E-Government and Social Media: The Impact on Accessibility

Social media is a valuable tool, providing a means of instruction, communication, and collaboration to many organizations including the government institutions that citizens rely upon. However, while important for distributing information, social media has not historically prioritized accessibility. The federal government has a duty to provide fair and usable information access for those with disabilities, but the delineation between where this responsibility lies becomes blurred when third-party platforms like social media are utilized. The extent to which social media pervades government sites and causes accessibility issues is one that is not well understood. This article presents an overview of the current state of affairs for Section 508, the implications it has for social media, and a study to evaluate the potential impact it has on all users.