How to manage a federal website
Managing government websites is a targeted exercise. Here are 5 steps to help you build and maintain a successful one.
Accessibility
The design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities.
Resources on Accessibility
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) —The primary regulation for use by all executive agencies in their acquisition of supplies and services with appropriated funds. The FAR also …
Find Your Section 508 Program Manager —Agency Section 508 Program Managers (PMs) are your first point of contact for questions about IT accessibility.
Tabular Comparison of the Previous FAR Text Against the 2021 Update —These FAR Council updates are effective as of September 10, 2021.
Integrating Accessibility into Agency Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Implementation Plans —Guidance on implementing Executive Order (14035) on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce; specifically, …
Accessibility Requirements Tool (ART) —ART is a multifaceted tool that offers interactive, step-by-step guidance on how to determine applicable accessibility requirements.
Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 39.2 - Information and Communication Technology —This subpart implements section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794 d), and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers …
Lessons from the 2021 Federal Plain Language Report Card —This event recap highlights best practices, a short case study video, and examples of federal web content that received both high and low …
How to Test Websites for Accessibility —Use both manual and automated testing methods to create accessible websites.
An Introduction to USWDS 3.0 —A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American …
Bilingual Glossaries, Dictionaries, and Style Guides —Multilingual resources to standardize the use of various languages across government.
18F Accessibility Guide —A resource for developing accessible products.
Accessibility for Teams —A guide to making products more accessible for everyone.
PlainLanguage.gov —A resource to help federal employees write in plain language and comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010.
Best Practices for Writing for the Accessible Web —Tips for making online information accessible for those with auditory and visual needs.
An Introduction to Accessibility —An introduction to accessibility, and why it matters.
U.S. Access Board Section 508 Standards —The Section 508 Standard for Electronic and Information Technology requires that when a federal agency shares information digitally, …
Improving the Accessibility of Social Media in Government —Government agencies are increasingly using social media to engage with citizens, share information and deliver services more quickly and …
Federal Social Media Accessibility Toolkit Hackpad —The following contains the shared document for the development of the Social Media Policy Toolkit, a shared service of the Federal Social …
Web Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) —The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) documents explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Web …
Tools and Services
PlainLanguage.gov —Guidance on the use of plain language for government communications and training for federal employees.
Section508.gov —Guidance for Federal agencies on IT accessibility compliance.
The Guide to the Paperwork Reduction Act —Get help with the PRA, planning and submitting an information request, and finding your agencies agency’s PRA contact.
Open Opportunities —Discover opportunities across government that will help you build and make connections.
U.S. Web Design System —A toolkit of principles, guidance, and code that helps agency digital teams build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the …
Join a Community of Practice
U.S. Web Design System —A community for anyone building federal websites with the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) or considering it for a future project.
IT Accessibility and Section 508 —We support people who are working to improve accessibility of information technology.
Plain Language —Brings together everyone to promote use of plain language, saving agencies time and money and providing better service to the public.
News and Events on Accessibility
97 posts
9 web resolutions to jump-start 2023
Nine areas to focus on in the coming year to take your digital sites and services to the next level.
To Build Trust, Aim for Easy
Trust is earned through consistency and commitment. Build sites that build trust by considering user needs, respecting people’s time, and avoiding customer experience pitfalls.
Accessibility Testing for onrr.gov
How do you make sure a website is accessible? This blog post outlines the four steps the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR - pronounced like "honor") at the U.S. Department of the Interior took to verify accessibility. — via DOI Revenue Data
Closing the Disability Divide
Over 67 million people in the United States have a disability, constituting the largest diversity group in the country. Despite decades of advocacy and struggle, people with disabilities continue to experience significant gaps in health and well-being, educational attainment, employment, and wealth compared to people without disabilities. These gaps have been termed the “disability divide.” The purpose of this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness campaign at the National Institutes of Health is to educate staff regarding the divide and to celebrate those who help close the disability divide by advocating for people with disabilities.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)
Observed annually in October, NDEAM celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities past and present and showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices. In recognition of the important role people with disabilities play in a diverse and inclusive American workforce, the theme for NDEAM 2022, Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.
Measuring and Justifying the Government Experience
Measuring and Justifying the Government Experience—Private sector organizations use revenue as the primary measurement to justify improving experiences. Many government services don’t have revenue as a lever, so how can we justify work to improve experience? The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) leveraged a few metrics on their team that fall into three categories: laws and regulations, improving the experience for users, and saving time for employees. — via DOI Revenue Data
Community Research Explores Ways To Improve Access To Multilingual Content
A group from the Multilingual Community noticed inconsistencies in access to languages other than English across government websites, and have started working on a solution.
Five Procurement Strategies for Diverse Digital Services
Modern digital services require a close connection between federal agencies and contractors, as well as customers and other stakeholders. Use these five practical tips to attract and empower contractors who value diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Multilingual
10 Tips to Create, Maintain, and Present Non-English Digital Content: A Q&A with Michael Mulé
This question and answer session for our webinar, Language Connections: Tips to Create, Maintain, and Present Non-English Digital Content, can help you improve access to your multilingual digital content.
Transparency, Participation, and Collaboration
Sunshine Week: How GSA Supports Open Government Principles
Sunshine Week (March 13-19, 2022) celebrates the Government in the Sunshine Act, which promotes greater transparency in government activities. Our mission at GSA is to deliver effective and efficient government services for the American people. To do so, we have to be transparent and accessible—by opening meetings to the public, ensuring that federal buildings and facilities are fully accessible to all people, and making information on documents or pages (web pages, PDFs, newsletters, etc.) open and accessible. Learn about some of our initiatives that best display these principles.
Creating a New Way for People To Discover Government Benefits
Creating a New Way for People To Discover Government Benefits—To make it even easier for everyone to find services and benefits without needing to understand government structure, we’re developing a new digital tool in partnership with 10x, GSA’s incremental technology fund. BEARS, the Benefits Eligibility Awareness Resource Service, is an important step forward in providing an integrated, simple solution for federal benefits to improve the customer experience and will eventually cover all federal benefits from all agencies. — via USA.gov
Lessons from the 2021 Federal Plain Language Report Card
During the Digital.gov and Plain Language Community event, Results of the 2021 Federal Report Card, speaker David Lipscomb gave examples of web content that received both high and low scores in the 2021 Plain Language Report Card. Here’s what we learned.
