Accessibility

Local governments are increasingly using technology such as kiosks, chatbots and online forms to streamline services, but are these tools accessible to everyone? Data reveals critical gaps that may have simple fixes.

A junior at Farmington High School in Connecticut won a $10,000 award from a national program for creating Code for All Minds, a computer science program for neurodivergent children and young adults.

Former Executive Director, Philadelphia Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities

Director, Strategy, Performance and Innovation Office, Colorado Office of Information Technology

At the 2024 Government Social Media Conference, officials shared their insight on how to operate in the changing landscape of social media. They also discussed what to expect as AI comes onto the scene.

Officials have leveraged digital and mobile tools to make services more widely accessible to Coloradans regardless of location. Simultaneously, they are upgrading their IT infrastructure to more modern tools.

Competing at a national summit next month, the first five new companies recognized by Western Governors University Labs’ Accelerator Pitch Competition address critical challenges in education.

To bring a Spanish-speaking student into the fold and help him learn English, a Keene Junior High School teacher ordered Timekettle, a translator app with earbuds the student can wear during class or group work.

Plus, Maine is the first state to have its digital equity plan accepted, the NTCA is calling for a more effective challenge process for the national broadband map, and more.

A Washington school district is putting $47,000 in state grants toward mobile translation devices and community classes for families on how to navigate the Internet and specific technology tools.

Ashley Bloom, the state's first chief IT accessibility officer, shared that she is approaching the role with the mindset that accessibility should be integrated into all of the state's IT work.

A Jan. 22 report from the Office of Educational Technology and Office of Special Education Programs dispels the myths of assistive technology devices and shares improvements that experts have witnessed in that space.

Massachusetts has appointed Ashley Bloom as the state’s new chief IT accessibility officer, a role in which she will be responsible for improving the accessibility of the state’s digital services.

As experts recently discussed at Code for America’s FormFest 2023 event, the digitization of government forms and processes can create more equitable access to government services for constituents.

With the addition of Soapbox Labs’ voice engine, Curriculum Associates has new language and literacy-focused tools in its portfolio that can recognize age-specific regional and cultural dialects.

Instead of only training AI speech-recognition tools on near-perfect diction, researchers at the University of Illinois want to train them to understand people with motor disabilities like Parkinson's disease.

In order to get the most out of virtual reality tools, schools and universities need to train educators how to use them and address accessibility concerns that may come with adopting related programs.

Josh Clark, who heads a private school in Massachusetts that serves children with language-based learning differences, is optimistic that artificial intelligence will enable tools that address their specific challenges.