A quarter of Americans have a disability. However, nearly a third (33%) of federal websites that are most used by disabled Americans are not accessible.
A bipartisan group of senators concerned about accessibility has stated that it has been 10 years since a biennial report was filed by the Department of Justice on compliance with accessibility standards for information technologies. Section 508 of Rehabilitation Act requires the filing of such reports.
A group of seven senators wrote to the DOJ on Thursday asking them to issue the reports again. The lawmakers also want to know the reason why they have not filed the reports. This letter has not only bipartisan support but also the support and rank of three Senate committee chairs.
Bob Casey, D.Pa., said that “to have no reporting for a decade” was unacceptable.
He said that it was crucial because of the obstacles that people with disabilities face every day when it comes to full access to resources.
Section 508 of Rehabilitation Act requires the federal government to make all its websites accessible for disabled persons and to report publicly on its compliance every two years.
NPR reached out to the Justice Department for comment on the letter sent by senators.
Ashley Johnson, senior policy analyst at The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, says that accessibility refers to a website that has been created with people with disabilities in mind. This allows anyone to navigate the website. This could include making sure websites work with assistive technology devices like screen readers that speak aloud and screen magnifiers that increase content.
The senators stated that without regular reports, Congress, taxpayers, and agencies lack a critical source of feedback to identify and resolve long-standing accessibility issues.
NPR’s Casey said that reporting is essential aEUR” “not only for the executive and legislative branches to have this information but to make the information public so that people with disabilities, as well as all Americans, know what is going on in these agencies when it comes to accessibility.”
The senators noted that the DOJ’s 2012 report had “identified substantial gaps across federal government Section 508 compliance and included recommendations to agencies to meet their accessibility requirements.” The DOJ, for example, reported mixed results in Section 508 implementation and recommended that agencies improve training and appoint 508 coordinators.
It is not clear why the DOJ stopped issuing biennial reports. Nor is it clear if it collected Section 508 compliance information or issued recommendations earlier than 2012. It is unclear if the DOJ has the necessary resources and personnel to comply with the law, issue these reports, or what its plans are to meet the reporting requirements. Senators demanded answers by July 29.
In the United States, 26% of Americans have a disability. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation’s 2021 report found that 33% of federal websites were not accessible. 48% of these sites also failed to pass the automated accessibility test.
Casey stated that people with disabilities don’t get equal treatment if there are no accessible websites or other information technology.
Johnson of the foundation stated that the DOJ’s failure to report on compliance by the federal government over the past decade is indicative of a wider issue with society not prioritizing disabled people.
“We are all so used having information at our fingertips, literally on the phones. Casey explained that if you have a disability, you won’t be able to get the information from the agencies.
He said, “It just flouts in the face not only of transparency but also what our society has come accustomed to in terms of the freedom for people to access information.” We look forward to [the DOJ]’s answers, and those answers will allow us to get a better understanding of what’s going on and what the next steps should be.
