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ARCHIVED - Performance Measurement for the Government On-Line Initiative

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	Accessibility
Indicator(s)	On-line information and services are accessible to persons with disabilities On-line information and services are available in both official languages
Measurement Level and Technique	Measurement at the departmental level using self-assessments, and at the "whole of government" level using citizen/client feedback
Primary tool(s)/data source(s)	1) Departmental reporting on implementation of the Common Look and Feel Standards for the Internet (CLF) – federal institutions self-assessed their compliance with the seven CLF components (33 standards in total) using either all or a representative sample of their Web sites; the score for each component is an average of what all departments and agencies subject to CLF have reported; the focus, here, is on accessibility and official languages (CLF component descriptions, related standards, and a self-assessment guide are available at: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/clf-nsi/index-eng.asp ) 2) Omnibus surveys – includes, e.g., Ipsos-Reid research 3) Meta-analysis of the citizen-/client-based research done by gateways and portals
Summary of results achieved in 2003	Mixed – Almost all Canadians think that they can obtain service in either official language through the Internet at least most of the time; they think that they are more likely to receive this type of service through the Internet than through any other delivery channel. More generally, the federal government has made good progress in implementing CLF standards relating to accessibility and official languages, although work remains to be done in order to achieve 100% compliance with this policy. Other challenges include, e.g., providing TTY numbers on "Contact Us" Web pages and making all aspects of Web sites understandable through Web readers. One of the ways these challenges are being addressed is through the development of an Accessibility Domain Architecture, which offers guidance for departments and agencies in choosing technology that provides equitable access at the outset of projects.
Raw data	Access for persons with disabilities CLF accessibility standards ensure equitable access to content on federal Web sites; they cover persons with disabilities who rely on assistive devices – e.g., voice recognition software and text readers – to access on-line services, as well as individuals whose technology – whether older Web browsers and slow connections, or digital cell phone displays and PDAs – may otherwise limit what they can do For all departments and agencies subject to CLF, the average level of implementation of the four standards supporting accessibility (W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: Priorities One and Two, document technologies, alternative formats, and text equivalents) is 83%, where each standard accounts for one-quarter of the total implementation level – Remaining challenges include commercial off-the-shelf applications and legacy data that are partially inaccessible to those relying on assistive devices; departments and agencies are encouraged to provide the information necessary to obtain alternative formats such as Braille, and to continue their conversion efforts as well as the search for and sharing of solutions that address accessibility challenges The experiences of portal development teams suggest that accessibility challenges can remain even when Web sites have implemented CLF, such as making sites fully understandable through text readers – Departments and agencies are encouraged to continuously review and test their Web sites There are also independent studies and client surveys pointing to accessibility challenges; e.g., a 2002 study found few "Contact Us" pages on federal Web sites provide TTY access for individuals with hearing disabilities (Sinclair, Nicholson, and Associates, "New Doors to Access: Are They Open or Closed?", 2002); other issues Internet users have raised include the small font sizes of some sites, making text difficultto read (TBS meta-analysis, 2003) – Departments and agencies are encouraged in the December 2002 CLF best-practice document to add TTY numbers to contact information Also in response to some of these challenges, the Canada Site is constantly researching, testing, and making adjustments to its coding, text, and layout in order to provide greater support for users of assistive devices The Persons With Disabilities portal (http://www.pwd-online.ca/pwdhome.jsp?lang=en) provides integrated access to information and services for persons with disabilities, their caregivers, and their families; it was developed in accordance with the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines (Version 1.0) and with CLF – Features include: multiple font sizes for text, multiple colour schemes to improve contrast, links that are highlighted when an Internet user drags a mouse over them, and alternative site navigation using a keyboard rather than a mouse – Current information content includes: Transport Canada's (TC's) "Access to Travel" (information on accessible travel and transportation, including city maps in Braille), Industry Canada's (IC's) "Assistive Technology" (information on adaptive computer technologies), Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan.'s) "Mapping for the Visually Impaired", and links to federal disability information – Future plans include: links to provinces and territories and other related Web sites TBS is also developing an Accessibility Domain Architecture to provide a "whole of government" approach for the design of accessible IM/IT systems; this architecture includes a variety of "personas" that clarify the challenges experienced by persons with disabilities and recommend ways to address them at the outset, thus providing guidance for departments and agencies in choosing technology that both addresses the need for equitable access and meets specific business requirements – Personas include: Jane – no disabilities, Edith – a senior citizen, David – spinal injury preventing the use of hands, Roy – severe cerebral palsy, Roger – onset of Parkinson's disease, Ruth – deaf, Frank – blind (does not read Braille), Mary – chronic progressive course of Multiple Sclerosis, Nancy – deaf-blind and does not speak, and Francis – a young war veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder Access in both official languages 93% of Anglophone Canadians and 91% of Francophone Canadians think that they can obtain on-line federal services in either official language at least most of the time (Ipsos-Reid, 2003, also, e.g., TBS meta-analysis, 2003) – This compares with 91% of Anglophones and 87% of Francophones for regular mail services, 88% of Anglophones and 84% of Francophones for phone services, and 86% of Anglophones and 81% of Francophones for in-person services 76% of Anglophone Canadians and 60% of Francophone Canadians think that they can obtain on-line federal services in either official language all of the time For all departments and agencies subject to CLF, the average level of implementation of the 10 standards supporting official languages (e.g., bilingual domain names and welcome pages, user ability to choose among the two official languages) is 92%, where each standard accounts for one-tenth of the total implementation level In focus groups some Internet users reported finding errors on the French versions of federal Web sites (TBS meta-analysis, 2003) – This is consistent with an earlier finding of the Official Languages Commissioner that "the quality of the content on government Web sites occasionally leaves something to be desired from one organisation to another" (French on the Internet, 2002) However, in her 2002-03 Annual Report to Parliament, the Commissioner noted the work that TBS has done in improving the quality of French on federal Web sites, e.g., an inspection of Web sites to ensure that there is a proper balance between English and French content and to check the quality of the language used, and the launch of a pilot project to examine different methods of increasing the availability of specialised reference material and information in French – The Commissioner also highlighted some of key remaining challenges, e.g., the development of a policy for on-line publication of scientific and historical information in both official languages, and the publication of more specialised documents in French Further, GOL departments and agencies report that senior managers and/or senior communications personnel review Web content to ensure it makes sense to clients, including from an official languages perspective – More detailed results can be found in the credibility section of this report
Plans for improvement	Implement a strategy to encourage departments and agencies to achieve 100% compliance with CLF, including accessibility and official languages standards – Establish an Internet Advisory Committee Quality Assurance Working Group to revise the compliance measurement methodology – Increase small department and agency awareness of CLF requirements and best practices through presentations to the Small Agencies Administration Network and to committees such as the one for heads of IT for small departments and agencies – Encourage departments and agencies that have not yet established Centres of Expertise for the Internet to do so – Develop a communications strategy and products to promote and support CLF awareness and compliance – Hold a CLF and Centres of Expertise workshop to increase awareness and share information, tools, and best practices with the Web practitioner community – Review and propose changes for the next version of the CLF Internet standards Introduce a tool for departments and agencies to self-assess the quality of both official languages on their Web sites