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.
June 16, 2023 •
Julia Edinger
During the 2023 Digital.gov Government UX Summit this week, experts drove home the importance of user testing in creating accessible digital products and services.
Data suggests that government agencies are not doing enough to achieve accessibility in services. For government to have accessible digital services and products, efforts must go beyond mere compliance.
This was a topic of discussion during a session titled “Accessibility Research in Action: VA’s Health and Benefits Mobile App,” when Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Contractor and Staff Researcher Elizabeth Straghalis was explaining how teams need to think about accessibility early and often when designing digital products.
“In fact, we have an accessibility-beyond-compliance approach to our work,” Straghalis said, arguing that compliance alone does not guarantee a positive digital experience for users.
A major part of improving the user experience of the [...]