Absolute fail in web accessibility. The 18th ‘Government Benchmark’ report leaves no room for doubt and is resounding: Europe’s public administrations have unfinished business. That is the conclusion of the reference study on electronic administration that was published a few days ago. European governments, including the Spanish government, are in the spotlight.
Although the pandemic has caused “significant progress in the digitalization of the provision of public services”, only 16% of more than 7,000 websites evaluated meet the web accessibility criteria. Or what is the same, they continue to fail in accessibility.
One of the main premises that can be deduced is that governments will need to focus on the evolution of their digitalization strategies and be inclusive. In this way, they will ensure that citizens find added value in electronic administration and the digital divide is reduced.
Study
Every year, the research provides the European Commission with information on the availability of Internet services of public administrations and has the collaboration of the Polytechnic of Milan and the help of the IDC. After 7,000 websites and 36 European countries analyzed, the result is clear: a 180-degree change is urgently needed. Nations such as Iceland, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Norway, Turkey, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are part of the study.
But the pandemic has accelerated the transition from offline to online services. The urgent need to avoid physical contact has precipitated a dizzying transformation. In fact, more than 80% of the public services evaluated are currently available online.
Likewise, on nine out of ten administration websites the information is valid for mobile phones. This represents an increase to 88% (compared to 76% a year ago and 68% two years ago). Support and information are generally available to users, and it is compatible with smartphones on almost nine out of ten websites analyzed.
Web accessibility cookies
The study also shows that only 61% of government websites inform users that the portal has consulted their personal data. That is, almost 40% fail to comply with European legislation on cookies and privacy. User consent to access data sharing, privacy and security is becoming more and more important.
Only six out of ten online forms in Europe are pre-filled with information from sources such as databases, reducing users’ time when completing forms.
The data also shows the differences between local and national administrations, with the former being further behind in digitalization, thereby opening a digital divide that can make the provision of services difficult.
In fact, the account manager for the EU institutions at Capgemini Invent, Niels van der Linden, has recognized that “strengthening digital leadership and promoting human-centred, inclusive and sustainable digital policies that empower citizens and businesses, are at the core of the European Union’s digital objectives for 2030.”
Web accessibility rankings
Do you think the main supermarket chains pass the accessibility test? A person’s general impression would be that being a company in such a basic sector they would clearly have error-free accessibility software. You will be surprised to know the accessibility status of your website.
The truth is that this is expected news and it confirms the analyzes we have carried out with the web accessibility rankings. They are detailed studies that allow us to obtain a detailed x-ray in different sectors that are fundamental in daily life. You can consult the accessibility rankings of bancos, universidades and ayuntamientos.
