Despite decades of digital progress, government websites and apps are still failing millions of Americans. Accessibility remains an afterthought in too many public-sector digital projects—something to “fix” later, or a compliance task handled by legal.
The reality? Accessibility is foundational. And ignoring it doesn’t just put agencies at legal risk—it drives up the complexity and cost of providing critical services to people who need them most.
Today, Fueled is proud to release our new white paper: Accessible by Design: Digital Strategies for Government Efficiency and Trust.
Download the White Paper
Download our magazine-style style PDF, or a simple ePub version for your preferred eReader (Kindle, Apple Books, etc).
Why This Paper, and Why Now
More than 25% of U.S. adults live with a disability. A 2024 White House memorandum confirmed what advocates have been saying for years: nearly half of federal websites are still not fully accessible. Our own experience suggests a greater gap at state and city levels.
Accessibility isn’t just a moral imperative. It’s a mission-critical requirement for public service. Every inaccessible form, unreadable PDF, or mobile-unfriendly menu represents a barrier to a veteran applying for benefits, a senior trying to get vaccinated, or a parent navigating early education resources. And in a time when resources can be scant, barriers can increase costs for taxpayers and government agencies, forcing constituents to abandon self-service digital resources in favor of legacy methods like phone calls and in-person visits that involve increased labor and facility costs.
What We Propose
Fueled’s whitepaper introduces a four-pillar framework for sustainable, operational accessibility:
- Architectural: Bake accessibility into design systems and CMS architecture.
- Assistive: Use tools like our open-source ClassifAI plugin to streamline accessible content creation.
- Preventative: Integrate real-time accessibility checks into publishing workflows.
- Auditing: Pair automated monitoring with scheduled and more comprehensive check-ups.
Paired with training, these techniques improve usability, boost self-service adoption, reduce support costs, and build public trust.
Proven in the Field
This framework isn’t theoretical. It’s already delivering results.
- At the California DMV, online transactions jumped 133% after we rebuilt their site with accessibility and usability in focus.
- For WhiteHouse.gov, we launched a fully accessible site in just six weeks, without compromising on editorial flexibility or performance.
- With CalMatters, we helped build a civic engagement platform that makes complex legislative data accessible to all Californians.
Each project reaffirms the same truth: accessibility is not a barrier to speed, innovation, or quality. It’s a multiplier.
Download the white paper, and reach out if you’re ready to build accessibility into your digital strategy.
