:41:55","slug":"fulfilling-our-commitment-to-accessibility-and-inclusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/industry\/blog\/government\/2022\/02\/03\/fulfilling-our-commitment-to-accessibility-and-inclusion\/","title":{"rendered":"Fulfilling our commitment to accessibility and inclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The pandemic has made clear how inaccessible many of our institutions and government services can be. This isn\u2019t news. These challenges existed long before the pandemic and many people, including disability advocates, have been asking for improvements for years. But the challenges of the pandemic have<\/em> helped make this more obvious to leaders and amplified the need, from education\u00b9 to government\u00b2. That awareness also comes at a time when public sector digital transformation is gaining momentum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In December, I wrote that we can\u2019t miss this moment to build infrastructure that works for everyone<\/a>. That extends to government services and operations. We must build accessibility into plans for digital transformation. That means changes to technology, to policy, and to the way we work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why I gathered public sector leaders with expertise in accessibility for a Digital Forum<\/a>. We discussed what to do\u2014and just as importantly, how to do it\u2014with experts who have done this in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our discussion explored what I believe are six mutually supportive elements that lead to an accessible digital transformation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prioritizing accessibility requires taking a broad approach to digital transformation that doesn\u2019t reduce it to only technical changes. When we work with our partners and customers on digital transformation efforts, we know success is based on more than just the technology<\/a>. It requires clear vision, collaboration, buy-in at all levels, and a modern approach to IT. When we bring that together, digital transformation doesn\u2019t just change the technology, it changes the way we work for the better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As essential as each element outlined above is to increase accessibility, organizations can still find it challenging to implement them all.\u00a0Join me for an enlightening discussion with public servants on the front lines of this issue.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Register for the Digital Forum<\/a> to join in this vital and timely discussion. Learn more about our Microsoft Accessibility Initiatives<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sources: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b9Digital Accessibility: A Pandemic Look Back\u2014And Forward<\/a>\u2014UW-Madison Information Technology The pandemic has made clear how inaccessible many of our institutions and government services can be. This isn\u2019t news. These challenges existed long before the pandemic and many people, including disability advocates, have been asking for improvements for years. But the challenges of the pandemic have helped make this more obvious to leaders and amplified the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":624,"featured_media":71799,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_classifai_error":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1515],"post_tag":[],"content-type":[1483],"coauthors":[3776],"class_list":["post-70257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-government","content-type-thought-leadership","review-flag-new-1593580249-279"],"yoast_head":"\n
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\u00b2Creating an inclusive digital world<\/a>\u2014Scottish Government <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"