Accessibility

Today, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order to establish a chief IT accessibility officer role to improve the accessibility of the state’s digital services for people with disabilities.

Plus, organizations urge Congress to support legislation for rural communities; a report explores redundancies in federal broadband programs; and much more.

The Colorado Smart Cities Alliance announced its third annual C² Challenge, a call to urban tech companies and universities to submit low-cost smart city solutions for the Denver metro region.

The state of Massachusetts has announced the launch of a new interactive, online map in an effort to help state agencies, localities and contractors identify certified diverse business partners.

Burlington County, N.J., has installed new technology in several government building locations to support people who have hearing impairments and improve their ability to engage in public meetings and other parts of government.

As experts discussed during the 2023 Digital.gov Government UX Summit, the work of designing accessible digital products is an iterative process that requires planning, user research and improvements.

New research suggests that when government agencies include diversity, equity and inclusion in the hiring process, it can improve hiring outcomes across federal, state and local governments.

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, a day intended to start the conversation about digital access and inclusion for people worldwide with disabilities. So, what should government agencies know about the road ahead?

Decatur City Council members are pushing for the reversal of one city board’s decision not to livestream meetings. The call for increased transparency comes amid some reluctance from some officials to stream public meetings.

Across the city of San Francisco government, teams are working in collaborative ways to improve accessibility to government services and resources to better support people with disabilities.

A North Carolina Department of Transportation autonomous shuttle pilot project collects and shares performance data and insights, including the common factors that cause service interruptions.

New CIO Jason Snyder wants to build the state’s municipal outreach efforts, formalize data privacy policies and give residents a single ID experience when accessing government services.

The state of Colorado has launched a pilot program at the Pueblo Regional Center that uses virtual reality technology to train staff to better serve individuals with developmental disabilities and other health needs.

The previous iteration of the Metro Flex on-demand service in King County, Wash., was a mix of three different pilot projects. It has since been reimagined as an easy-to-use transportation alternative for the Seattle metro area.

The state will now offer constituents a digital tool to help people who are blind or have low vision navigate physical government locations and digital services in an effort to improve accessibility.

The product launch from the firm comes as local and state governments focus more on accessibility and compliance issues. People with disabilities face significant challenges online, where many services have moved.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott has announced that Shelby Switzer has been hired to lead the city's Digital Services Team. Switzer is the first official hire for this team that was created in September 2022.

Plus, a federal report has found that more workers will be needed in order to deploy the massive investment the country is making in broadband, the FCC has opened a comment cycle for broadband labeling, and more.