WASHINGTON, DC - October 22, 2003 - The Benton Foundation and the NYS Forum of the Rockefeller Institute of Government today released a major research report on the accessibility and readability of government websites. The paper, written by Professor Darrell West of Brown University, examines the results of Brown's annual survey of government websites and addresses guiding principles to improve public access.
The average government website, the report says, is written at the 11th grade level. According to statistics, half of Americans read at the eighth grade level or lower. Additionally, research showed that 33% of government websites met the highest standard of accessibility for the disabled, while 13% offered bilingual content. This suggests that as governments migrate their information and services to a cyber environment, they must do more to guarantee that their websites are truly accessible to all.
"In the 21st century, the ability to access and use online information effectively has become a new civil right," said Benton Foundation president Andrea Taylor. "Governments must make sure that populations such as the disabled, non-English speakers and low-literate populations are not left behind in an information wasteland."
"Governments are feeling enormous pressure to reduce expenses and to accomplish that, many agencies are turning to e-government." added NYS Forum's executive director, Greg Benson. "If governments are truly committed to making e-government a reality, they must fully address bridging the diverse and complex dimensions of the digital divide so all people may benefit."
The report includes a list of guiding principles governments should consider when creating websites. Among the recommendations are requiring government website editors to test the readability of their content; raising Web accessibility awareness among agency administrators; encouraging agencies to publish resources appropriate to their intended audiences; and increasing opportunities for citizens to offer feedback and note website deficiencies.
The report, released at a public forum at the National Press Club, is a precursor to the E-Government for All virtual conference (www.egov4all.org), occurring online November 3-14. More than 300 people from 40 countries are expected to participate.
Based in Washington DC, the Benton Foundation's mission is to articulate a public interest vision for the digital age and demonstrate the value of communications for solving social problems.
Part of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, the New York State Forum for Information Resource Management (NYS Forum) is a network of public officials and state/local government organizations concerned with enhancing information management practices policies and educational opportunities.
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