Since June 2001, Federal regulations require that U.S. government Web sites and other software developed by or for the U.S. Government provide comparable access to the information for all users. Computer users who have visual and/or other disabilities are entitled to have the same access as users who do not currently have any disabilities.

Accessibility is a subset of usability. Accessibility guidelines have several checkpoints that address more general usability, such as developing a logical tab order, dividing large information blocks into more manageable groups, and using the clearest and simplest language appropriate. Even if the application complies with the law, it still may not be usable, as the Census Bureau’s Usability Lab has found in other testing. Both usability and accessibility testing need to be done to identify problems that actual users may have.

Others in Series

Working Paper

An Accessibility Evaluation of the WIN X-12 Application

March 26, 2008

Users of the Win X-12 application will be X-12 ARIMA users who wish to create charts and graphs.

Working Paper

2010 NRFU Questionnaire Development

March 28, 2008

This paper summarizes the research conducted by SRD between 2004 and 2008.

Working Paper

An Accessibility and Usability Evaluation of the QUISP II Application

August 08, 2008

The U. S. Census Bureau needs to monitor the quality control status of official Census Bureau forms and letters for the Decennial Census and other surveys.

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Related Information

Survey Methods Working Papers

Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021

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